Post-passage
June 27, 2024
During our final 24 hours of the trip, a warm front approached. The wind picked up, we put two reefs into the mainsail and deeply furled the Yankee. Still, in 28 knots apparent wind on a broad reach, Falken flew along, surfing faster and faster until Allison hit the record speed of the trip at 17.8 knots. The front passed fairly quickly and with it the wind eased. The anticipated cold front brought little wind but a huge wind shift, so that we ended up sailing on a close reach for the final few hours of the trip.
We approached the channels between the Aran Islands in the early morning hours and pushed on to make the lock to Galway Harbor, which only opens from two hours before high water to high water. We tied up alongside the harbor wall and celebrated a fast and fun passage with a glass of Prosecco. 1,285 nm sailed in 6 days and 18 hours, with the last four days seeing daily runs of well over 200 nm.
For me, this is the end of three months on FALKEN, all the way from Antigua to Jamaica to Cuba, Bermuda, the Azores, and finally Ireland. It has been a blast and though I can’t wait to go home and see my family, I am already looking forward to my next passage on FALKEN from Plymouth to Lagos—the heavy weather Bay of Biscay crossing. Until then, fair winds and a following sea.
- Chris
ChrisKobusch
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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.