Mission accomplished!
September 27th, 2008 by Kip "Galley Master" JonesWe awoke to misty overcast weather and headed out from Kalinin Bay and after two hours saw Sitka looming on the horizon!!! We contacted the harbor master, were assigned a slip and docked the Geraldine between two big fishing boats; 7,666.4 nautical miles covered through the water on this amazing trip. I was explaining to Raime it is as if we drove to New York, back to San Jose again and then back to New York, all at 7.5 miles an hour! She looked at us like we are crazy and she may have a point!
There was a man pressure washing the dock who helped us tie up and then swished off the starboard side and stern swim step as he worked. The step had been wet for so long these three and a half months it was bright green and is now looking much better. We met the couple across the dock and they quickly offered to get us to the airport Saturday morning and let us use their car to go buy anti-freeze to winterize Geraldine. All the way we have been blessed by such nice people willing to stop and lend us a hand over and over again. It was time for more Peet’s awards!
There was much to be done to get packed up, cleaned up, winterized and thrown out. We worked until after midnight and slept our last night aboard for a while. What a deep sense of joy and satisfaction we have for having had such an adventure. Thirty four vessels under sixty feet have done this trip in history and we know of five more, including us, that made it through the Northwest Passage this summer. We want to thank our crew; Pat, Shane, Skip, Ed, Randy, Jenny, Quinlan, and finally Scott and Raime. Without them we could not have done it. We also want to thank all of you who followed along, encouraging us and praying for us so faithfully. God has been faithful to see us through and watch over us wherever we went, just as He promised. We also want to thank all the people who have been so generous to help us along the way in so many ways. You all gave us the trip of a lifetime and you were able to come along with us through this web site Scott and Randy created and maintained so faithfully.
I am writing this from Los Gatos after having flown home on Saturday. We will be posting the final pictures and there may be some other updates of pictures here and there to complete this record of our journey through the Northwest Passage in the summer of 2008.
September 27th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
A hearty congratulations to team Geraldine. There were more than a few tense moments, so I was grateful to see you face to face and give you a hug tonight! Welcome home!
September 27th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
Welcome home, and congratulations! I’m so proud of my parents! 🙂
September 28th, 2008 at 6:16 am
We have watched your journey through the Northwest Passage. What an adventure! Looking forward to seeing you and hearing more details about the trip. Welcome Home!
Peg and Don
September 28th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Hooray!!! Congratulations and praise be to God for strengthening and growing our faith as we did our ride along with you. Welcome home and I hope the ground stops moving for you soon.
September 28th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Congratulations! Praise God! Welcome Home! Hope you get a chance to rest, decompress, savor the experience, before going on to the “now what?” 🙂 MarcieB.
September 29th, 2008 at 6:11 am
Congratulations Kip and Walt! We have really enjoyed keeping up with your adventure. What an amazing, life-changing journey. We praise God for your safe return and look forward to hearing more about the trip. Looking forward to the cookbook and the opportunity to hear more about the adventure. Welcome Home! Bob and Linda
October 1st, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Congratulations on finishing your journey! I met Becky (Scotts wife) at a friend’s house a couple months ago and showed me your website and told me about your adventrue. I have been following it from time to time to see how it was going. What a fantastic adventure and glad you made it the whole way safe! Best of luck in your future endeavors!
Best,
Lindsay
October 6th, 2008 at 8:06 am
10/6/08 – I said it in the last “comment”, but I say it again : “WELL DONE !!”
I have talked with you both (Walt and Kip) since then, and respect your need to “crash”, and get back to your normal routines.
Randy: if this ever becomes Walt’s Potlatch II, I might contribute to help pay for the time spent by you in its preparation. Talk to me.
I am looking at the added pictures (which are lovely)
All the Best !! Dad
October 8th, 2008 at 7:29 am
Greetings,
Congratulations! Its funny how I SO expected you folks to be successful. I suppose it was the quiet determination that I sensed when I meet you both in Rockland Harbor many moons ago and not necessarily the planning, the refit, the crew etc…
I look forward to seeing Geraldine in San Fran Bay some day!
Regards,
john morin