SALTY SEA DOGS
0629 UTC | 13 46.2’N 095 01.0’W
Sailing
After today, I think we can safely say we now have a salty crew—both literally and figuratively.
At 6am this morning, we were lolling around, motoring in 2 knots of breeze in moderate seas with 6–7s between waves (gross). Then, as we sailed into a very red sunrise, with a rather ominous stretch of cloud, the long-promised Tehuantepec winds arrived. Forecast: 28 knots consistent, gusting into the 30s. Of course, the winds took on the unofficial staff motto of under-promise and over-deliver.
We knew it was going to be a bumpy, wild ride, and it very much delivered. A crew that have previously excelled at eking out the best of 6 knots of wind have now helmed amazingly in 40 knots TW and knocking on 5m swell.
We timed it perfectly, that as the sun came up we were approaching a big ol’ cloud that marked the start of the real increase in breeze, and were through the peak and into a relatively mellow sea state again by dinnertime.
It’s been a long day for everyone, as the watch system was very much ignored in favour of being on deck, despite the walls of water frequently being sent into the cockpit. As such, I’ve asked each of the team for a quick sentence on today to help me out:
Delaney — ‘Sailing today—each wave brought a new mystery behind it.’
Christine — ‘Standing at the back of the boat, helming during the heaviest part of that passage was awesome. Huge waves and feeling the power of the boat!’
Jake — ‘The amazing way Falken handled this kind of weather, as if it was a walk in the park—it was awesome.’
Robert — ‘This is going to sound cheesy, but I was really grateful for the opportunity to experience another passing of the glory of creation. This was beautiful, and I’m so insanely grateful for the opportunity.’
Mike — ‘Sailing into the red sunrise this morning, our reefs tucked in, approaching a dark cloud ready to face whatever it brings. Accompanied by a brown booby on the bow and dolphins leaping around us. Today just showed how we come together as a crew and just get on with it.’
Marbella — ‘I can do hard things!’
Scott — ‘Pushing the boundary today, and driving the experience higher. I have not been in this heavy sea state before, even in the Atlantic, so this was a great experience.’
Jake and Lloyd were sensibly sleeping when I asked, but I think this gives a pretty accurate portrayal.
Everybody did brilliantly; this crew are so good at just taking whatever is thrown at them. Big thank you to Delaney and Jake too—they were beaming throughout the day, and it is so good to see people loving what they do.
I’m writing this as we approach midnight—the sea state has calmed down enough that I’m risking my phone on deck [note: the photo at the top of this blog was from similar conditions during FALKEN's sea trial in the English Channel in January 2023]. Sorry we don’t have a photo to portray the conditions we had today—it was simply too soggy for that!
In a few hours we’ll be back to the norm of light-wind sailing, and I have officially promised showers in the morning. What a day.
// Mary
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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.
Passages and Purposes
As of today, Falken has taken us over 1800nm across the North Pacific. We’ve learned about water-makers, starter motors, furling, taking in and letting out reefs, easing and grinding, weather and wind, helming by course and by wind angles, and the difference between rest and sleep. For now, the latest challenge is to stay in the moment. The memories we’ve made here are priceless, even if we only connected for a few moments on our various paths in this world. So few people get this opportunity to “go dark” and live simply for a moment.