Sailing De Novo: Sailing Summer 2020

Hi everyone!

We hope you all are holding up well.

It's been a while since we updated this blog. Don't worry, we're healthy. Our families are healthy. Despite the extraordinary times we live in, we're still finding peace on the water. We're still cruising and still loving it, exploring local places and checking boat projects off our list. We feel immense gratitude for the conditions that have allowed us to continue living our lives. While we've worked hard to pursue our dream, there's no doubt privilege has played an enormous role. We understand this is not a dream within reach for most people.

Speaking of the dream, as many of you know, our original plan this summer was to head offshore again. Of course, life had different plans. With the closure of the Canadian and Mexican borders, we're sailing local this summer. But at least we're still sailing. And let's face it: Washington's cruising grounds are gorgeous!

We've taken several weekend trips to nearby anchorages (Blake Island, Eagle Harbor, etc.). For a longer trip, we took four weeks to sail to sail the Strait, the San Juans, and the South Sound. We found we were able to socially distance and keep safe by following these simple tips:

Make sure you and your boat are safe and seaworthy. Check all systems, deck hardware, and ground tackle every day. You put yourself, other boaters, and the Coast Guard at risk of the virus if you need help.
Anchor out rather than use marinas.
Keep your mask on your body for easy use at all times on shore. We found only about 40-50% of hikers were using them on trails.

Our nephew Taj joined us after he and we quarantined for 14 days. It was wonderful to have family aboard. Uma stayed with my mom so she could have a boat break (thanks, Mom).

Pics from our longer trip: