Crew Arrival
February 26, 2025 | Prep-days in Cartagena
One might have thought that Cartagena would stand in stark contrast to the thrilling last few hours of our previous passage, providing us with calm and serenity after somewhat of a wild ride. But that would have been a vast underestimation of the exciting city that is Cartagena. Indeed, as we approached the harbour, we were overtaken left and right by what one could only describe as party boats. Loud music converged from different boats, crowds—small and large—dancing on the foredecks, twerking on the bow, raising glasses, skyscrapers and a sunset in the background.
After tying up on the outermost berth of our finger pontoon and getting ready to raise our own glasses to our passage, it soon became apparent that there was no such thing as a no-wake zone around here. So much so that in the busy hours of the day, we are experiencing a sea state that can only be described as smooth to, yes, slight. Walking on the floating pontoons becomes a real act of balance at these times. The occasional slap on Falken's stern from the bigger wakes makes the whole boat shudder and is usually met by some loud oohs and aahs, followed by some sailor's jargon emanating from the bow, where Adam has been working on replacing our windlass motor.
Adam arrived on Falken on Saturday morning, with a few important missions in mind. First of all, we had to replace our windlass motor, an essential piece of kit that we will need for cruising and anchoring around the San Blas islands. Maintaining a boat to the highest standards in distant locations sometimes requires a real group effort. In this case, two crew members gracefully accepted to each travel with a separate windlass motor, weighing no less than 20 kg. Big thanks to Susan and Håkan, without whom we'd have to operate our big chunk of steel at the bow manually. Of course, let's not forget Adam—it has been a joy watching him take care of his baby, Falken.
After a few days of maintenance, passage planning, and provisioning, our new crew finally arrived on the boat yesterday early afternoon. It must have been the hottest day for us in Colombia so far, as we were slowly working our way through our different pre-departure briefings. The evening always provides us, if not with fresh temperatures, at least with slightly cooler temperatures, which we enjoyed thoroughly, going out for dinner in the old town.
And as we are today going through all of our remaining safety briefs and POB training, I feel that everyone is getting ready to head out to the fresher air of the open sea tomorrow, first thing in the morning.
- Manot, FALKEN’s mate
ManotBerger
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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.