Adventures

The definition of adventure—more or less—is a risky endeavor with an uncertain outcome.

Adventures are the things that are scary because we don't know what will happen, and exciting for exactly the same reason. They are where the greatest challenges lie, as well as the greatest triumphs. Here are some of my own adventures (and mis-adventures!) in writing, sailing, and life.
Getting to Truth, Through Fiction
Getting to Truth, Through Fiction
Once a seed like your great-great-grand-uncle murdered a bunch of people gets planted, no matter how much you want to ignore it, you're powerless against the enormity of the questions... Read more...
It Takes a Villain to Make a Writer
It Takes a Villain to Make a Writer
I didn’t start out to write a book about a serial killer—never consciously chose the darkest corners of the soul as a neat place to spend years of my life.... Read more...
So... This Came in the Mail Today
So... This Came in the Mail Today
Twenty years in the making, folks. This is what JOY looks like! Wowza. What a journey this has been! Starting with "I'm related to WHOM?" and continuing through all-consuming jobs,... Read more...
2021—Here We Come
2021—Here We Come
You don’t need reminding that 2020 brought a heap of surprises. For the crew of Pristine, the year meant a series of unexpected pivots. Read more...
Sometimes the Real Adventure is Getting Home
Sometimes the Real Adventure is Getting Home
Just ask Ernest Shackleton. True, our Baja Bash didn’t involve icebergs or Southern Ocean storms, but the name of his ship could have been the theme for our more recent... Read more...
Love From La Paz
Love From La Paz
For Colin and I, the tectonic shift of Covid-19 revealed itself slowly, then all at once. We were a week away from departure for the South Pacific when Tonga closed... Read more...
It's Go Time
It's Go Time
Age may be relative, but cruising is a very physical lifestyle. I don’t care how many labor-saving devices you put on a sailboat, you still have to go up and... Read more...
Putting the Awe in Awesome
Putting the Awe in Awesome
It was my first shift of our first night passage in six months and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out what was just ahead. Read more...
Embracing the Butterflies
Embracing the Butterflies
To my knowledge, there’s no official name for the advanced yoga maneuver that involves wedging yourself between the galley and nav station, balancing on one foot and one knee while... Read more...
We Found Pristine Waters
We Found Pristine Waters
We were told that Pristine’s original owner named her after the quest for pristine waters. If so, consider her aims achieved. Colin, Pristine, and I had this bay—and many others... Read more...
Killer Whales in Our Bathtub
Killer Whales in Our Bathtub
It’s a unique experience to wake up, step in the shower, and find a razor-toothed predator. Colin and I live a pretty clean life on Pristine, bathing every morning in... Read more...
“Hard to Port!”
“Hard to Port!”
We’d left Isla Isabel far behind and were in 1500 feet of water, safely far from any obstacles.  So why was that seagull standing on a rock? The binoculars came... Read more...