skip to main |
skip to sidebar
So, here’s the problem with this port… there is way too much to do and see while still having things that absolutely have to be done on the boat while we are here!!! San Francisco is one of the premier places to visit for the sights and experience of being in S.F. but the time here is limited. We picked up the repaired (previously torn) main sail today and there are still projects calling out for completion BUT there are also about a bazillion places to catch as touristy places that, I for one, would like to see. Yikes!!! Too many places and not enough time!! We will see how this unfolds but for now I am trying to focus on the safety aspects while waiting to see if any particular day has space in it for all these great places to visit. I have been here many times in the past and still have not seen a quarter of what the average tourist sees because there was always an agenda that didn’t allow for a “time-out” to make the stops necessary. Today we did manage to go to a great marine chandlery, then to the other end of the bay to North Sails and then into Sausalito to mill about so it has been a good day with a mix of things. We did also get caught in the rush hour and spent a lot of time just bludgeoning ourselves with an urban problem we don’t wish to participate in any more. Oh well, no good deed goes unpunished. It also meant that the problem I wanted to finish today never even made it to the organization stage.
“Tomorrow,” I say to myself resolutely, “I will finish the radio.”
In any case, I am enjoying the sunshine and now feeling a part of this marina with all the people we have met this far. Ah yes, this brings up the issue of tools. While I had a great shop at home it did not translate into having everything I need at hand when I need to create something here. Much of what I had is now residing in a basement in Portland or a garage in Las Vegas, you see. I don’t really want to buy a tool for every need because it would likely sink the boat to add all that weight. In meeting all these new people there have been tools offered when I bring up what I am working on. We do have lots of tools to offer too, when it comes to it, so among the informal fleet it seems there is always something available to fix whatever needs fixing. We have lots of creative ways offered to fix things too… that is, everyone always has at least one opinion on how a job should be done best. Lots of logic but usually only a few ways are really useful when all the facts are known. It’s amazing what the solutions offered are sometimes too. I like this aspect of chatting with fellow cruisers; there is always a surprise or two hidden in the conversation.
><(((\">`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸.•´¯`•...¸><(((º>¸.
•´¯`•.¸. , . .•´¯`•.. ><(((º>`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸.•´¯`•...¸><(((º>
As it turned out the skipper declared a tourist day and forbade any work to be done. We pointed the rental car toward the city and shortly found ourselves on the Embarcadero cruising all the touristy stuff. What a fun day!! It did involve lots of walking and my knee problem slowed me down a little but I managed not to injure it further and walked everywhere we wanted to go. We came across the maritime museum and admission was free due to being a national celebration for newly naturalized citizens. So we clambered all over the large sailing square rigged cargo hauler Balclutha and watched a film about its voyages around Cape Horn. The boat was a relic in many ways and spoke to lots of issues of how things were still done a hundred years ago. Those were some tough S.O.B.’s doing that work at the time.
We managed to miss a turn off when we got back in the car to point toward the next attraction… the wave organ near the St. Francis Yacht Club and ended up in Sausalito where we ultimately met my cousin Steven and wife Judy. We had a great dinner with lots of stories and a waiter who became part of the party for awhile. It turns out, too, that Steven has a new record label taking up his band (Jackie Payne Steve Edmonson Band) and he put two new CD’s in my hands. The first is “Master of the Game” and the second is “Overnight Sensation” which I had a good chuckle with Steven about. It would seem obvious that there has been nothing overnight about their climb but that was what a fan said during his obtaining and autograph! The link for their stuff is www.payne-edmonson.com so everyone can check it out. The titles are all I have seen so far so we will have to get them on the CD player later today… I am expecting great things after the last CD. We had dinner at a place with live music too and while we waited to be served we had a view of the Maltese Falcon anchored in Richardson Bay. What a stout yet gorgeous looking boat. A link for this is www.symaltesefalcon.com.
This was all a good call by Steven and Judy because it also got us into Sausalito, for one, and secondly because it was easier to haul ourselves back to the marina from there than it would have been from San Francisco. Since we had gotten up bit earlier than usual and stayed out later than the norm we collapsed into bed at the end of the day with at least a faint smile when we got back to Faith.
