The Crew

This is where you get to learn a bit more about us - the crew.  I guess typically, one of us is supposed to be captain and the rest are crew, but in reality, we're a team - we're in this together and will work together.

Janet and I are equal partners in this (we're the adults in this picture) - most of these posts will be from me, but she's the brains and the guts in this partnership.  I'm the brawn.  Neither of us have much sailing experience but everyone's a beginner sometime.

Janet grew up mostly in Northern BC in western Canada without much exposure to watersports.  As she tells it, she went sailing once in highschool, didn't do any of the "work" but loved every minute of it.  Probably a good sign.

I'm Darryl.  I grew up in the north and interior of BC in a town known as the houseboat capital of Canada.  While that claim to fame may be underwhelming, it does mean I was exposed to a fair number of water sports, primarily those involving little boats, big engines and high speed but I had never sailed...not until we hatched this crazy plan.

Our girls are Ella and Iris - they're 7 and 4 in this picture but will be 8 and 5 when we leave in a few months.  They are amazing, resilient and trusting little ladies with indomitable spirit.  

When I stop to reflect a bit on what we've asked of them over the last year or so I'm amazed at how well they've responded.  They have embraced this new path in life with very few misgivings.  We are truly fortunate to have them in this journey with us.

The girls are as different as sisters can be, and will each bring strengths to the team.  Ella is reflective and cautious - she'll be well suited to boatschooling and passage planning, while Iris is boisterous and if not impulsive, certainly fearless, which will come in handy whenever we're in a new anchorage and need to meet our neighbours.  They are our little family, and even though there are times when parenting is the hardest thing we've ever done, I'm sure that we'll lean on them through this trip and learn from them.

We also have our support team at home - all of our friends who have supported us over the past few years and will continue to support our dreams as we move forward and our family who in spite of thinking we're crazy, never told us to stop.  You all know who you are and what you've done to bring this along so to you we say thanks and fair winds.