passage logs & blog
Use the filters to find all logs from a specific boat, passage, category or from a specific author. These are all the passage logs + the blogs (technical shorts and philosophical musing from Andy) on the site. For the 2015-2022 passage log & blog archive, visit archive.59-north.com.
Under Way!
AND WE WENT SWIMMING TODAY!
Lectures and food
Big thumbs up to the crew for listening to my voice for that long.
Playa Flamingo, Gyrocopter Style
I can’t say that taking a spin in a gyrocopter was on my 59° North bingo card.
We Did It!
We did it!! We have sailed across the North Atlantic and red pants can now legally be worn by the whole crew :)
Last Letter to My Mother…
Apprentice Anton's Final letter to his mother, in which the crew wonders whether a hot dog counts as a sandwich.
Random Thoughts at Sea
Randomish thoughts as we get closer to port.
How about we just keep sailing?!
Time is weird at sea. During the first few days of an extended ocean passage, it often feels as though you will never arrive at your destination.
Reflections from a Former Band Teacher
By Linda, Adrienne II Crew | Well “I woke up this morning” to a “zippity du dah kind of day.”
Dearest Mother…
By Apprentice Anton | A second "letter to his mother" from the high seas.
Many Colors of The Atlantic
By Crewmember Molly | A cold front overtakes Adrienne II, and the crew enjoy a wild night on the helm.
Party Time!
Sorry Anton, but the middle of the Atlantic is a million FEET deep. Nobody knows how many meters.
Finding My Sea Legs
By Crewmember Simon | "The prunes finally did what prunes do."
Counting Boobies
By Crewmember Nick | Is motoring across a calm sea boring? Not when there are boobies at the bow!
Boobies Escort FALKEN out of Cocos
By Crewmember Anne | FALKEN departs magical Cocos, with a fleet of boobie escorts.
Highs & Lows on ADRIENNE II
By Crewmember Knut | A racing sailor reflects on the cruising life in the Atlantic. And the seasickness is (finally!) gone.
A Cruising Guide Map to Isla del Cocos
Crewmember Amy Kardel's amazing map of Chatham Bay, as described by Captain Mary.
A Letter to My Mother
By Apprentice Anton | Whereby Anton laments the discovery of the ancient, and resilient, diesel bug.
Life on Starboard Tack
Will the upwind sailing never end?
Adventuring at Isla del Cocos
By Jakes {aka Johann) | The Ranger pays FALKEN a visit, and stamps passports with a unique design.
Jurassic Park Island!
FALKEN is anchored at Isla del Coco!
At Peace at Sea
Adjusting sails, loving the moments, and at peace with all. By Linda.
Smooth Seas at the Start
Moonlight, starlight and smooth surfing onboard FALKEN. Written by FALKEN Crewmember Andreea.
Notes from the Navigation Table
ADRIENNE II is bucking the tradewinds and making speed east.
Pre-Depature for Isla del Cocos
Captain Mary really digs the winds off Costa Rica.
The First 24 Hours at Sea
The crew gets their sea legs.
T-Minus 1 Day Til Departure
Almost time to go.
THE LAST 24
“Dolphin rave, dolphin rave, everybody come to the dolphin rave.”
CUTTER RIGS & CREW APPRECIATION
A challenging passage offers bigger rewards.
A CIRCUS OF ANIMAL ACTS
Manta rays & a new idea of the poop deck.
MAKING FRIENDS AT SEA
After four days at sea, the conversation takes a deeper turn.
SALTY SEA DOGS
Under promise. Over deliver.
SHARED EXPERIENCES
The passage is memorable for the people you share it with.
POSTCARD FROM CAMP FALKEN
Sleepaway camp for adults!
LIGHT-WIND SAILING
The art of helming in no wind.
ENJOYING THE ROUTINE
Apparently there's orcas in the Pacific.
WAR STORIES & KITES
Kite Up!
MANY FIRSTS ONBOARD FALKEN
“Mary looked like she came out of a war zone.”
MEXICO-COSTA RICA: T-MINUS 1 DAY & COUNTING
LFG to Costa Rica!
HOW'D WE END UP IN CABO?!
We're supposed to be in La Paz, what gives?
40+ KNOTS IN A BLACKOUT NIGHT
By the time one reef was in, it was basically time for a second, and before 1930 we had two reefs and a partially furled headsail.
