Lobsterman and his adoring fans

Well we’re back onboard ‘Ohana for season two. Becky has done a great job getting you up to speed on what this last summer was like (busy!)

After last winter we came back to find our business on life-support! One morning Becky said almost jokingly, "let’s just sell it all!" A light went on in my head, hmmm…why not?! We didn’t sell it all, but we did take our real estate holdings down from 120 apartments to just over 50. We kept our talented and resourceful manager to oversee all. We also hired an administrator to oversee the books and our personal affairs.

Like our philosophy on the boat, keep it simple; the same has worked for the business. Now things are running smoothly in Alaska and I’m starting to relax a little. Only took about five months! Changing gears has been a real experience and I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to spend these "wonder years" with my little girls and share them with my wife.

I’ve switched from being Mr. Landlord to Mr. Dad. My days now involve home school in the morning and adventuring in the afternoon. Plenty of tasks around the boat to keep me busy in between. Sometimes I actually get a few minutes in the evening to enjoy a glass on wine with my wife while we watch the sun go down. There is also the planning that goes into moving on a pretty regular basis and actually sailing with the gang onboard!

The catamaran decision was an easy one for me. I pestered Beck about them for about five years until I finally got her on one and she was sold. The boat has met all of our expectations and exceeded them. ‘Ohana is comfortable and fast with a lot of storage and places to hide. The kids have their own space and at least a little room to roam around compared to our last boat! They did trade their 1000sq ft playroom for a 6 sq ft space but no complaints so far!

Underway, even in a pretty stiff breeze and sea, she is well mannered and fast. My favorite passage last season was from Eleuthra to the Abacos where we had 20-25 knot winds and 4-6 foot seas. My parents were onboard and the rest of the family of course. We left at a reasonable time of day instead of the usual sunrise and zipped up there doing 10-12 knots all the way. Grandpa sat in the cockpit reading and keeping an eye on me, Grandma was knitting and playing with the kids, Beck was baking cookies, and rooster tails were flying from both hulls. What a ride!

Last year we decided not to do any big projects to the boat and just see how she worked. We came back to the States with a short list of "major upgrades".

First was a bimini top for the cockpit. It was a challenge as the traveler runs the whole back of the cockpit and any support pipes would be a real problem. We settled on a Carrera design counter levered on the cabin top.

It was built by Canvas Designers of Riviera Beach and Parrothead Welding www.canvasdesigners.com . They did a beautiful job. It also has a piece that zips in between the back of the top and the radar arch when we are settled in an anchorage for more than a day!

Second was a new set of sails with the addition of a bowsprit and a reacher. Last year the boat seemed underpowered and needed some more horsepower on the foredeck. We spend most of our time reaching anyway and the sail plan just did not lend itself to a small self tacking jib.

Doyle built the sails and Florida Rigging and Hydraulics www.rigginghydraulics.com built the sprit. All is working well with the small usual problems.