Made it to Dover
September 6, 2024, 19:00 UTC | Thunder in the English Channel
We spent a day in Dover dodging intense thunder on the English Channel. We walked up the white cliffs to see Dover Castle, dating back to the 1100s, a Roman lighthouse, and WWII tunnels from where they controlled Operation Dynamo, saving hundreds of thousands of soldiers from Dunkirk.
More thunder is on its way. When departing Dover today at noon, we had a 24-hour weather window in which we would try to make some headway. Our next port of call is Weymouth. Going to Guernsey was sadly not an option anymore due to the angry weather systems on approach.
I am very thankful for meeting all my new friends onboard Falken. We have become our own small family, and I am so happy to see them every day. The days are running away from us, and we are making the most of the time we still have together.
Love,
David the apprentice
59ºNorthApprentice
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Ketch us if you Kan
Falken is soon to carry on our preferred route of South, back to (hopefully) warmer climates. We’re all excited to set off and see more of this wild landscape as we head down to Victoria. A thermal trough over Vancouver combined with an offshore high pressure creating funneling NW’ly winds means it is due to be pretty fruity on the 9th. This passage is just under 600 miles, relatively short for Falken, but I’m sure we’ll be kept entertained with dramatic scenery, wildlife and weather!
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.