This past Labor Day weekend marked one year of living aboard our beloved Crescendo. A whole year. Wowsers!
Looking back, we didn’t publish a ton of videos on YouTube or many long-form write-ups on our Blog page, but Nan has been great about capturing those smaller day-to-day moments on our Instagram feed. Sometimes it’s the little snapshots that show the journey best.
This anniversary also lined up with another big milestone: checking off the primary goal we’d been working toward since moving aboard—joining the Coho Ho Ho Rally and sailing from Port Townsend, WA, out the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and down the Pacific coast to San Francisco.
Although the official Rally start was Sunday, August 25 at 6 a.m., each boat chooses its own departure time and route. Some crews left a little earlier or later, some pulled into harbors along the way, and one ambitious boat skipped San Francisco altogether and carried right on toward San Diego.
For us, the adventure began Saturday, August 24 at 6 p.m., when we slipped our lines in Port Townsend—about 12 hours before most of the fleet. Our crew was small but mighty: Nan, myself, and a hired captain, Marc. While Nan and I have done an offshore passage before, this was our first one on our own boat, with all the responsibility riding on our shoulders. As Nan put it, we thought it was smart to “have a grown-up on board” the first time we took Crescendo offshore for multiple days. And honestly, it was a fantastic decision. There was nothing Marc handled that we couldn’t have managed on our own, but his presence made the passage both more comfortable and more educational. We learned a lot from him.
Our first night we motored out the Strait against the wind. About sixteen hours later, we were far enough offshore that the wind shifted onto our beam, and finally—sails up, engine off—we pointed south!
The first couple of days we met confused seas, with swells coming from multiple directions. Combined with following winds on our tail, we spent more time being tossed around than getting comfortable. By mid-passage, things settled down: calmer seas, calmer winds. Calmer than we would have liked, in fact. Without an optimized downwind setup on board, we ended up motoring more than I wanted. Not ideal, but it kept us moving toward San Francisco.
As if on cue, the Pacific gave us a proper finale. Nearing the Bay, the winds filled in again and we killed the motor one last time. To sail under the Golden Gate Bridge, on our own boat, after nearly six days offshore—it was exhilarating. A dream come true.
The days that followed were a mix of boat projects, long-overdue visits with family and friends, and playing the part of San Francisco tourists. Looking back, my overwhelming feeling is gratitude. For Marc, for the supportive camaraderie of the Coho Ho Ho community, for the lifelong friends we’ve made, and most of all—for my adventurous partner and wife, Nan, who continues to make every mile of this journey one worth cherishing.