evening

Well We had a wonderful dinner at the sidewalk cafe here in the marina last evening an we both realized we were living a dream to be doing such a thing when so many others were getting home after driving through traffic taking coats off and fixing dinner(we had on one item of clothing apiece!) an so as we ate with a beautiful sunset and a ton of fish jumping in the lagoon I realized how lucky we were.

On other items some of our friends are still here in the marina, so it will make the Thanksgiving day feast were having here a much better time,200 people will be under a tent enjoying.

Plumas is finally getting the oxidation removed by some locals an the stuff called salt away really works then a lot of buffing with rubbing compound and then wax,sure looking great!.

We went down to the local doc here and got shingles vaccination for 500 pesos,call it 50 dollars was told by some over 200 in the states if you could get it.

Not alot more then that so will sign off till a really interesting thing happens.

Happy thanksgiving all from a couple of very happy people!

Dick and Carol

Hi All

Well since last entry we have very little to report,but here goes with what i can find,we have been busy with a few new friends going to dinner a number of times at some really cool places like Senor cammarone,wow what a meal if you can imagine 2 kilos of deheaded shrimp an 2 beers for 9.00 dollars!

Ok we also went to a potluck aboard a 90 ft schooner at anchor an had a great time but 70 people aboard milling about was a bit hard on carol since she had a thing called dinghy butt....... wet o well she handled it well.

Tomorrow we are going to get shingle inoculation for 50 dollars apiece,250 in the states.

Not alot to report that has much excitement tho but we did pay for one more week so we can have thanksgiving dinner with friends an other cruiser's here in the marina.

Thats all for now.

Dick

Hola from La Paz

Spent several days in Cabo San Lucas, swimming, trying to learn money system, eating, and just walking around town people watching. Went out with other cruisers one evening for shrimp tacos and they were yummy. Had lazy susan with salsas, shredded cabbage, sliced cucumbers and what we thought was thin avocado sauce. We have had it that way before...almost runny thin. WELL it was ground habenersos peppers. We were all sucking air, eyes wide open and tears streaming. All of us went back for more. lol Only way to describe Cabo is expensive, expensive, expensive.
November 13 was a bitter sweet day. Joe and Sharon (our friends from AR) left for home. We sure miss them. Know they are glad to be home. That 's the way vacations are.
We took two days to get to La Paz. Traveled during the day and anchored at night. First night was at the Frailles anchorage. It has a park with a reef for diving. Nextnight was at Los Muertos. It has a restaurant and we ate there that night. The clientel is 100% yatiatas. (Gringos going south or north).Both anchorages were beautiful and restful. Left at 0400 from Los Muertos under a full moon and bright stars. Arrived in La Paz in the afternoon. Anchored out and almost immediately got invited over to another boat for finger foods, beer and dinner. Weather was balmy and conversation lively. Next day we headed to town, bought groceries, visited with fellow gringos at marina cafe, watched children feed beautiful tropical fish at the dock.
Today we are at an internet cafe catching up on messages and the blog. Will try to get a few pics posted. Still haven't gotten pics of dolphins swimming alongside our boat. What a thrill.

mexico

Arrived in Mexico eleven days ago. Cleared customs at Ensenada and moved on immediately. Dick spent four hours getting paper work done and had seen all of Ensenada he wanted. Our friends from Arkansas few into San Diego and we left a few hours after that. All night to Ensenada, arrived October 30, 2008,then on to Turtle Bay non-stop. Arrived November1, about 1130. Dinghyed ashore for lunch, arranged for panga to come out to re-fuel. Planned to spend the night, but bay so nasty and smelly that we left that evening. Turtle Bay is called coyote ugly and it is. First place to get fuel coming down coast though. Got into some 20 to 25 knot winds that rocked us pretty good, but Plumas served us well.
November2, 2008 anchored in a nice clean place called Abreojos (means eyes wide open). Didn't go ashore due to surf that day. Proceded on to San Juanico. Spent three days there. Nice, quiet and able to get ashore by dinghy. Surf not as strong. Many americans here, plus a tienda and liquor store. What more do you need..lol They had a weather station of sorts. Large flat rock on a chain with sign telling us if rock wet..it is raining, swaying..it is windy etc. Next plan was to go straight through to Cabo San Lucas, but by the time we got to Bahia Santa Maria, we anchored for the night. It wasn't to difficult getting in after dark with the use of radar. Many places you are safer out to sea than trying to get into an unknown anchorage. Joe and Sharon have been real troopers. No complaints of mutiny yet.
Our next push started the morning of October7 and 32 hours later we were in sight of Cabo San Lucas. It is a very busy area with cruise ships, boaters from the Baja ha ha race. We caught up with Bamboo and Julia Max, plus some other boats we have met along the way. We anchored out and dinghyed ashore a few hours later. With the above mentioned watercraft, there are pangas, sport fishing boats, and tour boats of all sizes. We were warned that the boats and hotels party until three in the morning. We enjoyed the activies from Plumas. We were all so tired that our sleep wasn't affected. Awoke about 0500 and there was still a party going on in the distance. This place is expensive unless you get about a half mile away from the hotels, marina and tourist traps. Weather is sunny and warm. Water is clear and warm.
There will be gaps in our blog, but each time we get into a port with wi-fi we will catch up on e-mails and update the blog. Thanks for the comments Tom and Sandy B, Murial and Mike.

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.