Greetings from British Columbia!

It is hard to believe that two weeks has already slipped by since we rested atop a trailer in Hammond, Oregon, ready to be returned to the water after our repair odyssey of twenty-three days. That time seems distant, etched among our fondest memories. Our relaunch was attended by many of the new acquaintances we made, those folks who literally helped Rikki-tikki get back on his claws again, and those who shared their cars, homes, and friendship with us. We hope to return one day, for it is people like those in Ilwaco, Hammond, Warrenton, and Astoria who make our journey worthwhile. The day following our immersion, we were treated to a visit to Mount St. Helens by car. What a grand and awesome sight! It was a beautiful, clear day for viewing the smoking volcano from Johnston Ridge Center. Thank you Karen, Roy, and Gerty for your generosity and company. We were hoping the Columbia's incessant winds would die down for our departure out the mouth of The Great River. They did, replaced with a thick fog. The water was flat with negligible swell as we followed a fishing vessel over the bar, losing sight off him in the mist. A large freighter was stopped in the eastbound lane blasting one long and two shorts on his horn, meaning, "Restricted in ability to maneuver." We were very glad for our radar. It took us eight and a half hours to reach Westport Marina in Grays Harbor, WA. The wind was very light, the water smooth, so we were able to spot three mola-mola, or sunfish, as Rikki made tracks under power. Molas are so funny– flapping their pointed fins just at the surface with apparent lack of direction. We passed a sailboat slowly sailing along and read the name– "Imagination". We thought, someone has told us about that boat... We passed it again (how'd he do that?) as we entered Grays Harbor. I thought that it must've been Dave on "Juniata" who told us about "Imagination", as the boat looked like a Crealock 37. There would be an older sailor aboard singlehanding, I bet Clark. It was crowded in Westport; the transient dock appeared full. We circled while the Harbormaster searched for a spot to put us. Several people on the dock yelled over that we could pull inside between a red sailboat and a big charter fishing boat. Looked pretty tight, but with people to help, we headed over. Clark put Rikki-tikki right up to the dock & I tossed our docklines over to the growing crowd. As we were secured, one fellow yelled, "I saw your boat on the internet!" Our reputation (?) precedes us. John had been told we were on our way into the harbor by his friend, Jenny, who is captain of the MV "El Matador", a ferryboat, passing us on its way out. He threw on some shoes and hot-footed it to the marina just in time to catch Rikki's dockline. They are rebuilding another trimaran, a Searunner 37. "Imagination" was coming in too, conversing over the VHF. The harbormaster put him several docks over and I ran over to help him tie up. He looked very tired and declined our offer for dinner on RTT, opting for a long nap after two days at sea. I told him we'd watch for him in BC, wishing him a safe journey. I spotted some interesting photo subjects lit by the late afternoon sun and went back for my camera while Clark put supper together. Fog again– very, very thick fog. Fishing boats blasted by unseen until they were upon us as we tried to follow our track back out of the harbor early next morning. We could hear the bell buoys but could not see them. The small boats fanned out toward their fishing spots and the fog lifted slowly as Rikki-tikki-tavi gllded northward. The snowy peaks of the Olympic Mountains were revealed slowly and I napped in the sun. A long gray bank of cloud slowly descended to hide the mountains again. A humpback whale sounded very close to Rikki-tikki. Ten-and-a-half hours later we tied up at La Push, a Makah Native American settlement, on the Quillayute River. This river entrance has to be one of the most spectacular on the West Coast, if not the world. Several people told us it was too tight for us. Yes, it was a squeeker, but, wow, it was so exciting and beautiful. A large rocklike island (think Morro Rock) guards the river's mouth, while a rock jetty is close to starboard. The approach is to pass the island on your port (left) side, head straight for the beach over the building swells, then make a hard left turn when even with the river's mouth. Then ride the waves between the rock and the hard place into the shallow water, and immediately make a hard right turn upriver, all the while watching the depth like a hawk. Once in the tiny marina, it doesn't get any more roomy. We spotted a place inside a double-wide slip that housed only a small runabout– room enough. We backed in, got tied up and were summarily advised that the owner was on his way in after three days out fishing. We'd have to move, but where? The only spot we could see was between the dock and the parking lot berm. Once we got in there, a fellow on shore said we'd be sitting high when the tide receded. We figured that, actually, only Rikki's starboard ama would be gently residing on the mud, but we moved again. This time, we took a spot without cleats in front of a fishing boat just returned from fishing. We were advised he would NOT be going out in the morning. Creative line securement was in order. We ran ropes across the dock to the pile rings. You know, those big, fat half-circles that let the dock ride the pile up and down with the tide. I put on some orange noodle pieces so people wouldn't trip. A fellow came over with metal strapping and we nailed the docklines down. No electricity, $24 for the night!