Caprice

HOME!!!!!!!!!!

2011-05-09T17:28:00.001-07:00

May 4th, 2011

Home!

Greetings, Caprice fans!

Caprice and her all male crew succesfully tied up at her home port in Point Richmond today, May 4th at 11:30am! A happy crew and an even happier trio of dancing girls greeted them!

The arrival was joyous and emotional for one and all. Caprice looks beautiful... the repair work is flawless... and the crew looked great also!

After a festive champagne toast, lunch was served at Dan and Carol's and a good time was had by all!

So, dear friends and family, this concludes the Tales of Caprice... an odyssey that began on August 10th, 2010 and ended successfully and happily today!

We thank everyone who followed along with us and hope one day to have more adventures to share with you.

Until then,

Cheers from Caprice and her crew!

Uphill to the Barn

2011-05-09T17:27:00.000-07:00

Monday, May 2nd, 2011

Uphill to the barn!

Good news... the Men of Caprice have successfully conquered Point Conception and Point Arguello with light winds and calm seas. They are approximately 12 miles south of Point Sur at 7pm today, May 2nd, 2011 heading into 28 knot winds. With both engines powering them forward, they are making 3.5 knots of forward speed! Next stop, Monterey for fuel and a rest… maybe just fuel and a hamburger!

We at home are anxious for their safe arrival at Point Richmond...

Stay tuned... for more Tales of Caprice and her all male crew!

Men Can Cook

2011-04-28T14:32:00.000-07:00

April 26th, 2100

This just in from Captain Dan aboard the SV Caprice!

“They call it slogging north or the Baja Bash. Both terms are appropriate for the trip up the Baja Coast. We experience up to 35-knot winds and rough seas as we point right into the wind and currents. We stop at Turtle Bay for updated weather information and a few supplies and continue bashing up the coast to Ensenada after ducking into a small cove at San Carlos for an overnight respite. We fuel up again at Ensenada, savor our steaks that we can't bring across the border, and finally get into the USA at San Diego where clearing customs is quite a relief. We are allowed to berth at the lovely San Diego Yacht Club, enjoy a delicious seafood dinner at the Club, and finish our to do list.

All is well with the Captain and crew. We discover that Men Can Cook (although we would bow to the expertise of our spouses) whenever we can!

The next few days should be relaxing as we do day trips up the coast towards Santa Barbara.”

‘Til next time…

Cheers from Captain Dan and the all-male crew of Caprice!

Coming to America!

2011-04-28T14:29:00.001-07:00

April 25th, 2011

Finally, an update from Tom aboard Caprice as she makes her way from La Paz, Mexico to San Diego, California!

Just the facts I asked for and promised I would embellish and elaborate into a continuation of the tales of Caprice! I’ve done my best and hope all you fans of Caprice and her all-male crew will enjoy!

Caprice is underway from the CostaBaja Marina at 12 noon on April 12th, 2011 for the short trip to Calera Partial, an anchorage between Isla Del Espiritu Santos and Isla Partida where we spend the night. In the morning we move Caprice closer to a reef where Dan snorkels and returns to the boat with a broad-faced grin regaling us with tales of the myriad of colorful and unusual fish he saw! After the stop for the snorkel opportunity we motor Caprice around to the north end of Isla Partida and then head south to Cabo San Lucas. We head for an overnight stop at Muertos, but if conditions are good, it’s straight on to Cabo San Lucas. Caprice is anxious to get going on the long trip north and her crew is willing to make her happy!

Hooray… we catch two beautiful yellow fin tuna so you know what we are having for dinner this evening – the freshest fish possible!

We motor all night and arrive at Cabo San Lucas at about 9am Thursday morning and start the process of officially checking out of Mexico. Practical issues include topping off with diesel and filling the food larders with marvelous provisions from Costco! We will overnight at the Cabo San Lucas Marina, where we stayed last November upon completing the Baja Ha Ha!

Next stop: the Mexican Immigration Office! We stroll to the official site armed with our passports and Caprice documentation. We are curious as to how this process works… when we arrived with the Baja Ha Ha group, officials met us on the docks and processed everything easily and quickly. Now, we are on our own!

Upon entering the office we see 35 to 40 other needy people waiting for help… so we sit down and wait… Fortunately, we have Enrique with us. He approaches one of the officials and chats away with him. Soon the official has his supervisor at hand and the thought of guards quickly approaching with AK47’s crosses my mind… but hooray, all is well. The supervisor takes our papers and passports and returns shortly with everything ready to go! He shakes our hands and wishes us a good/safe trip back to San Francisco. It appears that all the other folks in the immigration office are there for something other than leaving Mexico in a sailboat. Back to Caprice with a skip in our step as one major hurtle is successfully completed. Next stop: COSTCO! Enrique and I gather our shopping bags and walk a few blocks to catch a bus to COSTCO to provision the boat for the trip to San Diego (8 pesos for the bus ride while the cab back with the goodies is 200 pesos… a peso is approximately 12 to the dollar.)

Off we go, departing Cabo San Lucas at about 7:30am the next morning and are now slogging our way north in 12 to 15 knots of wind right on our nose.

We are hopeful that the winds will die down in the afternoon but alas at 3:30pm they are blowing 15 to 18. We are running at 2800 rpm on both engines and only driving the boat at about 5 knots putting us a bit behind our projected time lines! But as we know, this is sailing and time lines are for people who are working! Today we catch eleven fish but all are shakers.

Saturday Morning April 16th and we are sailing toward the entrance of Bahia Magdalena or Mag Bay as it is affectionately known to sailors and locals. We will pull into Puerto San Carlos to fill the diesel tanks for the trip to Turtle Bay. As a result of the heavy winds on our nose we are consuming more fuel than we anticipated. We plan to purchase four additional 20-liter fuel containers so that we have sufficient backup to make the trip to Turtle Bay and further North should we experience more of the adverse wind and current conditions.

We arrive at the entrance to Bahia Magdalena and motor 20 miles up the channel to Puerto San Carlos where we anchor off the port in about 20 feet of water. The wind is blowing hard, so we decide that Dan and Enrique will row ashore in the dingy while I stay on Caprice should she drag anchor. Off they go! In time the intrepid crew makes it to the shore only to be greeted by a guard. I watch them through a pair of binoculars and it appears that there is some problem with them landing where they are. But Enrique with his command of the language saves the day and they are allowed to proceed. After disappearing into the buildings, 3 hours pass before I see them again. Needless to say I was thrilled when they reappeared! Long story short, they eventually hook up with the right guy after several disappointments with the local officials and purchase two 60-liter fuel containers. Dan rows back to the boat while Enrique continues to work with the local official to obtain the much-needed fuel. We move Caprice to the pier and side tie to a rusty old fishing boat and a hose is carried over to Caprice! We load fuel into our tanks and containers. And as we say aboard Caprice when things are going well: Hallelujah!!! We thank everyone that is involved and of course everyone gets the appropriate tip!! Caprice is underway and heading down the channel for the open sea as we continue our voyage north! We are on our way to America and looking forward to it greatly!

Stay tuned for more Adventures of Caprice and her all-male crew!

2011-04-28T14:23:00.000-07:00

Hello Cabo!

Wednesday, April 13th, 2011

After a short, but sweet visit to Espiritu Santos for some sightseeing and snorkeling, our intrepid Captain and Crew of the SV Caprice are underway today bound for Cabo San Lucas. Tom was able to phone home while passing La Paz and Dan later emailed that they had caught two tuna today and enjoyed fresh tuna sashimi for dinner! So, remember what we say when things are good on Caprice: “hallelujah!” The plan is to continue on through the night and hope to be in Cabo by tomorrow, Thursday, and out of there on their way up the Baja Peninsula sometime Friday.

While in Cabo, they will provision for the trip up the Baja Coast, and officially check out of Mexico. The check out procedure cannot be done on the weekend, so Friday is the goal for completing that task. Caprice and crew checked into Mexico at the end of the Baja Ha Ha in early November, 2010.

As always, we fans of Caprice wish them a safe and pleasant time until we meet again!

Off They Go!

2011-04-28T14:19:00.000-07:00

Off they go!

Or: Adios to CostaBaja and La Paz!

Tuesday, April 12th, 2011

Today there really is dancing in the streets… or at least, aboard Caprice! At approximately 11am La Paz time, Dan started the engines and Tom and Enrique cast off the lines, and Caprice began the long journey home… La Paz, Mexico to Point Richmond, California, United States, Northern Hemisphere, Earth!

They will stop at Espirito Santos for a bit of snorkeling and exploring, followed by stops in Cabo San Lucas, Bahia Santa Maria, Turtle Bay and then across the border to San Diego, Morro Bay, Monterey and home! The exact itinerary is, as we sailors all know, subject to change and written in sand at low tide!

We wish them god speed, fair winds and safe harbors until we meet again!

The Little Engine that Did!

2011-04-11T12:06:00.000-07:00

April 9th, 2011

The little engine that could, that couldn’t, that finally DID!!!

Or: “How to splash a boat – Mexican style!!!”

Executive Officer Tom writes:

“First let me set the scene. When Caprice was moved onto the hard last January she was pulled out of the water on an ancient rail system using a very old engine to turn the gears which moved the boat up to the dry land. As soon as Caprice was in the correct position, the engine, which had seen its best days years ago, died a tortured death in a burst of sparks and blue smoke!!!

Before we left Caprice in that dusty old Mexican boat yard, junk yard dogs and all, to come home in February, we watched the poor little dead engine be pulled from its home and placed in the back of pickup to be carted off to the place that little dead engines go to.

Now let us spring forward to the present and yes there is a shiny new engine or what appears to be a shiny new engine, or the same old engine with a fresh coat of paint… we think, all of the above are possible! Whichever it is, the little engine is ready to lower us into the water. “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can” she is heard sputtering, but something seems amiss as the engine is started and then shut off only to be started yet again and then turned off again. Again and again, we hear: “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can” followed by “I just can’t!”

Feeling disconcerted and sorry for the little engine that can’t, we see a man with a big wrench approach the scene of the crime so to speak. Alas, beating it doesn’t work, so out comes the blow torch… but still the little engine sputters and stops.

The engine is started again when all of a sudden a cable snaps and Caprice lurches at least a foot towards the water! We snap to attention, forgetting how sorry we are feeling for the little engine and throw our support towards Caprice! It seems that the boat was kept from rolling back into the water by a cable that was attached to a large cement foundation and that very cable has just snapped! Fortunately, a chain is the back up for the cable, so it grabs and Caprice halts her backward motion!

It is becoming clear that perhaps after all the effort that Dan has put into getting Caprice into the water today, our dear Caprice is still going to be “on the hard” when the sun sets! And this is Saturday when Abel and his team only work half a day and the time is now 1:00pm! But hooray, some workers are still around and new cables are threaded into the innards of the rail system and at 3:00pm Caprice starts to inch her down to the water, finely floating free a short time later! And the cheer went out: Hallelujah!”

SPLASH!!!!!!!!!!

2011-04-10T11:11:00.000-07:00

April 9th, 2011

Captain Dan writes: “Caprice is still on the hard. All the work is done and she looks beautiful, but will look even better in the aqua. We are counting the minutes until that happens!

We met some friends of Enrique, George and Mercedes, who live here in La Paz and enjoyed a delicious filet mignon dinner at their fabulous villa overlooking La Paz Harbor. As the lovely evening came to a close, we thought how fortunate we are to be “stuck” in such a beautiful spot!

The island of Espiritu Santos still beckons and we hope to be there soon after inspecting the rigging and critical systems of Caprice. With lots of storage space, two refrigerators and two freezers, we are provisioned with enough food for an army. Lose weight on this trip? Tal Vez (maybe).

Cheers from Caprice”

And later the same day, this good news!

Splash! Or as we say on Caprice when all is well, Hallelujah! Caprice is afloat! No longer on the hard in a dusty old Mexican boatyard… junk yard dogs and all! She is as thrilled to be in the water as are Dan, Tom and Enrique! Boy, what a wait it has been… so a celebration is underway in La Paz… dancing in the streets, champagne, etc. You can imagine the excitement aboard Caprice tonight! And may the days be brighter and brighter as she begins her homeward journey!

We at home can only smile, say congratulations, and anchors aweigh!

Caprice Gets Ready, 2!

2011-04-10T11:09:00.000-07:00

April 5th, 2011

This just in from Dan: “Yes, Caprice is still on the hard in Abel Navales Bercovich Pino’s boat yard at La Paz. I am living aboard Caprice and it is really interesting to be in a third world country boatyard… junk yard dogs and all! Obviously OSHA is not here, but the workers are very good and the repairs are going along well, or as Abel says: “Amazing!” Over $50,000 in damage to our dear Caprice, but she will be “better and stronger than new” according to Abel!

Fortunately Enrique speaks fluent Spanish, so he helped communications between me and the workers yesterday. Tom is scheduled to arrive on Thursday… about the same time as we plan to launch Caprice. Then we will test systems, do our provisioning, and then off we go to Isla Espirito Santos for a few days of swimming in the beautiful azure seas of the Sea of Cortez before heading south to Cabo San Lucas at the tip of the Baja Peninsula.

From there, it’s Point Richmond or bust! We expect to be homeward bound by next week!!

To all our faithful readers, we wish you well and thank your for goading us to keep you informed about Caprice’s travels.”

Cheers from Captain Dan

Caprice Gets Ready!

2011-04-10T11:06:00.000-07:00

La Paz!
April 4th, 2011

Dan is in La Paz and reports that Caprice is indeed not only there but looking so much better than when he and Tom left her on February 6th, 2011. Although he is greeted by temperatures in the 90’s outside and over 110 inside Caprice, he survives the night and is spotted this morning sipping a latte at the CostaBaja internet café and regaling his crew and family still at home with tales of Caprice!

This morning he and Abel go over the “punch list” for the remainder of the work to be done on Caprice and he feels very positive about her launching by the end of the week! Dan is living aboard Caprice “on the hard” waiting launching. Although not as accommodating as she is in the water, Dan feels he should keep a close eye on the final work on Caprice.

Enrique is in the air as I write this on his way to La Paz and Tom departs on Thursday. Enrique will base at a timeshare in La Paz while awaiting Caprice’s launching and Tom’s arrival is hopefully timed for launch day.

Stay tuned… excitement is in the air as Caprice gets ready for the journey home!

The Winter (and Spring) of our Discontent!

2011-04-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

The Winter (and Spring) of our Discontent!
Tuesday, March 29th, 2011

It has been two LONG months since Caprice was rammed in La Paz Harbor and the same two LONG months that we have waited to see her repaired and beautiful again. These months have been full of excitement and anticipation followed by disappointment and dismay. Many false starts, it seems, as to when the parts will ship, when they will arrive, where they will arrive, when will the boatyard be ready to begin the work, when will the insurance investigation be complete… when, when, when! Should travel arrangements be made, will Carol be healed, will we ever see Caprice back at her home port of Point Richmond?! On and on it has gone… but finally, and I mean FINALLY, it seems that we may soon be sending Dan, Tom and a new crew member, Enrique, to La Paz to start the final chapter of this Adventure of Caprice!

And this is cause for celebration… and the continuation of our “story.” So stay tuned for frequent updates from the all male crew of Caprice via yours truly as they weigh anchor and begin the odyssey!

Good Day, Bad Day

2011-02-13T15:01:00.000-08:00

Saturday, January 29th, 2011

Sunshine and blue sky and 70 degrees! Who could ask for anything more! A walk to the new golf course club house provides exercise and views of the area “too die for”! The La Paz red rock of the area is so beautiful that Carol and I decide to collect some for souvenirs. We’ve never seen rock of this color and it is everywhere… used for walls and landscaping throughout the area.

We are off to the islands soon and will be out of touch until we reach Cabo… so we bid you adios from Caprice and look forward to relating more adventures soon!

Cheers!

Later the same day! BANG!!!! We are on our way to Isla Espiritu Santos. We are not in gear as Carol is talking to a sick friend, when BOOM! A monohull rams us… the captain of the monohull Hale Moana, is down below and the boat is on autohelm. What a horror… and how fast accidents happen! We are all shocked as we look at beautiful Caprice with her starboard quarter smashed. The trampoline is gone for all practical purposes and the mast is at risk… we look at each other in total disbelief. We are really not able to talk about it right now… we hope the local boatyard can fix her… we will need parts shipped from Australia and trucked to Baja… we are back at gorgeous CostaBaja Marina waiting for the boatyard to open on Monday. Stay tuned.

Sunday is a grieving day aboard Caprice as the reality of what has happened sinks in. We all try to put a positive spin on it, stating the fact that we have the boat and we have each other, but it is difficult. Dan marshals his forces and starts making phone calls to the insurance company, the boatyard, and the Seawind rep in San Diego. But, very bad news… Carol appears to have hurt her ribs… and on Monday, x-rays prove she has two cracked ribs… however, on the bright side… the x-rays show her pneumonia is cleared up! Unbelievable as this may sound, two doctor consultations and x-rays cost $78 in La Paz. Just for fun, think about what those medical services would have cost in the U.S.!

On Tuesday, February 1st, Caprice is pulled out of the water on an old fashioned rail system at the Abel Berkovich boatyard right here at CostaBaja. The owner says he can begin the fiberglass repair right away and that it may take 7 to 10 days for that part of the repair. But, we still need contact with the factory regarding replacement parts and matching gel coat.

Carol and I plan to return home on Wednesday, February 2nd and Dan and Tom will stay with Caprice to oversee her repairs… On Saturday, Dan and Tom decide that Caprice is in good hands at the Abel Berkovich boatyard and book flights home. The fiberglass repair is proceeding well and Seawind Catamarans in Australia is preparing to ship the required replacement parts.

We are all very hopeful that Caprice will once again be beautiful on both sides and the four of us will resume our adventures in Mexico and up the Pacific Coast to Point Richmond in the early spring.

CostaBaja Marina and Resort - Five Stars in BaJa!

2011-02-13T14:55:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

Hooray, Hooray…we made it!!! What a ride it was! Very difficult to sleep or eat or play games. And it went on and on at least in my mind… but then the seas calmed down and the winds died and the sun broke through and as we say on Caprice: “hallelujah!”

The CostaBaja resort, spa and marina is grand. We have access to all the resort amenities and plan to enjoy them greatly.

Dan will greet Carol at the La Paz Airport tomorrow late afternoon and the four of us plan to welcome her presence aboard Caprice!

Until next time, Adios Amigos!

Wednesday, January 26th, 2011

The Admiral comes aboard!

Hooray again, as Carol arrives this afternoon and all of us, especially the Captain, are looking forward to her arrival.

Last night we enjoyed a delicious dinner at the beach club restaurant watching the sun set over the beautiful bay. The resort is grand with shops, restaurants, beach club, and infinity pool… everything you could want! We will go to town today to have a look at La Paz. The resort offers complimentary shuttle service to town for shopping and dining all day long. Dan taxis to the airport to meet Carol’s flight and tonight we plan to celebrate with dinner at one of the resort restaurants.

La Paz is beautifully clean and has a gorgeous broad Malecon (seaside promenade) that goes on for miles along the waterfront. We three enjoy exploring the shops and even find an art gallery with a spectacular photography exhibit. After a delicious chicken enchilada lunch, Dan heads out to the airport and Tom and I continue our exploration of town.

Did I mention that the resort has a marvelous maritime museum displaying a fabulous collection of famous model ships? Victory and Columbus’ three ships are among the collection.

After dinner, it’s back to the boat and off to bed to dream of more adventures in Mexico aboard Caprice! We are back to normal with a full crew and it sure feels good!

Buenos noches!

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

The Admiral seems to have brought cloudy weather with her… so we are rethinking our plans for the day… sitting by the pool or on the beach is not looking good at the moment and the weather report for La Paz is for clouds through tomorrow. Perhaps a stroll on the beach or the shuttle into town for more exploration is in order.

The sun stays behind the clouds all day but we have a fun walk discovering the entire resort property including the infinity pool, beach, hotel, and marina. We are all so pleased with this location that we decide to stay through Friday night. The weather for the weekend is for sunshine and warmer temperatures, so off we will go to Isla Espiritu Santos to snorkel and explore. Two days anchored at the island is the plan and then south towards Cabo.

Dinner at Azul Marino here at the resort is marvelous. The shrimp is fresh and local from the Sea of Cortez… so we all enjoy a dish that is flambéed in brandy and simply delicious. Carol and Dan do some research into the different tequilas available and decide on two worth pursuing.

Friday, January 28th, 2011

Hard to believe… it is still cloudy and chilly… but we don’t let it dampen our spirits… it’s off to Soriana’s for groceries aboard the free shuttle. All of us explore the foreign super market in search of the items we will enjoy later on board Caprice… and then lunch at the local food court. The shuttle takes us back to Caprice and the quartermaster, Tom, stores the food for us.

The hot tub and infinity pool beckon us even in the clouds… the resort is sumptuous and we are rewarded with a feeling of being among the rich and famous as we lounge on the chaises in the pool and splash in the hot tub… then, a rinse off shower under the rain showers at the beach club. This place is truly grand… we hate to leave!

Back to Caprice where I win the game of rummy-o that we have been playing since Carol arrived!!! Hooray for me. We wander over to the beach terrace lounge for a cocktail and then follow that up with dinner at Azul Marino again. Tonight there is live music to accompany the delicious food. And tomorrow, they are predicting sunshine! Halleluiah!

Buenos noches!

Adios Mazatlan, Hola La Paz

2011-02-13T14:52:00.000-08:00

Sunday, January 23rd, 2011

Unbelievable as this is going to sound… it is not another warm and sunny morning! We are sitting here on Caprice in pea soup fog! As heavy and grey and cold as at home! We are shocked and aghast! Dan is even threatening to turn on the heater, as he refuses to put on warm clothes because, after all, he is in supposedly sunny, warm Mexico! We hope this will lift soon as departing in this would not be a good thing! Also, unfortunately, we have a malfunctioning toilet (not again!!!) and Tom is going to tackle that with his toilet tools! So, we decide a warm breakfast is in order… and we hope that we will be in sunshine before long.

Hooray, the sun is shining, the fog is gone, and the toilet is fixed! Off we go… under very pleasant conditions. We are motoring along with calm seas and heading North West to La Paz which is approximately 230 nautical miles away. We plan on two days and two nights, arriving by mid day on Tuesday!

