"Back in the Saddle Again"

Ooops, I mean we are finally in the travel lift again!

We have been working like crazy the last few days to finish up jobs to be ready to splash tomorrow, Tuesday, Jan 31.  Alan is very jazzed to be getting into the water and arose this morning at 3:30am to start working through several jobs: (cockpit seat hinges, dinghy on the davits, loaded up the kayaks, transferred and polished fuel, washed the chain (laying on the ground), cleaned the outboard).

Then it was breakfast time and after a quick meal of cereal the race continued.  Time for a quick trip to get a hose for the air filter on the engine.  Alan then was off to the fuel dock to jerry can some gasoline (for outboard and the Honda generator) and diesel.  Back at the boat, he went to tighten the vent cap on the outboard tank and it broke in his pliers.  Not so good.  

Well, we decided to squeeze in a quick run to the Yamaha dealer as we had discovered we were missing a tiny little piece when putting on the outboard prop.  And with the emerging issue with the outboard gas tank, it was time to act!  A cruiser’s outboard & dinghy are like the workhorse for a boat at anchor:  no other way to get from the boat to shore, besides in our kayaks that is.

We were told the Yamaha dealer is essentially across the street from the marina.  Now, you may wonder, how we did not already know this.  Well, the dealer does not have a sign posted.  Not a single sign.  If you KNOW there is a Yamaha dealer there, lucky for you.  The yard boss Horatio pointed us in that direction and off we went.  We scored with the outboard part, but were sent a couple of blocks up hill to a fisheries supply store for the gas tank repair.  A new gas tank seemed in order as parts are not available.  And in the middle of it, Alan walked back to the marina and drove the car with the old, open gas tank to the store.  We really wanted to check all the connections:  tank to our hose to our engine.  Success!!

Now it is all of 10:30 and Omar, our beloved engine mechanic, has arrived to do a final test run before splashing.  Listening to the happy rumble of those Volvo Penta's was an omen for a good season.  

More jobs:  a quick run to the screw store, securing the windlass cables (Alan installed the windlass yesterday as it had been removed for the deck painting), get the zipties on the chain and the chain into the anchor locker, inspect the forward water tank before filling, tighten a few trampoline bolts, thread halyard messenger lines through stopper blocks, pop rivit a fitting on the mast (long story from yesterday about losing a messenger line and how we spent 5 hours getting it back....), cleaning out a forward bilge of a bit of water, starting the Honda generator, filling the diesel tanks with the jerry cans, installing screws in the end fittings on the reaching poles (they had just been painted), WHEW. Besides that, it was 85 degrees here today with no wind!

Somewhere in there lunch was gobbled down and a huge Coke emptied.  How else do you keep the pace??  Then suddenly, Horatio appeared with the travel lift to get us in the slings.  We are positioned so that Francisco can finish applying our bottom paint (the main coats were done on Saturday).  He'll be back very early tomorrow to do the second coat.  There is nothing quite like watching your boat being swallowed by a huge travel lift.  Those cables are one nasty greasy dirty thing.  Only there are 4 sets per side of the boat.  So we were running up and down trying to fend off the grease from our lovely, newly painted,  topsides.  Jamming cardboard, foam, plastic, sail cloth between the cables and our boat.  Finally, we had lift off.  We went up about 10 inches.  Enough to be off our blocks and for the painting to proceed.  We can still climb up and down our ladder.  Everyone left.

And then it was very quiet on Magic and 2 totally exhausted folks slumped in the salon.  SO CLOSE.

Tomorrow at 10:30 we will go in.  But there will be a few more jobs, a bit of painting, the engines will be run.  Once we are in the water, we will check all the through hulls and start the engines again.  We are going to just ease on out of the ditch and over to the fuel dock.  We will tie up, Omar will come aboard and we will run the engines for 30+ minutes.  Putting the engines through their paces and testing our new throttle and shifter controls.   If we are pleased we will go out and motor around Guaymas Bay. And then to a marina slip for a few days.  A few more "in the water" projects (like putting on the sails) before we can go out to the anchorage.  And there we will flop, recover, and wait for a weather window to head south.

