Willows ~ Labor Day, 2010

Yay!
A three day weekend!
So off to the islands we went.
On a Friday afternoon.
Dummies.
I didn't mind the fog, but I did mind the 25 knots we got just past the rigs.
Broken eggs all down the stairs
Huge, loud BANG!
Uh oh......
What this time?
We blew out our first reef line, which took out a few of the lazyjack lines that were attached to our sailbag.
Crap.
And the main did not want to come down.
Crap!
So Jim had to go up on the cabintop and pull it down, with me driving into the wind and the jib hitting him in the back.
CRAP!
We were doing about 10 knots too, so it was a bummer to lose some of our speed.
But it was GREAT when we got into the lee of the island.
Warm!
SUNNY!
Calm!
Ahhh... the smell of the island.
Two hours from entrance to the point!

Hora feliz with Mike & Wendy from "Bodi".
Spent one night anchored in the calm of Yellowbanks, then headed up the backside towards Willows with "Shining Star" following and "Sweet Lorraine" leaving Albert's to follow.

Dinghy cruise.
Friends.
Dave & Kellie.
Secluded beaches.
Jim & Jean.
Hikes.
Dave & Cherryl.
Drinks.
Two Jims.
Food.
Two Daves.
Bocci ball on the beach!

Rolly nights.
"Shining Star" moved into the inner anchorage.
"Sweet Lorraine" came over for happy hours.
Dinner on "Shining Star".
Dinner on "Meerkat.
Sunshine!

A driveby of "Carlina".
Dolphins on the way home.
Calm, just amazingly calm on Monday.

Next?
A nine day trip ~ hopefully making it to San Miguel and Santa Rosa!

Adios "Vamonos"

So all the ex-G Dockers.
Current G-dockers ~ is anyone left there?
F or even H-dockers...
Remember Bob on "Vamonos"?
I lovingly called him "Old Man Bob"?
Walked with a cane?
Eventually graduated to a walker.
Talked as loud as full volume at a surround sound movie theater?
Which made us all talk that loud so he could hear...
Remember "Vamonos"?
When Old Man Bob left the dock for greener babes at the old folks home, the boat was sold to someone who was going to give her a face lift.
An interior lift.
A rigging lift.
A new life.
Well, the someone passed her along to someone else.
Who offed it to someone else.
Who offed it onto us.
Who is offing it into the recycle bin.
Keel goes to the lead factory.Or somewhere.
Where ever lead goes.
The once pretty hull.
The once fast hull.
Sits on her belly.Awaiting the next incision.
Cutting away her mast.
Her boom.
Her winches.
Her rails.
Her soul...

Thanks Suzie!

We had a friend who bought a boat named "Thanks Larry".
The guy he bought it from made his gazillions from working at Oracle.
So the "Thanks Larry" was to Larry Ellison, Mr. Oracle.
Cause they all made gazillions...

I'm thinking of naming something "Thanks For Nothing Bill".
Because not only did my nice Canon printer not work with Windows 7,000,000, but neither did my nice Canon scanner.
Or the fun photo software that came with the Canon products.

So had to buy a new printer and scanner.
Any nice fun software come with it?
You know the kind to add text and handwriting to my maps and Google Earth pics?
What about simple cropping?
Nope.
Nada.
Zilch.
Nothing.

So... no cropping.
No text.
No handwriting...
No color correcting.
Boring!
Red eyes abound.

But thanks to Suzie, she told me about a downloadable, FREE software!
Photofiltre.com
So back to some cropping.
Adding text.
Drawing arrows.
Back to being able to wish people happy birthday on dopey pics on spacebook.
And back to monkeying around with pics to figure out just what this software is capable of.

So here's to you Suzie!













Just having a little fun!

Everything Including The Kitchen Galley Sink!

It is absolutely amazing what makes a liveaboard or cruiser happy.
Things like new toilets.
New sailcovers.
Or in my case this week:
A new galley sink!
Wheeee doggies!Yep, a sink.

But a boat sink is different than a house sink.
For a house sink you hop in the suv and motor on over to Lowe's.
Seventeen different choices.
All that fit.
All reasonably priced.
Have holes pre-cut for faucets.
Takes about 10 minutes to install.
No big deal.

For an overpriced, incredibly hard to find a boat sink?
Takes about three years to research and find the correct size.
Oh yay ~ they do make one in the way weird odd size!
You have to order from the local marine chandlery.
Wait for arrival.
Have friend, Stan come assist.
Find odd parts.
Strange sized stainless screws.
Drill all new holes for the four or soon to be five faucets / soap dispensers.
Why five?
Fresh water big faucet.
Fresh hose water filtered faucet for drinking.
Dedicated water maker tank foot pump.
Salt water foot pump.
Cool dish soap dispenser gift from Apple and Little Lovely Lucy Lowe.
All afternoon project.
The wife is happy.

Why is the wife happy?
Larger sinks!
Deeper sinks!
Stainless steel ~ no more stained from coffee grounds and red wine dregs white sink.

