Boise, Idaho USA …
This update from our 2021 “season” is long overdue … perhaps because we spent so little of it sailing, and instead much of it in “transition” modes. As winter in McCall waned, we did some spring trips to visit family in San Diego and Colorado, but then we were off to Annapolis MD to launch Kailani and hopefully set sail back to the South Pacific. One thing we can say is that we did indeed spend some time sailing Kailani – 100% more than in 2020! However, it was but a wee eye dropper of the salty seas traversed as compared to previous years.
In April 2021 we arrived back to Kailani as a family for the first time since leaving her in the early winter of 2019. While Harley had made numerous trips back to coordinate haul-outs, moves, and various vendor work during 2020, stepping back aboard as a family in April of 2021 felt so GREAT. She has been our home for over 40,000 sailing miles, through 26 countries, and of course, we have raised Sophia aboard while homeschooling and life-schooling through all of our adventures. So it was with great hope, fingers crossed, and optimism that we settled back aboard and readied Kailani for our next adventures. We had great ambitions to spend the summer sailing throughout the Chesapeake Bay and along the east coast, and then once hurricane season allowed, make our way south through Caribbean and the Canal to sail once again to the spectacular South Pacific. But it was not to be.
First, there were a myriad of vendor projects that were not quite done – principally our new rig! We suspect anyone out there who has embarked on a major remodel or project is familiar with delays and the week by week waiting game we experienced as vendors relayed “parts are delayed”, “we will get to it next week”, “no room at the yard”. Finally after four weeks of hanging close by so we could be available at a moment’s notice when said parts/labor/space became available, Kailani pulled in alongside the work dock and we watched in awe as our newly refurbished mast and rig was installed by crane. The rig was put in place, sails were re-installed, and we were hopeful to start sailing. But, once again, we were informed of a delay related to the improper machining of certain critical back-stay elements, which meant we were 99% there, but the lack of that final 1% precluded taking any offshore sailing journeys. Having been dis-masted at sea once before due to a blown back-stay (our first boat, our 4th date, our first coast guard “rescue” … a story for another time) this was something we took very seriously.
And as we have oft found, with every cloud there is that silver lining. All of these protracted delays meant we needed to get out of the marina, being creatures of life “on the hook” as opposed to tied to land. The trick was not wandering too far to anchor out so that Kailani could still be available at a moment’s notice when a vendor called with the seemingly elusive promise of progress. We threw off the dock-lines and motored all of 1.5 nm to a small but beautiful inlet called Almshouse Creek. We had barely set the hook when we were greeted by Cindy and Westbrook Murphy. And what an absolute TREAT they are! As port officers for our cruising club OCC, they were spectacularly graceful and friendly, and in fact they were the highlight of our cruising season of 2021. Issues with Kailani (generator related-again “parts delayed”) evolved to the point that we were needing to up anchor each morning, motor about the Chesapeake Bay for a couple hours to charge our batteries, and then come back and anchor. Inquiring about this somewhat “crazy” behavior, Westbrook offered the solution of allowing us to side-tie alongside their dock. And so began our daily opportunity to get to know the Murphy’s, whose generosity really had no bounds.
Our visits with Cindy and Westbrook were truly the highlight of our time aboard Kailani in 2021! We visited with them daily, sitting on their lovely porch looking out on the bay, passing through their home as they graciously allowed us to borrow cars for errands, and as more often than not, in response to the routine knock on our hull once the the sun was making its way west, lovely Westbrook calling out: “cocktail hour?”. And so we passed our time on Almshouse Creek. With them we caught Chesapeake blue crabs, shared feasts and many rum drinks, swapped life stories, laughs, and of course, many tall tales from a mutual lifetime of sailing. We spent so much time hanging out at the Murphys that we met much of their extended family as each came for their various summer visits, thereby getting to know their delightful clan of children and grandkids. We learned that they love frogs of all types, their home and lawn sprinkled with delightful statues ad images throughout. Each appearance of a new frog brought a wonderful twinkle to Cindy’s eyes, and on the really special evenings Westbrook would don his “Prince” crown which converted to a frog (or really vice-versa, if and only if Cindy gave him a kiss!). So adorable!! Meanwhile, Sophia spent many an afternoon on their porch doing her school work, taking a respite from the confines of Kailani. She also enjoyed the new experience of her very first fireflies. She soon would jaunt off each evening up to their lawn to hone her skills of capturing them in a jar, enjoying this new night light in her cabin each successful venture. (Sophia wishes for me to clarify that each morning she released them, as her naturalist heart could never hurt one.)
And speaking of insects, we were witness to the awe-inspiring greatest cicada emergence event on the East Coast since 2004. Literally billions of cicadas, known as “Brood X” (no relation to “Gen-X”), had been subterranean for 17 years and their emergence to come and “sing” to ensue their mating ritual was unmissable. The first morning we heard them our thoughts went in the direction of “what is that strange sound – another failed system aboard Kailani?”. Soon, on our boat, the land, and everywhere we walked we were surrounded by or crunching through these creatures. US biologists considered this event a real treat, an unusual biological phenomenon since periodical cicadas don’t occur anywhere else in the world, only in the eastern US. Nature never ceases to cause wonder.
