The ten man crew of Adrienne have had about ten days at sea and maybe a week more before we arrive in the Canaries. Life revolves around the winds and watch schedule to sail the best through those winds.

So many questions; so many answers— Some of us take the time to listen, remaining disconnected from the “outside world”. Captain Erik set a course for the center of a big High pressure system  the other day for a swim.  We sailed to the calm, water skier’s paradise….  As we were in the eye of the High, we witnessed clouds and squalls all around us, moving in different directions.

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.

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.

A Rhyming Log | The ocean roared, the waves stood tall,
A feisty dance—she gave her all.
The deck walks endless, yet turned out fine,
No mishaps struck our careful line.
The fuse gave out, the power waned,
But soon was fixed—our mood regained.

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.

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.

Sailing across an ocean normally requires a bit of slaloming; you’re likely to abandon your great circle route searching for more favorable conditions. This specific passage with ADRIENNE from Sint Maarten to the Canaries is no different. This is NOT a route where we simply can follow the great circle route.  While drawing a straight line from Sint Maarten to Gran Canaria we end up with two very different weather patterns …

We continue to look for favorable winds and hope that the low pressure above us will push on and give us a few more knots. After yesterday with clear water and bathing and a job well done with cleaning and washing, we are all longing for more pressure in the sails. We are now trying to steer straight towards the GC and keep the pace of the sailing.

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. 

Adrienne II, our trusty Swan 70, is cutting through the Atlantic on a dream passage from Sint Martin to the Canary Islands. Well, cutting through might be a stretch—positioned smack in the middle of the Azores High, the breeze is nonexistent, the waves are barely a ripple, and the current?

I sleep in the warm belly of Adrienne. Water gurggles as it rushes over the hull inches away from my pillow. A soft, familiar rocking motion. All ingredients for a good sleep but I am restless. It’s  been days since we saw a ship. We are definitely out of helicopter range. The vastness of the ocean is hard to fathom.

We’re getting into the groove. It’s our fourth day at sea, and we’re still on our high side, sailing upwind toward the north. By now, we’re all getting used to living in a world that’s constantly tilted. Cooking, cleaning, and even using the bathroom in a space that feels like a ski slope has become part of the adventure. Sailing “the wrong way” across the Atlantic has its challenges….

Sailing under a luminous full moon, ADRIENNE II crossed the Tropic of Cancer, marking another milestone . The crew is finally healthy and complete again after some early bouts of seasickness, and spirits are high as we settle into a steady rhythm at sea. With fair winds of 15-20 knots pushing us forward, the jib is up for the first time, adding to our momentum [Read more…]

The Atlantic crossing of sailing yacht Adrienne started yesterday Feb 9 from the Caribbean island of St. Martin. We left the harbour and passed through the bridge behind a large motor yacht. Our voyage is dramatically different from the motor vessel.. [Read more…]

Today, we cut the lines….time to shove off…….. In only a day-and-a-half since meeting each other, we have developed as strong crew. In that time, already, we’ve grown to share humor, trust and confidence. For some of us, this is the biggest undertaking of our lives, by far.  For others, this is another treasured lap across the… [Read more…]

It is now Wednesday afternoon, February 5th. It feels like a long time ago that we made landfall in Antigua, when we spotted the glow on the horizon early in the morning and eventually saw the island of Antigua peak out of the water.

It is easy to flip your mind over to shore life, and start to dream about that good burger or cold drink, family and friends that are in Antigua to greet us, a warm shower and a chance to stretch your legs beyond 65 ft! But we don’t want to burst this bubble, and have to remind ourselves to enjoy this very last moment of the open ocean, because before we know it, we will be back ashore again.

We have sunrises of lemon yellow, pink fluffy clouds deep golden sunsets and the sea is a dark aquamarine blue rather than grey. The rain squalls with gusty winds seem to be behind us although maybe this is too early to say.

As the saying goes…do something ever day that scares you…..try to imagine……..2 am, pitch black, sustained winds at 25 knots, gusts approaching 40 knots, ocean swell at 3m……there you are at the helm, hand steering this 65’ sailboat safely towards Antigua.    White-knuckled, you wonder, what am I doing here?????  After your watch, your crash into bunk with a great sense of accomplishment. Each time at the helm feeling more confident.

Life onboard has turned into a very nice routine, and we keep the boat clean and tidy, the morning watch vacuums the floors and clean the inside every day, the afternoon team scrubs the cockpit, and Emily (skipper) and I take turn cleaning the heads daily. After dinner, the on-watch take turns to do the dishes and clean up the galley, and you would be surprised how clean the boat is after nearly 2 weeks at sea with 11 people on a 65 feet space.

The word “skipper” can evoke various thoughts and expectations from people who have different levels of sailing experience, particularly offshore sailing experience.  Some people who have experience solely with day charters may consider a skipper’s responsibilities to be limited to showing up on time, getting off the dock, setting the sails, anchoring, playing the music, and getting the party crew back safely at the end of the day.