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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Among the Channel Islands
In the wind shadow of SoCal we had a restful night with calm conditions ghosting through smooth seas. We’re getting ourselves in position for spicy weather tonight once we round Cape Conception, the seas build and the breeze freshens. It will be an upwind sail into an acceleration zone along a formable coast with few bailout points, Morro Bay being one. The crew is really gelling with lots of smiles and laughter on deck. Monterey is in our sights!
Day Two Delights
The seas were completely glassy with a gentle swell as we approached San Clemente Island, the southernmost of the Channel Islands. Everyone jumped in and marvelled at the lovely temperature and crystal clear, indigo-colored water. Before long the wind started to pick up, and we happily unfurled the jib and were sailing again. The afternoon has been gorgeous, cruising along at 5-6 kts, close hauled on a port tack in a gentle breeze, Catalina Island in the distance on our starboard side, and everyone is happy.
Adios Ensenada!
Around 9am this morning, we slipped lines and made our way out of Todos Los Santos Bay with a pre-arranged escort pod of dolphins. After a few hours of motoring through very calm, very blue, very kelpy seas, we clicked the engine off and off we went. After some delicious frittata and not-new potatoes a-la Adam, we executed our first of many tacks. With only 5-10 kts of wind, our close haul has been nothing but pleasant so far. After a lovely week in Ensenada for me, Alex, and Adam, we’re stoked to finally head out and begin our upwind journey back up the coast.