Edgewater, MD USA …
Our final leg from Cape May back here to the South River outside Annapolis earlier this month was done entirely under motor since the winds which had battered us about the small anchorage in Cape May completely disappeared. We fought the ebb current for 55 miles up Delaware Bay and then caught a favorable current through the C&D canal to the anchorage at Ford Landing which is really just a wide spot on the Chesapeake Bay side of the canal. Up and out at 0800 the next morning we were able to ride the ebb all the way down the Bay to the entrance of the South River where were anchored up at 1430 in a quiet bay across from the marina. We intentionally got up early to get alongside the fuel dock when it opened but instead found the dock jammed solid, so we wound up spending most of the morning standing off and on in the channel and didn’t get to a berth until well after lunch. Best laid plans.
With the dock lines set, the work to prepare Kailani for departure started immediately and, with the exception of getting to hang out with Sophia over Parents’ Weekend, has continued non-stop since. (Jen didn’t even catch a break today, her birthday, since she spent most of the day sewing up a new kayak cover.) We won’t bore you with what we have done or what is left to be done but we can say that when the first crew member jumps aboard next Wednesday, she will be ready.
For the first time since the spring of 2019 Kailani is looking to be back in her element on a 1,500 nm ocean passage, this time back to the Eastern Caribbean starting next Friday. In many respects she is not the same boat that pulled into the Chesapeake four years ago, although it’s hard to tell just by looking at her. Many of her older systems have been completely replaced, she sports a new rig right down to the chain plates, and there are a myriad of small fixes and improvements that may go unnoticed but will serve her crew well in the months to come as she pushes into the Pacific and south.
Since Jen has to drive our car back to Idaho, for this passage Harl will be taking on a crew of three good friends most of whom have demonstrated a perfect lack of common sense and are prone to goldfish memory having forgotten the last time they sailed aboard. Just kidding.
Actually, over the years Tom has sailed some 18k miles on Kailani as first mate, has enough professional sailing initials after his name to confuse even the most erudite, and to his credit will quickly volunteer for the toughest jobs on deck. He and Harl have been through a lot together and this allows both of them to sleep well on their respective off watches.
Charley is one of Harl’s college roommates (which for anyone who is counting was 50 years ago) and was, along with Tom, on Kailani’s maiden voyage from Turkey to Mallorca in 2010. New owner, new crew, continual engine problems and typical fall equinox, nasty, fickle Mediterranean weather all made for a memorable passage. While his sailing experience might actually be limited to that two-week fiasco, his positive attitude never flagged even when the crew left him up the mast in the bosuns chair.
Last, but certainly no way least, is Jack. We first met Jack and his wife Tiffany in 2004 on the docks in Sausalito. They had just returned from cruising double handed in Mexico and were a terrific inspiration to us as newbies as we made our final preparations to head out on our first circumnavigation. They have kept one foot on the beach and one in the water while raising three strapping boys over the years and have their sights set on sailing over the far horizon when the nest empties out. We expect to see them out here at some point but in the meantime, it will be great to have Jack aboard.
So that’s what is happening. Kailani is back to blue water sailing!
38 57 N 076 3 W
Liberty Marina
Edgewater, MD USA