DEEPWATER SWIMMING
Swimming in 10,000-ft deep water...yes please!
TUNA TUNA FISH
It’s tuna time on the good ship FALKEN.
FLYING THE KITE + DOMESTIC CHORES
Each day we rotate through who cooks the meal (I was on chili duty tonight, my specialty), who cleans the heads (that’s done on whoever has the 1930-2230 watch.
BONUS SAILING
The wind filled in between 1100-1200 today, right on schedule with the GFS weather model, and by lunchtime we were sailing.
COASTING DOWN BAJA
Mary and I joked that this was probably the longest lead-up to a passage we’ve ever had - we arrived into San Diego on Saturday, January 10, deliberately a bit early as it’s the first trip of the year and we needed to recommission FALKEN after a 5-week layover.
Sail Training!
By Alex. FALKEN Skipper | After a windless night drifting between Santa Catalina and San Clemente Islands, we finally managed to find the wind! As soon as the breeze filled in, Adam had just wrapped up his great lesson on boat-keeping and manuals,
Sail Training!
By Alex. FALKEN Skipper | After a windless night drifting between Santa Catalina and San Clemente Islands, we finally managed to find the wind! As soon as the breeze filled in, Adam had just wrapped up his great lesson on boat-keeping and manuals,
Sail Training!
By Alex. FALKEN Skipper | Yesterday we left Ensenada at around 08:30 in the morning. It was sunny and you could barely feel any wind in your face. We went through the process of hoisting sails and straight away we dived into reefing drills followed by tacking. After 6 reefs and 12 tacks, we decided to settle into the watch system and embrace the night.
Sail Training!
By Alex. FALKEN Skipper | Yesterday we left Ensenada at around 08:30 in the morning. It was sunny and you could barely feel any wind in your face. We went through the process of hoisting sails and straight away we dived into reefing drills followed by tacking. After 6 reefs and 12 tacks, we decided to settle into the watch system and embrace the night.
Departure
By Alex. FALKEN Skipper | After 2 days doing thorough training on shore, learning the systems, doing dry drills and learning about what to look for when purchasing a boat, Falken and her crew are ready for the next stage of this Sail Training: Offshore phase!
Departure
By Alex. FALKEN Skipper | After 2 days doing thorough training on shore, learning the systems, doing dry drills and learning about what to look for when purchasing a boat, Falken and her crew are ready for the next stage of this Sail Training: Offshore phase!
mexico!
By Alex. FALKEN Skipper | As I’m writing this we are finishing cleaning FALKEN. This morning we arrived into Mexico in between the fog in what looked for a while exactly like our arrival into British Columbia. We managed to sail most of the night despite the forecast predicting we would lose all wind by 1am.
Sunshirts on!
By Kristen R. FALKEN Crew | 4 days in and I just took my foulies off for the first time. Coming from the PNW, I thought this passage would be much colder and wetter so the sun shirts, (whooo!) are a welcome reprieve. The flip side of sunshirts is that their need suggests we are getting closer to Mexico and our destination port of Ensenada.
Dolphins & Calm Sea
By Margaret H., FALKEN Crew | The seas have calmed down a lot from last night, giving us a much more comfortable ride as we head east on a starboard tack. A couple hours ago we encountered a pod of 20-25 dolphins leaping from the sea at right angles to us; they passed under the keel and went off towards the open ocean.
sunrise
By Alex, FALKEN Skipper | Yesterday we slipped our lines from St. Francis Yacht Club (thank you Jason for hosting us) and we squeezed past the sandbar of the entrance, hoisted our main and slowly glided with the tide under Golden Gate Bridge. What a view!!
We did it!
By Tim, Adrienne II Mate | We did it!! 3206 nautical miles and 18 days since leaving Salvador, Brazil. Feels like years ago. The perception of time really is different out on the ocean. The days blend into each other as we are awake and sleep in 4-hour increments instead of ’day and night’ as we are used to on land.
The beginning of the end
By Tim, Adrienne II Mate | I listen to the ship’s bell.Tick tock. Tick tock.I’ve never quite understood the landlubbers’ obsession with clocks — seconds, hours, days. For me, it’s the wind that keeps the time, the waves that hold the rhythm of life.
