23:15 UTC | 09°52.55’N 119°31.58’W
Sailing
This, being my 5th trip on Falken, will end with a Landfall in Nuku Hiva,Marquesas, French Polynesia, in a few more days. I never know exactly what to expect, but based on my past travels, every landfall is different. Here’s some thoughts on what I have experienced in the past:
Lunnenberg, Nova Scotia - The trip up to Lunnenberg involved a lot of motoring, and fog. Getting across the gulf of Maine, we mostly motored up the eastern coast of Nova Scotia, maybe 20 miles offshore in fog. Once we were ready to turn to the northwest towards Lunnenberg, it became awesome quickly. We came out of the fog about 10 miles offshore, with a rocky shore and pine forest, the inlet is narrow, but the harbor opens up with a golf course on the left, and a picturesque harbor town of colorful houses around a big mooring field. Iconic Coastal Northeast. Look up a picture, it’s beautiful.
Horta, Azores, Portugal - Horta is the traditional stopping point on a mid Atlantic crossing, and a Sailors Haven, with moorings and anchoring inside a seawall, but with a lot of ocean exposure. Once onshore, it remains a sailing town, with bars and restaurants a plenty. THE classic to sit down and enjoy a cold beverage is Peter’s Cafe Sport, of which I had read the long form article in Cruising World. I recommend a drink that includes Peter’s Passionfruit Gin. After 1000 miles from Bermuda, finding land was epic, and the boat was welcomed warmly by residents and sailors alike.
Galway, Ireland - We sailed into the area around 9:00 PM, and the cliffs of Mohr were dark, but the lights of the Arun Islands become visible on the horizon, and you know you are 5 or 6 hours from dousing the sails, and motoring into the City Municipal Dock. Once safely past the top of Arun, turning to the east, and entering Galway Bay, the rural outskirts of Ireland have occasional houselights, but is unmistakably Irish Countryside. Attention must be paid to Navigational Aids in the dark so as to avoid various structures, but there are plenety of lights to follow. The municipal harbor is kept with a pair of Lock Doors that only open at high tide, and our arrival was timed perfectly with high tide, daybreak, and entry to the harbor. With the daybreak comes the ‘Thousand Shades of Green” that Ireland is known for. Beautiful.
Oahu, Hawaii - The last couple days of sailing into Oahu involve stunning contrasts. The Big Island is far off to the east, and aren’t at all visible, but create a Wind Shadow with very little wind, north and south of the wind shadow are Acceleration Zones, where the easterly winds are funneled between islands, and these persistent winds come with a sea state, so we got to experience 35 knot winds on the beam, gusting into the 40, and breaking waves (known to land on top of people like Jake and Mary in the cockpit). Then, as you emerge from the winds, the island appears as a lush green cloud draped mountain. As you get closer, the buildings of Waikiki Beach begin to show themselves, and for the first time in 1200 miles, other sailboats and pleasure craft come into view near shore. We arrive in the municipal harbor as the sun is setting, with a glowing sunset, and golden reflections from the windows of the buildings on shore. A glorious arrival.
With this in mind, I am often asked what my favorite landfall is, and while all of these have been awesome, my answer often comes as a surprise.
My favorite landfall is my next landfall. Always has been, and I expect it always will be.
Adam Baker
View more passage logs
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.
Making the most of it
This passage has thrown pretty much every atmospheric condition imaginable at us. It reminds us not only of how much we’ve learned, but of how far we’ve literally come since that acceleration zone off the northwest corner of Oahu. The resilience this group has shown has been nothing short of incredible, and I couldn’t be prouder to be part of it. Maybe that’s why it’s the hardest passages we remember the most. Not because they were easy, but because they reminded us what we’re capable of.
