Here are some photos we have taken since we left Cabo San Lucas. Hover your cursor over the photo for caption.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Cabo to La Paz
Now for the interesting part of the trip....we have seen jumping mini manta rays or some type of rays, flying fish, several marlin jumping and the sportfishers out chasing them. The scenery is beautiful blue water against dry mountainous terrain or low sandy dunes. The breezes out on the water are lovely.
Here are some photos we have taken since we left Cabo San Lucas. Hover your cursor over the photo for caption.
Here are some photos we have taken since we left Cabo San Lucas. Hover your cursor over the photo for caption.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Correction on wave height
So Larry scoffs at my assessment of the wave size the night I was on watch. He says barely 10 to 15 feet. Hmmm. Well, most were 10-15 but those few 20 to 25 were a bit much for me. I am trying to get him to write his assessment of the trip but so far he is not inspired. Once we settle a bit more, I will have him blog a bit. He loved it, said it was benign and admits the first "washer machine" night was bumpy.
As for the Rockstar, he is settling in. The passage was not all that fun for him. If there was no one in a bed to snuggle with, he would find the lowest, calmest, quietest place in the boat and sleep there. His favorite bunk was Dan's bunk. They go way back to Sagacious days (Larry's uncle's boat) when they would sail every Wednesday. Once sailing/racing was over and the engine started Rocky would run to Dan's arms and Dan would hold him up to smell the air. Rocky misses Dan quite a bit at this point.
The Pet Loo, once the sod was placed on it, worked well. Rocky is with the program. He is treated when he uses it. The grass is having a hard time between the salt spray and the dog. We hope we can seed it or find new sod. He wants to use the trampoline but we are discouraging that for cleanliness reasons.
Off to San Jose de los Cabos today (it was closed due to G20 summit when we arrived). One night there then day hopping to La Paz.
As for the Rockstar, he is settling in. The passage was not all that fun for him. If there was no one in a bed to snuggle with, he would find the lowest, calmest, quietest place in the boat and sleep there. His favorite bunk was Dan's bunk. They go way back to Sagacious days (Larry's uncle's boat) when they would sail every Wednesday. Once sailing/racing was over and the engine started Rocky would run to Dan's arms and Dan would hold him up to smell the air. Rocky misses Dan quite a bit at this point.
The Pet Loo, once the sod was placed on it, worked well. Rocky is with the program. He is treated when he uses it. The grass is having a hard time between the salt spray and the dog. We hope we can seed it or find new sod. He wants to use the trampoline but we are discouraging that for cleanliness reasons.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Trip south
On Sunday morning the 10th of June we were finally heading south. George F. and Dan M. joined us to help with watches. About 4am we started the engines and boop! there goes Rocky....jumped right off the boat to the dock and headed to where our truck used to be. George stopped him and handed him back to me. Rocky, after ten days, still does not like the engines much.
Our first stop was Ensenada (12 hours) and their brand new marina called Cruiseport. The team there guided us through four government agencies and the bank to have us four and the boat all checked in and legal. We let no algae grow on the hull. The minute the paperwork was complete, we headed south. Larry's sister Liz had made us scalloped potatoes and ham....dang did that hit the spot!
Put cursor on photos for description:
The first night at sea, oh my, was rough for me and SUPER fun for Larry. I felt like I was in a washer machine and being washed. The waves were taking us and pushing the stern around so not just up and down but right and left. Amazing that I did not get seasick. Just amazing. How could it be????
So Monday at 3pm until Wednesday at around noon, we were on the Pacific Ocean. Tucked into Bahia de los Tortugas for diesel and headed back out to sea once again. In hindsight, a night here might have been prudent for rest.
That night our pal George got really sick. After trying the Imodium we had, water and gatorade, and letting two days pass, his temperature rose. We had just dropped anchor at midnight after three days at sea. Two hours later he took a turn for the worse and the three of us pulled anchor and drove south 5 hours to the next available clinic. I have to say, Dan saw that I needed to learn the chart plotter and few other things and let me take second hand to Larry with him, Dan, there to assist me. What a godsend he was.
