Headed Across Later Today

We are in the final stages of preparation for casting off those dock lines and heading out to the Sea of Cortez.  We will head for Puerto Escondido (just south of Loreto on the Baja side) and expect it will take a day plus to arrive.  The forecast is for fine winds today with a bit more tomorrow.  A "norther" is due on Wednesday and we wanted to be safely tucked in for that blow.

Here are some final thoughts and images from Guaymas:

We finally got our new sails up; first our new genoa and then its counterpart our freestanding jib for downwind sailing.  Check out the captain's Two Thumbs Up move!

And here is Mario, the mechanic, with his grandson.  Both engines are as good as new and we are grateful for that.  Yesterday we went out into the bay to check out the autopilot and do some engine maneveuring drills.  Actually it became a game of pick up the plastic floating on the bay!  With two engines, we did not even have to touch the wheel.  WOW.  So much different than Silhouette!!

We have had so many people help us get to this point in our cruising adventures.   Thanks to all.

We don't have the email through the radio working yet so I will update again when we are on the other side.

Almost a Cruising Boat!

We are beginning to look like a cruising boat.  Yesterday we put up our new genoa....sweet....and today we put up the mainsail....sweeter!  Too bad we are tightly tied to the docks until both engines purr.

It turns out the volvo package that Alan picked up in Tucson did not have the right springs.  So Ron did the drive to Nogales yesterday (460 miles round trip) to pick up a part the size of your fingernail!  But Mario the mechanic took one look and gave us a great big smile!!  So tomorrow the engines will work and Thursday the electrician will return for final calibration of the alternators and charging system. 

Then all we need is a weather window as we want to cross the Sea of Cortez to get to the Baja side; then turn south to LaPaz. 

Keep your fingers crossed.

Happy Birthday to my sister Alisa!!  Stay young at heart and we will see you in LaPaz!!

We Need Some Magic !

Happy Birthday to my brother Matt.  Matt, I hope your days this year are filled with adventure and good spirits.

We have settled into our life on a boat in a slip.  What a difference being in the water makes!  It is so much cleaner and we actually pretend we are in a boat, even though it doesn't move much.  Next step will be getting the engine fixed and off to be real cruisers.

Thursday was a bit of a fire drill with getting into the water and finding that the port engine needed 3 tiny screws to be working again.  Ron and Alan did a fire drill with our new best friends (Volvo parts dealers) via Skype and had a package sent next day air to Tucson.  Alan was already driving up there to get some other wayward engine parts -- so make it a real adventure.

Alan drove up with another cruiser, Dick, and they drove 960 miles in 36 hours -- UPS Service Center, Safeway, Home Depot, Trader Joe's and a dinky West Marine in Phoenix.  The second package of engine parts was due in  on Saturday morning, so at 10 am they showed up to UPS.

The UPS representative says to them:  Sorry we don't accept packages from FedEx, so we don't have your package.  WHAT??  FedEx had delivered it there....something about company policy, blah, blah, blah.  He finally went back to look at the packages and came out with our parts still stating it was a mistake, this was against policy, blah, blah blah.

But with package in hand, Alan and Dick headed for the border.....and only later did he discover that the package included some of the parts we wanted, but an error occurred on 1 part and the number was transposed so we got something we don't want!  I don't know how this will all work out.

Our back up plan is to ship the last part (if really needed) to Nogales to a mail service and do a bus run up and back.   We are really hoping this is not necessary.  So we are hoping for some mechanical magic tomorrow.

Alan and Ron have scrubbed Magic, we put on the new canvas I had sewn and she is sparkling at last.

SPLASH!!!

Finally, at last, Magic is back in the water!! 

Of course with any boat there is always something, and today it was the port engine.  Both engines were a thing of beauty yesterday and ran like a charm.   But today, the port engine acted up so we called the engine mechanic back for another round of consultation.  There was no wind at all, so everyone decided to go for putting the boat in the water, motoring around the point to the slips in the marina, and stern in.  All with 1 engine so a bit more challenging than normal.  Alan drove like a pro!

Captain Ron was an immense help and we would not be this far along without his energy and determination.  Thanks Ron.

We celebrated with lunch out.

Tomorrow Alan is off with another cruiser to Tucson to pick up some packages.  Hopefully the port engine will be humming soon.

I will try and post pictures soon.  In true Mexican way, the large corporation that owns all the Mexican marinas is closing their 2010 books so not paying any 2011 bills.  So the phones and internet are all cut off till payment is made....which won't be until 2010 books are closed.

You gotta love this place.

Daze of our Lives (in a boatyard!)

Our days pass quickly:  boat projects, talking to cruisers, walking to the mercado for vegetables, enjoying the view of the hills at sunset.   We have been challenged by a very wonky internet and so my desire to keep the blog current has been hampered by technical difficulties.  But here are the highlights of our week.

I have a brand new galley -- and it features 1 large rectangular stainless sink instead of 3 smaller and rounder sinks.  With that change Alan also installed new laminate counter tops and back splash.   The sink connection was a bit of a challenge for the handyman -- 4 trips to local shops for bits and parts.  But when the drain fitting was tightened -- we were back in the cooking business.  What do you think of this new look?

