Burgers n’ sunsets

October 4, 2025 | 20:55 UTC | 6°10.915' S 031°36.916' W

In some ways, the beginning of day 4 was the true start of our offshore passage. At night on day 3, we could still see the glow of Brazilian cities on the western horizon, but now all light pollution is gone. The moon is still waxing and in the evening sky, but early in the morning it sets, and the stars have been amazing. Orion stands bright overhead, and we have seen the Southern Cross across the stern. Hoping there will be more clear, moonless nights to come!

Today was a day of mixed weather. Several squalls required us to change course and dodge around them. With squalls on the horizon in most directions, the ocean seemed small, as if we were in our own little seascape for sailing. We got some rain, which felt good. Lance set up the freshwater garden hose and some of us took quick showers on the deck. We had chicken Caesar salads for lunch and will have hamburgers for dinner. Morale is generally high, yet some are still suffering from seasickness. The rough sea state and strong winds don’t help, of course.

In a calm period between squalls, we decided to replace the jib with the genoa. This was a fun operation after flying the same sails on the same tack since the beginning of the voyage. Within minutes, we were speeding along at over 10 knots. But all good things must end, and within an hour the winds started picking up due to another squall. We took down the genoa and reefed the main, which went smoothly. The winds continued to pick up to over 25 knots and Adrienne II was soon sailing fast again. It is an exhilarating experience on deck right now.

- Andrew Elmore | ADRIENNE II Crew