After dinner, the winds come up and we are rocking, rolling and bouncing around with loud booms as the waves beat the bottom of the boat between the hulls. Doing anything is difficult… sleeping, eating, and watching. Conditions stay the same all night and I am busy with my worry beads!

But the good news is: Tom fixed the toilet!

Return to Puerto Vallarta!

2011-01-25T16:03:00.000-08:00

Hello again, Puerto Vallarta

January 11^th, 2011

Dan arrives alone and lonely today… Carol remains at home recovering from pneumonia. Dan is planning to prep the boat for our departure, but is stymied by some slight mechanical problems and instead, enjoys the sunshine and the games installed on the iPad. He is missing the company of Carol and us but soon we will arrive to entertain him! He does do some housekeeping, scrubbing the walk in shower and the stove top in preparation for our showering and cooking!

January 13^th, 2011

It is a cold, damp, gloomy and wet morning as Tom and I await our flight to sunny, warm Puerto Vallarta! Our plane from Seattle is late due to cold, rainy, damp weather in Seattle. Two hours late, we board and depart from San Francisco and 3.5 hours later we land in sunny, warm Puerto Vallarta! Hallelujah… as we say aboard Caprice when the gods are with us! And to Tom and I, being in warm, sunny Puerto Vallarta (have I said warm, sunny Puerto Vallarta many times now?) is a lovely dream come true. We have suffered through very cold (for us) temperatures at home and have been looking forward to arriving here, in warm, sunny Puerto Vallarta for weeks now. We zoom through immigration and customs and soon are in a taxi bound for the marina at Paradise Village in Nueva Vallarta where the welcoming Dan and Caprice await us. After a quick visit aboard, it’s off to the Vallarta Yacht Club for a bite to eat and a “catch up” with Dan to see how things are aboard the boat, having left it two months ago!

Friday, January 14^th, 2001

The sun is shining and the temperature is marvelous… in the mid 70’s as we make our plans for the day. We bus to town for lunch at La Palomas, the restaurant Tom and I dined at before. All three of us enjoy the food, view and ambience as we gaze out across the gorgeous blue waters of Banderas Bay. After lunch we stroll along the promenade to Isle de Cuale, a lovely little island in the Rio Cuale, with shops and restaurants. We spot a restaurant/jazz café, Le Bistro, that beckons for a visit… but we are not sure how to fit it in. On the corner near our bus stop is our gelato store, so flavors are chose and we sit and chat while enjoying our first Mexican ice creams. Our visit to town is wonderful, we all agree as we board the bus to Sam’s Club, Walmart and Caprice. Sam’s club denies us entrance, but Walmart is open for business and we buy some supplies for the next few days. I am interested in a trip to Costco if possible as Walmart and Sam’s Club are unfamiliar to me. We return to Caprice with our purchases and decide dinner is not necessary after our delicious lunch and gelato. Tom and Dan choose to sit for a spell and read, but I long for a walk along the beach and a sunset… which is on display as I walk along! A stroll through the shopping and good news… what to my wondering eyes should appear but a gelato shop… so back to the boat I go carrying six scoops of gelato to share with my boat mates!

Saturday, January 15^th, 2001

Another warm sunny morning so off we go to walk the beach… picking up shells and enjoying the seashore and the sights. Dan is at the Yacht Club talking with AT & T so that the iPad will work here in Mexico. Tom and I return to the Yacht Club and enjoy delicious Chicken Taco Salads on the deck of the club. When we return to the boat we see Dan scurrying around with our soaking wet bed linens. While adding water to the water tank, a bad thing happened to him. The hose separated from the nozzle and jumped into our open hatch depositing at least ten gallons of water on to our bed!!!! Dan is quite excited and upset… what to do but take the bed linens to the laundry and have the staff there save the day by washing and drying everything so that sleeping in our bed would be possible! Then, we have the afternoon in front of us, so off to the beach to laze about in the sunshine and fly Dan’s kites and enjoy ice cream at the seashore.

Dinner tonight is at Fajita Republic, on the lagoon in the Marina area! It is grand. Dripping with ambience and delicious food… especially the house special… fajitas. Our group enjoys a variety of these along with Mexican beer and Margaritas. The restaurant is accessible by dinghy and that is our plan, until Helen recommends a taxi as the wind has come up and she feels it will be wet and damp. We enjoy wonderful conversation and laughter as we are from three different states and have enjoyed varying lengths of travel aboard boats all over the world. Helen and Ralph are on their Seawind 1160 right behind Caprice on B dock. Ralph is at home for a few days, so Helen’s childhood friend Cathy is keeping her company. We arrive back at the Marina, full and happy and ready to make our bed again and jump in! Buenos Noches!

Hello Again, Puerto Vallarta part 2

Sunday, January 16^th, 2011

We awake to yet another sunny morning (this could be habit forming!) and the engine mechanic is here early to change the engine oil in preparation for our leaving. After that is done, we stow away everything that belongs in the pantry which frees up the dining room table for breakfast. Dan prepares his famous hash browns and eggs and coffee which we three enjoy immensely. After breakfast, it’s off to Costco to shop for provisions for our trip to La Paz. Tom and I ride the bus and a taxi to Costco and have a grand time selecting delectable goodies for the next week to ten days (‘til Admiral Cookie arrives) and sets us on the right track health and diet wise. We taxi back to the boat and unload and stow away the goods. Then it is you know what for lunch… butterscotch ice cream and fruit. Dan’s up the mast next to check the rigging and Tom keeps an eye on him, while I try to log on to wifi at the yacht club which is unsatisfying! Eventually I am able to do so and send the first part of our story.

Helen takes us on an evening beach walk to the turtle preserve where we, along with perhaps 30 other people, assist the new born turtles to the sea. The organization finds turtle nests on the beach and rescues the eggs which they incubate and upon hatching, release to the sea with the assistance of tourists and locals. During the hatching season, they have a “release party” every evening. This was more fun and more rewarding than you can imagine… children through retirees helping these tiny 24-hour old baby turtles make it to the water… they still have an uphill battle for survival as they are tender and delicious to the many fish and dolphins enjoying life in Bahia de Banderas, but at least they are in the water before hungry seagulls can eat them.

We are dining aboard tonight I believe and plan on a departure some time tomorrow. Stay tuned for more of the Adventures of Caprice!

Monday, January 17^th, 2011

Surprise, surprise! The sun is shining again! It is cooler than the first few days, but bright sunshine abounds and it will warm up as the day goes on. We are prepping for departure up to La Cruz along the north shore of Bahia de Banderas where we plan to anchor or tie up at a Marina and enjoy exploring the town and have dinner ashore. Philo’s is well known and we think we should give it a try. We are finishing up provisioning this morning and one last check of emails, while making our lists and checking them twice! We are hoping for a sail across the bay this afternoon.

Until next time, happy trails to you!

Back to Mexico for fun in the sun!

Monday afternoon and evening, January 17^th, 2011

We are sailing across glorious Banderas Bay with whales! They are spouting all around us and Tom shoots photo after photo from his camera… he captures one whale tail photo but it does not come close to the one he got in Monterey Bay. Helen and Ralph are out here with us enjoying the sunshine, the water and the whales. Eventually we make our way to La Cruz and the newly developed Riviera Nayarit Marina. We tie Caprice up in B3 and immediately make friends with a couple from Nashville across from us. They are friendly and offer much helpful information regarding La Cruz dining and shopping hot spots. Our first choice for dinner later is Philo’s, a cruisers gathering spot, but it is closed on Monday, so Glorietta’s is chosen for their jumbo coconut shrimp. Tom and I stroll the town while Dan entertains Guy and Carol, owners of Stray Cat, a Seawind 1000 anchored in the bay. They are neighbors from Santa Rosa down here for nine months of the year enjoying the warmth of Mexico. La Cruz is very popular with yatistas… laid back and very Mexican. The streets are a Mexican version of cobble stones, simply rocks cemented together to make a form of pavement. The stores and restaurants are simple and casual… food is inexpensive but the Mexican Indian beadwork is expensive. We wonder down to the beach which is a local’s beach lined with restaurants to try a Negra Modela for Tom and a lemonade (actually made with limes here in Mexico) for Merrie. The Riviera Nayarit is one of the fastest growing areas of Mexico. New condominium developments are being built all along the bay and one day, La Cruz will probably rival Puerto Vallarta for tourists. Today it is still a bit sleepy and obviously that is a great draw for laid back cruisers.

The three of us venture out for Glorietta’s but first a stop at a recommended shop selling native handicrafts. We spot beaded baby turtles similar in size to the real ones we had handled at the turtle release party, so three of them come home with us as gifts for the grand children. Then off to Glorietta’s… absolutely dripping with local color and native ambience! Our server is delightful and the jumbo shrimp are sweet and delicious. They are served with mango salsa and the best margaritas in La Cruz! We waddle back to the boat and turn in with the goal of reaching Chacala Bay tomorrow!

Tuesday, January 18^th, 2011

Anchors away at 9:30 am after checking out with the somewhat difficult clerk. The bay is beautiful as we motor around Punta de Mita headed for Chacala Bay, some 40 miles north of La Cruz. We are fishing with three heavy duty lines out, but alas, no fish for Caprice so far. Life aboard today is easy and very comfortable. The seas remain calm all the way. At 3:30pm we set the anchor in lovely, isolated Chacala Bay. The beach is lined with yalapa covered restaurants and bars and tourists as well as locals are enjoying the beach and water. There are nine other yachts anchored in the bay with us. We deploy the dinghy and head for what we think is a dinghy dock, but it is full with pangas and our dinghy is not light enough to land on the beach, so Dan drops Tom and me off to explore and he returns to the boat, agreeing to pick us up in an hour. The village is a one-street town with shops and restaurants/bars lining it on both sides. The beach-side ones are delightful looking and after a stroll down the beach, we return for a refreshing aqua fresco. At the end of the beach there is a marvelous little hotel, the Mar de Jade, offering seaside accommodations and wellness programs. It looked like a little piece of heaven, although quite remote. This maybe perfect for those truly looking to get away from it all. We also saw guest houses and other hotels as well as two signs of the times: a cell phone tower and an internet café! And all the places of business were advertising their web sites! What would we do without these things today? Dan is even able to send emails with his iPad using cell phone service as he signed up for an international data package.

This was our first anchorage and all went well. Once the sun went down, the temperatures dropped quickly, but it was very comfortable. Dan bbq’d hamburgers for us for dinner, but they were not up to par with what we can purchase at home. The quality of beef was not at all the same… which we may have detected from the packaging had we been able to read it.

Wednesday, January 19^th, 2011

Up with the sun and off we go headed for Isla Isabela. At first, we are under those predictably present sunny skies, but at Los Custodios, we enter a San Francisco like fog bank across the Pacific. It’s as if we have been beamed back to the cold grey city by the bay! The sky darkens and the temperature drops. We are hoping it will be a small fog bank and that we will soon be through it. We have turned on the radar just in case.

Isla Isabela is a National bird and sea life sanctuary. Dan hopes to snorkel and skin dive and Tom and I are looking forward to some hiking about the island. We arrive late afternoon and drop the anchor. We have four other boats for company tonight. The number of birds flying overhead is amazing… we hope we don’t wake up to a bird soiled Caprice in the morning! We break out the Rummyo tiles tonight for a friendly game… and soon it is bed time for the three musketeers aboard Caprice.

Thursday, January 20^th, 2011

I’m getting used to saying this: “another sunny morning” ! After a delicious breakfast of ham, scrambled eggs and hash brown potatoes, it’s off to the snorkeling spot with Dan done up in his wet suit and fins and mask. We board the dinghy and head for a likely spot. Dan falls backwards (as planned!) into the water and Tom and I bob around on the anchored dinghy. Dan is all over the area having a grand time. When he returns to the dinghy, he says it is like snorkeling in an aquarium! He is just thrilled to have had the chance to snorkel in this spot. Dan says it is the best snorkeling he has had since visiting the island of Bequia in the Caribbean in1984. After a hot shower to return Dan’s temperature to normal, we three take a bit of a tour of the island from the water. Alas, we discover we are anchored in a totally different spot than we thought we were in… but it is a safe anchorage also! Landing on the island looks difficult, so hiking is not part of the day. We escape with only one bird calling on the galley hatch!

A word here about the dining aboard Caprice in Carol’s absence: We are faring quite well! The meals prepared by me are not as creative, but delicious, and winning compliments from Captain Dan and First Mate Tom. Examples of our meals include chicken tostadas, salads with chicken or shrimp, ravioli, hamburgers, ham and cheese Panini’s, and the inevitable ice cream! Dan makes fabulous coffee for breakfast and we have a boat load of fresh fruit, cereal and yoghurt for breakfast along with those delicious eggs, ham and potatoes!

We are underway this afternoon to Mazatlan. New friends from Stray Cat tell us to anchor in the harbor near the Old Town and we will be able to walk to it. We expect to arrive by day break on Friday and have two full days there before departing on Sunday for La Paz!

Thursday, January 20^th continued.

At sea on the way to Mazatlan… all is calm at first and then the winds begin to blow… we have winds reaching 18 knots for sometime and then it drops to an average of 12 knots. We sail and/or motor sail all night and it is very bumpy! After an early dinner and gorgeous sunset, Dan and Tom take turns taking three hour watches… and in the morning, when the sun comes up, we are here! Hallelujah! As we say on Caprice! I am sooooooo thrilled to be here… we head for the anchorage near the Old Town and board a bus to see the sights! We immediately head for an internet café, having endured three days without communications! AAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And then, off we go to find the Plaza and hopefully a restaurant with local fresh-caught shrimp for lunch. Unfortunately, we are misinformed and with too little information, so we never find the large, supposedly quite attractive Plaza Machado and end up taxing back to the marina and head for Marina El Cid up in the more upscale Hotel and Marina district.

Marina El Cid is lovely… it rivals Paradise Village in Nuevo Vallarta for amenities and beauty. We are tied up at the end of B dock and welcomed by the local “welcome wagon” representative… Captain George, who explains our folly regarding the Old Town and Plaza. If we ever go back, we shall enjoy the Old Town much more after our discussion with Captain George! But alas, we are happy here in Mazatlan’s version of paradise… the boat boys are washing Caprice and the laundry people are doing the laundry… we have but to enjoy with a walk on the beach and perhaps Dan will get those kites out again. If not, a lounge in the shade by the pool will suit us quite well!

Ha Ha! Baja and Beyond!

2010-11-17T19:50:00.000-08:00

Hola Mexico!

Monday, October 18th, 2010

It is a cool, grey morning as we set out in Dan and Carol’s Mini Van headed for highway 5 and the welcoming Caprice awaiting us in San Diego! Before long, we are at a road stop enjoying ice cream! As in our drive up, we break up the trip every few hours for driver changes and refueling ourselves. The weather is dry and the traffic light most of the way and we arrive before dark! And Caprice is floating and looking good! We unload the van and off we go for dinner. And to bed to dream of fiestas and siestas ahead!

Tuesday, October 19th, 2010

Rain and more rain all night long followed by rain and more rain all day long. There is much to do aboard Caprice… lots to stow and to inventory and to reacquaint ourselves with. In the pouring rain we decide to venture out for lunch, diesel and propane. The rain does not lighten up all day, but we are warm and dry inside Caprice playing cards, planning our adventure and enjoying the company and camaraderie of the Admiral and crew!

After an easy and delicious dinner of roast chicken and salad, off to bed we go to dream of sunshine in the morning!

Wednesday, October 20th, 2010

No rain, but still no sunshine. The forecast is for improving weather as the week goes on. This has been the wettest October in San Diego since 2004. Just a continuation of the unusual summer weather we had at home and all along the Southern California Coast when we sailed down in August. We plan to see a movie today if the sun doesn’t come out… and return to more chores and preparation tasks tomorrow, weather permitting! The movie is great (RED) and we have a chance to explore some of downtown San Diego. We visit Seaport Village and dine in and stroll around the Gaslight District. This is a very happening neighborhood… filled with restaurants, shops, apartments, condominiums and hotels. Loads of people are out enjoying the evening and we join in the fun.

Thursday, October 21st, 2010

Hooray, scattered clouds and sunshine. And warmer temperatures. The morning is filled with a visit from Kurt, the local Seawind sales rep followed by checking and rechecking our shopping and provisioning lists and checking and rechecking equipment on the boat. Carol and I venture out to complete some of the lists and Dan and Tom stay on Caprice working through their chores. We return with ice cream and treats for dinner and send the guys off to do more prep errands. By nightfall, the skies are threatening more rain, but our hopes are for a dry Friday as we have planned a visit to the famous San Diego Zoo.

Friday, October 22nd, 2010

The morning dawns wet and grey but by noon it is dry and partly cloudy so off we go to the Zoo! What a marvelous place it is… children of all ages are having a wonderful time… and there are tons of young children as October is kids enter for free month! We take a tour of the zoo to get our bearings and then visit the animals that most interest us. We also ride the sky ride which takes us over the entire zoo. The animal and plant collection at this zoo are unbelievable! We are thrilled to visit the only giant Pandas in the United States. There is a mother, father and cub at the zoo. Their other four cubs have grown enough to be separated from their parents and are back in China. We also see lions, tigers, giraffes, rhinoceros, elephants, sea lions, wart hogs, koala bears, birds of every color imaginable… even three macaws that fly in formation like the Blue Angels, and gorgeous pink flamingos…which are really coral in color. I can’t remember all, but it is just fantastic! And to complete a marvelous day, we dine at Casa Guadalajara in San Diego’s Old Town. The restaurant is a legend in San Diego. Family-owned, it is one of three in the area that attract crowds because of the delicious food, fun ambience and mariachi musicians serenading the diners. The margaritas are grand and watching the family groups enjoying themselves at dinner is such fun. We really feel like part of a large celebration!

Saturday, October 23rd, 2010

Today is finally the day to visit Costco! We are prepared with two lists and our cell phones… off we go to browse the store and fill our carts with delicious, healthy foods. A quick trip to Ikea for some housekeeping purchases, and finally to Von’s for a few final items. The boat is loaded and Captain Dan is considering adding a flotation collar!

Sunday, October 24th, 2010

Dan is at a “Skipper’s only” meeting with the Grand Poobah of the Ha Ha at the West Marine store in San Diego. The rest of us are finishing stowing the stores, doing the last bit of laundry, and preparing lunch. There is a party this afternoon as a kick-off for the rally and tomorrow, a parade of all 196 entrants prior to the start at 11am. We are one of three Seawind catamarans participating in the rally and all of us are here at Sunroad Marina. The other Seawind owners were with us at the rendezvous in Santa Catalina Island last August. We expect to beat the pants off them!

We will not have email or cell phone service after leaving San Diego tomorrow until we arrive at Cabo on or about November 4th.

Adios Amigos!

Monday, October 25th, 2010

Well…here we are… start date for the Baja Ha Ha Cruising Rally! Whoo Hoo!

What a gorgeous site it is… (196 official entrants) 156 boats parading in San Diego Harbor… then out to the starting line! After just a few hours, the boats are scattered all over the Pacific Ocean seeking sun shine and fair winds. We fly the spinnaker almost right from the beginning… we are screaming across the water! It is cloudy and wet in the morning but the sun comes out and it is grand. However, Carol and I are suffering a bit from the ocean motion. Dinner on board is a delicious steak salad followed by ice cream and cookies! Carol is not up to dining with us but we expect she will feel better in the morning.

This is a big night for me as I have not done a watch in the dark out on the sea. I am a bit frightened by the whole experience. My watch is 6pm to 9pm. Tom covers the 9pm to midnight, then Dan is on from midnight to 3am and lastly, Carol does the 3am to 6pm. During the day, we take turns watching and reading, playing games, and thinking of creative menus for the next meal.

In the middle of the night the goose neck (part of the boom) fails and scatters on the deck. Fortunately Dan and Tom recover all the parts, but it needs to be welded back together before we can use the main sail…The jib and spinnaker are working quite well for us. Perhaps there will be a welder available when we get to Turtle Bay…

Tuesday, October 26th, 2010

Today begins cloudy but eventually we have sunshine and good winds. We are unable to use our main sail because of the boom/goose neck issue. The spinnaker and jib are working just fine and we are making excellent time. Wonderful food again… Admiral Cookie Carol is a wonder in the galley.

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

We wake to sunshine (first time) and the captain and first mate attempt to raise the spinnaker but alas, a shackle failure; but hooray, Captain Dan has a spare and before long, the big, beautiful sail is flying perfectly… we are zooming across the seas!

And then! We catch a ten pound albacore tuna… missing his tail! We assume he was caught before by a larger fish. Dan filets the fish and we enjoy delicious fresh fish tacos for lunch. The tuna appears again for dinner, sautéed in garlic, ginger butter and again we blessed the seas for feeding us!

Thursday, October 28th, 2010

We are here! We enter Turtle Bay at 5am! It is gorgeous. We enjoy a leisurely breakfast of sausage and Swedish pancakes. Dan spots the fuel panga and we fill our tanks. We are going ashore at noon to check out the little village and to find a welder who may be able to weld the broken gooseneck. Stay tuned for the results of this search.

Turtle Bay is a little village of 1,000 souls situated about half way down the Baja Peninsula on the Pacific Coast. The bay is surrounded by hills or mountains, depending on your definition, that change from one glorious color to another as the sun moves across the sky. The inhabitants seem to live a simple life subsisting on the tourist trade… the Baja fleet brings much of their annual income. The village is isolated from the nearest village by 137 miles of unpaved roads. This area is very dry… hence the entire village is dusty. The little league baseball field has no grass as there is no water to irrigate it with. We are not sure how the people get their water but all the “houses” have rain collection containers on their roofs.

Our fleet is served by panga boats and their skilled drivers… these boats bring fuel and water, they will take away garbage, and provide taxi service to and from the shore. They do very well during our two night stay here. The natives are very friendly, speak excellent English and are pretty savvy regarding boat repairs as they make money if they are able to help a distressed “yatista.”

Friday, October 29th, 2010

We are awaiting word from one of the young panga drivers as to whether or not his father will be able to fix our broken gooseneck. All fingers are crossed!