And we have our boat name finally applied!  MAGIC it is!

Captain Ron (the previous owner of Shea La Vie) arrived on Wednesday.  He will be with us for several weeks with the final preparations for going in the water and helping us on our maiden cruise to La Paz.  Ron was also to bring 2 packages of engine bits -- but alas, due to the crappy weather all across the US this week, only 1 package arrived.  So our splash will be a bit delayed.  We have sorted with another cruiser (Dick) who is going to Tucson for materials for his boat to join forces.  So Alan and Dick will do a marathon drive up and back to Tucson.  This trip may be the end of next week or early the following week.

The scary moment of the week occurred yesterday late in the afternoon.   We were down below taking a break and there was a loud BOOM and we could feel the compression of an explosion.  I am a bit hyper about the noises on the boat still so I quick ran to the cockpit and looked to my left -- at the fuel dock about 100 yards away -- a small runabout was in flames!!  FIRE on a boat is a very scary and dangerous situation.  The yard employees tried to douse the flames with extinguishers but they were no match for the highly flammable gasoline and fiberglass on the boat.  Soon the whole boat was engulfed.   After just a few minutes the boat was cut loose from the docks and with a favorable off shore breeze drifted out into the bay.  Within minutes there was a marine fire boat (Navy) as well as land based fire trucks (they bring the water in huge heavy trucks) and ambulance.  It took only 20 minutes for the boat to burn to the water line and sank.  Apparently several people suffered minor burns and concussion.  It spooked us; this is the second boat fire we are aware of this season, the other being a large catamaran  in Turtle Bay that exploded and burned within an hour.

What is next for us?  We hope that the deck and hull work is finished this weekend; we hope the engine work is mostly done (except for a few wayward gauges) by midweek; we hope to get the boat rigged soon; we hope to be in the water at the docks; we hope the trip to Tucson goes well.  Lots of hoping at this end.   And then we will be looking at weather windows to head south!!

Lessons from a Boat (um Magic)

So we are busy learning and relearning the basic lesson of a boat.  Projects take longer than one thinks they will.  And even then they take longer!

We expected to be back to the boat; crank through a couple of projects and be "up and running" within a few days..     HA

We now hope to have the galley re-installed by tomorrow (hopefully no more Mexican magic needed to get the fittings to fit).  With the sink and faucet installed, we can turn on the pressure water and begin putting all the kitchen items away and get to the store to provision.

Next up will be the re-installed tool cabinet -- Alan made the panels and shelves while we were at home.  Once that is done (any one bet it will take more than a day?) all the tools and boat parts that are here and there will have a permanent location.

We are hoping to have these 2 projects done and a few other little things before Captain Ron arrives on Wednesday to really get us moving along.

Let's Go Skating!

Indeed there is skating tonight in Guaymas -- but not by us.  There is a carnival going on the municipal plaza complete with an ice skating rink!   The best we could figure out one pays by the hour (about $1.50 US) and you must be at least 5 years old.  The skaters went round and round the rink -- a few skaters hung onto the railing and simply propelled themselves forward by hand.

There were lots of smiles all around.

As for us -- we were smiling too as our electrical system is back on track!  Alan is working on putting the galley back together with new sink and counter tops.  Then we will turn on the pressure water and be back in cruising mode.  Well, cruising in the yard.

Lamingtons to the Rescue

Well, it is a very long day to drive from San Anselmo to Tucson in one push--900+ miles.  We left early; managed to miss getting coffee in Livermore, and found ourselves barreling down I5 in the fog.  Then it was up and over the grapevine into the LA basin.  There was plenty of snows on the hills and mountain tops so it looked very beautiful.

The miles seemed to pass but every now and then we had to indulge in a Lamington -- an Australian treat that Anna baked and shared with us.  It is a small rectangular piece of pound cake, all sides frosted with chocolate and then rolled in coconut.  They boosted our spirits and we are so thankful for the treats!

On Wednesday we crossed the border at Nogales; sorted ourselves through customs and immigration with just a few pesos left in our pockets.  Then it was the drive down highway 15 through Hermosillo to Guaymas.  Gray skies all along the way; it warmed up from 30 at the border to almost 70 by Guaymas.  But the WIND doth blow -- they are called "northers" here and it blew all night and on through today.

We have along list of projects to work on.   It is good to be back.

Photos tomorrow if the network is up!

Brothers Together

Yesterday we were treated to a quick visit by David.  He is here from Seattle to work on an upcoming exhibit (on the filming and production of Avatar) for his employer the Experience Music Project (EMP) museum.  After being caught up in the iPhone alarm snafu, he arrived safely in Oakland.  We had time for a quick pizza at home and then we all drove Bryan back to Davis for the winter quarter.

Today Alan and David are getting a tour of Skywalker Ranch! And then we have the final packing of the car and cleaning out the house.  We leave for Mexico in the morning.