Day 6
July 11, 2024 | Day 6 At Sea | Land Ho
What a wet, wet night it was as we sped through the nimbo stratus in force 6, then the winds slowly decreasing. The slamming stopped and we sped through the North Sea on a smoother ride. Unfortunately, the wind slowed and reduced to nothing in the morning and we were motoring in fog. What a contrast. The rain continued, so we set up a crew rotation of 30 minutes: first on lookout duty, then steering, followed by radar watch, ending with some rest time. Slowly the fog cleared and revealed the coast of Norway. What a beautiful moment. Land Ho by sen GiGi at 1200 UTC.
But we were still a long way out from making port. This was a time of reflection about the trip, how we have personally responded, learning points, and future plans. Excitement grew as land got closer and revealed Norway’s amazing rocky archipelago. We ate supper as we entered the inland waterways. We knew we had to clear customs, so we headed for Hjellestad Haven to see if we could moor alongside. Unfortunately, there was no room. So we changed plan and decided to anchor nearby off Myntevic. We carefully positioned ourselves to drop the anchor. But when the time came, we found that the anchor chain had tied itself in knots! That is how rough the seas were off the Shetlands!
It was late, we were all tired, but we kept laughing at how there is always one more challenge. This time it was Manot who was the hero, pulling all the chain out, untangling it, and returning the chain to the chain locker. We were ready to try anchoring again and this time it went smoothly.
While we were playing with the chain, some of the crew came below and prepared a fabulous feast of tapas for us to celebrate our arrival. We toasted the passage and safe arrival with cold bubbly and shared our favorite parts.
What a great crew. We have laughed loads, worked hard, and challenged ourselves to sail out of our comfort zones.
- Jojo Pickering, Skipper, S/Y FALKEN
JoJoPickering
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.