Quick stop in Ua-Pou
08.55 BOAT TIME | 10º 26.2’ S 140º 56.1’W
Sailing
Good morning from FALKEN, it’s 8.55 onboard and we have been underway less than 12 hours, but it feels like we have been sailing for days. A lot have happened though since we left our secure anchorage in Nuku Hiva on Wednesday...
Lets back up to Tuesday when crew arrived to FALKEN. 8 excited crew waited for us with bags at the dock ready for the next adventure. Most of them had already gotten to know each other before, crew connect over email months before the passage even starts, and some of them discovered they were on the same flights and staying at the same place (Nuku Hiva is not a big place :) ). So when we met them at the dinghy dock, it felt like we met a group of friends rather than eight strangers. Once onboard, they got their bunk assigned and we took everyone on a walkthrough below and on deck, getting to know their new home for the next ten days. As Mary mentioned in the last blog, we had some plans to explore one more island before leaving the Marquesas and the goal was to set out before lunch the next day. After a night sleep on anchor, thankfully the boat cools off enough that it’s not too hot at night, we had a quick breakfast and continued with briefings so everyone would know the boat before setting off.
We had a beautiful sail to Ua-Pou, 25 nm south of us. South meant upwind sailing, but with the wind around 12-15 kts, we had a pleasant 4 hr sail before we dropped anchor in the middle of the bay. We sent a shore party ashore before the sun set and learned a lot about the island thanks to Amy who appears to be the expert in meeting locals and getting the scoop ashore. They met Martin, who works for the local collage and happily shared everything they wanted to know. They picked Pomelos and Pomegranate in his back yard, and came back with the 3 biggest cucumber I have ever seen from a neighbours garden. I stayed back onboard few a few of the crew and went for a much needed swim, and Mary served an amazing tuna dinner after dark.
A quick nap, and anchor up at 21.30 and straight into offshore sailing and watch systems. I had a great sleep after my watch and woke up to sunshine and chatter. Pete and Mike are hanging down below in the saloon, staying away from the sun as long as possible. Jessie at the helm with Kate and Steve on watch together with her. Mary is up and Zoe just went down for a nap. The rest of the crew is also in their bunks, resting. So far, no one have been sea sick yet and yes, the sun is still hot (hoping on clouds and shared later from the sails).
Cheers from Mia & the FALKEN crew
Mia
View more passage logs
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.
Making the most of it
This passage has thrown pretty much every atmospheric condition imaginable at us. It reminds us not only of how much we’ve learned, but of how far we’ve literally come since that acceleration zone off the northwest corner of Oahu. The resilience this group has shown has been nothing short of incredible, and I couldn’t be prouder to be part of it. Maybe that’s why it’s the hardest passages we remember the most. Not because they were easy, but because they reminded us what we’re capable of.
