Happy Birthday Mary!
Sunday, June 9, 2025 | 09:45 Local Time
Good morning from the middle of the South Pacific! FALKEN has been ticking miles off nicely and the crew are all well into the watch system. Today we woke up to a much more squally day, with lightning and thunderstorms around us indicating our proximity to the ITCZ. The forecast is promising, and with a light day ahead expected tomorrow, everything seems to be as straightforward as sailing goes.
The dilemma is which island do we aim for: Palmyra Atoll or Christmas Island? I know, right? What a terrible decision to make! Both of them have their pros and cons, but looking at the weather ahead, we are currently heading towards Christmas Island, which is currently lying 970nm NW of our position.
Today is a special day for our First Mate Mary, who is turning 30! She doesn’t know it yet, but we have a little present for her and Adam is baking a birthday cake from scratch.
Lots of love,
- Alex
Send your birthday message to Mary in the comments and I’ll forward it to the boat with the daily update.
- Mia (shore support)
laline96@gmail.com
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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.