Making the most of it
11:00 UTC | 52°27.1N 138°22.7W
Sailing
Apologies for the lack of a blog yesterday. Everyone was focused on the one gybe of the whole passage, the one we absolutely had to get right. Thankfully, we nailed it.
Which means that now, after transitioning from one High Pressure System to the next, we’re back on the heel, beating upwind. Funny how quickly you can start missing the easy miles…
This passage has thrown pretty much every atmospheric condition imaginable at us. And just as we approach our final sprint to Dixon Entrance, it’s got one last trick up its sleeve: 35–40 knots with freezing northerly winds straight out of Alaska… and to be honest it would almost be rude if it ended any other way.
But this crew wouldn’t have it any other way. Finishing almost exactly how we started (just with considerably more layers on) has a nice sense of coming full circle. 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. Falken hasn’t changed that much but we certainly have.
Spirits are high, and we’re tackling the cold brilliantly. It’s currently 9°C, with a wind chill of 4°C, and the system is simple: constant rotations, hot drinks, plenty of laughs, and making sure we’re all looking after one another.
The resilience this group has shown has been nothing short of incredible, and I couldn’t be prouder to be part of it.
So we’re making the most of this final push. The last spray in the face. The last surf down a wave. The last reef. The last night watch. Even the last pumping of the heads (although I don’t think anyone will miss that one).
We’re soaking up every moment before heading back to “normality,” appreciating nature at its rawest and feeling incredibly lucky that it has allowed us to experience 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.
Alex
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.