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
The Penultimate Blog from Adrienne II
After 20 days, and 3000+ nautical miles, we're back on land. The motley crew of Adrienne II, consisting of 7 happy amateurs supported by 3 professionals, have completed an epic journey many dream of but few realize. So much of this trip has been about being present - with nature, with each other, with this boat. My biggest takeaway from this trip is the amazing crossing of the ITCZ (Inter Tropical Convergence Zone). We all hope you've enjoyed the blog as much as we've enjoyed creating it.
Mother Nature, you’ve outdone yourself!
It’s been a great experience to have a non-traditional trans-Atlantic, as it’s been packed with genuinely cool features. The Doldrums!! A place sailors have been talking about for centuries. The unpredictability is what made it such an exhilarating experience. While some might be frightened or alarmed by this kind of weather, I was embodied with a sense of calm and awe. There’s something wildly beautiful about being reminded how small you are, while feeling so incredibly alive.
A Heavenly High
As you have probably figured out at this point, the drug of choice on board is, of course, celestial navigation- an art which has hooked offshore sailors for centuries. Once addicted, navigators will emerge from down below only to get their fixes two times per day, and spend the rest of their days and nights down below doing complex spherical mathematics. On Adrienne II, our skipper is our dealer. I must confess that I myself gave in to the strange urge which I’ve felt witnessing my crewmates practice this fine art, and yesterday felt an amazing sensation as I was able to wield the sextant for the first time and with it, bring down the tip of our starboard spreader to the top of our front sprayhood, presicely measuring the angle between the two (35deg, 38,8’ min). This afternoon, Naxo then showed me how to get my fix from the very sun itself - and I now fear there is no turning back.