2025-3 | FALKEN | Antigua-Colombia
For the first time in 59º North’s history, we’ll touch the shores of South America! From Antigua, we’ll sail west and downwind, angling ever further south towards our rendezvous with the Panama Canal and the gateway to the Pacific Ocean. We’ll stop in Colombia, a once off-limits South American country that in the past couple decadehas opened its coast to cruisers on their way west!
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:
February 12, 2025
Crew arrive to FALKEN at 1300 in Falmouth, Antigua and Barbuda. 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.
February 14, 2025
Scheduled departure, weather dependent.
February 21, 2025
Latest date (12:00 noon) for crew to depart FALKEN from Cartegena, Colombia.
TRAVEL LOGISTICS
Falmouth
Cartegena
Weather conditions
Expect warm, tropical sailing with the trades filling in nicely behind you—this'll be a lively, downwind romp across the Caribbean, generally settled but with plenty of breeze to keep things fun and the miles ticking by.
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!"
"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!"
"Gathering with 10 other like-minded women aboard FALKEN was amazing! I learned more than I ever expected from Nikki and Emma. Being 'allowed' to mess up and actually learn from your mistakes without anyone getting stressed was freeing! I'd recommend this trip to any women with a desire to sail."
"It was an honor to be onboard FALKEN for her crewed maiden voyage. We sailed in challenging conditions on our 5-day romp in the English Channel, with the crew rising to the occasion inspired by our skipper, Nikki, and first mate, Alex. If you want to experience real-world offshore life under expert supervision with like-minded folks, look no further than 59º North."
"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."
"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."
"I'm AKA Andy’s Dad, so my opinion of the skipper may be slanted a bit. I admit to being wrong on my initial reaction to FALKEN—at first sight she seemed like a hard-to-handle race boat, but she is easy to handle and shrinks once you get used to her. The refit work done below is flawless, with comfortable bunks, a spacious galley, and plenty of storage. A trip with 59º North on any of their boats is truly a life-changing experience. Highly recommended!"
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 5
Taking your turn at the wheel seems to be the highlight of each watch. We do a half hour each with a spotter at the stern to help if needed. Steering a true course is an art form that i don’t doubt takes countless hours of practice. As you watch the bow swing back and forth you have to feel the wind in the right spot on your face, the force of the rudder on the wheel, all while paying attention to the compass heading.
Day 4
Good day from the beautiful clear blue Caribbean Sea! We had a lot of fun surfing Falken down long ocean swells today. It feels similar to snowboarding but on water instead of snow. An adrenaline rush for sure! Our top speed was about 14 knots while surfing down a swell.
Day before departure
The docks are filled with giants, and we are just passing through. In the beautiful marina of Antigua Yacht Club, you can find some of the biggest super-yachts you have seen. When walking along the dock looking left to right you are surrounded by huge shiny hulls all around you. But when you get a bit further out on the dock the wall is interrupted and if your eyes are starring up on the top decks of the super yacht you might miss us.
Day 3
This morning started with a seamless gybe, including the pole- Vilgot was suitably impressed with Dolphin watches speed at their first gybe with pole. Since then we’ve been in gorgeous sailing conditions, heading straight to our waypoint just above Barranquilla.
Day 2
Falken is flying furiously downwind with two reefs in the main and the jib on a pole. We had our first sighting of dolphins who were accompanied by a school of flying trying desperately to escape their demise. Spirits are high and I couldn’t more impressed with what 8 total strangers in the middle of an ocean can accomplish with great leadership. Human spirit at its finest.