It is beautiful… warm, sunny and wonderful! Admiral Cookie is preparing us a breakfast of fresh cantaloupe, scrambled eggs, ham and toast. And the coffee aboard Caprice is delicious. Later today a beach party is planned for the Baja fleet and we will be bringing a dish to share.

And bad news is… one of our toilettes is broken… and we don’t have the tool to fix it. We are soliciting help from the fleet but no luck yet. If we are not able to fix it here in Turtle Bay, we expect to find help in Cabo.

Wonderful news… the young man says he and his father can fabricate a part to replace the broken gooseneck and install it before we leave on Saturday morning. We wait all day and finally at 4pm he arrives with the part… but it is not quite the right size… so back to the shop he goes and returns later with a part that appears to fit. He, Dan, Tom and a friend of the local man are here right now trying to install the part. All fingers are crossed! And it appears to be a fix! They work diligently for two hours and when finished, Dan is very happy with the results. We will test it tomorrow when we set out on Leg Two of the Baja Ha Ha!

Saturday, October 30th, 2010

We wake early to be ready for the 8am start time of Leg Two of the rally. Up with the anchor, off with the sunshades, prepare the spinnaker for sailing… and off we go! The scene is gorgeous again as it was at the start in San Diego as approximately 150 boats get underway together… the sun comes out and the crew of Caprice smiles for the cameras!

Announcement! Announcement! Two yellow-fin tunas are caught by Captain Dan… one weighing five pounds and one weighing ten pounds. Dan filets them out in the cockpit and then Carol cuts them into steaks for us. We will be having fresh fish tonight! All are fans of sashimi as well as seared tuna except for me. We shall see what form the fish takes when Carol presents it tonight!

We are motor sailing at 6 knots with 10 knots of wind. The conditions are quite nice… sunshine, blue sky, gentle ocean swells... we spend the time reading, napping, playing games and just relaxing. While out here on the ocean, one person is always on watch… and the other three can do whatever pleases them. Standing watch during the day is quite easy, but the night watches on the ocean are much more intense. The person on watch is constantly moving about checking for other boats or floating objects, watching the sails, making sure we stay on course. We expect to arrive at Bahia Santa Maria by Sunday night. That is the destination of Leg Two. We will have a two day rest there before sailing on to Cabo San Lucas and the end of the rally.

Overnight the winds build to 25knots and eventually we reef the main sail to the second reef point. The winds continue to be high and the seas become quite uncomfortable for me although the others do not mind the conditions.

Sunday, October 31st, 2010

Happy Halloween! There are children among the yatistas who are looking forward to trick or treating when we reach Bahia Santa Maria! And Carol is looking forward to her birthday when we reach Cabo… so much is ahead of us! But today is a bouncy windy day and I am not happy! When I awoke, I asked if we were having a hurricane… much to the amusement of the others! The sun is shining and Dan, Tom and Carol seem to be very happy with the conditions…

We hear some funny stories over the net during the morning check-in: one boat tells of having a flying fish fly through an open hatch during the wild and windy night and land on the bed. The fellow said he thought he was being woken for his watch time. Another reported a squid-covered deck, so Carol suggested we have calamari for appetizers that night… I said: “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Not funny, but also occurring that night were stories of spinnaker raps around the jib stay, a broken boom, and many, many mechanical failures. During the morning check-in, fellow ralliers offer assistance whenever possible to those in need of equipment or expertise.

The winds die down in the afternoon and a long nap helps… by evening we are flying along with the spinnaker up and racing any boats that we can see. Dinner is fresh tuna and then we begin the night watches… with winds building and lots of deliberations over whether or not to douse the spinnaker or keep it up and get to the finish line earlier rather than after midnight. Eventually Tom goes forward and takes it down because the winds are over 20 knots and in the dark it seems best to go with main and jib. We cross the finish line at 9:30pm but do not drop the anchor in Bahia Santa Maria until 1am on Monday morning… there is some distance between the locations and also anchoring in the dark takes some time. To celebrate, we enjoy a glass of red wine and dark chocolate covered almonds. And off to a well-deserved sleep for Dan and Tom who have been on duty since 8am Saturday morning.

Monday, November 1st, 2010

We are in an extremely remote area, a lovely little bay called Bahia Santa Maria. The 150 boats bobbing in the bay are a huge financial treat for the few inhabitants, mostly fishermen. The closest town is 40 miles away via rugged dirt road. The early morning news on the radio net is of a boat that ran aground (fortunately not one of ours) on the opposite side of the peninsula. The boat is buried in the sand and is not salvageable because of the location it is in. The captain apparently fell asleep while single handling the boat. When the call goes out on our radio net for help, 50 ralliers go to his aid helping him remove valuables. The Grand Poobah organizes the mission and it is quite successful. It is amazing to see how the group rallies to help out a fellow sailor in need. And speaking of being in need, Carol needs wasabi for the fresh tuna, so she barters for it over the net trading tuna for the wasabi. This trading continues all afternoon… someone has something that someone else needs… and the trade takes place… people are exchanging all kinds of items from food to water to beer. Listening to the radio net is like being on a party line. Some boats are heard from frequently and others, like Caprice, are quiet on the net.

During the day we enjoy a much needed rest after the long two-day sail… especially Tom and Dan who did most of the “watching”. Midday Tom and I hail a panga boat for a ride ashore… it looks too dangerous to try and land our dinghy because of the surf break upon the shore. Panga boats are not plentiful… so we hop aboard the first one to answer our call, which turns out to be a garbage panga… and the adventure begins! They are not familiar with how to land so we are dropped off in about 6 inches of water and told to wade ashore. We wade to a sand bar and are told by a fellow adventurer that we had to wade across the river in order to get to the main land. The tide is coming in and the sand bar will soon disappear. So… in despair… we start off in one direction and then decide to follow our adventurer/adviser in the other direction across the river. In we go… and the water gets deeper and deeper… eventually reaching chest high… then receding as we approach the shore. And once ashore, we are wet and cold and there is nothing really to do. The lovely beach walk is across the river and we really have no way to get there and will not be able to hail a panga to get back to Caprice. None of this “lay of the land” is visible from Caprice… hence our mistake. We decide to hail a panga and ride back to Caprice and laugh about it later!

At sunset we have a rare site… the sky is clear as can be and we are all treated to the “green flash” as the sun sets on the lovely Bahia Santa Maria!

In the evening, the children of the Baja come trick or treating aboard dinghies. Dressed in costume and threatening tricks if not treated, the fleet is delighted to treat them! Children always seem to add to an event and this seems to prove that to be true.

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010

Tuesday afternoon brings a lovely beach party on the bluff overlooking this gorgeous bay. The Caprice crew hails a panga for the ride to the beach… the surf break is quite high. There is a live band, lots of beer and margaritas, a delicious looking Mexican buffet, volley ball on the beach, kids riding the waves, and water balloons flying through the air! We enjoy the festivities until the sun gets to us. We are finally enjoying warm sunshine, but two hours of it was enough for us!

We take life jackets, school supplies, soap, and tee shirts ashore to give to the local people. We also “decorate” the panga drivers with plastic leis that seem to please them very much. We see them on their friends and children later in the day…

Dinner is delicious smoked tuna… smoked on board by Carol… followed, of course, by ice cream! Tomorrow we are off on Leg Three, the final leg of the 17th Baja Ha Ha, and expect to arrive at Cabo on Thursday evening!

Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010

Happy birthday to Carol! We awake at 6am to wish Carol a happy birthday and to prepare for the 7am start time. The winds are up, so up goes the main and jib and then the decision to raise the spinnaker is made. Tom rigs it and Dan raises it… but alas, the halyard has separated from the sail! The sail is in the water and the halyard is at the top of the mast! AAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Next, Dan is at the top of the mast recovering the errant halyard and Tom is reaching over the side recovering the sail! Tom rigs it again, and this time… hooray, a successful deployment of the spinnaker… and she is flying beautifully! After all that excitement, the winds die and the Poobah decrees a “rolling start” which means everyone can turn on their engine and motor at 6 knots until it is announced later that the winds are high enough to sail and the rolling start ends. The motor time of a rolling start is not counted against your accumulated sailing time for the rally.

We are fishing as we motor along and Dan successfully lands a huge Black Skipjack known in Mexico as a Mexican Little Tunny. Dan filets it and Carol is already planning a fish feast for dinner!

We are motor sailing at 6 knots under glorious sunshine… blue sky, the Baja mainland on our port side, sail boats galore… this is truly grand! We all agree that it can’t get any better than this!

And then it does! The winds come up and so does the spinnaker… the motors go off and we are flying along at 8 knots with 12 knots of wind. The air is balmy, Jimmy Buffet is on the iPod sound dock, lunch is served, and we are four happy sailors! We have the best afternoon of the trip… finally the warm sunny weather that we came for… finally it feels like the Mexico you hear about…. finally we are wearing tee shirts and shorts, finally it is warm enough for me!

In the evening, the winds die so we douse the spinnaker and make a birthday dinner for Carol that fits the location: Cheeseburgers in Paradise… burgers with blue cheese, sautéed onions and peppers, fresh lettuce and tomatoes… and for dessert… an unbeatable chocolate covered caramel apple with a birthday candle, of course! An unforgettable day on an unforgettable trip… memories to last a lifetime!

Tonight while on watch I notice, as I have many nights, how beautiful the sky is out here on the ocean… there are no lights from land to distract from the millions of stars that light up the sky. As it is warm tonight, I especially enjoy my watch out in the cockpit and the stars that light our way. I am not an expert at identifying the stars and constellations, but expertise is not necessary to enjoy the splendor of the night sky at sea! Tomorrow, Cabo… finally! And then… next week, Puerto Vallarta! Stay tuned for more adventures aboard Caprice in Mexico!

Adios

Thursday, November 4th, 2010

We are here!! We are here!! And what a treat this is.

However, the motor sail to Cabo was brutal… 35knot winds are coming right at us for the last twenty miles or four hours! Getting in to the slip is very tricky… but we do it and have a perfect location… close to all the facilities and positioned to take advantage of the cooling onshore breeze. The temperature in the daytime is a perfect 86 and the evenings are lovely… perfect for strolling and dining outside and very comfortable for sleeping.

The check in process is very smooth even though there are 156 boats arriving at the Marina on Thursday. We have to check in the boat and ourselves… all done without problem with the help of the recommended agent. Laundry service is available and Carol and I take advantage of that… it is a luxury to have it done rather than stand in line for the few laundry machines available. Thursday evening we enjoy a dinner at a restaurant overlooking the marina.

A large tuna fishing derby is going on and the amount of money being won is huge. The sport fishermen obviously have lots of money to play (or fish) with. The number of multi-million dollar sport fishing yachts is incredible. Lots and lots of money involved in the boating industry!

And they celebrate til the sun comes up. We are not letting them interfere with our enjoyment of the marina, however.

Friday, November 5th, 2010,

Friday is another day in Paradise with a Baja Ha Ha beach party organized by the Grand Poobah and his team at the Baja Cantina beach. Wonderful Mexican food, beer and margaritas, fun fellow Baja people to visit with… and finally a kissing contest to see which couple can best duplicate the famous kiss on the beach scene with Bert Lancaster and Deborah Karr in From Here to Eternity. The surf was up for the contest and the kissers had sand everywhere! No, Caprice did not enter! Dinner is Dove Bars as we are all full from the beach party lunch.

Saturday, November 6th, 2010

Carol and I walk for hours in the hot sun looking for Gardenia’s… famous for the best fish tacos in Cabo (according to Tom’s doctor)! We are told to go two blocks this way or three blocks that way over and over again…when we finally arrive, we decide that we should give those tacos a taste test before bringing Dan and Tom. We each order a shrimp taco and agree with Tom’s doctor! And so do Dan and Tom when we revisit Gardenia’s in the late afternoon for an early dinner! This little restaurant is way off the tourist radar… a true local place serving the same menu every day of the year from 8am to 5pm! Wonderful!

Finally, Cabo’s Costco welcomes Carol! The host opens our taxi door and guides us to the entrance! Wow… what a beautiful store… and not crowded on a Saturday! We are thrilled to stroll up and down the aisles in search of goodies without bumping into fellow shoppers. And, we do not get out hands slapped when we taste the items offered for tasting as we do at our Richmond Costco! The host calls us a taxi and loads the goods for us. Tom and Dan meet us at the marina with a cart, and off we go to load Caprice with ice cream, tequila, and Mexican flan.

Saturday night is the awards presentation for the 17th Baja Ha Ha… every boat wins a prize in this cruising to the cape rally! And awards are also given to the oldest participant (82) and the youngest (2), the loudest snorer, the biggest fish caught and numerous other humorous categories! The entire presentation is done with good humor and camaraderie… the Grand Poobah is dressed in uniform… tee shirt, shorts and sandals… but for the awards presentation, he has added a tuxedo jacket with tails! We are dressed in our Caprice polo shirts and happy to win a third plus place award… the plus is for sailing the entire second leg. (Every boat wins first second or third… nothing past third!)

The rally participants range in age from two years to eighty-two years, with at least a dozen over 70 and a dozen kids from 2 to 16. We guess the average to be 55-60. The “party” reputation that the Baja has certainly is not present in this 17th Ha Ha. We enjoyed the company of the other boats out on the ocean, the fun of the group activities, the organizational skills of the Grand Poobah, and the fabulous feeling of accomplishment at having completed the Baja Ha Ha!

Sunday, November 07th, 2010

We check out of the Cabo Marina and are motoring to San Jose del Cabo, 18 miles east of Cabo San Lucas and much different… San Jose is tranquil and traditional, a bit of old Spain at its center, but fast expanding with the tourist overflow from Cabo. We have the fishing lines out the whole time but alas, no Dorado! We are hopeful that our luck will change on the way to Puerto Vallarta!

San Jose del Cabo is lovely as is the Marina, although the amenities are lacking. We enjoy a quiet Sunday evening in and around the Marina with a light dinner and a few hands of up and down gin... that’s a card game, not a drinking game! Many fellow Baja Ha Ha sailors are here with us and it is fun to discuss future sailing destinations. For many, this is the start of a long, and hopefully happy cruising life.

Monday, November 8th, 2010

Up early and into San Jose for a shopping and sightseeing experience along with lunch at a charming restaurant. The entire historic section is a postcard. We wander into many shops in search of a silver bracelet for Tom and a special shirt for Dan, and anything for Merrie!!! Ah ha, I spot an ice cream shop… and savor a cone while my fellow travelers enjoy a cold cerveza! And always, we spot little treats for the grand kids! Loaded up with our treasures, we head back to the boat and begin to think about prepping for tomorrow’s departure for Puerto Vallarta.

We will be at sea for three days and two nights crossing the Sea of Cortez from Baja California to the Mexican mainland. We will not be writing to you until Friday, November 12th when we will hopefully be berthed at Paradise Village Marina savoring a mahi mahi lunch!

Hasta Luego!

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

Off we go to Puerto Vallarta! We are checked out of the Marina at Puerto Los Cabos, which is just a few miles from the delightful town of San Jose del Cabo, and motor sailing along the coastline of the tip of Baja. The sky is blue, the sun is shining and the seas are calm. After a while, the winds come up and out goes the jib. And then, the wished for Dorada (mahi mahi) is caught on Tom’s watch. What a beautiful fish this is… very colorful until it dies and all the color drains away. Dan filets it and Carol prepares a bit of it to wet our appetites for a fresh-caught mahi mahi dinner tonight.

Later, chicken tostados and fresh pineapple for lunch. The winds are down and we are motor sailing again. It is lovely… We expect to be at Nuevo Vallarta, just north of Puerto Vallarta, on Thursday. We have reserved a slip at Paradise Village Marina and are looking forward to arriving. We will be about five miles from the historic El Centro district of Puerto Vallarta and hope to have plenty of time to explore what should be an interesting and delightful cultural experience.

Tuesday night passes quietly… we motor sail until almost sunrise when the winds come up and we set the spinnaker. The night watch (Dan and Carol) pass the baton to Tom and me and we continue to sail until the winds die down again and on go the engines and down come the sails.

Wednesday, November 10th, 2010

Once again the winds are soft and gentle… not enough to keep us moving at the speed we want to go at, so we are motor sailing under clear blue skies and warm sunshine. The AIS system tells us that the water temperature is 92 degrees. I suggest to Dan that we stop and take a swim, but unbelievable as it sounds… we do have a schedule to meet! We are expected in Nuevo Vallarta on the 11th and wish to be on time!

It is one of the lazy days at sea today… we play up and down gin, read trashy novels, plan our visit to Puerto Vallarta, take naps, and just enjoy the free time that a peaceful day at sea allows.

It is 10pm and we have just watched a cruise ship pass by on her way to Cabo… she is five miles away, but a welcome site as we are the only boat out here… and after having the company of 156 boats from San Diego to Cabo and the constant chatter on the radio net amongst the participants, it is quite lonely to be the only lights on the dark sea!

Thursday, November 11th, 2010

It is a busy day aboard Caprice as we are underway to NV… the fresh water pump fails… but fortunately, Captain Dan has a spare among his treasures and has us fixed in minutes… and you may remember the faulty guest toilet… well… also among Captain’s Dan’s treasures is a new macerator… so after getting off watch duty, First Mate/plumber Tom installs it and before you know it, we have two working toilets again! Life is good aboard Caprice!

We made it! And it feels fabulous to be at our final destination for this portion of our adventure. We are berthed at the gorgeous Paradise Village Marina which allows us to use all of the resort’s amenities… swimming pools, beautiful beach with chaise lounges and waiters serving refreshing drinks with umbrellas in them, a spa to indulge our sea weary bodies, restaurants and bars to satisfy every hunger we have (although we don’t have many as the food aboard Caprice is six-star!) a shopping center filled with all the necessities, water taxis to downtown Puerto Vallarta, even the ubiquitous Starbucks… as the Harbor Master said: “Welcome to Paradise!” We four will be here together until Tuesday, November 16th, when Tom and I fly home. Dan and Carol will manage quite well on their own I’m sure, until the 22nd of November when they make the trip North. Caprice will linger here in Paradise until we return to discover more of Mexico before heading back up the coast of Baja and then the coast of California. More about that when it happens. In the meantime, I’ve learned a bit about this area and you will also when you read the next paragraph.

Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta are located on the shores of Bahia de Banderas (Bay of Flags) or Banderas Bay to us Gringos! Banderas Bay is Mexico’s largest sheltered bay and has a reputation for grand sailing conditions… many say they are the best in all of Mexico. The city of PV with a population of 250,000 covers ten miles of the NE shore of Banderas Bay. Red tile roofs and white sun-splashed walls of the Spanish Colonial architecture climb the jungle-clad foothills of the Sierra Madre. We plan a trip to town tomorrow to confirm the above and discover much more about Puerto Vallarta, it’s present and past.

But for now, it is a wonderful feeling to have completed what we set out to do, to have had such fun doing it, and to look forward to more adventures with Dan and Carol and Tom aboard Caprice!

Friday, November 12th, 2010

What a great day we have today here in Paradise… the Paradise Village Resort! After a lazy morning not rushing anywhere, Dan took off to get the boat checked in and Tom began the job of washing down the very salty Caprice. Carol and I gather all those dirty clothes we made and head off to the laundry where you can pay a person to do the laundry for you!!! Hooray… for only $10 pesos more than if you do it yourself!!! We return to Caprice and all help Tom finish up… then it’s time to hit the beach and/or pool… so off we go with our beach toys and towels. The surf looks a bit too much for me so we all chose chaises in the shade and eased on into the pool. Delightful!!! And not crowded. Then it’s a stroll down the beach for a gelato followed by a beach read and laundry pickup.

Tonight is dinner at the Vallarta Yacht Club located right here at the Marina. A special Fish Feast with live entertainment is on the schedule for tonight… and it is delicious and fun. The music is of our era and very enjoyable… very danceable… and not too loud! All good things. We enjoy a table overlooking the marina. The club is full… and not one of the people dining looks like a local… so we figure that the club is mostly made up of snow birds and ex-pats! The flags flying are the Mexican, the American and the Canadian, eh! We spotted the RYC burgee hanging over the bar and the South Beach Yacht Club burgee over the dining area.

It is a wonderful day!

Saturday, November 13th, 2010

Another sunshine morning and we have plans for a wonderful day! Dan and Carol will lounge around the Marina and Resort and Tom and I are going to visit the El Centro or historic district of PV. The bus system appears to be very reliable and well priced, so off we go on the bus from our resort to Plaza Las Glorias where we transfer to a local bus. We disembark at the Malecon or Romantic district of the city. This is the oldest section and simply grand to wander. On one side of the main boulevard is a broad seaside promenade dotted with sculptures of metal… large and whimsical in design… with the gorgeous Bay of Banderas to ogle… on the other side are the cobblestoned streets of the area with restaurants and shops, the famous Church of our Lady of Guadalupe, sporting the grandest crown, and a small plaza filled with artists creating large pictures in colored chalk. They spend the day working on these grand-scale pictures which are truly amazing. On the sea side, we see sand sculptures also of a grand scale posing for photographers such as us! It is hard to choose which way to look with all that is around us. Many locals as well as tourists join us for a stroll along the promenade and then a meander through the little streets filled with things to buy or eat. Speaking of eating… Tom and I enjoy a delicious lunch at La Posada, a local waterfront restaurant recommended by a merchant we chatted with. La Posada has been serving authentic Mexican food to locals as well as visitors since 1979! We loved the food, the view, the service and the décor and will recommend it highly! We also found several gelato shops to try! While savoring a gelato we spot a wedding party and their guests boarding a chartered bus presumably off to a reception… we feel right in the middle of life in PV. A longer than expected bus ride back due to a bridge being washed out during the summer rains, and we are safely aboard Caprice with tales to tell of our day in town.

Sunday, November 14th, 2010

Today we awake to clouds… and we wonder if this is some sort of anomaly. We have planned to take Caprice to Isla Marieta so that Dan can snorkel and we can noodle… but the clouds are causing dismay as Dan thinks they will hinder his visibility. After fueling Caprice at Puerto Vallarta Municipal Marina, we decide to try a spot along the coast called La Cruz. It’s reported to have good snorkeling and safe anchoring… and so it does… but the clouds persist and the winds for a sail home never appear… Later we attend a Welcome Reception at the Resort with finger food and drinks as well as entertainment. It was a hoot, but the food was a bit skimpy and the entertainment was amateurish. We return to Caprice for hamburgers with all the trimmings… and of course, ice cream with salted caramel sauce brought to Caprice from Bordeaux, France!