Finally!!! The solar panels that we physically put on the boat in Portland are now attached to the battery system. It took awhile because there were so many other things to take care of first. Now we have charging capabilities and I am a truly happy camper with the work done!! It took a few hours hunched over in the engine compartment (on this boat it’s closer to a real engine room) to finish this but all is good now.
Next will come the HF (shortwave) radio. This one is pretty much done already because I spent some time working on it in Bodega Bay and just have to drill a hole in the deck to poke the connecting wire through and attach it to the backstay. It will be great to have long range radio again… it’s something I miss when I don’t have it. Originally getting my Ham license over twenty years ago (I think) was a wonderful thing because I enjoy radio in general anyway. That’s the memory of sitting on a pile of pillows with my ear clued to a giant receiver that my father had and tuning in the BBC when I was a kid. Later I was drawn like a strong magnet to radio. Many years later I realized that my father had been a radio operator in WW II so there was a reason he had the radio in the first place. A bunch later I figured out that he could copy Morse code at about 35 words per minute. I bought him a radio at that point but I don’t really know if he used it much. It was just a way to connect with him that only sort of worked at the time. Anyway, long circumnavigation avoided, the radio has, ever since, been a connection to the world. I can’t wait to have the last of that project hooked up!!
As mentioned previously, the last of the must do’s for this week is redo the pull cord that was attached to the dinghy motor until Bodega Bay. There is a Home Depot not too far away to get what is needed for that. Then too there is a office supply place near that to get a few things needed as well as a Radio Shack to garner a replenishment of all the connectors I have gone through since Portland.
The good thing is that we will be renting a car for the last week we are here… this should give us access to several other places we need to go. Think here of the broken mains’l and the odds and ends that need attention.
One of the things about going cruising again is that getting around is always by public transportation, a dinghy or your own two feet much of the time. There are times when renting a car is an option but usually the adventure of a bus ride or walking somewhere is the best short term option. The dinghy is also a really good way but it too often means that you go to some dinghy dock and then start your trek to your destination. I am looking forward to this because, to me, it is part of what is healthy about the lifestyle. It also it helps regulate the pace at which things happen. We are so used to instantly transporting ourselves wherever we want to be and without much thought that this is taken so much for granted.
><(((\">`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸.•´¯`•...¸><(((º>¸.
•´¯`•.¸. , . .•´¯`•.. ><(((º>`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸.•´¯`•...¸><(((º>
Dock parties are a definite part of cruising and we just had one of the best ones I have ever attended. It was informal and with one of the best food presentations I have ever seen. As they say, “OMG” good food from every direction not to mention several bottles of wine. This IS, after all, wine country. We have some great many fantastic dock-mates here going on to join Ha-Ha with us!
><(((\">`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸.•´¯`•...¸><(((º>¸.
•´¯`•.¸. , . .•´¯`•.. ><(((º>`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸.•´¯`•...¸><(((º>
So far we have walked to a Chevy’s nearby for dinner… then to a small but well supplied store and then to a larger commercial complex. The total distance has been about 6 or 7 miles all told but it was a way to see this little part of Emeryville/San Francisco without traffic pressure. The walk along a bit of boardwalk was the best. It was a meandering path with great views of the bay. I have walked it three times now and I really enjoy it. A little before we left Portland I had tweaked my right knee so have been recovering ever since but I can’t pass up a good walk. I just have to be careful not to reinjure or further injure it.
When we are between ports it has been a good time to let the knee rest and recover. I can’t believe that I am as old as I am… except for stupid injuries I still feel about 25. What’s with that anyway? A veteran of so many miles under my keel doesn’t seem possible when I am waking up in the morning… then I put my foot to the floor and recall that everything doesn’t work as well as it once did. I am in the right place for me right now in so far as small aches and pains don’t really slow me down that much!! Maybe I just don’t know what slowed down is! At any rate, the best part of where we are right now is that we are close enough to much of we want to see and most of what we want to get to is within a fairly short walk. There is probably some study or statistic that says good things about all this but since I can’t cite any of that right now I will have to do with feeling good to be alive every day.
