The Beautiful night!
0630 Boat time | 08º 11.7’N 112º 53.4’ W
Sailing Wing-On-Wing
It is now 6.30 on FALKEN and the sun is about to come up over the horizon, but the glow started already a half hour ago and it has gradually been getting lighter. Kate was at the helm, while Jim, Adam and I were chatting about who knows what in the cockpit when we heard a flap on the side deck. A beautiful bird had landed on the side deck. I am not sure what kind it is, need to go and dig into our books onboard, but it’s definitely one of the seabirds that has been circling around us since we left Galapagos! He is now resting just outside the cockpit, nicely tucked over the jib sheet and behind the preventer, it’s almost like he wants to hang out with us, or maybe he is simply just getting a well needed rest?
We had an amazing night with a sky filled of stars, except for a short lived rain cloud that came over us earlier in the night. We had Scorpio behind us with Libra above, while Orion was setting just behind the jib. Big Dipper was ‘upside down’ to our starboard and the little sliver of moon comes up later and later now. It’s amazing though how much light we get from the moon, despite being so small. In Swedish we have a word ‘mångata’, the reflection of the moon on the water (translates to 'moon road’ - I love the nights!
Mia Karlsson
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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.