We did some slight wandering with Kailani, taking day trips to anchor out just outside the Annapolis Naval Academy to see the Blue Angels show and visit the quaint old historic village of Annapolis. We also sailed all of 32 miles for a few days to St. Michaels Island. On St. Michaels we visited the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and learned so much about the history of the peoples of this historic bay, its evolving ecological issues, and the various fishing and duck hunting legacies. Of particular interest to us was a personal tour by the lead shipwright in CBMM’s shipbuilding endeavor to build an authentic 100% wooden replica of the Maryland Dove, a late 17th century trading ship that accompanied the first European settlers to what is now Maryland. As we have found so often in our sailing adventures, we discovered that we shared mutual acquaintances with wood working shipwrights from our original home town of Sausalito CA.
But soon it was time to fish or cut bait … the world did not seem to be moving toward less restrictions, so sailing from the US did not look like it was a viable option (we have followed the countless nightmare stories of our cruiser friends marooned, kicked out, or charged $1000s to enter a country during these Covid times). So we made the decision it was time to move off. For real, for good. Full court press to sell Kailani and move on to the next focus for our life: Sophia’s transition from homeschool to mainstream high school. We made this decision on June 15th, and by July 2nd we were driving away from the boatyard where Kailani sat side-tied to the dock, her appearance as if she was “itching to go” , the absence of all of our personal gear allowing her to float higher on her lines and giving her an ever-so-perceptible bounce. It was the end of a long and meaningful chapter in our family life, and while we always look forward with optimism for the adventures we have yet to even contemplate, walking away left us with tears streaming down our faces as we said goodbye to our dear Kailani.
And so we set off for a drive back to Idaho, our truck towing a small U-Haul trailer, and our plans to trek across country including brief stops to see family and friends. We were not more than one hour away (in downtown Baltimore, Friday afternoon before 4th of July weekend) when we started having truck / trailer problems that made us pull into a Ford dealer and ascertain our options. Oh boy – the summer of gear issues continued! Some very helpful and accommodating mechanics did some diagnostics and work, giving us s cautious thumbs up to continue. And so we limped and drove to Cleveland OH, realizing all along that indeed the problems were worsening, and we pulled into our friends’ driveway by 2 am. After the holiday weekend we had more mechanic analyses done, and it was determined that our trailer was actually the issue, causing electrical faults and braking issues. After the U-Haul mechanics analysis, it was determined that the only solution was to find a replacement trailer (none currently available within 500 miles) then transition all of our belongings from the old one to the new one.
Once again, silver linings … this protracted delay gave us the opportunity to enjoy a delightfully elongated stay with our friends Betsy and Charley. Harley and Charley spent hours together reliving their Princeton times and listening to rock and roll in Charley’s “man-den-garage”, Jen and Betsy talked for days over coffee, and Sophia got inspired to play tennis while we watched Wimbledon. Jen was thrilled to see Tom. Sophia enjoyed additional “typical” kid moments like her first ever sparklers on the 4th of July, wandering and communing with nature in Charley and Betsy’s lovely gardens, and spending her evenings honing her firefly catching skills. We toured some sights of downtown Cleveland, visiting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Cleveland Art Museum, and of course waving to the home of Baker Mayfield.
Next we drove to see our friends Rob and Kiki at their cottage on the lake in Pointe Aux Barques, MI. There we drove around in golf carts touring the township and getting some historical background, but mostly just loved catching up with our friends and enjoying the beautiful lake views. From Michigan it was on to Minneapolis MN, where once again we had great visits with friends and relations. Of course, with Sophia as our guide, we did manage a brief but wonderful visit to the Minneapolis Institute of Art. It had been so long since we had been in the midwest, and we found it refreshing and such an great change of pace. Lovely people, lovely warm weather.
Finally the last push was upon us. We drove straight from MN to our home in McCall, stopping in the middle of the night at a trailhead parking lot at the top of a pass into Idaho to sleep in the truck. FUN. Arriving back to our place we were delighted by the thigh high green grass, horses grazing our property, and the lovely familiarity of our mountain town. We had barely unpacked all the boat belongings into our garage, then three weeks later repacking and moving a 100 miles south of McCall to Boise in order for Sophia to start high school at Riverstone International, a small IB school.
Fall in Boise was lovely and we took advantage of hiking the foothills, getting to know more of Idaho’s settlement history, and generally just becoming semi-empty-nesters. For Sophia’s part she has LOVED transitioning to mainstream school, enjoys her teachers and the various school activities offered at Riverstone. Besides excelling academically and loving new types of challenges, she played on the volleyball team, is active in the literature club, writes for the monthly newspaper, is inspired by her outdoor education coursework, and has renewed her love for jiu-jitsu. We also make it up to McCall for skiing and friend visits on weekends when our schedule permits.
To all of you who still read this, stay happy, stay healthy, and keep in touch 🙂 Wishing you the best for 2022!
Suburbia
Boise, Idaho USA
