Playa Flamingo, Costa Rica
In-port
I came into my role as an Apprentice expecting some surprises, but I can’t say that taking a spin in a gyrocopter was on my 59° North bingo card.
Yesterday was filled with cleaning, passage prep, taking inventory, and a wee bit of time in the pool here at Marina Flamingo. As I was brushing my teeth before bed, Alex and Adam called me up on deck to tell me I should go flying with JC and Teresita the following morning, just as they had done right before I arrived. JC and Teresita are joining us for the passage to the Galapagos, and live just down the road from Playa Flamingo.
I was hesitant, only because I signed on to be of use, not to (literally) fly away and leave Alex and Adam to fend for themselves whilst provisioning. They assured me that it was “just grocery shopping” (an understatement) and asked me “when else are you going to have the chance to fly in a gyrocopter?” (a more valid point).
Two other crew members on this trip, Jeremy and Gayle, joined as well. I was with JC, who flew me up and down the coast, pointing out beaches, islands, the surrounding towns, and estuaries. As a map nerd, it was so awesome to get a bird’s eye view of this landscape. I wish I could share more photos.
Most of all, I was shocked at how smooth the ride was for such a small machine! Perhaps JC is just a pro pilot.
We all enjoyed a lovely coffee on the beach in Tamarindo, after which I was dropped off at Falken to resume my actual duties. These are duties that I feel lucky to have, though— I’m certainly embracing the current Falken sauna. It helps that Adam keeps our water bottles full of ice—an in-port luxury.
I’m so excited to meet the rest of the crew. While the time in the marina and in the sky has been lovely, I’m ready to set sail!
Zoe (Apprentice)
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She’s a big ship on a much bigger ocean2335
We also have faced the fact that although Adrienne is a very big ship, she sails over a much, much bigger sea. We all recommitted to being more attentive - treating our watch as a verb not a noun. We might feel comfortable handling Adrienne, but we're not on cruise control and this is no highway. I had not realized to what degree sailing the open ocean requires a daily commitment to awareness, intention, and vigilance. I'm glad for all of us my tutorial was clear but relatively mild.
Day Four: The boat has figured us out
By day 4, things start to get into a rhythm that starts to look like a small community onboard. It’s when personalities start to flourish, when people start losing themselves and start to realize that they don’t really care about a lot of things! I’m pretty sure the disconnection from the internet starts aligning our inner selves. Clearly everyone has gotten their sea legs by now, and even the boat seems to have understood the type of crew she has now. I love to see how people start fitting into different roles with their peers and the boat itself.
Kärt barn har många namn
A dear child goes by many a name, or as we say in Swedish "kärt barn har många namn". This is the case for many a person, but also some species, not least the Mahi mahi, which also goes by dolphin fish, golden mackerel, and dorado, among others. Soon, we could see the fish jump, a hundred feet or so behind the boat, and as I kept reeling, a beautiful Mahi appeared under the surface. Manot showed us how to clean and fillet it, and after a complete team effort two large fillets are now in the freezer of Adrienne II.