23:58 UTC | 08°44.872’N 085° 58.575’W
Motoring
The first highlight of the day was spotted during the night watch, blinking lights on the horizon that proved less remarkable upon further inspection of the mystery object, yet it did provide much speculation during our full day motoring on calm seas.
The day’s real highlight though was waking up to Mary’s freshly made pancakes and coffee for our 5am watch. After another surreal Pacific Ocean sunrise, the day was spent motoring, counting boobies on the bow, eyes peeled for the next set of dolphins or hoping to be blessed by another turtle.
An endless blue half dome, not a single boat siting all day. Though most were hoping for more sailing, I think the smooth waters allowed all some much needed deep rest — a few extraordinary dreams were shared over dinner. Now that the sun is setting, we’ve been briefed there is wind coming tonight, we will be sailing and back to Marina Flamingo for lunch tomorrow!
// Nick
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Lessons and a Gift
The biggest lesson is the helm. The lesson here is that even if you don't think you can do it over and over again with no sleep, cold and damp, it has to be done and so it can be done. Flying fish are cool, dolphins are really really cool, but the coolest of them all are the whales. And most of all Alex: "Find your center Carla. Always know where your center is so you can come back to it". He means the helm but it applies to life as well.
Making the most of it
This passage has thrown pretty much every atmospheric condition imaginable at us. It reminds us not only of how much we’ve learned, but of how far we’ve literally come since that acceleration zone off the northwest corner of Oahu. The resilience this group has shown has been nothing short of incredible, and I couldn’t be prouder to be part of it. Maybe that’s why it’s the hardest passages we remember the most. Not because they were easy, but because they reminded us what we’re capable of.
Passages and Purposes
As of today, Falken has taken us over 1800nm across the North Pacific. We’ve learned about water-makers, starter motors, furling, taking in and letting out reefs, easing and grinding, weather and wind, helming by course and by wind angles, and the difference between rest and sleep. For now, the latest challenge is to stay in the moment. The memories we’ve made here are priceless, even if we only connected for a few moments on our various paths in this world. So few people get this opportunity to “go dark” and live simply for a moment.