We are hunkered down in Beaufort, NC, listening to the wind howl in the background, feeling very far away. Being on Kailoa differs from the traditional holiday festivities of turkey roasting in the oven, pumpkin pie, football, and family gatherings around the table. Our thoughts are with our family in Maine, Massachusetts, Illinois, Idaho, New York, New Jersey, and the United Kingdom. We miss you all dearly!!
In such moments, we find ourselves asking, “What are we doing here?” But then we remember the thrill of the open sea, the beauty of the islands, and the warmth of the people we meet along the way. These moments make it all worthwhile.
We also received support from our children in letters and a care package they had given us to take on the journey.
“Happy Thanksgiving! We hope you are having some cracked conch stuffing (don’t forget the fried plantain mashed potatoes). Although this holiday looks a little different, we are so excited for you guys to be living out the bucket list. We hope by this time, you are sailing around and snorkeling for giant attack crabs. We love and miss you so much. – Love Shannon, Dave, and Tony.”
and…
Happy Thanksgiving! We miss you guys so much! It feels weird to be on our own for the holidays this year; I’m sure it also does for you. Thanksgiving is a holiday that reflects the feeling of gratitude! I’m so grateful to have two adventurous, fearless, courageous parents! Thanks for role modeling what it means to live life on the wild side and follow your passions! While the contents of this box will not be as good as our normal Thanksgiving meal, we hope it lets you know we are thinking of you and love you so much.
– Love Natalie, Ari, Kylo, Dewey and Jax.
Their heartfelt messages and the care package, with its humorous contents, provided a much-needed dose of laughter and joy, a re-grounding of sorts.
Over the last three days we spent our time resupplying Kailoa with fuel and water and tending to other needs. We also planned our next leg to Charleston, SC, by tracking the weather forecast, plotting our course, establishing waypoints, and setting the sail plan. If the weather forecast holds, we will slip lines tomorrow at 0700 for another overnight
passage.
In and around the boat work, we enjoyed visiting the Rachael Carson Reserve on Carrot Island, walking around the antebellum homes in Beaufort, and tasting the local cuisine.
After publishing “Silent Spring” in 1962, Rachael Carson became the “Mother of the Modern Environmental Movement”. The Barrier Island in North Carolina was the location of her research study that connected the pervasive use of synthetic pesticides with their devastating effects on the environment and human health. Carson’s research was groundbreaking at the time because it exposed how pesticides have contaminated air, water, soil, and food—posing risks ranging from genetic damage and cancer to neurological disorders and reproductive complications. Today, the islands are home to 200 species of rare and endangered birds migrating along the Atlantic Flyway. The reserve was a hidden gem off the beaten path with an added perk of visiting Carson’s study area. Rachael Carson was a hero whose legacy continues today.
The preserve was home to various habitats, including oyster reefs, salt marsh, sand dunes and upland forest that covered a geographic area well beyond anything that we see in the New England waters off Massachusetts. To put it in perspective, North Carolina is about 6 times the size of Massachusetts with about the same size population. As a result, you get the feeling of being in a truly wild landscape.
We were delighted to stumble upon five ponies grazing in thick vegetation during our walk. Locals introduced ponies to the islands in the 40s, where they adapted to the terrain and became wild. The ponies are valued by locals and tourists as a cultural resource and symbol of freedom. The horses subsist primarily by eating salt marsh cordgrass and digging for fresh water.
Beaufort’s waterfront streets are lined with pre-civil war homes that managed to avoid destruction. The immaculately maintained southern-style white homes were uniformly embellished with black shutters, porches, and picket fences. We have fallen in love with the Southern charm. We were also pleased that Topsail Marine Memorial Park was recently delineated as a UNESCO “Middle Passage” historic site. The park marks the point of entry of enslaved Africans who were trafficked across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas.
In closing, we are including another message from our daughter Natalie, who shared the following quote from Zanna Keithley:
“There comes a day when you realize that the fear never really goes away – that if you really want something, you have to be willing to do it afraid. And maybe this is the only way you’ll ever discover what you are capable of.
Maybe you have to dive right in and face the thing that scares you the most. Because in the end, it’s not the so-called failures that will haunt you. It will be your own potential left unexplored. So maybe you don’t need to wait until you overcome your fears to take the first step forward. Maybe you just need to know there’s something more important than fear. Something greater. Something worth exploring. Something worth fighting for. And maybe overcoming your fears is the least important part of your story anyway. Maybe what matters is that you’re scared but still determined. Shaky, but still standing. Afraid but still willing to try. “
It’s a privilege to be here, and we’d like to express our heartfelt thanksgiving to all our family and friends. Your love and support have made this journey possible.
We are reinvigorated and filled with anticipation for our next 200 NM leg to Charleston, SC, and we can’t wait to share our experiences with you.
Here’s wishing you all a blessed Thanksgiving holiday.
Kailoa signing off.
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