Moving aboard

1 year after acquiring the boat, 1 1/2 years after meeting Anna and 2 1/2 years after my original vision we're moving on board and going sailing.

After a month in the yard, Coqui was finally put back into the water two days ago and we've returned her to her slip to start packing for the summer. What was supposed to be a routine bottom paint job and rigging inspection turned into a month-long engine project that involved a broken motor mount, a leaking shaft seal, severe engine misalignment, a new cutlass bearing, a new transmission coupling and some broken prop blades. All of which strikes me as ironic since this is supposedly a sailboat. Fortunately boaters never tire of complaining about expensive maintenance so we weren't caught financially unawares and in truth, we're happy to have fixed the problems prior to our summer departure because the boat motors much more smoothly and we have newfound confidence in her drivetrain.

Moving on is the next big - and probably challenging - step. We've given notice on our apartment, rented a small storage unit and in less than 3 weeks will call Coqui our one and only home. We fret the appropriate amount about how the kids will adjust but we're optimistic that our little naturalists will find the outdoor life full of wonder and magic. They've seen enough documentaries to make David Attenborough proud but it's time to show them the beauty of the world without the TV.

We've chosen to sail Puget Sound for our shakedown cruise for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it's close. Second, it's easy to sail for novices such as us. Since it consists of deep water protected from the ocean it mostly lacks big, scary waves and presents few dangers as long as one pays close attention to commercial traffic and tides. It's also populated enough that help is never far away if something goes awry. Third, it provides an abundance of wildlife, beauty, and exploration opportunity. We expect to spend a large amount of time romping about on shore building campfires, gazing at starfish and engaging in that favorite pastime of kids everywhere, collecting detritus. On any beach in America Asher alone can collect enough rocks in two hours to make us list to starboard. As a bonus, my company's main office is located in the Sound on Bainbridge Island so we'll get to visit and make everyone jealous.

The current plan is to leave Portland on June 12 and return in early August. The transit up to the Sound will take 3-4 days and end when we rendezvous with my parents, who will deliver the kids to us. We'll spend a little bit of time near Bainbridge and Seattle but the bulk of our trip will entail cruising the San Juan Islands and the Southwest side of Vancouver Island.

When we return, we'll go back temporarily to our usual and utterly satisfying Portland life except that Anna will be licensed and free to practice massage while the kids will change districts to the much-better Irvington school. Come Summer '10 we think we'll head South to Mexico for an unknown amount of time and Japan remains our Holy Grail.

While we're traveling this summer isolated from our ever-so-supportive social circle, these posts will become much more frequent. The majority of the time we'll have access to both cell phones and the Internet so more to come soon.

With huge love, Onward and Upward!