Day 4 At-sea
January 26, 2024
Another day is coming to an end as we watch the glare of the sun disappear through the sandy haze in the air. Life has been much quieter the last day, with the wind disappearing completely and the engine making an entrance. The good news about having the engine is the white noise it creates down below, meaning everyone has had a good sleep and spirits and energies are flying high.
The highlight of today has to be the stuff happening on deck. We all had a good clean and showered with the deck shower, and immediately after we witnessed a couple of whales coming to say hi. After that, we had different lessons on trimming followed by a delicious dinner. The deck team did great washing the deck down and tackling the sand that has been basically everywhere the last few days. Everything that once was white is now orange, and I cannot wait to give FALKEN a very well-deserved wash down in Cape Verde!
Our current ETA is Sunday morning, so only a couple of nights of enjoying the hazy sky and the wildlife before we arrive back to the “normal” world.
- Alex
laline96@gmail.com
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The Penultimate Blog from Adrienne II
After 20 days, and 3000+ nautical miles, we're back on land. The motley crew of Adrienne II, consisting of 7 happy amateurs supported by 3 professionals, have completed an epic journey many dream of but few realize. So much of this trip has been about being present - with nature, with each other, with this boat. My biggest takeaway from this trip is the amazing crossing of the ITCZ (Inter Tropical Convergence Zone). We all hope you've enjoyed the blog as much as we've enjoyed creating it.
Mother Nature, you’ve outdone yourself!
It’s been a great experience to have a non-traditional trans-Atlantic, as it’s been packed with genuinely cool features. The Doldrums!! A place sailors have been talking about for centuries. The unpredictability is what made it such an exhilarating experience. While some might be frightened or alarmed by this kind of weather, I was embodied with a sense of calm and awe. There’s something wildly beautiful about being reminded how small you are, while feeling so incredibly alive.
A Heavenly High
As you have probably figured out at this point, the drug of choice on board is, of course, celestial navigation- an art which has hooked offshore sailors for centuries. Once addicted, navigators will emerge from down below only to get their fixes two times per day, and spend the rest of their days and nights down below doing complex spherical mathematics. On Adrienne II, our skipper is our dealer. I must confess that I myself gave in to the strange urge which I’ve felt witnessing my crewmates practice this fine art, and yesterday felt an amazing sensation as I was able to wield the sextant for the first time and with it, bring down the tip of our starboard spreader to the top of our front sprayhood, presicely measuring the angle between the two (35deg, 38,8’ min). This afternoon, Naxo then showed me how to get my fix from the very sun itself - and I now fear there is no turning back.