spinnaker
58º 13.4’ N 010º 55.7’ E
August 5, 2024 | 58º 13.4’ N 010º 55.7’ E
It is 1830 on FALKEN. Mitch and Joe have just finished up dishes and everyone is up and hanging in the cockpit. You can feel the excitement of landfall in the air. The day has been one of those magical days you don’t often get on a passage, when the temperature is just right, the sun is out, and the boat is cruising along under full sails! I was asleep until 1300 today, waking up to the crew clapping hands. The spinnaker was successfully hoisted and is still flying. The crew were either very quiet, or I was sleeping hard—most likely the latter, as this was the first time many of the crew flew a spinnaker.
The wind has continued to drop throughout the day and is now down to 7-9 kts of true wind, sailing towards the Swedish coast at a comfortable 7 kts. The waves have laid down and we are floating on a magic carpet. We’ll see how long we can keep the spinnaker before the wind drops completely.
There has been a lot of traffic today. It started this morning with the Danish fishing fleet coming out towards us, and after that, plenty of ships, ferries, and more fishing boats to cross paths with. Not a single time have we had to change course though. We are about 8 nm off the Swedish coast now, aiming towards Smögen, hoping to get a space at the dock (very unlikely in the peak of the summer), or an anchorage nearby. We will then continue the passage, sailing along the coast down to Marstrand on Tuesday or Wednesday.
- Mia
mia@59-north.com
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HMS Night Watch Party
Wing on wing worked well until the wind shifted then the helm became the cone of despair for our night watch crew of three (H, M and S) Alex made the decision to drop the pole, shifting wing on wing to a close reach. Wind increased to low teens and speed picked up to a flying pace. Day spent wandering toward Ensenada. Alex, Adam and David got us into port under another starry night.
No Kitemares Today
After a night marked by sudden wind accelerations peeling off Point Conception, and a vibrant, pulsating sky blistered with shooting stars, the off-watch woke to commotion on the foredeck. The wind had gone light and the swell had tapered just enough to raise the spinnaker. The sail filled with an urgent pop, the sheet strained and Falken charged down the face of the next wave. By mid-day, we doused the spinnaker and set our minds to the more precise task of safely punching through a gap in the notorious Cortez Bank. The border to Mexico looms ahead.
The California coast
We had a very lively first day of sailing with steady winds between 25 and 30 kn gusting to mid 30s. All of the crew got experience at difficult downwind helming as we covered 200 nautical miles in the first 24 hours. This morning brings winds in the teens and calmer seas. The sun is still shining, and the green monster has been slayed by those afflicted!