LIFE ON A HEEL
Saturday, June 21, 2025 | Life on a Heel
Day 2 of life on a heel and the crew are getting more used to it. The sea state—or the helming—has improved, and the number of times you get body slammed while trying to sleep has reduced, making it much more tolerable. However, I speak on behalf of all the staff when I say cooking at this angle sucks an incredible amount, and watch handovers between us usually involve some grumbling about upwind sailing.
Moaning aside, it is lovely. We’re sitting comfortably at 8-10 knots, and what have been termed “happy” clouds (fluffy and white) are the only things that occasionally block our nighttime views of the Milky Way. With the Southern Cross behind us and Polaris directly on the bow, we’re also fairly confident we’re going in the right direction. All things going smoothly, we should be reaching Oahu sometime on Sunday afternoon.
Glums and glows today were characterized by an appreciation of savoring the limited time we have left at sea—only one more sunset now! As always, there is an excitement about nearing land after a longer passage. Orie’s vivid description of a beef burger he once had (with accompanying photos) seems to have fueled several crew members’ dreams of them. A crisp apple and long, hot showers have been mentioned with longing more than once.
It can be quite easy to wish away the last bit of time at sea with those creature comforts to look forward to. I’m pleased to report that is not the case with this crew, and the day has been filled with smiles, punctuated by cackles from the helm as they send a particularly soggy wave over the cockpit.
373 miles to go!
- Mary | FALKEN Mate
Write your comments below and I’ll forward them to the boat with the daily update :)
- Mia (shore support)
FALKEN|Skipper&Mate
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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.