MANY FIRSTS ONBOARD FALKEN

0017 UTC | 21 05.69’ N 108 10.91’ W
Sailing

As I type this blog, Jake is cooking risotto for dinner; it is his first time cooking a meal for everyone at sea. It smells delicious. We’ve had many firsts so far on this trip, and it’s only day two.

Early last night as the full moon peeked out from the clouds and we drifted further offshore, Lloyd experienced being out of sight of land on a boat for the first time. Jakes, Christine, and a few others experienced their first full night at sea with a full moon peeking through the clouds. It was so bright you might have convinced me it was still daytime.

We had dolphins jumping during the night watch, maybe five or six but we told Marella it was closer to 100. As the sun came up and the coffee was set to brew, we managed a few hours of slow sailing. Soon enough the wind died, the motor came on, and the fishing line went out. We practiced reefing and reviewed the IRPCSs; we have a crew that’s passionate about good seamanship.

Just as I settled down into an afternoon nap, it was “fish on” and time to join the fun. Jake reeled in a beautiful Mahi with an assist from Mary with the gaff. To quote him directly, “Mary looked like she came out of a war zone.” We all felt pride in our skippers grit, and then suggested she hose off.

Another first came when Mary taught me how to fillet the fish. It went pretty well but it was clear which pieces were better off chopped up for ceviche…

Although I didn’t manage to convince any of the crew to write the first blog post at sea, Jake's agreed to be my co-author and provided all the ideas. The last thing he wanted me to note was how well we all mesh as a team. We’ve only been at sea for a little over one full day now, but as Marella shared during Glums and Glows, it feels as though we’ve known each other forever.

Motor is off, sails are full, all is well.

// Delaney