Baja or Bust

Scarbanger arrives....

2011-03-04T19:31:00.000-08:00

Press ganging is an old navy tradition, in which a group of men would wander around seeking men tor crew aboard their vessels. Many men were impressed to work on British warships, usually by force, sometimes coerced, and always with little or no notice.
After Bonnie’s stories about our trip around Point Conception, I have found that I have had to resort to Press Ganging for crew more often than not. Being pretty much on my own, and with no gang to support me, I depend more on coercion than by force. Usually with a few stories about sailing in the Mexican Riviera, beautiful beaches, fair winds, and the opportunity to crew aboard a yacht, I most often find a crew member or two. It is important that they do not get a chance to talk to previous crew and even better if they arrive at night. Tansi is a very stable vessel that sails well in both light and heavy seas. I spent most of my time and effort making sure that the boat systems are up to standard. As such, she is not the prettiest vessel to grace the seas. Nor does it help when you come down the walkway to the dock and the first boat you see is a new Hunter 44 that probably has more stainless than the total value of my boat.
Garth seems to have taken it all in stride. He has crewed on some pretty hi tech boats but has not overnighted on a passage. As such, it is a new adventure. We did some shopping today for provisions, boat seems to be ready to go, fueled, water, will get some ice first thing then cast off the dock lines....

Kicking back in Bandaras Bay...

2011-02-26T15:02:00.000-08:00

A little day sailing, a little kayaking, a little work on the boat, a little sightseeing, a lot of just hanging around and taking it easy…. We have pretty much gotten into a routine of no routine. We get up in the morning, shower, breakfast, and see what the day has in store.

Ruth and Bain, neighbors from Cochrane are currently in Puerto Vallarta. We spent a few days together so far, day sailing one day and then yesterday we took a trip over to Yelapa. Yelapa is across the bay from La Cruz, not a great anchorage, and was a hippie hangout back in the 60’s and 70’s. “Better a palapa in Yelapa than a condo in Redondo” was an old saying back then.

Today it is still a pretty laid back place but now set up for artisans, has a number of small restaurants, rentals, and bed and breakfasts. The beach is very laid back, not too busy, but just busy enough to keep things interesting. We finished the day in PV with the 4 of us sharing supper.

Took in a swap meet at the marina to see what we could find. Pretty much everyone tries to clean out their boats and get rid of the clutter, only to buy or swap for more from others. I traded a spare kayak paddle and an old boat hook for 2 bottles of wine. We were both pretty happy as he had lost his boat hook and kayak pole over board after not having them very secure. I picked up a few stainless steel bolts that I could use if I get around to some not so urgent repairs….. I have been having a few issues with one of my batteries again. It is not holding a charge and I will have to see if I can get a replacement under warranty. Other than that, standard wear and tear, will tighten up the rigging a bit, might get the bottom cleaned before we go north later next week.

While I putter around on the boat, Nathene has read 2 novels, has been practicing on her keyboard and finished Handel’s Royal Fireworks, etc. Sometimes we cook on board, sometimes we go out for dinner. If I cook, she cleans up, if we go out, she picks the restaurant, and when we go shopping, she even helps carry the stuff she helps me to buy…..

Back to Puerto Vallarta....

2011-02-21T19:20:00.000-08:00

Got back on Feb 14th and checked out Tansi. She was left behind for almost a year, sitting in a private slip. The motor was started occasionally and I had someone clean the bottom several times. We have not had bottom painted since we were in La Paz so it has been about 3 years. In the warm waters, growth on the hull starts sooner and grows quicker. During the summer, the bilge pump failed, or at least the switch did, so the bilge level started to creep up. Fortunately, it was caught in time and we had the pump replaced. But with the hot tropical climate, if the boat gets damp inside, mold starts to grow too. Prior to our arrival, I had someone come clean the inside and outside of the boat so we did not arrive to a big mess. It was worth the few pesos to get it done.

Nathene always refers to Tansi, as my mistress. In some ways, she is right. Tansi needs constant attention, needs me to spend lots of time on her, and needs me to spend lots of money on her just to keep her in reasonable condition. Within a couple of days, after leaving the boat for a year, the engine purrs, the sails are up, and as always, there is a list of things that need to be done.
That is part of the life of being a boat owner. Cruising as a life style has been described as “fixing boats in exotic places”. It is true. On the other hand, people always ask me “what the worst storm we have been in” or “it must be really expensive to own a boat” or “aren’t you afraid of pirates”?
Cruising or sailing is about none of those things. It is more about the adventure, the delights that occur in perhaps just a moment of time that you would never experience elsewhere, or maybe some of the people you meet, their stories, and their lives. It is what I would rather share, much more interesting than the “horror stories”. How many of you have seen the “green flash” that occurs just as the sun sinks down over the horizon on a clear day (my 2 crew members missed it both days)? Or spending 3 hours with a pod of dolphins on a moonless but starry night with phosphorescence plankton glowing as the dolphins stirred it up?

Just after we got to La Cruz, we saw a poster up for a “circus”, 2 performances, just down the dock from us. We went to the first one, and were so delighted, came back for the second performance. A couple from France have been sailing around the world for the last 7 years, performing high wire acts right off their boat as a means of making some money to continue their journeys. Absolutely amazing. They have 2 little girls, both have lived their entire lives on board, travelling the world. Who would have thought of customizing a boat so you could do acrobatics on it… I will try to upload a video later.
We will be spending our time chec king out the sights and day sailing around Bandaras Bay while Nathene is here. Our neighbors, Ruth and Bain, from Cochrane are coming to PV as well and will be spending a few days with us doing what ever….

By the way, if nothing else, it beats the cold and shoveling snow….

Olympic Gold Hockey in Mexico...

2010-03-01T09:32:00.000-08:00

Olympic Hockey has had a big following across Mexico with all the American and Canadian snowbirds that spend the winter, or at least part of the winter here. There were many bars that were offering big screen TV's with Olympic coverage. For any of the Canadian games or the USA games, they had a lot of patrons.

The Canada-USA game was big news for many of the cruisers and condo-ites here. There was shock after the first game and the big loss to the US. Phylo’s bar and grill was pretty much a full house with lots of cheering and jeering. When the US scored the goal that tied the game with 24 seconds left, ½ the crowd groaned and the rest cheered. Lots of tension in the bar as the sudden death OT period started but when Canada scored, the place went nuts.

Canadians were jumping up and down, high 5-ing, the Americans were unusually quiet. After we stood and sang O Canada, there were some polite congratulations but the bar cleared out pretty quick.

The general comment from the Yanks was that we should have won the game anyways because, well hockey is important to Canada and we were the host country afterall….

Kicking back in La Cruz

2010-02-27T18:13:00.000-08:00

Still just kicking back in La Cruz…. Not such a bad life. It is the typical mexican village and has a great pace of life. People are very kind and courteous as well as hard working. While walking in town this morning, we saw people sweeping the dirt streets to make sure they were clean of leaves, etc.

The other day, we tried to move north to Mazatlan. Did the check out with the marina, got the papers done with the Capitana de Puerto, and were off the dock by about 10 am…. Headed west to Punta Mita and found the swells getting larger as we moved west. After we rounded the point and heading north, the swells did not die down as we had hoped. Swells coming into the bay sometimes get larger as the water compresses coming into the bay. In this case, they pretty much stayed the same. With a N-NW wind, we were barely able to hold course to Chacala, which was the next anchorage. After 2 hours, it was getting too rough with 10-12’ troughs so we turned back. We did see some humpback whales and had a pod of dolphins join us for a few minutes. Two of them jumped clear out of the water right beside the boat, and scared the hell out of me. You never have the camera ready for a shot like that. Got back to the dock around 5 pm and went into recovery mode.

Today, we pretty much rested up and looked at our options. The seas are supposed to calm by Sunday with 3’ swells expected along with a westerly wind. We were going to try to move north again on Sunday but we do kind of like it here. Alternatives include putting the boat in dry storage here or looking for a slip, and we found one at a sort of reasonable price. It is little pricier here but on the other hand, the water is warmer and PV is on the edge of some of the best cruising areas in North America, if not the world….

The slip is a private slip at a condo resort so we will have good security, water, power, etc. We can stay on the boat but when we come back, I think we want to move it further south... Barra has some great places on the way down and we might even go further. Water temps are much warmer as we go further south...

Yesterday, in the afternoon, we took a break from the heat and sat in the restaurant overlooking the marina. We had a few cool drinks and watched a dock side rescue. Chester was on the far dock and fell in but could not get out. Panic ensued and the security guards ran down to help. They struggled to pull him out and after significant effort managed to get him back on the dock safe and sound. Chester was very grateful as it was pretty difficult for someone of his size and shape to swim well. He is overweight and has pretty short legs and arms. Once on the dock, he shook pretty hard but let everyone know how much he appreciated the help. It is pretty hard for a beagle-dash-hound cross to swim at the best of times, let alone try to get back on a dock that is 2 feet above the water…..

Secrity has really ramped up here, the Mexican J24 races start soon and the President, the Govenor, and several others are coming in tomorrow. The real big event will be in town at Phillo's restraunt where the Canada-USA showdown is going to happen on the big screen. We will be there.

On the cruiser net this morning, there was a tsunami warning due to the earthquake in Chile. We did see a dip in the water level, then a surge back up again but nothing significant, maybe a 5' change between the low and the peak.... Bottom line, nothing big here.

Heading North....

2010-02-25T07:16:00.000-08:00

The marina has been a buzz of activity with cleaning, trimming and setting up for a big boat show this weekend. There are big pavilions being put up, lots of boats being brought in, internet has improved and they even brought in an ATM machine.
We have had a great time, day sailing, touring around, lazing around, etc. but....

It is time for us to move north, weather window has opened up and we leave this morning….

Will update from Mazatlan!

A Word from the Admiral.....

