1912 UTC | 08 deg 19.13 min N / 086 deg 34.89 min W
Sailing, Motoring
After a day and a half of training in Playa Flamenco we have just completed our first 24 hours under way. We knew coming out that there was a potential for a dead zone along the rhumb line… and after a fun 8 hours of solid 10-15kts the wind died and we’re now motoring across the doldrums to catch the wind on the other side.
The quality of the 59° North Staff can’t be overstated. Turning a group of strangers into a functioning crew in a day is a big challenge… and they have succeeded. We are on watch groups of 3, with 3 hours on and 6 hours off, which gives us the opportunity to experience helming every hour of the day over the journey. More importantly we are all leaning on each other and everyone is eager to lend a hand, whenever.
AND WE WENT SWIMMING TODAY. While this entire adventure is a bucket list item for many (sailing an ocean crossing, visiting the Galapagos, helming by starlight in the middle of the ocean), adding “Go for a swim in 10,000 foot deep water”) is a fun one to check off. And the water was lovely, so bonus there.
The experience below deck is another adventure. Call it “Super functional no fluff”. It has everything we need for living aboard, but if you want turn down service, move along, this ain’t the passage for you. Belowdeck is perfectly set up to keep us fed and rested. If you’re curious, the YouTube video where Andy and Jen go through the FALKEN shows it perfectly.
That about wraps it up for now… we’re excited to get back under sail asap, hoping that’s by tomorrow.
Enjoying the ride.
Enjoying the Ride - Jeremy
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Seasickness
But maybe, I thought, with some drugs I could stay ahead of it. The first 48 hours I felt horrible. But luckily with 3 health care professionals on board and in a very encouraging environment, my body found its way. Anyway, someone offered me a patch (unavailable in Canada) and someone else gave me some pills for nausea and now I feel much, much better.
Dolphins and Bioluminescence
We had a good run with the sails but weather has changed and we are once again chasing the wind. Everyone is getting a chance to practice helming in big swell; starting to get a feel of the wind and water and how it pushes and pulls the hull. A pod of dolphins came to visit at night, splashing in the bioluminescent water, and again in the day, dancing in the bow wake. For now enjoying the calmer sea state and falling asleep to the rumble of the engine and the gentle whooshing of the water on the hull.
Greetings from Lala Lemonshark
The brave crew is toughing it out and staying cheerful despite being tossed around. The engine is off and we are true sailing-main and jib. In the first 12 hours we saw two pods of Orca and four humpback whales, two of which were 20 yards off the starboard beam!