out of the U.S

Well we are headed south wont be many contacts but will try when we can.

Friends are here it`s 9 at night so ten hours to ensanada to do the legal stuff.

Back at Mariner's cove

We stayed at the police dock almost a week and returned to Mariner's cove this morning. This time it only took an hour and a half. Dodged fishing boats, crab or lobster pot buoys and of course KELP. We really like anchoring out here. Very peaceful.
I will try to fill you in on the past few days. Dick got the solar panels working after calling the company(tech support). Seems a crucial step in wiring is not in the instructions. West Marine offering shuttle service for cruisers this week and so we got to get groceries and of course bought some items at West Marine.
I couldn't seem to find a beauty shop to get a hair cut (all busy), so Dick cut my hair. Not a professional job, but much better than it was. Wonder what his trucker friends will think...
Caught up with some fellow cruisers and what they have been doing. Faith, Girl on the Moon, Julia Max, Firewater, Gaia, and met a new cruiser Saffron. Owner/captain of Saffron is a 75 y/o boat designer, book illustrator here to sell his boat and go to Cambodia to design some fishing boats. Interesting man to talk to and says people want him to slow down and retire. He is spry and says as long as he can , he will continue to pursue new horizons.
Bamboo came by one evening and we all went to dinner at Sizzlin. They had rented a car. It sure was good to see them again. They are at another marina. We should see them again Sunday at West Marine. West Marine is throwing a party for the Baja HaHa cruisers.
Dick started waxing and buffing the hull again and this time I think it is going to work. The hull has stayed shiny for 2 days now. He didn't get to finish because buffer took a dive into the water and so buffer is no longer working. Most everything on a boat can dive, but can't swim.

Shelter Island

Well we left Mission bay an went around the corner to shelter Island,it is like a mile across the land,lol it took 3.5 hrs by water you cant imagine what a kelp forrest looks like,scary to see it under you thats for sure.

When we got to the police dock at shelter island there was no room there so was sent about five miles to a anchorage for the weekend an lucky for us I needed to ask the lady a quesstion she told us she had three slips open,so off we go back to where we were a hr ago,but got a slip!.

yesterday managed to get the solar panels all wired in place,hooked them up and no charge? what the .... o wait batteries are at 12.9 volt........full so disconnected the bat charger an running down the batteries an see what happens when the sun comes up,got my fingers crossed.

Other then this tiny bit of info not alot of news,there are a few friends like julia max a twin to our boat owned by George and Sue,and a few others we have met coming south.

Wont be alot till our friends from ark get here on the 29th,but will write something!

Dick

Ok Carol said my writing sucks so will try an improve on it.

lesson for the day

Ok students

Well I should have paid attention in class when I was told....................dont do stupid things lol

First:pay attention to electricity reserves an charging rates,run the batteries down things stop an doesnt do the batteries any good Second: when you compute time to recharge you findout it is going to take a full day and a couple hours to remedy the cavalier way you used up the batteries sheeesh.


Well as funny as it seems being in the la basin solar panels are not easy to find,so with hours of searching I found a couple very exspencive places locally or did locate some at a decent price in victorville,so off to enterprize then to get two 130 watt panels and a controller.

We get home haul the panels in the dinghy in santa ana winds an might add I was not comfy with lifting panels that weigh about 50 lbs in a pitching dinghy up on deck but got er done.

got thru the ordeal of the panels and all the other stuff Carol bought and decided a shower would be in order,sure felt good! walked to the salon looked out.................o no were not where we are supposed to be(second lesson of the day) we are tied between two buoys never never just run a line thru a buoy eye because it will saw it`s way thru well onward so I get dressed an thought I had drug the buoy,but didn't called harbor patrol they came an did a great job help towing me back into position retied and decided two lines were in order.

I included this rather humbling experience so some of my friends never make that mistake as I did.

Now to install the panels,will let you know how that goes!

slow week

Well we are doing fine,getting a few things done on the boat,not sure it will ever be finished but looking better.

Had a really nice visit from wayne and his wife carolyn yesterday,he had a sistership to plumas that came up second best to a hurricane a few years back in La Paz,he gave me some great advice on removing the bad decks.

other then that not alot to report short of the messup by ebay getting my tunner to me,o well I am retired and need not worry about schedules................but I want it now!

lets see what to tell about?

Well as the title say`s what has happened that somebody would be interested in? a long pause..............well we painted one head,the master stateroom,the work area,and a good cleaning of other parts of Plumas,hmmmmm three lines.

Well we met a couple with a 54ft ct,man what a sweet boat an nice folks,had us and a another couple over an you could tell they were ready to go, but they cant go cruising tell next year.

went to dinner in the dink tonight an was good headed home and a police helicopter decided we needed to be looked over with a huge light they finally decided we were not worth the price of fuel they were wasting an left.

anyhow it cant be all exciting! until next time,take care everybody

Dick

trials.................grrrrrr

Well started great, had friends over for breakfast,went and rented a car to go to minnies,got back to the boat to get carol,started out an then it happened,a fellow comes up in his dinghy an very nicely lets us know the harbor police made a mistake and rented out his mooring balls to us,so we get back aboard plumas fire up and are told where to go, a short trip going away from car we fined the spot ease up to the first ball and ut o Plumas is not going right her nose is pointed into the wind but when we attach she goes sideways over the line between the balls,hangs up,goes up against a powerboat of all things an there we are,sheeesh some very nice folks come over in there dinghy and between our`s an there dinghy were free! seems there was a outbound tide in shallow water an there in was the problem,so off to the next bouy we are told to head to,hmmmm no rope between them,cant reach ring, so off to the anchorage area drop anchor,go get a Happy Hooker.............no guy`s the kind you use to hookup to a ring! GET ONE IF YOU EVER NEED TO GRAB A BOUY! west marine had one.

When I got back Carol had become settled I attached the hooker to a pole an off to the bouy,click it was done,settled down met some nice folks an life was good again.

newport beach

Well we made it to Newport beach got settled in on two mooring balls(was a new thing but we made it!) the trip from Oxnard was more of the same glassy smooth water.

The trip didn't produce anything more exciting then watching pelicans flying so close to the water Carol and I were sure they were going to get the beak in the water an do a cart wheel.............no such event,man can they fly,we even crossed the busiest port there is without a elevated heart rate!

We are going to stay here for about ten day`s then head to San Diego do are legality`s and head south before the baja haha.

Will be a void for the blog till we head out unless something exciting happens.