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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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.
Cast off the lines
When we awoke it was overcast but the Brazilian sun quickly burned the clouds away and we were left with blue skies. We reviewed some safety procedures, cleaned the boat and had an exciting Person Overboard (POB) recovery. Once we were underway spirits soared as we pointed the bow toward the Canary Islands. As I write this we are heading upwind and dealing with all that involves, and working into our first watches. It is hot, a bit bumpy but we are sailing!!
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.