27°28.15' N 016°20.12' W
October 18, 2025 | 22:30 UTC | 27°28.15' N 016°20.12' W
The beginning of the end
I listen to the ship’s bell. Tick tock. Tick tock. I’ve never quite understood the landlubbers’ obsession with clocks — seconds, hours, days. For me, it’s the wind that keeps the time, the waves that hold the rhythm of life.
Here, once again on the northern latitudes, I can feel the chill creeping through my rigging — a familiar whisper at my masthead. I know this air; we’re nearing my second home — Gran Canaria.
My crew confirms it. Someone speaks of flight times, another of hotel bookings. There’s something special about the end of a voyage. Even though I find my crew’s ways curious, I know I’ll miss them — their laughter at dinner, the endless conversations under the stars, and their hands and feet pressing gently against my aft deck during those quiet morning yoga rituals.
Soon I’ll be still again, tied to a dock. The crew will leave me, and silence will settle in. On land, all I’ll have left are memories — and they awaken most vividly beneath the stars, when the moonlight slides across my hull.
This crossing has given me many new memories, and from what I can tell, the crew has also shared something truly special. The waves seem to have calmed their souls, and once again the ocean has left its mark upon them. I hope their memories will be as strong as mine.
And when they return to the ticking of everyday clocks, I believe they’ll remember the calm of the waves, the glow of the stars — and that I’ll still be here, waiting, ready for the next adventure under sail.
Until the next adventure…
Tim | Adrienne II Mate
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.