It has been 10 long days here in Guaymas. Believe me this is a working trip to Mexico!
Our typical day runs like:
a. early am walk to the marina bathroom across the boatyard. We sometimes walk the malecon before breakfast.
b. breakfast in the cockpit.
c. morning projects
d. mid morning cool drink break
e. more projects
f. lunch
g. afternoon projects
h. mid afternoon cool drink break
i. more projects
j. showers about 6pm
Then we have dinner; walk to marina common area for some internet time AND then to bed by 9pm.
It is totally focused on work. Our project list mostly goes down -- but as with any boat, we add a few new projects that crop up during the day.
Our main goals have been:
a. getting the starboard engine rebuilt. (Alan will do a guest post on this major project!)
b. getting some stainless work done by a welder
c. fixing the refrigeration. This project is stalled and we
and then a 1000 other things....
We have done a bit of local exploring mostly while looking for boat bits and parts.
Everyone we have met and work with has been very helpful and gracious with answering questions and helping us.
I will try and bit more consistent with the blog and get some photos posted.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Guaymas at LAST
AT LAST!
The last 3 days have been on the go while we grind down the 1,300 miles between San Anselmo and Guaymas. And there is a whole lot of nothing along most of those 1,300 miles so I don't recommend this route to anyone.
We left early Monday with a goal to be in Long Beach at the Viking production center by lunch time to pick up our new life raft. Along about the grapevine we were surprised to see rain sprinkles -- what rain in LA? The drizzle lasted the better part of the day. Anyway we were delighted to find car pool lanes and we zoomed along at the speed limit; found Viking; repacked the car with the raft; and then immediately headed towards Riverside and points east. We spent Monday night in Blythe CA. A rather unattractive town with a small selection of tired hotels for weary travelers.
Tuesday we started with a goal to make Tucson by lunch time. Again, many miles with not much but tumbleweed then suddenly Phoenix; nothing again and then Tucson. Once in Tucson we found Porter Marine, the authorized Volvo dealer that may work on the engine. Or they may not. We have not felt much confidence in them but perhaps by showing up in Tucson and being in Guaymas (where they also work on marine engines) -- well, maybe they will turn out to be the professionals we seek. We had a great afternoon in Tucson doing a bit of a walking tour of the downtown and eating at a fabulous restaurant. We also went to the Pima Air Museum and saw hundreds of military and commercial airplanes including a Super Guppy, a Lockheed constellation, and an SR 71 Blackbird. As we left the museum, another deluge began -- this one complete with thunder and lightening.
Wednesday also began early as we wanted to cross the border and be to Guaymas by mid-afternoon. I am not sure how it all happened but we got our visas at the border. We then tried to explain to customs that we had this paper work to show a swap of goods plus we had additional items to declare. Somehow Alan thought we paid customs at about km 21 -- so he acted like we would pay down the road. The border custom agent looked in a few bags & tried to believe that we had a liferaft in the back of the car. I think he was totally fine with telling us to go on and pay at km 21. But km 21 came and went with no sign of customs or anything official. We figure this little snafu saved us $120 USD so a bit of honest confusion was a sweet savings.
The boat looks great; it had been washed off in anticipation of our arrival. We unpacked a few things and have some simple goals for the next few days: get the trampolines on the foredeck and lifelines up (both safety issues), get the shade awnings in place, begin cleaning and sorting the interior, arranging for the stainless guy to come on site, and having the new Volvo mechanic in town check out the engines. Actually that sounds like about a week of work in that sentence alone.
It is great to be here. The weather is hot. We will keep you posted.
The last 3 days have been on the go while we grind down the 1,300 miles between San Anselmo and Guaymas. And there is a whole lot of nothing along most of those 1,300 miles so I don't recommend this route to anyone.
We left early Monday with a goal to be in Long Beach at the Viking production center by lunch time to pick up our new life raft. Along about the grapevine we were surprised to see rain sprinkles -- what rain in LA? The drizzle lasted the better part of the day. Anyway we were delighted to find car pool lanes and we zoomed along at the speed limit; found Viking; repacked the car with the raft; and then immediately headed towards Riverside and points east. We spent Monday night in Blythe CA. A rather unattractive town with a small selection of tired hotels for weary travelers.
