07º 48’ S, 113º 35’ W
April 15, 2025, 2012 Ship’s Time | 07º 48’ S, 113º 35’ W | Sailing Wing-on-Wing
Note from Andy: Crew member Kim wrote the following blog earlier this afternoon. As I write, FALKEN is still barreling downwind, having now done three consecutive days over 225 miles! We just passed our halfway longitude, 113º 30’ W, so we’re on the downhill side of the passage now. I reminded the crew at dinner that the second half of these long trips always goes faster than the first, so stay in the moment before it’s over. Here’s Kim:
It's Tuesday, April 15th. It's been 8 (?) full days since we pulled anchor in San Cristobal, Galapagos. So far, we have logged nearly 1600 NM and are almost halfway to the Marquesas.
There is a rhythm to life at sea guided by our Captain, Mate, and Navigator. All crew on board have a job to perform as well. An organized sailboat makes for happy crew and a safe boat. We have three watch teams that take turns steering FALKEN in shifts of 3 hours on and 6 hours off.
Besides steering and keeping watch, each shift has a set of chores. For example, the 9 am to 12 pm shift is responsible for cleaning the cabin every day. The 12 pm to 3 pm shift cleans the cockpit. The 6 to 9 pm watch is responsible for cleaning up after dinner. Every hour, the crew on duty enters information such as distance made good, compass course, direction, speed over ground, boat speed, barometric pressure, and true wind speed into the ship’s log. We also log our position on a paper chart. With all this activity, the days and miles pass quickly.
Andy, Emily, and Aidan also rotate on a schedule that ensures they each spend time with each of the watch teams. In between monitoring the crews, Andy and team ensure all FALKEN’s internal processes are adequately functioning, including water supply and power. Aidan and Andy periodically download updated weather forecasts and adjust our course and sails as needed. Emily looks after everyone on board, fills in wherever she is needed, and manages all the provisions.
During dinner hour, we gather for the evening meal prepared by Emily with help from Aidan and Andy and share our glums and glows. There is a sense of community and collective purpose centered on the passage.
While underway, I started to listen to an audiobook called "Sea People" by Christina Thompson. The book begins with an orientation and some stats on the Pacific Ocean. For starters, the Pacific Ocean is 180 degrees wide and so large it can hold all the land masses on Earth with room to spare. The Pacific is the single largest feature on Earth. It’s so large that it is not possible to see both sides from space.
During our first week at sea, we have sailed through a variety of conditions, starting with no wind. Then came a series of squalls. Some systems brought rain and high wind, and other systems brought rain and no wind. This provided a great opportunity to practice skills like storm avoidance, heading up, and falling off when wind speed and direction varied. We also had a lesson in patience when the wind died and it was difficult to sail. Rather than furl in the sails and turn on the motor right away, we gave it time. Sure enough, after 20 minutes the wind picked up.
At this point in the passage, we are at our farthest point from land. Andy says the nearest landfall is Easter Island, nearly 1,200 miles south from us. We learned last night that the nearest ship is 470 NM away. The size of the ocean, distance from land, and ever-changing conditions are a reminder of our vulnerability.
The skills that Andy, Emily, and Aidan bring to FALKEN, the discipline of maintaining the order and routine aboard ship, along with our united purpose and steady effort, is what makes this journey possible.
Today was idyllic downwind sailing, with clear skies and rolling 8 to 9 ft seas. We are surrounded by the wide blue sea and scores of flying fish that provide constant entertainment.
I am feeling great respect and gratitude to all onboard FALKEN who are sharing in this amazing journey.
// Kim | FALKEN Crew
FALKENCrew
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A last hurrah
Under the dome of stars in a moon-less sky, each of us during our time at the helm used the most rudimentary celestial navigation, keeping a star or two lined up with the mast as a helper to following the heading range. It was a whole crew event to set the spinnaker, reef the mainsail and practice the heave-to in case of man overboard. Alex stressed that the key to success in all of these crucial activities is preparation. It was hugely satisfying to accomplish these tasks through teamwork. We share a constant good hearted back and forth full of stories, one-liners and comebacks that also means constant laughter.
One little bird!
Falken has almost rounded the Channel Islands and is cruising along splendidly about 100 miles offshore. Though several models predicted some slightly fresher winds today, we were met with a consistent 18-20 kts of pure bliss. It seems that from the moment we left the dock in San Francisco, there has been much laughter and conversation amongst everyone. The plan is to gybe in a few hours and begin our approach to Ensenada. As much as I do appreciate the jokes and intellectual musings, I equally appreciate the natural, silent moments we share at night, all of us on watch gazing up above to the shooting stars, constellations, and planets putting on their quiet show.
Birds and glows
The sun brought new wind and we were soon putting up the Yankee (jib) and turning off the motor. During the evening tradition of sharing “glums and glows” that follows the crew dinner, our Mate Ryan proclaimed it a “champagne sailing” kind of day. As Alex noted this evening, life goes by so fast that one of the very best things about his line of work is enjoying the passage of time in the slow lane of an ocean passage. But by tomorrow, the green blobs in the weather sailing app indicate we’re going to pick up some significant northwesterly winds and we’ll take them ever further south to the Channel Islands latitude. We’re all super excited for the knots to climb and to see Falken really run.