– most expensive moorage yet, but no place to on the river anchor that we knew of. We left at low tide the following morning, a USCG 47 MLB tailing us out with a helicopter to follow overhead. We turned north toward Cape Flattery– our long-awaited goal! At about two in the afternoon, Rikki-tikki's track turned east down the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It was sunny, though bumpy, no breeze, as we lifted our wine glasses to the moment. Our attempts to snap a photo with the sentinel island of Tatoosh in the background were made difficult by the choppy seas and tidal currents. We'd made it! Neah Bay, also part of the Makah lands, beckoned. This harbor is a well-used stop for both northbound and southbound boats rounding Cape Flattery. The wind picked up briskly as we entered and made our way to the fuel dock. Some succulent smoked white king salmon was high on our list to obtain while here. Leon, at the fuel dock, gave us directions to the smoker's home, then we went out to anchor in the bay. The fates wanted to give us some anchoring practice in the wind, so they threw our depthsounder into a tizzy and made it read less than five feet each time we dropped the Northill and got it set. We kept heading farther away from shore, out farther into the wind, which would make rowing in difficult. We finally decided, upon dropping for the third time, that the sounder was wrong, but that we'd have to forego the smoked salmon procurement because of the wind. Perhaps on our way South in a few years? The next morning brought more heavy fog for our trip eastward along the south shore of Juan de Fuca. Radar to the rescue, we crossed our fingers and motored along, keeping a sharp lookout for crabpots, logs, and kelp, not to mention other boats! Picture this– you can't see more than fifty feet in front of you but you are roasting in the sun from overhead. That's what it was like as we neared Port Angles about seven hours along. I was so relieved when it cleared up to see the harbor as there are ferries that come and go, plus freighters to avoid. We anchored (again twice because of a healthy crop of sea lettuce on the bottom) off Hollywood Beach, which was lined with Makah dugout canoes, assembled there for the "Journey to Elwah". Our phone began working again so we were able to tell family and friends we'd arrived. Next day, we walked our feet off looking for a place to send email without any luck. Port Angeles has much to offer and we amused ourselves for hours. I found a terrific handmade wool hat and a roomy carryall bag. We watched Makah singing and dancing, photographed canoes. There was a lovely little classic open boat at the public wharf. It was powered by an antique one-lung Everhope engine (my Uncle Bob would've loved it!). I took a photo of it while we watched the dancing. Later, as we prepared dinner, we heard the pop-pop-pop of the Everhope heading out toward Rikki. Its operator wanted to know the depth and what the holding was. I asked him where he planned to sleep. The answer was, "Aboard in my sleeping bag." We immediately offered a berth and dinner aboard RTT and he tied little Small Fry behind Darzee and passed up his kit for the night. What stories Ira told! We laughed and laughed. A treasured evening to remember. The big day had arrived for our crossing into Canada. Winds had been forecast to be gale force on The Strait for the days preceding and for this day. We were sure they were wrong– it was flat calm, no wind, nothing. We spent a leisurely morning with Ira, saw him off on Small Fry, then weighed anchor at 11:30 AM. The currents were with us and we made it to Tsehum (see-um) Harbor by 4:30 PM. I rowed in and called Canada Customs. We were instructed to bring Rikki-tikki to the Customs dock and await the inspectors. Three hours later after many questions, we were granted "status". Our lovely friends, Kent & Tracey, gifted us a special bottle of wine at our bon voyage party. We stowed it carefully, intending a celebratory end to our journey,. On August 4th, we opened that bottle of Sofia and toasted Rikki-tikki-tavi''s Big Adventure, both the one just ended and the one just beginning! Fair winds to you all, Clark & Nina

