Lessons From a Life at Sea

Finding footing after a seven year adventure sailing around the world.

BY EMMA CASEY Landfall Leatherworks

Last year I made an extremely difficult decision: I left a four year relationship with a man and a seven year relationship with a lifestyle. Boat life had come to define me. I was introduced as “Emma, my friend (daughter, granddaughter, niece) who is sailing around the world.” I was terrified to walk away from seven years of incomparable freedom; of living at the whim of the elements, of a comfortable floating home with a new backyard each day. It was essentially all my adult self had known, the scaffolding of my existence. But I was clinging too tightly to that limiting identity of “boat Emma” and needed space to extricate my self-worth from those sea roving years. It was 2015. I was 21, fresh out of college, and in search of adventure. Thankfully, I was also naïve. And brave; but maybe the bravery fell beneath the umbrella of naïveté. From my childhood home in Marin County, I scoured Latitude 38 magazine’s list of “Captains Looking for Crew,” and next thing I knew, I was aboard a 35’ cutter heading south out of Pillar Point Harbor. I switched boats in San Diego and continued through Mexico. Months passed. I carried on and made the crossing to the Marquesas aboard a 30’ steel gaffrigged ketch. It was slow (48 days), but I was hooked. I had entered the alternate reality of being a tiny speck in the middle of a vast ocean. This venture began to feel less like a trip and more like a lifestyle. I loved having only time — nowhere to go, nowhere to be, no one to be.

After a few thousand more nautical miles, I arrived in New Zealand where I met the man with whom I would sail for another four years aboard a 1980 Amel Sharki. We slowly worked our way north to the Philippines, and I slowly fell in love with Phil and his unparalleled zest for life. We traversed southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean, landing in South Africa just in time for the pandemic. We crossed the Atlantic from Namibia to Suriname one year later, and in Grenada I decided it was time for me to make a change.

I spent this past year feeling quite unmoored. I struggled with adjusting back to life on land and constantly wondered if I had made a great mistake walking away from my little floating home and the thrilling variability of life aboard. Why would I give up spearfishing on uninhabited Micronesian atolls and summiting active Vanuatuan volcanoes to peer down at roiling lava a thousand feet below? Why would I trade traversing oceans for sitting in traffic? Because something was missing. I was unsettled, and often unhappy. A year of foundering and sitting with my thoughts, with myself, and I’ve arrived at some semblance of clarity.

Landing back in Sausalito last winter, I started crafting bags from upcycled sailcloth and leather under the name Landfall Leatherworks. Landfall is that first glimpse of land after having been at sea, that distant hazy view of an island’s outline on the horizon. Making landfall is simultaneously thrilling and bittersweet, complex. I distinctly remember my first view of a craggy French Polynesian island 48 days after leaving the Mexican coastline, and with it that first whiff of earth — a rich, sweet smell of soil, decomposition, and wood-burning cooking fires. I thought over those seven weeks of sea and sky that the sight of terra firma would be exciting, that

I would be excited. But I initially surprised myself with a sinking feeling — knowing that land meant a complication of lifestyle, an end to the relative silence of the open ocean, and the beginning of bureaucracy, paperwork, money, internet access. But we are quick to adapt, and the joys of an iced beverage, a fresh meal, and a conversation with a new face remind us why we need community, solidity, grounding. There is a fine balance between the freedom of disconnecting from the world and the richness of connecting back to the collective human experience.

This little business is my landfall; the tangible result of my desire to make sense of, and make something of, my years at sea. And what better place to start than right here in Sausalito’s historic working waterfront? I have always derived gratification from working with my hands to create tactile objects both functional and beautiful. My bags are both, with an added element of sustainability.

Modern sails are made of Dacron, which is a polyester fiber that is nonrecyclable and nonbiodegradable. Sails, though durable, have a lifespan of about eight years on most full-time cruising boats, and a fraction of that on racing boats (the stitching breaks down from UV exposure, and the general structural integrity of the fabric diminishes from sun, wind, chafe, and flogging). Think about what that means in terms of the sheer quantity of discarded sails each year in the Bay Area alone, where we have almost 40 marinas with around 11,000 total slips. It is a phenomenal material (lightweight, strong, water resistant, and so easy to clean) that would otherwise be fated to the landfill. My designs maximize use of the fabric and incorporating hardware — grommets, reinforced sections, vinyl windows — and stitch patterns. These bags are more than vessels, inextricably linked to my story and the sea itself.

I may no longer know what phase the moon is in or what the tides are doing, but I’m enjoying a newfound settledness.

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After 34 years across the street and down the block in Point Reyes Station, the restaurant known for its sustainable cuisine and flaky popovers returned to its original location. The space, which formerly housed Osteria Stellina, went through a retrofit and expand into a neighboring retail space, creating three dining areas — including a new room for dining and live music. 11285 Hwy 1, Point Reyes Station; 415.663.1515; stationhousecafe.com

Gallo Rosso Italian Steakhouse

Co-owner/general manager John Alrabadi and co-owner chef Salvio di Furia combine the Italian subcultures of di Furia’s parents (Mom is from Tuscany, Dad is from Naples) and bring focus to a steak place in Sausalito. Seafood dishes and homemade pastas, like

BY CHRISTINA MUELLER

pappardelle with braised wild boar ragu, reflect north and south Italy, but those in the know will aim for the ziti Genovese. 2633 Bridgeway, Suite A, Sausalito; 415.729.9034; gallorossosteak.com

Laos Kitchen

Manivone Vongsouthi, a long-running San Rafael resident and owner of nearby takeout spot Bay Thai, opened a sit-down restaurant that truly reflects her blended Thai/Lao heritage. The two countries, which share a border, share many flavor profiles, too, reflected in dishes of nam kao todd with homemade Lao sausage or a plate of papaya salad studded with Thai green eggplant. 884 Fourth St, San Rafael; 415.456.4490; laoskitchensanrafael.com

Kitchen Novato

After 30 years running Debbie Keith Catering in Novato, owner Deb Keith opened a breakfast and lunch café. The menu showcases a full espresso bar and the work of in-house pastry chef, Luis Neria, who crafts everything from croissants and cinnamon twists with hand-grated cinnamon to chocolate mousse cake and a tiramisu touched with brandy and coffee. 6 Hamilton Landing, Suite 100, Novato; 415.234.8923; kitchennovato.com

Frankie & Jo’s

A plant-based scoop shop launched in 2016 in Seattle landed at Larkspur’s Marin Country Mart in late June. Renowned for creamy, decadent vegan creations without the help of animal products, GMOs, soy or dairy, the brand creates up to 30 new ice creams and novelty products each year that are sustainably sourced. 2257 Larkspur Landing Circle, Larkspur; frankieandjos.com

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Colette Peri Print Shop

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Veronica Beard

The national brand, founded by sisters-in-law Veronica Miele Beard and Veronica Swanson Beard in 2010 in New York, opened its second NorCal branch at Larkspur’s Marin Country Mart in April. The brand is known for cool classics and outfits suitable for all occasions, including suits, jeans, shoes, and swimwear for women. 1015 Larkspur Landing Circle, Larkspur; 415. 839.9395; veronicabeard.com

Estuary,