2024-7 | FALKEN | Cuba-Bermuda
The Passage
Rough itinerary
All 59º North passages are very much subject to weather. We pick our routes based on the "correct" time of year to be sailing in the different regions we visit, and we always build-in enough time to give us some margin for weather windows. The skipper has final say on departure dates and weather windows, but generally speaking, the intinerary for this passage will look like this:
April 30, 2024
Crew arrive to FALKEN at 1300 in Havana, Cuba. FALKEN orientation followed by crew dinner. All crew stay onboard FALKEN.
Prep Days
Between the joining and departure dates, all pre-passage preparation, provisioning, and safety briefings will be completed. The specific pre-departure schedule will be outlined and posted onboard FALKEN by the skipper.
May 2, 2024
Scheduled departure, weather dependent.
May 14, 2024
Latest date (12:00 noon) for crew to depart FALKEN from St. Georges, Bermuda.
TRAVEL LOGISTICS
Havana
St. Georges
Weather conditions
This late-April passage should feel warm and pleasant, with mostly settled tradewind sailing once you're offshore—expect a few lively, breezy stretches and the odd squall, but generally a comfortable, downwind-flavored romp toward Bermuda.
In-depth analysis, by WRI
WHY 59º NORTH?
The best boats
Professional, well-paid staff
knowledge & community
Why it costs what it costs...
"Huge thank you to the 59º North Team, especially Captain Emily and First Mate Mia, for taking me and our crew safely across the Atlantic Ocean. A daunting dream turned into an amazing reality under the expert supervision of a skilled and experienced team, on the beautiful, fast, and well-equipped boat, FALKEN. I feel very grateful to have met and worked with the wonderful, international crew aboard. I learned so much and I'll be back for more!"
"I can’t say enough good things about the camp, August, and ISBJØRN. The format is perfect for someone like me—I’ve done some sailing, but not enough to feel comfortable on a passage. August is an amazing teacher and so patient! I learned an incredible amount and feel ready to take on a passage with 59º North."
"As this was my first major passage, I wasn't sure what to expect. You have to have a lot of respect for people who choose offshore sailing for their profession. Erik and Ben were top-notch professionals, and my experience with 59º North was great!"
"If you are thinking about reefing—reef! The same logic applies to sailing with Andy and Mia: if you are thinking about sailing with them, stop thinking and GO! Andy and Mia are great sailors, leaders, teachers, cooks, and warm, intelligent, accepting people. No matter how many blue water miles you have under your keel, you will be a better sailor after your trip on ISBJØRN."
"This passage was literally my first time sailing. My goal was to get as far as possible from my daily life and desk-bound comfort zone, and Andy assured me I would be looked after. I could not have asked for a better skipper (thank you, Jon), better crew mates, or a more enjoyable passage. I'll be forever grateful to 59º North for this opportunity, and I hope to sail with them again soon."
"I highly recommend the experience of doing a passage on ISBJØRN. I gained valuable offshore experience on a fine boat, learned how Andy and Mia competently manage their boat, learned about celestial navigation, and had a great time doing it. Completing ISBJØRN's first back-to-back 200 mile day passage was a smokin' fast bonus!"
"59º North runs the most professional offshore training program you can find, and it shows in their professionalism, leadership, skill, and service. I felt honored to be part of the maiden voyage of FALKEN—she's a beauty, and the 59º North refit crew did an amazing job! Shout out to Nikki Henderson (Captain) and Alex Laline (Mate) for inspiring, knowledgeable, and caring leadership. I can't imagine having a better experience with any other."
THE BOAT
Farr 65
'
FALKEN
'
🇬🇧
FALKEN is ideally set up for long-distance offshore sailing. We fully rebuilt the boat in 2022 to our exacting specifications and with the help of legendary yacht designer Bob Perry. She's comfortable belowdecks and each crew has their own dedicated sea berth & gear locker. On deck she has a huge cockpit which easily seats 10 people for our daily meals offshore, and allows for plenty of room to move about when handling lines and trimming sails. She's also easy to maintain, fast and fun to sail! FALKEN sails with 8 crew plus a Skipper & Mate and the occasional apprentice.
packing lists & notes
Day 4
Hello everyone! What a great day today has been. Everyone onboard is smelling extremely well and looking very fresh and the reason for that is that today we hove-to to have a mid-Ocean dip! That's right, we went in the water and had a beautiful swim and clean before jumping back onboard to carry on sailing.
Day 3
Another day of stunning sailing onboard the good ship FALKEN, It has been fascinating to witness the change of temperature since our departure from Cuba and, although the sun has been present everyday since then, it has clearly cooled down to a lovely temperature, needing even a hoodie at night!
Day 2
Another day is coming to an end as we watch the sunset go down over the horizon. The good news is that FALKEN is still doing over 9 knots which means we've done another 210 nautical miles + day! The bad news is that we're still going upwind....
Day 1
What a first 24 hours run for FALKEN and her crew! We can see the skyline of Miami as I write this, which means that, with the help of the Gulf Stream, FALKEN has sailed over 214nm upwind in 24 hours, pretty impressive!
Pre-Departure
After a few days exploring the wonders of Habana, FALKEN and her crew are ready to set sail and point the bow to Bermuda… well just about. Chris and I are once again sailing together which means that most part of the passage is gonna be upwind!