thanks mother nature
47 06.2N 125 26.9W
47 06.2N 125 26.9W | 22:45 Local time
OMG! The stars! That’s all… OK, not really—but honestly, it’s magical out here tonight. The girls are steering in 15 knots of wind with full sails on a broad reach underneath a glittering cloak of sparkles, and we all feel the fairy dust effect. It’s dark, but I’m convinced everyone is smiling, pondering, marveling at how extraordinary our universe is. The Milky Way is so defined and hanging so low, the helms are using the edge of it as something to steer towards to stay on course.
As we reflected over Mia’s coconut and ginger curry for dinner, it’s been a dream-field day since the moment we woke up at 6am to lift the hook. The sky was just brightening and we hoisted the main in the lee of the Broken Group, and rose just as we passed the last cluster of rocks. Ahead was thick, thick fog and honestly, if we didn’t have the modern wonders of satellites and space rockets, we might have wondered if we were sailing towards the edge of the world, about to fall off a waterfall.
Around mid-morning, the fog cleared and the North Westerlies gently started to fill in, and by dinner time we turned off the engine and started to sail. It was a wonderful, peaceful, gentle day. Thanks, Mother Nature. You are warming us ladies in softly.
Also, happy birthday to Catherine’s husband! She’s looking up at the glorious night sky, 50 nautical miles from shore, and is thinking about you. She told me you’d enjoy a message from us. If we had a bottle, we’d write it in there and throw it overboard. But hopefully this feels just as magical! Happy, happy birthday.
Enjoy your warm cozy beds, everyone. And we will enjoy our less cozy, less warm, but absolutely breathtakingly beautiful outside world.
- Nikki
NikkiHenderson
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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.