Tuesday, April 13, 2004

WOW!  What a week!!  We are all fine; not to worry:)

 

We left San Diego Harbor last Thursday at 6am, and rounded the Sea Marker Buoy about 7am. Just then, with no winds blowing, our engine slowed.....then died.  OK. I hit the start button, and she started right up. Slowed....then died. Hmmmm, one more time. Ditto. Oh, P @ @ P ! Got a tow in with Vessel Assist    to the 'derelict' harbor "A8", where, we were told, it's "One step away from being homeless". WONderful:)  Bill did some preliminary exam of the engine, and clear water gurgled out ! of the #1 cylinder. ARRRGH. Dipstick was 'coffee with cream'. ARGGGGH ! He called Isuzu and was referred to a local mechanic, who came out, measured for a new engine, suggested that the origin of our problem was NOT January's overheating, but seawater (clear water, remember?) coming IN the exhaust, because the exhaust 'loop' wasn't high enough. (For flat-landers, it's sort of like your sink trap, only upside-down:) He left. Hmmmm. Bill disappeared into the engine room again. More engine pieces came out, followed by Bill, and a grinning Stephen.

 

"WOW, we GET to take the engine apart!" said Stephen (14). Wow, fun.  We're sitting in this desolate anchorage, fairly open, with boats speeding by, wake and waves keeping us at Richter 7.6 nearly constantly, no electricity...no problem.  We DID have enough to flush, but not to TV/Play station. Too bad. <smirk> Bedtime at dark, reading by Book-light. <grin> Kidlets rowing the dinghy around (and sleeping at dark-thirty!), and they took Bill to a couple of dinghy docks to get as close as possible to a store.   He bought transmission fluid  to clean the engine parts and 12 quarts of oil, to walk (!) back to the dinghy dock, call for his water-limo (Kidlets) and spent a while cleaning parts, installing a taller Loop, reassembling everything (Stephen didn't like this part as much!) and hit "Go". WooHOO, she cranked over!  Ran for an hour, changed the oil, did it again, then we let 'er run to recharge everything (boat batteries/laptop/game-boys/tv (hey, Law & Order was on!).  First thing the next morning we left A8 for Glorietta Bay, under-looking the BEEutiful Hotel Del Coronado, nine high-rise condos begging for binocular-peeping, and beside a pretty beach and golf course. We'd stayed in Glorietta last week, and loved it; the Kidlets swam, ran, rowed, met the neighbors, dug to China, and used the 8-HP Port-a-Bote quite a bit. This time we were fascinated watching a Navy Seals training session directly at the stern of our boat, with about 40 divers and 3 boats of trainers. One of the boats had a female at the helm, with two 200-HP Mercs, and she tried a couple of times to dump the trainer on the bow into the drink by hitting reverse HARD, but he was ready for that game. We chatted with the trainers, thanked them for keeping us safe, and watched for the hour session, which was Week 2 of 24. We were also able to watch more of the dolphin training exercises, having done so at Shelter Island's public dock, along with motoring by at dolphin feeding time, which is very enlightening, and the loading and unloading of the Dolphin Express Boats, which carry one or 2 dolphins out to open spaces, at high speed, to practice their skills.

 

We've really enjoyed San Diego. Welllllllllll, most of it, anyway. The fireworks on Opening Night at Petco Park Stadium as seen from Glorietta Bay, were spectacular. The people we've encountered have all been very accommodating to us, with one exception, and made this a pleasant stop-over. The Bay is calm and beautiful from just about any angle, and the view of the City are lovely, as the views of all our military might are comforting and invoke that chest-tightening feeling of American Pride.

 

We will be tying down the remaining 'stuff' tonight, and plan to leave San Diego tomorrow morning at 6am.  We will arrive in Ensenada within a week or so, as few as two days, but more if we hide out from windy weather. We'll let you know one way or the other (www.CruisingBySail.com or email from Brother Bob) what we've done or how we've done it.

 

Someone said: "Cruising is repairing your boat in exotic locations", and San Diego isn't exactly 'exotic', but...it's NOT Wilmington! LOL !  At only $40 and 20 hours, BTW.

 

This will be Update #2 on our website, as #1 is still in my daily journal. Love, health and peace to you all, Sea ya!   Hugs, bobi:)

 

Update # 3:  April 17, 2004

We left San Diego on Thursday, after having our Last Free Doughnut at Downwind's weekly Cruisers' Coffee on Wednesday.  Early to bed Wednesday, early to rise, out of the harbor gates at 6:15 and headed South towards Ensenada.  Boots is becoming very brave now, and he arrived shortly on deck to hop up under the dodger and ride the entire way in his 'special' place.  We underwent some fairly heavy swells, but nothing scary.  The ride was a little rough, and several things that weren't glued to the tabletop displayed themselves generously upon the cabin sole.  Fortunately, nothing glass or liquid, but we may NEVER get those papers back in order! <G>

There is a cruise ship arriving alternate days and the passengers enjoy feeding Dollar Buckets of fish to the many HUGE sea lions and, of course Stephen and Dani joined in!  They also baked 'old Bisquik' biscuits for the seagulls, who were pleased to have them! I'm NOT certain that they could still fly after downing those chunky, heavy biscuits. Didja know that old Bisquik doesn't rise? <G>

Music lasted well into the night last night, and today was the end of a many-mile bicycle race, with hundreds of cyclists, their support crews and trucks all engulfing the town of Ensenada. Probably much partying will go on tonight and through the weekend!  Next weekend will be the annual Newport Beach to Ensenada Boat Race, beginning on Friday morning, with the largest ones arriving here Friday afternoon and the others trailing them. That should be cause for next weekend's party! 

The smells of cooking fish is enough to drive a person to EAT; sounds, flavors and spices all mingling together and wafting straight to your mind and the place that's ready to store new memories.  I haven't tasted my first fish taco, but I can hardly wait!  The exchange rate is 10 Pesos per USDollar, That makes a Gigante Cone at McDonald's 80centsUS.  Stephen just came back, in the rain, to take me home in the dinghy, and I'm happy to have him row! On the way over here all four of us were in the dinghy and with a little 'swamping', ONE of us ended up with 'dinghy butt'.  Guess who!?  Oh, well, I'm certain it's not going to be The Last Time!

More later! Hugs to all, bobi:)