2010-02-20T17:04:00.000-08:00

Sailors Wife here…since arriving on Monday, we have been to a dock birthday party, had one or two thunderstorms, found a nice little restaurant we hope to return to (Abalon, or something like that…you know, up to the traffic ring, take a right, and go three blocks), set up the keyboard (although I am missing the part that would allow me to practice with headphones, due to “borrowing” it for the studio less than 12 hours before I left – GRRR).

We have been trying to follow the Winter Olympics but only can get updates on the computer, never actually SEE any of it, and establishing that I am the superior player at crib, and that Rick gets lucky at gin rummy. I am onto my third novel, and have discovered that Dramamine does make me sleepy a little, but that the prescription from Dr H does not. What else? Finding I wear out in the heat (the ipod player had a readout of 113 F degrees this afternoon!)…and that I am looking forward to the kayaks tomorrow and the sail to Mazatlan….later next week?

I have been keeping my ears open and writing some of the ideas of the other sailor’s wives, so my song cycle should be ready to get started once we are under sail….or sooner. There is good, and there is bad….should be fun. Till later, Nathene (aka Sailor’s Wife) ps apparently there are TANGO lessons on Sunday afternoons in town!

The Bus to Bucarias….

2010-02-20T16:48:00.000-08:00

We took a bus into Bucarias the other day for more provisions. This bus will also take us into Puerto Vallarta when we go, probably on Monday. Bucarias is a larger town east of La Cruz. It has a larger commercial center plus a major mall. The bus there was pretty nice, air conditioning, and only 8 pesos each. We did our grocery shopping and came back on an old bus with no air, no springs or shocks, no foam in the seats, and most importantly, no or at least very little in the way of brakes. Fortunatly, it was only about a 10 minute ride. We capped the day by going out for dinner with another cruiser couple who were left morning for Barra de Navidad. Many of the boats that were here when we came have left, and many more have arrived.

This morning we got up, had brekkie on the boat, then went day sailing across the bay. There were very few boats out there and it is a big bay. It was a little cloudy with a nice wind, sending us southwards towards Yelapa. (A palapa in Yelapa is better than a condo in Redondo) About half way there, the wind died, the sun came out, and it got pretty warm on the bay. We motored back and sat up in the lounge to cool down and sip a cold one, or two. Saw some whales at a distance blowing and splashing around. We also saw a turtle but did not get any photos.

Tomorrow, we might try our hand kayaking. There are some nice looking little inlets just west of here, that should have some very nice snorkeling and well as tiny secluded beaches.

La Cruz de Huanauxctle

2010-02-20T16:44:00.000-08:00

La Cruz (The Cross) as it is more commonly known is a small fishing village that is now on the edge of significant development and change. It is named after a cross in the center of town made out of a Huanauxctle tree.

In the lower part of the town, between the new highway and the ocean, the streets are all cobble stone and just wide enough to for 2 vehicles (or donkey carts) to squeeze past each other. There are a number of small little stores with a few shelves/pretty low inventory as well as restaurants. The restaurants vary from being larger more focused on touristas to small, little holes in the wall with maybe two tables, a few chairs, and no signs indicating it is a diner vs. a private residence. In the evenings, especially Fridays and Saturdays, the central plaza comes alive with all the locals visiting and kids playing. A walk down the streets is taken with caution to avoid twisting an ankle on the cobble stone or to avoid stepping on a sleeping dog, of which there are many. In the early morning hours, roosters can be heard crowing as everyone seems to have a few chickens. They can be seen on the streets, pecking their way around, or in some cases, on a grill by the sidewalk for a few pesos…..

La Cruz is becoming well known for its music. Local bands, individuals, passer- thru’s, or who-ever, will come down and start jamming or playing either by plan or spontaneity, we can’t really tell. Today, there is large condo development underway all around on the hills above the town as well as a large hotel just commencing at the marina. When the marina was built, there were a number of homes and businesses that lost their direct ocean front views as they filled in the area in front of them. Change is coming, with it, perhaps a better economic future for many, but also at the cost of an older lifestyle which will fade away.

The Move to La Cruz...

2010-02-15T19:10:00.000-08:00

Got up this morning, had another very cold shower in a smelly shower stall. Rather than wait for Nathene to arrive and have to endure the noise, poor security, dirty bathrooms (which are always locked), constant sales opportunities, etc. I decided to move to La Cruz de Huanacaxtle.

Jason and I went by it when we came in, thinking that it was only an anchorage. Last Friday, we found out that there was a new marina there. I contacted the marina they had slips available and I solo sailed over. It took about 2 hours or so, nice light wind right off the nose so I motored for a while. Once clear of the sand bars at the east end of the bay, I turned towards La Cruz and sailed in. Got in around 2 or so (crossed back into Mountain Standard Time), did a quick check in, and caught a taxi to the aeropuerto. Waited for about a ½ hour and Nathene came through the gate. She had a good flight, no problems, other than having to get up at an early hour… The airport taxis charge twice as much as a regular taxi but we were able to go across the street from the airport over a foot bridge which saved us over 200 pesos.

Riviera Nayarit Marina is very much a first class facility. Everything is clean, hot water in the showers, nice capitana’s lounge, internet, etc. and most of all they seem to want to provide a good service. La Cruz itself is a pretty small town, no major stores, so we will be shopping locally and should be doing a lot of walking. There will be a hotel attached to this marina in the future, but for now, it is pretty quiet, more or less what the doctor ordered. I see us kicking back until Nathene gets a little rest and then some day sailing, maybe kayaking, and a little snorkeling. Bandaras Bay has some great day sailing, water is very warm, and there are quite a few whales in the bay as well. Several islands nearby have good anchorages, and should be nice snorkeling.

(Did I mention that the Admrial has arrived?)

Kayaking with Crocodiles

2010-02-13T18:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we went back over to Nuevo Vallarta, specifically to go kayaking in the estuary which is really a pretty neat mangrove swamp ecosystem. There is a lot of development going on in the immediate marina area as more and more luxury homes are built. Which each house, they take out the entire riparian zone and put in cement walls to support their docks. Many of the houses look like they have been abandoned since construction as many of the owners are a long distance away and the tropical climate here means lots of maintenance.

Before we went kayaking we had lunch at the Puerto Vallarta Yacht Club. We had kayaked over to the yacht club leaving the boat over at Nuevo Vallarta Marina. They make a pretty nice rib-eye hamburger, but it needed a few cervesas to wash it down.

Once away from the developed areas, there was an abundance of birds and other wildlife. Crocodile tours kept coming by and were warning us of crocs they saw on shore. I only saw one, about 6’ in length and it slid into the water as soon as it saw us. It seems that the powerboats are ignored but kayaks either scare them into the water, or are potentially a slow moving lunch opportunity. There was lots of bird life, herons, snowy egrets and others that migrate for the winter from Alberta, as well as lots of other species, many which I did not recognize. There were lots of iguanas as well, just sitting in the Mangroves above the water. I saw one, went for a closer look and realized there was at least 5 all hanging in the sun above me.

We motor sailed back, showered and had supper at a little Italian place. Food was OK but we were pretty tired. Back to the boat, wound down and off to bed. Got up early to help Jason find a taxi, once that was a success, I headed back to bed.

I spent the day, crawling around the boat, cleaning and doing a few repairs. Crab and Crusty would be very happy to know that I rewired the running lights. They helped me rework them last year in La Paz just before we left Mazatlan. I ran a new power wire up to the bow lights, so no more concerns. Tired now, will do a quick update and then maybe catch a little of the Olympics. It is a little quieter on the boat now that I am crewless, but it will be all cleaned up for when the Admiral arrives on Monday….

I am starting to have a little problem with identification. My skin is getting darker with the sun I am getting. Both locals and tourists are mistaking me for one of the locals. Most of the tourists ignored me today when I'd say hello as they think I am trying to sell them a timeshare, a fishing trip, etc. On the other hand, the locals look very confused when they start speaking to me in Spanish and I answer "No habla espanol"...

Showering with Gecko's....

2010-02-10T19:50:00.000-08:00

Days often start and end in ways that are quite a bit different than planned…. This was one of them.

The day started quite early with the thrum of diesels up and down the dock beside us as the charter fishing fleet warmed up at about 05:00 hrs to take their charters out for the day. It may have started a little bit earlier actually as there were a number of people up and prepping the boats before they actually started. Once they were gone, we settled back into sleep for several hours and finally got up around 9 am local time. Had a little chat with the marina office and moved slips to the next dock over. Hopefully it will be a little quieter.

Jason was not feeling well this morning…. A few stomach aches, etc. which grew worse and then better as the day went on. Rather than take a chance and go kayaking, he kept a pretty low profile and rested up. I decided it would be a perfect time to deal with my new battery problem. The new battery has crapped out, so I had to find an AutoZone store here in PV. As it turns out, one just opened. I took the dead battery, my sales slip and a taxi to the new store. No problems returning the battery, but none in stock of that type to exchange. There were no refunds, just exchanges was what I figured out between Spanish and English without an interpreter handy. The much more expensive battery was not what I had in mind but with a small discount, lots of grumbling, off I went with the new battery, specific for marine applications. The discount was quickly eaten by the taxi fares. I have found that whenever you add the term “marine” in front of anything the price goes up substantially.

Got back to the marina and Jason was feeling a little better
so we took a walk along the beach front. It was pretty quiet in front of the hotels but they looked like there were a few clients. Saw a man walking with a little boy and girl, and I am pretty sure Jason had a little flash of homesickness.

Came back to the boat and made a nice pasta dinner. Jason tried some of it and promptly heaved it back up to Neptune and associates. He now has the record of getting sicker off of my cooking faster than anyone else who has previously tried it. He could have just given me 2 stars out of 10 or something rather than being so graphic. He is feeling better again though.

The local sales agents along the marina front are starting to get to know us. I think I have stopped and talked with most, introduced myself, shook hands, and I have lots of new friends who are willing to help me with anything for a small fee but also know that I am not buying….

