Chasing Rainbows

The Midlife Mermaid
Heather Valdez
Intro
​I have the honor and privilege of being Sailorman Chuck’s daughter. For the last twenty-nine years, I have worked along side my dad at the shop. Most of those years were part-time as my husband and I raised our four sons. For a variety of reasons, five years ago I made the decision to come aboard full-time to co-helm the business.

It's safe to say that the majority of my practical nautical knowledge was acquired on the job. In fact, I've never personally owned a boat. However, thirty years ago, just before my current Sailorman employment began, I departed on a sailing adventure from the Caribbean to the northwest coast of Costa Rica. Naturally my nautical skills developed exponentially, however this six-month voyage taught me far more than knots and points of sail. I like to think of it as my baptism into the marine community. Though the sea time was short by many standards, I was thoroughly doused with experiences many seasoned sailors never encounter. Hitting a whale at sea? Yes. Line handler on a boat going through the Panama Canal? Yup. Invited guest to a Kuna Indian Ritual Ceremony? Again, yes. (Not technically sailing related, but an off the charts amazing experience.) Man overboard in open waters? Unfortunately, yes. Hailing Mayday over the VHF? You can add that to my resume too. Needless to say, the life lessons, confidence, and maturity I gained during my time aboard reached above and beyond those of my soon to come four-year college degree.

Now that my boys are men and embarking on yachting adventures of their own, I decided to dust off the journal I had kept on my journey. Vivid memories etched in my mind by experience gushed forth as I read through the pages penned decades ago. As the thirty-year anniversary of this “rite of passage” approached, I felt inspired to retell the story of my time aboard Aveia. I had purposely written the original journal in a matter-of-fact style, leaving my personal thoughts and emotions out for the most part. Since there was no issue of recollection, I've decided to share insights pertinent to the story. On the other hand, nineteen-year-old me failed to record the some of the details almost fifty-year-old me wished I had, mainly names of ports of call. I've used maps and pictures to piece back together some of the missing information. I venture to guess that sometimes it may be erroneous, but never purposely modified. Furthermore, on occasion the names of people have been changed. It's my hope that you'll enjoy the adventures and lessons that I treasure to this day.

Goodbye Aloha State, Hello S/V Aveia

//
The story begins 30 years ago on on the island of Maui, Hawaii and grows over in the Caribbean on the S/V Aveia. 

Star Beams of Saint Barthelemy

COMING NEXT WEEK:
Adventuring North for French island infusion.​

...Tune in...

//
Follow along the S/V Aveia and all of its glorious experiences at sea.

Let's Get This Thing Started!

Ahoy all of you seafarers. Sailorman has been around for over 45 years and let me tell you, the salty seafaring customers that we've been privileged to meet have had some incredible stories to tell from around this blue planet. It keeps every day interesting. Do you have a story to tell of your adventures at sea? We seafarers love shooting the breeze sharing stories and laughing at the inevitable mishaps and situations we encounter. That's what our Sailorman Chronicle will aim to do and we'd love to have your submissions for our upcoming publications! ​
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR:
Long or short is perfectly good with us
  • Adventures at Sea
  • Short funny stories
  • Funny mishaps
  • Mechanical tips or findings
  • Boat construction
  • Maintenance tips/advice
  • Crew Stories
  • Fishermen stories & local tips
  • Draw us a little doodle
  • Send us your pictures! We'll choose 1 monthly winner!
  • Basically anything marine related

Explorers of the Seas

Grow this story map

VIDEO FEATURES: