LANDFALL (Postscript)
13º 15’ N, 059º 38’ W
22 February 2024
1602 Ship’s Time
13º 15’ N, 059º 38’ W
Anchored off Speightstown
Welp, we did it. We made it across the Atlantic. FALKEN’s third trans-Atlantic in less than 12 months, and my 8th since I started my offshore sailing career. It’s a nice feeling.
This was by far my fastest passage. For fun, here are some stats:
2,175nm sailed.
10d, 19hrs at sea.
201nm average daily run.
225nm best day’s run.
8.3kts average speed.
16.1kts fastest surf.
After gybing before dinner, we covered the final 88 miles at night, under spinnaker, in 8 hours… that’s an 11-knot average! We log every hour, and the best hourly run that night was 14 miles!
I’ve had 5 days to decompress since we first dropped the hook here, and wow, Barbados is a nice landfall! There’s everything we need here in Speightstown and nothing we don’t. Just enough civilization to make re-entry comfortable, but not overwhelming. Beautiful beaches, nice little cafes and bars, laundry, groceries, and a reasonable anchorage (though there really aren’t any harbors on Barbados, so we’re just tucked behind the island, and it can be swelly at times).
Yesterday we got a special invite to tour the legendary Mt. Gay Rum distillery, which is only 3 miles as the crow flies from FALKEN’s anchorage. Mt. Gay is the oldest continually operating rum distillery in the world, and the second oldest distillery, period. It started in 1703 and has been making rum ever since. If you’ve ever seen those red hats around sailing regattas, you know the rum. I can recommend mixing it with pineapple juice over some ice and with a lime. We had some on arrival, of course.
We’ve got a few days now until the next crew arrive and we’ll continue to head downwind to visit some of the rest of the Eastern Caribbean. But for now, I’m enjoying the downtime, reflecting on the passage, going through photos and videos, and having some time off! Thanks to everyone who’s followed along. We’ll be back here when the next trip starts next week! Until then… HOLD FAST!
// Andy
andy@59-north.com
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The Penultimate Blog from Adrienne II
After 20 days, and 3000+ nautical miles, we're back on land. The motley crew of Adrienne II, consisting of 7 happy amateurs supported by 3 professionals, have completed an epic journey many dream of but few realize. So much of this trip has been about being present - with nature, with each other, with this boat. My biggest takeaway from this trip is the amazing crossing of the ITCZ (Inter Tropical Convergence Zone). We all hope you've enjoyed the blog as much as we've enjoyed creating it.
Mother Nature, you’ve outdone yourself!
It’s been a great experience to have a non-traditional trans-Atlantic, as it’s been packed with genuinely cool features. The Doldrums!! A place sailors have been talking about for centuries. The unpredictability is what made it such an exhilarating experience. While some might be frightened or alarmed by this kind of weather, I was embodied with a sense of calm and awe. There’s something wildly beautiful about being reminded how small you are, while feeling so incredibly alive.
A Heavenly High
As you have probably figured out at this point, the drug of choice on board is, of course, celestial navigation- an art which has hooked offshore sailors for centuries. Once addicted, navigators will emerge from down below only to get their fixes two times per day, and spend the rest of their days and nights down below doing complex spherical mathematics. On Adrienne II, our skipper is our dealer. I must confess that I myself gave in to the strange urge which I’ve felt witnessing my crewmates practice this fine art, and yesterday felt an amazing sensation as I was able to wield the sextant for the first time and with it, bring down the tip of our starboard spreader to the top of our front sprayhood, presicely measuring the angle between the two (35deg, 38,8’ min). This afternoon, Naxo then showed me how to get my fix from the very sun itself - and I now fear there is no turning back.