Jason is resting now, which is a good thing. My cooking can sometimes take a while to recover from. I finished up having a cool refreshing shower… with a gecko. Gecko’s are small little lizards that eat insects and are generally considered to be good luck. It was not so lucky for him as the showers here are very cold. In fact, I think we have found the coldest water in Mexico. I caught the poor little guy, warmed him with my hands and let him out the window.

Overall it was not what we planned but still a good day.

Mazatlan to Puerto Vallarta...

2010-02-10T07:37:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay in updating the blog… What a trip, exhausting, but well worth the effort. Left Mazatlan around 10 am Sunday and got into PV about 34 or 35 hours later. We went non-stop, travelled through the night and direct as we could. It was somewhat reminiscent to the trip when Bonnie and I overnighted for the first time along the coast of Big Sur, not quite as magical in some respects but unique in others.
Very little moon light, or at least it was late in rising. It was only a ¼ moon that was waning so the light from it was pretty dim anyways. The night started with clear skies and as darkness spread across the sky and the light from the sun on the horizon faded, the Milky Way light up the sky in a glory of stars and constellations. Not to last for the night though and as we sailed south, you could see approaching cloud blotting out the stars somewhat like black ink spreading across the night sky. Later when the moon did rise, it would appear and then disappear behind the black shadows of clouds not unlike the old horror movies.
Winds were light, as were the seas but we were able to sail or at least motor sail most of the time. This trip we got to fly the gen-naker for a few hours… the most that I have ever used that sail at one time. It is a pretty little kite, white and blue, and stands out for miles I am sure. Pretty much the sail that everyone pictures when they think of sailing…
We passed by Isla Isabella at 4 am in the dark and stayed well away from Tres Maries, an island group with a major penal colony on them. Lots of heavy security and Mexican navel patrols so there was no need for a couple of gringos in a old boat to go and visit.
No dolphins this passage but lots of whales, mostly from a distance, blowing, snorting, breaching, rolling around, and whatever else whales do. They are really pretty cool to watch, even from a distance. During the night, I am sure I heard a couple of snorts close by but could not see anything in the dark. We did see one sea turtle right up close. He never seemed concerned about us, even when we circled to have a quick look. Bandaras Bay is huge, the second largest in North America, and we were headed to the far end. We got into Nuevo Vallarta late, about 8 pm and it was dark. Circled through Paradise Village Marina and could not see any open slips and no security guards answering the radio. At Nuevo Vallarta marina we found no one around as well but were able to settle into an empty slip with the help of another cruiser who looked like he had been there for quite a while working on his boat. The dock space we moored in was actually someone else’s but they were out on charter and not expected back until the next day. In the morning we checked in with Juan the manager. He was very helpful and considerate but could not find a space for us. The whole marina is being rebuilt very slowly and there just was no space. This marina area is built into an estuary, and being on the edge of the tropics, there were lots of birds and very noisy ones early in the morning. There were also lots of signs warning people not to swim in the marina due to crocodiles. There are 28 different crocs known to inhabit the area.
We called Marina Vallerta and moved into a slip here. It is very much touristy, not unlike Cabo with hotel development and stores all around the marina. Quite a bit noiser too, with charter fishing boats starting early in the morning. Much less in services, no internet, one washroom for the entire marina and no keys to get into it…. Just go find a security officer and he will let you in…. have only seen one so far, and he was having a beer with a fishing charter across the way from us…. But it is a secure slip and not to badly priced.
The weather is calling for unsettled weather over the next few days and the chatter on the net is not recommending travel so we will not be going to Barra Navidad this trip. I was really looking forward to it but would rather err on the side of caution. We will spend the next few days checking out the sites and opportunities around PV probably some kayaking tomorrow or the next day….

Leaving for PV.....

2010-02-07T07:56:00.000-08:00

Saturday, went into town for provisions.... Took a bus, walked the beach, over to Mega. Mega is a spanish Superstore. Took a cab back, unloaded everything, stowed, it and tried to go for a test sail... helps if you don't forget to untie the stern line. Damn, that was embarassing....

Sailed out to the islands, one little bug showed up when the chain slipped off the steering gear. We scrambled and put the tiller on. Nice little breeze, out of the NW, got up to 6 knots at one point.
Got back in and cooked supper. Grilled a couple of rib eyes, stir fried some veggies, mixed it all up into some tortilla's, all very good.

This morning we fixed the steering and are now getting ready head south to PV... should take 36-48 hours or so but forecast is for light winds.....

Did any of you know that Black Dog shaves with an angle grinder.... don't mess with him.

You can track us via SPOT on the following link...

https://share.findmespot.com/shared/gogl.jsp?glId=1DPBo1M3FppbqKTkDVaQtJjT3ln81I8XD

password is TansiYotin

Jason "Black Dog" Evans arrives...

2010-02-04T19:59:00.000-08:00

Pretty good day, actually each day just gets better and better....

Caught a ride to Walmart, picked up some Coleman Propane bottles, not cheap, but necessary for the stove and BBQ. Also got some rib eye steaks from a little butcher shop, premium steaks at about 1/3 of Alberta prices... Got a new battery too. It is pretty hard shopping and not knowing the language, but I got the battery that I was looking for, at least I hope so.

Installed it this afternoon, changed out the ground cables as well, they were pretty corroded and may have been part of the problem. Have not started the engine yet but it turns over well.

I was puttering around on the boat and saw Black Dog coming down the gang plank, several hours earlier than I expected, seems his flight was in at 13:00 rather than 15:00. He had a good flight, very smooth...

Why "Black Dog" you ask? Much better crew name than "Ginger Dog" although his and Marnie's dog, Ginger is a nice dog. It's just that Ginger Dog, doesn't quite have the right ring to it..... Comment if you think I am wrong.

Put him right to work, got the sails on, set up the GPS, etc.

Will do some shopping tomorrow, see if I cannot resolve a few electrical issues, and check out the engine. Will be making a list and checking it for possible departure Sunday morning, maybe earlier if all goes really well.

For those of you who have worked with forestry for a few years... you will remember Dennis York. Dennis retired a little while back and is now spending all his winters in Mexico. Caught up with him for a few hours. He is looking better, healthier, and younger than when he retired. Shows you what the good life can do for you.

A better day....

2010-02-03T18:53:00.001-08:00

Rained all night, heavy at times. Rare for this time of year, it is being attributed to El Nino. With no storm sewers, water floods down the roads and reaches up to the axles on vehicles for some long stretches... On the plus side, gave me a chance to check for leaks. Some windows need to be recaulked as do the chain plates. Sun came out in the morning and it turned into a very nice, if not humid day.
Worked on the electrical today. Got the cranking battery to take a full charge, left it on overnight and it was sitting at a full charge this morning. Borrowed a load tester and checked the battery. It seems fine and held the charge without dropping today.
Took apart the grounding system and cleaned all the terminals. Lots of corrosion, may have to replace a battery cable but the bottom line is that the DC system seems to be fine. I will be checking lights, etc. later but the bilge pump is working again and the VHF radio seems fine as well. Got to take the electric pump apart on the head. It seems corroded as well, kind of important to make sure that is working...
Took a trip into town with one of the other cruisers. Checked out batteries at one place but did not have what I wanted, have to bring my spanish phrase book with me. Could not figure out which batteries were deep cycle..... Got some groceries while in town as well. Rum is about 130 pesos for Appleton Special, beer has gone up a bit, 8 Pacifico for 70 pesos, up from 60 last year... One canadian dollar is trading for about 12 pesos at this time.
Got all the laundry done, cleaned and dried out the outdoor cushions. I left them out last night and they were pretty soggy. Also left the genaker outside in its bag and it got pretty wet. I pulled it up the mast to dry out, some of the dye has run, but it is still a pretty blue and white kite.
All in all, a better day today.... much better than a good day at work.

Disaster.....

2010-02-03T06:56:00.000-08:00

First day of the holiday was not too good. Got to the airport, had my first bad experience with West Jet. They had been having problems with the online booking but when I booked in November there did not seem to be an issue. Apparently they had me flying from Edmonton not Calgary. Sort of agreed to disagree, I had to pay extra, and am dealing with it separately.
Got into Mazatlan and was met by Dennis York and his wife. They were kind enough to give me a lift from the airport to the marina. Unfortunatly, his mom has gotten ill and they had to leave the next day. I was hoping to get to see and visit them for at least a few days.
Boat looked good from the outside, lock was corroded and had a tough time opening it up. Once open, my problems really started. There was a couple of inches of water on the floor, batteries were dead and as such, so was the bilge pump.... Solar chargers seem fine though.... grrrrrr. Dennis declined the tour, and headed back to start packing for his trip.
I bailed the boat out and started scrubbing, all evening, and all day yesterday. Got most of the gunk, mildew, etc. out, but with boats, there are always more corners and little storage spots. I think what happened is that the cockpit drains must have plugged and with the heavy rains from a hurricane this fall, it flooded. I am feeling better about it today but there is still lots to do.
Last night, it poured, like you would not believe. Very unusual for this time of year, locals blaming it on El Nino. On the plus side, it gave me a chance to see where the caulking is failing in a couple of windows, etc. as well.
Today I will pick up some new batteries and then start testing systems.... hopefully no damage to radios, DC system, engine, etc.
A real bad day on the boat does not beat a real good day at work, but even bad days on holidays still beat OK days at work.....

Tansi Yotin

2010-01-27T16:59:00.000-08:00

Sometime earlier, I had posted the boat's name as Tansi, which when loosely translated from Cree means "Welcome".

Originally when I bought the boat in Berkeley, I was advised by Transport Canada that I could not register the vessel until I brought it back into Canada. As such I went through a long and painful process registering in California. Since then, I found that I can register the boat in Canada, and started the process.

One quirk with Transport Canada's requirements is that the name chosen for the vessel cannot be the same or similar sounding as another vessel registered in Canada. "Tansi" as it turns out sounded similar to a vessel in eastern Canada named "Tansy".

Rather than naming the boat "Tansi 1" or something like that, I came up with "Tansi Yotin". After some careful consultation with some Cree Elders, I have been told that it is a good name and translates well.