Ready for the Water!

We've been in Hammond, Oregon, for two weeks now, most of that time sitting atop a big trailer in a parking lot. The good news is– we are ready to go back into the water! We shout "hurray" with some sadness at having to leave this friendly place. It has truly been a wonderful experience. One might think we'd be terribly frustrated at being stalled so long, but isn't serendipity and the camaraderie of nice folks what constitutes the joy of cruising? We have met some very nice folks, many of whom have been instrumental in affecting the repair of Rikki-tikki-tavi. We thank everyone wholeheartedly. Velma and Jim started it all. They walked all the way out to the end of the Guest Moorage in Ilwaco to see Rikki. Of course we all got to talking and, upon hearing our trouble and without a moment's hesitation, they offered to drive us around to locate a place to haul the boat. We already knew that none of the area yards could accommodate our 26-1/2' width. Without Velma & Jim, we probably would not have found Rogers Marine & Free Willy Bait & Tackle at Hammond Boat Basin and the big trailer "out back". So we took Rikki-tikki to Hammond, which is, by the way, the marina featured in the movie, "Free Willy". When we arrived, Keith, the harbormaster of the City of Warrenton gave us free rein to use any discarded scrap materials from the yard adjacent to Rogers Marine. Clark spent two days building a structure on the big trailer to carry Rikki-tikki under his akas, strong enough to support him. Then, on the rising tide of Friday, July 15th, Kasey Rogers backed down the launch ramp with our customized trailer. Clark, wearing his drysuit, orchestrated the loading and blocked the proper spots with carpeted pads, the carpet having been donated by a local flooring supplier. Once parked, the Rogers family began hands-on help– Kasey got out the power-washer, cleaning Rikki's bottom of his green beard and barnacles. Dan brought out the equipment to attempt the bending of the prop strut to its original vertical position and, when it broke off completely, Kasey drove us into Astoria to order a new strut. Took a day off on Sunday (the strut wouldn't arrive 'til at least Tuesday and it still hasn't!) to ride the free Lewis & Clark shuttle bus over to Long Beach where there was supposed to be a big sand sculpture festival going on. The mile of wide beach we walked held no evidence that anyone in the near past had built anything higher than a molehill! Some random wet buckets of sand had been overturned by a few small children, but that was all. We were disappointed so we hopped the next bus back to Astoria and trudged to the Sunday street market that several locals said was outstanding. It was hot (for here) and there were no vegetables to buy, but lots of fruits, sweets, flowers and artsy trinkets. We were looking for veggies. We went to the brewery and had a pint of stout. Then we caught the next bus heading in the direction of Hammond. Had to make another trip to Fort Clatsop to transfer, stop & make a quick run into Fred Meyer & Costco for veggies, then grab the next bus on the route to the marina. We quickly rinsed off the day in our shower, when some folks showed up to look at Rikki-tikki. We hadn't even gotten our veggies completely stowed. We do stand out in a crowd, especially raised up high on the trailer, and attract attention. Apparently, fishermen from the boats frequenting the marina, people just cycling by, couples walking their dogs– saw the big green trimaran on its trailer and spread the word, because we became somewhat of a local attraction. We noticed cars driving by in the evenings, slowing down to take a look, some folks parking alongside and walking around to inspect our sailboat-on-wheels. The word was passed throughout Hammond. We like that we meet a lot of people this way. It's rather like owning a dog... We aren't exactly sure who told whom, but on Monday there were some talented men with expertise in engineering, fabrication, welding, machining, all commiserating on the repair of the now-broken strut. Turns out, these craftsmen know their business! There was Ted who has a little dog that wears a spiked collar, who told Dennis, a retired machinist & fabricator, to come see the trimaran. Upon seeing the problem, Dennis said he thought the strut could be welded back together and called Rick Litton, the most respected welder around these parts (which was verified by everyone). Rick came by and said, sure, I can do that! So he did, making the strut whole again, reinforcing it even. Everyone agreed that the design of our strut, in the first place, lacked robustness. The discussion of how to alleviate this lead Dennis to design and manufacture an unmatched pair (because our shaft is offset) of stainless steel side supports. They are a work of art– not bulky but streamlined, strong yet shapely. The new strut we ordered has still not arrived but we don't need it!

Dennis has a good friend (and former associate machinist) who lives a block away. Pat said he could drill and tap a couple of additional screw holes in our windvane trimtab. He did this with precision while his wife, Rose (who'd driven me to the store the day before) made us all coffee. Clark discovered that our spare prop was sized for a shaft of 1-1/8" diameter (it was an eBay purchase, one of only a very few that turned out to be not exactly as claimed). Our shaft is 1-1/4"– West Coast Prop rebored and rekeyed it to fit at a reasonable cost.

Meanwhile, some folks who'd spotted us in Ilwaco as they sailed their Hans Christian Mk II there for the weekend heard we were in Hammond. They came by one evening as we were preparing dinner. Phil knew immediately that Rikki-tikki-tavi was a John Marples Constant Camber design, so Clark dropped what he was doing and invited Phil, Sandra, and son Danny aboard. Next morning they drove in with two cars, handed us the key to hers saying, "Keep it all long as you like." The kindness of the people we've met is overwhelming.

I used the car for laundry and grocery shopping, then we took a quick drive to the famous Astoria Column, high on a hill above the town. It affords a panoramic view of the river and mountains beyond Astoria. We were told that we could not visit Astoria and not visit the column! Well, we didn't climb up it but we have photos to prove we were there. We also stopped at a local bike shop and bought some decent seats for our new bikes (helmets too).

One of the biking couples who came upon Rikki-tikki offered us tickets to the Maritime Museum. Barry and Sally picked us up on Sunday afternoon, dropped us off at the museum, later picked up us and took us home with them for martinis and homemade pizza. They are wonderful, interesting folks who have involved themselves in their adopted community with concerned activism. They also included us in their Tuesday go-to-town foray and we found some provisions at "steal-me" prices at a store recommended by Sally. We wish we had more time to spend here but the summer is waning.

