CHANGES

Where Are They Now?

Over the past few months, we've been checking in with 2022 contributors to see what they're up to — lo, these many months later. Here are our final catchups with some well-traveled folks.

Carodon crew is back in Sausalito for now with high hopes for cruising again in 2023," writes Heather Richard of the old 43-ft IOR sloop that she, sons Sawyer and Julius, and two crew sailed south to Ensenada last winter — with an extended stop at the Channel Islands.

"My crew for that trip, Catie Barr, is starting grad school, and Jack McDonnell is back to his diving business and playing occasional gigs with his surf-rock band. All the kids are fully engaged in landbased education for the year, so cruising plans seem to hinge upon school breaks for the near future. A summer passage to Hawaii might be the next big move!

"My oldest, Ava (who joined the boat at the end of winter), is taking classes at College of Marin; giving skateboard lessons; diving local jobs around our harbor; and volunteering her culinary skills cooking weekly meals for the growing homeless population around People's Park in Berkeley. Her path ahead in life is still undecided, but she is talented at whatever she puts her effort into, so I will call it a win for having been mostly boatschooled.

"My middle son is sailing with his high school team, chose an e-bike over a car upon tur ning 16, and spent the summer teaching youth sailing and boatbuilding at the Spaulding Center. He saved all his summer earnings to purchase a really sweet little Flicka 20, Whisper, from our friends Garrett and Ruth in order to do his own cruising in the near future. Next time we sail to the Channel Islands, we may be buddy boating our way south!

"His little bro can't wait to get back to the Islands and Mexico, and is working on both his Spanish and his sailing skills so he will be ready to take over as my first mate if the big siblings decide to sail on their own next year.

"I am definitely itching to get back out there traveling full time again, but staying close to home for the kids' education is allowing me to put a lot of work into Carodon and put some time into local nonprofits that I care about, like the Spaulding Center (as a board member), and Call of the Sea (as a captain and educator).

"And after learning in the Islands, I got bit really hard by that wing-foiling bug, so nearly every spare moment has been spent learning to fly over the water. Future cruising plans will definitely include a huge allowance of space on Carodon to carry winging gear from now on. I heard the winging is epic in Maui…" their kids on the SoCal-based Aleutian 51 ketch Tulum V — whom regular readers may remember best as "the boat with the Great Dane" — the summer of '22 meant transiting the Panama Canal and starting the next phase of their long cruise in a whole new sea. On the way there, "The beautiful anchorages did not disappoint," says Chad. "From isolated islands such as Gamez and Canal de Afuera to the protected bays of Boca Chica and Bahia Honda, this run offered incredible diversity in landscapes and experiences. Traveling late in the season definitely amplified the feeling of the 'road less traveled' and gave us a glimpse of wild, untouched Panama."

When transit day finally arrived, they were underway by 0400 to pick up their advisor and raft up with fellow cruisers Kyrie and Soulmate to enter the

Miraflores locks. "Fifteen hours later, the final gate on the Gatun lock opened and the might of the Caribbean winds and rain came barreling through, on our nose, as if to cordially welcome us to the other side," says Chad. "Once the weather settled, we were truly amazed at the difference in tidal shift and lack of surge after seven years of sailing in the Pacific!

"I'd hoped to finish this off with more sailing adventures in the Caribbean, but alas, the only ones sailing are the girls in their small-boat sailing class! We've been undergoing some extensive boat projects here in Shelter Bay Marina and have traded our adventures on the sea for those here on land. From a lush tropical forest filled with wildlife, to old military batteries completely engulfed by the jungle, to remnants of 17th century forts built to protect the trade routes of the Spanish empire, we have plenty to explore on shore in beautiful Panama!" www.LiveFree2SailFast.com

Cruise Notes dreaming of cruising in our retirement," writes Rob Simonds of the Richmondbased Catalina 34 Salt Whistle. "'That couple is doing it, why not us?', we'd ask ourselves. As retirement approached, our question became, 'If not now, when?'" So in May last year, Rob and Dawn Wilson signed up for the Baja Ha-Ha and busily began preparations for their adventure.

Preparations weren't trivial, he says: Salt Whistle is a veteran Bay sailer, but had rarely ventured out beyond the Gate.