The nearest clinic that we could tell was at Port San Carlos far up into Magdelina Bay. Once we negotiated the harbor entrance of Magdelina Bay to arrive at Port San Carlos we called the Port Captain. We asked where to dock in order to get George to the clinic as fast as possible. To my amazement, there on the commercial pier, 20 feet higher than our boat was an ambulance with lights flashing, 10 policeman and pier operators and more. Amazing.
I went with George to the clinic while Dan and Larry anchored off the pier with the boat. Long story short. I scurried from Sun Baby to George for 3 and a half days until he was strong enough to get home via car and plane. Bad bug. Real bad bug. We were quite happy to see him turn the corner on fighting the infection he received. Still don't know where he got it.
The fun part of the story for me is the wonderful people of Port San Carlos that I met. I know half the police force, the entire clinic, all the pier operators, restaurant owners, grocery owners, internet cafe owner....and on and on. It was as if I was in Peace Corps again. Dusty roads, on foot, my not so perfect Spanish.....and the people were SO lovely, so helpful. Larry would take me by dingy each day or twice per day to the pier. But the pier was so far up there.....we found two dilapidated boats that I could manage to get up on and from them climb to the pier (they were pelican poop encrusted and not used----yes---poop theme here---is there ever any other theme????). Once with six bags of laundry, two bags of trash etc. Larry says, " I need to come with you and help!" I said, "No, a woman with all of this is going to get a LOT of help. Drop me off and watch......" and so it went. Men came out of no where....passing the bags from the two pangas over the two dilapidated boats and up to the pier.....THEN......they call me a cab. I love Latin men........they are always help..... :-).
Did I mention that this pier is a very busy working commercial pier? Yes, they fish for sardines and other fish. When the big boats come in, the brown pelican flocks over. After the first trip to the clinic and a full day of watching over George at the clinic and getting him to the hotel, I made my way to the pier. I figured my boat was somewhere near. Thank goodness Larry thought to give me a handheld VHF radio so I could call him and get a ride to boat. Anyway, I am walking the mile or so from the hotel to the pier and I see about 150 pelican flying over the end of the pier where I am headed. For all of those that did not go to PB Junior High......flying birds mean poop on your head. I had had enough of poop that day.......but I made it and God had mercy upon me as I never was hit....in all 6 to 8 trips I made.
Anyway, to get OUT of town without George required another 6 visits to government offices. All offices knew who I was and what the predicament was. The API or Port Authority waived all charges as we were there for sickness reasons. They even drove me for three of the eight legs of trips between offices. (yes, I have lost a bunch of weight.......bring on the bikini!) George however lost more pounds and is seeking medical help in the US now. We wait for news of his total recovery.
So, sailor Beth was to keep 6-9pm watch and 3am to 6am watch on way to Cabo. Well,,,,,,just fine except I kept Larry up with my squealing so he finally took my 6pm to9pm watch. What would you do with 25 foot swells coming up your transom and 20 knot winds???????? This was HIS idea!! :-)
That is why I say AHHHHHHH.....I am in a marina in Cabo. Can we live here? Please?
Love you all...
Our first stop was Ensenada (12 hours) and their brand new marina called Cruiseport. The team there guided us through four government agencies and the bank to have us four and the boat all checked in and legal. We let no algae grow on the hull. The minute the paperwork was complete, we headed south. Larry's sister Liz had made us scalloped potatoes and ham....dang did that hit the spot!
Put cursor on photos for description:
The first night at sea, oh my, was rough for me and SUPER fun for Larry. I felt like I was in a washer machine and being washed. The waves were taking us and pushing the stern around so not just up and down but right and left. Amazing that I did not get seasick. Just amazing. How could it be????
So Monday at 3pm until Wednesday at around noon, we were on the Pacific Ocean. Tucked into Bahia de los Tortugas for diesel and headed back out to sea once again. In hindsight, a night here might have been prudent for rest.
