2019 UTC | 31°47.289’N 043° 59.918’W
Sailing
Today brings a sense of relief and accomplishment on two fronts; we’ve passed half-way on the passage and the prunes I have been eating have finally done what prunes do. I’m really not sure why it took me so long this time find my sea legs; I’ve been offshore for longer before, but sometimes as in life you just need to heave to, sleep it off and start again afresh.
Motor-sailing due east now after a pleasant day sailing with more weather theory from Erik and practical lessons from Neptune. Delaney’s bread was a huge lift to the spirits earlier and Anton is working another miracle in the galley; yesterday’s spaghetti bolognese will be hard to beat. Looks like a clear night ahead, so keep following the second star on the left, and straight on till morning.
// Simon, Adrienne II Crew
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Lessons and a Gift
The biggest lesson is the helm. The lesson here is that even if you don't think you can do it over and over again with no sleep, cold and damp, it has to be done and so it can be done. Flying fish are cool, dolphins are really really cool, but the coolest of them all are the whales. And most of all Alex: "Find your center Carla. Always know where your center is so you can come back to it". He means the helm but it applies to life as well.
Making the most of it
This passage has thrown pretty much every atmospheric condition imaginable at us. It reminds us not only of how much we’ve learned, but of how far we’ve literally come since that acceleration zone off the northwest corner of Oahu. The resilience this group has shown has been nothing short of incredible, and I couldn’t be prouder to be part of it. Maybe that’s why it’s the hardest passages we remember the most. Not because they were easy, but because they reminded us what we’re capable of.
Passages and Purposes
As of today, Falken has taken us over 1800nm across the North Pacific. We’ve learned about water-makers, starter motors, furling, taking in and letting out reefs, easing and grinding, weather and wind, helming by course and by wind angles, and the difference between rest and sleep. For now, the latest challenge is to stay in the moment. The memories we’ve made here are priceless, even if we only connected for a few moments on our various paths in this world. So few people get this opportunity to “go dark” and live simply for a moment.