26°04.67' N 018°00.12' W
October 17, 2025 | 10:30 UTC | 26°04.67' N 018°00.12' W | Code Zero
After a day of motoring and calm glassy seas, and then sailing as much as we could in between the periods of light winds, the wind filled in as the weather models predicted. The Azores high pressure has given us the most gentle and silky seas. With the wind now from the NW, we have had the glory of being on a beam reach all night with a fine course to Gran Canaria. ADRIENNE was delighted to be gliding through the seas so calmly, letting those down below sleep tight.
It’s finally cool enough below; no one seems quite ready to get out of bed. When it was once so hot, it was imperative that you came up for air when you opened your eyes. However, even now, once you are up on deck, it couldn’t be more perfect. The sailing has been delightful, and the sea and sky are always full of wonders. There were some dolphins that swam by, bioluminescence in the bow waves, and plenty of shooting stars to mesmerize us.
With 10-14 knots of wind, the Code Zero went up after sunrise. We are now cruising along under the main, jib, and Code Zero. There is a constant reminder from ADRIENNE to savor every moment and soak it all in. Time is a precious thing. At the time I am starting to write this, we are only 240 nautical miles from our destination on the southern shore of Gran Canaria.
Thoughts of home and family, going for hikes and running, returning to jobs, and what’s next are circling in our heads. But how lucky are we to be out here, experiencing the grandeur of this part of the world. It is evident that all souls on board are really making the most out of our time at sea, savoring the sweetness of a long passage to a distant land. Soon enough, a 2800m volcanic island will be on our horizon, the first glimpse of land since we left the bright lights of the Brazilian coast many moons ago.
Our wind is predicted to drop to 0-4 knots sometime tonight, so we will sail as far and efficiently as we can towards our destination. We all know that soon enough we will have to start motoring. To my family, I cannot wait to see you all! And Thomas, I am so looking forward to sailing with you soon. Next passage we do together, and I promise it will be with cooler temperatures.
Brittany | Adrienne II Crew
crew@59-north.com
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Quadruple digits!
We are still headed north away from Hawaii, though today we have started to veer ever so slightly east. Speaking of miles, we hit quadruple digits today and are currently 1051 nms into our journey to Alaska. The sea state continues to calm down, and the famous North Pacific high is just out of our reach. The next few days will be a delicate dance of riding the outskirts of the high while avoiding the pesky low pressure systems that are dancing nearby. In his very wise words, we need to get north but not too far north, stay south but not too far south, continue heading east but not too far east, and avoid going west but also stay west.
The basics
Nordic Falken and her crew have been in a steady course of NNW since the departure of Hawaii. But! The good thing of all of this is that the promised land on which the high pressure lies has been getting closer and closer, meaning in a couple of days we're gonna see the wind slowly veer all the way to the South, which finally should see us easing the sails and remembering the basics of human nature all over again. The crew have been amazing and we've had everyone come around to push through fatigue, seasickness and soaking wet clothes. On another note we left the tropics a while ago and we can really feel the shift of temperature, long gone are the shorts and foulies have been the norm. Not much more apart from this, my intolerance to upwind sailing still pretty much alive but doing it with a bunch of such amazing human beings makes it worth it worthwhile.
Pacific pace
After some initial adversity, we untied our lines and left the beautiful island of O'ahu behind as we set sail north on an adventure of a lifetime. And that is exactly what we are - a family of strangers brought together by a passion for sailing and a love for the sea. The passage, while at its infancy, has delivered. The wind and seas, stars and sails all set the stage for a fantastic journey. We will see you on the other side with many stories to tell.