Code Zero
By Brittany, Adrienne II Crew | After a day of motoring and calm glassy seas, and then sailing as much as we could in between the periods of light winds, the wind filled in as the weather models predicted. The Azores high pressure has given us the most gentle and silky seas.
Morning swim
By Jim, Adrienne II Crew | Moonlight, stars, sunrise and sunset - Imagine this... every day for two weeks! Officially, 15 days at sea! 10 people on a boat and more than 2 700 nm has passed underneath the keel.
The Ocean
By Nicole, Adrienne II Crew | To be a sunrise,A golden hue that silently wakes the ocean blue…..
The Life onboard
By Vilgot, Adrienne II Crew | Today is the 14th of October and the 14th day at sea the sky is starting to turn blue and small cloud banks cover the small parts of the blue ocean above us. The ocean beneath us has calmed down the last couple of days and the comforting waves rocks the boat while we make our way upwind towards our destination.
Our first tack
By Andrew, Adrienne II Crew | Storms and headwinds continue to dissipate in front of Adrienne! Despite an active doldrums, we darted through and missed all major weather. With the doldrums behind us, the northeasterly trade winds have built and carried us through the night and all of today on a close reach.
2000 miles sailed
By Lance Adrienne II Crew | We all gathered in the cockpit to celebrate another milestone—2000 nautical miles sailed through the Atlantic. As we enjoyed our 2am 2000-mile cheesecake we reflected how far we have traveled. But really, how far is 2000 mile?
Life At Sea
By David, Adrienne II Mate | The Brazilian heat nearly makes my deck boil. The sun reflects off my polished rigging — I think I even managed to blind one of my neighbors here in Bahia Marina. This time I'm in Salvador. Twice before I’ve sailed to Rio — one of my favorites
Life on the heel
By David, Adrienne II Crew| This day started with another calm morning motoring through the doldrums. We’ve been very lucky to be spared from many squalls during our passage through these latitudes. Life onboard has been quite luxurious some of these days with good food…
Halfway & Wahoo!
By Pete, Adrienne II Crew| Joining Adrienne, I didn’t know what to expect, having no experience offshore and very little sailing experience overall, but after 9 days and over 1500 nautical miles all my expectations have been exceeded. Both in tough ways, experiencing a lot of seasickness for the first few days;
First week offshore!
By Jim, Adrienne II Crew| Wow, first week offshore! Let's take this from the start. We departed from Salvador, after a great skipper meeting, during the afternoon in beautiful and great conditions. Nice wind and some waves (according to Tim not more than a 1m…). After a fantastic pasta carbonara, made by David, we started the night shift.
Greetings from King Neptune!
By Erik, Adrienne II Skipper | At 00:50 this morning (well that’s practically in the middle of the night..) Adrienne crossed the Equator. Wow! The whole crew had gathered in Adrienne’s aft cockpit counting down as we approached N 00° 00.000’ 3-2-1 yeaaayh!! Northern Hemisphere here we come!
1000 miles & carrot cake
By Brittany, Adrienne II Crew | The crew were all smiles last night with some fantastic sailing. It’s great to have the moonlight to guide us, and to light up the squalls so we could easily avoid them. When I was at the helm, a dolphin jumped out of the water right beside me. What a treat. They will forever remind me of my nephew's laugh when he was an infant. It was also nice to have several stars to steer by.
Nausea is no joke
By Nicole, Adrienne II Crew | I am not sure if I will make it through this blog, but I will attempt it. Seasickness is a real deal. Just when you start to feel better, a new fresh wave of it comes. All I want to do is tip my head out the side of the boat, and just wait for whatever wants to come up.
Burgers n’ sunsets
By Andrew, Adrienne II Crew | In some ways the beginning of day 4 was the beginning of our offshore passage. This is because at night on day 3 we could still see the glow of Brazilian cities on the western horizon. All light pollution is now gone.
Pancakes!
By David, 59º North Apprentice | This blog is an ode to my colleague and shipmate Vilgot. Today he whipped up and fried some pancakes for lunch, much to the crew’s delight. With jam and Nutella on top, there wasn’t a happier boat in sight…
First Full Day at Sea
By Lance , ADRIENNE II crew | We are all working into the rhythm of the sea. For some this is dealing with seasickness. The rest of the crew is rallying around those not feeling well to support. And though not all are 100% we are happy to report they are in good spirits and are on an upward trend as their bodies adapting to the constant away of the ocean.