The day Rick welded the strut, I noticed a young woman arriving at the launch ramp in a red kayak. She climbed out and began attaching wheels to her kayak and what looked like a tow-hitch to the bow. What was this all about, I wondered. So I walked down and said, "It looks like you're going someplace serious!" She responded, "Yes, I'm going to San Diego." Well, what an understatement! Renata Chlumska is going all the way around America in her kayak, and she's just begun. This Swedish adventurer left Seattle, paddled around Cape Flattery, then headed south along the coast. Knowing the Columbia River entrance to be treacherous, she decided to go across The Peninsula to Ilwaco, then across the river to Hammond, where she would strap on her inline skates and tow her kayak overland back to the coast at Seaside. (editor's note: you can see Nina and Clark's entry into Renata's guestbook at http://www.renatachlumska.com/ on July 23, also, the 'perfect welcome' in Oregon that Renata mentions in her journal must have been Nina because she says she was the only one at the docks to meet her!)

She was wearing a red Helly Hansen ballcap. Clark was wearing a tan Helly Hansen ballcap. Her major sponsor is Helly Hansen– perfect. I invited her to meet Clark and see Rikki-tikki-tavi. She toured, signed our guestbook, posed with me and promised to contact us when she returned to Seattle in sixteen months upon the completion of her singular circumnavigation of the US perimeter. We promised to take her sailing. She has set out on a tremendous endeavor and we wish her good will and safe travels. It was inspiring and wonderful to meet you, Renata.

We enjoyed a sumptuous barbequed salmon dinner with Karen and her parents, Gerty and Roy, longtime Astoria residents. Karen is connected to us by family ties, somewhat distant and unknown to us until we came to stop here, but we are so glad we came to know all three! We thank them for their hospitality and Roy's famous salmon!

I invited two of the Rogers daughters aboard Rikki-tikki-tavi for a tea party because they kept wanting to climb up into the boat while we were busy assessing the situation, just having made it to dry land safely. They were hovering like bumblebees, buzzing and chattering with questions. I scheduled it for 11 a.m. the next morning, baked cookies and rang our brass bell when it was time. Clark made a formal invite to make sure it was okay with mom and invited her too. Here is a photo of Holly (the youngest is only 18 months and didn't attend) showing her arm where she'd written the time in ink. Actually, she and Ashley, the eldest, were up before 7 a.m., so excited, both peering into Rikki-tikki from the highest vantage point they could climb to, which was the gunwales of a little boat on a trailer next to the shop. Heavens! They did have fun jumping back and forth over the aft bunk to the fore bunk! They begged to have a sleepover. I gave them a copy of Kipling's Rikki-tikki-tavi story in booklet form that we have printed up. Very cute girls, curious and full of fun– wish we could have a parcel of their energy!

We don't know how to thank everyone sufficiently for their friendliness and generous assistance. Thank You. We will remember each one of you fondly and treasure our time in Hammond.

By Wednesday evening we'll be floating again...

Best wishes to everyone,

Clark & Nina s/v Rikki-tikki-tavi

(Rikki-tikki's motto, and that of all mongooses, is "Run and find out.")

Photo Update

On the spur of the moment (and a great sale price), we bought a couple of aluminum-frame bikes at the Fred Meyer store in Warrenton after taking the bus there Ð what a long ride back to the Hammond Marina it was!! We had a very large & heavy backpack loaded with stuff from Costco, but Clark managed it. He couldn't turn around to see where I was because it would throw him off balance. He got so far ahead that I lost sight of him and began to think I was heading in the wrong direction, though the sun looked to be in the proper place in the sky. I also had a big shopping bag with stuff- I put my arms through the loops and wore it like a backpack, though it hung down past my rear end. I haven't ridden in decades, have never used brakes that are mounted on the handlebars or a bike with more than one speed (now I had twenty-one, three on the left grip, seven on the right grip). It was very challenging. We found walking to places we want to go takes too long but after that initial bike ride, I thought I wouldn't even be able to walk for three days! There is a very good bus system here (though they don't accommodate bikes- what's with that?!), unlike some stops we've made where there is no public transit. We took the Lewis & Clark Shuttle to Fort Clatsop for the tour so we could get to Fred Meyer and Costco for free, though the Fort cost $5 each. Included in the admission, though, was a three-day bus pass and Astoria Waterfront Trolley ride, so it was worth it. We saw a muzzle-loader demo and the tiny fort (reconstructed 50 years ago from Lewis' notes and drawings with dimensions) where the Corps spent that miserable winter. It would be nice to take the Shuttle back over to the Peninsula for the Long Beach sand sculpture festival this weekend. Sun's finally out and we hope it shines for awhile! Clark is hard at work modifying the trailer for carrying Rikki-tikki up the ramp soon. He has such a green crop on his bottom, my job will be scrubbing, I am very sure. The temperature is a very pleasant 71û F, the wind is blowing WNW, so the Rutland 913 windmill is spinning away as Rikki is pushed snuggly against the dock. We need the weather to hold so we can work outdoors once the boat is up on the lawn.

