Have to apologize for not having kept up with the blog on a more timely basis, but stuff just sometimes gets in the way...so here we go again....
Week 1: First thing on the new year's agenda: We got pumped out by "Pepe Le Poo"!
Visited Insurance Co. (Mariners Insurance) and a surveyor (Christen & Co.) to determine if we should keep insurance on Shakedown, other than the mandatory Mexican Liability Insurance (which we have to buy separately). Mariners took our info, Kells Christen wasn't available but we left info. Will call him next week. Hoisted the 49er flag because of their upcoming battle with the Packers. Did two loads of laundry. Watched Chargers vs. Bengals and followed up with the 9ers vs Packers. Celebrated one month in San Diego! Had a nice visit with Wade and Carla on Pelican Moon.
Week 2: Called the Harbor Police to renew our anchorage permit for our second 30-day period. Have one 30-day period left after that, then, if we need to stay longer for any reason, we'll have to find other arrangements (like an expensive slip). Got new house battery bank installed! Planned on about 2 hours, since new batteries were same brand & size as those to be replaced. Well, forgot the standard formula (i.e., project time = multiply planned hours x 3, and cost = estimated x 3). Anyway, six hours later, including replacement of the now defunct Linksys 1000 with a Freedom Basic Remote. A positive side effect of all this effort was bulking up Hal's muscles during the weight training regime of pulling 6 x 64lb. weights out of their under-sole homes, hauling them up the companion way steps, out the cockpit. Ten minute rest period, then grunting the new batteries from the cockpit (where they were stored after hauling them from dinghy dock to boat, up and around to cockpit previously), down the companion way steps, and into their new resting place. Of course they had to be cabled together and pushed under sole to give room for the next battery. Only “zapped” once (touching one battery post while accidentally doing same with other...with same wrench). But it got done, charged and we're happy. Later on, Charlie (Pepe Le Poo) pumped us out. Hauled used batteries from cockpit, around aft end of boat, and down into the RIB for transport to dinghy dock.
Spent the weekend at brother Vern's house to watch Seahawks vs. Saints, Colts vs. Patriots
Still at Vern's to watch 49ers vs. Panthers, & Chargers vs. Broncos! Spent the early morning running to a number of stores to load up on supplies before heading back to the Anchorage. Got back to Shakedown about 0830 and had to make two trips to the boat with dinghy to offload everything. Called surveyor, was not in...on his way to the Philippines.
Week 3: Got a lot of housekeeping/maintenance done today. Cleaned oven, sump, hull, and removed “beard” from waterline, polished windows, started main engine to switch fuel tanks and circulate oil/water. We've been using gensets often but haven't logged hours until today.
Started working on Watermaker. Did a load of laundry. Signed up for a sub-lease possibility with The Moorings Company ($112.50) just in case we may need to be here past March 7th. Brother Vern picked us up to spend weekend at his place. Watched the AFC/NFC Championship games. Patriots and 49ers both lost their respective games. Sehawks and Broncos will battle in out in the Superbowl.
At Vern's house. Worked on his master bath, replacing plumbing valve to shower, papering studs and installing first piece of cement board. Left early the next morning and got back to the dinghy dock by 0735. Piled everything into the RIB. Engine would not start. Pulled several times and got no spark. Did some basic troubleshooting, no luck. Paddled back to Shakedown. On the boat at 0830. Lucky for us it was dead calm, so was long, but easy row. About half an hour later, just for giggles, I dropped into the RIB, gave the engine cord a
couple of yanks...fired right up! Go figger. Met with Kells Christian at noon today and we discussed survey, cost, pluses and minuses of having cruising insurance, cost of haul-out, and so on. No decision reached.
Week 4: Went up on deck this morning to start our little gas generator, and somehow managed to pull the cord (instead of plug) on the short transition cord (15A to 30A) which plugs into the shore power inlet to the boat. I brought the cord and plug below to fix it. No-go. Had to jump in the other dinghy (Walker Bay w/2hp outboard) and drive it over to Shelter Island to purchase a replacement plug. I hadn't had a chance to look at the Tohatsu that wouldn't start yesterday, so I opted for the other engine to take me there. A lot slower, but I wasn't thrilled with the possibility of rowing some four miles back to the boat. Got the part I needed ($37.00 with “good looks” (I guess) discount). Dropped by Ralphs and bought some groceries and returned to Shakedown. Fixed transition plug. Everything back to “normal”....Pumped out (Pepe Le Poo)
Saturday thru Tues...sick, sick, sick...coughing, fever, robitussin & cold-n-flu medicine....yuk.
Week 5: Wednesday: NJ's Birthday - still sick
Thursday: Hal's Birthday - still sick
Fri Went to Vern's, still not great, but since he had bought tickets for our birthday to a Foreigner concert, so we went despite ourselves. We enjoyed it.
