18:35 | Prince Rupert, BC
In-Port
Good morning from Prince Rupert! Falken and her crew arrived safely into port last night around 8pm boat time, 10pm Prince Rupert time. Luckily, it’s light out at these latitudes until then.
We had a lovely last day of sailing. We approached Dixon Entrance early in the morning, which had been our primary waypoint since we left Oahu. Some spicy weather was anticipated, but luckily the 35kt gusts and 2.5 meter waves were no match for this expert crew. We could only see silhouettes of land because of the endless clouds, but the seagulls flying around and seals poking their heads up confirmed that the charts were correct and land was, in fact, within reach.
Most of the crew was on deck all day with the anticipation of a full night’s sleep ahead. The clouds cleared mid day and we had more blue sky than we had seen in two weeks. For the Pacific Northwest, it ended up being a downright sunny day, though Alex has much higher standards for what qualifies.
Dozens of islands covered in pine trees came into view in the foreground; larger mountains emerged further in the distance. It’s pretty amazing the leave such a distinct landscape like Hawaii and arrive to one that is nearly the opposite. The wind mellowed out as the sun went down and we entered more protected waters. The entire crew rallied to flake and stow three sails, and we readied lines and fenders for our arrival. We had an exceptionally smooth docking, despite it being Alex’s first time parking this year (!).
We had a very late dinner, toasted with celebratory champagne, and shared reflections of the trip. We all agreed that this was a very special group of people—I for one am so impressed with how everyone stayed so positive, helpful, and appreciative of humor despite an arguably challenging passage. We certainly all enjoyed our full night’s sleep.
Now, everyone is scurrying around deep cleaning the boat. Everything is still damp, and in Prince Rupert there’s no chance of anything drying out anytime soon—us included. We’ll all return home significantly saltier than we were when we left, a mark of a passage properly sailed.
Zoe Peach-Riley
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Navigating with the stars
Once the bimini was folded up the view across the starlit dome above our heads had us in awe and got our full attention. I am writing this during the same watch as I aim to share the beauty of the ocean and special moments we are witnessing during our voyage. Tonight, that light (coming from within and outside our galaxy) is guiding us across this vast open space towards our destination. Witnessing and sharing constellations builds a link to ancient cultures and seafarers, and this view into a world of lightyears and galaxies challenges the day to day notions of space and time you so recently left behind. Thank you for joining us as we sail under the stars.
Equator Day!
Excitement was in the air as the day dawned, the Equator grew ever closer. Those who go to sea often hear of King Neptune arriving at such a time in order to promote those worthy souls from Pollywog to Shellback, in the watery realm. We were still surprised when he arrived and called upon us to honour tradition and answer for crossing the equator without permission. For me this was one of the features of the trip and it did not disappoint. This is definitely a passage to remember.
Snag it or sweat it! Rolls Royce bunks, watches and fans
Today marks day 6 of one of the most epic passages I've decided to take on. There is something wildly exciting and equally calming about being surrounded by nothing but ocean. I get to watch the entire rhythm of the world shrink down to wind, weather, watches, and 10 humans trying to get a sailboat to another continent. I'm not sure if former bloggers have noted, but this passage is HOT as balls. We continue to laugh, learn, and sweat.