Kelcey Chandler-Yates and Jim Yates present...

UnderSeaPhotoVideo.com

Redding Record Searchlight Monthly Article!!

January 26, 2003

The lull of the Christmas season over brings much time for appreciating friendships and doing those things we can’t accomplish on the boat. Glass art is my passion and Jim has spare parts on the brain—that is when he is not ice climbing. The boys are just plain enjoying their friends with movies, basketball games and snowboarding.

Early this month Jim was invited by his brother, who owns Yates Gear here in Redding, to join him for the Ice Climbing competition in Ouray Colorado. Male bonding for sure—days of cold crisp air swinging ice axes and climbing vertical frozen waterfalls. Something thank god we don’t find when sailing in the areas we have chosen! Once back he was back on task completing the web site update as well as finding those spare parts.

Now while Jim spends his days on the computer searching e-bay for boat treasures and Chris and Nick do their studies, I enjoy time in Michele Simple’s glass studio making various objets d'art to use, sell or trade on the boat. Michele, a master in the art of glass gives me an abundance of inspiration as well as a friendship unsurpassed. Back when I was all consumed between children, Jim,  and our chiropractic practice she saved me by nurturing that all important artistic vein. Well into the midnight hours we have for years spent spare moments creating personal masterpieces. How can one thank a friend for saving a part of you which soon would have been lost without them?

As we wander through Redding fighting the traffic which 3 years ago was not present, friendships answer the question of why we came home. Over the years we have been blessed with so many genuine friendships and a wonderful family, it is hard to imagine leaving once again but by months end we will be packed up and ready to continue on our journey. Will we miss land?—not a chance,  but all of you who have made our life a little bit fuller we will carry in our hearts. We will do our best to carry Redding’s spirit to other parts of the world.

Kelcey and Christopher will be leaving to visit family in Florida Feb. 28th. Jim and Nick will join them in LA early in March to visit other family and friends. They return to the boat March 23rd. Anyone interested in visiting the family this summer in French Polynesia can e-mail her at svladystarlight@hotmail.com as they will be doing some limited charter this next year.