This is the fish carcass dumpster at Newport, Oregon. There is so much edible food here, some of the best parts of the fish are being thrown away, much to our distress. Just think of all the fish stew, fish broth, sashimi, fish cakes- the possibilities are endless. It's such a shame. This can only happen in America.

This is the day we left the Noyo River, we had the jib up and were making knots motorsailing toward Shelter Cove. The day later clouded over and we had gray skies with little wind. Sunset was lovely and the nearly full moon came out around 2 AM as I sat in the cockpit listening to Peter Jenkins' "Looking for Alaska" on my iPod.

This is a view of Rikki-tikki-tavi's wake from as close as Clark's tether will allow. You can see the tether attached to the inner shroud in the previous photo of Nina in the cockpit steering.

The headlands are swathed in fog as we enter Shelter Cove that evening, the only boat to anchor for the night. The west swells kept Rikki-tikki rocking and the halyards and wires inside the mast banged out their response to the motion.

Rikki-tikki-tavi rests at anchor in Shelter Cove as the seaward skies begin clearing revealing a beautiful sunset and smooth waters. Our Northill anchor grabbed in and held us tight through a night of incoming ocean swells.

Dawn at Newport, Oregon, minutes before our departure. We sampled some beer at the Rogue Brewery, which is located at the south end of the marina- Dead Guy and Shakespeare Stout, proclaimed to be "America's best stout".

Nina sending email on our iBook while huddled beneath a black umbrella to cut the glare and protect the computer from the misty rain. The Ilwaco drive-thru java joint, Kickstand Koffee, had free wireless on an outdoor patio- not at all a good place for an internet café, but all there was! We told them they should rent bikes too with a name like that. The visiting cruisers would appreciate it!

This is Rikki-tikki's end of the Guest Dock at the Port of Ilwaco. The wind was blowing 15 knots on our beam, away from the dock of course, as we came in to tie up. Nobody to help us, we had a gay time threading the docklines through the little rings (see one in the foreground?) fast enough to keep him from being blown away!

Our on-the-water view of Hammond Boat Basin with the large yellow pilot vessel and one of two boats that go in and out a lot. They take water samples when the big dredge is working in the Columbia River.

Clark has started fixing up this old trailer so we can haul Rikki-tikki out for repair using the Hammond boat ramp. Rikki is waiting patiently out in the harbor. You can see him just above the tongue of the trailer in the upper left corner.

Repairs and Relaxations

Greetings All!

We are making progress on figuring out how to get Rikki-tikki out of the water in order to fix the strut and whatever other problems have occurred as a result of the encounter with the unknown object out there. Some nice folks came down the dock when we arrived (and we are a very long way out at the very end all by ourselves!) and we got to talking. He is a sailor, she is not, they are just friends. They are both in their seventies, we think. He singlehanded back from Mexico recently, taking 24 days offshore, out and back in at the Columbia River. Coasties had to help him in at the end- it was a rough trip. Anyway, they said they'd be happy to drive us around to find a place to haul and work on the boat, so we took them up on their kind offer. Velma drove us over to Astoria on the Oregon side and all around the docks and shoreline following leads we'd pick up from folks we'd talk to.

We came across a boat ramp in Hammond with a shop and marine store, very small, but you never know what kind of info you can get from talking to people hanging around boats. Turns out the guy in the shop had a big trailer out back just sitting in the weeds. He said that, if we thought we could make it work, we were free to modify it as we liked to carry Rikki-tikki. When we were ready, he'd use his diesel pickup to move the trailer and the boat up to a grassy area next to his shop where we could do the necessary repairs. Wow. He told us where to tie up at the little dock while we customized the trailer. This place, Hammond near Fort Clatsop, is only about 9 miles up the River. There is a prop shop close by and other marine services, plus a small Costco and a FredMeyer store.

We did find a second option, much more expensive and difficult to get to, up in Aberdeen on a river above Grays Harbor. It's about 75 miles away. We'd have to sail most of the way, though we are a sailboat. The channel across Grays Harbor is narrow and then we'd have to go up the river and have two bridges open for us. We've done bridges before, so no big deal. The place has a big marine railway system that can take us out for $600; they can do the work too. If our attempts at doing it ourselves fail, we can fall back on this option.

There is a local area shuttle bus that, on some legs, is free. Other routes are very low cost. We can get from Ilwaco to Astoria on the south side in Oregon for 50¢, even all the way north to Aberdeen from Hammond. The shuttle is free to go out to "the peninsula" where there is a Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse and the North Head Lighthouse, and on up to Long Beach. They claim to have the world's longest beach at 25 miles and one can drive along the sand. There will be a big sand sculpture contest held next weekend. In June, they host an international kite contest and are home to to the World Kite Museum. There is a lot of activity and preparation in the area for the big Lewis & Clark Bicentennial in November. Fort Clatsop is where the expedition spent the winter. The low-cost shuttle bus is part of the promotion.

