February 25, Day 17 | Life on the Heel is Real
And so we embark on our final leg of the voyage, just as we began. Adrienne is looking her finest, dressed in a double-reefed main and the staysail holding strong, constantly drenched in saltwater and driving hard! Once again, we are close-hauled against the trades. Class 3 whitewater waves cover her deck every 50 waves or so, keeping things fun and exciting.
Both above and below decks, whether simply traversing around the helm or negotiating the head, logistical contemplation is essential—no different than planning the first series of hop turns skiing down a steep couloir. A walk to the galley, with Adrienne at full heel, is an adventure in itself, not to mention the companionway stairs and helming.
Some say they are ready to go back to “real life.” Some of us agree to disagree; this is as real as life gets. In the next 24 hours, we will catch our first glimpse of the Canaries. Bernard Moitessier felt love at first sight when he did so via celestial navigation in the 1960s. Our crew is weathered, exhausted, and strong. We have cared for and supported one another beyond comprehension. Adrienne continues to charge and only wants more sailing. She is a remarkable vessel.
Mahalo Captain Erik and first mate Tim; you have empowered your crew to safely navigate squalls, to catch glimpses of sleep whenever possible, and to helm Adrienne in the fashion that suits her. The long tack to round La Palma is in process—Adrienne will be hauled out and set up with a new outfit for her next voyage across the sea.
—Ryan Redmond, Crew
crew@59-north.com
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Ladies who reef
The trade winds have been kind, rolling the boat toward Hawaii in a steady, hypnotic rhythm—until last night, when a squall hit without warning and the wind jumped to 28 knots, slamming everything sideways. With rain driving down and the boat lurching underfoot, the crew had minutes to wrestle two reefs into the mainsail and get things back under control. What followed was a masterclass in wet, unglamorous, deeply satisfying teamwork—with less than 250 miles left to go.
Yankee Doodle Died at Sea, Riding on a FALKEN
A thin, foot-long tear in the yankee sail—50,000 miles of ocean behind it—and suddenly the final stretch to Hawaii just got a lot more interesting. The crew of FALKEN had been running a tight ship through the trades, reefing in squalls like clockwork, when the last dance finally caught up with them. How a skipper handles the moment everything goes sideways says everything about the voyage itself.
A Gen Z Perspective
At 31, the crew thought they were reasonably fluent in the English language—then they met Kip. Today, the crew's self-appointed Gen Z correspondent takes over the log from somewhere in the middle of the Pacific, delivering dispatches on Milky Way night sails, focaccia-induced visions, and the singular mission of getting eleven people's "badonkadonks" to Hawaii. Consider this your glossary.