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
Shooting Stars & Turtle Logs
Day three out of Ketchikan and FALKEN is running wing on wing down the outside of Vancouver Island. The temptation is to lie back in the cockpit and spend the night watching for shooting stars, but a diligent watch is always the first priority. So we keep a sharp eye out while the shooting stars keep us company through the night. The wildlife keeps coming: humpback and minke whales, five mola molas, dolphins, and a black-footed albatross. We are all feeling lucky for such conditions!
Pot dodging and whale watching
Duncan got us up to eleven knots at one point! The Ferriers also logged our first Orca sighting on their 3am-6am watch! This morning is a gift as the temps are just right and we finally have some blue sky and plenty of sunshine. It was a glorious few hours sailing before it inevitably died as forecast. I live in hope that by sunset tonight we’ll be back sailing as we emerge out of the lee of the island and the wind will be more westerly which lends itself to a better sailing angle.
We are off!
After two days of introductions, safety briefings and boat procedures we have departed Ketchikan. We are currently making a whopping 3.3 knots as there is very little wind in Nichols Passage. Adam fed us well last night with a delicious shrimp curry and Duncan was the winner of a sporty game of the card version Monopoly. With the scenic views and light wind it's quite peaceful out here.