In the wee hours of July 20th...by Catharine

My last illustration....

We just KNEW they were going to arrive in the middle of the night.  We'd been calculating and re-calculating their arrival for days. 

We got the call to head down to the docks around 12:30 am, and from there the phone tree began and we headed down.  We hauled the little ones out of bed, dressed them (and the spouses) in the awesome shirts that Jenn and Roberta made, put on our Aloha gear, and braved the rain.  

At this point the rain wasn't so bad.  And the darkness seemed manageable.  But then we learned that Turnagain was still going to be 1-2 hours away.  There wasn't much point in going back to the hotels to wait, so we roamed around the docks and the Banyan tree in the dark.  Callum sat in the van with Nana and pretended to fly a jet to Hawaii.  Sylvia toured the historical sites and collected a pet rock.  Jenn walked Daylie and Dalton around, trying to get Dalton (a wee 3 months old) to sleep.  Curtis and Julie prepped everything for the boys arrival, and the rest of us just milled about.  

A sleepy Sylvia with her pet rock, waiting
for Turnagain

We got a call that Turnagain had OFFICIALLY crossed the finish line, around 1am.  Curtis was going out by inflatable to deliver beer and help guide them into the dock.  And they'd be here soon!

And then the rains REALLY started.  

I'm talking run-for-your-life-under-cover rains.  

The kind of rain that is SO LOUD you can barely talk to the person next to you and all the gutters are instantly overflowing and there are rivers cascading down the streets.  

And in the torrential downpour Jam arrived at the dock and were greeted by their loved ones.  We all prayed the rains would cease before Turnagain's arrival!

And of course they did.  

All of us with our amazing sign (prepared by
 our greeting crew, watching the boys come in

Approaching the dock.  We hooted and hollered them in!

Enjoying their champagne.  We all got a little
champagne shower to go with our rain shower!

Turnagain all dressed up

After celebrating on the docks we all headed into the Pioneer Inn for a party and feast prepared by Curtis and Julie.  It would be an understatement to say we were all pretty happy to have our guys back!

Pretty awesome way to spend my birthday :)

The Home Stretch

On the home stretch... about 60NM to go as of 6pm Hawaii time, currently going about 8.5kts...which puts them across the finish line around 1am (although the wind seems to be getting light out there), and maybe into Lahaina around 2am?  If we're lucky?  Could be later?  We will see....  But we are all ready with our Aloha shirts whenever the boys arrive!

Here's a little song written by Bruce Tays before the race started (he's a friend of Darin and Travis)

Just sit right back and you will hear a tale
a tale of a fateful trip
that started from the BC port
aboard this sailing ship

The mate was a mighty lumber-man
the Skipper brand and sure
five seaman set sail that day
for a 2 week tour
a 2 week tour

The weather started getting rough
the Turnagain was tossed
if not for the fearless crew
the Turnagain would be lost
the Turnagain would be lost

The ship found ground on the shore of this inhabited Hawaiian Isle
with Darin (Gilligan)
the Skipper too (Travis)
5 other clowns
And there shit stained shorts
Looking to get hammered
Here on Darins (Gilligans) isle