Tuesday we started with a goal to make Tucson by lunch time. Again, many miles with not much but tumbleweed then suddenly Phoenix; nothing again and then Tucson. Once in Tucson we found Porter Marine, the authorized Volvo dealer that may work on the engine. Or they may not. We have not felt much confidence in them but perhaps by showing up in Tucson and being in Guaymas (where they also work on marine engines) -- well, maybe they will turn out to be the professionals we seek. We had a great afternoon in Tucson doing a bit of a walking tour of the downtown and eating at a fabulous restaurant. We also went to the Pima Air Museum and saw hundreds of military and commercial airplanes including a Super Guppy, a Lockheed constellation, and an SR 71 Blackbird. As we left the museum, another deluge began -- this one complete with thunder and lightening.
Wednesday also began early as we wanted to cross the border and be to Guaymas by mid-afternoon. I am not sure how it all happened but we got our visas at the border. We then tried to explain to customs that we had this paper work to show a swap of goods plus we had additional items to declare. Somehow Alan thought we paid customs at about km 21 -- so he acted like we would pay down the road. The border custom agent looked in a few bags & tried to believe that we had a liferaft in the back of the car. I think he was totally fine with telling us to go on and pay at km 21. But km 21 came and went with no sign of customs or anything official. We figure this little snafu saved us $120 USD so a bit of honest confusion was a sweet savings.
The boat looks great; it had been washed off in anticipation of our arrival. We unpacked a few things and have some simple goals for the next few days: get the trampolines on the foredeck and lifelines up (both safety issues), get the shade awnings in place, begin cleaning and sorting the interior, arranging for the stainless guy to come on site, and having the new Volvo mechanic in town check out the engines. Actually that sounds like about a week of work in that sentence alone.
It is great to be here. The weather is hot. We will keep you posted.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
D-Day Minus 1
D - Day Minus 1 for our departure to Mexico!
Today's challenge was to pack the back of the car with all the gear and boat bits we have collected over the summer. Good thing that Alan has an incredible spatial knack for finding just the right item to fill a an empty spot.
GEAR! Can you find 2 anchors, new laminate and a sink for the galley, alternators, fuses, hoses, wet suits, stainless shackles, and a thousand other bits in this picture?
I am sure it will take us a few weeks once we arrive in Mexico to find it all again.
We did notice as we were piling the gear in the garage that one of the car tires looked rather flat....and sure enough a trip to the tire repair shop was the first errand.
By the end of the day SUCCESS! The kayaks are on the roof (and have only a few items stashed inside!) and the inside is full.
We leave at O Dark Hundred tomorrow for Long Beach where we are picking up a Viking Life Raft. Then we head towards Tucson. Our goal is to cross into Mexico on Wednesday am.
We are very eager to be our way -- it is 4 months tomorrow that we retired and we are ready for the next adventure.
Today's challenge was to pack the back of the car with all the gear and boat bits we have collected over the summer. Good thing that Alan has an incredible spatial knack for finding just the right item to fill a an empty spot.
GEAR! Can you find 2 anchors, new laminate and a sink for the galley, alternators, fuses, hoses, wet suits, stainless shackles, and a thousand other bits in this picture?
I am sure it will take us a few weeks once we arrive in Mexico to find it all again.
We did notice as we were piling the gear in the garage that one of the car tires looked rather flat....and sure enough a trip to the tire repair shop was the first errand.
By the end of the day SUCCESS! The kayaks are on the roof (and have only a few items stashed inside!) and the inside is full.
We leave at O Dark Hundred tomorrow for Long Beach where we are picking up a Viking Life Raft. Then we head towards Tucson. Our goal is to cross into Mexico on Wednesday am.
We are very eager to be our way -- it is 4 months tomorrow that we retired and we are ready for the next adventure.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
UC Davis -- Where the MAGIC Happens!
