Final Day At Sea
September 9, 2024, 06:10 UTC | Approaching Plymouth
The weather has been extremely fickle around the British Isles this past week, making this an exceptionally challenging passage to plan for. We have been through plans A, B, C, D… trying to find the best ‘next port of call’. Not really sure how far down the alphabet we are at this point. But quite unexpectedly, these alternative routes have made it possible to tick off several bucket-list items for the crew: sailing into London, passing by the White Cliffs of Dover, and a close-up view of the iconic Needles right off the western tip of the Isle of Wight.
For me, this dynamic is one of the real beauties of sailing; you never really know what you will get when you cast off. It has all been possible, however, thanks to the amazing crew onboard, always keeping the mood up. I’m now sitting here half asleep at the chart table, hearing chatter and laughter from the cockpit. And then, “dolphins!” Doesn’t get much better!
Now we are approaching our final destination, Plymouth, where FALKEN will get some TLC over the next couple of weeks. A huge thank you to the fantastic crew and to our awesome FALKEN. I’ve had a blast!
O’hoy—Erik Nordborg
ErikNordborg
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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!