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
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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Dolphin party!
Kate was about to yank the spinnaker’s sock down when I spotted a stampede of fins heading straight for us. ”Dolphins!”, I yelled back to the cockpit excitedly. Post dinner dish duty was halted down below for the show.
The pool is open!
We stopped the boat, got the ladder down and put out a line with a fender behind the boat. I love swimming in the middle of the ocean, and a bit scary when you realize its more than 4000+ m deep! Love it!
Big Pink Sail Day
I had a most fashionable pointed striped hat at dinner, and out of the depths of a cupboard a cake was created, after 14 days at sea. A group of people I had never met two weeks ago made me feel very special today.