February 15, Day 7 | A small dot on the chart! We continue to look for favorable winds and hope that the low pressure above us will push on and give us a few more knots. After yesterday, with clear water, bathing, and a job well done with cleaning and washing, we are all longing for more pressure in the sails. We are now trying to steer straight towards the GC and keep the pace of the sailing. I wrote these lines this morning in the bowl, and since then the wind has come. We now have a constant half wind of 20-23 knots and a wave height approaching 1.8-2 meters. Tomorrow the wind will drop again, so we are really trying to take everything we can now.
A little personal reflection: I was aware that the Atlantic Ocean is big, but the feeling of being so alone in such a huge and desolate place cannot be taken in beforehand—it has to be experienced. We are lucky; Adrienne is a "Happy Ship." Everyone in the crew contributes with work, laughter, and old robber stories during the night watches, which means that the time just ticks by. I think that the feeling will be shared when we arrive. Life on the Atlantic really happens in a kind of nice bubble that you want to last for a long time.
- Jacob Gellerstam, ADRIENNE Crew
crew@59-north.com
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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!