Scott and I tend to shy away from yacht clubs. Not that we believe anything wrong with them, it's simply we tend not to fit into that social scene. We could never really find a yacht club that made us feel we fit in properly. Back home we say it's like finding a church... it really takes a lot of things to come into alignment for it to be a right fit, and the stars never seemed to align on the yacht club scene for us. This weekend, however, while we still are not yacht club people, we did find a lovely group of yachties who invited us to join their festivities for the weekend. They were over to Avalon for their annual St. Valentine's Day Event. It was a perfect weekend for it also, as the weather held in the low to mid 70's all weekend. The group of clubbers each night hosted a cocktail reception on a different lovely boat. I'm still amazed at how many bodies can be fit into a boat! We got to see a beautiful Tazwell and a lovely Chris Craft. Scott and I both drooled over the space in the Chris Craft! 3 staterooms, a garbage compactor, full size fridge, dish washer, and a library! A Library! I think Scott was in love with that room, if he could have a private office again I think he'd never make a complaint for the rest of his life. Oh, well, the compromises to go cruising.
Yesterday we said "goodbye" to many new friends and by mid-afternoon we were surrounded by quiet again. We were filled in for a few days and now, not a boat within three moorings of us. We renewed our mooring for another week in anticipation of receiving the new alternator we purchased. It's currently out for deliver and should be at the Harbor Patrol's office today. I was amazed at the customer service we received when ordering the part. The wonderful man who helped us went as far are to call the Harbor Patrol's office to verify that we could receive it at their office and that the address was correct. When we went into their office yesterday, we were told they will even bring it out to our boat when it arrives. Now that is service! I don't know if I'm getting old or if it's simply the work ethic doesn't seem to be up to what it once was, but I always appreciate good service with I experience it. This is a resort town and they seem to go out of the way to give exceptional service! Well, that's Avalon! I recently read a T-shirt that said "Avalon: The Graveyard of Ambition" I certainly can see that. It's a laid back resort town that can make even the most unsocial person relax and join in. It keeps us coming back!
Fair Winds My Friends! Keep your fingers crossed on the alternator!
Scott and The Golden Gate
Monday, February 18, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Alternator
Well, it turns out the alternator we purchased as a spare isn't exactly what we need. It's the wrong size to fit on our engine. Scott has considered a few options, but isn't quite sure any of them will completely work. That means it's waiting time again. He has located one that might work and we are waiting on an e-mail with the exact measurements. Then there is the issue of where do we ship it. We gave up our box at the UPS store in Newport and while we might be able to send it out to the island UPS and Fedex don't ship out here. We could send it general deliver if they can send it US Postal Service. That's all a waiting game until tomorrow, hopefully we will get a response. Then there is the time involved in shipping it down here... get this the company is in Portland!!! LOL!!! We are scheduled to on Monday, but we can extend another week if need be. The rates are super cheap this time of year and we've located the much needed propane to keep us warm. With those two things we can be quite comfortable if it takes until the end of next week to receive the item, again depending on the size of the thing. It's a circle.
As for our time here, we are back in the swing of things from our time in December 2011. We've been surprised how many people remember us. William a member of the Harbor Patrol came by to welcome us back, our favorite bartender at the Marlin Club was glad to see us. Even a guy who winters here on his boat remembered visiting with us before. It's nice to know where to get my groceries and laundry done. Everyone is so helpful and easy going here. I can see why so many boaters over winter here every year. It's supposed to be in the 70's this week and once we've got the alternator set we are planning on doing some hiking in the hills. It should be beautiful. We probably won't go ashore on Saturday or Sunday, as it is usually crowded with tourists, but we've got plenty to keep us busy. We are safe and have a rough plan for the next few days. So Mexico is pushed back a few days. We've got the time and we are only planning on going as far as the Sea of Cortez for the summer. That's about 1300 miles to put us out of the hurricane belt and we have 5 months to do that. So many cruisers push through so quickly and never get to know a place, it's nice to have the option of really slowing down and seeing some of Mexico. From our experience 6 years ago in the Sea it's like sailing through a desert. Should make for some beautiful scenery.
