Sailing North
41°10.8’N 152°34.3’W
Tuesday, July 15, 2025 | POS. 41°10.8’N 152°34.3’W 07:13 UTC / 21:13 Boat Time
Another day has gone by as we continue our approach to the west side of the North Pacific High. Our plan is to carry on north for the next couple of days as the high-pressure system moves further south. Once on the north side of it, we should have the right wind angle to put in a gybe and start pointing at Dixon Entrance.
This system has been giving us some beautiful sailing conditions and we are very much making the most of it. Mary kicked off the day with some pancakes in the morning, and Lovis followed with a quinoa salad for lunch.
We’ve still got the company of the baby albatross following our wake, and some dolphins have made a shy appearance for the first time since slipping lines in Hawaii.
We’re now pretty much halfway there, and a good indication of that is the drop in temperature. There are no more brave people embracing shorts at night, and some sleeping bags are now making their first appearances. Hatches are closed not because of the sea state, but because it’s getting pretty cold down below with them open! It feels weird after such a long time in the horse latitudes to feel cool on the boat again.
Not much to report other than this—very pleasant sailing and everyone is very much into the rhythm of life in the middle of nowhere.
Lots of love,
Alex
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!