Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Work!

Well, I think the blogging is going to slow down a bit. Karin is already flying again, and I'll probably start working this weekend. It will take a little while to get the sailing kitty healthy again, but it is good to see friends. We a have a list of projects around the house, and on the boat, that will keep us busy for a while!
 The sewing machine is being repaired; we bought 16 yds. of marine vinyl to make new cushion covers for the boat. After that, we'll start looking at getting a watermaker, and re-plumbing our fresh water system. Our favorite; and.... and,.. and!

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Scottsdale

We are finally in the house in Scottsdale! We made our first trip back to the boat yesterday; she has been bombarded by seagulls, but other than that, everything was o.k. We needed to get some things off the boat; clothes, pots and pans, the TV, and other things to make life on land a little more comfortable.

Back to our crossing from Refugio! Whew! That was exciting; about a half an hour out of the anchorage, we set sail, and boom! Fish on! We caught a beautiful Yellowtail; we still have alot of fish, so, it was his lucky day. The sailing was good, but, the predicted southeasterlies were more from the south, and the swell was slightly southwest, making for a rolly start. The wind increased, so we furled the genoa, and put in the first reef on the mainsail. Now the swell was increasing, with large breaking whitecaps; Karin suggested we go for the second reef. I agreed. With lifevest and safety harness on, I went forward to put in the reef. The conditions were getting rough, but, I thought we were doing all the right things. Karin was wondering if we should turn back; that didn't seem like a good option, as we would have to bash against the wind and seas for several hours.
 As I completed the reef, and headed aft, I looked at Karin on the wheel, with a six foot wave behind her; and surfing across the wave, was a large shark! I wish I had a picture!
A few minutes, or hours, passed, and the conditions weren't getting any better. As we descended into a trough, we did a small accidental jibe. Unfortunately, it was enough to foul the mainsail on the rigging. We're done! Start the motor, drop the sails,and ride it out, the rest of the way to Rocky Point. Motoring was less stressful, but still uncomfortable. Things were crashing in the cabin, it was difficult to stay on course, and it was getting dark. It was going to be a long night! We had planned our trip to arrive at high tide, but we were going too fast. After reducing the throttle, to adjust our arrival time; we decided  that we would just have to anchor outside of the harbor, in the dark!
 A few hours later, we headed into the harbor. Our slip wasn't ready, so we aimed for the first open one we saw. My least graceful docking so far. I bumped the dock, just enough to break the pvc water line, and send a plume of water flying into the air. Oh well, we made it!

We got the dogs off the boat and headed for a hotel. Air conditioning! A few days of rest, some good meals, and walking the dogs. ( Gypsy has made a miraculous recovery!?)

A few trips to the boat to get her ready for marina life, and we'll be on our way to Arizona. Now, she's tied up for the summer, and we'll be making trips down to day sail, and make improvements for the next leg of the journey!

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Puerto Refugio to Puerto Penasco

Internet has been a challenge lately! We did have an exciting crossing; the forecast winds were 13-19. Weighing anchor for the last time in a while, we thought we were set for the 104 mile crossing. A few hours later we were rolling through 3 to 6 foot, breaking chop, with a solid 25 knot wind. No pictures from that part, but Refugio was  fantastic! People gave us a 30 lb. Yellowtail, sashimi, and Karin's Sushi rolls!


More on the crossing once we get settled in Scottsdale and internet.  Anyone want a house in a great location near old town in Scottsdale?  It's for sale!





Friday, July 5, 2013

Eloy, Arizona

It's been a while since the last post. Due to an unexpected downturn  with Gypsie's health; we came back early. Flyin Sideways is safely tied up in Rocky Point, and we're back in Arizona to start getting ready for the next chapter.... Panama, and Costa Rica by March!? We'll see.....