Next stop…
Latitude: 07°23.7'S, Longitude: 153°41.2'W
Sunday, June 11, 2025 | 09:55 Boat Time | 19:55 UTC
Pos. 07°23.7S 153°41.2W
Last night I came on watch and, for once, there wasn’t a single squall in sight. The engine was on, the moon was shining, and a light breeze was present. We decided at that point to turn the engine off and try to sail with the little breeze there was. FALKEN started gliding silently into the night at a speed of 3 knots, but with barely any sea state to throw her around, it was like being in space for a while. The wind gods must have appreciated our efforts, as only 30 minutes later the wind picked up and FALKEN followed it like a bird.
I’ve just woken up for my day watch. The sun is shining, there is a good 15-knot breeze, and FALKEN is powering along at 9-10 knots. We’re officially in the trade winds, and it feels good, because at one point our ETA was 215 days and 3 hours.
Yesterday we made the decision to aim for Christmas Island instead of Palmyra Atoll. The reasoning for this is our timeline and how aiming for Palmyra would put us against the trade winds—not ideal. It also means a bit more time for us to explore one place and a more comfortable ride to the Hawaiian Islands.
It’s still hard to realize in what part of the world we’re sailing. I keep transporting myself back to the Polynesian people sailing from island to island like we go to the supermarket, and it makes me wonder what incredible navigators and full-round adventurers and sailors they were.
Our ETA to Christmas Island should be some point between Saturday and Sunday. Expect no connection, and we’re going to keep our watch on boat time, as otherwise we will lose a day to the timeline. We will explain on another blog, but for now, looking forward to dropping the anchor in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
Lots of love,
Alex
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Mia (shore support)
laline96@gmail.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.