Shanachie's Crew

Adventure open ocean sailing was a natural progression for Joe. By the time he was working in Samoa, he had already spent nearly twenty years of his life as a seriously passionate rock climber, completing early first and second ascents in Yosemite with other pioneering and well-known rock climbers from Yosemite history during the 50s and 60s. Just before taking the job in Samoa, Joe had been a member of a climbing expedition to a remote region of the Hindu Kush range in the province of Nuristan, Afghanistan. As one of the first two climbing rangers in Yosemite, his well-honed sense of safe, methodical procedure and calculated risk-taking were naturally transferable and valuable blue water sailing skills.

Joe has a wide variety of other interests, but his current and ongoing passions include weather/meteorology, Japanese architecture/gardening, exotic, tropical, and succulent/cactus gardening, history, photography, ocean kayaking and adventure travel. A voracious reader, he will gladly consume several gnarly books a week while cruising. He is a frequent contributor of historical climbing photos and stories to the climbing forum on the website SuperTopo.

[Below, Captain Joe receives early navigational advice from the Admiral (Kali at 10 months old) while sailing to Bora Bora (in the background), 1989.]

Nancy met Joe during one of Shanachie's initial construction phases shortly after the hull had been flipped right side up (see Building: 1979-1981). Having no idea "where boats come from" at the time, the scale of the project was beyond her scope of experience. With an innately curious and adventurous spirit, she quickly learned—and came to love—sailing and the self-sufficient, independent cruising lifestyle. She is a certified advanced open-water diver, and was an avid beach volleyball player for many years before undergoing spine fusion surgery in 2004, nine months before setting sail. Recovery was eventually 100%, but the experience of relearning to walk somewhat cooled her passion for playing the sport. Nonetheless, her enthusiasm as a devoted fan remains strong.

Currently, Nancy's interests include learning watercolor painting, and to hand-code web pages. (This is her first website: a work in progress with improvements to come!) The two pursuits seem to be polar opposites, but she is enjoying the contrast and mental gymnastics required to do both. A background in graphic design and production has helped to level the learning curve, but as always, there is plenty left to learn.

Of things to miss ashore while sailing, playing classical (or any!) piano is top on her list. Learning to play more portable instruments like the mandolin and ukelele is an enjoyable alternative—as long as she is not required to sing solo.

Access her Log page by clicking on her photo above, or, follow Shanachie's progress via her blog site: Musings of a Galley Slave.

Access her 700-page collected recipes book Shanachie's On- & Offshore Recipes for purchase or free download via this private-access link only.

Kali was born in Santa Cruz, California, but at 4 months old, she returned with her parents to Shanachie and lived aboard the boat anchored off the island of Huahine in French Polynesia, while dad worked on a hotel building project there. She later sailed throughout the San Juan Islands in Washington, and off Vancouver Island, British Columbia, until, when Kali was 2, Shanachie was sold in Seattle.

While growing up in Santa Cruz, Kali was an active Junior Lifeguard in the city's summer recreation program, having begun her long Junior Guard career on her 6th birthday; she was chosen to receive the coveted Most Outstanding Junior Guard Girl award twice. She was also an actively involved player on various traveling soccer and club volleyball teams. Some of her fondest childhood memories are the annual private whitewater rafting and kayaking trips she enjoyed together with her family and good adventurous friends on the Salmon (Idaho), Green (Utah), and San Juan Rivers (New Mexico/Utah).

Kali spent most of her junior year in high school sailing over 7,000 miles on Shanachie with her parental units, from Santa Cruz to French Polynesia. She carried a full class load through Laurel Springs School, an accredited distance learning program with the flexibility and the curriculum to handle the exotic schedule and the college aspirations of a blue water sailing teenager.

In June 2006, Kali graduated with the Harbor High Pirates in Santa Cruz. During her senior year, she worked hard to save enough money for her dream 5-week trip to explore Europe during the summer following graduation. Then in September 2006, she began studies as a freshman at UC Santa Cruz.

An accomplished volleyball player (awarded MVP, All-League Senior '06 and All-League Junior '05 Player of the Year), she was recruited to join the UCSC Women's Volleyball team as an outside hitter and... a mighty Fighting Banana Slug. Though still attending UCSC, she has since decided not to continue playing volleyball for the Slugs. She continues to play doubles beach volleyball though, and recently, at her first CBVA tournament in April 2008, earned an A-Rating.