The moment has finally arrived. The crew is all aboard, and it was such a joy meeting everyone in person for the first time. Spirits are high, energy on top, and everyone is excited to throw the lines and be underway. Over the past days, we have made Adrianne ready for her next Atlantic crossing. The staff and crew have gone through the introduction of safety briefings and the rig check. We stumbled upon a few small surprises, most notably the inner jib halyard that didn’t quite want to cooperate. After a few trips up and down the mast and some solution discussions, we managed to put together a solid provisional solution that will hold for the passage.
With the boat now ready, provisions stowed away, and the crew excited, we will soon let loose the lines holding us to the pier to sail away into the horizon. Soon Brazil will be left behind and our next step on land will be in Gran Canaria. We will soon settle into the rhythm of watches and the ocean that lies ahead of us.
We will see you soon!
Hold Fast,
Vilgot Hjort | Former and current Apprentice
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People Get Ready!
The last three days have been an intense (and intensely hot) period of discovery, practice, and planning. Because Adrienne II is not a 59N boat, there's been some extra setup and coordination needed including rigging all the sails that were out for repairs before we arrived. Its been a blast working alongside the 59N team getting to help them work things out on a less familiar boat in real time. Tomorrow morning we'll run through our Person Over Board training as the final pre-departure task, cast off and head out. Can't know all that it will be, but its going to be a great adventure out in the vast world with some pretty fantastic people.
Among the Channel Islands
In the wind shadow of SoCal we had a restful night with calm conditions ghosting through smooth seas. We’re getting ourselves in position for spicy weather tonight once we round Cape Conception, the seas build and the breeze freshens. It will be an upwind sail into an acceleration zone along a formable coast with few bailout points, Morro Bay being one. The crew is really gelling with lots of smiles and laughter on deck. Monterey is in our sights!
Day Two Delights
The seas were completely glassy with a gentle swell as we approached San Clemente Island, the southernmost of the Channel Islands. Everyone jumped in and marvelled at the lovely temperature and crystal clear, indigo-colored water. Before long the wind started to pick up, and we happily unfurled the jib and were sailing again. The afternoon has been gorgeous, cruising along at 5-6 kts, close hauled on a port tack in a gentle breeze, Catalina Island in the distance on our starboard side, and everyone is happy.