Greetings from King Neptune!
2°02.5' N 027°28.2' W
October 7, 2025 | 17:10 UTC | 2°02.5' N 027°28.2' W
Greetings from King Neptune!
At 00:50 this morning (well, that’s practically in the middle of the night), Adrienne crossed the Equator. Wow! The whole crew had gathered in Adrienne’s aft cockpit, counting down as we approached N 00° 00.000’. 3-2-1, yeaaayh! Northern Hemisphere, here we come! The North, where low pressures rotate counterclockwise, where the sun moves clockwise over the vault of heaven, and where it gets colder the further north you go. All of which are the opposite in its Southern counterpart.
Now, you cannot sail across the equator just like that. Sailors of all times have understood the significance of this imaginary line, and in order to have a continued safe voyage, one must of course pay homage to the lord of the high seas, King Neptune. Also, any crew onboard that has not previously crossed the equator by sail will be baptized by the King. This ceremony has been a tradition amongst mariners for ages.
Out of nowhere, King Neptune was suddenly onboard Adrienne, dressed in a white gown, crown on his head, and with a trident raised in the air. Time for baptism! In order to show our worthiness for entering King Neptune’s squadron, the crew was required to follow his harsh demands, including a deck walk on knee, toothpaste face paint, a water hose, and our best whale song. We promised the King dearly to take care of the oceans, its environment and inhabitants, and to look after ourselves, our shipmates, and our ships. Our finest drops onboard were used for the obligatory sacrifice to the ocean, and for showing our respect and gratitude to our beautiful Adrienne. We are now all part of King Neptune’s aquatic army. (Thanks Brittany for being a great King Neptune! Amazing 😊)
By crossing the equator, we are also about to enter the next chapter of this passage, sailing- and weather-wise. Up until now, we have been enjoying the steady SE’ly trades of the South Atlantic. Now we are about to enter the Doldrums—a totally different kind of place when it comes to weather. The Doldrums is known for its weak or nonexistent wind, and its chaotic, unpredictable, and extremely powerful squalls. We have been monitoring this area closely the past week. Fingers crossed we have found a relatively pleasant way through…
Love,
Erik | ADRIENNE II Skipper
ErikNordborg
View more passage logs
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!