September 9, 2023 | Leg 7, Day 8.
Coos Bay, Oregon.

I truly believe everything happens for a reason. Coos Bay was not a scheduled port, but our escort vessel Kolea needed to take care of a maintenance issue and what happened next was so unexpected.

As we started heading into the bay through thick fog, we quickly learned there was a Salmon derby going on with boats racing out of the harbor and lining channels, fishing for salmon. We then saw several native canoes participating in a race as part of an annual Salmon Festival.

It was a welcome site to see tug Moana Holo and the team of Sause Brothers welcoming us to our dock space – itʻs always nice to see friendly faces. As Bruce and the crew of Kolea started maintenance, Nainoa and the crew of Hōkūleʻa started researching the weather for departure.

That night we had salmon dinners delivered to us from the Festival, and to our surprise the cook was from Hawaiʻi and was excited to share with us how he cooked the salmon (imu style).

Another day filled with gratitude.

-Mark Ellis