Sail Training!
32°55.7N 117°50.2W
November 18, 2025 | Pos. 32°55.7N 117°50.2W
Local time: 16:00
Yesterday we left Ensenada at around 08:30 in the morning. It was sunny and you could barely feel any wind in your face. We went through the process of hoisting sails and straight away we dived into reefing drills followed by tacking. After 6 reefs and 12 tacks, we decided to settle into the watch system and embrace the night.
We knew from the forecast that we were expecting a front to come through at around 8pm local time, so we set the boat up in anticipation of the weather. At 19:55, in came the wind shift followed by heavy rain and 30 knot gusts. It was exhilarating! The night was then followed by isolated squalls that would hit you with strong gusts followed by light winds. So, not an easy night sailing but one to be proud of.
Unfortunately, we did have the green monster make an appearance, debilitating a couple of the watches, but everyone powered through and no one missed a watch.
With sunrise, the wind decided to die off completely and we went onto our drill for the day: what to do if you lose the rudder or steering cables. We tried different methods and deployed our drogue as an additional steering option. It was a great success and a valuable learning experience! We followed that up with a couple of theory lessons and gave the crew some time off. It was clear that we’re training hard, as it was just myself, Adam, and Delaney left on deck as everyone disappeared for a nap.
Now we’re cooking a mushroom risotto before we get into our watch system for the night. The wind is fluky but we’re luckily still moving, so if you wonder where we are going on the tracker: where the wind takes us.
Lots of love,
Alex | FALKEN Skipper
laline96@gmail.com
View more passage logs
HMS Night Watch Party
Wing on wing worked well until the wind shifted then the helm became the cone of despair for our night watch crew of three (H, M and S) Alex made the decision to drop the pole, shifting wing on wing to a close reach. Wind increased to low teens and speed picked up to a flying pace. Day spent wandering toward Ensenada. Alex, Adam and David got us into port under another starry night.
No Kitemares Today
After a night marked by sudden wind accelerations peeling off Point Conception, and a vibrant, pulsating sky blistered with shooting stars, the off-watch woke to commotion on the foredeck. The wind had gone light and the swell had tapered just enough to raise the spinnaker. The sail filled with an urgent pop, the sheet strained and Falken charged down the face of the next wave. By mid-day, we doused the spinnaker and set our minds to the more precise task of safely punching through a gap in the notorious Cortez Bank. The border to Mexico looms ahead.
The California coast
We had a very lively first day of sailing with steady winds between 25 and 30 kn gusting to mid 30s. All of the crew got experience at difficult downwind helming as we covered 200 nautical miles in the first 24 hours. This morning brings winds in the teens and calmer seas. The sun is still shining, and the green monster has been slayed by those afflicted!