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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Shooting Stars & Turtle Logs
Day three out of Ketchikan and FALKEN is running wing on wing down the outside of Vancouver Island. The temptation is to lie back in the cockpit and spend the night watching for shooting stars, but a diligent watch is always the first priority. So we keep a sharp eye out while the shooting stars keep us company through the night. The wildlife keeps coming: humpback and minke whales, five mola molas, dolphins, and a black-footed albatross. We are all feeling lucky for such conditions!
Pot dodging and whale watching
Duncan got us up to eleven knots at one point! The Ferriers also logged our first Orca sighting on their 3am-6am watch! This morning is a gift as the temps are just right and we finally have some blue sky and plenty of sunshine. It was a glorious few hours sailing before it inevitably died as forecast. I live in hope that by sunset tonight we’ll be back sailing as we emerge out of the lee of the island and the wind will be more westerly which lends itself to a better sailing angle.
We are off!
After two days of introductions, safety briefings and boat procedures we have departed Ketchikan. We are currently making a whopping 3.3 knots as there is very little wind in Nichols Passage. Adam fed us well last night with a delicious shrimp curry and Duncan was the winner of a sporty game of the card version Monopoly. With the scenic views and light wind it's quite peaceful out here.