Monday, November 15th, 2010

It is our last day in here in Nuevo Vallarta until sometime in January when we will rejoin Dan and Carol and the lovely Caprice in Paradise! So what do retired guys and gals do on their last day? Well, we start with a gourmet breakfast prepared by Dan followed by a walk on the beach… and a lovely beach it is… at least five miles of fine white sand. After lunch aboard Caprice, we four set off for the pool again and Dan brings along his two trick kites to fly! What fun it is! I’ve never flown a trick kite… in fact I’ve not flown a kite in probably 50 years! We all try and have much success, but Dan is the pro. He can make the kites do loops and swirls and before long, beach walkers are stopping to admire his skill! (Is there anything this man can’t do?) Back to the pool for a dip and then relax with a favorite book. We decide to have our final night gala aboard, and Carol does her best work with steak and salad, a wonderful Cabernet to accompany the food, and of course, the signature dessert: Ice Cream!

It is hard to believe that we have completed this part of our adventure… and for me, it is astonishing to think that I am in Mexico and I got here via sailboat! I am quite amazed at myself and very pleased! Tomorrow Tom and I will fly home to SFO and our home in Point Richmond. We have made memories to last a life time and we four are looking forward to the next chapter… Mexico to San Francisco in 2011!

Until then, Adios Amigos, from Sailor Girl Merrie!

Sailing, Sailing! Point Richmond to San Diego

2010-09-12T20:25:00.000-07:00

Sailing, Sailing!

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010 – Point Richmond to Half Moon Bay

It was a cold and grey 62 degrees as we get underway at 10:37am on Tuesday, August 10th, 2010 heading for the Golden Gate Bridge and points south! We are a party of six: Admiral Carol, Captain Dan, First mate Tom, Communications Officer Merrie, and Goodwill Ambassadors, Spirit and Echo, two large, white standard poodles!!
We glide under the Golden Gate Bridge at 12noon and by then had successfully tested the popcorn maker and sampled many flavors of Jelly Bellies!
We are heavily loaded with food, beverages, the Poodle Boys, games, music and communications tools. Our departure latitude was 37 degrees, 54 minutes and our longitude was 122 degrees, 23 minutes.

At 1:15 pm we raise the main sail and bid adieu to San Francisco Bay. At 5:35pm we tie up to a slip at Half Moon Bay and Joe and Marsha join us for dinner at Sam’s Chowder House. And to bed to dream of greater adventures ahead!

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010 – Half Moon Bay to Monterey Bay

Anchors away at 6am under heavy fog and clouds. The winds do not cooperate for a good sail, so we motor our way to Monterey. The yacht club guest dock is full because of the Wednesday night beer can races but the Harbor Master has a berth for us in the municipal marina! And what good news… the yacht club is serving dinner! No dishwashing for us!

We are accompanied by playful dolphins and eventually, humpback and blue whales join in the fun. Whales and dolphins were everywhere… but no wind! Tom got some great pictures of the dolphins and whales and we will attempt to send a few along with this email. So we give thanks for our two big iron spinnakers and proceed to Monterey in gorgeous sunshine! We have decided to have a rest day in Monterey and enjoy lots of walking and shopping and eating out… lunch on the old Fisherman’s Wharf is delicious and atmospheric. Ice cream is in abundance and we even found a cinnamon bun bakery! We had night visitors on Thursday night… a giant raccoon boarded us and ran off with the dry dog food container. Tourists were having fun photographing the caper and eventually frightened the raccoon into giving up the booty.

Friday, August 13th, 2010 – Monterey Bay to Morro Bay

Grey is the color of the sky yet again, but the mood aboard Caprice is anything but grey! We are having a grand time… We have decided that a return visit to Monterey Bay is a must and we anticipate feeling the same way about all of our ports. Bret and Marcia joined us aboard Caprice for lunch and a tour of the boat on Friday. It such fun to show off Caprice… between the poodle boys and the boat, we are quite an attraction!

After lunch we stow gear, top off all the tanks and set a course for Morro Bay with an anticipated arrival time of 12noon on Saturday, August 14th. We rounded Pt. Sur at dusk with no problems at all… the winds and the seas were calm… we believe that the gods must be with us! This is a big night for Merrie as it will be the first time she has overnighted on a small boat in the dark on the ocean! All goes well until approximately 11pm when one of the engines acts up… a sudden change of pitch and much vibration… but this morning it is running smoothly again. The theory is that perhaps we ran into some kelp or a fishing trap line.

Saturday, August 14th – Morro Bay

Another grey day… good winds for a while and we fly the spinnaker for the first time on this cruise. As we approach the harbor entrance the winds die and the spinnaker is doused. We are hoping to be able to tie up at the guest dock as a buoy would require launching the dingy which is in the stowed position for cruising.

Hooray, we get guest dock berthing for tonight. After tying up this afternoon we head off for lunch at a Thai place. Food was okay but did not appeal to all.

Sunday, August 15th , 2010

Another grey morning in Morro Bay. But fresh warm cinnamon buns for breakfast put smiles on our faces! Before getting underway for an overnight sail to Santa Barbara we indulge Dan’s need for a fish and chips lunch… yummy and delicious. About 12:30 pm we set off for Santa Barbara. It is a bit rough but the sails are up and we are trying to catch the wind.

Winds are twenty knots and we are sailing at 7 knots. Weather is cool. Overnight the winds build to 37 knots but the boat handled well. Dan and Tom reef the main once, then they reef the jib, then they reef the main again and roll in the jib. We chicken jibed twice when reefing the main. We sailed on with a double reefed main only and still doing 8 to 9 knots. It was a wild ride… exciting but scary for Merrie.

We arrive safely at Santa Barbara on yet another foggy morning… but it burns off by 1 pm and we bask in warm, Southern California sunshine.

Caprice needs some sprucing up after a week cruising with 6 aboard so we spend some time and elbow grease and soon she is sparkling! Downtown is a short walk away and begs exploration… so off we go to explore. Tuesday dawns sunny… this is the first sunny morning since July 25th! Again, we enjoy the very lovely Santa Barbara Harbor and downtown. It is easy to tell we are in Southern California… everyone is tanned, blond and beautiful!

The owner and publisher of Latitude 38 is berthed close by, so we introduce ourselves and enjoy cocktails aboard his 60foot catamaran in the evening.
We are planning to leave Santa Barbara today, Wednesday, August 18th, and sail to Santa Cruz Island, one of the Channel Islands, for tonight, then on the Santa Catalina and the Seawind Rendezvous on Thursday.

Cheers from Caprice!

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

At sea on our way to Santa Catalina Island via Santa Cruz Island… the weather is glorious as we untie at Santa Barbara and set a course across the Santa Barbara Channel for Santa Cruz Island. Winds are up and so are the sails on a bright, windy, sunshiny day! We dropped the anchor at Smuggler’s Cove and enjoy a game of Rummy-o followed by a delicious dinner or ravioli, salad and Tartufo… Italian gelato covered with chocolate!

Thursday morning again dawns beautifully and off we go to Santa Catalina, 26 miles across the sea from Los Angeles as you may remember from the famous Four Preps song, but 60 miles from Santa Cruz Island. We motor in the morning and by noon, it is time to set the spinnaker. A beautiful sail brings us right to Two Harbors and a mooring alongside the group of Seawind Catamarans. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres await at Banning House, a lovely B&B atop a hill overlooking the harbor. We meet and greet and then head down the hill for dinner.

Friday begins with breakfast and a cruising seminar by Dan and Carol at the Yacht Club. A tour of the Isthmus Yacht Club is next. The club has been active since Civil War Days and celebrated its 100th birthday in 1964. Many of the 28 regular members have been members for generations. Regular Members have rooms at the club that they can use any time. These members must be boat owners, not ferry passengers. Associate Members can use the facilities but do not have rooms to stay in overnight.

Then lunch on the patio… the dingy motor is being fixed and once ready, Dan and Carol head back to Caprice and the boys (Spirit and Echo) while Tom and I take a hike up the hills and overlook Two Harbors and other small harbors in the vicinity. What a beautiful site… hundreds of boats bob in the sunshine and lucky people enjoy this marvelous vacation wonderland. Children are everywhere enjoying the beach and camping with their families. Yachtsmen tell tales of adventure on the patio. It is truly a grand place. Dinner is on the beach at 6pm… the theme is Hawaii and Dan and Tom have their Hawaiian shirts ready. All of us join the fun including our goodwill ambassadors who really enjoy a run on the beach. Mai Tai’s and a luau menu are featured… a big fire is very welcome as the wind is blowing!

Saturday is the race around the island to Catalina Harbor… the winds are up and off we go at 11 am after a photo shoot of the fleet of seven Seawind Catamarans. We fly the spinnaker and win the “best looking” prize, but alas, Selah comes in ahead. We moor and raft up at Catalina Harbor which is quite a difficult process, but eventually the fleet is “screwed down” and the appetizer contest and progressive pot luck dinner begin. Carol’s appetizers were delicious and the other boat owners outdid themselves with food and décor.

Sunday, August 22nd, 2010

Island time has set in and we are settling in to this lifestyles… go or stay… doesn’t seem to matter much… the sun is shining and the views are gorgeous. Tom and I decide to go ashore and take a walk about and check out the wildlife which includes a herd of buffalo. Tomorrow, Avalon… or maybe the next day!
Five boats decide to stay overnight in Cat Harbor, so outcome the leftovers from Saturday night’s potluck. Lots of laughter and shared stories about the perils and delights of boating! We have made friends with our fellow Seawind owners and hope to see many of them at the Baja Ha Ha in October.

Aloha from Caprice!

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

Another sunny morning… I could certainly get used to the sunshine, although the temperatures continue to be unusually cold. The raftup is going to unraft at 9 am and we will be on our way to Avalon. A personal note here: I (Merrie) was last in Avalon when Randy was 5 years old and Bret was 18 months. We camped first down in San Diego and then took the ferry from Long Beach to Avalon. My memory tells me that at that time it was a glamorous place to visit! We shall see if time has been kind to it or not! We truly enjoyed our visit to the West End of the Island and are expecting to enjoy Avalon as well! Our motor around the island to Avalon goes smoothly. No wind, but gorgeous scenery. The island is quite barren with rocky cliffs right down to the water… we are also sorry to report that we have yet to catch a fish! But we will try again when we leave Avalon.

We have arrived! It would be silly to say that it has changed since I was here in 1974… but I can’t help myself! It sure has changed, and it seems to be very good changes. Sitting on Caprice in the harbor feels like we are in the Med! The lights in the town and on the homes up the hills and the Casino flicker and invite! We spend the afternoon getting our bearings… find the ice cream store, a delicious place for dinner ashore, and choose things to do for Tuesday. And best of all… we have found warmer temperatures! And more glorious sunshine.

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

On a mooring in Avalon Harbor… Dan’s famous coffee and freshly baked cinnamon buns for breakfast make for a grand way to start the day in Avalon. We plan to take a tour of the Casino which now functions as a movie theater and dance hall. Additionally, we have signed up for a tour of Avalon featuring folklore and historical info about the town.

A large cruise ship in here… we are surprised to see it as none of us had knowledge of cruise ships sailing in these waters.

Wi Fi is hit or miss… hence the delay between emails but rest assured that we are fine, enjoying our odyssey greatly and will send our story whenever we can.

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

Yesterday was a grand day in Avalon! We took the historical tour of Avalon at 12noon and gained much information about the little community of Avalon. There are 4000 permanent residents living here in Avalon, the only land on the island that does not belong to the Wrigley family and the Conservancy. People are allowed to own land and businesses and homes. The rest of the Island is owned by a public trust and individuals are not allowed to develop it. The weather was warm and sunny again and the tour took us into the center of the island as well as all around the town. At 2pm we took a guided tour of the famous Santa Catalina Casino. Opened in May, 1929, it has operated continuously since opening day. It has never been a gambling casino, but was given that name because casino means gathering place and that is how it has functioned… as a theater on the first floor and as a grand dancehall on the upper floor. Many of the most famous big bands played here in the 30’s and 40’s. Today it hosts music festivals, concerts and private events. It is a grand and elegant art deco building… you feel glamorous in it and we could picture ourselves dancing “cheek to cheek” in black tie!

We have a fabulous sail from Avalon across the channel to Newport Harbor which is lovely. Hundreds of boats on moorings, many yacht clubs and attractive homes along the harbor contribute to a boaters’ paradise. Dan and Carol are having dinner tonight with family and Tom and I are planning to dine at the Balboa Yacht Club which looks spectacular. It was not only spectacular… but also delicious! And they offer free of charge, (price included in the mooring fee… see below) shore boat service to boaters on moorings out in the harbor. Tom and I took a walk to Balboa Island before dinner. The homes and boats here are quite amazing. We checked out some of the real estate listings just for fun and decided that life here would be very good!

We will be here for two nights and then head south to Dana Point. Change of plans…we like Newport Harbor so much that we have decided to stay three nights. Yesterday we took a walk along the longest beach I’ve ever seen… and people everywhere out enjoying the warm Southern California sunshine. We are moored between Lido Island and the Balboa Peninsula… right off the American Legion Yacht Club… the only legion yacht club in America. Thursday morning we moved the boat to its present location as the Balboa Yacht Club mooring was $57 per night and this harbor mooring is $5 per night. We plan to explore and enjoy the area today and set sail for Dana Point tomorrow. We’ve arranged for a slip at Dana Point Marina and will do the laundry… which is piling up quicker than we can wash it! The Dana Point Yacht Club is there and we’ve heard good things about it. The fog is rolling in and out of the Newport Harbor this morning but the weather report says we will have sunshine by 11am! We are considering lunch at the beautiful Newport Harbor Yacht Club today. And we did dine there… it was lovely and delicious. This yacht club is beautiful with wood paneling everywhere and a trophy room to make you green with envy. Their display of half hulls and marine paintings and photography was grand. It appeared to be the other prestigious club along with the Balboa Yacht Club in Newport Harbor. Carol and I enjoyed a shopping expedition on Balboa Island in the afternoon. Marine Street is the main shopping street on the island and the shops cater to the summertime tourist. We did some browsing and some buying to help out the local economy.

Stay tuned for more adventures from Caprice.

Sunday, August 29th, 2010

Here we are in beautiful Dana Point… the sun is shining and the temperature is in the low seventies. Dan is filing Echo’s toe nails, which is truly a funny thing to see, and Carol is preparing breakfast for us. Tom is fighting a cold and we hope he will win the battle. We arrived here yesterday after a really bumpy ride from Newport Beach Harbor. The wind was coming from in front of us at 11knots rather than from behind… so we motored all the way (12 miles) under grey skies… the fog has returned unfortunately… although it did clear yesterday and it looks good for today also.

We are tied up at a slip at Dana Point Marina which has all the amenities boaters need… water, fuel, showers, laundry, etc. The Dana Point Yacht Club is here and it is beautiful… We enjoyed a beverage there in the late afternoon on Saturday and are going to visit again today. It overlooks the west end of the harbor where there is a beach for children and a launch area for kayaks and paddle boards. Paddle boards are the in thing down here in Southern California… they are everywhere! The board is similar to a surf board but flatter and the rider stands on the board and paddles across the water with a long handled paddle. We had seen them in Santa Barbara, Catalina, Newport Beach and here in Dana Point. It looks like fun, but so far, none of us has tried it. But there is always tomorrow!

We are anchored in front of the DPYC… we decided this was such a nice place to be and we should stay another night… and that is the beauty of not being on a schedule… so we think we will set sail for Mission Bay in the San Diego area tomorrow morning. It will be an all day sail so anchors away by 7am. But today, the sun is shining, the views are gorgeous and the company friendly…

A visit to the Dana Point Yacht Club proves to be valuable… the manager offers us the guest slip free of charge for Sunday and Monday nights and they are serving dinner on Sunday… so after a cocktail, we dingy back to Caprice, raise the anchor, and guide her into the guest slip which is 22 feet wide. The 21 and ½ foot wide Caprice fits snugly into the slip! We enjoyed dinner at the club Sunday night and met a number of friendly yacht club members.

Carol and Dan, those great adventurers, can’t help themselves and decide to try paddle boarding on Monday morning and they have a fabulous time. They both start out gingerly, but soon Dan is standing steadily and paddling himself around the harbor. Carol is slower to get up on her feet but is finally up and paddling. Tom got great photos of both and captured Carol’s spectacular dive into the water while showing off!

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

En route to Mission Bay just north of San Diego under motor. Tom set the spinnaker as we departed Dana Point but the winds died quickly. We will try to find a slip for a night or two. I forgot to put the sea sickness patch on early enough and am a bit under the weather. By the time we arrive at Mission Bay I am feeling fine, but Mission Bay does not appeal, so we continue on to San Diego and the welcoming San Diego Yacht Club. They had a slip for us for two nights… we are so lucky… the club is gorgeous and a prime rib satisfies for dinner tonight. This club was started in 1888… it’s a racing club and the trophy rooms are unbelievable! The clubhouse overlooks the marina… which is loaded with multi-million dollar yachts… like we have never seen before… I believe they rival those in Monte Carlo!

Wednesday, September 01st, 2010

We are feeling quite satisfied and proud… our goal when we set out on August 10th was to make it to Santa Catalina in time for the rendezvous and to make it to San Diego in good health, with no fiberglass damage, and with our friendship intact. We’ve done all three!

This is the life! Here we are at a beautiful place among gorgeous yachts, warm weather, walking trails along the water, and a tall ship festival taking place this weekend. We saw the parade of ships this morning sailing into San Diego Bay… they will be on display near the Maritime Museum… We were fortunate in getting a third night here at the SDYC and will move Caprice tomorrow to a slip at a marina at Harbor Island. She will stay there alone until we return in October. Dan has had some work done on Caprice that was necessary for the next portion of our adventure to Cabo San Lucas in late October.

Sunday, September 05th, 2010

We are at the Sunroad Resort Marina located on Harbor Island in San Diego Bay. The marina is a stone’s throw from the San Diego Airport and a two mile walk along the bay to the Maritime Museum where the Festival of Tall Ships is taking place this weekend. Tom and I walked to it yesterday and enjoyed it greatly. Tom is a fan of old ships and a special surprise at yesterday’s festival was “Surprise” the ship that starred in Master and Commander, the movie made from a combination of two of Patrick O’Brian’s famous novels. Surprise now belongs to the San Diego Maritime Museum.

Today we are going for a sail in San Diego Bay with our marina neighbors, a couple who now live in Atlanta, but were formerly residents of the area. They are visiting for the weekend and have not sailed on a catamaran such as Caprice! Tomorrow is pack up day for the drive home. We have rented a large SUV for the drive and may look like the Beverly Hillbillies as we roar up Highway 5 en route to Point Richmond. We have decided to take home all that extra “stuff” we brought with us and never used this time. And our “goodwill ambassadors” will not be accompanying us to Mexico so all their “gear” is going home with us on Tuesday.

So, on Sunday of Labor Day Weekend this is what I think… This has been a wonderful adventure for all of us. Caprice has been a lovely and safe home away from home for the six of us and, “oh, the places we’ve been”! Wonderful places that Tom and I may never have visited had it not been for our friends Dan and Carol and a boat named Caprice!

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

7:00 PM… HOME!
We packed and packed and stuffed and stuffed and finally everything was in the rented Suburban! Echo and Spirit had a small, but comfortable area in which to curl up and enjoy the ride. We left San Diego at 10:00 AM and stopped every two hours, changing drivers and refueling (ourselves) each time. Before we knew it, we were climbing over the Altamont Pass and on the “home stretch”! Dan and Tom piloted us safely to Point Richmond and we all cheered our safe and happy return!
Part two of the adventure will continue as we set sail in late October from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas!
Adios!

Downwind Run For The Barn!

2008-09-20T17:07:00.000-07:00

Caprice - Blog update: Sept 20

The Richmond Yacht Club charter in the San Juans was just great…seeing friends that we have missed for months, sunny days and enough wind to sail…couldn’t ask for more. We thoroughly enjoyed our guests for the week, Dan and Gerrie Peterson and Susan Hubbard. They proved to be perfect companions on this relaxing portion of our journey. We loved the ice cream, nice walks and shopping in Roche. Friday Harbor was a lot nicer than I remember, probably because it is not the middle of the summer tourist season. Provisioning in Friday Harbor is very easy because the shops are so close. We daudled around and the time quickly flew by and before we knew it, it was time to go back to Anacortes to drop our friends off and pick up our next guests from Brickyard Cove, Roy and Dione Henrickson. While in Anacortes, we saw the new Oracle trimaran…what a machine! We hope that the attorneys and judges settle so that she can compete in the America‘s Cup.

After stopping briefly at Roche Harbor again for one last ice cream, we shoved off for the last leg of our trip home. We fueled up at Port Angeles, then skirted past Neah Bay and decided to keep going because the seas and winds were so favorable. Rounding Cape Flattery was so smooth, a wonderful treat compared to our past experiences. With light winds, we headed south to Gray’s Harbor - an overnighter motoring all the way.

Westport, in Gray’s Harbor, is a charming fishing town, and summer destination for tourists. Located at the northern tip of the Cranberry Coast, Westport is proud of its 18 miles of clean sandy beaches, quiet coves, picturesque marinas and stunning rivers. The Cranberry Coast is named for its thousands of acres of cranberry bogs, stretching down to South Bend. More than 230 cranberry farms dot the Pacific Coast from British Columbia to Oregon, but more than 30 percent of those are along the shores of the Cranberry Coast alone. At this time of year, people are catching salmon right in the harbor. The berthing fees at Westport Marina were lower than we have seen anywhere in years…$13, including electricity! After eating a ton of fish during the past ten months, the prime rib dinner at the local café was a nice a treat.