We had not seen Bryan since we dropped him at Davis in September--so we saved this weekend to re-connect and catch up on all the changes in his life. He arrived via Amtrak on Friday afternoon and all too soon we were driving him back on Saturday. But we made the most of our time together! His classes are all great and he loves his schedule; he has made good friends with several dorm mates; and he is on a flag football intramural team that is just starting up.
Alan was back in his element making breakfast for "his boy."
We did a couple of errands -- better bike lock, notebooks, cold cereal, more shorts.
Back at Davis, we saw the dorm room after being lived in for a couple of weeks. The bulletin board is filling in! As Bryan says: This is where the Magic happens.
We took back all sorts of baked goods for the floor: apple cake, cupcakes, and bagels. I would not want to think of 3 Thille C going hungry!
Too soon it was time for goodbyes....at least until Thanksgiving time.
We did a couple of errands -- better bike lock, notebooks, cold cereal, more shorts.
We took back all sorts of baked goods for the floor: apple cake, cupcakes, and bagels. I would not want to think of 3 Thille C going hungry!
Too soon it was time for goodbyes....at least until Thanksgiving time.
Alan does the Red Horse Century Ride in Napa
Hi, this is a guest contributor, Alan. You may know that I have a passion for cycling, which was re-awakened 5 years ago when invited to attend the weekly Friday 6 a m Red Horse group rides. That Fall I completed my first Century Ride with them, and Oct. 1 rode my fifth Fall Classic, although I only did 60 miles this time.
Awaiting the 8 a m start, just off Silverado Road, near Napa, here are about half of the riders.
At the first rest stop, getting refreshments.
Besides having a good long ride with many old friends, this ride is a fund raiser for "Team Swift", a young rider development team, and these are three teenage members of the team.
I only rode behind them, young bucks!
David Warner, the owner of Red Horse Constructors, a high end home building business, and instigator of the Friday rides and Fall Century rides.
Thank you Dave for all you've done for us bike addicts.
That said, unlike the wayward professionals, we only use drugs for pain relief after these long rides!
Although we all wear the Caballo Rojo kits(Red Horse for you Gringos), many of us don't work for the company. On the left is Dave Henderson, my hairdresser and on the right, Jason Hight a San Anselmo policeman. I'm impressed that he runs stop signs right along with the rest of us law breakers!
Here we are waiting for a green light in St. Helena. The rider on the right is Tom Knott, who has organized and put on the Century rides for years. Thank you Tom for all you've done for us! Each year it's been a new course, with sag wagon support, rest stops, lunch and a great meal at the end of the day.
At the last rest stop, this is me and Michael Houts, who is a long time friend, and it was he who invited me to ride with Red Horse some five years ago. Michael has worked for many years at Red Horse and is a key estimator and project overseer, and my great friend!
At the end of the ride, we relaxed at where we started, a home that Red Horse built.
A very nice end to a beautiful day!
Awaiting the 8 a m start, just off Silverado Road, near Napa, here are about half of the riders.
At the first rest stop, getting refreshments.
Besides having a good long ride with many old friends, this ride is a fund raiser for "Team Swift", a young rider development team, and these are three teenage members of the team.
I only rode behind them, young bucks!
David Warner, the owner of Red Horse Constructors, a high end home building business, and instigator of the Friday rides and Fall Century rides.
Thank you Dave for all you've done for us bike addicts.
That said, unlike the wayward professionals, we only use drugs for pain relief after these long rides!
Although we all wear the Caballo Rojo kits(Red Horse for you Gringos), many of us don't work for the company. On the left is Dave Henderson, my hairdresser and on the right, Jason Hight a San Anselmo policeman. I'm impressed that he runs stop signs right along with the rest of us law breakers!
Here we are waiting for a green light in St. Helena. The rider on the right is Tom Knott, who has organized and put on the Century rides for years. Thank you Tom for all you've done for us! Each year it's been a new course, with sag wagon support, rest stops, lunch and a great meal at the end of the day.
At the last rest stop, this is me and Michael Houts, who is a long time friend, and it was he who invited me to ride with Red Horse some five years ago. Michael has worked for many years at Red Horse and is a key estimator and project overseer, and my great friend!
At the end of the ride, we relaxed at where we started, a home that Red Horse built.
A very nice end to a beautiful day!
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