And for all the friends who have washed dishes over here and ended up with wet bellies?
Come on over and try it!

Ooohhhh... can't wait to get new head sinks...

Foggy Ventura "Meerkat"... a Destination

Guest after guest.
It's all good though!
I was thinking it was Ventura that was everyone's summer destination.
Suzie told me it was us the people are coming to see.

So next?
Chuck, Laura and critters Ethan, Aidan & Sydney came from Utah.
They came a few years back and spent the night on the boat.
Kids thought that was great!

This time?
Hotel, but a visit on the boat.Sometimes kids running amok on the boat frightens me.
Or makes me drink.
And sometimes it makes me think seriously of kidnapping.Chuck and Laura are doing an amazing job of raising these kids.
Really.
They listen.
They know who is boss.
They do as they are told.
They are polite.
They are smart.
They are way funny.
They know when to be funny and when to behave.
Did I mention cute?It was really great to see them and catch up with them.
Chuck was one of my neighbor pals back in my Port Hueneme Beach volleyball & bike riding days.
Wow ~ friends for 22 years!So two nights of fun.
Two dinners out.
Two nights of being entertained and coming up with means of kidnapping.So...
"Motel Meerkat"...
Once again ready!

Back to Back Prisoners Trips ~ Second Time with Brett & Terri

Brett & Terri can come out on our boat anytime.
Look what they showed up with:The scary part?
They came with two ice chests...

Some things not to be posted on myface spacebook facebook.
Such as full ice chests.
And pigeon removal.Pigeon removal from the inside of my boat.
Yes, inside.
Apparently he flew into the rigging, bounced off of the bimini and down a hatch.
Let's just say, there will be no more flying for this flying rat pigeon.
Thanks Brett!

A Friday night at the dock with us getting to know Terri.For all of you ex-C-dockers and family, Brett is Doug's brother.
Doug of "Doug, Melissa & Brock".
Who are now Doug and Shannon.
Melissa and Lee.
And Brock is now 20...

A Saturday morning departure.
Calm and flat once again!
Dolphins on the way.Same stuff.
Fishing, hiking, beer, wine, food, blah, blah, blah.
Only this time insurance clients / friends joined us on their boats!
"Enchanted Sol" & "Blue Aweigh"!And "Blue Aweigh" was Mexico pals in addition to being Ventura pals.

Uh what else?
Brett wore a girl's backpack.Terri found Carmen Alberta's friend (long story ~ see some old boring post from IDK, maybe September of 2008?)!Hike to the Guard Shack.
Whoa deja vu...
And yes, Ranger Timmy it's still the Guard Shack.

Found a usage for the round thing on the corner.
It's a BAR!A little high for some of us, but usable.

Saw a couple of these little guys again!They walked right past us.
I guess we are less threatening than wild pigs?

Posed for a dork picture with our friends!
Brett, Mike, Lisa, Heather, Jim, Cyndi & Bruce.

Brett went for a little pee walk.Um, what else?
Dinner, wine, stories, laughter.
And halibut!Another great trip with fun friends and awesome weather.

Brett & Terri ~ Thanks for making the drive up, making the time to be with us and contributing to our refrigerator so well!

The Outer Anchorage at Tenacatita ~ Never the Same Again...

Well, that "one particular harbor" to Suzie...
The best birthday boogie boarding beach to me...
The beach with the kick-ass homemade mezcal for Alan...
The hepatitis-giving palapa for Suzie...
The perfect palapa filled beach with famous fish rolls for all...
The easy swim or kayak in from the boat beach...
The best garlic shrimp ever...Is no more.
The palapas.
The two small tiendas.
The food and drinks.
The kind and friendly people.
The roll your dinghy up the road, across the beach, into the surf to avoid the entrance to the estuary.
The hard working people.
The destination.
The birthday cake providing family.
The homes.
The businesses.
Is no more.

For story at Lectronic Latitude click here.

Prisoners with Julianne & Nathan

Time for another island trip!
Wash the sheets.
Vacuum.
Buy too much food.
But too much wine.
Possibly not enough beer...
Get a little diesel.
And go!

Cousin Julianne and her son Nathan came up on a Thursday night.
Then we made the mistake of trying to cram all the catching up into that particular night.
Not so good for Jim the next morning...
A little lot slow.

We ended up backing out of the slip around 8:15 and headed to Prisoners.
It was beautiful!
Calm, flat, full of dolphins.

And the only boat at Prisoners!
The guys headed off to the fishing grounds.
And came back with this!
Nathan's first halibut.

The girls talked.
Read.
Napped?

And we did the typical usual Prisoners stuff.
Hiked to the guard shack.Trespassed onto Nature Nazi land.
Sorry, Ranger Timmy, Park Detective, but this is the guard shack!
Not the lookout.
The guard shack.
We figured we have been going to the guard shack longer than Ranger Timmy has been alive, so we will go with our name.
Long story...
But yes, Ranger Timmy we know how to use a toilet and don't carry loaded guns.