That night our pal George got really sick. After trying the Imodium we had, water and gatorade, and letting two days pass, his temperature rose. We had just dropped anchor at midnight after three days at sea. Two hours later he took a turn for the worse and the three of us pulled anchor and drove south 5 hours to the next available clinic. I have to say, Dan saw that I needed to learn the chart plotter and few other things and let me take second hand to Larry with him, Dan, there to assist me. What a godsend he was.
The nearest clinic that we could tell was at Port San Carlos far up into Magdelina Bay. Once we negotiated the harbor entrance of Magdelina Bay to arrive at Port San Carlos we called the Port Captain. We asked where to dock in order to get George to the clinic as fast as possible. To my amazement, there on the commercial pier, 20 feet higher than our boat was an ambulance with lights flashing, 10 policeman and pier operators and more. Amazing.
I went with George to the clinic while Dan and Larry anchored off the pier with the boat. Long story short. I scurried from Sun Baby to George for 3 and a half days until he was strong enough to get home via car and plane. Bad bug. Real bad bug. We were quite happy to see him turn the corner on fighting the infection he received. Still don't know where he got it.
The fun part of the story for me is the wonderful people of Port San Carlos that I met. I know half the police force, the entire clinic, all the pier operators, restaurant owners, grocery owners, internet cafe owner....and on and on. It was as if I was in Peace Corps again. Dusty roads, on foot, my not so perfect Spanish.....and the people were SO lovely, so helpful. Larry would take me by dingy each day or twice per day to the pier. But the pier was so far up there.....we found two dilapidated boats that I could manage to get up on and from them climb to the pier (they were pelican poop encrusted and not used----yes---poop theme here---is there ever any other theme????). Once with six bags of laundry, two bags of trash etc. Larry says, " I need to come with you and help!" I said, "No, a woman with all of this is going to get a LOT of help. Drop me off and watch......" and so it went. Men came out of no where....passing the bags from the two pangas over the two dilapidated boats and up to the pier.....THEN......they call me a cab. I love Latin men........they are always help..... :-).
Did I mention that this pier is a very busy working commercial pier? Yes, they fish for sardines and other fish. When the big boats come in, the brown pelican flocks over. After the first trip to the clinic and a full day of watching over George at the clinic and getting him to the hotel, I made my way to the pier. I figured my boat was somewhere near. Thank goodness Larry thought to give me a handheld VHF radio so I could call him and get a ride to boat. Anyway, I am walking the mile or so from the hotel to the pier and I see about 150 pelican flying over the end of the pier where I am headed. For all of those that did not go to PB Junior High......flying birds mean poop on your head. I had had enough of poop that day.......but I made it and God had mercy upon me as I never was hit....in all 6 to 8 trips I made.
Anyway, to get OUT of town without George required another 6 visits to government offices. All offices knew who I was and what the predicament was. The API or Port Authority waived all charges as we were there for sickness reasons. They even drove me for three of the eight legs of trips between offices. (yes, I have lost a bunch of weight.......bring on the bikini!) George however lost more pounds and is seeking medical help in the US now. We wait for news of his total recovery.
So, sailor Beth was to keep 6-9pm watch and 3am to 6am watch on way to Cabo. Well,,,,,,just fine except I kept Larry up with my squealing so he finally took my 6pm to9pm watch. What would you do with 25 foot swells coming up your transom and 20 knot winds???????? This was HIS idea!! :-)
That is why I say AHHHHHHH.....I am in a marina in Cabo. Can we live here? Please?
Love you all...
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
That day is finally coming. We are waiting for some parts and one more repair then we will be heading to those southern latitudes next week. This last couple of weeks has allowed us to test out the boat, get comfortable with her, learn the systems, we are now in the serious provisioning stage of preparations.
We took her out on a five day voyage to test systems and see what we did not know. Larry learned a lot about her. The boat is much more complex then our little race boat was. We have a heater, inverter, freezer, refrigerator, solar and its interaction with the batteries and demands of lights and appliances, then you have the two heads and they are electric. The anchor and chain are huge so thank goodness we have an electric windlass to bring the anchor up. And not to mention our trusty engines and the tender. Mechanic says they are the best engines ever made!
