The Beginning and the Last

By Skipper Krystal:

Coordinates: 39.3210° N, 111.0937° W

Today marks the beginning and the last. The last week to prepare to leave has been a fury of creating ship’s logs, trolling Amazon, and packing our bags. Today the Captain and First Mate set forth to prepare the Northern Star for final departure.

We’ve imagined this moment a lot, with no small amount of exhaustion. After all, we’ve been preparing for much longer than a week. We’ve prepared with sailing books, with GPS, with detailed charts. We’ve prepared our minds with classes and lessons and reading. The Star is prepared with new rigging, a finally fixed transmission, and countless expensive details too exhaustive to record. Prepare, work, think, plan—pay, search, fly, call—we’ve done it all. The Captain and First Mate’s burdens have been especially heavy, held up with a heroic effort and a great deal of faith.

Because the truth is, none of us really knows how it feels to watch the sunset from the bow or lie in our bunks at the fringe of the Pacific. To face into the wind when it cuts across the sea, trusting that the Northern Star will get us through. How will it feel to watch the coast go by knowing it is something we’ve never seen—and likely never will again?

So truly we’ve been chasing a promise these past months. Truthfully without God we would have given up the chase long ago, but after the end of this learning journey before we ever left port, I’m sitting back grateful for the opportunity to sail into the unknown.

I think that is the true beauty of this adventure together. It is beyond our imaginations. Beyond our horizons. But only for now. Because in scarcely ten days the Northern Star breaks free of the marina and turns to the north. To chase a dream, and for God to widen our horizons.

So today, the Captain and First Mate pile in the van and head to La Conner one last time. Alyssa, Jack and I will follow in a little over a week, which makes me deeply happy. This voyage would be nothing without my family to share it with, and I’m so grateful to you all. And really glad you feel the same way. Because what else is a good crew for?

Those of the crew who may not take this maiden voyage with us, there’s new vistas waiting for you too! Because we’re not headed just anywhere. We’re headed to the wild North. And I can’t wait to find out what I’ve been missing. Can you?

Skipper Krystal