Well, it’s about time to light the BBQ and shish kabob some shrimp.
Well, we finally got as far as San Francisco! So we now have the dinghy motor that needs a fresh rope pull, the one that was there came off in my hand as I tried to start the motor to run the gas out of it at Bodega Bay, the solar panels to complete the connection and the HF radio (shortwave) to, finally, finish the antenna connection, the mains’l to have repaired, groceries to replenish, various sights (and sites) to see and, of course, meeting more of the Ha-Ha fleet as they gather strength on the way south. Here we have already identified several boats in this marina going south to join the Ha-Ha. They are quickly identified and conversation and information exchanged as we get to know what the fleet will look like. In each place we have stopped there have been more and more boats going to Mexico… we gravitate to the same places at the same times. I wish I had pictures of the whales and such that we saw on our way down from Bodega Bay but my trigger finger seemed to be asleep when each batch was spotted. Ah well, the day was sunny and warmish so it was better to soak up the small amount of heat than to worry over getting pictures. We keep saying it will be warmer soon… Mexico here we come!! We crossed the bay and are in the Emery Cove Marina for the next several days finishing work and waiting for fresh crew to arrive. It should be a fun respite but all too soon we need to get back on the hunt for more sunshine and to start actually sailing with the repaired sail. It will nice to get far enough that I can throw a line off the stern and fish a bit too. I don’t have a license for California and we don’t go far enough off shore that it doesn’t matter.
Bodega Bay, what a great change of pace! We have a berth on the dock of Spud Point Marina just down from the office and laundry/showers. It’s sunny and wonderful unlike the last few weeks of cold, foggy dampness. We have a problem to solve why we are here (the dripless shaft seal lost its set screws somewhere along the line and is leaking) but the part is on its way. Waiting in this case is very pleasant. Here is saying that has become our excuse to chuckle now and then, “If we had only known!” So many times when things go wrong it is something that was not yet contemplated or if contemplated not figured into the spare parts boxes just yet. You then just shake your head and set about finding whatever is needed to fix the problem. I am still looking to our stop in San Francisco to find a few things that will complete projects AND add to the spares bag. The dinghy is in the water and we went to dinner last night across the bay. This is more like it. We may not have easy access to a grocery store but we do have a comfortable place to rest and repair for what is ahead. This place brings to mind that the “Birds” was filmed here. It is basically a bird sanctuary and there are lots of the flying folks everywhere. Even white pelicans with their black tipped wings are here. We sat in the restaurant across the bay watching something very sandpiper like fly in close formation of 50 or so tiny birds a few inches off the water. It looked very much like schooling fish turning in unison. My sense of humor is improving with the weather too.
There is a very understandable pressure that builds up when you are stuck in port waiting out a gale off shore before continuing a journey. At first you cannot believe that you are going to be stuck very long so you just carry on with projects or things that need doing anyway (grocery shopping, laundry and such) thinking all the while that you will get the weather clearance to get away any minute. As the days go on you pay closer and closer attention to the weather and think that perhaps it will be tomorrow or the day after. When the long range forecast drags you, kicking and screaming, to the conclusion that it may be days and days and a slight depression sets in and the real pressure to go out starts.
We landed in Newport, Oregon a week ago and here are still waiting. Gale force winds south of here and periodic closings of the Newport bar have had the brakes on for all this time. It looks like there is finally a window developing a few days from now but I do not want to get my hopes up too much. We lost one crew member because he would not have been able to continue if the window came past this last Saturday and still make back to his job as scheduled. That had increased the pressure for a time as well.
><(((\">`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸.•´¯`•...¸><(((º>¸.