This morning we had a radio professional come by to go over and answer questions regarding the single side band radio and VHF. Navigation and the chart plotter is another area I am learning. Larry is proficient at navigation but had a new toy in the chart plotter.
So much to take in and to learn before heading on the adventure. Two crew will join us for the trip down and we will fly them home. This takes to pressure off me to do half of the watches through the night.
Last week our good friend Jean and his son John introduced us to fishing and its gear. Wow. He knows what he is talking about. Fishing is not luck. I have not fished since 1972. However, I was quite lucky....I won all the fish catching prizes at Brian's 8th birthday party in 1970.
Rocky is not adjusting so well. He is convinced that it is not a good idea to potty on the Pet Loo on the fordeck or anywhere else on the boat. So.....we are putting real grass on top of it to try and convince him.
Our next blog will be from Mexico. Bon Voyage!
We took her out on a five day voyage to test systems and see what we did not know. Larry learned a lot about her. The boat is much more complex then our little race boat was. We have a heater, inverter, freezer, refrigerator, solar and its interaction with the batteries and demands of lights and appliances, then you have the two heads and they are electric. The anchor and chain are huge so thank goodness we have an electric windlass to bring the anchor up. And not to mention our trusty engines and the tender. Mechanic says they are the best engines ever made!
This morning we had a radio professional come by to go over and answer questions regarding the single side band radio and VHF. Navigation and the chart plotter is another area I am learning. Larry is proficient at navigation but had a new toy in the chart plotter.
So much to take in and to learn before heading on the adventure. Two crew will join us for the trip down and we will fly them home. This takes to pressure off me to do half of the watches through the night.
Last week our good friend Jean and his son John introduced us to fishing and its gear. Wow. He knows what he is talking about. Fishing is not luck. I have not fished since 1972. However, I was quite lucky....I won all the fish catching prizes at Brian's 8th birthday party in 1970.
Rocky is not adjusting so well. He is convinced that it is not a good idea to potty on the Pet Loo on the fordeck or anywhere else on the boat. So.....we are putting real grass on top of it to try and convince him.
Our next blog will be from Mexico. Bon Voyage!
Friday, April 27, 2012
Found THE boat!
Hellooooooo to our Baby!
Our 'Sun Baby'. Can you believe we move to Florida to find our boat and sail from there yet the best boat we could find was in San Diego?
The boat has passed all surveys to our satisfaction and we are closing soon! Here she is again! I never really thought this day would come..... I am all in now!
She will go into the yard for some maintenance followed by a shake down cruise to Catalina. Then we install some gear (new sail!) Final provisioning then off the Sea of Cortez with its sea life, quiet coves and lapping water against her hulls.
Larry found me the perfect boat. She has been well cared for by her owners and is very comfortable. He is adding a "go fast in light air" sail and I add the food and my projects (quilts, sewing, books). I am about to learn a whole heck of a lot about myself. I expect to find that Peace Corp Volunteer down deep inside again. I never really thought I would have to....but it is the nice quiet life I long for and the ocean life Larry longs for.
Vamos a ver!
Our 'Sun Baby'. Can you believe we move to Florida to find our boat and sail from there yet the best boat we could find was in San Diego?
The boat has passed all surveys to our satisfaction and we are closing soon! Here she is again! I never really thought this day would come..... I am all in now!
She will go into the yard for some maintenance followed by a shake down cruise to Catalina. Then we install some gear (new sail!) Final provisioning then off the Sea of Cortez with its sea life, quiet coves and lapping water against her hulls.
Larry found me the perfect boat. She has been well cared for by her owners and is very comfortable. He is adding a "go fast in light air" sail and I add the food and my projects (quilts, sewing, books). I am about to learn a whole heck of a lot about myself. I expect to find that Peace Corp Volunteer down deep inside again. I never really thought I would have to....but it is the nice quiet life I long for and the ocean life Larry longs for.
