The weather has been shifty as we pass through a low today. We were greeted this morning with light winds and gybed onto a port tack to maintain our course. Rain quickly followed suit and ended around 1400. FALKEN has maintained a steady pace of 8.6 speed over ground for the last sixteen hours as we sail through to 1,157 nautical miles. It has been bittersweet, having completed the halfway mark to Horta yesterday. The crew had a celebration, thanks to Manot for making ice cream for dessert. As we continue on our transit, it’s becoming more difficult to find ‘glums’; even with this grey weather, the crew has been positive and full of laughter. One thing that has grown on me through sailing is the connections you create with people through these experiences. There is a tendency to forget time, and the days just blur into moments. These moments and challenges you are faced with out here can create friendships you wouldn’t expect. It has been wonderful getting to know everyone here and watching them flourish in this environment. //Athena
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Kärt barn har många namn
A dear child goes by many a name, or as we say in Swedish "kärt barn har många namn". This is the case for many a person, but also some species, not least the Mahi mahi, which also goes by dolphin fish, golden mackerel, and dorado, among others. Soon, we could see the fish jump, a hundred feet or so behind the boat, and as I kept reeling, a beautiful Mahi appeared under the surface. Manot showed us how to clean and fillet it, and after a complete team effort two large fillets are now in the freezer of Adrienne II.
Cast off the lines
When we awoke it was overcast but the Brazilian sun quickly burned the clouds away and we were left with blue skies. We reviewed some safety procedures, cleaned the boat and had an exciting Person Overboard (POB) recovery. Once we were underway spirits soared as we pointed the bow toward the Canary Islands. As I write this we are heading upwind and dealing with all that involves, and working into our first watches. It is hot, a bit bumpy but we are sailing!!
People Get Ready!
The last three days have been an intense (and intensely hot) period of discovery, practice, and planning. Because Adrienne II is not a 59N boat, there's been some extra setup and coordination needed including rigging all the sails that were out for repairs before we arrived. Its been a blast working alongside the 59N team getting to help them work things out on a less familiar boat in real time. Tomorrow morning we'll run through our Person Over Board training as the final pre-departure task, cast off and head out. Can't know all that it will be, but its going to be a great adventure out in the vast world with some pretty fantastic people.