February:
Week 1: We stayed the weekend at Vern's to watch Super Bowl and headed back to Shakedown Sunday evening as Hal was apparently relapsing, measuring 102.5 on the mercury just after loading our stuff back onboard. Stayed sick through the 13th. Did call the Harbor Police to renew our anchorage permit for our last 30-day period here at the free Cruisers Anchorage. We need to be out of here on March 10th. Also called and got appointment to see a Doctor at 1330 & 1345 on Rosecrans St. (Shelter Island). NJ diagnosed with Actue Bronchitis, Hal diagnosed with Bronchitis/high fever that had expanded into the lungs. NJ gets
special cough syrup. Hal gets antibiotic horse pills. On the 14th, we were both feeling much better. Coughing stopped, fever stopped. One of the side benefits, if you can call it that, was
that Hal was able to read nine books (Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child), all the cuts and scrapes healed, muscles and joints stopped hurting.
Good thing too, as our good friends Paul Flyr and Lyn Smith pulled in early this morning aboard a Holland America cruise ship that left Fort Lauderdale on 1/30 and went through Panama Canal, terminating their cruise in San Diego. We drove the dinghy over and met them at their hotel (Wyndham) just across the street from the bow end of Star of India. We all piled into dink and motored back to Shakedown so they could unload the couple of bags they hadn't checked with a baggage storage service. We jumped back into dink, back to same dinghy dock, and headed into the city via Little Italy. Stopped and had a pizza in one of the restaurants there. Then it was further uptown to stop at the US Post Office. Then we made our way back to Shakedown, had some down time sitting on the foredeck and sipping beverages.
2/15: Vern picked us up at the dinghy dock and we spent the better part of the day in Old Town and having a great lunch there. We also drove over to Mission Bay to take a look at the anchorage there, in case we would be interested sometime in the future. The time got away from us and we ended up heading back to Shakedown, but stopped at a drinking establishment by the name of Shakedown. Couldn't believe it, there is a Shakedown yacht, a Shakedown Band, a song called Shakedown, and now a known Shakedown bar! Got back to Shakedown (the yacht) in time to watch the sunset.
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| Arriving in Old Town San Diego (Vern & Nancy) |
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| Paul & Lyn enjoying Old Town outdoor restaurant |
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| SHAKEDOWN Bar, Mission Beach |
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| Shakedown Crew at Shakedown Bar |
2/16: Jumped in dink and headed to the hotel to see if a room was available for Paul and Lyn, but there wasn't, so they checked their bags in with the hotel's bag storage. We then headed towards the USS Midway museum, stopping for “breakfast” at 1130 along the way. Spent the
better part of the afternoon touring the Midway, then headed back to the hotel and had a couple of drinks at the Elephant & Castle (attached to hotel). We had to part ways because Paul & Lyn were catching an early train to Washington, and we needed to get back to Shakedown before dark.
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| The Boss' Chair on the Bridge of USS Midway |
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| The Steering Station of USS Midway |
2/19: We pulled anchor at the Cruisers Anchorage at 1020 this morning. We got a sub-lease on a mooring ball in America's Cup Harbor (East end of Shelter Island). But before we headed there, decided to do a “pass and review” in front of the USS Midway (CV-41) museum, and of
course, take more pictures. Timing was important because we wanted to arrive at the mooring ball at slack high tide. We did arrive and just as we pulled into the AC Harbor the wind went from zero to 14 knots. Needless to say, we had just a bit of difficulty getting tied up at both ends. Luckily the mooring ball maintenance barge was right there and they helped us get settled in. So we have a forward tie and an aft tie. Any and all wave action (minimal) will hit us directly in the stern. We feel like we're in a lake now as opposed to getting smacked broadside throughout the day by fairly large rollers at the Anchorage. Hope to be here about three months.
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| Our last look from the Anchorage as we head for America's Cup Harbor |
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| PASS IN REVIEW!!! USS Midway (CV-41) |
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| VE Day Kiss |
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| USS Midway parting shot |
2/21: Spent morning dropping Walker Bay into water, rigging oars, dropping garbage into it along with four 7-gal water jugs. Rowed to east dinghy dock and dumped trash. Then rowed across Americas Cup Harbor to the fuel dock where water jugs were filled, and then rowed back to Shakedown and hoisted the water jugs onto the deck. Spent rest of the morning washing down and cleaning the deck. It was filthy. After lunch, pulled jib off fore-stay and spent the next 2 hours folding it up on the foredeck, then wrapping it in canvas and placing it on the
pulpit. Shakedown looking lots better now. Got ourselves ready to meet up with Vern this afternoon. Took off to Vern's place about 1700.
2/22: At Vern's house. Hit COSTCO and Home Depot in the morning. Worked on Vern's master bath restoration. Had a great dinner.
2/23: At Vern's. Were pleasantly surprised to see two Krispy Kreme doughnuts boxes stacked atop one another on the kitchen counter . Made coffee and ate one or two...or more... sun is out and blog is more or less up to date. Son Steven is having his 27th birthday today, so we have to call him and sing "the song"....
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