"Tansi Yotin" loosely translated means "Welcome Wind". It is a somewhat fitting name for a sailboat I think.

Basura.....

2008-12-11T08:24:00.000-08:00

Garbage.... I hate it! This is my rant for the day. As we got closer to Mazatlan, we started seeing more garbage floating on the water.

Plastics are the worst. They do not degrade easily and impacts are known to almost 300 species of sea life, there are probably many more. Sea turtles mistake clear plastic bags for jellyfish. Birds swoop down and swallow indigestible shards of plastic and feed thier young the plastic which chokes them or cannot be ingested. The petroleum-based plastics take decades to break down, and as long as they float on the ocean's surface, they can appear as feeding grounds. The animals die because the plastic fills thier stomachs, it does not pass easily and they literally starve to death. They also become entangled, cannot fly or slowly choke.The plastics absorb and release various chemicals creating a stew that will kill wildlife as well. Plankton eat it, fish eat plankton, we eat fish.... get the picture?

There is a new continent forming way out in the South Pacific between San Francsico and Hawaii that has become known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It is a floating island, twice the size of Texas and growing that is made of 80% plastic. It has been formed by an ocean current called the North Pacific Gyre. The surface winds blow the garbage to this central area where the island is forming. 80% is estimated to come from land and 20% from ships at sea.

http://www.vbs.tv/video.php?id=1485308505

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_Garbage_Patch

The Crossing....

2008-12-10T17:46:00.000-08:00

We left La Paz last Tuesday morning at 10 am with light winds which laeted through the night giving us some good sailing and when it slowed down, motor sailing. The little diesel worked like a charm and hummed along, even as the winds got lighter. As a whole, the crossing was uneventful. We pretty much sailed, then motor sailed, sailed again, motor sailed and then finally on the last day, no winds so it was straight motoring. Very light seas, hardly any traffic, no moon as it set early each evening but that made for some very starry nights while on watch. We took 3 hour watches and our turn at the helm. The nights were warm and for the most part, we could do the whole watch in t shirts and shorts. When the diesel wasn't humming along, Crab or Crusty tended to snore a little which was usually a little louder than the diesel.... Had a couple of dolphin encounters which was fun, saw a sea turtle, lots of jelly fish, and a few seals. The dolphins came and left several times, seemed like we were the only show in town. They were probably a little disappointed in that we were doing less than 5 knots and hour and they love to jump in the wake at the front of the boat. Sometimes you could see over a dozen of them right off the bow. We arrived in Mazatlan just before 5 pm, called in to Marina Mazatlan just before closing and were greeted with a "No Problem Sweety". We were given a slip right at closing with a request to do the paper work in the morning. Nice to get into the showers and have a quiet sleep at the slip.

Back to the Islands....

2008-11-30T12:16:00.000-08:00

At least it was back to the islands for me.....

We left on Thursday, Nov 27, and Turkey day in the US. There was a big dinner set up by Club Crusarios. Tickets were on 10 pesos, and 200 were expected. We skipped out and chose to head out to the Islands. Started later than I had hoped, 11 am, and had a nice breeze to start. It soon died and we ended up motoring most of the way. Anchor set by about 4:30 in the same little bay that Nathene and I had anchored in when we had the water pump problem last year. All was well and then a west wind picked up and blew right into the bay making for some pretty big swells. Mike did not like them…. And in the back of my mind, I could hear Nathene saying “make it stop….”. The wind pretty much blew all night. Mike survived but it was pretty hard on him. In the morning we watched “Maranatha” pull anchor and leave with its support boat running around it taking video…
Friday was partly cloudy. We moved to Ensenada Grande, which is really 3 different bays and we anchored in a tight little hole in the south bay. The next bay over has a beach that was rated as one of the top 10 in the world last year. Rod and Mike did a little kayaking and saw all of Ensenada Grande. They both seemed to be quite impressed with the kayaks and are thinking of buying their own. If they do buy them, I should start getting a commission from Advanced Kayaks because that will at least 4 or 5 people who have bought them after trying mine.

I snorkeled in the bay where the boat was anchored. Saw lots of different fish, schools of different species with all colors and hues, some pretty big, lots a sea anemones, etc. Most of them were right along the rocks right next to shore or up against the cliffs. There were schools of larger silver fish that we saw local fishermen catching with nets last year as well but they tended to keep out and away from the rocks and more on the sand in the open water. Saw a few rays laying on the bottom and lots of puffer fish.

Later I kayaked around and saw all 3 bays as well as the nice beach. Took a few pictures and back to the boat, dodging the big motor cruisers that set up in the same bay. “Maranatha” was the big boat in the anchorage on Thursday night, it has been significantly dwarfed. I climbed the hill above the boat and took a few pictures then we cooked up a nice steak supper. Evening spent sitting quietly talking and listening to a local station Rod found. First nice one we’ve had.

The wind picked up after dark and blew pretty much all night. It was bumpy, Mike did better thanks to modern chemistry but I think we were all up several times with a few loud clanks and bumps. The anchor held, we did not move, but I think the loud clumks were either from the anchor chain when it snapped tight or from the boat ladder which was left down and against the rudder.

Breakfast and because of the north wind, we chose not to go further north to check out the sea lion rookery. Instead, we caught the wind and it pushed us into La Paz, sometimes breaking 6.3 knots, which is clipping right along in Tansi!

Tied up to the dock, cleaned up, put things away, and made of list of what worked and didn't work for the next trip out. That will be the crossing, and most likely departure will be Tuesday morning.

Crusty and Crab arrive….

2008-11-29T17:15:00.000-08:00

I’ll let you figure which one is which. I got here Saturday, spent most of the time cleaning the boat and doing some maintenance items. They arrived on Monday after a long, long trip. But it did go well, other than Mike being checked and rechecked by every security guard that laid his/her eyes on him.

Spend the next day or two still on maintenance. Fixed the fuel tank, did not move it back but instead rigged up the old tank under the quarter berth and gave up on the new tank. Looks and works well. Replaced the leaking seals on the water pump on the engine so it is now dry and also replaced the fuel gauge, and it works! What a bonus.

We moved the fridge out from under the table, I find it works great when we are in port and had a hard time leaving it behind. It now sits in under the radio and looks great. That compartment was pretty much filled with junk. Threw some out and stored the rest elsewhere.

When not working on the boat, Boomer would come by and keep Rod and Mike amused. Boomer is one of the colorful individuals that can found around here and lives in the Marina on his boat year round. He gave us a ride into town for groceries and provisions. It was very kind of him to do that. Thursday morning it was cast off and head for the islands. These islands which are a marine sanctuary, of which Isla Espiritos Sanctos, is the largest. They are a unique world class destination.

Kayaking at Ispiritos Santos

2008-10-13T17:23:00.001-07:00

I picked up 2 Advanced Frame Kayaks made by Advanced Elements for use both with the boat in Mexico and at home during the summer. They fold up into a bag the size of a large suitcase and weigh 36 lbs. so they were perfect for us to use and move back and forth when we fly. I checked several forums to see what others thought of them and then bought one to try out. My first trip was down the Bow River. I just got into the current when I spilt the kayak over. Not the kayaks fault, just the operator. It took me a few minutes to get it back over to shore, drained out and then back on the river. They are light in weight, sturdy, and a very responsive craft. After the trip, I came home and ordered the second one.

They are great on the sailboat because they store so easily and handle so well. When inflated, they can lay on the deck and do not interfere with the operation of the boat. Launching them is easy, and we had not problems either getting in or out and back into the boat. I use the swim ladder off of the stern of the boat and ease myself into the kayak or out. We have found them great for getting back and forth to shore or for kicking around the marina or exploring when anchored out. I can see us using the kayaks over the dinghy in many cases.

We sailed out to Ispiritos Santos for a few days, something that I had looked forward to for the whole trip but alas, a perfect trip was not in store for us as we experienced an engine problem. On the way out, the engine quit and inspite of all my efforts could not get it going again. We sailed into a secluded anchorage at the north end of the island and spent the night there, then slowly made it back to La Paz in some very light winds. In between we were able to to a little kayaking which was a welcome relief from the messing around with the diesel.

I picked up the back bone for them which just gives them a little more rigidity. There is a skeg on the stern which helps with tracking. When we left the boat, it was pretty calm but when we returned, a pretty stiff breeze had picked up. The kayaks handled very well and easily took the waves that were just starting to build from shore. Going into the shallows was not a problem as the boats only need a few inches of water to float in. This got me right up to a small island right next to a number of sea birds that were just hanging there with me, quite unconcerned.

We found them great to get around the marina in and used them to tour and look at different boats as well as just to visit with friends. Our long time friends Bob and Cindy came up from Cabo to for a few days with thier truck making it easy to go out for a day trip.

Tan'si

2008-01-24T11:09:00.000-08:00

Tan'si is an 1973 Islander 30 that I bought on ebay from a not for profit society. She had been abandoned at a marina and neglected for about 5 years when I got her. No name on the boat, so we named her "Tan'si".

"Tan'si" is a Northern Cree word that loosely translated, means "Welcome". I worked with a number of northern communities, developed some great friendships with some very good people who are passionate about their language and culture. "Tan'si" is a tribute to those people.

Our boat is not the prettiest vessel to grace the seas at this time, as I have focused most of my efforts on making sure she is a sound vessel. I left her in Berkeley for 2 years and did a lot of work on the boat there. I traveled down 3 or so times a year and spent a couple of weeks at a time working on the boat and also getting to see the Bay area as well as Napa Valley and other places. It was sort of like cruising without leaving the dock.

Tan'si is our toehold into the cruising world. I am not ready to retire yet, so we are limited to a few trips a year and Tan'si gives us a feel for what cruising would be like at a pretty low investment. Also makes for a great holiday at a reasonable cost, even including marina or dry storage fees for the year.

