Day 1
FALKEN DAY 1
March 30, 2024
Wednesday saw the arrival of our latest crew of intrepid adventurers as we met on the dock at the Antigua Yacht Club. The heat of the midday sun had us plan our safety briefings carefully as we began below decks and moved to the shaded area of the marina bar to complete our introductions and orientation for the trip ahead. Unfortunately, two of our group were unable to continue with us due to a medical emergency, and so our remaining crew of eight bonded over a traditional Antiguan feast on our first evening together.
With westerlies forecast for Thursday and Friday, it seemed smart to plan our passage for Jamaica to begin on Saturday. After a day of further safety briefings, we took a short shakedown sail east yesterday to the stunning waters of Green Island, where we sat at anchor overnight. An early start this morning gave us the opportunity to iron out some of Falken's teething problems and take a swim in the glorious Caribbean Sea before setting out on our 900nm passage to Jamaica.
As I write this, we are prepping the anchor to leave and fall into our watch systems that will be our lives for the coming days. The crew are all bubbling with excitement and full of enthusiasm for the trip ahead.
EmilyCaruso
View more passage logs
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.