03:00 UTC | 31°45.0N 117°30.8W
Training
The overnight hours were special for every watch. Under the dome of stars in a moon-less sky, each of us during our time at the helm used the most rudimentary celestial navigation, keeping a star or two lined up with the mast as a helper to following the heading range. Swells mixed with gusts to tug the rudder left and right. We have developed a feel for anticipating how both will affect Falken and are able to swing the wheel just so to keep her mostly heading where skipper wants us to go.
The midnight watch got the call to jibe at 0230. Those of us snug in our bunks heard footsteps thudding on the deck over our heads, calls of instruction and the swish of the lines pulling the boom to its new position. For that crew, it was an exciting and successful effort, pulling together to grind, pull and ease. The conditions throughout the night were likened to riding a horse over the waves, giving the boat its head and then reining it in. The sunrise crew were greeted with a compliment of flying fish.
With our new heading straight east, the wind changed, leaving us with great conditions to learn more seamanship from Alex, Ryan and Zoe. It was a whole crew event to set the spinnaker, reef the mainsail and practice the heave-to in case of man overboard. All stations, from preventer to halyard, handy-billy to guys, were handled to a tee due to great directions and encouragement. Alex stressed that the key to success in all of these crucial activities is preparation. Know where you’re starting and where you’re going, don’t rush but be efficient, and tidy up at the end. It was hugely satisfying to accomplish these tasks through teamwork.
With wind a bit dull, we stayed hove-to for a few hours through dinner time (which was Zoe’s expert Pad Thai), started off with a swim off the back. Even “idling” we were moving at one and half to two knots, so clinging to the buoy line and grasping hand over hand to get back to the stern was a challenge! After several hard working days and nights, the swim was a joyful celebration. Several of us commented how the following couple of hours on deck, reading, quietly chatting or even staring at the sea, left us with a feeling of content companionship. We share a constant good hearted back and forth full of stories, one-liners and comebacks that also means constant laughter.
We’ve planned a slower approach to Ensenada to hit tomorrow morning’s high tide, and then it will be customs by 0900. We’re all so happy for a last overnight of wave surfing together.
Lynn
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Mother Nature, you’ve outdone yourself!
It’s been a great experience to have a non-traditional trans-Atlantic, as it’s been packed with genuinely cool features. The Doldrums!! A place sailors have been talking about for centuries. The unpredictability is what made it such an exhilarating experience. While some might be frightened or alarmed by this kind of weather, I was embodied with a sense of calm and awe. There’s something wildly beautiful about being reminded how small you are, while feeling so incredibly alive.
A Heavenly High
As you have probably figured out at this point, the drug of choice on board is, of course, celestial navigation- an art which has hooked offshore sailors for centuries. Once addicted, navigators will emerge from down below only to get their fixes two times per day, and spend the rest of their days and nights down below doing complex spherical mathematics. On Adrienne II, our skipper is our dealer. I must confess that I myself gave in to the strange urge which I’ve felt witnessing my crewmates practice this fine art, and yesterday felt an amazing sensation as I was able to wield the sextant for the first time and with it, bring down the tip of our starboard spreader to the top of our front sprayhood, presicely measuring the angle between the two (35deg, 38,8’ min). This afternoon, Naxo then showed me how to get my fix from the very sun itself - and I now fear there is no turning back.
The gobbledygook of sailors
We sailors can come across as a cryptic bunch. Similar to almost all niche endeavors, it boils down to efficiency, safety and tradition. There are so many "ropes" and so much gear on a sailboat, that trying to identify them by descriptive terms just wouldn’t cut it. We’re in one of the best learning environments available to offshore sailors, and mistakes are a part of the process.