Arrival
A few hours ago, our crew of eight women left the boat and took the ferry into central Amsterdam. There is nothing better than hearing your crew chatting about where they are going to meet up for dinner once the trip is over. It’s a sure sign that these eight individuals—once strangers—are now friends. Friends out of choice, rather than because they were forced into the confines of a 65-foot sailing yacht with no escape!
We gathered in the cockpit last night to reflect on the trip. It took us four days to sail the 500NM rhumb line passage from Bergen to Amsterdam. That’s slow! But we didn’t go slow—we just couldn’t sail straight. In fact, we actually sailed over 650NM and hit speeds of over 11 knots! Evidence that it wasn’t such a “smooth sailing” trip. In fact, quite the opposite.
We began with gale force winds in our faces, then enjoyed a “recovery day” downwind. Then the wind died off altogether, and a few hours of motoring transitioned us into our next day of upwind, before we came screaming along into Amsterdam downwind in 25 knots—gybe, gybe, gybe, and then in! Then a loch to contend with on the entry to the canal was interesting, followed by a few hours of motoring, and we parked up in our dock in Amsterdam marina. I’m not sure the guy cleaning the showers knew quite what was happening as we all poured in!
We said to the crew before we left: you get out of this what you put in. They took it literally, throwing their heart and soul, bodies (some stomach contents), energy, wit, laughter, and the rest in. So unsurprisingly, the final debrief was emotional. “Empowering” was probably the word of the moment, along with “fun” and “resilience.” A comment that really struck me was from Natalia, who highlighted how grateful she was to have been with a group of people that could always find lightness or a reason to laugh—no matter how challenging the circumstances.
It’s one thing I think these passages really teach you—that with the right mindset and good company, you can get through almost anything. Once again, Mia and I were reminded of the power of sailing offshore, and the fun of doing it with people who are up for an adventure.
Until the next one…
— Nikki
NikkiHenderson
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The Penultimate Blog from Adrienne II
After 20 days, and 3000+ nautical miles, we're back on land. The motley crew of Adrienne II, consisting of 7 happy amateurs supported by 3 professionals, have completed an epic journey many dream of but few realize. So much of this trip has been about being present - with nature, with each other, with this boat. My biggest takeaway from this trip is the amazing crossing of the ITCZ (Inter Tropical Convergence Zone). We all hope you've enjoyed the blog as much as we've enjoyed creating it.
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.