Category Archives: cruising with kids

5 day countdown!!!

All the tanks (water and diesel) are filled and we are ready to set sail! I just have to work 4, 12 hour shifts in a row and spend Wednesday buying last minute fresh food and last minute purging of items.  Wednesday night is our “send off” party at Galilee Harbor in Sausalito. We will be having friends and whoever else wants to join us in potluck style and live music (Peter B. and the Harbor Rats) shenanigans.  We will have an abalone shell set out for people to place a bite of their meal in, so that at the end of the evening, before we cut the lines, we will make an offering to the Gods of the Oceans.  After we “cut the lines”, we will head over to Horseshoe Cove (the little cove at the North end of the Golden Gate Bridge) to drop the anchor one last time in San Francisco Bay. Thursday morning, we will head out after breakfast with a max ebb around 8:30 am. If you happen to be on the Golden Gate Bridge, keep your eyes out for us! First stop: Half Moon Bay.  We will try to update our positions to both Marine Traffic and Farkwar. Click on the links to sign up for email position updates.

We have been living “on the hook” for almost 6 months now. It’s hard to believe that this day is finally arriving! My commute to work for the last six month has been a 0.5 – 0.75 miles paddle to shore, then a 12.5 mile bike ride each way. Although challenging at times, overall it has been very rewarding and enjoyable.  Today is my last round trip ride from Sausalito!

New Sponsorship from Teeny Tiny Optics

Only the best kids glasses EVER for our active boat kids!

We are so proud to be sponsored by Teeny Tiny Optics! These glasses are perfect for our active boat kids. The lenses offer 100% UV protection with impact resistant lenses and great styles!

Online orders can be made for your kids here: Teeny Tiny Optics

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Our Global Connection for Satellite Phone is on it’s way!!!

We decided to go with the iridiumGo! through PredictWind. I think this is one of our largest purchases, yikes! After reading many blogs and reviews, this seems to be the best fit for us. Hope we’re right!

  • We’ll be able to get updates on the wind, rain, swell etc through the satellite phone and on to our computer.  We are familiar with other ways to stay safe with weather predictions, just in case technology fails, but having this aboard SV Shawnigan is super exciting.
  • We will have unlimited SMS (texts) in and outbound!  Yes, you can text us or we can text you while we are in the middle of the Indian Ocean! Or anywhere, for that matter.  We can also update our position on the map. See us on the map somewhere? You happen to be going there for vacation??? You can send us a message to meet up!
  • We will also be able to keep our blog (mostly) up to date!  With a few pictures here and there and some text to go with it, we will be able to post to the blog in the middle of a passage.

Part of our purpose in sailing around the world is to “disconnect”. So having this technology will add a element of practicing will power. Will power to not post or stay too connected too often, that is. Not that we don’t love you all, but we really want to experience the world as mush as possible and do it safely.

If you are totally stoked on staying updated and/or would like to know you can text/email with us almost anytime, and would like to help support the monthly Sat Phone $$$ please click here to donate! 🙂