Hello Victoria! Arrival Day...
Monday, August 11, 2025, 09:30 Local time | Victoria, BC
Hello Victoria! So to look back… We had all sorts of conditions on this trip. We motored through narrow fjord-like passages and gazed upon the remotest of remote landscapes. We sailed in thermal breezes, cutting through dead flat seawater like a knife through butter, upwind in 15 knots. Wow, does Falken love that. We dropped the hook in the most WILD anchorage off Brooks Peninsula and experienced true, natural silence. How rare in our busy world.
After dropping the hook and 48 hours of sailing, the team pumped up the dinghy, headed to shore, hiked half an hour, and emerged from the lush Pacific Northwest rainforest to just the most incredible beach you have ever seen. Just us, and the Pacific Ocean. Of course, we went for a swim. And then, back to sea for a final hoorah—25-35 knots downwind for our last leg. It was when the fog lifted and the moon rose on our starboard bow, shining through the way home, that we realized… Wow… this is special. Yes, what we get to experience here really is special.
We agreed at the beginning of this trip that our priorities would be to be safe, have fun, learn, and get WILD—in that order. And, from the reflection last night that we shared as a team, I’m happy to share that we achieved the mission! More coastal trips like this have a way of igniting dreams, because they are closer perhaps to a lifestyle of a cruiser. It was wonderful to hear that so many of the crew are asking themselves the question that of course we want everyone to ask… ‘Do I want sailing to be a significant part of my life?’
Once again, this 59 North trip ends with new friends, freshly acquired wisdom, and a broader horizon for us all.
- Nikki | FALKEN Skipper
NikkiHenderson
View more passage logs
Ketch us if you Kan
Falken is soon to carry on our preferred route of South, back to (hopefully) warmer climates. We’re all excited to set off and see more of this wild landscape as we head down to Victoria. A thermal trough over Vancouver combined with an offshore high pressure creating funneling NW’ly winds means it is due to be pretty fruity on the 9th. This passage is just under 600 miles, relatively short for Falken, but I’m sure we’ll be kept entertained with dramatic scenery, wildlife and weather!
Final Blog
Falken and her crew arrived safely into port last night around 8pm boat time, 10pm Prince Rupert time. Some spicy weather was anticipated, but luckily the 35kt gusts and 2.5 meter waves were no match for this expert crew. We had an exceptionally smooth docking, despite it being Alex's first time parking this year (!). We all agreed that this was a very special group of people—I for one am so impressed with how everyone stayed so positive, helpful, and appreciative of humor despite an arguably challenging passage. We'll all return home significantly saltier than we were when we left, a mark of a passage properly sailed.
Lessons and a Gift
The biggest lesson is the helm. The lesson here is that even if you don't think you can do it over and over again with no sleep, cold and damp, it has to be done and so it can be done. Flying fish are cool, dolphins are really really cool, but the coolest of them all are the whales. And most of all Alex: "Find your center Carla. Always know where your center is so you can come back to it". He means the helm but it applies to life as well.