This area reminds us of how Sausalito was back in the sixties when the fishing industry was failing apart and it became an artist colony. There are many art galleries and artist's residence/studios. Charter boat fishing seems healthy, though we were told there used to be 300 charter boats where there are now only about 60. They have a large sturgeon fishery along with salmon and what they call "bottom fish"- rockfish, halibut, ling cod. The WA Fish & Game haunt the docks daily measuring each fish as the boats come in, counting them and collecting any tags. The harbor is fairly busy with activity, though there are few sailboats. We enjoyed the summer Saturday Market along the waterfront. One of the galleries showcases photography by Bruce Peterson and Wendy Peterson. Their work is excellent and we purchased a small photograph of a stormy Cape Disappointment as a remembrance of our experience here.

For those of you who are wondering about how we came to choose "Rikki-tikki-tavi" for the name of our boat...

Rikki-tikki-tavi is a children's story written by Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book series. If you didn't read it as a child and would like to, just type Rikki-tikki-tavi into the Google search engine on the internet and, besides our website, many links to the text of the story will come up. The character of the mongoose, Rikki-tikki, is the inspiration for and the embodiment of the character of our boat. Darzee is a vociferous tailor-bird in the story who warns Rikki-tikki that the cobra, Nagaina, is looking for him. Darzee is what we named our dinghy. We find the story charming and have printed several copies as a booklet to give to those who are especially kind to us along the way. Because the mongoose, Rikki-tikki-tavi, was a male, we refer to our boat in the masculine instead of the traditional feminine. It fits him much better.

Rikki-tikki's motto, and that of all mongooses, is "Run and find out". And that's what we three are doing.

Clark & Nina aboard the sailing trimaran "Rikki-tikki-tavi"

Another Unscheduled Stop

A quick update... We are finally in Washington State, but are stopped unfortunately just around the corner from Cape Disappointment. It's our disappointment as well. We were on our way to Gray's Harbor hoping to turn into the Straits of Juan de Fuca by the end of this week when we hit something just south of the entrance to the Columbia River. It was something hard, not a crabpot. We decided to make a right turn to enter the River. Luckily it was a flood tide, winds 15 knots from the south, and we had the jib up. The engine was only vibrating a little abnormally but the couplings were getting too hot, so we powered down to 2800 RPMs. Made it without trouble past the USCG National Motor Lifeboat Training School into Ilwaco Harbor. Clark put on his drysuit and went down to look at the shaft, hoping to cut away a rope or net. The news is that our strut is bent and now our task is to find some way to haul the boat and get it repaired. We hope the shaft is not also a casualty also, but we'll be here awhile. The saga and adventure continues... Yours, Nina & Clark s/v Rikki-tikki-tavi

We Toast Our Escape!

Rikki-tikki-tavi and crew arrived in Coos Bay on June 27 2005 Summer Solstice, June 21

Rikki-tikki-tavi's ten hour leg from Eureka, where we managed a short stay of fourteen hours for fourteen dollars, to the Chetco River, Oregon, carried us out of California at long last. We are smiling broadly for many reasons– mostly because we finally reached this milestone, but also because Nina didn't get seasick today, because Rikki-tikki-tavi is performing very well, because we saw humpback whales today, because the sun is peeking out and the ocean isn't too bumpy today, we didn't snag any of the hundreds of crabpots out here, it isn't raining, and our $50 navigation program for Macintosh, GPSNavX, is way cool! It helped us get into Bodega Bay, a port unknown to us, in the middle of the night!

We are working on new pages for Rikki's website, but please be patient. Even though we've spent many days tied to docks waiting for breaks in the weather, there is a plethora of things to do and everything takes a lot more time than one would think....

Rikki-tikki-tavi and crew have had many adventures. We sampled Sweetwaters at Hog Island Oyster Farm on Tomales Bay. Kayakers paddled under Rikki's wings. We've given a tour of RTT to five USCG "kids" (they're all so young!) who took off their boots to come aboard, not for a Safety Inspection, but just to admire. They took photos and signed our guestbook, then gave us a tour of their 47' Motor Lifeboat. We've been boarded by the USCG in the rain for the dreaded Safety Inspection. This group did not take off their boots or their wet clothes, but did give us "No Violations". We had to scramble to move Rikki-tikki for a tsunami alert. We are always at the very first end-tie, it seems. While at Bodega, we were "serenaded" each night by five barking sea lions whose favorite spot was the dock next to Rikki-tikki. At least these humongous fellows moved off the dock when we walked toward them during the day, so we could get to and from the boat. We had to blast the more aggressive sea lions off the Noyo dock with our air horn! They'd charge us and refuse to move! We were awakened daily by the 0600 bugle and soon-to-follow horn and siren testing, and high RPM revving of the jet-loud motors of 47247 and 47271, the Noyo USCG dueling Motor Lifeboats. At the transient dock in Brookings, that is replaced by the 0630 grinding on a steel fishing boat parked immediately aft of us. We are wishing we'd been able to wait out weather in Eureka... it was quiet!