La Paz

2007-12-17T19:53:00.000-08:00

Well, made it back to La Paz. Guess we didn't update the trip from Cabo to La Paz from last spring. It was great but with all things sailing, took a little longer than expected. Nathene arrived and I had pulled the boat back into the Marina for her first night. She thought, sailing is quite nice as we sat in the sheltered marina.

Next night we anchored out in the bay and had an eventful night with steady swells from the pacific rocking the boat."Make it stop" was heard often from Nathene as she tried to adjust to life on the boat that night. Next day we pulled anchor and sailed towards Los Frailes, an anchorage about 40 nautical from Cabo. Nice little bay, named after the rock overlooking the bay that sort of resembles 3 friars hunched over climbing a hill. Saw lots of whales on the way to Los Frailes with beautiful sun and light winds.

As we pulled anchor the next morning some rays starting jumping out of the water. Others just came to the surface and sat there sunning themselves. Really cool. We rounded the point out of the bay just as the wind started to pick up. 4 hours later, we gave up and turned back, a northerner was starting to blow. Northerners are north winds that blow down the Sea of Cortez and usually occur when the Santa Ana winds are blowing in California. This one lasted for 4 days, stranding us in Los Frailes in behind the Friars and secure out of the wind. We were running low on water and I ended up catching a ride into town with "Phil" an expat from California who may still have been trying to avoid the draft or recovering from the last war. Lets say it was an interesting ride on the back roads, dodging 1/2 starved cows will balancing on the back of a 1970 Yamaha 90.

When the winds lightened up, we pushed forward and got to Los Muritos, or "The Dead Men", refering not to dead men, or ghosts, but to the heavy anchors that laid buried in the bay. They used to hold the boats secure back in the mining days. Dinner at a restruant was welcome but we both found it a little uneasy after being on the boat so long.

Next night found us in a small bay north of La Paz, beautiful beach, nice sheltered anchorage, Balandara bay. Did some snorkling and walking on the beach.

La Paz was a welcome sight and we spent 3 days at the marina in pampered luxury before leaving the boat in dry dock and taking the ferry to Mazatlan, the only gringos on board.

Cabo...

2007-09-11T11:23:00.000-07:00

Once Henri and Rob left, I pulled out of the marina and anchored out in front of the beach for a couple of days waiting for Nathene to arrive. It was a little rocky with some swells coming in from the Pacific. Just nice to kick back and soak up some warm sun. Spent a little time walking the beach, getting a few provisions, etc. Used the dinghy to get back and forth from the boat. Should look at getting a kicker as paddling sort of wears on you....
Cabo is not your sleepy little Mexican Village. Lots of noise, parties to all hours, and general tourist slock. Just before catching a shuttle, I overheard this lady going on and on to the waiter about "How your Mexicans are much nicer than our Mexicans...." refering to the locals in Cabo vs the immigrants back home. Talk about rude, do people realize how racist they are?
On Sunday morning, I moved back into the Marina for a night as Nathene was arriving that day. I met her at the airport, we returned and spent that day and the next touring around the Marina and area. Anchored out for Nathene's second night there, lots of rock and roll with the swells. Left early morning for Los Frailes....

Baja has been busted!

2007-03-21T18:27:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

We made it. Got into Cabo San Lucas late last night or early this morning. Left Ensenada at 4:30 pm on March 12th. A late start, after solving some diesel tank problems that I created by removing the old tank because of it's location and a serious venting problem. But in the process, wrecked the new tank..... To quote an old late 60's hippie...."what a bummer!". We fixed it by reverting to old technology and just set up the fuel line to draw from a jerry can. Sounds pretty primative but worked very well.
We had actually arrived on March 10th with some problems of course. Henri Soulodre arrived via Mazatlan to Tijuana then caught a ride to Ensenada. Rob left from Edmonton and we were to meet in Denver to catch the connector to San Diego. My air crew "slept in" and I missed the connection only to arrive several hours later. One bag was lost and caught up with me the next day. The hotel shuttle waited for me with Rob and we drove to Ensenada with no problems. Saw the ship from "Master and Commander" on the way, pretty cool.

It took us 81 hours non-stop from Ensenada to Turtle Bay. Really cold the first night with heavy dew and each watch was freezing. Had one serious mishap that damaged the steering system on the last day. Set up the emergency tiller which worked fine. We were able to fix it in Turtle Bay and were back to wheel steering. The night watches were both a pain and almost wonderous. We were tired, it was cold, sometimes dark with no stars, fog that was so wet it was almost raining, cold and damp, and for this trip no moon at all. But the stars were amazing some nights and we often had dolphin pods around us. We saw constalations that I had not recognized before. During this trip we crossed a very large bay and were about 70 miles out ot sea, nice to see Cedros Island at the far end.
Got into Turtle Bay late on the 4th day out. Welcome to rest the night without having to do watches and steer. The captain grave the crew thier rum rations as per tradition and the crew slept well, secure at anchor with howling winds outside the bay. Toured the town which was really welcome but has been described as "Coyote Ugly". Pretty sad though, we got a little turned around and ended up having a local "tour guide". Miguel attach himself to us and led us around like a mother duck and us following like ducklings. Must have been funny for the locals to see. There were some other boats there, most from the Newport to Ensenada race and returning. Just for the record, while we were not in that race, we managed to place first in our class and first overall in our race to Cabo. We left Turtle Bay with a few more groceries, fair winds, and most importantly, we had showered.
The next stint was to Bahia Santa Maria just north of Mag Bay. We went the most direct route again, crossing a very large open bay putting us well away from shore on the open pacific. Lots of rolling seas, making sleep sometimes difficult. We arrived at Santa Maria just before sunset and anchored in a secure but remote anchorage. Slept well then Henri and I took the dinghy and paddled to shore and walked the beach. Not much to see but nice to get away. Rob kicked back, did a little cleaning and waited for us to get back. A local fisherman stopped in and we bartered for some lobsters. We traded a few hats, some pop, gatorade and 5 bucks for 6 lobsters. We boiled three and grilled three. What a meal!
The last leg took us to Cabo San Lucas, 175 nautical miles, great winds for most of the time, and we made it in just 36 hours. Really glad to see the harbour lights. Cabo was sort of a shock to us, going from dark nights and little human contact to a great big tourist zoo. The marina holds 300 boats, and we are surrounded by fishing boats that would average in cost over $250K. We are bringing down property values big time, but they still are fine taking our money for the slip. Late last night, we toured around Cabo because the marina was rocking with music from the local establishments and we could not have slept anyways. We found a great little taco and buritto stand which made our night. Showers were also most welcome.
Today has been a recovery day, crew resting, touring the beach, etc. a few more rum rations, etc., all in moderation. Tomorrow, Henri and Rob leave for Mazatlan then home, I will leave the marina for a few days and moor outside in the Bay until Nathene arrives Sunday or Monday. Too expensive to stay at this marina which is over 3 times what we were paying in most of Southern California.

Two weeks to go....

2007-02-23T13:36:00.000-08:00

In two more weeks, we start phase II of our trip down the west coast. This time, I will be crewed with Rob, my brother and Henri Soulodrie. Bonnie won't make this trip as she has to work, others who were offered will be sitting back in the snow regretting missing this opportunity. Not to worry, there will be more chances in the future.... but two cold beers on a hot day beats hot rum toddys on a cold day every time.
At this time, the plan is to meet in Ensenada, reprovision, and clean up the boat, then head south to Cabo. Depending on the time frame when we get there, we will cross over to Mazatlan or go north to La Paz.
The biggest problem that I find having a long distance relationship with an older boat is that I am constantly thinking of things to upgrade or repair. Not a problem in itself, but transporting all these items to the boat is the issue. As examples, I picked up a SSB radio (heavy) new fuel bladder (Bulky), and a whisker pole (long). Those are just a few of the items. I'm sure Air Canada is going to be impressed when I go through check in....

Trip Summary

2006-11-14T19:21:00.000-08:00

Tried to make up some maps but it did not work out, will try again later and add them to the summary of the trip.

Just for reference 1 nautical mile = 1.15 miles or 1.85 kilometers. A nautical mile is equivalent to the distance spanned by one minute of arc in latitude; 1,852 meters

Day 1 Saturday, Oct 28, 2006 Left Berkeley in the morning and headed towards the Golden Gate, Winds were light but took us directly to the Gate without having to tack. Once we were beyond the Gate, we headed south to Pillar Point. Winds remained light so we put up the spinnaker, only to have it jump around and pop the halyard shackle, causing the spinnaker to crash down to the deck and water, leaving the halyard at the top of the mast. We arrived quite late and anchored in the Harbour. Nice breakwater, making for a quiet night. 34 Nautical Miles.

Day 2 Sunday, Oct 29th. Got up early to climb the mast and retrieve the halyard then pulled anchor and continued south. Planned on anchoring at Ano Nuevo and arrived late in the afternoon. Swells made for a pretty rocky anchorage and after assessing, we decided to continue southwards and made for Santa Cruz. Got in fairly late, making our way through the bay and into Santa Cruz harbour. 50 Nautical miles.

Day 3 Monday, Oct 30th. Very Pleasant day. Left Santa Cruz after fueling up, and headed south across Monterey Bay. Nice winds, sun, put the spinnaker up for a few hours and enjoyed a great sail and a great sunny day. Arrived in Monterey, which had more sea lions than Sea World. They were everywhere and all barking to let us know they were there. The harbormasters office was very friendly and they set us up in a slip near the office. Shopping near by. We decided to stay an extra day. Walked through Cannery Row on the way for groceries. This was a warehouse area at one time, the center of the fishing industry and the basis for John Stienbecks book "Cannery Row" which eventually was made into a movie. That evening there was a market on one of the nearby streets so we went shopping. Happy Halloween, some scary creatures out there.... 23 Nautical miles.