Well, Cheers and Fair Winds!
As for our time here, we are back in the swing of things from our time in December 2011. We've been surprised how many people remember us. William a member of the Harbor Patrol came by to welcome us back, our favorite bartender at the Marlin Club was glad to see us. Even a guy who winters here on his boat remembered visiting with us before. It's nice to know where to get my groceries and laundry done. Everyone is so helpful and easy going here. I can see why so many boaters over winter here every year. It's supposed to be in the 70's this week and once we've got the alternator set we are planning on doing some hiking in the hills. It should be beautiful. We probably won't go ashore on Saturday or Sunday, as it is usually crowded with tourists, but we've got plenty to keep us busy. We are safe and have a rough plan for the next few days. So Mexico is pushed back a few days. We've got the time and we are only planning on going as far as the Sea of Cortez for the summer. That's about 1300 miles to put us out of the hurricane belt and we have 5 months to do that. So many cruisers push through so quickly and never get to know a place, it's nice to have the option of really slowing down and seeing some of Mexico. From our experience 6 years ago in the Sea it's like sailing through a desert. Should make for some beautiful scenery.
Well, Cheers and Fair Winds!
Monday, February 11, 2013
Avalon Here We Come... again....
OK, OK, I've done a couple of previous posts on Avalon and us visiting. So, here is another... Scott and I left Newport Beach at around noon today. After 4 days at the anchorage we woke to another boat anchored near us. We don't know when they came in, but it was nice to have neighbors even for a short time. The crew of Reisender was up and gone before they. We wanted to make Catalina Island before nightfall..... after all it's only 20 miles..... see the foreshadowing? After stopping off at the pump out dock to clean give the boat a good wash down we were on our way after 14 months. She shouldn't have received such a good wash down. It's turns out we were on the very, very tail end of a small craft advisory. While that really isn't a big deal it did slow us down quite a bit. Normally we make the run in about 4 1/2 to 5 hours......... today's run was just over 7! I was not happy! We were only making about 4 knots, mostly due to the wind and waves against us, but a little to the garden growing under us. It's been decided to splurge on someone scrubbing the bottom of the boat in Ensenada. Scott and I are really glad we do these things in steps. The fridge ran for much of our voyage, and so did the nav-computer, and the radar, and the AIS, and the....... well... it turns out that our alternator was at the end of it's life. I came down to get the paper version of the lay-out of Avalon and smelled something burning. I told Scott to get below while I took the helm. We were minutes away from a possible fire. Scott knows our boat, that's one of the advantages of him doing almost all of the work himself. We were only down about 20 minutes and on our way again. Both of us remained calm and were able to do our respective tasks to get us underway again. While the alternator isn't quite toast, she is definitely retired. Thanks to our good friend Eric for the wonderful swap meet he put on a couple of years ago, we happen to carry a spare on board. The question is now, when do we buy another spare? We will figure it out before leaving Avalon. In the mean time, we will enjoy being in a wonderful setting and enjoying an almost empty mooring field.
Cheers for now and fair sailing!
Cheers for now and fair sailing!
Friday, February 8, 2013
Day Two at Anchor and the Wild Goose!
It's day two as we wait out this front coming through. We wanted to leave tomorrow, but there are some pretty high winds and even higher gusts that would be on our nose for the trip out to Avalon on Catalina Island. We want to try and do some sailing now that Reisender is rigged for the main and we want some mild winds to play with the first time out.
It's been raining today and we even got some hail, almost unheard of around here. We've both been getting little projects done. Well, I've been getting little putter projects done, Scott is actually working on some rather important projects, namely getting our AIS up and running again. We changed computers and he's working on getting the program working on it. For my non-boating friends, AIS is a system where we can recognize commercial vessels by name, length, vessel type, direction and speed. They are required by law on all commercial vessels, but not on recreational craft, but many boaters are moving to installing them as they are a wonderful safety feature. We have both a transmitter and receiver. It was a great investment that we are so pleased to have aboard, especially in heavy shipping lanes like San Francisco and LA. I know we'll love it when we get to the Panama Canal.