RATS!!!

A bit of background:


After our first trip to Mexico in October 2010 we returned to San Anselmo and were greeted with a home invasion by a rat.  We sorted through the mess and destruction but maintained vigilance knowing those pesky pests lurked in the neighborhood.


Last November, Alan was filling the car with gas and checked under the hood.  My oh my, the makings of a rat nest:  all sorts of leaves, paper, debris, etc.  We set traps in the garage; but no catches and no other signs of rats.


So off we headed south to Mexico 10 days ago.  We crossed the border and as we continued south, it became warm enough to warrant the Air Conditioning in the car.  Flip the switch:  nada, nothing, zippo.  Well, we could survive the drive without the a/c but for sure we will want those cool breezes come June and July upon our return to Guaymas.  So we checked around and got a recommendation for a local repair shop.


Alan drove to the shop on Monday.  Immediately the owner came out to help, putting off his current job.  He checked for coolant; numbers seemed ok.  He fiddled under the hood.  He got a wire out and continued to investigate.

During all this a neighbor came by with 2 cokes; the owner opened his with  a huge shop tool while the neighbor just used his teeth.  The two of them oogled at a pretty gal walking the street in tights and short shorts.

Then he took off a few screws and lifted up the fuse box.  A small bundle of leaves, grass, paper and you named it:  another rat's nest!!!  And signs of a wire that was chewed in half!!!  Oh my.  RATO!!!  Well, the problem was quickly fixed up and the wire replaced.  

The a/c was flipped on and cooling air filled the car.  The bill for 45 minutes of work:  200 pesos or about $15 US.  


We are really fortunate that the rat chewed only 1 wire and impacted only the a/c.  We can't imagine the damage a serious rat muncher could have done!  


Well, we are ready for summer.

A Week's Vacation in Guaymas...over

We arrived in Guaymas last Monday afternoon.  And have been on vacation since then.  Not that we needed or wanted a week's vacation in Guaymas.  But that was first prize in the "getting your boat painted" contest.  We thought we had it sorted out that the painting would be done in our absence.  But, like many wonderful things, we had to show up to get the workmen to come back on the job.  So...we showed up and they did too!!

But then, we could not be on the boat while they worked; and we could not stay on the boat at night (due to fumes one night and letting the final surface cure one night.)  So we spent one day hiking in the Nakapule Canyon near San Carlos and treated (?) ourselves to Gringo Pete's hotel.  And we just sort of did nothing one day.  And then we drove all the streets of Guaymas one day.  And one night we camped on the beach near the estuary -- it was a fabulous time.   We watched the birds till dark and then a quick supper and into the tent.  Yup, it does get cold down here.

Yesterday we could walk on the boat (in and out of the cockpit) and stay aboard at night.  And today we could start on our long list of projects.  So, I guess vacation is over and cruising begins!

First up we have to replace and reinstall bits of deck hardware that were removed for the painters.  And then we can begin to put the boat "back together."  At this point all running rigging, sails, canvas, and you name it is jammed somewhere down below.  We are having fun pulling things out and getting ready for another season.

I tested one improvement tonight.  The oven has no temperature control and is basically a propane burner in the bottom of a box.  Things burned in a black circle on the bottom while the top was not baking.  So Alan cut an oven stone to the correct dimension.  I made biscuits for dinner -- and they baked!  Like for real!!  Next, I'm going to try brownies.  Small things.

Tomorrow -- I am off to the dentist for a cleaning; Alan will continue with reinstalling the windlass and our instruments; the car is getting the A/C checked out; and we are probably going to a pizza party.  It's a good life!

Hello from Guaymas!

