Thank you

We’ve been working a long time in preparation for this trip, and so many of you kind, generous, smart and talented people have given us your time and care to help us get here. If you are reading this, you have probably contributed to the sea of moral support kindness and generosity that has floated this project. Thank you.

For particular assistance, in no particular order, we offer deep thanks to:
  • After 5 minutes of conversation at the ATM machine, Maureen & Bill invited us to use the showers at their lovely place in Barra de Navidad.
  • Oliver Hickman put in more hours than I can count (luckily he can) getting Debonair ready to cross an ocean. ..and then he crossed it with us.
  • Ryan Schaefer schlepped us around San Jose del Cabo and introduced Arlo to octopus tacos.
  • Tom & Cathy Taliaferro loaned us their car a gave us their friendship in San Diego.
  • Glenn Howe’s seamanship and good humor got us a long way!
  • Laurie Hughes helped Caitlin put up a cornucopia of vegetables for our galley.
  • Joel Welter did a lot of figuring on our behalf, and DEBONAIR is less tender for it.
  • Meg Schwarzman filled our medical kit and our lockers intelligently!
    Arlo & Oliver install new anchor rollers (designed by Oliver, Jason, and JT and welded by Gian).
  • Jen Kowskie drafted our perfect logo.
  • Brett Swope has made his awesome fabrication shop available to produce custom portlight dogs and anchor roller parts.
  • Jonathan Thomas has applied engineering skills and hands-on know-how on DEBONAIR from, literally, stem to stern. That’s a lot of figuring and fitting! JT also picked up our visas from the French consulate, delivered critical toilet parts to us in Ensenada, and made bad puns with us down the coast of Baja.
  • Marissa Viray has done her share of sanding, varnishing, and portlight rehabilitating.
  • Faculty, administration and staff at ACLC and Nea have helped us figure out how to navigate school across a trip that occurs over two school years, thinking outside the box, providing curricular resources, and cheering us on.
  • Michelle Gomez helped us complete our medical kit.
  • Anna McFall made sure we wouldn’t be without books. Whew!
  • Eloise Warren has brought humor to every job, even threading bolts and painting the bottom!
    Marissa cleans up some aluminum portlight frames.
  • John Muir helped Jason figure out new chainplate approaches way back when.
  • Cree Partridge and the Berkeley Marine Center crew went above and beyond to support our ballast, mast, and rigging projects.
  • Linda & Steve Kibler surprised us with enormous support at the boatyard when we were deep in it.
  • Ingrid Ballman, Andrew Kjera, and Marissa Azarra each helped move our mizen mast one way or another across the island of Alameda.
  • Andrea Ruport, Sarah Daon, Suzanne Crawford, Dore Sandoval, Auntie Meg & Mike Wilson, Patty Kim and their families provided endless distraction and care for our Arlo and Alma while we were working on the boat.
  • And Tammy & Dennis Studer took kids for a week at a time during summer haulouts!
  • Carter Cassel and the Alma crew set us up big time to catch big time fish.
  • David Hughes crafted the most beautiful custom teak handrails.
  • Helen and Philip Koch provided key advice on key subjects–satellite communication and charts.
  • The Ruport Family sent us off in style!
  • Shira Shavit made creative arrangements on our behalf.
  • Francoise Ramsay gave us our very inflatable kayak.
  • Rick Whiting helped Jason get DEBONAIR to San Francisco way back when.
  • Daniel Cabrales is taking care of our house and yard in our absence.
    Alma and Eloise thread bolts.
  • Sabine Westerweck & Kevin Good accepted lots packages on our behalf.
  • Mo, Josh Brown, Anton, Steve Hutchinson, Jeff Vallely–woodworkers extraordinaire–applied their skills to DEBONAIR, inside and out.
  • Bob and Luna, Neal, Gian, Jay and Kame Richards, cared for our boat and for us, answering unreasonable numbers of questions along the way.
  • Isabelle, Pierre-Yves, Adrian and Leonie Mazeaud are taking sweet care of our dog in our absence.
  • Despite the uncertainties of it all, Nancy Rucker and Gillian Shaw has each given us unwavering support and encouragement and sent us on our way with such love.
  • Beth and Gary Schwarzman gave us so much of what we draw on each day (see “About Us”), as well as lots of concrete support prior to their deaths–from new stanchions, to wheel covers and homemade chafe guards, to research on dinghies and rigging terminals.

THANK YOU EACH and ALL!