King Neptune’s Realm
Latitude: 1° S
Longitude: 92° W
April 8, 2025, 2111 Ship’s Time | 8 Miles South of Equator, 92º W Longitude | Motoring
All the things happened at the same time this evening. We crossed the equator southbound just as the sun was kissing the horizon to the west. We shut down the engine and fired a cannon salute, and with that, dinner was served. King Neptune would have to wait until after we ate.
Before dish duty though, he appeared with his fellow Shellbacks—his Queen (Kim), his Royal Barbour (Scott), Doctor Doom (Ted), and Davy Jones (Udo). The Pollywogs in the crew—Hilary, Dennis, Erik, Aidan, and me—would be read their crimes against the deep by Davy Jones and sentenced by Neptune himself (Jim, dressed in full Neptune regalia). Emily drove the boat, which didn’t actually require much driving given that we’d switched the engine off for the ceremony and were flat becalmed, literally drifting in circles.
Punishments included “cleansing of the head with a bucket of salty water,” a dose of Doctor Doom’s secret elixir, the singing of a shanty, and in my case, a “haircut” from the Royal Barbour. This all happened by the light of the moon, as the sun had long ago set while we were eating Emily’s delicious chicken and noodle stir-fry. At the conclusion, all of us Pollywogs were accepted into King Neptune’s realm and joined the other Shellbacks. Job done!
FALKEN continues burning fuel and steaming southwest. We’re hoping to catch the edge of the SE’ly trades at around 3º south, which is another 24+ hours from here. So far, we’re a tank-and-a-half down on diesel, with six-and-a-half remaining, so I’m not yet concerned. Once the trades fill in, it looks to be pretty steady, but 3,000 miles is a long way if the wind doesn’t fill in! That’s the doldrums for you.
Until tomorrow, HOLD FAST.
// Andy
P.S. If you are reading the blogs, please write some comments in the section below and we’ll send it over to the crew to read. I am sure they will love it :) - Mia (shore support on Leg 6, Galapagos to Marquesas)
andy@59-north.com
View more passage logs
Shooting Stars & Turtle Logs
Day three out of Ketchikan and FALKEN is running wing on wing down the outside of Vancouver Island. The temptation is to lie back in the cockpit and spend the night watching for shooting stars, but a diligent watch is always the first priority. So we keep a sharp eye out while the shooting stars keep us company through the night. The wildlife keeps coming: humpback and minke whales, five mola molas, dolphins, and a black-footed albatross. We are all feeling lucky for such conditions!
Pot dodging and whale watching
Duncan got us up to eleven knots at one point! The Ferriers also logged our first Orca sighting on their 3am-6am watch! This morning is a gift as the temps are just right and we finally have some blue sky and plenty of sunshine. It was a glorious few hours sailing before it inevitably died as forecast. I live in hope that by sunset tonight we’ll be back sailing as we emerge out of the lee of the island and the wind will be more westerly which lends itself to a better sailing angle.
We are off!
After two days of introductions, safety briefings and boat procedures we have departed Ketchikan. We are currently making a whopping 3.3 knots as there is very little wind in Nichols Passage. Adam fed us well last night with a delicious shrimp curry and Duncan was the winner of a sporty game of the card version Monopoly. With the scenic views and light wind it's quite peaceful out here.