Day 3 At-sea
January 25, 2024
Well, what a difference a day makes! From three reefs and a partial jib to full sail, and eventually reverting to the trusty iron sail as the wind finally disappeared this evening. The crew have been having a ball and feeling jubilant to have conquered some rather large seas and fairly fruity gusts over the last 24 hours. Any sickness has abated and the laughter continues to emanate from across the hull. Even the dolphins showed up to wish the crew congratulations for having taken on the might of Mother Nature at her finest.
The predominant easterlies today have been a stark reminder of our proximity to the Sahara Desert, most of which now appears to be on board FALKEN, who looks as though she has undertaken a dodgy spray tan. The deck hose will no doubt be active as soon as we emerge from this giant orange cloud.
It’s sad to see the wind drop after such an incredible 48 hours, reaching some amazing speeds and surfing down the face of waves in the moonlight, but the crew are finally able to rest well and energy levels are returning to the good ship FALKEN. As ever, it’s inspiring to see friendships formed amidst the camaraderie that is synonymous with this kind of adventure. Looking forward to another amazing day tomorrow.
EmilyCaruso
View more passage logs
Shooting Stars & Turtle Logs
Day three out of Ketchikan and FALKEN is running wing on wing down the outside of Vancouver Island. The temptation is to lie back in the cockpit and spend the night watching for shooting stars, but a diligent watch is always the first priority. So we keep a sharp eye out while the shooting stars keep us company through the night. The wildlife keeps coming: humpback and minke whales, five mola molas, dolphins, and a black-footed albatross. We are all feeling lucky for such conditions!
Pot dodging and whale watching
Duncan got us up to eleven knots at one point! The Ferriers also logged our first Orca sighting on their 3am-6am watch! This morning is a gift as the temps are just right and we finally have some blue sky and plenty of sunshine. It was a glorious few hours sailing before it inevitably died as forecast. I live in hope that by sunset tonight we’ll be back sailing as we emerge out of the lee of the island and the wind will be more westerly which lends itself to a better sailing angle.
We are off!
After two days of introductions, safety briefings and boat procedures we have departed Ketchikan. We are currently making a whopping 3.3 knots as there is very little wind in Nichols Passage. Adam fed us well last night with a delicious shrimp curry and Duncan was the winner of a sporty game of the card version Monopoly. With the scenic views and light wind it's quite peaceful out here.