Buoyant Thoughts - The Sea Shanti

State of the Shanti, January 2021

It's been so long since I've written anything that I feel flummoxed facing this blank white space. I've abandoned Perilous and Sparks, my mid-century mavens, in...well, it's been so long since I've thought about them that I've forgotten where I left them. India, I think. My [...]
Temporary Land-Lubbers

During the last wave of Gulf-bound tropical depressions, we grabbed our most precious belongings and temporarily moved into a motel on the far side of Biloxi’s back bay. […]
We Are All Always Underway

Just before we began making passage, something sparked my interest in the Huguenot Refuge. I don't know much about my family's heritage, and I've never cared much. I live here and now, and I've never been sure how it benefits me to align with a [...]

Coffee Thoughts on the Waterfront

It finally happened. We dunked the Sea Shanti into the drink, and she didn’t leak. […]

Goodnight, Scofflaw

For the past 19 nights, I’ve slept in the belly of an empty boat about 12 feet off the ground in an isolated shipyard in southern Louisiana. […]

By Autumn|

Eighteen Days on the Hard

That’s five more than last time in case your math wheels are as grease-caked as mine. […]

By Autumn|

Thirteen Days on the Hard

Things did not go as planned. We dropped the boat in the water three times in as many days, and each time, Jack found a hidden leak. […]

By Autumn|

Up a Boat without a Paddle

When I was a kid, Gyo Fujikawa’s book Oh! What a Busy Day was my jam. […]

By Autumn|

It’s Not an Adventure Without a Little Adversity

When I said we were moving onto a boat, I expected there to be more water. Unfortunately, we've dipped our little Sea Shanti in the drink three times in as many days, and each time, we've discovered a new leak. But what can you expect from a $3000 boat that hasn't been afloat [...]

By Autumn|