One of Richardson Bay’s last anchor-outs mourns the loss of community

Richardson Bay anchor-out Chad Wycliffe holds up a wallet-sized photo of his late girlfriend, Alexandria ‘Sandy’ Rockford Lewis, who died on the Solar Wind in November 2023. (Clara Lu / For the Ark)

WHEN CHAD WYCLIFFE looks out across Richardson Bay, he says he mostly feels bewilderment.

Sitting on the deck of the 45-foot Ingrid sailing boat he calls home, Wycliffe looks out over expanses of empty water. Five boats spread out over the bay bob in the chop where there once were hundreds. While many people on shore regarded the boats as a nuisance, to Wycliffe they meant home and community.

“There was a time when I could walk down the street and there wasn’t a person I couldn’t name by first name,” Wycliffe says, “Now, it’s almost like, where do I live?”

“Not having anyone here, I don’t see much joy in anything anymore,” he says.

Wycliffe’s boat, the Solar Wind, is one of the last liveaboard boats on Richardson Bay. After 40 years of battles and lawsuits, the Richardson Bay Regional Agency, which is responsible for managing the anchorage, has claimed victory in its fight against derelict boats anchored long-term on the bay.

Read the complete story in our e-edition, or SUBSCRIBE NOW for home delivery and access to the digital replica.

Comment on this article on Nextdoor.