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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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.
The basics
Nordic Falken and her crew have been in a steady course of NNW since the departure of Hawaii. But! The good thing of all of this is that the promised land on which the high pressure lies has been getting closer and closer, meaning in a couple of days we're gonna see the wind slowly veer all the way to the South, which finally should see us easing the sails and remembering the basics of human nature all over again. The crew have been amazing and we've had everyone come around to push through fatigue, seasickness and soaking wet clothes. On another note we left the tropics a while ago and we can really feel the shift of temperature, long gone are the shorts and foulies have been the norm. Not much more apart from this, my intolerance to upwind sailing still pretty much alive but doing it with a bunch of such amazing human beings makes it worth it worthwhile.
Pacific pace
After some initial adversity, we untied our lines and left the beautiful island of O'ahu behind as we set sail north on an adventure of a lifetime. And that is exactly what we are - a family of strangers brought together by a passion for sailing and a love for the sea. The passage, while at its infancy, has delivered. The wind and seas, stars and sails all set the stage for a fantastic journey. We will see you on the other side with many stories to tell.