•´¯`•.¸. , . .•´¯`•.. ><(((º>`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸.•´¯`•...¸><(((º>
One of the things I have to keep in mind for this voyage is that the jobs on my list are always there to be done. So for me, the non-skipper for this trip, the lack of being underway mostly means that I have time to work on the project list some more. In some places that is easier than others and given the good quality of the marine stores (chandleries) available the inventiveness I can ascend to is wonderful. Since I am never able to know ahead of time what parts I really need each job is about inventing a system as I go. This translates to making more than one trip to the chandlery. It turns out that I love going to chandleries because this is the moral equivalent to every hardware store I have ever been in that wasn’t a big box store. Lately we have followed the trend of calling West Marine by its recently heard name of Tiffany’s-By-The-Sea, so you can see where my sympathies lie in any case. A well run chandlery offers so much more to the senses if you are a discriminating mariner. It’s still true that my visits to Tiffany’s-By-The-Sea are numerous when in the neighborhood but here in Newport there is a well stocked marine store that does not emphasize clothing over functional marine hardware and the like. Delicious is the word that comes to mind.
><(((\">`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸.•´¯`•...¸><(((º>¸.
•´¯`•.¸. , . .•´¯`•.. ><(((º>`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸.•´¯`•...¸><(((º>
One other seldom mentioned plus for staying in a port for awhile is that the wine available is a bit better than off shore. Yes, yes, I know, I generally don’t have wine with my dinner off shore but I DO notice when in port that the bill of fare is improved if only because we can instantly, or nearly so, replace the missing bottles from the wine rack! Far be it for me to quibble over this detail of luxurious living when available. When sailing along it takes a spectacular day to consider having all that much of a real meal. Typically the galley is not the place you want to be unless you just like slamming into the stove as you try to brace for the next wave set. Give me cheese and crackers and an apple on watch and I am fairly happy with the state of things when it’s getting raucous out. Eat well when you have the chance and stay ready to leave.
Keep in mind too that in port we have “regular” hours. That is, at sea we have regular hours by way of the watch schedule. You have 2, 3 or 4 hours to sleep and you damned sure better get some sleep given any opportunity. No one wants to come out for their watch and find you asleep in the cockpit. Things can happen all too quickly when you are not vigilant. Get rest as needed in port because you may not get all you want when you leave the dock. This is one of the tiniest pressures that you can start to feel after you have been too long in port. Keeping yourself ready to go is an attitude you develop when you are “going” but hard to maintain in port.
Now this may seem weird but another issue is cleanliness… that would be personal cleanliness. In port you likely have the opportunity to shower and if you are going to be putting to sea you hope you have had a recent shower. Further if the decision to leave is on the instant and you aren’t the prime mover and decider that becomes a problem. There can be little time to run to the shower, which is often a hike away, and get back in time to do all the little chores that need doing to get moving. Hmmm, pressure abounds.
Jobs that come up suddenly at the end of your stay somewhere are always one of the lurking suspicions that you cannot plan for. This is the pressure that awakens you at some odd hour while you are in port and keeps you on track and wondering what needs doing next. We had been in Astoria for several days when I finally had the idea that I should test the as yet untested macerator pumps that had been installed. This proved to be the dumbest idea I have had this year. The pump worked so well that the pressure was more than the hoses could tolerate in their current state of tightness… pretty soon the aft cabin had that special head smell. This was as Sandy and I needed to get in a quick nap before our 0200 departure to cross the Columbia bar. Neither one of us got all that much sleep as a result. I did manage to tighten everything up but there was one very persistent drip that took another day to solve. (Note: It turned out that there had never been any Teflon tape applied to the through hull fitting from the original hose installation, likely years prior.)
None of this is particularly frustrating to me but I am sure that it puts some load on those around me because they are often not as involved in trying to find solutions and mostly what they know is that things are broken for the moment or not complete from time to time. This probably leads to some sense of pressure wondering if we are ok to continue. As a crew member with a large resource of time in my favor I don’t have that sense of pressure other than to be ready to leave port when the weather says that is the thing to do. It helps them, I am certain, for me to try to explain where I am in any delaying project but sometimes that may not be enough. For me there is no drama but for others I can see that it might lead to an emotional rather than logical response. All I can do for this is understand what is driving them to their reaction.