Day 5 Wednesday, Nov 1. Big two days, decided to make the push for Morro Bay, leaving Monterey and following the coast along Big Sur. Nathene and I had looked at doing the Big Sur Marathon last year so it was neat to look at the route and seen some of the topography. During the night, Bonnie spent much of her time at the wheel in the company of dolphins playing around the boat. I got up and took over and they left me sitting at the wheel in the dark with showers until dawn. We bypassed Simeon Bay, site of the Hurst Castle and made it to Morro Bay late in the afternoon, tying up on the Morro Bay Yacht club dock. Great hospitality! Supper out, and a tour of the local stores in the morning. Another boat had just arrived with a solo japanese sailor who came out of Japan to BC in 41 days and was making his way down the coast. 107 Nautical miles.

Day 7 Friday Nov 3. Fueled up and hung around waiting for the fog to lift. It finally did and we set out in sun only to catch up to the fog later. It rose up to an overcast day, clearing near sunset to start a bad night around Point Conception. Gale force winds, heavy seas, black night, drilling platforms, missle tests, and the US Navy all part of this night. Winds were so strong that they blew the flag for the overboard pole off and it was lost at sea. Anchored in swells at coho anchorage by 0130 hrs. 73 Nautical Miles.

Day 8 Saturday Nov 4. Pulled anchor in sunshine and light winds, setting sail for Santa Barbara. We arrived late again, after dark, and found our way through shallow waters, kelp beds, and into the bay. The harbor patrol did not have any berths left but allowed us to tie up to thier dock for the night. Nice to have power, a beer, and a few nachos. A litttle shopping in the morning but we haqd to leave by 0930 hrs. Chatted with a crew member from "Laura" a little motor yacht that had just come from France via the Panama Canal. Had to go short handed with only a crew of 28, poor guys. 41 Nautical Miles.

Day 9 Sunday Nov 5. Sunny day to Channel Islands. Nice harbour, friendly. Went for supper, showers, landery, and stocked up on some ice. 30 Nautical Miles.

Day 10 Monday Nov 6. A little shopping on the way out of the harbour, and south towards LA, sailing across Santa Monica Bay. Winds picked up for a while making for choppy seas, then the winds lightened up. Phoned various marinas only to be told no slips available, after checking to see what type of boat we had. Not prestegious enough for some, one actually hung up on me. LA was not friendly to us. Ended up in a marina in San Pedro bay. San Pedro bay is a big shipping port with large unloading facilities and lots of activities. 65 Nautical miles.

Day 11 Tuesday Nov 7. Departed early for Oceanside. A pleasant day, a little cooler but nice. Watching out for the big ships and fishermen coming out of the bay, busy place. Down the coast, past Newport beach and the ocean glassing over before the end of the day, arriving just at dark. Friendly place once again. 57 Nautical Miles.

Day 12 Wednesday Nov 8. Making the big push to try to get to Ensenada. Stopped by the navy for another missle test. Lots of traffic on the radio from warships in the area. Ended up coming in late aqain and into Mission Bay. Anchored in a free anchorage, good for 72 hours max. but we were only staying 12 hours. About a 1/2 dozen other boats also anchored there. 31 Nautical miles.

Day 13 Thursday Nov 9, fueled up at about 3.80 a gallon for diesel, wanted to empty the holding tank, but the pump out was broken. Grrr. Headed out, lots of helicopter traffic and we were hailed by a warship wanting us to stay at least 500 yards away as he traversed through to San Diego harbor. At 5 knots, we could not have gotten near him. Several helicopters came over and checked us out. Once we got close to the Mexican border, we started seeing much more wildlife again. Got in to the Coral Hotel and marina early in the morning and were met by Luis from Security. He set us up with a berth and made sure we were comfortable for the night. 65 nautical miles and the end of this trip.

Total distance 576 nautical miles or 662 miles or 1067 Kilometers

Day 14 Friday Nov 10. Spent the day resting and doing paperwork to secure the boat in Mexico.

Day 15 Saturday Nov 11. Cleaning up then back to San Diego to catch the plane home, arriving around 11 pm.

10 years in Mexico

2006-11-10T15:09:00.000-08:00

We got in late last night, or early this morning actually. Fairly good trip from San Diego, started slow with no wind, then it picked up and moved us along. Our inital estimated time of arrival on the GPS was putting us as late as 8:30 this morning, but with the winds, we got in shortly after midnight and secure to a berth by about 1:30 and to bed. What was interesting was that we both noticed a distinct drop off in wildlife sightings when we hit about Santa Monica Bay, then LA, and finally as we got close to the Mexican border, we started seeing more birds, seals and dolphins again. Lots of dolphins chasing around the boat late in the afternoon and through the evening which was great. Very little light until late when the moon rose and brightened things up a bit. Came across a fishing trawler that turned his lights on when we were not far apart. Surprised me a little too much and I veered to avoid him.

I had expected to see more vacant coastline but there were lots of lights on shore, lots of development. There are an estimated 1.5 million american owned homes along the mexican border. Some are primary and commute, some are vacation homes. You can imagine what the Mexican Government feels about the big fence that the US wants to build along the border....

This morning and this afternoon was spent dedicated to paper and I finally got all the paperwork done. Talk about doing the cha-cha! I actually paid the marina to help me with the process. Got mexican insurance, Bluewater insurance neve did get back to me with the quote that they were to provide once I gave them the surveyors report.

Took 5 copies of everything plus the marina staff person, went to the port captains office and to customs and immigration. Get some forms stamped, go to the bank window, pay, come back get more stamps, go to the next window, fill out new forms, go the bank, pay, come back, get stamped, etc. for about 2 hours with the marina guy coaching me and explaining things to the customs and others in spanish. The last thing I had to do was push a button on this big light post. It looked just like a cross walk light with the green and red lights. The light came up green and I was told to "go". If it had come up red, then they had to come and inspect the boat.
At any rate, the boat can now stay in mexico for up to 10 years. We have all of the ownership papers, the registration papers, the immigration papers, and even a few rolls of the cheapest toilet paper Mom could have ever bought when she was in Berkeley with me last fall. But we are good to go!

The boat is secure at the marina here until mid december, (or later if we wanted) when we move it further south. Should be a continuing adventure.

Any one interested in crewing on leg 2?

Ensenada, Mexico

2006-11-10T14:34:00.000-08:00

we made it! i just spent the morning laying by the pool, being attended to by cabana boys. actually, there were no cabana boys-- not even the Offer a drink! you can tell it's the off season.

yesterday started out kind of slow; literally, the winds were against us again and the water was pretty choppy. after awhile though, we were able to turn past point loma and we got a bit of a westerly wind, and actually got some of best, non-storm speeds in! regardless, since we stopped in the north san diego harbour instead of the south one, and still had bad wind for the first part of the day, we only made it in to ensenada last night around... midnight.

that's good though; if we'd stayed at our morning speed, we weren't going to get in until 2pm this afternoon. not so neat.

we're at the "Hotel Coral & Marina", and it's pretty nice. there were 2 guys up at the dock when we came in at midnight who set us up, and we got a 30 foot slip right away, which will be available to keepuntil mom and dad come back in december. it's also pretty ritzy though; apparently there is a law in california that if your boat is out of the country for 90 days of the year, you don't have to pay taxes on it... so there are a LOT of very expensive boats out here. i'm talking of hundreds of massive yachts. sections A-E are all full of them, multiple decks, 100' at least, all gleaming chrome and black paint. dad was pretty nervous last night trying to navigate through them all while trying to find somewhere to dock and get a berth. it's just ridiculous.

so, this is it! tomorrow we get a shuttle to the san diego airport and fly back to sweet calgary with it's -15 + windchill. this trip has been nothing like i've ever experienced, and was a pretty cool little adventure.

enjoy the pictures, and i'll see if dad has anything to say!

destruction! destruction! sorry, a little choir joke there. these things were EVERYWHERE once we passed point conception... massive brutes, too.

yet another incredibly gorgeous sunset

setting sail out of san diego... what a gorgeous morning

dad at the helm

some dolphins that accompanied us across the US/Mexico border

this was the navy ship that kept on eye on us during the missile launch!

a lot of heavies out here; and most of them gave us a fly by. us. the little 30' sailboat. here's one of the sikorskys...

and here's a seahawk.

we were hailed by this one; a US navy warship, telling us not to get too close. that's really all he had to say, not even a thank you. we're definitely not in canada anymore... :-)

berthed at the hotel coral marina

sunset on the sail

San Diego

2006-11-09T07:30:00.000-08:00

this'll have to be QUICK, dad's already pulling anchor to get out of here...

a fun couple of days. LA was mean. we went extra long that dayto get through LA, because no one had ANY slips available... once they found out that we were just a little sailboat. the next day we set out, and were stopped by a navy vessel... because we happened to be passing ANOTHER navy base that was doing a live missile launch! what are the odds! this time we were stopped for an hour and watched the fighter jets fly around and heard the missile launch, it was pretty cool. made it to oceanside 2 nights ago and passed out.

yesterday went from oceanside to san diego. the winds were not in our favour. actually, they went against us the WHOLE time, so did the waves. we wound up being at sea for quite some time, and it was rather unpleasant. very slow going. more naval activity yesterday, this time hearing submarines call ships telling them "don't go forward, i'm off your port bow" and seeing TONS of heavy helicopters flying around. 6 or 7 at once near oceanside.

today, to ensenada? wish us good wind, and another wireless port to track down!

My first update

2006-11-05T18:52:00.000-08:00

This blog is supposed to be by the two of us and Bonnie has been doing all the work.

What a trip so far.. and such a big difference in the weather north and south of Point Conception. I can hardly believe it, but am very thankful for it.

Bonnie wrote a few words about our crossing through Point Conception, also described as the Cape Horn of California. It was by far the worst wind and waves that I have ever experienced, or imagined.

The day started with fog in Morro Bay, then a little sun, so we headed out. Light winds forecast, no worries, should be a smooth crossing. Fog rolled back in, and we used the GPS for all the navigating, taking a wider berth to avoid the shoals and rocks close to shore. The wind finally picked up a bit, the fog lifted and we had good sailing under cloudy skies up to near dark. About then, we got an advisory from the Coast Guard indicating that winds were going to pick up to 15 knots, gusts to 25. At this time, we had gone past the turn point but it did not sound to bad. None of the wind forecasts had reached the forecasted winds yet.

