DAY 6
Lagos, Portugal
I am writing this as the sun is slowly setting in Lagos. FALKEN has now been washed, scrubbed, emptied, and re-stored following her post-passage checklist that we thoroughly follow. There is an aura of accomplishment, relief, and just a general feeling of awesomeness onboard—not just for the successful trip we’ve just completed, but because this marks FALKEN’s first successful season in the Atlantic, sailing an astonishing 16,112 nm.
I am lucky enough to have sailed on her first and last passages, and to see how well she has performed and how far she has come is inspiring. Kudos to our awesome Bosun Adam for the amazing work that we’ve seen every day we’ve sailed her. We gave Adam a shoutout with the whole crew after arrival and cheered with some bubbles.
It has been a great way to finish the season with nice weather, great people, and the opportunity to sail with Mia, Andy, and Manot. We always say it is sometimes difficult to see your friends in this industry because we only see each other when we get to do trips together, and when it’s a passage from one destination to another, your friend is asleep most of the times you’re awake, which isn’t very social. So this trip has been a great chance to spend some time sailing with Andy and Mia and to get to know Manot.
But the best part of every trip for me is always the people who come along—the people who come to learn, live new experiences, accomplish something they might not know what it is yet, and to get to know them and their lives. It has been a real pleasure sharing this experience with Knut, Karima, James, Constance, Bob, Fred, and Sean. You all made this week a memorable one, and from the 59 North team we say thank you from our hearts. We couldn’t have asked for a better bunch to officially finish the season.
Now the plan is to get FALKEN cozy in the yard for the month of December while doing some jobs on her and making sure she is in top form for the first trip of the year, in which Mia and I will be sailing her due south, towards the Canary Islands.
- Alex
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HMS Night Watch Party
Wing on wing worked well until the wind shifted then the helm became the cone of despair for our night watch crew of three (H, M and S) Alex made the decision to drop the pole, shifting wing on wing to a close reach. Wind increased to low teens and speed picked up to a flying pace. Day spent wandering toward Ensenada. Alex, Adam and David got us into port under another starry night.
No Kitemares Today
After a night marked by sudden wind accelerations peeling off Point Conception, and a vibrant, pulsating sky blistered with shooting stars, the off-watch woke to commotion on the foredeck. The wind had gone light and the swell had tapered just enough to raise the spinnaker. The sail filled with an urgent pop, the sheet strained and Falken charged down the face of the next wave. By mid-day, we doused the spinnaker and set our minds to the more precise task of safely punching through a gap in the notorious Cortez Bank. The border to Mexico looms ahead.
The California coast
We had a very lively first day of sailing with steady winds between 25 and 30 kn gusting to mid 30s. All of the crew got experience at difficult downwind helming as we covered 200 nautical miles in the first 24 hours. This morning brings winds in the teens and calmer seas. The sun is still shining, and the green monster has been slayed by those afflicted!