Vamos a ver!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
In our move to Florida we found that most boats in the tropics are pretty beat up and would need a few months of work to be ready to cruise or live on. Seeking guidance from our friends back in San Diego we found out they were considering selling their well maintained catamaran. The boat resides in the slip next to our former slip on "I" dock at the club.
After looking at their boat from our boat as we went in and out, or just enjoyed our cockpit after racing, for the last few years....now we will be looking at the world from her decks!
So once again we embarked on a trip to cross this great country of Texas, er, I mean, USA. :-)
We stopped in Fairhope, AL to visit Aunt Dee, Dick and family. Renewing family ties enriches our lives and this visit did not disappoint! We delighted in tales of boating, spearfishing and family history along with meeting my cousin's beautiful young family.
Drum roll please! We arrive to San Diego to survey the boat! Better photos to follow! Could Rocky's Ocean Adventure be upon us??? We even have a new sail on order!
Stay tuned.....cruising within the month?? Can Beth find home at sea? Will she venture past the Sea of Cortez? Can she make it to Panama, the Caribbean and then to Florida? Will Larry go right instead of left, to the Marquesas? The suspense is unending....first, let's have breakfast....
After looking at their boat from our boat as we went in and out, or just enjoyed our cockpit after racing, for the last few years....now we will be looking at the world from her decks!
So once again we embarked on a trip to cross this great country of Texas, er, I mean, USA. :-)
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| Rocky's preferred sleeping location en route is on my co-pilot seat with me, facing backwards on his head rest. |
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| Dinner at sundown--all the gulf seafood you can handle. |
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| 2004 Lagoon Catamaran |
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| All ready for cruising with solar panels, dinghy, water maker and more! |
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| The original owners in Seattle cruised the boat with their small children. Her name is Sun Baby. The name might be going with the sellers...we are working on a name! |
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| Home sweet home. |
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Our North Port, FL rental
Our little rental home in North Port, Florida provides a central location from which to check out boats all over Florida. The place is interesting from a Californian's perspective. The housing tracks have all the infrastructure but are only 0% to 50% built out. The "vacant" lots are forest. Who would have thought forest, not swamp! There are lots of pine trees and sabal palms all supporting millions of squirrels (Squirrel!), rabbits, bald eagles, osprey, spiders and yes, we saw our first snake!
Last night Larry and I took Rocky out back for his evening potty break at the old Inagua Street home in North Port. We stood right on the edge of the concrete in the patio spotlight. Larry and I spoke while we told Rocky to "go potty". Fifteen seconds later Rocky spots a small rabbit not three feet from me on the grass. He chases the poor thing and it runs to my feet! I yell "Woo, Woo!" and continue yelling "woo, woo" for what seemed like minutes. This eventually turned to "Run rabbit run!" as they went around the shed three or four times. Finally, to give the rabbit a break I yelled "Rocky in the house!" before the rabbit was caught.
Lucky rabbit!
Larry just laughed and laughed at me. In hind sight, I think Rocky was pacing the poor thing. He did not really know what to do with it. But the adrenaline was pumping!
Stay tuned...Rocky may be getting his boat soon!
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| Across the street is a vacant lot, home to the Florida ecosystem. |
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| Rocky watching squirrel. |
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| Squirrel watching Rocky. Can you see him atop the dead palm frond? |
Last night Larry and I took Rocky out back for his evening potty break at the old Inagua Street home in North Port. We stood right on the edge of the concrete in the patio spotlight. Larry and I spoke while we told Rocky to "go potty". Fifteen seconds later Rocky spots a small rabbit not three feet from me on the grass. He chases the poor thing and it runs to my feet! I yell "Woo, Woo!" and continue yelling "woo, woo" for what seemed like minutes. This eventually turned to "Run rabbit run!" as they went around the shed three or four times. Finally, to give the rabbit a break I yelled "Rocky in the house!" before the rabbit was caught.
Lucky rabbit!
Larry just laughed and laughed at me. In hind sight, I think Rocky was pacing the poor thing. He did not really know what to do with it. But the adrenaline was pumping!
Stay tuned...Rocky may be getting his boat soon!
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