The winds did start to pick up and got quite brisk. We were making great time, with some of the fastest sailing we had this trip. About dark, the winds really started to step up and we rolled in the jib with the furler so that we had about 3/4's out. Still making 6+ knots, when bang, the wind really started to blow hard. Just then, we got another weather update indicating winds to 25 knots, gusting to 35.

Bonnie has proven herself as a great helmsman, stays on tack, good sailor, but the winds were starting to get pretty heavy. I reefed the jib so that we were about 50% and then strapped on the safety tether to my harness and moved onto the deck to reef the main sail. It was rock and roll but Bonnie kept the boat as steady as she could while I put in the reef. This helped a lot but Bonnie had enought and turned the helm over to me.

We continued to move ahead with the seas around us increasing in size and the wind holding steady. The boat held course, by now it's dark and we were trying to take a wide berth around the point to keep away from the rocks, thanks to the GPS. Suddenly the winds really started to blow and I was struggling to hold the helm. Bonnie took the wheel and I furled in all of the jib, then climbed back on to the deck to put a second reef in the main sail. It was like riding a wild bull while getting beat with base ball bats and sprayed with sleet. The boat slammed back and forth with the boom smashing me in the chest at least 5 times, knocking me over at least once, but I was tethered to the boom. After what seemed like forever, I got the second reef in and the boat became more manageable. But the wind continued to scream and howl while the seas continued to rise.

The wind was behind us and the seas were moving with us. The rollers were about 20' high and would come in behind us, pick us up, and push us forward, speeds up to almost 9 knots as we slid back down the wave and into the trough. Each wave, I fought the wheel to keep the boat from broaching and would turn it back ahead at the bottom of the trough. Well ahead of us was a light that was right on our path. As we got closer, we could see it was a drilling platform. I steered us as close to it as I could and came within a 100' of it. We could see the windsock standing straight out, but there was no place for us to pull in. Waves were crashing over the lower level platform. I ducked behind the platform and used it as a break from the wind and waves. It is as large as a small island and gave us a few minutes to catch our breath then carry on. In the wind and waves, I could hear a pod of dolphins following us but I did not have time to look for them or enjoy thier presence.

As we neared the point, I was trying to get us behind the land form to shelter us from the big rolling waves but with the reefed main and no jib, the boat would not turn. We could not have controlled it as well anyways going across the waves. Eventually we got far enough in that the waves started to ease and we continued to be pushed ahead with the wind the double reefed main.

By about 10 or so, we were past the point and headed for shelter at an anchorage called Cojo. Bonnie and I both looked back and saw some sort of light that we thought was a marker buoy that was not on the chart. A few minutes later, it disappeared. Around 11:30, I thought I saw some red flares being fired off near land, so I called the coast guard on the emergency channel. I got an immedate response from a vessel asking us to identify ourselves and were we the vessel off of his port bow. We looke back and saw these light from a patrol vessel. Turned out it was not the coast guard but a navy ship sweeping the area to insure there was no stray traffic in the area because of thier missle tests. We were in a area that was to be closed in a half hour to all except the military. They were having trouble hearing me on the radio because of the wind. After verifying our destination, we were given permission to continue on to Cojo, although I am not sure where else we could have gone. They had not seen the flares but were going to watch for them. A few minutes later, all of thier lights were out, but we know they were watching us pretty close.

As we headed west, the skies cleared, the seas eased, and we whipped along with the reefed main, Bonnie laid down for the last hour, and I woke her as we came into Cojo so she could help me set the anchor. Lots of swells in the anchorage, and the wind continued to howl until just before dawn. I slept little, getting up to make sure the anchor was holding.

Come morning, we pulled the anchor and headed down the coast to Santa Barbara with light winds, gentle seas, sun, and warm enough to wear shorts and t shirts.

Bonnie did a great job in some of the worst conditions I could imagine, and without her help, it might have been a different story. We did discover that there are limits to the effects of dramaline that she takes for motion sickness. The wave height exceeded the forecasted by a long shot and the winds were steady at 35 or greater rather than 25 with gusts to 45 or so.

The safety equipment that I had bought was well worth it, I plan on picking up a few more items, and replacing a few. The new flag that I bought just 1 day before for the overboard pole was torn off or blown off by the wind. I had replaced the radio with a new unit that also shows your gps location when you transmit, which was a great thing. This is how the navy knew it was me off of thier bow. I also got a wireless mic which I can carry with me right at the helm, rather than going inside to talk on the radio, can't imagine what it would be like without it. The GPS we bought also ties into the transducer on the bottom of the boat so it gives us sonar as well as depth and sea temperatures. This has been a big help as well. As a side note, I was amazed at how many fish there were out beyond the point as I was rounding it for the anchorage, not that anyone could be stupid enough to try to fish for them.

In contrast to our night of hell, the last two days have been exactly what I pictured crusing to be about. Sunny, warm, light winds, easy sailing, and all care free. Hard to believe it is all part of the same trip.

Channel Island Harbour, Oxnard, CA

2006-11-05T17:48:00.000-08:00

we're definitely in southern california now. the water temperature has risen 8 degrees since we left berkeley! the sun has been shining, the wind light and brisk, and i'm a lovely shade of orange, which i believe is a combination of sun and wind. neat.

the trip on friday from morro bay was hell. i don't think that i've been been so terrified in my life. we were in the middle of the ocean; no one really knew where we were, where we were going, when we left... we were in the middle of a massive fog bank, and couldn't see land. the weather when we left was... fine. gentle winds at 5-10 knots, kind of choppy water but small swells; what we wound up with? a small craft warning, 45knot winds, and 24 foot swells.

by nightfall, i gave up my duties at the helm. i couldn't control it. the winds were at 30-35 knots, gusting to 45. the waves were white capping, and the boat was "falling" off them from the top-- i don't want to say surfing because that's not what it was. it was scarier than that. at one point, i was holding on the side of the boat and reaching with my feet to push back against something, anything... and there was nothing. we furled the jib and reefed the mainsail to try to antagonize the wind less, which meant that i had to take the wheel again while dad tethered himself to the boom and wrestled with the sail. he was tossed around pretty hard, and i just stood there, fought the wheel, and screamed. that's pretty much all that i could think of to do. i've never felt so ineffectual or powerless in my life.

we were battling our way around point conception, which is notorious for being hard to navigate in good weather, and we were being tossed around like a toy. to make things even cooler, we missed a notice that the coast guard and navy were getting together to do a live missile test in our exact area. at least they knew we were there though; trust me, they were watching our every move from the moment that we contacted them until when we made it around conception.

another big problem we encountered was the fact that we couldn't turn out from our heading enough to make it into a protected harbour. everytime we tried to angle the boat, we were sideswiped by those waves. finally we came up on an offshore oil rig, and got into its lee side... once we had a -bit- of protection, we angled in quickly, and made it to land. we found rough anchorage at a little place called Mojo at 3am, then woke up at 7 when the swells started getting rough again.

Saturday was... completely different. gorgeous. calm. sunny. we made it to Santa Barbara last night, and then sailed in to Oxnard today.

i can't really talk about these last 2 days after friday. there's nothing to say. it was simple, calm, and gentle. we bought some more groceries and have been working on building our appetites up again. so long as there is no repeat of friday, we're looking in really good shape to make it to ensenada by this coming friday friday, ensenada being our new goal for a final destination.

early to bed tonight, i think... we didn't take any on friday since we were a bit preoccupied, but here are a few of the sunset we saw last night.

Morro Bay

2006-11-02T17:18:00.000-08:00

We made it! It only took 28 hours, not 30! Amazing!

It was actually a decent sail. We took the mainsail and the jib out a few times, but they only really benefitted us once, during dad's 2200-0100 shift. We originally planned on doing 2 hour shifts, but there wound up being a half hour overlap for the other person to wake up and make coffee etc etc, so we extended them to 3 hours.

We had a farewell committee of some of our friends, the sea lions...

The first few hours from Monterey out before sunset were really nice. We saw all sorts of ritzy places along the coast, like Carmel by the Sea and Pebble Beach. We may or may not have seen Tiger Woods. Probably not. Ok, I made that up, we just saw people walking on the golf course and assumed that they were big stars.

Dad at Pebble Beach

The Carmelite Convent

Once the sun set, it stayed light enough to see for quite some time. The moon was out, but it was slowly being blocked by clouds. It only really got to be pitch black and kind of rainy by about 2am. Thankfully Dad thought to stop into some stores in Monterey and get us some rain suits... they really did the trick.

So my shift began at 1, Dad got to bed by 1:30, and around 2:15 a whitish grey dolphin decided to dive out of the water about 2 feet away from me. That definitely woke me up. A few minutes later I saw something strange in the water-- it was pitch black Everywhere, but heading directly for me from the West was a double shot of white light underwater. I panicked a little as I had never seen anything like this, and my first thought was "oh my god, its a bomb". Turns out that there's an algae in the water (phosphorescent?) that turns a florescent colour when its disturbed... and what I saw were 2 dolphins swimming towards me and under the boat. Damn, they're FAST! They circled the boat a lot, jumping out of the water Really close to me, then swimming back under the boat, swimming away, playing in the wake... and suddenly they were gone. 20 minutes later, the 2 appeared again... and this time with friends. There were at least 6, but I couldn't really keep tracked, they were moving so fast and in every direction.

They stayed with us until about 4. I woke Dad up a few minutes early when they were all out again so that he could see them-- good thing, because that turned out to be the last time we saw them.

Dad took the 4-7 shift, and was miserable. It started pissing rain, was pitch black (with no dolphins), and he couldn't make out shore anymore. By the time I took over again, we were passing the Piedros Blancas lighthouse...

Yeah... it was pretty dismal out there.

Things cleared up later in the day, Dad woke up and started puttering around, so I napped a fair bit longer than my share. We made it in to Morro Bay by 1530, docked at the Yacht club, and here we are.

