Prepping for Polynesia

 

 

We are now in the throws of prepping for the Pacific Puddle Jump. Interlude has new PPG ABC3 bottom paint, Propspeed, zincs and Awlcare on her Dupont Imron clearcoat topsides thanks to the good folks at KKMI in Richmond.

 

 

Swedish Marine got her Sea Recovery watermaker and Webasto diesel heater (it may be chilly leaving San Francisco) going again. New running rigging by Hansen Rigging was also due after twelve years. Katie is adding a couple more coats of interior varnish and making Costco provisioning runs. Kurt is checking all systems including engines, generators, hydraulics, autopilots, navigation electronics, communications radios and computers. We plan to be underway sometime in April.

Latitude Interlude

We have a series of articles in Latitude 38 magazine (October, December and January) conveying some thoughts regarding our circumnavigation and the cruising lifestyle. For the complete Report ready for download follow this link: Circumnavigation Interlude

Alameda Interlude

Ventura to Alameda was 34 hours dock to dock. We sailed a few hours yesterday but motored the rest of the trip to make it in during daylight. Good traveling weather with a light SW breeze. The Alameda draw bridges all opened like clockwork and we even made it thru before commute hours.

Miles sailed since we left Alameda eleven years ago: 55,495.

Underway Again

After 16 days in Ventura we are now underway again. The gale to storm force winds blowing down the California coast for the past two weeks have stopped and we hope to have a calm 36 hr motorboat ride to San Francisco Bay. The Wyman's were very generous letting us use their dock, house and car and the neighbors and the Ventura Yacht Club were also very hospitable. Interlude with her new paint job had all the canal SUPs, kayakers, electric Duffy boaters and BMWs gawking.

We had fun catching up with some folks we met cruising in Indonesia who are still living aboard their Sundeer 60 in Ventura. Katie could not resist shopping for more house items in her old home town mall in Thousand Oaks, at the art galleries in Ojai and in the Santa Barbara tourist shops. On Earth Day we walked to the Ventura Eco Fest along the beach.

All the usual oil rigs are still in the Santa Barbara Channel looming at us thru the fog.

1100 Local Position: 34d23'N, 120d07'W, COG 268dM, SOG 10kn, Air 70F, Water 55F

Del Rey Ventura

We had a very nice time in Marina Del Rey and would like to thank Errol 'Deerfoot II', Jeff and Gayle 'Lazybones' and Fielding and Nancy 'Regatta' for showing us around and making us feel welcome. We had fun cycling on the beach bike path and seeing all the sights from Santa Monica to Manhatten Beach. Restaurants we can recommend: Sidewalk Cafe, Venice; Killer Shrimp, MdR; Tony P's, MdR; Rockin' Fish, Manhatten Beach.

Katie's birthday celebration on April 4 was part of a month long festival of reconnecting with old friends in ports all along the coast. Some Cheesecake Factory treats made the special day even more festive.

Yesterday we motored 50 miles up to Ventura and are now at Dave and Diane Wyman's house in the Keys with Interlude on their dock (34d15.6'N, 119d15.9'W).

The wind will be picking up over the next few days (its blowing 35 out in the Channel Islands now) ruling out any more hops north for a while.

Easter Interlude

We are now in Marina del Rey where Interlude's sistership Deerfoot II is berthed. On the way in Friday we were greeted by 'Beowulf' another Dashew design and had her crew over for drinks. Yesterday we visited some of the Dashew family aboard Deerfoot II and had drinks at the California Yacht Club.

Also on the way in, the mega MV 'Air' was in the marina channel with her helicopter taking off. She probably had to move out of her berth to use the chopper.

The marina is part of a condo complex with boater dedicated bathrooms, showers, laundry and heated swimming pool. Interlude is in a vacant end tie berth known of by Errol, the helpful captain of DF II (33d58.38'N, 118d27.18'W, Basin 'A' berth 1623/1624 Marina Harbor Anchorage).

Today we plan to have Easter Brunch with Jeff & Gayle who we meet cruising in the Pacific, have their yacht in the Med and a home in Beverly Hills.

We wish you all a happy fertility celebration and us Christians peace of mind.

Southland Sailing

We are finally back in the US of A after leaving Newport RI in September of 2012.

After clearing customs at the SD Police Dock (had to give up some made in USA chicken in original packaging) we are now at the Southwestern Yacht Club where the bar and dinner await.

The Southwestern Yacht Club has gotten upscale since we last were there ten years ago (32d42.82'N, 117d14.06'W, 12 ft no charge). A new building with good restaurant, bar, showers, etc. was ours for three nights with very nice and helpful members. We declined borrowing a car and walked a couple miles to Trader Joe's to stock up the fruit, veggies and meats the US CBP would not allow in. We still ended up eating dinners at the yacht club because the food was so good and inexpensive.

The real estate along the beach was very impressive and we had fun walking in front of all the beachfront homes.  

Today we motored 60 miles to Newport Beach and chose to anchor in the designated anchorage off Lido Island. Freshly dredged, the anchorage is now open again and we are the only boat in it! The club CFJ junior program is in session and one of those water jet packs is flying around for rent.

Katie is studying the City of Newport Cruising Guide ( www.newportbeachca.gov/harborguide ) for restaurants with dinghy docks.

So far Newport Beach is looking pretty nice...