Pre-Departure
There can be no better feeling than that of watching a new team come together, except perhaps when the team in question is about to embark on one of life’s last true adventures. For many sailors, the opportunity to push the boundaries from coastal sailing to embarking upon an ocean passage is beyond comprehension. So when the chance arises, it isn’t a surprise to find a group of like-minded individuals that bond very quickly to form a very natural nautical family.
We went sailing today and it was funny, exciting, fulfilling, and telling. The weather dictates a Tuesday departure towards Cape Verde, which promises some idyllic sailing conditions, so the next couple of days will comprise theory sessions and preparation.
The sound of laughter and great conversation emanated from below the decks of FALKEN this evening, and I can’t wait for the journey ahead.
— Emily
EmilyCaruso
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Ladies who reef
The trade winds have been kind, rolling the boat toward Hawaii in a steady, hypnotic rhythm—until last night, when a squall hit without warning and the wind jumped to 28 knots, slamming everything sideways. With rain driving down and the boat lurching underfoot, the crew had minutes to wrestle two reefs into the mainsail and get things back under control. What followed was a masterclass in wet, unglamorous, deeply satisfying teamwork—with less than 250 miles left to go.
Yankee Doodle Died at Sea, Riding on a FALKEN
A thin, foot-long tear in the yankee sail—50,000 miles of ocean behind it—and suddenly the final stretch to Hawaii just got a lot more interesting. The crew of FALKEN had been running a tight ship through the trades, reefing in squalls like clockwork, when the last dance finally caught up with them. How a skipper handles the moment everything goes sideways says everything about the voyage itself.
A Gen Z Perspective
At 31, the crew thought they were reasonably fluent in the English language—then they met Kip. Today, the crew's self-appointed Gen Z correspondent takes over the log from somewhere in the middle of the Pacific, delivering dispatches on Milky Way night sails, focaccia-induced visions, and the singular mission of getting eleven people's "badonkadonks" to Hawaii. Consider this your glossary.