2020 - a year of sailing, restoration and change

What a year it has been. The global pandemic has given rise to feelings of isolation and fear among all of us.  In our lifetimes it has never been more difficult, nor more important for keeping our humanity, to remain connected to our families and friends and continue to serve our communities.  We have been blessed with beautiful expressions of kindness and generosity in action throughout the year.  

We began the year with taking veterans from the Veteran Justice Court program sailing off shore on VALIANT to Monterey, experiencing the sheer pleasure of a sunrise at sea and learning coastal navigation and arriving at a new port. 

Next we relocated CLOVER from Svensen's Bay Marine Boatyard to her new home in Glen Cove Marina.  Veterans were at the helm again.

Then the pandemic hit and we were on lockdown.  It wasn't until June when we resumed work on CLOVER, and we began in earnest, setting as a goal a Re-christening event on Veteran's Day.  Each weekend, veterans and their families gathered to strip, scrape, sand, paint and varnish everything on deck, and install hatches, lifelines, cockpit seats, and new upholstery down below.  Boy Scout Troop 10 from Vallejo deserves special mention for all the hard work to reef out and recaulk the main cabintop, resulting in a beautiful watertight cabin!

Finally the day came, and on Veterans Day over 30 friends and supporters came out to re-christen CLOVER and dedicate her to her new mission of serving veterans.  

We have a full plate of work to get ready for CLOVER's first sail in 2021, but we will get there!  We are so grateful to our friends and supporters which include:

- The Shalvey Family
- The Merrill Family
- The Stern Family
- The DeSimone Family
- The Johnson Family
- The Mulcahy Family
- Boy Scout Troop 10
- Rutherford's Boat Shop
- Omega Air Group
- Foss Maritime Company
- Samson Rope
- Jamestown Distributors 
- Jotun Paints
​
​