So now we are headed for Newport, Oregon - another overnighter. We will meet our friends from Oregon again (remember Bill and Jill Case, who visited us in New Zealand?), then head off to Brookings, Eureka, Noyo, Bodega Bay, then the Golden Gate. Our ETA is Saturday, September 27, or Sunday, September 28. This will be our last update for the blog until we get home. Then we will write a synopsis for the final blog, culminating over 12,000 miles in 10 months. This will include our last week at sea and the good (mostly), bad and ugly (yes, there were a few) experiences, equipment comments and the boat pros and cons, culminating over 12,000 miles in 10 months.

Caprice needs a bit of TLC, so she will keep us busy for a while.

Cheers,
Dan & Carol

Captain's Log Stardate September 7, 2008

2008-09-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

I am getting soooo lax at updating this blog. I guess I have been having too much fun. Since we arrived in Alaska, we have been cruising down the inner passage to Anacortes. Some of the most memorable events have been :
- Fishing: In Alaska and B.C., we caught salmon and crab, until Carol said, "No more fish. There isn't any room in the fridge or freezers".
- Mountains: Awesome! Still lots of snow on the peaks and the trees grow right down to the water. Everything is green.
-Rain: That's why everything is green. Our rain gage registered at least 2 inches almost every day for three weeks! It is so nice to now be soaking up the sun in the San Juan Islands.
-Spinnaker runs: Most memorable, down Peril Straights and Johnstone Straights and down the Swinomish Channel from Anacortes to La Conner.
Numerous people have taken pictures, a couple of boats radioed us to say that we were really brightening the day. One man called down from his beautiful home perched on large rocks above the Swinomish Channel to tell us that our spinnaker was the first one they had seen in five years! The spinnaker is great fun to fly from a catamaran since it does not need a spinnaker pole. We typically can do ½ the wind speed.
-Porpoises: Their visits to the bows of Caprice are so exciting. They play like happy children and make our day.
-Whales: We saw whales almost every day. One of the most exciting sights was when a mother whale surfaced, rolled over on her back so that the baby whale could lay on top of her stomach to feed, then after about 10 minutes, she gently rolled over and dived.
-Customs officers: In British Columbia, they were professional but friendly. In the US, they were not.
-Food: Same as always, great!
-Quiet anchorages: Every night we had a separate experience. The quite anchorages are numerous, very scenic and almost sacred. The bald eagles are numerous and wonderful to watch.
-Cool weather: Our forced air heater is worth its weight in gold. We have used it almost every morning since we arrived in Alaska..
-Electronic charts and navigation: Invaluable. We had some back up paper ones , just in case, but using the Raymarine/Navionics charts relieve a lot of worry. We had to wait 3 days in Prince Rupert for the British Columbia chip, but the Raymarine system worked flawlessly, except for the constant alarm for the AIS. I understand that the software update will correct this irritant.
We reluctantly said Goodbye to our friends, Ernie and Lynne Landes at Anacortes. The next day, we met the Richmond Yacht Club Cruisers, and greeted our new crew members Dan & Gerrie Peterson and Sue Hubbard.
This crew will be with us for ten days and then we will welcome Roy and Dione Henrickson for the last leg of our journey down the West coast to home.
We have just gone through Deception Pass on our way to Port Ludlow.
Tomorrow we go to Port Townsend before heading North to the San Juans.
We are getting anxious to get home, but in the interim, life couldn't be better.
Cheers,
Caprice and Crew

Caprice travels: Polynesia to Alaska

2008-08-20T13:23:00.000-07:00

Majestic snow capped mountains, glaciers, cascading waterfalls, extreme tides, massive currents, whales galore, bald eagles, salmon, halibut, crab, shore birds, trees, trees and more trees. YES, we’ve arrived in Alaska! This is my idea of paradise!
What a perfect crossing, 18 days almost to the minute, from Hanalei Bay, Kauai to Sitka. Everything was relatively uneventful…catching Mahi Mahi and tuna, days of great sailing in 20 to 28 knot winds and motoring for the last three. Our only problem, which could have been a big one, was loss of communications. The radio had been giving us problems since day one, probably because of a poor ground. Around the half way point, we no longer had contact with “Last Mango”, a 38 foot monohull that left Kauai for Seattle, at the same time we did. (“Last Mango” arrived in Seattle four days after we arrived in Sitka). A few days after losing contact with Last Mango, we were unable to contact the Great Northern Boaters‘ Network. Around the same time, we lost our SailMail privilege due to “excessive use”. Sailmail doesn’t allow one to delete individual messages before they are downloaded. Therefore lengthy messages, particularly weather charts, take a long time. Other than EPIRB, this was our last life line. Obviously we have much to learn about this system. After arriving at Sitka, we got a call from the Coast Guard asking about our location. The network controllers were wondering where we were since we couldn’t check in. Another example of the dedicated volunteer service that the HAM network provides.
Since our last message, a lot of water has passed between our hulls.
After a lovely stay in Bora Bora, which included several visits to Bloody Mary’s and the pearl farms, we departed for Rangiroa atoll (an island surrounded by a reef). Rangiroa is part of the Tuamotos and is often used as a departure point for Hawaii.
While at Rangiroa, we celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary. Crewmen Tom and Ted wanted to take us to dinner at the lovely Kia Ora Resort . They tried to make reservations three nights in a row. Since the dining room was only half full each night, I can only surmise that the snooty maitre’ d didn’t like hairy faced sailors. So, we went to a very small, but excellent, outdoor restaurant called “Kia Kia” which could have not have been better!
We did a little provisioning (very challenging), refueling and made a last tour of a pearl farm. The Rangiroa pearl farm was by far the most interesting, an up close look at how the pearls are cultured. It is quite a long process (3-6 years), involving many steps in the process. Until we visited this farm, we didn’t know anything about black pearls so it was quite an education.
While we were anchored the “Maltese Falcon” glided in and anchored close by. She is such an amazing sight. It is a good thing I no longer use a film camera as I could not get enough of her different angles and the play of the sun on her gleaming hull, spars and rigging. The Maltese Falcon, owned by Tom Perkins, was also at dock in Bora Bora while we were there. New sailing acquaintances happened to have Perkin’s book “Mine is Bigger” with them and lucked out on getting the captain’s autograph and a tour of the magnificent craft.
We departed Rangirora and headed for Hawaii. It took us 7 days and 4 hours to sail the 900 miles to the equator. On June 25th, sailing with spinnaker alone, Caprice and crew crossed the line into the Northern Hemisphere, going from winter to summer. Tom and Ted had a special ceremony changing our status from tadpoles to shellbacks. Both Tom and Ted are shellbacks having crossed the equator previously. Tom did his in a submarine and Ted did his on a sailboat.
After going through the “initiation” we then celebrated the event with a fine feast of French pate’s, New Zealand honey and pickled asparagus, American roasted cashews, Canadian sardines, French brie, Tahitian baguettes and French wine. We made sure that Neptune got his share,too. In addition to sharing the good stuff we donated our bread maker which failed to recuperate from the damage it received during its flight to Aukland. Hopefully, Neptune can find a use for it, maybe a vase for kelp and seaweed. We also put a message in a bottle of wine (empty) with our names and e-mail addresses and threw it overboard. Where will it make landfall?
On the third day after crossing the equator, we entered the dreaded Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) which is the area separating the Southeast trade winds in the Southern Hemisphere from the Northeast trade winds of the Northern Hemisphere. This zone can have weather ranging from dead calm (doldrums) to severe squalls and thunderstorms. The distance across can be as much as 600 miles to as little than 60. In our case we had no wind and only two small squalls during the 39 hours it took us to motor through 120 miles of the Zone.
During our time in the doldrums Dan did manage to land a funny looking squid and a long skinny barracuda in a sea of garbage that probably had been recently dumped by a passing ship. Both the fish were released back in the dump. We did manage to land a tuna later in much cleaner waters. This beauty made six meals!
Our cruise from the Tuamotos was one for the books. We headed straight North from Rangiroa to the equator, and then straight for Hawaii. We flew the spinnaker for three days straight and made the 2240 mile crossing in less than 18 days, all on a starboard tack. Arriving at daybreak at Ko Olina and were welcomed by Bob & Renee Miller and Gordon & Patricia Wood, all living aboard in the marina.
During the week at Ko Olina, Tom and Ted helped with maintenance items and then jumped ship to spend much needed time with their wives. Having Tom and Ted with us for three months was a pleasure. We thank them and their wives Merrie and Pat, for their tremendous support.
Also, during the Hawaii week I got my COSTCO fix. Being a self proclaimed COSTCO junkie, you can imagine how frustrating some of the provisioning has been during this voyage. In Hawaii, I thought I was in heaven as I walked through COSTCO’s pearly gates. I managed to leave an entire “boat buck” behind. It was lovely having fresh fruit and vegetables (especially California artichokes), stocking the freezer with steak, ribs, shrimp, etc., loading up with desserts, cheeses, wines and a few spirits.
From Oahu, we sailed to Hanalei Bay, Kauai. This location lives up to its reputation of being one of the most beautiful places in the world. We had a surprise shortly after leaving Kauai, when a huge military plane buzzed us and then contacted us on channel 16 to ask about our intentions. After giving them our course, they advised us that we were close to a military exercise (international war game) and to hold our course so that we wouldn’t become part of the game.

Our new crew member is Dan’s brother, Doug. Doug started his sailing “career” in the early ’80’s right in our backyard at Brickyard Cove. He sailed an El Toro from our dock to the marina where he promptly turned it over, losing his glasses and soaking everything in his wallet. Doug didn’t set foot on another sailboat until 1990 when he “helped” deliver a 40’ monohull from Spain to St. Thomas. The outcome of this sail was much better as he purchased his own boat in 1992. Doug was living in Spain at this time and purchased a 40’ Spanish built Northwind center cockpit sloop named “Red Hunter”. He and Sheila spent the next two years living aboard sailing the Balearic Islands. While visiting us at Christmastime 1993, Doug asked if we would like to crew for him during the 1994 ARC Rally. Dan said “you bet” and I said “Yikes, I’ve never been out of sight of land before”. Of course, this really wasn’t true as we had sailed the California coast many times in fog so thick that we could barely see the bow. I finally told Dan that I would go too…I didn’t want him to die alone!
The ARC Rally starts at the Grand Canary Island and crosses to St. Lucia. Dan and I joined Doug and Sheila three weeks prior to the start to ready “Red Hunter” . There was much that needed to be done which was challenging, as the local chandlery was not exactly a West Marine. The passage was relatively uneventful except for a few good squalls and getting the spinnaker stuck under the boat. It took us 21 days since Doug and Dan would not turn on the engine during ultra light winds. After arriving in St. Lucia, we spent another three weeks fixing things on the “Red Hunter”, reprovisioning and doing some leisurely cruising.
For the next ten years, Doug and Sheila spent six months of the year living on the boat sailing the Caribbean Islands and the remainder of the year at their home in England. Doug has come a long way since his El Toro experience and is a knowledgeable, fun crew member.
From the time we left Sydney, Australia, we have sailed over 10,000 miles, visited 9 islands in 3 countries, gained a day sailing across the international date line, went from the bottom half of the world to the top and from winter to summer when we crossed the equator, saw fabulous places, met many interesting people, had great food and wine both on the boat and on shore. We experienced some of our best days of sailing ever, especially downwind with spinnaker only. Caprice did a great job in carrying us throughout this tropical paradise.
The Caprice crew changed again in Ketchikan. Doug left and headed back to England. Ernie and Lynne Landes, long time friends living in Port Ludlow, WA, joined us for the three plus weeks it will take to cruise to Anacortes.
Caprice at Warm Springs, Alaska

We are now settled at the Prince Rupert Yacht Club awaiting the passing of a storm. We are thoroughly enjoying the magnificent scenery of the Alaskan peninsula. It is everything we had wished for. We still have quite a distance to travel, but we decided to wait here for a Navionics chart “chip” that is being flown in from Campbell River. British Columbia charts are not part of the Western Coast charts that are on our Raymarine chart plotter and we have become so spoiled with the detail and GPS location overlay that we feel uncomfortable with the “paper charts”.
Next, heading south to San Francisco Bay.

Carol 8/19/08

Ted's Log Stardate July 6th, 2008

2008-07-08T06:08:00.001-07:00

MESSAGE 15 6 JULY KO OLINA MARINA, HAWAII

ALOHA ALL

WE MADE IT!! AT 0625 HOURS, 6 JULY WE TIED UP AT THE GAS DOCK IN THE KO OLINA MARINA WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF OAHU ABOUT 25 MILES WEST OF HONOLULU. IT TOOK US 17 DAYS 20 HOURS AND 25 MINUTES TO SAIL THE APPROXIMATELY 2250 MILES FROM RANGIROA TO HERE, AN AVERAGE OF 125 MILES A DAY MADE GOOD. WE SAILED THE WHOLE WAY ENTIRELY ON A STARBOARD TACK.

FROM THE TIME WE LEFT AUCKLAND ON APRIL 19th, WE SAILED APPROXIMATELY 5500 MILES, VISITED 9 ISLANDS IN 3 COUNTRIES, GAINED A DAY SAILING AROSS THE INTERNATIONAL DATE LINE, WENT FROM THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE WORLD TO THE TOP AND FROM WINTER TO SUMMER WHEN WE CROSSED THE EQUATOR, SAW SOME FABULOUS PLACES, MET MANY INTERESTING PEOPLE, HAD MANY OUTSTANDING DAYS OF SAILING AND MANY GREAT MEALS BOTH ON AND OFF THE BOAT. I EXPERIENCED SOME OF MY BEST DAYS OF SAILING EVER ESPECIALLY DOWNWIND WITH SPINNAKER ONLY. CAPRICE DID A GREAT JOB IN CARRYING US THROUGHOUT THIS TOPICAL PARADISE.

ALL BOAT OWNERS KNOW THAT THINGS BREAK ON BOATS AND THIS IS PARTICULARLY TRUE ON LONG VOYAGES. ALTHOUGH CAPRICE DID NOT HAVE ANY MAJOR THINGS GO WRONG, WE DID HAVE SOME FAILURES, MANY OF WHICH WERE FIXED. THESE INCLUDED: (1) STEERING CABLE (FIXED), (2) WATERMAKER (FIXED), (3) BLOCKS (REPLACED), (4) CHAFED LINES (REPLACED OR REPOSITIONED), (5) PORT HEAD MACERATOR (T0 BE REPLACED IN HAWAII), (6) NAV STATION SEAT (TO BE FIXED IN HAWAI), (7) BIMINI BRACKET (FIXED), (8)THE SAIL DRIVE MEMBRANE (TO BE REPLACED DURING THE NEXT HAULOUT) AND (9) THE TRACK SLIDE FOR THE OUTHAUL (TO BE REPLACED IN HAWAII). ALL IN ALL THIS IS A VERY GOOD RECORD. CAPRICE SHOULD BE PROUD.

ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO DO DURING THIS TRIP WAS TO COMPARE PASSAGE MAKING ON MONOHULLS TO MAKING THEM IN MULTIHULLS. THIS IS MY ANALYSIS.

THE ADVANTAGES OF MULTIHULLS ARE: THEY GO FAST, PARTICULARY IN RELATIVELY LIGHT WINDS ( WE WOULD DO 7-8 KNOTS IN LESS THEN 15 KNOTS OF WIND), THEY DON’T HEAL, ARE EXTREMELY COMFORTABLE GOING DOWNWIND AND IN SMOOTH SEAS, FOR THE SAME LENGTH OF A MONOHULL, THEY HAVE ABOUT 50 PERCENT MORE ROOM, MOST OF THE NEW CATS HAVE TWO ENGINES, AND HAVE A SHALLOWER DRAFT ALLOWING CLOSER-TO-SHORE ANCHORING.

THE MINUSES INCUDE: THEY DON’T POINT INTO THE WIND A WELL AS MOST MONOHULLS, THEY HAVE A MORE LEEWAY (AS MUCH AS 25 DEGREES FOR CAPRICE), THERE ARE LESS SPACES IN MARINAS TO BERTH MULTIHULLS, CATS TEND TO “HOBBY HORSE” AND ROLL SIDE TO SIDE, SOME TIMES BOTH AT THE SAME TIME, IN ROUGH SEAS MOST CATS EXPERIENCE “BOMBS” WHICH ARE WAVES SMACKING THE BOTTOM OF THE BRIDGE WITH A LOUD BOOM AND STRONG SHOCK WAVES, AND IN ROUGH AND CONFUSED SEAS, WAVES HITTING THE HULLS IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS AND DIFFERENT MAGNITUDES CAUSE THE BOAT TO MAKE SUDDEN AND ROUGH TWISTS AND TURNS WHICH ARE EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE.

MONOHULL ADVANTAGES ARE: LESS LEEWAY, WILL CUT TROUGH WAVES INSTEAD OF BOUNCING OVER THEM, POINT BETTER TO THE WIND, RIDE A LITTLE BETTER IN CONFUSED SEAS, AND EASIER TO FIND MARINA SLIPS.

MINUSES INCLUDE: THEY HEAL WHICH ON LONG VOYAGES IS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE, THEY ARE SLOWER, HAVE DEEPER DRAFTS, LESS ROOM AND ONLY ONE ENGINE.

THERE ARE PROBABLY MORE ADVANTAGES AND DISAVANTAGES THAT CAN BE MADE, BUT THESE ARE THE ONES THAT CONCERNED ME.

SO THE QUESTION IS WHICH DO I PREFER. IF I WAS GOING TO BUY A BOAT FOR EXTENSIVE CRUSING, I WOULD VERY STRONGLY CONSISDER A MULTIHULL. THEY GO FAST, MORE ROOM AND OVERALL MORE COMFORTABLE RIDE ON LONG PASSAGES, HOWEVER FOR DAY SAILING IN THE BAY I WOULD STICK WITH MONOHULLS. I STILL LIKE SAILING FOR SHORT PERIODS HEALED OVER WITH A RAIL IN THE WATER AND SPRAY IN MY FACE. THAT’S WHAT I GREW UP WITH.

WELL THIS IT FOR ME. DAN AND CAROL WILL BE TAKING CAPRICE TO ALSAKA WITH DAN’S BROTHER DOUG AS CREW, THEN DOWN THROUGH SOUTHEAST ALASKA TO THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS AND FINALLY DOWN THE WEST COAST TO SAN FRANSICO BAY AND HOME.

AS FOR ME, PAT WILL BE JOINING ME IN A FEW DAYS AND WE WILL ENJOY HAWAII FOR A FEW WEEKS BEFORE RETURNING TO REALITY.

I REALLY WANT TO THANK DAN AND CAROL FOR INCLUDING ME IN THIS GREAT ADVENTURE. IT WAS GREAT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, BOTH SO VERY MUCH. MEMORIES TO LAST A LIFE TIME.

SO, THIS IS THE END MY FRIENDS

A BIG ALOHA

TED

Ted's Log Stardate July 2, 2008

2008-07-05T19:09:00.000-07:00

MESSAGE 14 2 JULY LATITUDE: 14 DEGREES NORTH LONGITUDE: 153
DEGREES WEST

DAY 15

HOWDY ALL

TWO THINGS IN THE LAST MESSAGE THAT I FAILED TO MENTION WHEN DISCUSSING THE EQUATOR CROSSING. FIRST--IN ADDITION TO GIVING NEPTUNE FOOD (SPAM) AND DRINK (WINE), CAROL DONATED HER BREAD-MAKER WHICH FAILED TO RECUPERATE FROM THE DAMAGE THAT IT RECEIVED DURING IT'S FLIGHT TO AUKLAND. HOPEFULLY NEPTUNE CAN FIX IT AND PUT IT TO GOOD USE.
SECOND--WE PUT A MESSAGE IN A WINE BOTTLE (EMPTY) WITH OUR NAMES AND EMAIL ADDRESSES IN IT AND TOSSED IT OVERBOARD.

AFTER CROSSING THE EQUATOR AND TURNING NORTHWEST TOWARD HAWAII, UNDER THE SPINNAKER ALONE, IN 10 TO 15 KNOTS OF WIND OVER THE STERN AND FOLLOWING SEAS, I EXPERIENCED THE BEST TWO DAYS OF SAILING EVER. IN 48 HOURS WE LOGGED OVER 300 MILES. SMOOTH AND FAST!!

HOWEVER ON THE THIRD DAY WE ENTERED THE DREADED INTER TROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE (ITCZ) WHICH IS THE AREA SEPARATING THE SOUTHEAST TRADE WINDS IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE FROM THE NORTHEAST TRADES IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE. THIS ZONE CAN HAVE WEATHER RANGING FROM DEAD CALM (DOLDRUMS) TO SEVERE SQUALLS AND THUNDERSTORMS. ITS DISTANCE ACROSS CAN BE AS MUCH AS 600 MILES TO LESS THAN 60. IN OUR CASE WE HAD NO WIND AND ONLY TWO SMALL SQUALLS DURING THE 39 HOURS IT TOOK US TO MOTOR THROUGH 120 MILES OF THE ZONE.

DURING OUR TIME IN THE DOLDRUMS DAN DID MANAGE TO LAND A FUNNY LOOKING SQUID AND A LONG SKINNY BARRACUDA IN A SEA OF GARBAGE THAT PROBABLY HAD BEEN RECENTLY DUMPED BY A PASSING SHIP. BOTH WERE RELEASED BACK IN TO THE DUMP. DAN DID MANAGE TO LAND A TUNA LATER IN MUCH CLEANER WATERS WHICH CAROL MADE 6 MEALS FROM (4 DINNERS AND TWO LUNCHES). ON THE 27TH WE CELEBRATED DAN AND CAROL'S 45TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY AND CROSSING THE MIDWAY POINT OF THE PASSAGE WITH OUR LAST BOTTLE OF WINE.

AFTER ESCAPING THE ITCZ WE PICKED UP THE NORTHEAST TRADES AND HAVE BEEN MAKING EXCELLENT TIME IN 10-18 KNOTS OF WIND. AS OF 1000 HRS TODAY WE ARE 514 MILES FROM OUR DESTINATION AND WE SHOULD BE THERE BY SUNDAY.

