The Fridge…

Sunday, June 22, 2025 | Upwind Battle

Splash BANG

Over the last several days, FALKEN has been beating upwind due north, steadily closing the distance between us and Hawaii. Everyone is delighted by the upwind sailing, both above and below deck. Alex is often heard remarking that it is his favorite point of sail. I assume it is because of the fun surprises he gets while the boat rides up and down the swells, smashing her bow into the waves. Like the time he was in the head during a moment of relative calm, then suddenly sideways and frantically pumping to escape disaster. Or the time he was cozied in his bed, enjoying a fresh breeze from his open hatch, when Istvan drove the boat directly into a crashing wave for the sheer glee of it. A deluge of water rained down on Alex, causing him to laugh and bounce with delight.

The best of the surprises happened just last night. Around 9:30 pm, everyone on the boat heard a BANG loud enough to penetrate through industrial strength earplugs and the noise-canceling technology of Apple AirPods Max. As the boat was bounding along, the pin holding the refrigerator closed had been strained to the point of collapse. Jake dealt the final blow. He claims he delicately touched it and suddenly the fridge came flying out of the wall and across the room. Only Mary was there to witness, however. The two of them muddled through a cascade of cucumbers and attempted to restore the fridge to its rightful place. Their efforts, however, were futile. It now lives under the galley table.

So we endure the endless delight of upwind sailing. Onward to Hawaii!

Tara

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