Pre-Departure
By Vilgot, ADRIENNE II Crew | The moment has finally arrived. The crew is all aboard, and it was such a joy meeting everyone in person for the first time. Spirits are high, energy on top and everyone is excited to throw the lines and be underway. Over the past days we have made Adrianne ready for her next Atlantic crossing.
Pre-Departure
By Vilgot, ADRIENNE II Crew | The moment has finally arrived. The crew is all aboard, and it was such a joy meeting everyone in person for the first time. Spirits are high, energy on top and everyone is excited to throw the lines and be underway. Over the past days we have made Adrianne ready for her next Atlantic crossing.
Final Debrief
By Nikki, FALKEN Skipper | Each ‘final debrief’ has its own personality - this one particularly entertaining, as every so often a song would be turned up on the speaker and the girls would launch into a sailing inspired dance. Followed by more roars of laughter, and then back to another grounding, inspiring reflection. Many of the women shared how tough they had found the trip at certain moments, and how empowered they now feel after realizing - wow - “I am stronger than I thought I was.”
Whales, Radar and gratitude
By Nikki, FALKEN Skipper | As the world turned dark grey, the clarity of the top of the mast and anywhere beyond the railings of the boat disappeared we realized that the last part of our trip we actually saw was a wildlife show. Gratitude was the word.
Wanderers
By Hannah, FALKEN crew | At this moment we have sailed 545 miles south at 175 degrees and are currently crossing into the offshore waters beyond California. We are sailing wing and wing down wind, or as the French call it-butterfly-with fair winds and following seas that roll up to 10 feet.
thanks mother nature
By Nikki, FALKEN Skipper | Around mid morning, the fog cleared and the North Westerlies gently started to fill in and by dinner time we turned off the engine and started to sail. It was a wonderful, peaceful, gentle day. Thanks Mother Nature. You are warming us ladies in softly.
Reflecting on the wows
By Nikki, FALKEN Skipper | I’m writing from WOW island (ok I renamed it slightly - Wouwer Island officially). But, it does feel wow! Wow; so beautiful. Wow; so quiet. Wow; we are alone in paradise. I cannot believe somewhere so close to Seattle and Vancouver can be so peaceful, so empty.
Big first day!
By Mia, FALKEN 1st Mate | This passage is one of our ‘All-Women passages’, something we started a few years ago. I remember so well when me, Nikki & Emma planned the first one in 2022 on ICEBEAR, and here we are, on the other side of the world with a group of 11 amazing women ready to set sail in the big ocean!
Hello Victoria! Arrival Day...
By Nikki, FALKEN Skipper | We had all sorts of conditions on this trip. We motored through narrow fjord like passages and gazed upon the remotest of remote landscapes. We sailed in thermal breezes, cutting through dead flat seawater like a knife through butter upwind in 15 knots. Wow does Falken love that.
Top Speed!
By Andy, FALKEN Crew | It was 3AM, blowing 30 knots, ink black night before the moon rise. We were about 20 miles off Vancouver Island - a place visited by massive sunfish and rarely anyone else - surfing waves on 65’ FALKEN, hitting speeds of 14 and 15 knots…
Wind or no wind?
By Manot, FALKEN Mate | When we slipped lines two days ago from Prince Rupert two days ago, the wind forecast was not very promising. But looking at the bigger picture, it was clear that we would sail through the border of two bigger weather systems, as well as all the thermal winds that might or might not turn up, depending on cloud cover etc.
ELECTRIC DOLPHINS
By Andre, FALKEN Crew | It’s not often you find a pleasant surprise in a marine head. Last night I giggled as I realized bioluminescent dots were circling the flushing toilet bowl! After I joined the cockpit during night watch, I found our crew appreciating Falken’s bioluminescent and moonlit wake.
Whales!
By Andre, FALKEN Crew | Stereotypical Alaska. We all know that stereotypes can be, at best, unfair and even sometimes downright wrong. This trip is my first time in Alaska and it’s a safe bet that I had some preconceived notions about what Alaskan scenery would be like. And let me tell you, it’s exactly how I imagined.