Plans for tomorrow; fuel up, and set sail. Don't really know what the plan is. It's going to be another big sail, this next leg takes us around Point Conception, which is apparently pretty rough. We'll be heading for... Santa Barbara? We don't really know yet. Heh.

Enjoy the last few pictures!

Dad driving into Morro Bay...

Bonnie driving with Awesome hair

Morro Rock; it used to be a big abalone reserve, but it became "contaminated"; fascinating how it stands out so massively compared to the nearby mountains, no?

Morro Rock

Docked for the night.

Heading out again...

2006-10-31T19:30:00.000-08:00

... this time for a long haul. The next leg of the trip is from Monterey Bay to Morro Bay. If you've been following on a map, you might notice that this leg is slightly longer than all 3 of our last trips combined.

Dad found a travel journal of some other people who did this trip around the same time of year with a slightly smaller and they did it in about 27 hours. However, they had favourable winds... and guess what, we're getting S-SW winds the entire way, which means we'll be motoring against the wind. Looking at... at Least 30 hours? Closer to... a year? Divine intervention would be swell.

Speaking of swells, I picked up some sea-sickness drugs today.

So, today, dad did some wiring while I stayed in bed and read (an entire book), then dad did some more wiring while I checked the internet. We went out and got more groceries (including some MEAT this time... mmmm...) and then wandered around a nearby farmer's market that, luckily, is only open on Tuesdays. Saw plenty of fun costumes (a lot of goths out here...), and I did a little bit of Christmas shopping. Dad bought a toque for tomorrow's overnighter, and I bought a scarf.

Wish us well. These next few days are going to be tough, and from what I've heard about after Morro Bay, it's an even rougher journey than this next one.

Monterey Bay

2006-10-30T19:28:00.000-08:00

Today was great; we had good winds for pretty much the entire time. Didn't have to use the motor at all except for the last hour to cut across the wind into the bay, and through harbour, which Dad says was like a zoo because of all the seals posing and barking Everywhere (a ton of fishing boats nearby...)

We're going to stay in Monterey Bay tonight and tomorrow for provisions and for me to get a bit more climatized to the boat... although today, I'm very proud to say, I didn't get sick ONCE! The weather was in my favour, it was smooth and calm for most of the day (and no motor bouncing us along the waves).

Anyway, off to dinner! Enjoy the pics...

another smokin' picture; me and our now functional spinnaker sail

The bluffs at Ano Nuevo.

Sunset over the ruins at Ano Nuevo.

One of our circus performers here at Monterey Bay.

Santa Cruz

2006-10-30T09:12:00.000-08:00

So had a poor wind day again... we pulled into Ano Nuevo around 4pm, the midpoint between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz. Apparently there was a nice place to anchor that was protected by rocks... but it was waaaaay too bumpy for me. Which meant we stayed long enough to anchor, close up for the night, have some food, then unpack and set sail again. This time we sailed in the dark; what with the time change the sun had set at 5:15. We made it to Santa Cruz just before midnight, and were asleep by 1. I wasn't much help for the night sail because it turned out that my motion sickness was amplified by the fact that there wasn't anything stable to look at, and each time I got sick I was overcome with chills. Dad wound up sailing it all while I curled up with a sleeping bag and my bucket. Poor dad, he was pretty tired by the time we got here.

Anyway, we docked at the marina, and here we are. At a coffee shop, with free wireless. No pictures this time, sorry!

Yesterday was cool though; we saw some great landscape, plus a few pods of dolphins (from afar), and a lot of elephant seals (apparently Ano Nuevo is "famous for its elephant seal rookeries")... when we were leaving our little bay, one actually followed us for Quite some time; he seemed very curious as to what we were doing.

So today, we might stick around town and provision a bit; get me some SPF 8000 or something for my face and some more food, water, and fuel.

My cell actually has coverage right now, so if you're looking to call, today is the time!

Much love!

Half Moon Bay

2006-10-29T08:49:00.000-08:00

Dad and I made it to Half Moon Bay yesterday-- we wound up leaving around 9:30 and made it here around 6. Sketchy winds slowed us down, along with the fact that I felt the need to throw up every few hours. I don't know how bulemics do it. OH, I'm also the proud new owner of a sunburnt face... except for my sunglasses tan, of course. Very classy. That's pretty much the only place I got any sun, I've been keeping my parka on in the wind...

We looked into getting a berth here at "Pillar Point Marina", but the harbourmaster's office was closed, so we just anchored behind a breaktide and called it a night. Made some pasta (I needed calories!!!) and passed out. Well, I did. I think that Dad stayed up to do some electrical.

Had a problem yesterday with one of the sails; some briefly intense winds just as we were slacking the sheets whipped the spinnaker right out of its clip at the top of the mast... so we put the jib back out, and once we made it to the harbour, i pulled dad up the mast in a harness. tough work, but it all worked out, and the spinnaker is functional again, although slightly damp from being flung into the ocean.

for today, we're either going to try to make it to ano nuevo or santa cruz, depending on how we do wind wise and such. enjoy the pictures below!

dad at the golden gate

bon at the golden gate

half moon bay

dad up the mast

pictures from san francisco

2006-10-27T18:52:00.000-07:00

so i discovered a free wireless provider out here in the marina, built an account, and here i am-- sitting on the deck of the boat (best reception out here) and posting those pictures i mentioned! click on the photo to see it bigger, then click Back to return to the blog.

everytime i see this sign a laugh a little...

here's the san fran skyline + golden gate bridge by day; this was only about a 2 minute walk from the marina, and was right next to the hot dog vendor that has been feeding dad and i lunch (jealous erin?)

sun setting behind the golden gate bridge

dad hard at work; i took this picture about 2 minutes ago when i realized i had internet and could post something online

here i am... hard at work... *cough*

and here's my view... pretty rough, isn't it?

dad wants the computer now, so i'm off! next post from somewhere south of here. heh.

Live From the Berkeley Marine Centre...

2006-10-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

Its me again. Dad seems to have lost interest in posting himself since he knows that I'll do it in the end. You know me and internet.

In the Berkeley Marine Centre, and just bought a bag of boat parts all by myself. Dad gave his usual instructions ("get a pen zinc, and tell them its for... that shaft... they'll know", and between me and 3 people here, we figured it out. Dad's enjoying the ritzy showers at the C dock, as opposed to our homeless-ridden showers at the J dock, and here I am.

I'll try to be a bit more... readable.

Weather has been gorgeous. High 70s to Low 80s... I've been uncomfortably hot outside, even in just a tank top and pants. We have a great view nearby of the San Francisco skyline, and the Golden Gate Bridge-- I took a few really nice pictures of the sunset yesterday. We've been really lucky in that sense.

I got into San Fran on Wednesday night with no problems. Got back to the boat, quick tour (it was dark already), and fell asleep. Up yesterday around 6:30, and off we went. Got a furling jib sail up (Dad thinks that this is pretty neat; I imagine that the coolness of it is lost on me), and did random tasks while Dad disappeared into the belly of the beast. We then drove around the bay area, and got lost in Oakland only once. Jamie, Jessie's friend who lives here, called at that time, asking where we were-- when we said "lost in Oakland", she replied with "oh my god... lock your doors". I later heard on the radio that Oakland alone has had 120 murders this year... JUST OAKLAND. Nuts.

Anyway, we spent a lot of money on boat parts yesterday, and I went grocery shopping. We were trying to get everything done that was a fair ways away because we had to return the rental car to the airport at 9pm... we pushed everything as late as we could, and made it to the airport at 9:03. We weren't charged extra.

We then caught the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transport) from the Airport in South San Francisco all the way back to Berkeley, then cabbed an extra 15 minutes back to the marina. We were both passing out right there on the BART. So sleepy. Literally walked into the boat with my head lamp on, made sure nothing sharp or pointy was in the way, and fell asleep. It was a long, productive day, and we got a LOT done... it was pretty satisfying.

Today we stayed on the boat. Dad was fixing all of the lines in the underbelly, while I was doing detail work on the outside, one project had something to do with cotter pins, and the other involved sanding the old registration off the boat and putting out new one on. We then tackled the fuel lines (and only spilled diesel on the front end of the cabin), and Dad kinda sprained his ankle, but he's still walking on it, and says its fine. You know Dad.

Anyway, tonight we're going to do a general clean up, pack, and plan on setting sail early tomorrow morning. Depending on my skill (or lack thereof) when it comes to boating, we'll either stop in Enseneda (south of San Diego) or go all the way down the peninsula to Cabo. I guess this next little trip will tell all. Wish us luck, and I'll next post when I can!

p.s-- Dad told me how to spell the boat's name: it's "Tan'si", which is Cree for "Welcome". I'll post pictures one day, I promise.

Live from the Calgary Airport...

2006-10-25T17:53:00.000-07:00

Received an e-mail from Dad yesterday that concluded:

"Fell off the boat today. Got wet. --Dad."

I think that he's having fun... :-)

As for me, I'm currently in the fabulous Calgary airport and my flight to San Fran is leaving in just over a half hour. Thought that I'd follow up with my promise of pictures; these are some that my dad took last winter when he went south to get some work done.

Here she is (still not going to try to type the name. Sorry.)

Alright, preboarding is up, time to pack up! The next post will be from California!

Baja bound?!

2006-10-23T12:50:00.000-07:00

This may be a little bit premature given the circumstances, but should my dad, Rick, and I, Bonnie, actually get all the paperwork in in time, we will be sailing Dad's new boat from the Berkley area in San Francisco to Cabo San Lucas. I'll let Dad tell you about the boat itself, as I know very little, and am, in fact, merely going along for the ride. Free labour! What a world!

Dad is in California right now, while I'm completing my shift here in the Crowsnest Pass. Should all the paperwork work out, I'll be joining him on Wednesday night, and we'll set sail on Thursday.

More to come, including a tour of the boat, and her name (I don't know how to spell it, and would hate to curse us by misnaming her. The sea is full of superstition, so I hear).