Saw island foxes!Not one, but two!
And not very timid, but quite curious.
And knew it was behind a fence...

Did I mention we were the only boat in the anchorage?Well at least until dusk...
And the hoardes came in the next day.

And the next day?
We did a toast to Delaina and Stavros on their one year wedding anniversary!Any excuse, right?


More fishing!
More catching!
More blood in the dinghy!
More cleaning!
More slime and goo on the deck!
More fish.

Dave and Cherryl came out on their boat, so dinner on "Meerkat.
A really late dinner...
I think we set a record ~ 10 pm or some horrid time?

Pictures with the cousins.


















More hiking.
Well... we had to get cell service somehow!

Absolutely beautiful, flat calm fog crap overcast sick of our weather with awesome views out over the channel!Another great weekend.
Great fun.
Great guests.
Great time.
Love my cousins!

Computer Burial At Sea

Dying computer.
Boo!
Dead computer.
Boo!
(Sound familiar Hevver?)
Can't quite find what Jim wants.
Boo!
Settle for close.
Yay!
Installation almost complete.
Yay!
Two island trips to share.
Yay!
Back to the mainland grind.
Boo!
Friends from Utah here.
Yay!
Cruising friends here next week.
Yay!
Typing on my phone!
Boo!
Lots of blogging posts to catch up on.
Yay! Boo! I mean yay!

Blog About The Log

No, not that kind of log.
Not one like my diary the wind speed, lat & long, wind direction, wave height, blah-di-blah...
But one about the sailing rag, The Log.
You know, the one where I won the jacket?
For Stan kissing a puffer fish?
The Log!
Let's start at the back, where any well adjusted reader would.
Ads.
Sailboat ads.
Mooring ads.
Just in case I want to move to Newport or the hit me with your best East wind shot, Avalon.And quite affordable at $875,000.
$875,000 for a mooring?
For an engine block with a floaty and a slimy line in a crowded harbor?
Huh?
Am I missing something here?
Such as the boat that comes with the mooring?

Ok, skip that.
Flip back a few more pages (remember we start at the back) to the ever entertaining Harbor Blotter!
Yep, what the Harborales do for kicks fun work.
Sometimes it's as innocent as helping a boater find a dinghy that floated away.
Assisting a newbie with an overturned kayak.
Or kids with a rental paddleboat who just lost their rudder.
And sometimes it's JUSTICE.
WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND.
KARMA.Gee, you haul your boat in our yard and neglect to pay your bill for several months?
Sob lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, full of lies story.
Lie some more.
Then have some drug addict skank thieves piece of shit friends over.
With weapons.
Yes, weapons!
Hee hee hee...
Enjoy jail you washed up piece of shit, crap, lying SOB (sorry to bring your mom into this as your dad actually seemed pretty nice, but oh by the way he it totally sick of your shit too) thief, liar, liar, liar, did I mention I hate liars? worthless piece of poor excuse for a human being ex-client.
So maybe he can trade some jail favors and send us the $6k he owes us...?
Karma Mr. AngelinaJolie'sBoyfriend'sName FemaleSheepPresentTenseSuffix!

Flip back several more pages.
What is this?
Stowaway raccoons?Yep, happens all the time.
Often with bears.
Buffalo.
Cows & horses too.
And sometimes with skunks, alpacas, turtle doves, cougars, mealy worms, penguins, ladybugs (the worst!), orcas, hummingbirds (listen for the hum ~ dead giveaway), worms (yeah, well sometimes you can't prevent this one), toucans, antelope, elephants, tsetse flies, rattlesnakes and labrador puppies.
Oh those stowaways!
Seriously ~ stop your boat and don't come to the island?
How about stop your boat and jump overboard!
And there is a charge for the removal service?
How about you pay me to not bring the raccoons skunks, alpacas, turtle doves, cougars, mealy worms, penguins, ladybugs, orcas, hummingbirds, worms, toucans, antelope, elephants, tsetse flies, rattlesnakes and labrador puppies to the island?

And if there is a great flood is it then okay?

Ponderings From The Week or Stuff I Thought About

I remembered what a good sport Big Bad Bob can be.And that flash cameras work better than phones do when taking pictures at night.

I was reminded of how awesome Stan is, when he gave this bike to me!Yes, GAVE!
I am in the course of remembering how much I love to ride bicycles.
A couple more rides and I will remember for sure.

Always tie your anchor to a cleat or the bollard after you raise it.
This I knew, but our friend Randy forgot.
He is now not on his way to Portland as he should be, but in the boatyard with over $6000 in repairs.

Don't swim with sharks.
And don't get a job with Vessel Assist in case you get a call to dive on a gillnetter's prop to remove their net or whatever and find this next to it...It's ok to steal pictures from people if needed.
(I stole this picture from other Randy...)

Uh, what else?
I hate pigeons.

Did I mention I like to ride bicycles?
That I don't care for sharks unless they are on my plate?
Grilled preferably.
That you should always tie your anchor off?
That Bob is a mermaid good sport?