The next round of adventures begins with our new "floating home" -- designed by Pete Melvin and the Morrelli & Melvin team, and built by Steve Rander and the Schooner Creek Boatworks crew in Portland, Oregon. <== Concept Reality ==> We're late, but we made it!!!  Kiapa's launch slipped to Nov '06, with 'handover' Feb 1st '07.  In early March, we had a delightful cruise downriver to Astoria.  In between fierce winter gales, we enjoyed a quick shakedown sail from Astoria to Puget Sound.   We'll tune & debug for a couple months before heading up the inside passage...