We've met some generous, lovely and colorful folks. Dear friends of my sister's live in Bodega– Dennis came by to give us rides in his Russian-made Ural sidecar motocycle. One of the marina employees there filled Clark's hardware shopping list in Santa Rosa on his way into work. We were taken home to a great steak dinner by a Fort Bragg couple who will be heading North in July on his Peterson 46 out of Noyo, he a musician with a house full of gear. He and Clark jammed a couple of jazz tunes on guitar and drums. We talked to a terrific couple from the UK while looking up at them from the bottom of the 15-foot tall, black tire and barnacle-encrusted, pilings of the Noyo River fuel dock. We invited them aboard but they had to decline as they were on a five-week car tour of the USA. What a fun couple, sailors too, who had a wonderful enthusiasm for travel. We met three very interesting Canadian sailors on a large power yacht who were delivering the boat to Vancouver, one a retired professional captain. On the big boat for cocktails, the French Canadian introduced us to the most heavenly cheese on the planet– St. André. We remember because his name was also André. They had really good wine too. An unlikely Brit pair we met in Bodega had just arrived on their newly-launched steel lug-rigged vessel. He'd constructed this large boat on a hilside at Harbin Hot Springs and we learned that our fantastic boat mover, Dennis, had extracted their boat from its perch and trailered it to Vallejo. It was a feat that only Dennis could have performed. When we reached Eureka's Woodley Island Marina, a very colorful fellow named Tex, who lived aboard his powerboat, helped us tie up and, within minutes, presented us with his very favorite hot sauce and jalapeño mayo as gifts. He volunteered to drive us to WinCo Foods in the wee morning hours, but we missed that opportunity (along with our mail that had been waiting for us) in order to get up early and make another run for it. After spending numerous days at each marina, this was our shortest, the aforementioned fourteen hours. As we ate dinner across from the Carson Mansion, a Hunter 460 went by with two sailors aboard, looking like they'd been out for awhile. They caught up with us a day later in Chetco River and we spent evenings (waiting again) talking and sharing libations and dinner aboard Rikki.

Oh, I almost forgot... we did spend one night so far at anchor– in Shelter Cove, where my grandparents spent three days waiting for an opportunity to make Cape Mendocino in 1963. As Brett from Spud Point Marina said, "Nice name, Shelter Cove, not much shelter." Our Northill anchor grabbed first time and we sat rocking, not so gently, with swells from the west all night. But the nearly-full moon came out and I enjoyed hours of listening to "Looking for Alaska" on my iPod while resting in the cockpit wrapped in a fleece blanket. Clark managed some sleep below even with the rolling and the banging inside the mast. It was a harbinger, picturesque-wise, of years of lovely anchorages to be enjoyed up North. So now, as we get ready to make a break when the next window opens, we keep close in our hearts the joys of friends and beautiful places to visit when we arrive.

With best wishes,Nina and ClarkRikki-tikki-tavi (and Darzee, too)

We Toast Our Escape!

As we cross the border into Oregon on Rikki's approach to the Chetco River, we raise jiggers of rum to our escape from California.

Email on Michael's birthday

(here is an email from Nina and Clark to Samantha and Michael) Well, here's the short story... We made it to Bodega Bay at 4:30 AM after an aborted attempt at rounding Point Arena on an overnighter. Conditions were downright pleasant with rafts of by-the-wind sailors and dolphins. We enjoyed dinner in the cockpit at 6 PM. Then the wind started, waves grew, starting breaking, and we went from glassy to crashy in about an hour. By 9:30 we were taking a lot of water on the dodger windows & it was rough. I got soooo sick! We kept going but finally turned around at 1 AM & set a new course for Bodega. The motion smoothed out but it was damn hard to steer, from what Clark has told me (my Phenergan knocked me completely out & I missed the next seven hours. We were stuck at "Blow-dega" for eleven days as gale force winds whipped things up pretty good, even at the dock! Bob headed back to Sacto on June 1 with our car, which my family had picked up at Alameda & delivered to us. The autopilot was delivered to Spud Point & Clark got it installed over 3 days suffering in the wind. We took the bus to Santa Rosa for food at Costco & TJ's. There was a one-day window June 8 when Clark & I decided to make Fort Bragg/Noyo River, which turned out to be a 14 hour run in drizzly rain and sloppy seas, but light winds. We averaged 6.5 knots! The USCG volunteered themselves as escorts from the sea buoy when we called for a bar report about an hour out. They then, of course, wanted to do a Safety Inspection, which they did in the pouring rain, dripping all over as they read labels on fire extinguishers, flares, and PFDs. We spent the next couple of days recuperating. The weather was expected to worsen so we took the local bus to Mendocino. Small craft warnings were up but the sea was flat & lovely as we looked out from the steps of the little shops. Today there are gale warnings up & this time we believe it- the sea is white with blowing waves as we walk to Fort Bragg (no bus on saturday!) to be able to send email. We are doing well, the boat is performing wonderfully, & Clark is a most capable skipper in trying conditions. I battle seasickness constantly & have tried nearly every remedy. We are not in a hurry, so we'll wait for good conditions before we set out again. We are very glad to be underway & Rikki-tikki is having his biggest adventure yet! We'll try to keep you updated as we go. What stories we will have to tell... Love you both very much, Mom & Clark

Sailing on the bay!

