Sailing adventures of Captain Kirk, Heidi, Tosh & Tikka...
Galen Boyd Hackler: February 27, 1951–September 9, 2025 In the beginning… Normandy Park, South Seattle Like most kids from Seattle in that era, Galen Boyd Hackler was born at Swedish Hospital in Seattle, Washington, to Ruth and Vernon Hackler. We were living in a small house in Normandy Park, Washington, just north of Des Moines,…
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Happy Thanksgiving, to our dear family and friends around the globe… we think of you this day and every day, sending so much love and gratitude that you are in our lives. Wishing you wellness, happiness and peace today, and always. The photo above is a family favorite, Sweet Potato Soup recipe we typically make for…
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We had originally planned to visit friends in the Pacific Northwest in late August or early September. It’s been way too long since we’ve been up north, and we miss all of you!! However, Kirk was due for a pacemaker battery replacement, so of course, that had to take precedence. Some of our best PNW…
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If you read our last post, you might recall that this summer we’re caretaking the same comfortable, artsy Mexican home we house-sat last summer, and taking care of Toopy the roof cat. Last summer was lovely with virtually no home repairs. Having lived aboard Due West for the past 23 years, we know all too…
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One of the hardest parts about being an Expat is missing friends and family. So we are grateful for Zoom and the opportunity to see so many of you so often. Although we’ve been in Mexico nearly 10 years already—where have the years gone?!—We have yet to create the same kind of close-knit community we…
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What has Due West and crew been up to this Spring? Never a dull moment aboard Due West that’s for sure. For starters (no pun intended), we had hoped to get out cruising for a couple of months. But best laid plans…the universe apparently had other plans for us this spring… Santa delivered the heavy…
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Dia de los Muertos November 2nd is Día de los Muertos, and this year we created our first-ever Ofrenda (shrine or offering for the Day of the Dead.) This event celebrates those who’ve passed on. We think Disney’s animated movie Coco does an excellent job of explaining this festival, and many of our Mexican friends…
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In mid-October, Kirk held down the fort at Casa Kines and aboard Due West while Heidi took a trip to visit her parents. She also saw one of her favorite cousins, Nan, before she and Erik moved to Germany for a year. We will miss them while they’re away, grateful for Zoom! Tikka did NOT…
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