St. George’s, Bermuda
The crew is wrapping up their final moments in St. George’s, Bermuda. This has been my first time traveling outside of America. My time here has been overwhelmingly positive, from the 59º North Crew to the locals here in Bermuda. Community is deeply rooted in the culture of Bermuda, and 59º North Sailing holds the same values. I have the pleasure of working with crew members who have been sailing with 59º North before or learned about the organization through other sailors. The sailing community is small, but I have never seen an organization that is so well known and so highly praised by others. This should not come as a surprise if you have the opportunity to meet the Captains, Mates, and Crew who have worked with 59º North Sailing—they are extraordinary people.
As I am writing this, we are casting off the dock lines and heading to the fueling dock before we make our way to the Azores. Though the wind looks light, I have no doubt this trip will be memorable. The crew has been working tirelessly and has remained in good spirits in the face of the calm weather. I think during times like this we need to remember that though the minutes feel long, the days are short. I will be soaking up every minute I am here, and I am looking forward to what lies ahead.
- Athena | 59º North Apprentice
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Ketch us if you Kan
Falken is soon to carry on our preferred route of South, back to (hopefully) warmer climates. We’re all excited to set off and see more of this wild landscape as we head down to Victoria. A thermal trough over Vancouver combined with an offshore high pressure creating funneling NW’ly winds means it is due to be pretty fruity on the 9th. This passage is just under 600 miles, relatively short for Falken, but I’m sure we’ll be kept entertained with dramatic scenery, wildlife and weather!
Final Blog
Falken and her crew arrived safely into port last night around 8pm boat time, 10pm Prince Rupert time. Some spicy weather was anticipated, but luckily the 35kt gusts and 2.5 meter waves were no match for this expert crew. We had an exceptionally smooth docking, despite it being Alex's first time parking this year (!). We all agreed that this was a very special group of people—I for one am so impressed with how everyone stayed so positive, helpful, and appreciative of humor despite an arguably challenging passage. We'll all return home significantly saltier than we were when we left, a mark of a passage properly sailed.
Lessons and a Gift
The biggest lesson is the helm. The lesson here is that even if you don't think you can do it over and over again with no sleep, cold and damp, it has to be done and so it can be done. Flying fish are cool, dolphins are really really cool, but the coolest of them all are the whales. And most of all Alex: "Find your center Carla. Always know where your center is so you can come back to it". He means the helm but it applies to life as well.