February 14, Day 6 | Drifting in the Azores High – A Perfectly Imperfect Ocean Crossing
Adrienne II, our trusty Swan 70, is cutting through the Atlantic on a dream passage from Sint Martin to the Canary Islands. Well, cutting through might be a stretch—positioned smack in the middle of the Azores High, the breeze is nonexistent, the waves are barely a ripple, and the current? Forget about it.
Woke up after my night watch to a glassy ocean and couldn’t resist a refreshing dip—nothing like an Atlantic swim to wake up the bones. With the still conditions, we took the opportunity for a complete wash down, and now we’ve got a squeaky-clean ship, inside and out. Feels good to have the salt rinsed off, and morale is as fresh as the decks.
We’re still making progress, now clocking close to 900 nautical miles under our keel. The crew is in good spirits, and life onboard is everything we’d hoped for—fair winds (when they show up), great camaraderie, and a ship that runs like a well-oiled machine.
That said, the sea has a way of keeping you on your toes. Today’s curveball? The fridge has called it quits. Not exactly ideal in the middle of the big blue, but thanks to some quick thinking and a well-stocked freezer, we’re improvising with ice to keep provisions from going south. No crisis yet—just another chapter in the adventure. Spirits remain high, and as long as we keep pointing in the right direction, all is well aboard Adrienne II.
- Lars Vegard Guttormsen, Crew Member, Adrienne II
crew@59-north.com
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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.