February 16, Day 8 | A Rhyming Log
The ocean roared, the waves stood tall,
A feisty dance—she gave her all.
The deck walks endless, yet turned out fine,
No mishaps struck our careful line.
The fuse gave out, the power waned,
But soon was fixed—our mood regained.
With Captain Erik at the helm,
And Mate Tim guiding through the realm,
Great teamwork kept us swift and strong,
Through seas that tossed us all day long.
The meals divine, a gourmet treat,
A welcome break from rolling feet.
Yet sweets run low—our stash is bare,
So rations now are strict and rare.
The doc stays busy, patching skin,
For tiny wounds the waves bring in.
Still, spirits soar, the laughter stays,
Through vast blue swells and shifting days.
Though ocean wild, our course is true,
With courage high, we push on through!
- 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!