People Past and Present

Past

I want to rewind and recognize some significant people from our time in La Cruz. The camaraderie amongst the entire cruising community was appealing,  but in particular I'd like to acknowledge:

Dawn and Mike Hilliard of the classic S/V Destiny. From land vehicle (Henry the Truck) to dinghy to that most precious commodity--time--Dawn and Mike embodied generosity. (And somehow, they also managed to make everything feel like a hoot and a half!) They were also responsible for the Pacific Puddle Jump net, a nightly radio check-in of vessel positions and weather conditions for sailors crossing to the Marquesas--a genuine public service.

Mike Danielson of PV Sailing. Mike freely shared his extensive offshore background and longtime Banderas Bay connections, giving seminars on rigging and weather routing, as well as advice on finding parts and services around the bay--another huge service.

Dockmate John Wanamaker, of S/V Emerald Lady, exuded contentment; he personified

making the best of whatever life brings. His lovely daughter Rachel and I played violin duets one evening; her former orchestra teacher was a colleague of mine in Washington, proving once again that it is a small world.

And of course, the Willie family! Mechanic extraordinaire Steve, survivor extraordinaire Tamiko, son extraordinaire Eli (S/V Landfall). Attending Eli's 18th birthday party made our last night in Mexico as treasured as it could be.

Present

We ended up sailing to the Marquesas with a crew of 3, rather than 2! At the last minute Mike Jacker, an orthopedic surgeon from Chicago, joined Second Wind. He had come to La Cruz to make the passage on the S/V Naoma, but they were delayed and Mike wasn't going to get to Hiva Oa in time to catch his flight home. He wasn't necessarily looking for another boat and we certainly weren't looking for crew, but as Naoma's captain said, it was serendipitous: Naoma kept her flexible itinerary, Mike kept his non-refundable plane ticket, and we gained another hand + more sleep en route. An opportune alignment, for sure!