Sailing, celebrating, star watching, eating brownies
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Mary
Happy birthday to you
Yes, it’s our skipper’s birthday today! We have two more birthdays coming up on this trip.
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It’s day 3. Almost everyone has found their sea legs, so all is well.
We’ve had a great passage so far. Good wind, a comfortable sea state, good company, good food. What more could you ask for? (Hmmm. A shower would be nice.)
It’s warm! Down below, it can be a bit of a sauna. On deck is not as bad as I expected. A decent breeze cools you down a bit. As we’re heading almost due north on a starboard tack, the mainsail provides a reasonable amount of shade after noon when sitting in the cockpit. However, you are rather exposed when at the helm.
Even at night, it’s warm on deck. The breeze is such that when at the helm I’ve been almost too warm wearing two very light layers. May it continue!
As the moon is past its third quarter, we’re getting amazing views of the stars for the first part of the night (provided there aren’t too many clouds). At around 1945 last night, Phoebe was at the helm and six of us were sitting in the cockpit. No conversation was going on. Had we fallen out already? No. Were we miserable and counting the minutes to the of the watch? No. (Three of us from the next watch were up on deck early.) We were all simply quite happy just to soak in the sight of the Milky Way.
I was on the 2000-2300 watch last night. Looking astern, it was great to see the Southern Cross slowly pivot as it made its way across the southern sky. How often are we able to see the night sky AND make the time to observe the passage of the stars across the sky?
Just had dinner. Phoebe cooked brownies in lieu of a birthday cake. Well received.
The sun has just set. We’re slowly settling in for the night.
Good night.
Bruce Hardie
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The Human Factor
Thus our existence slowly reverted to a much simpler form of being. We start to notice the smaller things, we start looking up and around, we start observing our thoughts. Sailing can be a great social accelerator. Sharing hardship and milestones, friendships are born and evolve at a speed that would seem impossible from land. And after those three weeks spent with you, I am getting ready to leave our vessel with the profound conviction that those bonds will stay with us for the rest of our lives.
The Penultimate Blog from Adrienne II
After 20 days, and 3000+ nautical miles, we're back on land. The motley crew of Adrienne II, consisting of 7 happy amateurs supported by 3 professionals, have completed an epic journey many dream of but few realize. So much of this trip has been about being present - with nature, with each other, with this boat. My biggest takeaway from this trip is the amazing crossing of the ITCZ (Inter Tropical Convergence Zone). We all hope you've enjoyed the blog as much as we've enjoyed creating it.
Mother Nature, you’ve outdone yourself!
It’s been a great experience to have a non-traditional trans-Atlantic, as it’s been packed with genuinely cool features. The Doldrums!! A place sailors have been talking about for centuries. The unpredictability is what made it such an exhilarating experience. While some might be frightened or alarmed by this kind of weather, I was embodied with a sense of calm and awe. There’s something wildly beautiful about being reminded how small you are, while feeling so incredibly alive.