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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.
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…
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!
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.
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.
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…
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.
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”)
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
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.
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.
By: Adam. FALKEN Crew | It’s 19:40 and I am on the helm again. The sun is well set, as the first hundred or so stars are making themselves visible as a so far moonless, and nearly cloudless sky promises excellent star watching as the night progresses. We have 22 kts apparent wind at 50 degrees on a starboard tack, with relatively calm seas.
By Orie, FALKEN Crew | What about the boobies you may ask? They have accompanied us on our voyage and are more frequently taking the opportunity to rest and preen on the anchor (to the bosun’s delight). This in contrast to the boobie that took a bit of a ride on the wobbly Windex the other day. Fortunately it did not tolerate the raucous ride for long, and the Windex was not damaged.
By: Richa, FALKEN Crew | Yesterday (still not sure what day of the week that was) started with Alex heading out to Customs and getting us checked out of Kiribati. The crew had more down time- more naps, more reading, more swims and definitely more showers.
By Jacob, FALKEN Crew | Collectively, we misplaced most of Saturday. Arriving to Kiribati Saturday, ships time, we were faced with the disconcerting conundrum of sailing directly into Sunday, Kiribati time, owing to a largish hemorrhoid in the international dateline and cozy bro-mance between Australia and the Line Islands.
BLOG BY ORIE | Equator - Bring it on! Apparently, a spy boarded FALKEN, unbeknownst to the several polywogs aboard — heralding our approach to the royal line. Having been duly notified of the impending rite of passage by King Neptune’s herald and prepared for the equitorial approach by our flamboyant navigator, we anxiously prepare gifts…
As usual I asked the crew for blog ideas and this is what I got:
It’s Thursday, Istvan has learnt a new colour- sea foam.
Orie’s thrilled with how the days are filled with something remarkable- be that something visual, or a teaching moment. Even in the middle of the vast ocean the days are filled with something.
The Pacific is, it turns out, is rather large. Mind bogglingly so. Current estimates suggest it’s 79,108 miles across. North to south, about 530,012 miles, which, in a curious turn of coincidence, is the same temperature in the forepeak cabin this morning.
The Pacific is, it turns out, is rather large. Mind bogglingly so. Current estimates suggest it’s 79,108 miles across. North to south, about 530,012 miles, which, in a curious turn of coincidence, is the same temperature in the forepeak cabin this morning.
The common consensus was that yesterday gave us a little bit of everything. Squally weather with large downfalls of cool rain, no wind, some wind, wind in the right direction, wind in the wrong direction, some birds and a large birthday tuna caught by the birthday girl, Mary.
FALKEN has been ticking miles off nicely and the crew are all well into the watch system. Today we got up to a much more squally day, with lighting and thunderstorms around us indicating our proximity to the ITCZ, the forecast is promising and with a light day ahead expected tomorrow everything seems to be as straight forward as sailing goes.
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.