DAY 2
Yesterday was the first morning for the crew onboard. Bob has sailed with us earlier this year, and James has already signed up for a trans-Atlantic with us in 2024, but for the rest of the crew, this is all new. After a long morning of safety briefs, we left the docks at Lagos Marina and went out on a day sail to search for the wind. The forecast said no wind, but to our surprise, we had a great afternoon tacking our way over to Sagres. As soon as we got underway and realized we actually had wind, we switched from our big genoa to our smaller jib. Even though it was calm with just a small swell, it still takes quite a bit of time and effort.
The aim was to have the anchor down before sunset at 5:30, but things always take longer and the anchor was down by seven. On our way in, I cooked dinner, and as soon as the boat was put away, we had a nice taco dinner at anchor. Andy made the comment that when you arrive in the dark, it is fun to wake up the next morning and see where you are. Well, this morning we were swamped in fog and could barely see the bow of the boat.
Alex led the morning swim parade. He claimed the water was 17-18 degrees, Knut thought it could not have been more than 13. We settled on a nice 16°C water temperature—nice and refreshing. MOB practice is something we do at the start of every passage; it’s something you cannot practice enough. Karina volunteered to be the rescue swimmer this morning, and Bob (our dummy, not crewmember Bob) went over the side.
We got the anchor up about an hour ago, but today there is truly a mirror on the water and not a breath of wind. Andy is giving a navigation and weather chat, and when we get back to anchor again, we’ll look at the route for the rest of the week and where to go to find the wind. The plan is to lift anchor tomorrow mid-morning and head out for three days non-stop.
— Mia
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HMS Night Watch Party
Wing on wing worked well until the wind shifted then the helm became the cone of despair for our night watch crew of three (H, M and S) Alex made the decision to drop the pole, shifting wing on wing to a close reach. Wind increased to low teens and speed picked up to a flying pace. Day spent wandering toward Ensenada. Alex, Adam and David got us into port under another starry night.
No Kitemares Today
After a night marked by sudden wind accelerations peeling off Point Conception, and a vibrant, pulsating sky blistered with shooting stars, the off-watch woke to commotion on the foredeck. The wind had gone light and the swell had tapered just enough to raise the spinnaker. The sail filled with an urgent pop, the sheet strained and Falken charged down the face of the next wave. By mid-day, we doused the spinnaker and set our minds to the more precise task of safely punching through a gap in the notorious Cortez Bank. The border to Mexico looms ahead.
The California coast
We had a very lively first day of sailing with steady winds between 25 and 30 kn gusting to mid 30s. All of the crew got experience at difficult downwind helming as we covered 200 nautical miles in the first 24 hours. This morning brings winds in the teens and calmer seas. The sun is still shining, and the green monster has been slayed by those afflicted!