Saturday, January 22, 2011

What have we been doing?

I just realized I have been delinquent in updating the blog. So here is a little catch-up on what we have been doing.

After New Years, we enjoyed Sarah's company for about 7 days before she headed back to Portland and Reed College - just one more semester to go! Before she left we did a little touring around the area. We drove out to the coast, near Ocean City and then south along the coast, past many oyster farms, on twisty roads (not my favorite) and almost to the Golden Gate Bridge before going over to Sausalito for dinner. Another day we drove up to Napa for lunch and then around the valley looking at all of the wineries.

After Sarah left, we started back on our list of boat chores. We got a good deal on small LED flashlights at Home Depot. With some clips we now have one mounted in each room so in case of emergency, there are flashlights readily available throughout the boat. Other chores included updating the Pactor modem to version 3 for faster email via HF radio. Rich has been taking the boat apart to check all of the chainplates and the bolts. He found some bolts which were corroded and we have replaced them. When he is done we will reseal the deck plates for each shroud thrudeck. Rich also installed our Outback Flex DC monitor so we can get a better idea of amp hours in and amp hours out of our system including the solar panels and wind generator. I have started to compound and wax portions of the deck. Our deck is old and worn but this brings it back to life a little, besides it is sunny, I am able to work outside and it looks shiny afterwards.

Life has not been all work. Our boat neighbor, Bill, took us to lunch at Skates on the Bay. It is a gorgeous restaurant near the Berkeley Yacht Club with a ringside view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Make your reservations now for the 2013 America's Cup!

Last Friday we met Larry Jacobson, his partner Ken and Patrik Henderson for drinks at Trader Vic's. Larry, Ken and Patrik sailed Larry's boat, Julia, on their circumnavigation. We met them at Paradise Village in Nuevo Vallarta in 2001 plus other stops across the South Pacific. Larry wrote a book about their travels and it has just been published. It is titled, "The Boy Behind the Gate". It is available at Amazon and you can also order it via Larry's website, www.larryjacobson.com.

Friday night we had a visit from Alan Weston. Alan was one of Rich's customers when he worked on the LEAP (Light Exo-Atmospheric Projectile) program at Boeing, many moons ago. He found us through the internet and contacting the Corinthian Yacht Club in Seattle, of which we are members. It was a surprise to have him call us. He now works at NASA Ames so after work he drove up to visit us on Windarra. It was fun to find out about mutual acquaintances and the new projects that he is working on. One of these projects was the Lunar Impactor which confirmed there is water on the moon. We had a fun evening reestablishing contact.

Well, that brings you up to date. Now back to our other boat chores.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Year

Rich and I would like to wish everyone a healthy and happy new year for 2011. We are thankful for our family and our friends and our readers.

2010 was an exciting year for us.

At the end of March, my time at Boeing on the 787 project ended and I became full time retired! I will be even happier when the pension checks start coming in 2011…

Rich was busy getting Windarra ready for full time cruising. Windarra now boasts a whole new refrigeration (with Dave Stearns help!), 2 new hatches, new headliner in the v-berth, new electronics, and of course, a new windlass. We enjoyed showing her off to our friends at a small dock party before we left

In May, we attended graduation at Reed College in Portland and watched Rae Wannier accept her diploma. Shortly thereafter she accepted Jesse's proposal of marriage and we look forward to the wedding in June, 2011.

In June, Sarah started her summer internship in the CENTC program at the University of Washington working in organometallics. She returned to Reed at the end of the summer to complete her senior year.

June also saw Rich and I casting off our dock lines and heading out only to return shortly and replace the windlass before leaving again. We traveled as far north as Ketchikan, Alaska before turning south. On the way south we visited Haida Gwaii, formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands before stopping on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Our run to San Francisco included Westport, Newport, Crescent City and Eureka. At Newport we rented a car and drove to Portland to visit Sarah, Jesse and Rae before continuing southward.

At the middle of September we berthed Windarra at the Emery Cove Yacht Harbor. This is our base for a while as we explore the area and of course, do more boat projects (it never ends…..). We flew back to Seattle to pick up our car, clean and consolidate our two storage units into just one and in between visited friends. Sorry we could not see everyone but we had limited time.

In October we connected with old friends and new. Fran of SV Cape St James and friends came down for the Women's Marathon and we got a chance to baby-sit with Sam. We also met Pete and Sue of SV Kiapa, berthed in Alameda and renewed our acquaintance from 2001 and the Baja Ha-Ha. Ginger and Peter of SV Marcy introduced us to Greg and Melissa of SV Pura Vida of the Berkeley Yacht Club and we have enjoyed many occasions with them.

November was a month of mixed emotions. We were excited when Jesse found a great job in Portland where he can use his math skills. It was fun having Sarah, Jesse and Rae come down to visit us for the weekend of Jesse's birthday. The sad part was losing our furry crew member, Katmandu shortly thereafter. In the middle of the month we met Chuck and Margie of SV Dreamcatcher in Sacramento for lunch at the Virgin Sturgeon. At the end of the month, Rich and I flew to Philadelphia for the Thanksgiving holiday. We enjoyed visiting friends and family even though we missed Rich's 45th high school reunion because we got the date mixed up.

In December we welcomed Sarah home for the holidays. Her roommate, Jess, visited us as well for part of the time.

We look forward to 2011. If you have a chance to visit in the San Francisco area, please let us know.

Happy New Year

Elaine and Rich