Finally, there can be a sense of having a life that from some point of view is not as productive as it might be. So there can be an odd sort of guilt that creeps in to spoil the party if you aren’t convinced that you are doing what you should be doing right now. I guess being comfortable with yourself is part of what this different lifestyle is most about.
Then, suddenly, the weather window opens and all is forgotten. There is no pressure, only the open ocean and the spirits are quiet again.
When we came into Newport there were a few boats already holed up awaiting what was rumored to be an incoming storm. One of the boats was one that had come down from the same marina in Portland (Tomahawk Bay) and had been parked behind us most of the summer. It was Norm on Ya Shure, and we had seen him briefly in Astoria as well. Trent was with him and they had preceded us by a day and had a good sail down. Sandy had called them at their expected arrival time to see how it had gone. With a good report she was more confident about leaving the dock so we left in the wee hours to cross the bar. The trip down is chronicled elsewhere so I will leave it to those other authors to tell that tale.
When I was headed into a local restaurant for a meal on arriving I bumped into Norm and he related a small tale of his arrival in Newport. He had known of another boat from the home marina to have come down just before all of us. The name of the boat is Lungta. Lungta is a large ferro-cement pilot house ketch. Later all the Faiths went over for a tour… but I need to get back on track here so will come back to that tour later. So, the scene is the Ya Shure coming into Newport, which has a long entrance jetty to weather and Norm wanting give a call to Lungta to see where they are and see if he can find room on a guest dock somewhere. Norm picks up the microphone and says, “Lungta, Lungta, Lungta; Ya Shure” and with the release of the push-to-talk button no response. Norm waited a bit and repeats, “Lungta, Lungta, Lungta; Ya Shure”. Again there is no response.
A few minutes later Norm decided to give it another try.
Norm: “Lungta, Lungta, Lungta; Ya Shure”
Coast Guard: “This is United States Coast Guard station, Yaquina Bay, vessel calling, what is your status? “
Norm: “On approach to Newport harbor, Ya Shure, over.”
Coast Guard: “Please switch to working channel 22.”
Norm: “Switching two-two.”
Then on channel 22 the following occurred.
Coast Guard: “Vessel on approach to Newport, do I understand your vessel name is Ya Shure?”
Norm: “Yes, this is Ya Shure, go ahead.”
Coast Guard (with the slightest of mirth in his voice): “Were you calling a boat, sir?”
Norm: “Yes sir, I was calling friends on the sailing vessel Lungta. Over.”
Coast Guard: “Yes sir, we thought perhaps you were a Norwegian boat in distress. Have a good day.”
Norm (now smiling and starting to laugh): “Roger Coast Guard, thank you for your concern. Ya Shure back to one-six.”
Sometimes it’s all about how we perceive what we hear. As it turns out Lungta is a Tibetan word meaning Wind Horse. In this case the boat is a huge deviation from what you might envision at first thought. With a 12 foot bow sprit and at 60 tons this floating rock can take a lot of sea. Below is comfort you cannot imagine, really. There is a bath tub for the master suite, a full sized desk forward in the crew quarters, lots of skylights, a freezer the size of a queen sized bed and so much more. She carries 800 gallons of water and a large amount of diesel fuel. The motor is a three thousand pound Rolls Royce locomotive diesel with a huge amount of room around it. When you stop to consider the implications of the systems on the boat and the capacity to go just about anywhere you are awash in visions of sugar plums. Truly a beautiful boat. Dan and Kathy had helped us dock in Newport by each grabbing a line and it was clear they knew how to handle a boat with confidence and ability. The wheel/pilot house has instrumentation but what I saw right away was a large monitor screen for a computer that was used for charts and the like. The detail of the doors and other daily use parts was very impressive. A great boat to travel in with systems that were comprehensible and accessible. The only issue was docking this behemoth… as they left the dock I joked with them by ducking to allow the bow sprit to pass several feet over my head.
The funny thing is, for me at least, that on our way to the Hidden Bay Café back on Tomahawk Island in the dinghy we used to go around Lungta every time. I had thought that I would like to see the interior sometime but never had a chance to go over to that dock during our stay there. Problem solved, go sailing and find them at the furthest port visited so far. One other small note about this; the morning after our arrival Dan came over with a plate full of freshly baked brownies for us… he was also carrying a plate for every other boat at the dock!
