Pre-departure
23:45 UTC | Hawaii Yacht Club
In-port
Once again we get ready for another passage. Hawaii to Alaska is not a walk in the park and a lot of thought and preparation goes into getting FALKEN ‘passage ready’.
Adam, Zoe and I have spent the last 10 days getting everything ready, from new sails fitted, engine services, rig checks, replacing hardware, etc. to getting all the food, spares, etc.needed for a long passage.
In the Eastern North Pacific it all depends on where the North Pacific high sits, that is what will decide our route and what weather we get. It normally starts with a Northerly route until you get the Westerlies before turning right to destination, easy right? Well that would be in a perfect world but a lot of factors can influence the location of this high and where it might move, the trick is to not go too far north or too far East.
The crew arrives in about an hour and then is game on. Briefings, introductions and a bit of team building before we point Falken’s bow towards the open ocean.
Current estimated departure is set for Thursday.
Alex
View more passage logs
Farewell by dolphins
We headed out of the marina in Monterey CA at about 10AM in sunny weather to meet winds of ~20kts and 3m smooth swell with long periods. FALKEN is surfing along the coast of California, ship’s time 1PM as I write. As we motored out into the bay, we were wished farewell by a pod of dolphins nearby and a couple of whales in the distance. Though, unfortunately one crew member met the green dragon in the swell.
The Human Factor
Thus our existence slowly reverted to a much simpler form of being. We start to notice the smaller things, we start looking up and around, we start observing our thoughts. Sailing can be a great social accelerator. Sharing hardship and milestones, friendships are born and evolve at a speed that would seem impossible from land. And after those three weeks spent with you, I am getting ready to leave our vessel with the profound conviction that those bonds will stay with us for the rest of our lives.
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.