(an email from Nina & Clark to Samantha and Michael) Hello Mikey & Sammie, I sure do hope you enjoyed your day aboard RTT sailing on SF Bay! It proved to be quite an exciting and challenging day, don't you think? Great weather, but lots of traffic and activity, and it was only RTT's 4th sail. The other three sails were very tame in comparison. This time we had more wind, big waves, many other boats, an ebbing tide, and a big ship. I am still working on being able to just relax and enjoy the experience, but I'll get there with more time sailing and with gaining confidence. I am determined to have fun and I sure hope you will come with us again. : ) Samantha, it was lovely to have you with us. You are looking well and we hope that you will get back to feeling completely normal very quickly. You are a real trooper and a beautiful person too. Be good to yourself and take care. Here are some photos of the moments of the day... enjoy. All my Love, mom

Rikki-tikki-tavi gets his wings!

He tried them out last Friday, all while dodging rain clouds on San Francisco’s South Bay. With Dave & Marcia as able crew, Clark & Nina were pleased to introduce RTT to his future life as a real sailboat! Winds were blowing 12 to 18 with a bit of lumpiness in the water. Rikki-tikki handled it with ease and flew along at about 8 knots max, even though we were holding in the reins. Not wanting to push anything, just getting to know the ropes, we tried each sail except the genoa, several combinations, both mainsail reef points, and played with the waves. Nina even took a QuickTime movie of Rikki’s wake, but we forgot to get a good shot of the mainsail! There will be another chance!

RTT on the move!

October 22, Rikki-tikki-tavi will be on his way to San Francisco via the waterways instead of the roadways (as per the launch)! We¹ve scheduled a haulout for the week starting October 25 at Napa Marina, a facility that specializes in multihulls. We will be applying more CopperPoxy to Rikki¹s bottom and removing an unnecessary throughhull, moving another up a few inches, and whatever other tasks we are able to squeeze into Rikki¹s first time spent ³on the hard². We have reserved an end-tie on F Dock at Ballena Isle in Alameda for the month of November, and possibly December too. We ordered our sails from Jocelyn Nash at Quantum and they should arrive by the end of October. Rikki-tikki is crossing his claws in hopes that he¹ll be able to sail across San Francisco Bay after leaving Napa. Rikki-tikki-tavi is being very docile at his berth on the river (despite the wakes of powerboats), but we expect him to get his bottle-brushy tail in full splender out on The Bay. New MSD! We are going to replace our Lavac toilet with an Airhead composting unit. The idea of designing an itinerary based on the location of pumpout stations and of carrying 30 gallons of effluent in our bow (the weight!) spurred us to investigate the Airhead further. We¹d seen it at Sail Expo years ago when it was first introduced and liked the concept. Friends of Juniata, the sailboat Sarana, has had one for two years and the owners like it. We drove down to visit them in Sausalito when they arrived from Seattle and they explained the ins and outs of living with an Airhead. We promised Geoff Trott, the developer, we¹d replace the photo of our Lavac that is displayed on svrkki.net with one of the new Airhead. Reports of its success to follow. Progress! Our living space in the ³studio² at Mom¹s house is getting less cluttered- we may even find the bed soon! It is a very good thing that we spend each night aboard Rikki-tikki. Mom is being very accommodating and encouraging, ³Just put it up in my attic!² We are managing to discard major portions of our life histories. That part is quite difficult. Several large boxes of books have been donated to the Sacramento Public Library. Truckloads of items have been given to WEAVE and we held a garage sale too. Clark has made room in Mom¹s garage for his tools and shop, so he will be able to complete some projects over the next few months. We are designing the pulpit, pushpit, and hardtop support now. While we are in Alameda, we¹ll have the dodger canvas and sail cover built. The list is quite long, but we are making progress! Last Chance to Visit! We spend every evening aboard, so if you are looking for an enjoyable way to fritter away some time, do come by and see Rikki-tikki-tavi before he leaves the area! Our little dock is at 1977 Garden Highway. Please call first and don¹t come on a Monday night-- the house next door has big football parties and there is no parking! Looking Forward...We hope to see you aboard Rikki-tikki soon. Your friendship and support have been very welcome and greatly appreciated. Thank you! Happy trails, Clark and Nina s/v Rikki-tikki-tavi CC40 Trimaran