Starting from anywhere has always brought a slight tightening to my stomach because I am usually, firstly, comfortably situated at a dock or moorage or secondly because there is some question about what the weather is doing somewhere further than you can see on the horizon. Certainly I have always been an advocate of checking the weather by first looking out the window but when you plan to go off shore for multiple days that doesn’t quite do the job.
><(((\">`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸.•´¯`•...¸><(((º>¸.
•´¯`•.¸. , . .•´¯`•.. ><(((º>`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸.•´¯`•...¸><(((º>
As I write this I find myself in Astoria, Oregon with the out-the-window view of sunshine and dark skies on the horizon. We motored here from Portland over a two day period. The stop in Cathlamet, Washington on the way was good because it gave a day of getting the boat in better shape for the ocean but it also gave us a chance to trade off at the helm and coordinate our communications on boat handling together. It happened that in Cathlamet a friend met us at the dock to hand lines to. He was there for a Sea of Cortez Cruisers Rally that happens every year in August and we had missed it due to boat issues still being unresolved as we sat in Portland. We had an interesting time docking boat because there wasn’t much space and between coming within a foot or so of a large power boat and nearly crushing a Catalina 22 we were glad to see a friendly face on the dock. In any case, I digress once again, the weather was good at the time and we saw no clue of what was going on at the coast. As we came into the channel to turn into Cathlamet we encountered a fierce squall that drenched us to the bone but then cleared immediately to reveal a fantastic sunset.
This is great time in history to be asking the weather questions, really. The boat has internet from time to time and one of the first things we check is buoy weather and other similar sources for weather (wx) information. At Cathlamet we had good internet and so checked wx. It was sounding like we were heading into less than wonderful conditions.
By the time we got to Astoria we knew that it was going to be a wait of a few days before conditions on the Columbia River bar would allow us to pass. This leads to another couple of asides as well. We were picking up crew in Astoria and this happened the night we got there… so, everything was on schedule at that point but it was obvious that it wasn’t going to stay that way. Sitting in a slip across from our end tie was a boat we had last seen in Portland. As we had walked down the dock one morning a new boat was there with the skipper working on his lines. We said, “Howdy,” and he responded so we stopped to chat for a few minutes. His boat, Enigma, is a Hunter 37 and he bought it as his first boat in May (this being late July when we met) and had three sailing lessons and a navigation class and was planning to single hand to Mexico. Hmmm, shudders went down my spine, what is he thinking? Now that we are waiting the weather improvement that is predicted we are wondering what he is thinking. Thus far we have not had a chance to chat again but suspect that he may have gone out to the bar and turned around in nasty conditions. Another thing we did here to get our head around the coming departure was to visit the Maritime Museum and scare ourselves silly with the displays of Coast Guard rescues and wrecks on the bar!
><(((\">`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸.•´¯`•...¸><(((º>¸.
•´¯`•.¸. , . .•´¯`•.. ><(((º>`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸.•´¯`•...¸><(((º>
Waiting on the weather window is an opportunity to do jobs that remain and play a few games while we prepare for what is to come.
So, a few miles down the track we have crossed the Columbia bar (at night, 0230) and motored in little wind to Newport, Oregon and pulled in to reassess what the boat needs to be ready for the rest of the trip. Instantly people jump on us with stories of sure signs of difficult weather down the way. We should wait they all say. Separately we look at the buoy weather and other sources and have to agree it would be more comfortable to wait a few days. This means that we are stuck again in the weather weenie window. As we sit here boat after boat arrives and has the same notion. A couple of days after our arrival we head to the fuel dock early in the morning so that if and when our window arrives we will be ready to step out and boogie down the coast again. The pressure of one crew member having limited time plays on all this but that is of less concern because he can certainly catch a ride back to Portland from here more easily than if we get down the way further and have to duck in somewhere. All is good with staying for the moment but that is the nature of these things… you can always find a reason or excuse to stay where you are, “safe as houses.”
