Party Time!
2200 UTC | 31° 55.123’ N 039° 59.969’ W
Sailing
Late last night, conveniently right before I went down for a snooze, we got a bit of bonus breeze and were able to shut the engine off and sail. Engine off means time to clean the fuel filters and do whatever we can to prevent our diesel bug from clogging the system. Open the filters, clean any gunk, check the lines, then my snooze came soon after.
Since then we’ve been motoring through a high with slowly but consistently decreasing breeze. We furled the genoa right at daybreak, and dropped the main before sunset. Up until then it wasn’t flogging and was providing a nice bit of shade.
To fill the time while we motored on glassy clear blue ocean seas, we’ve had yoga sessions and a bit of weight lifting. We put out two fishing lines which I think should double our chances but nothing so far. Our resident vegan Knut said he’s rooting for the fish. Perhaps that’s why we’ve had no bites.
What the crew didn’t know, is that Erik and I had been planning a bit of a party all day to celebrate our halfway point. To start, meteorologist/ skipper extraordinaire Erik set up the weather so that we motored into a perfectly glassy calm evening and could go for a swim. This was certainly no coincidence, it was arranged just for the party. We did some swan dives and a few laps around the somewhat stationary boat. The water was cool, clear, and seemingly about a million feet deep (no idea how many meters, sorry Anton).
After the swim we ushered all the crew aft and had them turn around and watch the sunset as Erik, Anton, and I set up streamers and a party sign. I knew this would be a big hit, as it’s exactly what my mom had done for my birthday each year growing up (and sometimes still now). We enjoyed dinner, vegan coffee cake for dessert, and finished with Glums and Glows. My Glow list for the day was long, and I feel like I didn’t even mention it all.
Although we are all out here to sail, and ideally sail fast, sometimes these days of calm motoring provide a much needed respite on long voyages. After beating up wind for over a week, we have a chance to mix up the routine, slow down, and relax a bit. We all now look forward to some more upwind sailing tomorrow afternoon (potentially on a port tack this time) and keep our fingers crossed for some reaching in our future.
All is well aboard the mighty ship Adrienne II.
Delaney Vorwick
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.