Day 6 At-Sea
12º 54’ N, 041º 36’ W
11 February 2024
2041 Ship’s Time
12º 54’ N, 041º 36’ W
Steering 275 at 9-10 knots
The sky is as dark and as full of stars as it has been yet. This is very likely the result of the passage of a front further north early this morning, which came with a backing and freshening of the wind. We had around 20 knots for the better part of the day. The whole crew is well experienced by now, and steered our vessel playfully and with confidence. As the waves picked up, the surfs kept getting better and better, regularly hitting 12-13 knots. The fun factor was and still is undeniable.
At 1357 Ship’s time, we crossed the bar of 1,000 miles sailed. We celebrated this little milestone with a big shout and a fruit salad, after which we all freshened up with a shower for the second time on this trip. The smell of fresh soap onboard is a gentle reminder of our lives ashore and puts our experience onboard into perspective.
As if to top off the day with one last highlight, Jen and Rene served up a lovely couscous at sunset, with spices that Rene brought us straight from Morocco. This was our first true sunset, after the northeasterlies finally managed to clear the dusty haze that has clouded the horizon for days. As the day merged into the moonless night, the stars appeared brighter than ever before, revealing our Milky Way. Of course, I couldn’t resist the temptation to bring out the binoculars for a quick glance at the Orion nebula and the Andromeda galaxy, both visible to the naked eye. Seeing our sister galaxy and the brightly lit gas cloud always seems to awaken deep philosophical thoughts. I am left with a profound feeling of voyaging—over sea, and on another scale, through the universe.
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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!