Where is the winD?
Latitude: 9º28’ S
Longitude: 133º47’ W
April 22, 2200 Ship’s Time | Approx. 9º28’ S, 133º47’W | Broad Reaching with Full Main and Jib Top
Well, well, well… Who could’ve foreseen that the most uncertain part of this trip would be the 300nm to landfall? In a way that was forecast by the GRIB models we’ve been downloading underway, it does look like the SE trades are taking a holiday for the remainder of the week, and it’s forced us to get a little creative aboard FALKEN. We’re currently reaching north to try and take advantage of some slightly friendlier current, as well as generate a little apparent wind.
With a boat of this size, with a sail that carries this much inertia by itself, the main swinging from side to side in low winds sends a shock through the entire boat that I can only compare to playing the game “Operation” poorly… or maybe that one scene in the movie 127 Hours? It’s a shock that you can feel in your teeth, and it’s certainly neither enjoyable for the crew nor good for the equipment.
For the most part, we’ve crushed this passage. As I type this, we’ve just crossed into 2900nm sailed in 14 days and 7 hours, which is an average of a little less than 8.5 knots. It does feel a little unfortunate that, of course, it’s the last little stint where we lose the pressure, but as Andy has said to me, “sailing is not about focusing on the things outside of your control.” We continue on with a strategy of chipping away at the miles to land, hopefully with a more optimistic update in the near future!
I also thought it would be fun to share some of the ETA predictions from the crew. We wrote these on the day we left, long before we knew of the days of ITCZ-driven rain ahead, or the beautiful 7-day stretch of 9kt average days. Times are local to Marquesas and arrival is when we are sails down and tied up.
Hilary - April 23rd @ 11:30
Kimberly - April 24th @ 09:00
Scott - April 24th @ 16:00
Emily - April 25th @ 06:00
Aidan - April 25th @ 10:00
Jim - April 26th @ 10:00
Dennis - April 26th @ 15:20
Andy - April 26th @ 16:00
Udo - April 27th @ 20:30
Ted - April 28th @ 02:30 (where’s the faith, Ted???)
Make sure to follow along to see who is going to end up with a free drink at the bar!
- Aidan Gray
P.S. Write in the comments who you think will win!
59ºNorthApprentice
View more passage logs
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!