Greetings from Virginia!

A whole lot happened because we left the dock in Alameda, CA, and kept going.

In short, here’s how it went:

We sailed down the California coast for six months or so, catching weather windows while I worked full-time. Scott acquired his US Coast Guard captain’s license and we adopted Cypress the Cat in San Diego. Once hurricane season passed, we joined the Latitude 38 Baja Haha cruisers’ rally and sailed to Cabo San Lucas. Then we turned north for a couple months of exploring the Sea of Cortez and crossed to Banderas Bay while ringing in the new year of 2022.

After enjoying the company of sailors that call La Cruz home, we sailed south to Barra de Navidad with our friends aboard Alegria. The Pacific coast of Mexico is as long as the US is wide. That lonely stretch was more than 1/3 of the total miles on this voyage. We crossed the Gulf of Tehuantepec in two attempts, then stopped in Honduras and Costa Rica on the way to the Panama Canal. The canal transit was a major highlight and then we extended the journey by volunteering for room and board at an eco-retreat in Bocas del Toro for the 2022 hurricane season. This slow-down allowed us to take in more of what was around and rest up for the remaining miles. Our Spanish bloomed from steady conversation partners and several friends came down to see us.

From there, we spent a month or two in the San Blas with the Guna Yala and a few visiting friends before crossing to Cartagena, Colombia. This eastward progress would make crossing the Caribbean much easier once the seasons shifted to allow us to head north. We took Spanish class, enjoyed the urban change of pace, and gave our boat Azimuth the spa treatment.

Our friend John then hopped onboard and sailed 980 miles over 8 days and nights to Isla Mujeres, Mexico. We caught the stomach flu and road bikes a lot, then sailed to the Florida Keys. Weather confounded our movements north and we also managed Scott’s production schedule with Good Old Boat magazine, a 25-year running publication about classic fiberglass sailboats.

We hopped into the Intracoastal Waterway in Southport, North Carolina, making daily stops for two weeks or so. Yesterday we came through the Great Dismal Swamp, crossed the North Carolina/Virginia border, and got our first glimpse of the Cheasapeake Bay. One stop remains before our new marina home.

One unexpected boon from this wacky experience was finding my stride as a writer and starting the Clouds Form Over Land newsletter. I wanted a container for my essays that would endure beyond the trip and have room for less sailing-oriented updates. Plus, I wanted those essays to go straight to your inbox. I plan to continue sharing as we make the shift from sea to land after seven years of living aboard.

Over the next few days, I’ll be catching this log up to the present day. Thanks for your support and reading along!