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0549 UTC | 1636.92’S 15132.69
ANCHORED
A warm tropical hello from the West Coast of Taha’a in the Society Islands,
The crew of NORDIC FALKEN are settled into our mind-blowingly beautiful anchorage for the night. A crew that started as strangers a few days ago are all chatting away up on deck as if they’ve known each other for years. The deck showers are rolling after a much needed swim to beat the day’s tropical heat. Skipper Mary is manically singing in the galley (if you’ve sailed with her, you know) while cheffing up a mushroom risotto for us. We sailed for roughly 24 hours and 136nm to get to this gorgeous slice of the planet and are relieved to have escaped the hustle and bustle of Papeete, soaking in the peaceful quietude of what we all dream of when we dream of remote anchorages in the Pacific.
When we arrived at our anchorage, the crew wasted NO time changing into suits and splashing into the vital waters around us. I popped up on deck, the last one in, to see ten little heads floating all around the stern of the boat, massive, satisfied smiles on their faces, luxuriating in the cold water after a windless motor for our last few miles of the passage. Andrea masterfully crafted a scavenger hunt for the crew, setting little clues all throughout the boat (including a meter down below the water line on the anchor rode!). It ended merrily in the discovery of cold beers and snacks on deck for all!
The sun set for us today with a golden glow of light and brightly illuminated pink clouds all around us. A light but very much welcomed drizzle of rain was refreshing us as folks were getting their final swim in for the day, and the sun set over the motu’s to the West of us with Bora Bora in the distance. Vibrant tropical flowers from the local flora are floating all around the anchorage, setting an idyllic scene for this grateful crew. We also laughed as we navigated through the reef, dodging coconuts and thinking to ourselves, “does it get anymore tropical than this?!”
Although this trip is shorter than others, we have every intention of packing it in with as much exploring and enjoyment as we can! The crew have already gone ashore for a reconnaissance of the local shops and restaurants. Stay tuned for tomorrows updates as we have plans to go find some manta rays to snorkel with and find one of the worlds best coral drift snorkels! Hearts are full and the team is happy!
First Mate Pheebs
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Shooting Stars & Turtle Logs
Day three out of Ketchikan and FALKEN is running wing on wing down the outside of Vancouver Island. The temptation is to lie back in the cockpit and spend the night watching for shooting stars, but a diligent watch is always the first priority. So we keep a sharp eye out while the shooting stars keep us company through the night. The wildlife keeps coming: humpback and minke whales, five mola molas, dolphins, and a black-footed albatross. We are all feeling lucky for such conditions!
Pot dodging and whale watching
Duncan got us up to eleven knots at one point! The Ferriers also logged our first Orca sighting on their 3am-6am watch! This morning is a gift as the temps are just right and we finally have some blue sky and plenty of sunshine. It was a glorious few hours sailing before it inevitably died as forecast. I live in hope that by sunset tonight we’ll be back sailing as we emerge out of the lee of the island and the wind will be more westerly which lends itself to a better sailing angle.
We are off!
After two days of introductions, safety briefings and boat procedures we have departed Ketchikan. We are currently making a whopping 3.3 knots as there is very little wind in Nichols Passage. Adam fed us well last night with a delicious shrimp curry and Duncan was the winner of a sporty game of the card version Monopoly. With the scenic views and light wind it's quite peaceful out here.