WILD Alaska!
By Nikki, FALKEN Skipper | Hello from WILD Alaska! Our crew of 11 met at noon yesterday. With only 8 days to explore the rugged shores of our passage between Ketchikan and Victoria, we set off from the dock almost immediately after a quick safety briefing and orientation. It worked out well, because it only started raining once we had slipped!
Pudding
Blog by Stephanie L. FALKEN Crew | Of course I knew I wouldn’t starve on this journey. I did not, however, expect the breadth & quality of the bounty available to us every day. Clear expectations were laid out on the first day aboard. Each crew member is responsible for managing their own breakfast and lunch.
Whale (again!)
Blog by Lovis H. FALKEN Apprentice | Day 11 of the trip from Hawaii to Prince Rupert. This day started as misty as it ended. But out of the blue (actually the white) came a surprise. Another whale! It was alone and we only saw it twice before it returned back into the deep, but still! We think it was a humpback and that it was alone.
Whale!
Blog by Rob W. FALKEN Crew | On Thursday, we continued our course for 140 TWA, eking out the last miles we could from our starboard tack that started back in the trades. By mid-afternoon, we were driving more east than north, and it was time to gybe FALKEN to set us up for our coming approach to the coast.
WHAT TO DO TOMORROW?
Blog by Ken T. FALKEN Crew | More thoughts from the neophyte… A few nights ago as we concluded our evening updates, I remarked, “So what should we do tomorrow?” It garnered a laugh, but as soon as I said it I realized that this, for me, unexpectedly and concisely captured the essence of an undertaking such as this…
Sailing North
Blog by Alex FALKEN Skipper | Another day has gone by as we continue our approach to the west side of the North Pacific High. Our plan is to carry on North for the next couple of days as the high pressure system moves further south, once on the North side of it we should have the right wind angle to put a gybe and start pointing at Dixon Entrance.
ALARM!
Blog by Doug M. FALKEN Crew | Our morning starts with the wind easing to about 12 knots with FALKEN making 7 knots on a deep reach North. The sea has flattened; and, we can see the vastness of the Pacific all around us. Then, an alarm pierces the silence!
Mid Ocean 360
Blog by Tasha S. FALKEN Crew | Upon taking the helm at noon today, the NYC watch team noticed steering issues: looseness in the wheel accompanied by a tremor. Mate Mary quickly diagnosed and fixed one of the issues by adjusting the steering cables; however, the tremor remained. By this time Skipper Alex was up having been awakened by the fixing and remaining tremor.
Champagne Sailing
Blog by Mary, FALKEN Mate | Day 5 of being offshore and the general consensus is that everyone’s settled into the boat life now. We’ve been extremely well treated today, with champagne sailing through nearly smooth seas, and the wind direction veering to tease us with nearly downwind sailing…
2nd Day
Blog by Stephanie L. FALKEN Crew | At sea for almost 2.5 days now. This is our second day of a full watch rotation and we’re all starting to get the feel of the routine now. It’s afternoon now and finally the seas are a bit calmer. We certainly hit the ocean running! We had squalls, intermittent rain and gusts of 35 kts.
Rough start
Blog by Ken. T, FALKEN Crew | Steph & Ken, by FAR the most novice sailors on this trip, notched their first offshore overnight (tho not without suffering a bit - maybe MORE than a bit in Steph’s case - of what we’ll just call “Neptune’s Revenge”)
Hours before departure
FALKEN Crew are all sitting around a table having our last lunch onshore at the Waikiki Yacht Club after two days of safety checks, training, and weather review. The watch teams are formed and we’re looking forward to what’s to come! Here is a summary of the feelings hours before departure
The Fridge…
By Tara, FALKEN Crew | Splash BANG… Over the last several days FALKEN has been beating upwind due north, steadily closing the distance between us and Hawaii. Everyone is delighted by the upwind sailing, both above and below deck.
LIFE ON A HEEL
By: Mary | FALKEN Mate | Day 2 of life on a heel and the crew are getting more used to it. The sea state (or the helming?) has improved and the amount of times you get body slammed whilst trying to sleep has reduced, making it much more tolerable. However, I speak on behalf of all the staff when I say cooking at this angle sucks an incredible amount, and watch handovers between us usually involves some grumbling about upwind sailing.