I HAVE HAD MANY PEOPLE ASK ME WHAT DO YOU DO TO PASS THE TIME ON THAT SMALL MOVING PLASTIC ISLAND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEA. WELL, THE THREE THINGS THAT TAKE UP THE MAJORITY OF OUR TIME ARE SLEEPING, READING AND STANDING WATCHES (IN CAROL'S CASE, AKA ADMIRAL COOKIE, PREPARING THREE MEALS A DAY FOR 4 PEOPLE). THE WATCH PERSON IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THE BOAT IS GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, THAT THE SAILS ARE TRIMMED, DETERMINING WHEN TO REEF/UN-REEF THE SAILS, CALLING UP HELP IF THE SITUATION SO DICTATES, AND MOST IMPORTANT MAKE SURE THE BOAT DOESN'T RUN IN TO ANYTHING. THE WATCH SCHEDULE THAT WE HAVE ADOPTED GOES LIKE THIS: I COME ON AT 2100 HRS, DAN AT MIDNIGHT AND TOM AT 0300 HOURS, I COME BACK ON AT 0600 HRS AND STAY UNTIL 1100 HRS, DAN NEXT AND TOM IS ON FROM 1600 TO 2100 HRS. THIS SCHEDULE WORKS WELL FOR ALL OF US. OTHER THINGS THAT OCCUPY OUR TIME INCLUDE PLAYING CARDS, TELLING TALL TAILS AND JOKES, EATING, WATCHING MOVIES, WRITING LOGS, FIXING THINGS THAT BREAK, MAINTAINING THINGS THAT NEED ATTENTION AND FINALLY JUST ENJOYING THE SAILING: THE WIND AND THE SEA, BEAUTIFUL SUNRISES AND SUNSETS, AND EXTREMELY CLEAR STARRY SKIES (A COUPLE OF NIGHTS AGO WE SAW BOTH THE SOUTHERN CROSS AND THE BIG DIPPER IN THE SAME SKY). WE ARE HAVING A GREAT TIME!

TILL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE

TED

Ted's Log Stardate June 26th, 2008

2008-06-26T07:04:00.000-07:00

MESSAGE 13 25 JUNE LATITUDE: 00 DEGREES O MINUTES, LONGITUDE: 146
DEGREES 04 MINUTES WEST

HI ALL,

AT 1401 HRS. LOCAL TIME, SAILING WITH SPINNAKER ONLY, CAPRICE AND CREW PASSED OVER THE EQUATOR INTO THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE GOING FROM WINTER TO SUMMER!! WE HAD A SPECIAL CEREMONY CHANGING THE STATUS OF DAN AND CAROL FROM TADPOLE TO SHELLBACK. BOTH TOM AND I ARE SHELLBACKS HAVING CROSSED THE EQUATOR IN A SUBMARINE (TOM) AND A SAILBOAT(ME). WE THEN CELEBRATED THE EVENT WITH A FINE FEAST OF FRENCH PATES, AMERICAN HONEY ROASTED CASHEWS, NEW ZEALAND ASPARAGUS, CANADIAN SARDINES, FRENCH BRIE, TAHITIAN BAGGETTS, AND FRENCH WINE. WE MADE SURE NEPTUNE GOT HIS SHARE.

IT TOOK US 7 DAYS AND 4 HOURS TO SAIL THE 900 MILES NORTH AND SLIGHTLY EAST FROM RANGIROA TO THE EQUATOR. WE RAISED THE ANCHOR AT 1000 HOURS ON JUNE 18. THE DAY BEFORE WE LEFT, THE "MALTEASE FALCON" THAT WE SAW IN PAPEETE, DROPPED ANCHOR RIGHT NEXT TO US. AN AMAZING SIGHT.

ON OUR FIRST DAY OUT WE HAD VERY LIGHT WINDS RESULTING IN US MOTOR SAILING SLOWLY ALL DAY AND NIGHT. DAN DID MANAGE TO LAND A 30 INCH MACKEREL WHICH CAROL COOKED FOR DINNER THAT NIGHT. JUST AFTER SUNSET, WE GOT HIT WITH A SQUALL. AFTER THE RAIN STOPPED, WITH A FULL MOON RISING IN THE EAST WE SAW A NIGHTTIME 180 DEGREE RAINBOW IN THE WESTERN SKY. WITH THE NAKED EYE IT DID NOT HAVE THE COLORS OF A DAYTIME BOW. HOWEVER WITH BINOCULARS WE COULD SEE SOME COLORS. NONE OF US HAD EVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT BEFORE.

THE SECOND DAY THE WINDS PICKED UP TO 12 - 15 KNOTS FROM THE EAST AND STAYED THAT WAY FOR THE NEXT FIVE DAYS. DURING THIS TIME WE REMAINED ON THE SAME TACK (STARBOARD) EXCEPT FOR TW0 360 DEGREE MANEUVERS RESULTING IN A TACK AND A JIBE TO GET BACK ON COURSE. THE FIRST WAS CAUSED BY "AUTO" THE AUTOHELM AND THE SECOND OCCURRED WHEN DAN WAS TRYING TO LAND A FISH (HE DIDN'T). OUR POINTS OF SAIL FOR THESE FIVE DAYS RANGED FROM CLOSE REACH (WIND ABOUT 45 DEGREES OFF THE BOW) TO A BEAM REACH (WIND PERPENDICULAR TO THE BOAT). WE MADE EXCELLENT TIME DURING THESE DAYS LOGGING 119, 136, 151, 141 AND 128 MILES FOR EACH 24 HOUR PERIOD.

YESTERDAY THE WIND CLOCKED AROUND TO THE SOUTH AND DROPPED BELOW 7 KNOTS. WE SAILED SLOWLY AND MOTOR SAILED FOR ABOUT 24 HOURS. TODAY THE WINDS PICKED UP TO 10-11 KNOTS AND WE HAVE BEEN DOING 5-6 KNOTS WITH ONLY THE SPINNAKER.

HAVING PASSED OVER THE EQUATOR, WE ARE NOW SAILING IN A NORTHWESTERLY DIRECTION, DIRECTLY TOWARD HAWAII. AS OF THIS MORNING WE WERE 1470 MILES FROM HONOLULU. HOPEFULLY WE WILL BE THERE WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, PLUS OR MINUS A FEW DAYS.

WILL WRITE MORE WHILE IN ROUTE.

TILL THEN, TAKE CARE

TED

Ted's Log Stardate June 17th, 2008

2008-06-18T06:09:00.000-07:00

MESSAGE 12 RANGIROA JUNE 17

HELLO ALL

WE HAVE BEEN ENJOYING THIS BEAUTIFUL ATOLL FOR THE LAST FEW DAYS. YESTERDAY WE ALL WENT TO THE LOCAL PEARL FARM, THIS TIME CAROL RETURNED TO THE BOAT WITH A BEAUTIFUL PEARL NECKLESS WHILE DAN RETURNED WITH A THINNER WALLET. LAST NIGHT TOM AND I TOOK DAN AND CAROL OUT FOR DINNER TO CELEBRATE THEIR UPCOMING 45th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY (JUNE 27). THE “KAI KAI”, IS A TYPICAL POLYNESIAN RESTAURANT WITH A FRENCH FLAVOR. THE FOOD WAS GREAT.

TODAY WE ARE DOING OUR FINAL PROVISIONING AND TOPPING OFF THE DIESEL TANKS IN PREPARATION FOR OUR FINAL PASSAGE TO HONOLULU WHICH IS ABOUT 2250 MILES NORTHWEST OF HERE. BECAUSE OF THE DIRECTION OF THE WINDS AND CURENTS BOTH BELOW AND ABOVE THE EQUATOR, WE WILL SAIL NORTH UNTIL WE GET A FAVORABLE WIND ANGLE FOR A DIRECT RUN TO HAWAII. THIS MEANS OF COURSE THAT WE WILL TRAVEL MORE THAN 2250 MILES. IT SHOULD TAKE US ABOUT 20-25 DAYS TO MAKE THIS RUN. WILL BE SENDING OUT MESSAGES ALONG THE WAY.

TILL THEN TAKE CARE

TED

Ted's Log, Stardate June 14th, 2008

2008-06-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

MESSAGE 11 RANGIROA JUNE 14

HI ALL

AFTER 3 PLUS DAYS OF BEATING INTO THE WIND, WE DROPPED ANCHOR IN THIS BEAUTIFUL LAGOON 250 MILES NORTH EAST OF BORA BORA. THE FIRST TWO DAYS WERE VERY ROUGH AND SLOW GOING. ON THE THIRD DAY THE WINDS DIED DOWN TO BELOW 10 KNOTS, SO WE DROPPED ALL SAILS AND MOTORED DIRECTLY TO THIS ISLAND

RANGIROA IS THE LARGEST ISLAND IN THE TUAMOTU ARCHIPELAGO. THE TUAMOTUS CONSIST OF 78 ISLANDS, ALL BUT TWO BEING CORAL ATOLLS, AND EXTEND ALMOST 1,000 MILES IN A NW-SE DIRECTION. THE ATOLLS HAVE LITTLE GREENERY EXCEPT FOR PALM TREES AND SHORT GRASS. RANGIROA HAS A CIRCUMFERENCE OF ABOUT 100 MILES AND IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE SECOND LARGEST ATOLL IN THE WORLD. THE RING AROUND THE LAGOON IS FORMED BY 240 MOTUS (SMALL ISLANDS) SEPERATED BY 130 SHALLOW CHANNELS CALLED HOAS. BLACK PEARL FARMING IS THE MAJOR INDUSTRY ON THE ISLAND.

SO FAR WE HAVE HAD OUR LAUNDARY DONE BY LUCY, BOUGHT A CHUNK OF TUNA FROM LUCY (I TOSSED IT TO DAN SO HE COULD BRAG THAT HE CAUGHT A TUNA), TRADED TACO SAUCE MIX FOR A ROASTED CHICKEN FROM LOUIE, BOUGHT PASTRIES AT THE LOCAL STORE, AND FILLED UP OUR DIESEL TANKS. HOWEVER, WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO GET PROPANE.

CHANGE IN PLANS. ORIGNALLY WE PLANNED TO GO FROM HERE TO THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS THEN ON TO HAWAII. HOWEVER DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS WE ARE GOING TO SAIL DIRECTLY TO HAWAII FROM HERE, LEAVING IN ABOUT A WEEK. IT IS A FAVORITE CRUSIER EXPRESSION THAT “PLANS ARE WRITTEN IN SAND-AT LOW TIDE”.

HAWAII IS ABOUT 2250 MILES NORTHWEST OF RANGIROA AND IT SHOULD TAKE US ABOUT 20 TO 25 DAYS TO MAKE THE TRIP.

TILL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE

TED

Ted's Log Stardate June 8th, 2008

2008-06-09T19:07:00.000-07:00

MESSAGE 10 BORA BORA 8 JUNE

AHOY MATES,

AFTER DETERMINING THAT TAKING OFF THE RUBBER MEMBRANE COVERING THE SAIL-DRIVE WOULD NOT REQUIRE A HAUL-OUT, WE LEFT THE BOAT YARD IN RAIATEA AND MOTORED OVER TO THE NEIGHBORING ISLAND OF TAHAA WHERE WE PICKED UP A MOORING IN FRONT OF THE HIBISCUS HOTEL AND RESTAURANT. TOM, DAN, AND I WENT ASHORE, HAD MAI TAI’S AND MADE RESERVATIONS FOR DINNER THAT NIGHT.
THE DINNER CONSISTED OF A TAHITITIAN BUFFET WITH TATITIAN MUSIC AND DANCING. THIS TIME I DANCED ON STAGE WITH THE PERFORMERS WHILE CAROL TOOK PICTURES. THE DINNER AND SHOW WERE VERY GOOD, ALBEIT EXPENSIVE. WITH TWO DRINKS THE BILL WAS OVER $100 PER PERSON.

THE NEXT DAY, WEDNESDAY, WE MOVED CAPRICE AND ANCHORED OFF THE TURQUOISE COLORED REEF. WE SNORKELED THE REEF AND SAW HUNDREDS OF BEAUTIFUL SEA CREATURES. THAT AFTERNOON WE MOVED TO THE WEST SIDE OF THE ISLAND AND PICKED-UP A MOORING IN HUREPITI BAY.

THURSDAY WE LEFT RAIATEA/TAHAA ISLANDS AND WITH THE SPINAKER, SAILED 20 MILES NORTH WEST TO BORA BORA. AFTER WE GOT DIESEL AT THE FUEL DOCK, WE PICKED UP A MOORING IN FRONT OF THE BORA BORA YACHT CLUB. UNFORTUNATLEY THE CLUB WAS BEING REMODELED AND WILL BE CLOSED FOR TWO WEEKS. TOO BAD AS PAT AND I REALLY ENJOYED THE CLUB WHEN WE WERE HERE IN 2002.

MANY PEOPLE ARE OF THE OPINION THAT BORA BORA IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ISLANDS IN THE WORLD WHAT WITH THE MAJESTIC PEAK OF MONT OTEMANU RISING STRAIGHT UP FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE ISLAND, THE COLORFUL (DEEP BLUE TO TURQUOISE) WATERS AND THE STRING OF WHITE-SANDED ISLETS SURROUNDING THE LAGOON. DURING WORLD WAR II, THE U.S. NAVY OCCUPIED THE ISLAND. MOST OF THE ROADS AROUND BORA BORA AND THE RUNWAY FOR THE AIRPORT WERE CONSTRUCTED DURING THIS PERIOD. THE NAVY SURROUDED THE ISLAND WITH 7 INCH CANONS, ONE OF WHICH IS STILL ON THE MOUNTAIN

THE NEXT DAY WE MOVED CAPRICE TO A MOORING IN FRONT OF THE BLOODY MARY’S RESTAURANT WHERE YOU WALK ON SAND FLOORS, CHOOSE YOUR MEAL FROM A FISH AND MEAT DISPLAY AND DINE ON TABLES MADE OF COCONUT WOOD . WE HAD
MIA TIA’S, BLOODY MARYS, LUNCH AND A GREAT DINNER THERE. IF YOU EVER GET TO BORA BORA, DINNER AT BLOODY MARY’S IS A MUST DO.

WE ALSO VISITED A NEARBY PEARL FARM WHERE CAROL TRIED ON A FEW BEAUTIFUL AND EXPENSIVE NECKLACES. HOWEVER, WE LEFT THE FARM WITH NO JEWERLY AND DAN’S WALLET INTACT.

WE STAYED ON BOARD ALL DAY YESTERDAY HAS WE HAD STRONG WINDS WITH GUSTS IN THE HIGH 30’S. THE PLAN IS TO REMAIN HERE TODAY AND LEAVE EARLY TOMORROW FOR THE ISLAND OF RANGIROA IN THE TUAMOTU ARCHIPELAGO ABOUT 250 MILES T0 THE NORTHEAST.

TILL THEN, TAKE CARE

TED

Ted's Log Stardate June 3rd, 2008

2008-06-04T19:52:00.001-07:00

MESSAGE 9 RIAITEA, FRENCH POLYNESIA JUNE 3

AHOY FRIENDS,

AFTER 3 DAYS IN THE TIANA MARINA, WE FUELED UP AND SAILED (ACTUALLY MOTORED AS THERE WAS NO WIND AT ALL) TO THE ISLAND OF MOOREA ABOUT 15 MILE WEST OF TAHITI. MOOREA IS SHAPED LIKE THE LETTER “W” WITH TWO DEEP BAYS ON THE NORTH SIDE. OUR FIRST ANCHORAGE WAS DEEP IN COOK’S BAY, A BEAUTIFUL SETTING WITH HIGH MAJESTIC MOUNTAINS ALL AROUND. ONE PEAK, MONT MOUAROA WAS THE BACK DROP IN THE FILM VERSION OF “SOUTH PACIFIC”. COOK’S BAY WAS ALSO THE SETTING FOR THE PICTURE “BOUNTY” WITH MEL GIBSON. THE SECOND NIGHT THERE CAROL, TOM AND MYSELF (DAN WAS NURSING A SORE TOE) WENT TO SHORE AND HAD DINNER AT THE SAME SMALL FRENCH RESTAURANT THAT PAT AND I WITH BOB AND RENEE ATE AT IN 2002. THE LaPATETE MANSION. THE FOOD THIS TIME WAS JUST AS GREAT AS IT WAS BACK THEN. THE NEXT NIGHT WE ALL WENT TO A DINNER AND SAW A TAHITIAN DANCE AT THE FAMOUS BALI HAI HOTEL. CAROL JOINED IN THE DANCING AND WAS THE HIT OF THE NIGHT.

AFTER 3 DAYS AT COOK’S BAY WE MOVE TO OPUNOHU BAY AND ANCHORED AT ITS MOUTH. WHILE THERE WE WENT SNORKLING AND SAW SOME BEAUTIFUL FISH AND A VARIETY OF CORAL. AFTER TWO DAYS WE HAULED ANCHOR AND MOTORED(STILL VERY LITTLE WIND) TO THE ISLAND OF RIATEA 100 MILES NORTHWEST OF MOOREA. MOTORING SLOWLY WE TIED UP AT A DOCK IN THE TOWN UTAROA 24 HOURS LATER.
RIATEA AND THE NEIGHBORING ISLAND OF TAHAA LIE WITHIN THE SAME CORAL REEF. BOTH ISLANDS, AS WITH ALL THE ISLANDS IN FRENCH POLYNESIA, ARE VERY BEAUFTIFUL. AT ONE TIME RAIATEA WAS THE CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS CENTER OF THE SOCIETIES.

WE STAYED ON THE DOCK FOR TWO DAYS, WALKED THE TOWN AND HAD A NICE DINNER AT A CHINESE RESTAURANT. THIS MORNING WE MOVED TO THE WEST SIDE OF THE ISLAND TO A MARINE BOAT YARD. WHEN DAN DOVE ON THE BOTTOM OF THE BOAT IN MOOREA HE DISCOVERED THAT A RUBBER MEMBRANE AROUND THE SAIL DRIVE (PART OF THE MOTOR) WAS COMING LOOSE AND HE FELT THAT WE NEEDED TO SEE IF IT COULD BE REPAIRED. AFTER CONSULTING EXPERTS AT THE YARD, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT IT WAS NOT A SERIOUS PROBLEM. DAN DOVE THE BOAT AGAIN AND REMOVED THE MEMBRANE. HE WILL GET IT REPLACED THE NEXT TIME THE BOAT IS HAULED.

LATER TODAY WE WILL MOVE OVER TO TAHAA AND AFTER VISITING THERE IT IS ON TO BORA BORA.

TILL NEXT TIME TAKE CARE

TED

Ted's Log Stardate May 25, 2008

2008-05-31T19:00:00.001-07:00

MESSAGE 8, MARINA TAINA, TAHITI MAY 25

HI All,

AFTER THREE DAYS AND NIGHTS AT THE MARINA IN DOWNTOWN PAPEETE, WE MOVED CAPRICE ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTH TO HERE. THE RECENTLY CONSTRUCTED TAINA MARINE IS MUCH QUIETER, HAS LESS SURGE THAN THE ONE IN PAPEETE AND IS WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF A LARGE MALL WHICH HAS A WALMART TYPE STORE--GREAT FOR PROVISIONING. THE PAPEETE MARINA IS OK, JUST A LOT OF CITY NOISE DAY AND NIGHT. HOWEVER IT IS CONVENIENT TO THE CITY HIGHLITES. IT IS ABOUT A 20-30 MINUTE BUS RIDE TO PAPETE FROM HERE.

WHILE IN PAPEETE, TOM PERKINS’ FAMOUS YACHT THE “MALTESE FALCON” ARRIVED AND DOCKED NEAR US. TOM PERKINS IS A VERY SUCCESSFUL VENTURE CAPITALIST WHO MADE MILLIONS BACKING SILICON VALLEY BASED COMPANIES SUCH AS GENETIC, GOOGLE, AND NETSCAPE. HE WAS NOVELIST DANIELLE STEEL’S FIFTH HUSBAND AND WAS CONVICTED OF MANSLAUGHTER IN FRANCE FOLLOWING A BOATING ACCIDENT.

THE MALTESE FALCON IS A 130 MILLION DOLLAR STATE OF THE ART 3 MASTED, SQUARE RIGGED CLIPPER YACHT. AT 289 FEET LONG AND 42 FEET WIDE, IT IS THE LARGEST PRIVATELY OWNED SAILING VESSEL IN THE WORLD. EACH OF THE FREE STANDING 192- FOOT HIGH MASTS HAVE 5 SAILS AND CAN ROTATE 180 DEGREES. THE NAVAGATION STATION LOOKS LIKE A STAR WARS SET. IN FACT THIS YACHT COULD HAVE BEEN DARTH VADER’S SPACE SHIP. QUITE A SIGHT!

A LITTLE ABOUT PAPEETE AND TAHITI.. AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, PAT AND I SAILED HERE IN 2002 WITH BOB AND RENEE MILLER ON THEIR BOAT “WANDERING STAR”. OUTSIDE OF THE NEW MARINAS, NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED. PAPEETE IS A TYPICAL EUPOPEAN
SEA-SIDE CITY: HEAVY TRAFFIC, NOISY, EXPENSIVE RESTAURANTS, SIDE WALK CAFES, BARS, SHOPS CATERING TO TOURISTS, AND ORNATE CATHEDRALS. IT IS A GREAT, BUT VERY EXPENSIVE PLACE TO REPROVISION, GET FUEL, BOAT PARTS, DO LAUNDRY ETC. EXAMPLES OF EXPENSIVE: $10.00 FOR ONE WASH IN A LAUNDROMAT AND $5 MORE TO DRY, $25.00 FOR A CASE OF COKE (SMALL CANS), $50.00 FOR A CASE OF LOCAL BEER, AND $5.00 FOR A SMALL PACKAGE OF PRETZELS. FUEL, MEAT, FISH AND SOME VEGGIES ARE MORE REASONABLE.

