gybing into position
January 19, 2025, 12:30 UTC | Gybing into Position
I’m already having to ask the team what day it is despite being just 48 hours into our epic passage. We started on a mission south with a view to getting below the high pressure that is about to dominate the waters south of the Canaries. Speed is up and down, and we completed our first gybe with the pole yesterday afternoon. The west that we banked took us clear of the Moroccan coast and allowed us to gybe for a second time this morning, setting us back on a SSW course towards Cape Verde.
The next goal is to reach 20N ahead of the building swell that is the result of a deep low well north of us and its associated fronts. From there, we should be able to sail directly towards Antigua, albeit responding to the later forecasts as we proceed.
Derek and Jillian are practicing bringing the sun down to the horizon with the sextant as I type. Sarah is updating our paper charts with the latest fix, and the crew are all lunching on noodles as the watches change over once again.
Last night, the disco jellyfish entertained us with a light display as they bounced off of FALKEN’s hull and left a stream of glowing balls astern of us. I’d say we were well settled into the watches already, which is a very good sign of things to come.
— Emily
EmilyCaruso
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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!