Wow, what a day:
It began with a pretty yellow-gold sunrise. Saw two white birds in the distance looking for fish to eat. All was quiet + peaceful, and listening to the sound of the waves as we glided through them was heavenly.
Then, Erik + Anton came out to play + found two flying fish not doing too well on our deck. They opened their wings to provide a great look at how beautiful they really are and then returned them to the sea.
Two ships appeared on the radar screen but were not a threat after checking on their information. Both went behind us. I wonder if we are in a shipping lane out here?
Off to the west I sighted a small squall, and a rainbow began growing from the bottom up in it. A new feat of nature to me. As time went on, the clouds began gathering, and soon the sky was covered with upcoming squalls — some exciting wind and a bit of rain and anticipation of what Mother Nature had in store for us! Once again a fun adventure of sailing. Storms passed and life goes on.
Feeling at peace. Watching clouds form a unique picture and then change into something else. Like seeing a white fluffy dog become a huge hand reaching out.
Adjusting sails, loving the moments, and at peace with all.
One highlight for me yesterday was a parade of short, almost no-tail dolphins on their way by. I got to see a mom and baby jump together through the water as they went by. Mother Nature at her finest.
Life is good, and one word to friends on Bonfire — go fast and have fun!
Linda, ADRIENNE II Crew
View more passage logs
Tahiti-Taha’a and a birthday
Bora Bora who? Leg 6 crew are aboard and setting their sights on the lesser-known gems of French Polynesia — Taha'a and Huahine — where vanilla farms, manta rays, and drift coral snorkels await. The new anchorage booking system is a noble idea in theory, though its website appears to share the reliability of the wind, which has cheerfully decided to blow from exactly the wrong direction. It's upwind sailing, birthday cake, and uncharted territory from here.
”For some things, we will never be ready.” - Moana 2
After 852 miles of open ocean sailing, the crew of Falken dropped anchor in Moorea's Cook's Bay—not with a quiet glide in, but surfing down waves in a squall, breaking speed records and cheering each other on through the rain. What started as a plan to "just dip a toe" into offshore sailing turned into something harder to explain: the worse the conditions got, the more alive everyone felt. Turns out the question was never whether the crew was ready—it was whether they even needed to be.
Kauehi conundrum
Kauehi atoll was always on the itinerary—until the forecast made it a gamble not worth taking. Squalls, bommies, a tidal pass, and no clean escape route: sometimes the hardest call in sailing is the one that keeps you out of a place, not in it. The Tuamotus will have to wait.