Day 3
September 1, 2024, 14:50 UTC | Middle of the North Sea
It is incredible how much change you can get in 24 hours out at sea. So far, this trip has not disappointed in terms of variable conditions and keeps proving an amazing experience for FALKEN and her crew. So far we have changed from 2 reefs on the main to none, from staysail to jib, from jib to spinnaker, and from spinnaker to yankee, which is what we currently have flying.
After we dropped the spinnaker last evening due to the wind lightening, we motor-sailed for a couple of hours before we found the predicted forecast, meaning a beam reach with 20+ knots. For those of you who have sailed FALKEN before, you know exactly what that meant—an average of 12 knots for the last 14+ hours!
We have been flying towards London in a North Sea that has been benign so far to us, giving us beautiful easterly winds that we have so far enjoyed. Our current ETA is looking for an arrival to the Thames Estuary by tomorrow morning, but it will all depend on what the weather does tonight.
Once at the entrance of the Thames, it’s all a tide game as we can only go up to Tower Bridge with the tide rising, so we’re going to need to time it right. Our arrival into St. Katherine’s Dock will either be Monday or Tuesday.
But everyone is having a blast onboard and it’s been a great sail so far. Looking forward to more of the same!
Alex
laline96@gmail.com
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Seasickness
But maybe, I thought, with some drugs I could stay ahead of it. The first 48 hours I felt horrible. But luckily with 3 health care professionals on board and in a very encouraging environment, my body found its way. Anyway, someone offered me a patch (unavailable in Canada) and someone else gave me some pills for nausea and now I feel much, much better.
Dolphins and Bioluminescence
We had a good run with the sails but weather has changed and we are once again chasing the wind. Everyone is getting a chance to practice helming in big swell; starting to get a feel of the wind and water and how it pushes and pulls the hull. A pod of dolphins came to visit at night, splashing in the bioluminescent water, and again in the day, dancing in the bow wake. For now enjoying the calmer sea state and falling asleep to the rumble of the engine and the gentle whooshing of the water on the hull.
Greetings from Lala Lemonshark
The brave crew is toughing it out and staying cheerful despite being tossed around. The engine is off and we are true sailing-main and jib. In the first 12 hours we saw two pods of Orca and four humpback whales, two of which were 20 yards off the starboard beam!