McCall, Idaho USA …
We are at this moment in beautiful Idaho sitting in our small living room watching the sun set behind the hills to the west while the thermometer drops like it was broken. As we struggle into multiple layers of clothing to ward off the near zero (that’s F not C) cold it is hard to believe that a mere month ago flip flops and shorts were de rigueur as we prepared to leave Kailani tied to a dock in South Africa for three months.
Sometimes we wonder whether our peripatetic behavior is merely a search for the endless winter, although winter endured between the equator and the southern tropic line is at the other end of the spectrum from one spent snow-shoeing, tubing, skiing and playing ice hockey in our white wonderland of Idaho.
We are fortunate to balance high altitude mountain time, with adventurous travels at sea level ….
Which brings us to where we have been this past year, our fifth sailing as a family aboard Kailani. After taking more than a year break from sailing in order to build a house in Idaho, we came down out of the mountains last May to return to the boat in SE Asia. Since then we have seen more than 7,000 miles roll under Kailani’s keel as we zigzagged across the southern Indian Ocean from Malaysia to South Africa. The sailing was epic, and the adventures life-enriching: sailing through the famed Malacca straits while avoiding all manner of water hazards, from errant fishing vessels and gigantic container ships to all sorts of rubbish including logs and a dead steer; embracing the “high” life in crowded Singapore with all things flashy, crowded and tall; navigating the generally tranquil Indonesian waters while relishing beautiful sunsets and anchorages and marveling at the creative techniques of the local fishermen; anchoring in the famed Krakatoa volcano caldera; reaching exotic and remote destinations of the Indian Ocean like the Cocos Keeling islands (over 1,200 nm off of Australia’s west coast), the Chagos Archipelago (at 250,000 sq mi, the world’s largest marine reserve), and the island of Mauritius with its fantastic cultural diversity (500 nm to the east of Madagascar).
Along the way we were tossed about by big storms and softly cradled in the warm waters of exotic and remote atoll lagoons, alone for days and even weeks at a time. We sailed among dolphins in pods more than 100 strong and dodged breaching humpbacks in their mass migration south. The sailing tested our limits: Kailani hit a top sailing speed on a surf of 23.5 knots, we weathered a storm at sea that took out the port of Durban, and we hit a whale at night while sailing at 12 knots along the South African coast. We were feted by locals who brought us delicious home cooked meals, and we were extolled in the foreign press as perhaps a slightly daffy sailing family. (We are told the article was flattering, but it was in French so we are not quite positive on that score.) Sophia’s circle of friends continued to expand as we shared anchorages with a myriad of kid boats all heading vaguely in the same direction (really, how many play-dates end with “see you in Africa!”? ) As is always the case, this special community of blue-water sailors was enriching in its own right – deriving inspiration and sharing laughter, stories and camaraderie with this unique band of adventurous spirits who dare to call the world’s oceans home.
And where are we going? We say that our plans are drawn in the sand at low tide, so take this as a guideline … by mid February we will be back aboard Kailani, readying her for a 6,000 nm sail across the Atlantic. May should find us on Kailani somewhere along the US east coast for the summer, and probably slinking off to warmer waters for the winter, although just where and when, we are not sure.
We want to take this chance to wish all of you much happiness for the coming year. Perhaps this is the year we get to catch up with some of you we have not seen in ages. We hope so. You never know where the wind will take us. Follow us on our website, check out our previous travels, drop us a line – we’d love to hear from you!
Anchor Ranch
McCall, Idaho USA
