Photo by Titus Anthony.
Our First Days
Our first days on ʻA’ā were not relaxing in the slightest. There was no laying back, little sleeping, and definitely no regrets. Thanks to good mentors we were now in the possession of an (almost) fully functioning and equipped voyaging canoe. The only thing holding us back was a storm headed right for us in Bonita Bay. One of the biggest this winter!
The first night we didn’t have a dingy yet, so Chris and I half swam, half paddled, our foam surfboard as storm clouds loomed above. The first chance we got to use our dingy (thanks, Uncle Kiko) was the worst of the storm. Without lifting a paddle, the wind blew up straight into the beach. Drenched and feeling lucky we didn’t take on too much water without a bailer, we laughed and danced with the storm.
Having over stayed our welcome at Bonita Bays generous anchor accommodation, we were nervously searching for a permanent home for ʻA’ā. Boat parking was my biggest fear going into boat ownership. I had so many questions… Can boats really anchor anywhere for free? What are the benefits of being docked vs. at anchor? Weren’t we supposed to be on a waiting list for the last 2 years for a spot? Are we absolutely screwed?… luckily, we weren’t. But if you are thinking about getting a boat I highly recommend you do the research BEFORE. Haha, thought it still can be a difficult match to make until you are exactly where you need to be when you need to be there. Or at least, that was the case for Chris and I. Turned out that there was a marina just in Mission Bay that would take us month to month for a cheap price of $500 (believe it or not, it’s almost half the price anywhere else had quoted us).
Here are some (very basic) rules and guidelines that I’ve learned are crucial when you are on the market for your boats dream home.
• Know your dimensions. Basic but it helps if you know this and have it ready! Especially your keel (water line). Our boat has a very shallow water line so we could sneak in some shallower zones. If your boat is wider than 15ft or longer than 30ft you can guess it will be harder and more pricey to get a spot. You will most likely need an end tie (spot at the end of the dock).
• Go in person! Seems old fashioned, but most marinas really appreciate that. Going in person with a good attitude, you might just get a slip that “wasn’t available” online or on the phone.
• You CAN anchor (almost) anywhere! Woohoo 🥳 …or at least in California along the coast. Some marinas offer free anchorage in their bays for weekends or limited amounts of time, just call the lifeguards. The only catch- you NEED to be sleeping on board. They checked us a few times.
• Do your research! We called basically every marina in our area to find our slip. If you call make sure you get a good idea on what paperwork/ requirements they have. Make lists and remember names! Then you can make friends fast when you go in and say hi.
Happy to help with any more questions. I’m sure Chris has a lot more to add on this too!
Because I was focused on my mother’s health and spending precious quality time with my family, Chris had to take on many of these stressful aspects of having our wa’a. I am so thankful to have him and the support of my family and friends who helped with not just the canoe, but my well-being.
That first week of being boat owners was truly eventful. Trips back and forth (and back) to Home Depot, near crashes, engine troubles, storms, embarrassing tie ups, bad and easily avoidable situations, close calls…. Actually, the first DAY we had her out there Chris dropped his phone into the bay. Not long after, I ran out and grabbed scuba gear hoping I could get a few feet of visibility and save the day. Luckily, Chris had markers and I dove down on his estimate of where it was dropped. Amazingly we recovered the phone but not so amazingly, it was dead. Everyday we faced new challenges. And every day we stuffed our bellies with Mexican food and expensive coffee and said - “let’s do this!”
A friend recently asked, what are some things the canoe has taught you? I don’t know what they were expecting, but I’m sure it wasn’t this:
1) Fixing something good matters more than breaking it.
2) there are endless ways to rekindle your relationship with the ocean and nature.
3) there are friends everywhere!
4) improvise, be prepared, and calm
5) there is always something to do on a boat! Not as relaxing as you think hahahaha
But, that’s what she has taught me! And I’m so grateful for those first few weeks of lessons. Luckily, after that, Chris flew out Cromwell to take on our next mission, learning how to actually sail our Wa’a.
Since then we have learned much more from Nāhōkūhoʻokelewaʻa… We have discovered more uses for our dingy buddy as well! Photo by Titus Anthony.
Mahalo nui for reading this blog. As always, we hope it sparks joy and inspiration for you! If you have any feedback, requests, or spelling corrections 😂 feel free to respond to this email. And special thank you to my mother, Illa McEvilly for always being my sunshine, my family and friends for always believing it is possible - especially those mentioned in this post!
