sunrise
November 3, 2025 | Sunrise!
Yesterday we slipped our lines from St. Francis Yacht Club—thank you Jason for hosting us—and we squeezed past the sandbar at the entrance, hoisted our main, and slowly glided with the tide under the Golden Gate Bridge. What a view! I love when our adventures take us to such iconic places and we get to experience these landscapes to the fullest.
After the thrill of the bridge, we unfurled our headsail and started sailing. First, we had to get through the “potato patches,” as the locals call it—an area where shallow water mixes with big offshore swells and generates some steep waves. After clearing it, we had lunch and enjoyed the views as Falken sailed at 8 knots in 9 knots of wind. The wind lasted until the afternoon and then completely left us, forcing us to turn the engine on to make some more ground south.
We then spent the night furling and unfurling the Yankee as the wind filled and dropped, making the most of it. As I’m typing this, the fog has made an appearance. We’re drifting at 2 knots, trying to squeeze anything out of the little breeze we have, and we’re enjoying some coffee. We’ve just had a stunning sunrise in a very still ocean, and there’s a great vibe onboard.
Lots of love,
Alex | FALKEN Skipper
laline96@gmail.com
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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.