The most exciting part of our day was when we realized we were anchored near "Wild Goose"!!!! That's John Wayne's boat. It's used now for events and parties. Scott and I are both John Wayne fans so this was one more piece of evidence of what geeks we are. Here's a little about her! Hope you enjoy!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_YMS-328
It's been raining today and we even got some hail, almost unheard of around here. We've both been getting little projects done. Well, I've been getting little putter projects done, Scott is actually working on some rather important projects, namely getting our AIS up and running again. We changed computers and he's working on getting the program working on it. For my non-boating friends, AIS is a system where we can recognize commercial vessels by name, length, vessel type, direction and speed. They are required by law on all commercial vessels, but not on recreational craft, but many boaters are moving to installing them as they are a wonderful safety feature. We have both a transmitter and receiver. It was a great investment that we are so pleased to have aboard, especially in heavy shipping lanes like San Francisco and LA. I know we'll love it when we get to the Panama Canal.
The most exciting part of our day was when we realized we were anchored near "Wild Goose"!!!! That's John Wayne's boat. It's used now for events and parties. Scott and I are both John Wayne fans so this was one more piece of evidence of what geeks we are. Here's a little about her! Hope you enjoy!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_YMS-328
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Goodbye Mooring B-72!!!
It's been one year, 1 month, and 18 days since we sailed into Newport Beach Harbor. We haven't moved and inch other than when the breeze and waves rocked the boat. There was much trepidation aboard today as we decided to FINALLY cast off from the mooring balls. Scott and I, both feeling a bit rusty, were anxious to get moving again. The last few days have been spent running around getting things in order: letting the bank know we'll be out of the country, storing our car with a friend, and last minute runs to Trader Joe's. It's all been a bit of a whorl!
When we came to Newport Beach it was with the intent of staying only a few weeks, maybe a month, and definitely not to live here over a year. The idea of living in Orange County was against most things we stand for. It's suburbia hell! Somehow we did land in a little corner that we could enjoy and will talk about with fondness as we look back on our time here. We adore Balboa Island and most she had to offer. She is a family vacation home rental area at the beach. Not something typically that Scott and I would enjoy, but we started to meet people and learn about the area. It's a very small town feeling. The locals full of color and pride in their hometown. The people of Balboa Island are very loyal to this small village. The perimeter of the island is only about 2 miles. Our first night here started out at the Village Inn a local hangout, which became our little hangout over time. Then there is the launderette here on the island. Randy the owner grew up here and became a source of everything Balboa for me. He grew up swimming in Buddy Epson's pool (who had a house here) and had even been in John Wayne's house, before it was torn down. The launderette is a meeting place for the locals. I've had many an interested conversation in there, and learning interesting things there as well. That's where I learned about the shooting at Fashion Island (a local up scale mall) back in December. Then there were the other boaters we got to know. It is a little more difficult getting to know your "neighbors" on a mooring ball than in a marina. In some ways it's nicer being on the mooring. For the most part, we can't hear what our neighbors are up to. Over time we did get to know some of them. There's Norm and Frankie, we met them first. We became "hello" friends with Ben and his wife. Larry and Gaille made us feel welcome. They own the boat behind us and live on another here in the bay. Larry was our friend who helped out when we were over run with sea lions back in the summer. Thanks! will never be enough! We met Mark with his wonderful chocolate lab. And, our closest neighbors, Bruce, Kathleen, and their two children. I've spent many hours watching their kids with friends jumping off the boat and playing in the bay. Such an adventurous family. Then there is a very special person to me, Sally. Sally works in the Harbor Sheriff's office and anyone who has met her thinks the world of her. It's rare to walk into a sheriff's office and feel the kind of warmth that she brings and fills the room with. Then ther are all the staff at Minney's. There are always people I forget to name and think of later, but I thank all of you for your time and help while we called Newport Beach Home!
