whales
January 25, 2025, 13:45 UTC | Whales
Well, yesterday’s crew delight was a sighting of numerous whales. I happened to be cooking dinner at the time, so my only experience of them was a photograph taken by Kevin. This was probably a good thing because, upon seeing both their size and proximity, let’s just say I had a slightly different facial expression than the majority. I’ll let the team fill you in on the details.
Whilst we continue to make good speed towards Antigua, the wind angle has us making more north than we would ideally like, and we have decided that Sunday seems like a nice day for a gybe. I suspect the new angle won’t be pleasing, but it might be nice to experience the swell from a different angle for a while.
Both watches are now helming with confidence, and it’s always gratifying to know you’ve passed the halfway mark. The next milestone is when the remaining distance falls below 1000nm, which should be by Tuesday morning.
For those anticipating our arrival window, it’s still too soon to say, and there may well be lighter winds at the back end of the passage.
There’s so much laughter and fun coming from the deck at all times; it’s really quite uplifting.
Emily
EmilyCaruso
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HMS Night Watch Party
Wing on wing worked well until the wind shifted then the helm became the cone of despair for our night watch crew of three (H, M and S) Alex made the decision to drop the pole, shifting wing on wing to a close reach. Wind increased to low teens and speed picked up to a flying pace. Day spent wandering toward Ensenada. Alex, Adam and David got us into port under another starry night.
No Kitemares Today
After a night marked by sudden wind accelerations peeling off Point Conception, and a vibrant, pulsating sky blistered with shooting stars, the off-watch woke to commotion on the foredeck. The wind had gone light and the swell had tapered just enough to raise the spinnaker. The sail filled with an urgent pop, the sheet strained and Falken charged down the face of the next wave. By mid-day, we doused the spinnaker and set our minds to the more precise task of safely punching through a gap in the notorious Cortez Bank. The border to Mexico looms ahead.
The California coast
We had a very lively first day of sailing with steady winds between 25 and 30 kn gusting to mid 30s. All of the crew got experience at difficult downwind helming as we covered 200 nautical miles in the first 24 hours. This morning brings winds in the teens and calmer seas. The sun is still shining, and the green monster has been slayed by those afflicted!