2026-4 | FALKEN | Galapagos-Marquesas
Perhaps THE classic, bucket-list ocean passage that we all dream about, the iconic Marquesas Islands lie 3,000-miles downwind of the Galapagos. This passage is as long as a Trans-At and includes an Equator crossing, so be prepared for a visit from Neptune and get ready to earn your shellback tattoo! Can an ocean passage get more exotic than this?
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 4, 2026
Crew arrive to FALKEN at 1300 in San Cristobal, Galapagos. 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.
April 5, 2026
Scheduled departure, weather dependent.
April 28, 2026
Latest date (12:00 noon) for crew to depart FALKEN from Nuku Hiva, Marquesas.
We are planning to start the passage in San Cristobal, Galapagos, there are no marinas here and we’ll be on anchor. Things may change, if we would end up on a different island for any reason, there are inter-island flights and ferries so please come with a flexible attitude.
We will not be cruising the Galapagos islands and encourage you to explore the islands on your own, before joining the boat.
The Marquesas are similar to the Galapagos, there are no marinas and we'll be on anchor. The plan is to end in Nuku Hiva, but we need to stay flexible as things can change when we arrive. If we have a fast passage and are early, we may visit another islands before we make it to Nuka Hiva, but it depends on the weather and timing.
TRAVEL LOGISTICS
San Cristobal
Nuku Hiva
Weather conditions
Expect a warm, downwind tradewind passage—generally settled and steady, with the boat rolling along under sunny skies; it'll feel lively but comfortable, the kind of classic Pacific crossing that mostly takes care of itself.
In-depth analysis, by WRI
WHY 59º NORTH?
The best boats
Professional, well-paid staff
knowledge & community
Why it costs what it costs...
"The trip delivered on all my expectations and more. I wanted to experience sailing beyond my current boundaries, apply my skills, and learn from those around me. I felt able to embrace the whole experience because we had an excellent 59º North team that shaped us into a great crew on a well-prepared boat. If you are seeking ocean wisdom, you could not be in better hands."
"Our voyage was interesting because both ISBJØRN (which I was on) and ICEBEAR traveled the same route at roughly the same time. We had Matt Rutherford as our captain and Ben Doerr as first mate, and they were both chill, fun, and always happy to answer questions and provide advice. I feel I got the experience I need with the ocean and Gulf Stream to pilot my own boat from Florida to Bermuda in the future, which was exactly my goal. If you are looking for blue water sailing experience and a fun adventure, I highly recommend that you sign up with 59º North."
"It was such an experience! Meeting all the people and being part of the crew is something very special. We were so lucky to spend the passage on FALKEN; the nature and weather gave us the best, and I really wish it could have lasted longer."
"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."
"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!"
"Andy & Paul were amazing from the practice sails to the race itself; I never thought I'd be able to participate in such an exciting event. I'd also like to thank Liz & Lee, your first mates, who were always on hand to encourage us, teach us, and swap stories. I came away with tremendous respect for ISBJØRN, her captain, and the excellent crew she attracts. I'm definitely coming back."
"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!"
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
Plan, go, learn, do. Why?
Mia prompted the group to provide the answer to why are we doing this trip?
600nm from land
At night, between the clouds, the Milky Way stretches down to the waves. The southern cross tumbles slowly in place near the horizon, across the sky the Big Dipper disappears to the north.
Oh, The Places You’ll Go
I find myself making passage between exotic locations on Falken for the 5th time. Blessed with great friends and having been in the right place at the right time a couple times, I have come to deeply treasure this type of exploration and adventure.
Thai curry and whales!
Happy Birthday to Quinn!
Turtles, stars and lasagna
FALKEN is officially under way!
Wing on wing!
Falken is officially on the highway to the Marquesas, as Alex calls it, also known as the southeasterly trades. She is cruising along with the swell (finally) on her stern and the sails wing on wing.
The Beautiful night!
We had an amazing night with a sky filled of stars, except for a short lived rain cloud that came over us earlier in the night. We had Scorpio behind us with Libra above, while Orion was setting just behind the jib.
Watches, ranked
Please read on for a totally subjective and not at all data driven tiering of our watches by Kate.
The Downhill Run
We have been easily making 8 to 12 knot speeds and 200 nautical mile days.
Land Ho’ing? Landing Ho? Making Landfall…
I never know exactly what to expect, but based on my past travels, every landfall is different.
1,000 miles to go!
No amount of WD-40 will silence its determination to drive us mad, but if that is the price of warm scones at sea, I will certainly pay.
Three digit party!
The sky has been clear and there isn't much of a moon so the stars have been incredible. I think my favorite part of being out here is the night sailing and the night sky.
Big Pink Sail Day
I had a most fashionable pointed striped hat at dinner, and out of the depths of a cupboard a cake was created, after 14 days at sea. A group of people I had never met two weeks ago made me feel very special today.
The pool is open!
We stopped the boat, got the ladder down and put out a line with a fender behind the boat. I love swimming in the middle of the ocean, and a bit scary when you realize its more than 4000+ m deep! Love it!
Dolphin party!
Kate was about to yank the spinnaker’s sock down when I spotted a stampede of fins heading straight for us. ”Dolphins!”, I yelled back to the cockpit excitedly. Post dinner dish duty was halted down below for the show.
LAND HO!
The formula for distance to the horizon (in nautical miles) is the square root of the height of eye (in feet) times 1.15. Which means the easternmost island in the Marquesas, Ua Huka, which is 2,806 feet high, should have been visible at 60.9 nautical miles, at around 430 pm, ship’s time, this afternoon. We didn’t however factor in cloud cover.