20.29 Local Time // 60° 15' N, 005° 14' E
At the dock
On June 4, we reviewed our passage plan before our departure from the marina in Hjellested. Challenges for the day might include thunderstorms and increasing, gusting winds. We attached the staysail, then motored from the marina and hoisted the mainsail with one reef which is becoming a smooth team endeavor. We also raised the headsail. Sailing south, we used a relatively open area to practice and hone wind awareness including the wind vane, the tail tells, the wind on our faces, and the effect of the wind on the water. Next, we practiced points of sail by sailing in a triangle pattern.
As we neared the dock, we used our pickup skills to rescue a hat that had blown off! We returned to the marina and docked the boat with amazing efficiency, using the skills we’ve built over the last days. After our chores for the day were completed, we enjoyed time in the sauna before a delicious curry supper and prepared to head into more open water in the morning.
Katherine Glaser
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Turning the corner
Yesterday found Falken on a Northward course, still heeled to port, climbing and falling over waves. Sunrise this morning found Falken in an entirely different condition, one familiar to her, but not yet to the current crew. And then a truly magic moment, a pod of dolphins at least fifty members strong came to dance on Falken’s bow wave. We are now joyfully headed northeast, on course toward our eventual destination of Prince Rupert. Falken has turned a corner.
Onwards and upwards
Today is set to be the calmest day of our trip so far, waves subdued, wind veering off more south-east, light clouds. What an exhilarating ride it has been, beating upwind non-stop directly north for 6 straight days! What ahead of us is a mostly downwind sail to Prince Rupert, but a very exciting one. This makes it an interesting few days going fast and closely watching the weather, and I’m very much looking forward to it. The crew is happy, everyone seems to be getting good rest, enjoying watches and time in between.
Quadruple digits!
We are still headed north away from Hawaii, though today we have started to veer ever so slightly east. Speaking of miles, we hit quadruple digits today and are currently 1051 nms into our journey to Alaska. The sea state continues to calm down, and the famous North Pacific high is just out of our reach. The next few days will be a delicate dance of riding the outskirts of the high while avoiding the pesky low pressure systems that are dancing nearby. In his very wise words, we need to get north but not too far north, stay south but not too far south, continue heading east but not too far east, and avoid going west but also stay west.