Turtles, stars and lasagna
03:00 UTC | 01°32.9’N 090°16.7’W
Sailing
We are officially underway! After clearing out customs and immigration (followed by a full boat inspection), FALKEN and her crew hoisted the anchor and got sailing straight away. Some wind holes and a few turtles later, we managed to find a more stable breeze, which we’re currently sailing in.
It’s currently nighttime onboard, and I have to say the sky we have is one of the best I have seen in my life. We can spot the Southern Cross, the Big Dipper, Spica, and so many other constellations mixed in with the Milky Way. It surely feels like we’re floating in space, with a flat sea state and Falken sliding at a steady 6 knots in 7.5 knots of breeze. The crew are struggling to choose what star to guide them on the helm!
Everyone is slowly settling into the routine, and we all very much enjoyed Mia’s famous first-night-at-sea lasagna, followed by our Glums and Glows (you would be proud, Andy).
Our plan is to keep heading on a southerly route until we find our beloved trade winds highway to take us to the Marquesas. Until then, we’re expecting light-ish winds with the occasional squall.
Not much more to report for now—going to go up on deck to enjoy the star show for the remainder of my watch!
Lots of love,
Alex Laline
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Day Four: The boat has figured us out
By day 4, things start to get into a rhythm that starts to look like a small community onboard. It’s when personalities start to flourish, when people start losing themselves and start to realize that they don’t really care about a lot of things! I’m pretty sure the disconnection from the internet starts aligning our inner selves. Clearly everyone has gotten their sea legs by now, and even the boat seems to have understood the type of crew she has now. I love to see how people start fitting into different roles with their peers and the boat itself.
Kärt barn har många namn
A dear child goes by many a name, or as we say in Swedish "kärt barn har många namn". This is the case for many a person, but also some species, not least the Mahi mahi, which also goes by dolphin fish, golden mackerel, and dorado, among others. Soon, we could see the fish jump, a hundred feet or so behind the boat, and as I kept reeling, a beautiful Mahi appeared under the surface. Manot showed us how to clean and fillet it, and after a complete team effort two large fillets are now in the freezer of Adrienne II.
Cast off the lines
When we awoke it was overcast but the Brazilian sun quickly burned the clouds away and we were left with blue skies. We reviewed some safety procedures, cleaned the boat and had an exciting Person Overboard (POB) recovery. Once we were underway spirits soared as we pointed the bow toward the Canary Islands. As I write this we are heading upwind and dealing with all that involves, and working into our first watches. It is hot, a bit bumpy but we are sailing!!