January 28, 2025 | 20:43 UTC | Sleep-Eat-Sail-REPEAT
Hello from the mid-Atlantic! Day 12 at sea, 2150 nm sailed, about 860 nm to go.
Sleep-Eat-Sail-REPEAT. It has been over a week since we have seen another boat. It is truly amazing to be on this small sailing vessel, surrounded by thousands of miles of ocean. Meanwhile, our entire life is happening on board FALKEN. The 11 of us have our daily routines that revolve around the watch system. We all take turns at the helm, we sleep, we eat, we clean, we learn, we support each other—all under the expert and caring supervision of our Skipper Emily and First Mate Mia.
The days and nights blend together into one continuous watch schedule. In this intense and close environment, you get to know your crewmates very well—like summer camp on steroids. We are people from different countries and experiences, connected by our love of sailing and adventure. Deep friendships are formed by this shared unique opportunity to sail across the Atlantic Ocean.
As the saying goes, do something every day that scares you. Try to imagine: 2 am, pitch black, sustained winds at 25 knots, gusts approaching 40 knots, ocean swell at 3m—there you are at the helm, hand steering this 65’ sailboat safely towards Antigua. White-knuckled, you wonder, what am I doing here? After your watch, you crash into your bunk with a great sense of accomplishment. Each time at the helm, feeling more confident.
As we are in the final stretch of our passage, there is a lot of chat about cocktails, beer, wine, and FOOD! Mia has done a superb job with provisions and meal planning, but of course the fresh provisions are now gone. What I wouldn’t do for a crunchy and juicy apple right now.
I am truly grateful to have this opportunity and thank you to my family and friends for their support. It has been a once in a lifetime experience. Thank you to 59 North for their professionalism and for creating this exceptional opportunity.
Thanks to all friends and family for the comments on the blog! We read them daily at dinner and it gives us encouragement to push through the final miles. We miss you all. We will all have lots of stories and photos to share when we get home—so many, so brace yourselves! :)
Jillian
Oakville, Ontario, Canada
crew@59-north.com
View more passage logs
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.
A Heavenly High
As you have probably figured out at this point, the drug of choice on board is, of course, celestial navigation- an art which has hooked offshore sailors for centuries. Once addicted, navigators will emerge from down below only to get their fixes two times per day, and spend the rest of their days and nights down below doing complex spherical mathematics. On Adrienne II, our skipper is our dealer. I must confess that I myself gave in to the strange urge which I’ve felt witnessing my crewmates practice this fine art, and yesterday felt an amazing sensation as I was able to wield the sextant for the first time and with it, bring down the tip of our starboard spreader to the top of our front sprayhood, presicely measuring the angle between the two (35deg, 38,8’ min). This afternoon, Naxo then showed me how to get my fix from the very sun itself - and I now fear there is no turning back.