Looking for a Catamaran Cruising Blog?

If you found this blog via a link from a cruising site ~ we did cruise Mexico on our Ocean 49 cat for a season. See the first text box on the right for links to our preparations, trip down Baja, life in Mexico, cruising and trip back up to SoCal. Unfortunately we are back to the grind in the USA...

Saturday, October 31, 2009

A Quick Glimpse of Halloween

I was pretty much running out of ideas to torment my co-worker Dan.
Did the Hartford Ag pig thing...
Dressed up as Dan the next year.
Had to do something boaty.
Already was a Titanic survivor.
Boaty, boaty, boaty, think.
Uh, what drives us crazy in the harbor these days?

The squid boats.
Lots of them.
Loud.
Making wakes.
Going over the 5 knot rule.
Law! Damn it, it's a law!
Deck lights blaring at 2 am.
Yes... on top of their running lights.
As they are motoring.
So not legal.
You can't tell which way they are going!
Save the squids!
Yes, I know the money they pay to the harbor pays for the dredging.
I know their boats stink to high heaven.
I know this is rated as a "commercial harbor".
But I also know deck lights confuse other boaters.
And there is that 5 knot / no wake rule.
Law! Damn it, it's a law!
So somehow I became a squid.
Just for one weekend.

For yesterday at work.



And tonight in the village.
If Jim lets me...
He is afraid the squidies will catch me with a big net!

Thursday, October 29, 2009

My View on the Thursday Night Before Halloween

We love our view!
Our view made even better by our Halloween lights!
Would someone please clean the isenglass already?So our boat is filthy.
There are hot water heater parts everywhere.
Laundry piled up.
A mess on the counter.
But we have a beautiful view made even better by Halloween lights.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Pink Ribbon Overkill

My sister Elizabeth beat me to it...

I think these companies with the pink ribbons printed all over their products need to also include (alongside that pink ribbon), just what percent of their proceeds go to research.

I don't need any more awareness of it.
It already took my sister Donna, now I need it to go away.

Click here or on my post title above.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Caregivers Sail-a-Thon

Just a few weeks behind in posting what has been going on in our lives.
Stupid jobs get in the way of us having fun and sharing our fun.

We had one busy weekend a couple of weeks back.
What am I saying, every weekend is busy for us.

The day after the Highland Games it was time for the Caregivers Sail-a-Thon.

We weren't quite ready to take "Meerkat" out.
Too many half completed projects.
Too much crap on the boat.
Too lazy to take the crap off.

So we, Chris of "Vela", Jim and I, went on Randy's 42' Hunter.

It took us about a week an hour to get to the starting line, as there was no wind.
Everyone was piled up at the start which made for some fun pictures!












And fun swearwords times squeezing between Andy's boat and the pier."Afterburner" managed to squeeze between our boat and the pier.


I thought they screamed past us, but I have been corrected by one of the "Afterburner" crew.
He said they weren't really screaming past.
But I explained it was all relative.
We were standing still.

Our friends, Colin and Wendy had "Indy" looking great, as always.They are starting the search for a catamaran similar to "Meerkat".
We are shopping for them too.

"Afterburner" screamed wallowed past us again.We slid over the top of a few boats.Thank God.
Got passed by "Burnt Monkey" "Uhambo".Got lapped again by "Afterburner", as they once again squeezed through a slot we didn't think they would fit through.

We had a "celebrity" in our midst.We got lapped by a lot of boats.
We had fun.We raised money for a great charity.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Surrounded by Gangs Clans, Weapons and Scotch

This is one of the "No Signs" at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.
This one I can agree with.
Makes sense to me.
Makes sense to you, right?
Well it doesn't make sense to the Scots.
Nope.
Every single one of them wore their gang clan colors, plaid, name and insignia.
Everywhere.
On their kilts.
Hats.
T-shirts.
Socks.
And in their socks?
A knife.
A weapon.
Oh, but that was prohibited in the sign above the no gang attire sign...
Forgot to get a picture of that one.
And every single one of them had a flask with scotch.
The no alcohol was included in the no weapons sign.
But, hey who was reading.
They were drinking.
And carrying weapons.
In their gang attire.
And it was perfectly acceptable.
Because...
It was the Seaside Highland Games!
Where else do you see the security dudes wearing skirts kilts?And some of these guys?
I can see why way back in the attack days, the Danes and whoever was attacking my homeland got scared.
Between the stern looks and the wailing of the bagpipes...
Would put the fear of Scots in everyone.

















Oh yeah, they even had weapons for sale.And flasks.


And beer.

And Scotch seminars.

And kilts.

And gang clan attire.


Speaking of clan attire, you have the traditional "old" style of gang wear.
Sweaters, knitted hats and a long kilt.And you have the traditional full-on military style.











And now you have the gen-x style...











These are guys to the right...





Same with the hair.
Traditional Scottish hair.The not so traditional Scottish hair.












Traditional Scottish music.Not so traditional Scottish music.Always a blast to listen to The Wicked Tinkers!And watch The Wicked Tinkers drink!













And watch The Wicked Tinkers' groupies!



















And watch the faces the little drum major makes.






Uh, what else?
We do have a sense of humor.
And can make fun of ourselves.











And we have oxymorons.And we have a small world story!
Once upon a time We were anchored at Smugglers a few years back and our friends, Karl, Patrick and Casey on "4-P.A.C.K." were anchored nearby.
At sunset we heard someone playing the bagpipes.
Way, way cool.
So the next day we figured out it was a friend of Karl's, Harold playing the pipes!
He is part of the awesome Los Angeles Pipes & Drums.
He made G-Dock's day by playing for awhile on the dock.
Also, way, way cool.
Well we hadn't seen him in almost 4 years, but we ran into him at the Games last weekend!So between the gangs clans, music, knives dancing, weapons for sale kilts, bagpipes, friends, family, beer, plaids and sheep shopping we had a blast!

Flashbacks...

No I was too young in the 60's... no drug flashbacks.
Hurricane flashbacks.
This doesn't look so good.Hurricane Ick.
Really glad I am not sitting in La Paz in a slip right now.
Which brings me to where I am sitting in a slip.
Ventura.
Going to work.
Work really gets in the way of my blogging.
So behind...

Saturday, October 10, 2009

A Year Ago Today... Hurricane Norbie Prep

Oh gee, what fun we had this day last year.
Yep, launch from the boatyard and Hurricane Prep Day!
Preparing for this:Well you all know it turned out ok and we are still avoiding hurricanes like the plague alive and well living the high life far, far and away from the hurricane zone.
So click on my post title above or anywhere with this color to see just how much fun we had, on this day one year ago...

Thursday, October 1, 2009

We Are Multiplying!

So we actually got up to 4 of the 5 "Clan" boats in our harbor!
"Capricorn Cat" came into Ventura on their way down the coast!
It was awesome to see them motoring in to the harbor...




And great to see their smiling faces!


So two nights of wine, dinner, friends, stories, fun and staying out too late cruising talk.
This on top of "Vela" being here...
Tired.
Need sleep.



Great food prepared by their friends, Bob and Doreen ~ stuffed squash!



Played dress up.


Yes, we are easily amused...




I made the mistake of lending them my car for the day...
Well Ventura has a great downtown, with cool shops, restaurants, wine bars and huge thrift stores.
Wayne and Carol found the thrift stores.
Shopped.
Proceeded to wear their new purchases around town.
Entertained the locals.So off to Mexico they go...
Without us.
Hopefully they will manage to have some fun without us...

Miss you two already!