Day 3

July 8, 2024 | Day 3 At Sea | The Outer Hebrides
Last night we had a stunning sail through a patch of rain clouds and managed to dodge them all. As Port watch handed over, their instructions were to “keep the speed, chase the rain clouds, try and beat their speed record of 10.2 kts, and keep your fingers off the engine buttons!” Sadly, the wind died shortly after this and we did have to start motoring.
We made the most of the calm day by motoring close to the west coast of the stunning Outer Hebrides. This positioned us well for when the wind returned, but it also tempted the crew to mutiny as the draw of Scottish whisky was discussed.
The area was teeming with wildlife and we all saw lots of puffins! They are such beautiful and comic birds, and a bit scared of Falken, so they quickly dived as we passed. The team saw many seals, some dolphins, and the scenery was amazing.
The sun was out and we managed to spend a few hours on deck without oilskins. We even got the sextant out and everyone had a go at taking a sight.
The wind came back in the evening and we are now having a memorable sail in the long midnight sun. It doesn’t get dark anymore!
- Jojo Pickering, Skipper S/Y FALKEN
Last night we had a stunning sail through a patch of rain clouds and managed to dodge them all. As Port watch handed over, their instructions were to “keep the speed, chase the rain clouds, try and beat their speed record of 10.2 kts, and keep your fingers off the engine buttons!” Sadly, the wind died shortly after this and we did have to start motoring.
We made the most of the calm day by motoring close to the west coast of the stunning Outer Hebrides. This positioned us well for when the wind returned, but it also tempted the crew to mutiny as the draw of Scottish whisky was discussed.
The area was teeming with wildlife and we all saw lots of puffins! They are such beautiful and comic birds, and a bit scared of Falken, so they quickly dived as we passed. The team saw many seals, some dolphins, and the scenery was amazing.
The sun was out and we managed to spend a few hours on deck without oilskins. We even got the sextant out and everyone had a go at taking a sight.
The wind came back in the evening and we are now having a memorable sail in the long midnight sun. It doesn’t get dark anymore!
- Jojo Pickering, Skipper S/Y FALKEN
JoJoPickering
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The hardest part of sailing across French Polynesia wasn't the night watches, the heat, or the open ocean — it was the prospect of being trapped on a small boat with a group of strangers. First-timer Natalie boards as a self-described land crab and discovers that the sea has a way of reshaping both your sea legs and your assumptions. What follows is dolphins, sharks, the Milky Way in full technicolour, and a crew that somehow made the whole thing better than she ever imagined.
