McWilliam Family Completes Circumnavigation

“When we started this cruising season,” reports Chay McWilliam, “our plan was to finish the circumnavigation our family of three started 14 years ago with the 2003 Baja Ha-Ha. We would do that by transiting the Panama Canal, thus crossing our most easterly previous position with our Peterson 46 Esprit.

“But when we arrived in Panama, we learned there was a three-week waiting period before we would be given a transit date, and this didn’t work with our schedule. Jamie needed to be back in Bozeman, Montana, to start his summer internship. So we’ve postponed the Canal transit, for now.”

The McWilliam family — originally from San Diego but currently hailing from Henderson, Nevada — consists of Chay, his wife Katie, and their now-grown son Jamie.

Chay said that even though they were  less than 30 miles from crossing their outbound track, because of the orientation of the Canal, they’re now actually farther west than if they were on the other side of the Canal. "So by one definition, we have ‘gone around the world’, as of May 29.

“At this point we have decided to seriously put Esprit on the market. If she doesn’t sell before the new year, we will either transit the Panama Canal over the Christmas holidays or in March during Jamie’s spring break.”

A big congratulations to the McWilliam family! Another Ha-Ha boat has completed a circumnavigation. If anyone is interested in Esprit, the McWilliam family can be contacted at [email protected].