Our time here has been filled with so much work I couldn't even name it all. I think we've finished, or near finished, so many projects my head could spin at what we've accomplished this year. It would not have been possible with the many convenient boating supplies in the area. We've dealt with welders, sail makers, the staff at Minney's, MMI, Mesa Hose (their motto is "We have more hose then Compton"), and all sorts of others who have gone out of their way to help us. They've either done it quickly, perfectly, or helped us find out who could get it done for us.
Well, it has all lead up to today. We didn't really go that far, about a mile or so. As always, Scott and I are very careful people and prefer baby steps. It's been over a year since Reisender has moved and we thought it prudent to test her a bit to make sure everything is in working order before taking her back out. Today was a run to pick up fuel and then move her to the free anchorage (free one of our favorite words). Both of us are glad we came to the anchorage. It's been even loner since we'd practiced our anchoring skills. I must say both the docking for fuel and the anchoring went well. I guess we are not as rusty as we thought. We'll see how tonight goes and if our anchor holds well. If so, I'll call this a successful day. I'll say fairwell for now friends.
Cheers and fair winds!
When we came to Newport Beach it was with the intent of staying only a few weeks, maybe a month, and definitely not to live here over a year. The idea of living in Orange County was against most things we stand for. It's suburbia hell! Somehow we did land in a little corner that we could enjoy and will talk about with fondness as we look back on our time here. We adore Balboa Island and most she had to offer. She is a family vacation home rental area at the beach. Not something typically that Scott and I would enjoy, but we started to meet people and learn about the area. It's a very small town feeling. The locals full of color and pride in their hometown. The people of Balboa Island are very loyal to this small village. The perimeter of the island is only about 2 miles. Our first night here started out at the Village Inn a local hangout, which became our little hangout over time. Then there is the launderette here on the island. Randy the owner grew up here and became a source of everything Balboa for me. He grew up swimming in Buddy Epson's pool (who had a house here) and had even been in John Wayne's house, before it was torn down. The launderette is a meeting place for the locals. I've had many an interested conversation in there, and learning interesting things there as well. That's where I learned about the shooting at Fashion Island (a local up scale mall) back in December. Then there were the other boaters we got to know. It is a little more difficult getting to know your "neighbors" on a mooring ball than in a marina. In some ways it's nicer being on the mooring. For the most part, we can't hear what our neighbors are up to. Over time we did get to know some of them. There's Norm and Frankie, we met them first. We became "hello" friends with Ben and his wife. Larry and Gaille made us feel welcome. They own the boat behind us and live on another here in the bay. Larry was our friend who helped out when we were over run with sea lions back in the summer. Thanks! will never be enough! We met Mark with his wonderful chocolate lab. And, our closest neighbors, Bruce, Kathleen, and their two children. I've spent many hours watching their kids with friends jumping off the boat and playing in the bay. Such an adventurous family. Then there is a very special person to me, Sally. Sally works in the Harbor Sheriff's office and anyone who has met her thinks the world of her. It's rare to walk into a sheriff's office and feel the kind of warmth that she brings and fills the room with. Then ther are all the staff at Minney's. There are always people I forget to name and think of later, but I thank all of you for your time and help while we called Newport Beach Home!
Our time here has been filled with so much work I couldn't even name it all. I think we've finished, or near finished, so many projects my head could spin at what we've accomplished this year. It would not have been possible with the many convenient boating supplies in the area. We've dealt with welders, sail makers, the staff at Minney's, MMI, Mesa Hose (their motto is "We have more hose then Compton"), and all sorts of others who have gone out of their way to help us. They've either done it quickly, perfectly, or helped us find out who could get it done for us.
Well, it has all lead up to today. We didn't really go that far, about a mile or so. As always, Scott and I are very careful people and prefer baby steps. It's been over a year since Reisender has moved and we thought it prudent to test her a bit to make sure everything is in working order before taking her back out. Today was a run to pick up fuel and then move her to the free anchorage (free one of our favorite words). Both of us are glad we came to the anchorage. It's been even loner since we'd practiced our anchoring skills. I must say both the docking for fuel and the anchoring went well. I guess we are not as rusty as we thought. We'll see how tonight goes and if our anchor holds well. If so, I'll call this a successful day. I'll say fairwell for now friends.
Cheers and fair winds!
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