TAHITI IS THE LARGEST AND MOST POPULATED ISLAND IN FRENCH POLNESIA. IT IS SHAPED LIKE THE FIGURE 8 AS A RESULT OF TWO AJACENT VOLCANOES. THE LARGEST PART OF THE FIGURE IS KNOW AS TAHITI NUI, AND THE OTHER, TAHITI ITI. IT IS PART OF THE SOCIETY ISLANDS WHICH ALSO CONTAINS THE ISLANDS OF MOOREA, RAIATEA, AND BORA BORA IT WAS “DISCOVERED” BY ENGLISHMAN SAMUEL WALLIS IN 1767. THE NEXT YEAR FRENCH NAVIGATOR ANTOINE de BOUGAINVILLE NAMED IT “NEW CYTHERA”. A YEAR LATER CAPTIAN COOK TOOK POSSESSION OF THE SOCIETY ISLANDS FOR ENGLAND. TAHITI WAS THE SITE OF CAPTAIN BLY’S BREADFRUIT EXPEDITION WHICH LED TO THE FAMOUS “HMS BOUNTY” MUTINY. IN THE 19TH CENTURY FRANCE TOOK POSSESSION OF ALL THE SUROUNDING ISLAND GROUPS, INCLUDING THE TUAMOTUS, MARQUESAS’, THE GAMBIERS, THE AUSTRALS AS WELL AS ALL THE SOCIETY ISLANDS. IN 1958 THE FRENCH NAMED THE ISLAND GROUP “FRENCH POLYNESIA”.
.
WE WILL BE LEAVING HERE IN A DAY OR SO AND VISITING THE OTHER SOCITY ISLANDS STARTING WITH MOOREA. LET THE FUN BEGIN! TILL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE

TED

Ted's Log Stardate May 22, 2008

2008-05-31T18:59:00.000-07:00

MESSAGE 7, MAY 22, PAPEETE, TAHITI

HELLO FROM TAHITI,

WE ARRIVED HERE TUESDAY MORNING AFTER A 3 DAY SAIL NORTH FROM TUBUAI. WE LEFT THERE SATURDAY AT 1030 HOURS. WHILE RAISING THE SAIL ON OUR FIRST ATTEMPT TO LEAVE, THE STEERING MECHANISM JAMMED. WE WERE ABLE TO LIMP BACK TO THE ANCHORAGE AND AFTER AN HOUR, DAN AND TOM FOUND AND FIXED THE PROBLEM--A CABLE HAD JUMP A PULLEY. WE HAULED THE ANCHOR AGAIN, RAISED SAILS AND HEADED NORTH.

FOR MOST OF THE FRIST TWO DAYS WE HAD 20 PLUS WINDS FROM THE SOUTHWEST (GOOD), HOWEVER WE ALSO HAD VERY ROUGH SEAS AND PASSED THROUGH ONE SQUALL AFTER ANOTHER (NOT GOOD).

THE FIRST NIGHT (ACTUALLY 0300 THE NEXT MORNING) WE WERE HIT WITH A SQUALL WITH WINDS IN THE 30 PLUS RANGE AND WITH SOME DIFFICULTY THE FOUR OF US WERE ABLE TO PUT A THIRD REEF IN THE MAINSAIL (REDUCED SAIL AREA). THE NEXT NIGHT WE HAD WINDS NEAR 40 KNOTS, AND A SUDDEN GUST CAUSED THE SAIL TO JIBE (WIND PASSING FROM ONE SIDE OF THE SAIL TO THE OTHER). BECAUSE WE HAD A PREVENTER ON ( A LINE HOLDING THE BOOM TO THE LEEWARD SIDE OF THE BOAT), THE BOAT WAS TURNED INTO THE WIND AND ESSENTIALLY PUTTING THE BOAT IN A HEAVE-TO SITUATION (STALLED). AGAIN ALL HANDS ON DECK TO GET THE PROBLEM SORTED OUT. WITH THE SQUALLS AND ROUGH SEAS THE FIRST 48 HOURS WAS LIKE A MR TOADS WILD RIDE.

THE THIRD DAY THE WINDS QUIETED DOWN CONSIDERABLY WITH SOUTHERLY WINDS IN THE 8-10 KNOT RANGE. WE HAD A GREAT DAY, NO SQUALLS AND CLEAR SKIES. DURING THE NIGHT WE LOST MOST OF OUR WIND AND WE MOTOR-SAILED THE REMAINDER OF OUR PASSAGE OVER FLAT SEAS. WE ARRIVE ALONG THE TAHITIAN COASTLINE DURING A BEAUTIFULL SUNRISE.

WE CELEBRATED OUR ARRIVAL WITH BLOODY MARYS AND SNACKS ON THE SAILING VESSEL “PEREGRINE”. WE HAD CONNECTED WITH THEM IN TUBUIA AND THE TWO OF US BUDDY-BOATED DURING OUR SAIL HERE. DAN, CAROL AND TOM HAD MET MIKE AND TRACEY, OWNERS OF PEREGRINE IN NEW ZEALAND. WE WERE IN E-MAIL AND RADIO CONTACT WITH THEM DURING OUR PASSAGE FROM OPUA.

WE ARE NOW MED-MOORED (STERN TO THE SLIP) TO A BRAND NEW DOCK IN DOWNTOWN PAPEETE. WHILE HERE WE WILL CLEAN-UP, FIX PROBLEMS, DO MAINTENCE PROJECTS ON THE BOAT, DO LAUNDRY ETC., KICK BACK AND ENJOY THE FRUITS OF PARADISE.

WILL WRITE MORE ON PAPEETE, AND TAHITI IN MY NEXT RAMBLING.

TILL THEN, TAKE CARE

TED

Ted's Log Stardate May 16, 2008

2008-05-17T11:05:00.000-07:00

MESSAGE 6 MAY 16
LATITUDE 32 DEGREES 21 MINUTES SOUTH: LONGITUDE 149 DEGREES 30 MINUTES WEST MATAURA, TUBUAI

BONJOUR,

WE MADE IT!! DROPPED ANCHOR IN THIS LOVELY HARBOR IN FRONT OF THE SMALL TOWN MATAURA ON THE ISLAND OF TUBUAI AT 2130 HRS. (NEW ZEALAND
TIME) MAY 14 (TUBUAI DATE). IT TOOK US 18 DAYS 8 HOURS TO COMPLETE THE TRIP.

FOR THE LAST FEW DAYS AT SEA WE HAD VERY LIGHT WINDS RESULTING IN MOTORING VERY SLOWLY TO CONSERVE FUEL FOR ABOUT 30 HOURS. THE LAST DAY WE WERE ABLE TO FLY THE SPINNAKER IN 5-8 KNOTS OF WIND DOING 4-5 KNOTS OF SPEED.

WE ARRIVE AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE HARBOR AFTER DARK AND MADE THE DECISION TO ENTER INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR DAYLIGHT. THE ENTRANCE IS EXTREMELY WELL LIGHTED WITH FLASHING GREEN AND RED MARKERS ALONG THE ROUTE AND WE HAD NO PROBLEMS GETTING TO THIS ANCHORAGE.

WE CELEBRATED OUR ACCOMPLISHMENT WITH COCKTAILS, WINE AND A LATE DINNER OF BUTTERED CHICKEN.

TUBIA IS ONE OF SEVEN ISLANDS FIVE OF WHICH ARE INHABITED IN HE AUSTRAL ISLANDS WHICH ARE A PART OF FRENCH POLYNESIA. IT IS A HIGH VOLCANIC ISLAND ABOUT 5 MILES LONG AND 3 MILES WIDE AND IS SURROUNDED BY A BARRIER REEF MEASURING 9 MILES BY 6 MILES. IT HAS A POPULATION OF ABOUT 2000 AND HAS 6 SMALL TOWNS/VILLAGES THE PRINCIPLE ONE BEING MATAURA. THE TOWN HAS A COUPLE OF GROCERY STORES, ONE GAS STATION, BANK, POST OFFICE AND A RESTAURANT.

CAPTAIN COOK DISCOVERED THIS ISLAND IN 1777. IN 1789 THE MUTINEERS FROM THE HMS BOUNTY LANDED HERE AND ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A SETTLEMENT.
THE LOCALS REJECTED THIS INVASION AND VIOLENCE BROKE OUT RESULTING IN
66 NATIVES BEING KILLED. THE MUTINEERS EVENTUALLY LEFT TUBUAI AND ENDED UP SETTLING ON PITCAIRN ISLAND 1060 MILES TO THE EAST.

ON OUR FIRST DAY HERE DAN CHECKED US IN WITH THE LOCAL GENDARMES, AFTER WHICH WE DID A LITTLE GROCERY SHOPPING AND EXPERIENCED STICKER SHOCK. EXAMPLE: $12.00 U.S. FOR A FEW LEAVES OF LETTUCE! LATER WE JERRY CANNED ABOUT 40 GALLONS OF DIESEL FUEL FROM THE GAS STATION TO THE BOAT.

OUR PLANS ARE TO STAY HERE A COUPLE OF DAYS AND WHEN WE HAVE A FAVORABLE WEATHER WINDOW, HEAD TO PAPEETE, TAHITI ABOUT 350 MILES DUE NORTH.

TILL NEXT TIME TAKE CARE

TED

Captain's Log Stardate May 15, 2008

2008-05-15T08:03:00.001-07:00

We made landfall tonight (May 14th) at 830. After threading our way into the harbor at Tubuai at night, we had a cocktail and are congratulating each other on the trip.

Cheers,
Caprice and great crew,

Captain's Log Stardate May 14, 2008

2008-05-15T08:01:00.000-07:00

Exotic Islands of the South Pacific: Tubuai, Tahiti, Moorea, Raiatea, Bora Bora, Rangiroa, Minihi, Hiva Oa, Nuku Hiva. Most of these islands many of us have never heard of. Or they were just names in novels or a movie. Most of us have never dreamed we would actually visit, let alone on our own sailboat. But dreams change and suddenly we realized that this adventure of a lifetime could actually happen. Here we are, about 3 days southwest of a small island in the South Pacific. Tubuai, in the Australes, is our first stop mainly because it is the southern most island on our approach to Tahiti. The Australes are a group of islands spreading over 800 miles across the Tropic of Capricorn. It includes the islands of Maria, Rimatora, Rurutu, Tubuai and Raivavae. The islands are high, volcanic islands, surrounded by fringing coral reefs close to the islands. They are part of French Polynesia and are more humid than Tahiti. The islands are fertile and support coffee and orange plantations. The history of the Austales show that they once supported warlike villages, but the population was decimated by disease. Tubuai once violently rejected the HMS Bounty’s mutineers.
We have been at sea for 15 days after leaving Bay of Islands, New Zealand. We have experienced everything from almost calm seas to 47 knot winds and 15 foot seas. However, sailing in our Seawind 1160 has been a dream. We can average about 6 to 7 knots in a 12 knot beam reach. Our fastest day on this leg of our journey was 178 nautical miles, where we sailed all day and night with spinnaker. Our average distance is 125 miles per day. The comfort supplied by the 38’ catamaran "Caprice" is marvelous. We can cook, shower and read comfortably on the level without having to hang on . We celebrated our half-way point with our cook, Admiral Carol", supplying the chef’s skills to a tee by fixing filet mignon. With "boat made" ice cream dessert We have been enjoying the mahi mahi which we caught a few days ago. Our crew consists of Dan and Carol Seifers, owners, , and able bodied crew of Tom Hanson and Ted Stuart. We have been relatively free of equipment failures outside of replacing chafed lines and a few broken blocks. Our Spectra watermaker still makes water, but I had to disable a feature which diverts water overboard if the salinity is too, high. I hope to get this fixed in Tahiti.
I have always advocated that ocean crossings are not "fun", but adventues that makes one glad to have accomplished. Sort of like, " I am glad I done it, but not sure I would do it again". This trip is different. I think everyone on board is truly enjoying this crossing. In fact Ted lamented today when we were talking about making land fall in a few days. He said, "Life is beautiful, it can’t get any better than this. I don’t want to land yet". This is on a sunny day where the temperature is about 85 degrees, winds are 12 knots from the northeast and we are on a rhumb line headed for Tubuai. Life is good!!
After a few days in Tubuai to stock up on vegetables, fruits, bread (although we have been making our own bread), and some fuel, we will take the hop up to Tahiti 350 miles to the North about May 20. After a few days in Papeete, we want to visit the Society Islands of Moorea, Raiatea and Bora Bora before heading North to the Tuamoto Islands.
Cheers for now.
Caprice and crew.

Ted's Log Stardate May 11, 2008

2008-05-14T18:46:00.001-07:00

MESSAGE 5: DAY 15, LATITUDE 24 DEGREES SOUTH, LONGITUDE 156 DEGREES WEST

HI ALL

WE ARE JUST A FEW DAYS FROM LANDFALL. SO FAR WE HAVE HAD VERY FAVORABLE WINDS FOR THE MOST PART. HOWEVER, WE DO HIT ONE OR MORE SQUALLS EACH DAY. THEY COME ON FAST AND RESULT IN MIXED WINDS AND HEAVY RAINS.

OUR ORIGINAL PLAN FOR THIS TRIP WAS TO SAIL DIRECTLY EAST IN THE AREA WHERE THE WINDS USUALLY COME FROM THE WEST AND BELOW THE TRADE WINDS WHICH ARE FROM THE EAST. WE WOULD CONTINUE IN THIS DIRECTION UNTIL REACHING THE LONGITUDE (SOUTH) OF OUR PLANNED DESTINATION AND THEN TURN NORTH IN THE TRADE WINDS (OUR DESTINATION IS NORTHEAST OF OUR START POINT). HOWEVER, DURING THIS TRIP THE TRADE WINDS HAVE REMAINED FURTHER NORTH THEN USUAL AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SAIL IN A MORE DIRECT NORTHEASTERLY COURSE, SAVING A MANY MILES.

WE HAVE BEEN AVERAGING ABOUT 125 MILES A DAY ON OUR COURSE. AS WE DON'T SAIL IN A STRAIGHT LINE WE ACTUALLY SAIL MORE MILES IN DAY. WE HAVE SAILED OVER 160 MILES IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD ON 4 OCCASIONS.

CAPRICE CAN REALLY SCOOT UNDER CERTAIN WIND AND WAVE CONDITIONS.
YESTERDAY WE WERE BROAD REACHING (WINDS PERPENDICULAR TO THE BOAT) WITH 10 T0 12 KNOT WINDS AND DOING 6-8 KNOTS.

SO FAR WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE BOAT, A FEW BROKEN BLOCKS (PULLEYS), HAD TO REPLACE SOME FRAYED LINES, AND UNTANGLED SOME HALYARDS AND REEFING LINES. TODAY THE WATER MAKER WENT DOWN, HOWEVER DAN HAS BEEN ABLE TO GETTING IT WORKING AGAIN.

IN DESCRIBING CAPRICE IN MY LAST MESSAGE, I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT SHE IS 21.5 FEET WIDE AND CARRIES THIS WIDTH FROM BOW TO STERN.

FISHERMAN DAN HAS BEEN TRYING TO CATCH FISH SINCE WE LEFT NEW ZEALAND. FOUR DAYS AGO HE HOOKED A MARLIN WITH HIS $100 LURE. THE FISH DID A FEW TAIL-WALKS AND BROKE THE LINE. LAST SEEN THE MARLIN WAS TAIL-WALKING WITH DAN'S $100 LURE IN ITS MOUTH. DAN CONTINUED HIS QUEST AND TWO DAYS LATER HOOKED AND LANDED A 40 INCH, 30 POUND DORADO/ MAHI MAHI WITH A LURE GIVEN TO HIM BY HIS FRIEND ROY HENRICSON. CAROL FIXED THE FISH FOR DINNERS IN A VARIETY OF WAYS - BAKED WITH AN ASIAN SAUCE, BEER BATTERED, AND SMOKED. EXCELLENT!

HOPEFULLY MY NEXT MESSAGE WILL BE AFTER LANDFALL

TILL THEN, TAKE CARE

Ted's Log Stardate May 8th, 2008

2008-05-08T14:32:00.000-07:00

DAY 11 LATITUDE 30 DEGREES SOUTH, LONGITUDE 164 DEGREES WEST

HI FROM THE SOUTH PACIFIC

WE PASSED THE HALF WAY POINT SOMETIME DURING THE 9TH DAY AT SEA AND
CELEBRATED LAST NIGHT WITH FILET MIGNON, SCALLOPED POTATOES, SWEET AND
SOUR CARROTS AND HOME-MADE ICE CREAM.

WE HAVE HAD JUST ABOUT EVERY TYPE OF WIND CONDITIONS ONE CAN EXPECT, 3
DAYS BEATING INTO 30 KNOT WINDS, 3 DAYS RUNNING WITH 10-15 KNOTS, 2
MORE DAYS BEATING THIS TIME WITH 20 KNOTS, 1 DAY BEAM REACHING (WIND
PERPENDICULAR TO THE BOAT) IN 20 KNOTS, AND A DAY PLUS MOTORING IN
VERY LIGHT WINDS. RIGHT NOW WE ARE SAILING DOWN-WIND WITH 8 T0 10
KNOTS USING THE SPINNAKER(DOING 5-6 KNOTS). WITH THE EXCEPTION 0F THE
30 KNOT WINDS THE RIDE HAS BEEN RELATIVELY COMFORTABLE.

OUR DESTINATION IS THE ISLAND OF TUBUAI WHICH IS IN THE FRENCH
POLYNESIAN AUSTRAL ISLANDS GROUP. TUBUAI IS A SMALL ISLAND ABOUT 350
MILES SOUTH OF PAPEETE, TAHITI. WILL DESCRIBE IT IN MORE DETAIL WHEN
WE GET THERE.

INFO ON CAPRICE:
AS MENTION BEFORE THE BOAT IS A 38 FOOT CATAMARAN. IT IS A SLOOP
RIGGED BOAT (ONE MAST) AND HAS TWO 30 HORSE POWER DESIEL ENGINES, ONE
IN EACH HULL. THE PORT HULL (LEFT) CONTAINS THE MASTER BEDROOM, A
NAVIGATION STATION AND A HEAD WITH A SPERATE SHOWER. THE OTHER HULL
CONTAINS TWO SMALLER BEDROOMS, A COMPLETE GALLEY AND ANOTHER HEAD.
BOTH HEADS HAVE AN ELECTRIC FLUSH TOILET. THE GALLEY HAS AN UPRIGHT
REFRIGURATOR , A DOUBLE COMPARTMENT FREEZER CHEST, A THREE BURNER
PROPANE STOVE WITH OVEN, AND A BUILT-IN MICROWAVE OVEN. THE BRIDGE
CONNECTING THE HULLS HAS A LARGE LIVING/DINNING ROOM WITH A 360 DEGREE
VIEW. THE COCKPIT HAS TWO STEERING STATION ONE ON EACH SIDE, A CHEST
REFRIDUATOR, A BARBEQUE, AND A LIFE RAFT. THE BOAT HAS TWO 120 WATT
SOLAR PANELS AND A 15 GALLON PER-HOUR FRESH WATER MAKER.

EVEN WITH ALL THESE CONVENIENCES CAPRICE IS A GREAT SAILING VESSEL.

CLOSING FOR NOW, HOPE THIS FINDS YOU ALL WELL

TILL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE

TED

Ted's Log Stardate May 1, 2008

2008-05-01T14:05:00.000-07:00

HELLO FROM THE SOUTH PACIFIC
WE ARE AT LATITUDE 34 SOUTH, LONGITUDE 176 EAST
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 27 (NEW ZEALAND TIME) WE FUELED UP, GOT PROPANE,
CLEARED CUSTOMS AND BEGAN
OUR SAIL FROM OPUA AT 1340 HRS. UNDER CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS WE
CLEARED THE BAY OF ISLANDS TWO HOURS LATER. AFTER DARK THE WINDS
PICKED UP TO ABOUT 15 KNOTS FROM THE NORTHEAST. AS WE WANT TO SAIL
EASTWARD, THE BOAT HAS TO SAIL CLOSE TO THE WIND (BEATING). CATAMARANS
SAIL RELATIVELY FLAT UNLIKE MONOHULLS WHICH ARE ALWAYS HEALED TO ONE
SIDE OR THE OTHER. SAILING FLAT IS USUALLY MORE COMFORTABLE FOR THE
CREW, HOWEVER, CATS TEND TO SAIL NEAR THE TOP OF THE WATER UNLIKE
MONOHULLS WHICH CUT THROUGH THE WATER. THEREFORE WHEN BEATING IN HEAVY
WEATHER THE CAT WILL BOUNCE AROUND MORE THAN MONOHULLS. AND HEAVY
WEATHER WE DID HAVE FOR THE FIRST 3 DAYS. THE WINDS WENT FROM THE
TWENTIES TO THE THIRTIES WITH GUSTS INTO THE FORTIES (WE RECORDED ONE
GUST AT 47 KNOTS). NEEDLESS TO SAY IT WAS A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE 3 DAYS.
HOWEVER THE BOAT AND CREW CAME THROUGH THE ORDEAL EXTREMELY WELL.

THE MORNING OF THE FOURTH DAY WE CROSSED THE INTERNATIONAL DATELINE,
LOSING A DAY. WE ARE NOW ON THE SAME DAY AS YOU ARE. LATER THAT DAY
THE WINDS SHIFTED TO THE SOUTHWEST AND SMOOTHED OUT THE RIDE
CONSIDERABLE. CATS DO GREAT GOING DOWN WIND. WE EVEN RAISED A
SPINNAKER AND ALL IS WELL.

SO FAR WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY MAJOR PROBLEMS. THE FIRST NIGHT THE MAIN
HALYARD (THE ROPE HOLDING UP THE MAINSAIL) GOT CAUGHT HIGH ON THE
FRONT OF THE MAST. IT TOOK US TWO HOURS TO CLEAR IT WITHOUT GOING UP
THE MAST.

SO FAR WE HAVE SAILED ABOUT 500 MILES FROM OPUA. IT LOOKS LIKE WE WILL
HAVE THESE SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT 3 DAYS. LOOKING
FORWARD TO IT.

TILL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE
TED

Ted's Log, Stardate April 24, 2008

2008-04-23T17:55:00.000-07:00

HI FROM OPUA, NEW ZEALAND

PAT AND TOM'S WIFE MERRIE FLEW BACK TO CALIFORNIA ON FRIDAY, APRIL 18TH.

THE NEXT DAY DAN, CAROL, TOM AND MYSELF LEFT AUCKLAND ON CAPRICE AND SAILED ALONG THE COAST NORTH TO OPUA WITH STOPS ON THE ISLAND OF KAWAU, THE CITY OF WHANGAREI, AND THE SMALL RESORT TOWN OF TUTUKAKA.

