My parents flew to French Polynesia to come sail with me for the month of October. My parents have been the inspiration for my entire trip, so it was amazing to have them join a part of my adventure. They completed their own circumnavigation over twenty years ago on a tiny Cal-25 sailboat.
I spent the first twelve years of my life living aboard and sailing with my family. My siblings and I were born along the road, so to speak. I will technically complete my first circumnavigation when I reach Fiji- a mere twenty-five or so years later. My mom and dad were able to come to French Polynesia this time around because friends of mine left their boat, Grace, for a few months to fly home.
They generously offered Grace boat to my parents for a month. I sailed from the Tuamotus archipelago down to the Society islands to meet my parents. However, along the way, the wind died, and my engine stopped working; I spent the last twenty hours of my trip drifting with the current towards Moorea at about 1.5 knots.
When I was a mile from the outer reef of the anchorage, my parents motored out in their dinghy and tied alongside my boat. Using the dinghy and outboard, we propelled my boat through the reef pass and tied it up alongside Grace. I guess no matter how old you get or how far you go in life, you’re never far away from a good old-fashioned mom and dad bailout.
