Ahoy, Maties!

Welcome aboard the sailing vessel Shanachie’s website. Here you'll find the story of our U.S. Documented wooden sailboat (originally built and launched in Santa Cruz, California) and some of the adventures she’s had along the way.

Dive in wherever you wish. You can follow the links in the sidebar at left, or, go to the Site Map to get your bearings.

We hope you enjoy the cruise…

Photo: Shanachie anchored off Urupukapuka Island, Bay of Islands, New Zealand

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About Shanachie’s Name

The name “Shanachie” (we pronounce it “shah'-nah-kee”) comes from the traditional “wandering storyteller,” well-known in Irish culture. In days past when life was slower and simpler (though probably not easier), the shanachie wandered the countryside, bringing stories, poems, legends, gossip, information, and even updated geneologies—he carried it all in his head—which usually could be exchanged for a meal, a night’s accommodation, and a wee dram (or perhaps a bit more!). He was often a village’s first source of news from the outside world, long before any modern communication devices existed.

Like many other descendants of long-ago European immigrants, we McKeowns (and a McNiel) feel a special connection with that bit of Irish in us. So, with a wink and a nod of tribute to that fascinating Irish traveler, we’ve named our wandering sailboat Shanachie. (Some say perhaps we’ve also acquired the shanachie's gift of blarney—it’s surely an essential art in the world of wanderers, and we’ve learned to speak it from the best of ’em!)