Friday, we spent our last day in the Bay Area at the California Academy of Sciences.  We agreed there was not "one more hike" to hike; not "one more errand to run"; not "one more box to pack at 55 Sequoia".  So it was time to play and off we set!  And luck would be on our side as we found easy parking by the Academy and no line for the rain forest!

So we wandered through a few exhibits and then spent 90 minutes wandering through the 3 story warm, rain forest dome spotting birds, fish, insects, and butterflies.  It was quite amazing and gave us a taste of sites we hope to see in a year or two down the line (south in Costa Rica).  We also wandered the aquarium and were mesmerized by the coral reef display:  fish of every color and size.  Someday!!  But probably not until we cross to the Caribbean side.

Then back to the house for the last pack.  A happy family lived at 55 Sequoia.

The Wulzens in December

We left the Bay Area early on Saturday morning -- taking 3 days to get to Guaymas and stayed in Blythe and Tucson.  We had rain drops & cold temps in Nogales.  We got our first ever red customs inspection light -- but this time we really truly had NOTHING TO DECLARE.  And we were through in no time.

We arrived in Guaymas about 3pm today (Monday).  No the boat isn't painted -- maybe all the work will be done by Saturday.  Oh yeah, serve up that Mexican kool-aid.  We would like to get in the water by the end of the month to avoid more dry storage fees.  Time will tell.

Marin Memories

And so the days passed quickly, and suddenly the last weekend in Marin was upon us.   Alan has lived in Marin 50+ years; me 25+; and for Bryan, well, all his life.  So the last days were indeed bitter sweet.

We woke up early on Saturday and Alan treated with his famous blueberry buttermilk pancakes.

Then we piled in the car and spent the day driving around the Ross Valley -- remembering all those places that enriched our lives and added joy to our days.  We started at San Anselmo Pre-School, Wade Thomas, and Robson Harrington Park.  Journeyed to White Hill Middle School, Canon Village, Tamiscal High, Phoenix Lake, McNears Beach, Loch Lomand Marina, Elks Club and many more.  Six hours later the sun was setting over the Marin Civic Center! 

The Millenium Playground

College of Marin

San Rafael Public Library -- The Redwall Series was a favorite

And no trip down memory lane is complete without dinner at My Thai; yes, that was an order for drunken noodles!

Sunday, well, Sunday was not so filled with laughter and fun.  Time for the last picture under the "Bryan Tree" which was a gift from my parents when Bryan was born.  And then,  Sequoia Drive was in the rear view mirror.  Davis California and ports of Mexico ahead.  

The Bryan Tree will live on in the GL estate

2012: Looking Forward, Looking Back

2012.  It has been a number for so long for us and now it is finally here.  A time for looking forward but also a time to look back, reflect, and be grateful.

The big change will, of course, be the move onto Magic and the giving up of the house here in San Anselmo.  We will live on a boat; we will live in our car.  We will live on the water; we will live on the road.  There are memories for all of us in the home.  David and Bryan are leaving their first/only home.  We have memories of first steps, first parties, first day at school, first day driving, prom, graduation, back yard parties.  I guess we will always have those memories.

We are all hoping that during 2012 David has a positive change in employment; he is ready for more than the EMP can offer now and so is exploring a whole range of ideas and opportunities.

We are grateful that Bryan has gotten employment for 2012:  he starts training as a UC Davis Campus Tour Guide in January.  We are also grateful that he is thriving at Davis and the transition to "this is my only home" (because a boat does not count when you are 18) is easy.

Alan and I are packing up the stuff.  Lots for GoodWill, some for Craig's List, and a little for a storage unit in Davis.  We are saving all the favorites & mementos but giving up furniture and many books, toys, and tools.  That stuff can be replaced if and when we want in future years.  We are changing addresses on dozens of websites.  We are visiting with friends; taking hikes.

We head to Mexico by the end of next week.   Boat work for a week or two and then we splash.  We will be in Mexico until late June/early July.  And that is all the more specific our cruising plans can be.

It's a New Year; it's a new era.