Emily, Vilgot, and I have been taking turns writing the daily blog. During last night’s dinner, when we shared the comments from the blogs, we told the crew that they can chip in and write as well, and we had some eager voices. Derek got the keyboard out last night and started typing, and over the next days the crew will be sharing what it’s like to sail our 65-foot machine across the ocean!
-Mia
January 22, 2025, 12:30 UTC | Savoring Every Moment
There is a point on an extended passage when everyone on board settles into the unique rhythm of time on the ocean and becomes untethered from the usual routines of our lives on shore. Here on FALKEN, we are now firmly established in the watch routine: three four-hour watches from 1800 to 0600 local time, and two six-hour watches from 0600 to 1800. On watch, we take turns to helm the boat, typically for 30-minute rotations. It is refreshing to find that the autohelm is not used, and that we have the opportunity to collectively hand-steer this magnificent yacht across the Atlantic Ocean. Think about that for a moment. It affords all of us the chance to get a real feel for this boat and to hone our helming skills.
Last night, the conditions allowed us to steer for some hours by the glow of the stars, before the clouds came across the night sky and our focus shifted to the compass. Every hour, as is typical on yachts, we complete the ship’s log, recording the essential information that marks our progress across the Atlantic: latitude, longitude, compass course, speed, and the like—all the details that are now the focus of our attention.
Of course, there is plenty of time on watch to chat and to meditate on the expanse of the ocean, and we are all getting to know more about each other as the days progress, our daily routine punctuated by dinner at 1800 local time—an opportunity for everyone on board to come together and share their perspectives. We are savoring every moment of our time on the ocean.
-Derek, crew on FALKEN | Trans-Atlantic 2025
crew@59-north.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!