0210 10º 00.88’S 126º 28.29’W
Sailing
Last night on my 3-6AM watch I saw two shooting stars. The sky has been clear and there isn't much of a moon so the stars have been incredible. I think my favorite part of being out here is the night sailing and the night sky. The pleasant evening temperatures make night sailing even more enjoyable.
We saw our second boat of the entire trip last night, a cat. She left Galapagos the same day we did so she should be days ahead of us. How embarrassing for her. But as we all know the definition of a sailboat race is two boats on the water... 😊
Our skipper Alex was ready to put up the spinnaker this morning. I think we were all excited for a new challenge. We have been sailing wing on wing (donkey ears according to Alex) for days, using the Yankee headsail attached to the spinnaker pole. With everyone on deck Alex directed us and up she went... A HUGE beautiful pink symmetrical spinnaker. It was our watch so each of the three of us had a turn at the helm. With the 2 meters swells and gusts it was fun and challenging. I must admit I was happy Alex hung around to coach us. After a couple of hours we took her down... deciding the swells and gusts were a bit much. A very different experience from flying spinnaker on the small Columbia River boats at home. We will put her up again tomorrow.
I have to say Alex, Mia and Zoe have been wonderful! Positive, calm, great at explaining concepts... and patient!
It is also fun to see how a group of people that started out not knowing each other have settled into a comfortable routine. The good natured joking, the laughter... you would think we have know each other for years.
We are celebrating three digits this evening. A party celebrating the fact we have less than 1000 miles to go. We are supposed to dress up! Who brings fancy clothes on a Sailboat? We alse get a shower. Normally showers are Tuesdays and Fridays but today is Saturday so we get 2 shower days in a row! It is funny how simple pleasures feel like luxuries and are really appreciated.
In the background I hear people taking about the first thing they are going to have when they get off the boat, or when they get home. Many of the wants are centered around a cold beverage with ice, salads, fresh produce... a favorite meal... again simple pleasures.
Not that anyone is ready... Yet... for our adventure to end.
Beven P.
View more passage logs
Pre-departure
Hawaii to Alaska isn't a downwind romp—it's a chess match with the North Pacific High, and the opening move is never obvious. Ten days of refit work, new sails, engine services, and enough provisions to outlast a bad forecast have FALKEN ready for whatever the high decides to throw at us. The crew arrives in an hour, and by Thursday, the bow points north—route TBD.
Ladies who reef
The trade winds have been kind, rolling the boat toward Hawaii in a steady, hypnotic rhythm—until last night, when a squall hit without warning and the wind jumped to 28 knots, slamming everything sideways. With rain driving down and the boat lurching underfoot, the crew had minutes to wrestle two reefs into the mainsail and get things back under control. What followed was a masterclass in wet, unglamorous, deeply satisfying teamwork—with less than 250 miles left to go.
Yankee Doodle Died at Sea, Riding on a FALKEN
A thin, foot-long tear in the yankee sail—50,000 miles of ocean behind it—and suddenly the final stretch to Hawaii just got a lot more interesting. The crew of FALKEN had been running a tight ship through the trades, reefing in squalls like clockwork, when the last dance finally caught up with them. How a skipper handles the moment everything goes sideways says everything about the voyage itself.