THE SAIL FOR THE MOST PART WAS DOWNWIND OR ON A BEAM REACH (WIND AT RIGHT ANGLE TO THE BOAT) WITH WINDS BLOWING 10 TO 30+ KNOTS. CAPRICE SAILED BEAUTIFULLY.
SOME BUMPY TIMES BUT MOSTLY SMOOTH SAILING.

WE SPENT THREE DAYS IN WHANGAREI WHERE WE PROVISIONED FOR THE TRIP TO FRENCH POLYNESIA. IT TOOK THREE TRIPS TO THE SUPERMARKET TO GET ALL THE FOOD STUFF AND PAPER PRODUCTS THAT WE WILL NEED.

WHANGAREI IS LOCATED NEAR THE HEAD OF A RIVER ABOUT 15 MILES FROM THE OCEAN. THE ENTRANCE TO THE RIVER IS A MASS OF BOILING WATER NOT UNLIKE ROUGH RAPIDS. CAPRICE GOT BOUNCED AROUND PRETTY GOOD FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES BOTH ENTERING AND LEAVING THE RIVER. IT WAS UNCOMFORTABLE FOR THE CREW, BUT THE BOAT HELD UP VERY WELL.

OUPA IS A SMALL TOWN, CATERING TO MARINERS, LOCATED IN THE BEAUTIFUL "BAY OF ISLANDS" NEAR THE TOP OF NEW ZEALAND. WE WILL REMAIN HERE A FEW DAYS DOING LAST MINUTE REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE-CHECKS ON THE BOAT AND WHEN THE WEATHER IS RIGHT, HEAD EAST FOR THE FRENCH POLYNESIAN ISLANDS.

THE DISTANCE FROM HERE TO OUR FIRST STOP IS ABOUT 2200 MILES AND WE HOPE TO MAKE IT IN LESS THEN 3 WEEKS.

I WILL SEND MORE MESSAGES IN ROUTE

TILL THEN

TED

Ted's Log, Stardate April 17, 2008

2008-04-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

HI FROM AUCKLAND,

PAT AND I ARRIVED HERE LAST WEDNESDAY AND HAVE BEEN DOING THE TOURESTY THINGS THROUGHOUT THE NORTHERN PART OF NEW ZEALAND'S NORTH ISLAND SINCE THEN. PAT WILL BE FLYING BACK HOME TOMORROW AND WITHIN A DAY OR TWO I WILL BEGIN MY SAILING TRIP ON THE SAILING VESSEL "CAPRICE"

"CAPRICE" IS A SEAWIND 1160 OWNED BY OUR GOOD FRIENDS DAN AND CAROL SEIFERS. THE BOAT WAS CONSTRUCTED LAST YEAR IN AUSTRALIA AND THEY TOOK DELIVERY IN SYDNEY LAST NOVEMBER. WITH THEIR SON VAUGHN AND HIS FRIEND DAVID RASMUSSEN AS CREW THEY SAILED THE BOAT HERE IN DECEMBER.

ON THIS UPCOMING TRIP, CAROL, DAN AND MYSELF WILL BE JOINED BY CREW MEMBER AND GOOD FRIEND TOM HANSEN. ALL OF US LIVE IN POINT RICHMOND AND ARE MEMBERS OF THE RICHMOND YACHT CLUB.

THE PLAN FOR THIS TRIP IS TO SAIL NORTH ALONG THE NEW ZEALAND COAST TO THE BAY OF ISLANDS AND WITH A FAVORABLE WEATHER WINDOW HEAD OUT TO OUR DESTINATION OF HAWAII.

THIS TRIP IS SIMILAR TO THE ONE I MADE IN 2003 ON BOB AND RENEE MILLER'S SAILBOAT "WANDERING STAR" BUT WITH TWO MAJOR DIFFERENCES. FIRST IS THE ROUTE. IN 2003 WE LEFT NEW ZEALAND AND SAILED TO FIJI, TONGA, AMERICAN SAMOA AND CHRISTMAS ISLAND. ON THIS TRIP WE PLAN TO SAIL EAST TO FRENCH POLYNESIA AND AFTER VISITING VARIOUS ISLANDS WILL SAIL NORTH TO HAWAII.

THE SECOND MAJOR DIFFERENCE IS THE BOAT. "WANDERING STAR" WAS A 38-FOOT MONO-HULL SLOOP, WHILE "CAPRICE"
IS A 38-FOOT CATAMARAN (MULTI-HULL). THERE ARE SIGNIFCANT DIFFERNCES IN THE WAY THESE BOAT SAIL.

I WILL GO INTO MORE DETAIL ON THESE DIFFERENCES IN SUBSEQUENT MESSAGES.
UNTIL THEN, TAKE CARE
TED

Rethinking our route

2008-04-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

Well now that we have returned to the USA, we have been rethinking our travel plans. Everyone we talk to asks, "Why are you in such a rush to get the boat home? Why don't you spend more time in Polynesi? You may only get one chance to visit paradise."

So, we are rethinking our plans. Wouldn't it be nice to see more of the Islands? Why don't we take a shorter trip to Tonga, Fiji, Samoans for 4 months, then put the boat up on the hard in a place like Raiatea for the winter, then pick the boat up again in the spring and sail it to Alaska, where we will be able to spend several summer months cruising down the coast? Sounds great, but we have a lot of mechanics to work out. Will Tom and Ted like the idea? Will our lovely house sitter and dog sitter, Gunda. be able to come back next year? How much will it cost to put the boat on the hard for 6 months? Anyway, we might change our plans. In the interim, Tom, Merrie, Ted and Pat are traveling throughout New Zealand, while using Caprice as a home base. The Spectra Watermaker is not working properly yet, but the fix-it man is there today. We jump back on the plane tonight (Monday, April 14, 2008) and arrive in N.Z. on Wednesday. Hopefully the watermaker will be fixed, Tom and Merrie will spend a couple nights in Davenport, then the ladies leave to come back home. In the interim we will be discussing the possible optional travel plans. Keep tuned to find out where we will be going.

Tom and Merrie are here

2008-03-23T22:08:00.000-07:00

Tom and Merrie are here. They got a thorough briefing on the boat. Tom learned how to drive the boat in and out of the slip, then we decided to travel north to Mahurangi Harbour, we tried to fish for red snapper, which everyone says are easy to catch, but have only caught some shakers so far.
We walked on beautiful Kauwau Island from School House Bay where we overnighted last night aboard the 4-star HMS Caprice to Mansion House... a lovely walk through a New Zealand forest of ferns and firs.
Then we sailed with the main and spinnaker sails flying... we were screaming across the Hauraki Gulf back to Bayswater Marina... and the boat was perfectly flat..

We are sitting across from the Auckland cityscape enjoying a glass of New Zealand wine and anticipating and Easter dinner of roast New Zealand lamb, cauliflower, butternut squash followed by a rousing game of up and down gin! Life is good...

Cheers to all of you!
Merrie, Tom, Carol and Dan
The motley crew of Caprice!

2008-03-14T17:48:00.000-07:00

Kiwiland

2008-03-14T17:43:00.000-07:00

Auckland is the largest Polynesian city in the world. It is the home to 1.5 million people in New Zealand’s fastest growing region. Auckland accounts for 1/3 New Zealand’s economy, yet it is a stone’s throw to magnificent beaches, sparkling blue waters and sparcely populated islands.
In the heart of Auckland one can find bustling activity in the financial section or unlimited selection of fresh sea food at the fish market. Prices seem high, but similar to San Francisco. However since tipping is not expected and the exchange rate is about .8, and we get GST tax exemption on many items, the prices are really quite reasonable. The land prices have really skyrocketed here though and beachfront property prices rival those in the Bay. The climate is about 75 - 80 degrees Fahrenheit daily and the water temperature is about 70 degrees - perfect for snorkeling and swimming.
February 21 - 24 - STORMY, RAIN, WINDS - up to 50 knots. We are snuggled up into Waitiatia Bay on Waiheke Island watching the ferries from Auckland (about 45 minutes by ferry) battle the waves. Exciting, but glad we are safely anchored in the Bay. This is the rain they have been waiting for all summer. Most people on the Island depend on rain, which they collect from their metal roofs into large tanks. They do have electricity, phones to the mainland, and internet cafes at Oneroa. (plus nice restaurants and wine from the 14 wineries here on the Island). We will stay here for a few days to wait out the storm, reading, sleeping, playing cards and other stuff, then go onto Coromandel once the winds calm down and shift to the southwest. Or, as they say here, “Once the weather is fine”.
Over the last 2 ½ months we have been enjoying the countryside and cruising habitats of the North Island. We originally thought that once we reached Auckland, we would take off for the South Island to visit the cruising holes there, but there is so much to see in the North Island that we have scraped our plans to visit the South Island (at least this year). Once we left the Bay of Islands, we stopped at Tutukaka on our way to the Great Barrier Island. Each place we have visited has its own unique charm and interest. Tutukaka boasts that it is only 30 minutes from the best marlin fishing in the world, Great Barrier Island has dozens of bays, coves and hiking trails that one could spend months exploring. Waiheke Island is less than an hours ferry trip from Auckland, yet is a rural, quiet community similar to Bodega Bay where many of the 8000 residents commute to “the city”. The Coromandel Peninsula hosts a few small towns, but is largely just a beautiful, uninhabited place where sheep and cattle graze. Most of the New Zealanders own boats - no surprise where thousands of beautiful anchoring spots can be visited within hours of Auckland. We have just touched the scenic beauty of this marvelous land and have genuinely been given the “red carpet” by the locals. We are very comfortable with our Seawind 1160 even in 3 to 4 meter seas. Most of the warrantee items have been resolved by Royce Black, Seawind factory representative, who came to Auckland to resolve the issues and help show Seawinds in the Auckland boat show. We have found provisioning fairly easy. Of course linking up with a great Kiwi couple, Alec and Ann Waring, who also purchased a Seawind 1160, has been extremely delightful and helpful.
We continually talk to people about our next ocean crossing to Tahiti, and most of them say, “Why not join us and dozens of other cruisers who venture to Fiji from here each year?” Maybe we are a little nuts, but it seems that taking the tough part first (3 weeks to Tahiti from here), and then relaxing while going downwind through the Tuamotus, French Polynesians, and maybe all the way to Samoa, is a reasonable thing to do. We will have to find a front traveling through New Zealand, follow the back end of it (southwesterlies) until we hit 150 degrees West , then head north to catch the trade winds to Tahiti. At least, that is the plan, but we are cruisers, and cruisers need to be flexible.
Tom Hanson and Merrie Bailey will be joining us next week after their tour of Australia and the South Island. Tom, along with Ted Stuart, will be crewing with us as we head East at the end of April. In the interim, we are checking with the locals to find out how they catch all those huge red snappers.

The Happy Wanderers of New Zealand!

2008-02-20T20:41:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone from New Zealand,

Well it seems like we are just wandering around New Zealand with no particular agenda. We are losing concept of time and don't know what day it is. We stay at a place until we get tired of it, then move on. We worked our way down the New Zealand coast from Bay of Islands to the Great Barrier Island before going to Auckland. Auckland is a medium sized city as far as population, but coveres a huge area. We have met locals who have opened their homes and lives to us. Very friendly all around. Or as they would say, "spot on". The boat is still behaving wonderfully. We had some minor factory warrantee items fixed last week and we are currently anchored at Waiheke Island, which is about 15 miles from Auckland, yet seems a million miles because of its quaint and lovely remoteness. The ferry does come here to transport some of the 8 thousand residents to work in Auckland, Our very vague plans are to hang around here, or go to Coromandel, Mercury Islands or down to the Bay of Plenty before coming back to Auckland to meet Tom and Merrie Hanson the first week of March, where they will stop off a few hours on their way to Australia before coming back to Auckland to join us.

We usually can find an email cafe in the small communities ashore, but when anchored out in remote coves, we use sailmail, so send us a note to let us know how you folks are doing and we will try to reply, even if it is a very short "sailmail".

Cheers,

Dan and Carol aboard Caprice

South towards Auckland!

2008-02-04T05:58:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,
Well, we are back on Sailmail. We left the Bay of Islands on Jan. 31, traveled down to Tutukaka, a lovely little fishing village, where we met two lovely cruising couples. One gave us a chip which included all the nice anchorages near Auckland. They recommended we go to the Mokohinea Islands on our way south, then to Great Barrier Island, Mercury Island then finally to Auckland. So, here we are at Great Barrier Island after stopping off at Mokohinea last night. The islands are bushy, bare, and have few inhabitants. We are anchored in a quiet bay with only one other boat. Everyone here fishes constantly. We haven't caught a nice fish for days, but are still lavishing on the mussels we got at Bay of Islands. There are lots of mussels and scallops in this area - Port Abercrombie. We will spend a couple days here at Great Barrier Island before going to Mercury (20 miles). We are now committed to going to Auckland on February 14 - 16 to finalize the warrantee issues with a Seawind factory rep. In the interim, I will need to find a way to get a copy of the Notice of Departure to Tom and Ted. I think that there is a place on the Island called Port Fitzroy that has fax capabilities, so will try that tomorrow.
Life is really slowing down for us. Our "to do" list is down to one or two items that we try to get done, If not, there is always tomorrow. I need to dive tomorrow, so I can find out why the log propeller is not turning, so that is the big thing for tomorrow. Maybe we can go ashore and walk along the beach, or maybe not. Carol keeps on thinking that she can beat me in "up and down", a card game similar to gin, but I keep on beating her butt, but I am sure she will get even.
Cheers,
Dan and Carol

Island Time!

2008-01-09T20:56:00.001-08:00

Hi Everyone,
I forget what I sent last. I guess we are starting to get into the "island time". We hardly know what day, or week, or month it is. Although every day seems to be filled with lots of chores and things to do. Like going to the local farmers market to get veggies and bread. Life seems to be filled with the basics of food and supplies and getting things done on the boat. Even with a new boat there are lots of little things that need upgrading, particularly after we have gone through the Tasman with 40 knot winds and 3 - 4 meter seas. Anything that could have shaken loose, or broken, or worn, did. But overall, we are still very pleased with the boat's performance. As I think we mentioned before, the most scary part was not the winds and waves, but the lightning storms. We fortunately skirted most of them, but one particular one had Carol sleeping with the EPIRB.
The life here in northern New Zealand is like the US in the 60's. The music on the radio. The cars, the way teenagers act. The more relaxed life and the way that everyone seems to be helpful. Every morning, the local net is filled with information and people who are willing to help each other. For example, this morning someone wanted ride to a nearby town, and someone else responded, "Sure we can give you a ride" The country side is rolling hills, very green with lots of cattle and sheep. The Kiwis love their Cricket teams and though we don't understand it, the games last for days. We will be leaving this lovely area of the Bay of Islands to visit the area between here and Auckland over the next few weeks. Our next port will probablly be Whangarea, pronounced Fongeray. Cheers mates,
Dan and Carol aboard Caprice.

LIfe at the Bay of Islands

2007-12-28T16:47:00.001-08:00

Hi Everyone,
Life here at the Bay of Islands is everything we could have imagined. Clear water, a bit chilly, lots of fish and diving is excellent. Vaughn and David dived for scallops the other day and had a ball. We feasted on scallops and oysters for Xmas eve. The local Opua Cruising Club had a wonderful Xmas day dinner. We find local shopping a bit unlike Costco, but are getting along fine. Today we will go back to the Islands to do some more diving, and the grandkids playing on the lovely beaches.
We will stay in this area thru the month of January and then perhaps work our way down south a little toward Auckland.
Cheers,
Dan and Carol

Greetings from Opua!

2007-12-20T20:52:00.000-08:00

Hi Everybody,
Made it to Opua NZ in 9 days 6hours from Sydney, pointing most of the way with NNE winds that ranged from 0 to 40 knots and seas from flat calm to 3-4 meters. We are told that this is one of the worst 4 ocean crossings. Caprice handles very well, even in rough seas, although when we spotted a huge lightning storm behind us, Vaughn put the "pedal to the medal" with both engines and Carol hugged the EPIRB most of the night. I really enjoy the Spectra Watermaker. It is so neat to be able to take a shower in 15 -25 knot winds. I can't imagine doing that in a monohull. We only saw 5 ships during the entire Tasman Sea crossing and no airline contrails. But now we are in the quaint little village of Opua, Bay of Islands, New Zealand. The marine facilities are excellent and the local supermarket has most of the provisions we need.
The local Opua Cruising Club is a lot like RYC - family type, cook your own steak and reasonable prices. We will join them for Xmas day dinner, where everyone brings something and helps out. Met Commodore and Nancy Tompkins here yesterday. Small world.
David Rasmussen and Vaughn were perfect crew members for the Tasman Sea crossing - pleasant, skillful and very helpful. Couldn't have asked for a better crew for our maiden voyage. Of course Carol kept the stew pot full although we didn't eat nearly as much as she anticipated.
Jenny and the grandkids are due in Auckland tomorrow morning, so Vaughn and David are driving down to pick them up. Looking forward to cruising out to some of the Islands to do some snorkling and to test out our Hookah.

Land Ho!

2007-12-17T05:43:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,
Can you imagine, here we are beating upwind in 15 - 20 knot winds at 6.5 knots in the Tasman Sea and taking a shower? With the watermaker, we can enjoy such luxuries every few days. We spotted the Three Kings Islands at 1530 today. Soon we will fall off and head for Opua (Bay of Isles), where we will check into customs, set foot on land and find a laundromat. We may even get some time to try our our Hookah in the clear waters of Bay of Isles. We expected the crossing to haved taken 10 days total, so we are right on schedule. Much of the trip we motorsailed to keep moving during the light winds and to get to New Zealand as much before Jenny's, Michaela's and Westley's arrival as possible. We have all enjoyed the trip, learned a lot about Caprice and ourselves along the way. Had a variety of weather from zero wind and flat, calm seas, to 35-40 knot winds with 4 meter seas. All in a day's work. Caprice handles beautifully and takes even gale winds in stride. Vaughn and David have been invaluable crew members, handling all situations with precision and calm. They have been a real pleasure to have aboard. We found that the iPods (one per person) are extremely useful and help the watches go by very quickly.
Cheers.
Dan, Cook Carol & Super Crew

All is well!

2007-12-16T10:24:00.000-08:00

All is well aboard Caprice. Little rain for the last 24 hours. We are all ready to see land. we figure that we have about 2 to 3 more days to New Zealand.
-Caprice

We're On Board

2007-11-24T18:19:00.000-08:00

We made it!!!! We have been on board for 3 weeks now, and are finally settling down to normal life aboard. We have been cataloging where we put "stuff" since there are 33 compartments in the interior and once something is stashed, it gets lost unless we have a log of where we put it. All systems are go except the watermaker which hasn't been commissioned yet and the life raft is due to arrive on Tuesday. Then we will be kicked out of the marina and set off to explore on our own. We are actually looking forward to it. We have only sailed a few days up to Manly Beach and back, but have successfully gone out of the slip several times. The twin engines are a dream. We have met many lovely people here, who have opened up there homes to us. We are learning the local lingo and actually can say G'day almost like the locals. Sydney is a wonderful harbour with tons of boats. They actually race almost every night of the week, plus weekends, regardless of the weather. Looking forward to Vaughn and David joining us in a few weeks to start the voyage to New Zealand. Our SailMail is up now, so we can send and receive short messages.
Cheers,
Dan and Carol

Its almost done

2007-10-21T16:16:00.001-07:00

Its almost done. This picture was sent from the factory as a "tickler". We still plan on going to Australia on Nov. 1, to arrive on Carol's birthday, Nov. 3.

We had a wonderful party on October 6. Great friends from all over the western states helped us celebrate our adventure. Mike Roper was very gracious in sailing his Seawind 1160 to our home so that our friends could see the "sister ship". Tom Hansen, Ted and Pat Stuart, Lucie Mewes and Vaughn Seifers all sailed back to Alameda with Mike and crew. All seemed impressed with the speed (10 knots) and handling in moderate winds.

2007-09-22T14:23:00.000-07:00

11/03/07 - 12/11/07 Australia - Sydney vicinity - seatrials/shakedown
Dan and Carol

12/15/07 - 12/23/07 Passage to New Zealand
1200 miles
Vaughn and Jeff

12/23/07 - 04/01/08 Cruising New Zealand
Vaughn, Jenny & family
Jerry & Toni
Tom & Merrie
Ted & Pat
Bill & Jill

04/01/08 - 04/15/08 Home: taxes, family, friends, poodle fixes
Dan & Carol

04/15/08 - 05/10/08 Passage to Tahiti
Ted & Tom
2800 miles

05/10/08 - 06/15/08 Pacific Island hopping
Ted
Tom & Merrie
Roy & Dione (?)

06/16/08 - 07/06/08 Passage to hawaii
2200 miles
Ted & Tom

07/07/08 - 07/21/08 Hawaiin Islands
Jerry & Toni
Don & Mary

07/21/08 - 08/09/08 Passage to Sitda, Alaska
2400 miles
Don & Mary
Paul B (?)

08/10/08 -08/30/08 Passage to San Juan Islands
George R.
Ernie & Lynne

08/31/08 - 09/06/08 RYC Cruise in San Juans
Dan & Gerri

09/17/08 - 10/15/08 Passage to San Francisco

Note: All passages are "weather permitting" and are tentative (loose for safety) reasons. We reserve the right to change the itinterary at a moment's notice. Remember the name "Caprice" means'Impulsive change of mind'. However, we will try our best to make time on board memorable. However, we will try our best to make time on board memorable and fun for everyone. We appreciate those who sign up for the more difficult passages.

Lists. lists. and more lists.

2007-09-20T17:12:00.000-07:00

As the time nears for us to go to Australia to pick up the boat, we have compiled a dozen lists, and lists to remind us to look at other lists. One friend suggested that we are in a process of "risk management", because we are trying to think of everything we will need to safely cross the Pacific Ocean. Almost everything we need to depend on will need at least one backup. Of course we like the idea of duplicate hulls, steering, engines, fuel tanks, alternators, rudders, beds and heads; but with only one water tank (135 gal.), we need to consider what happens if 1. the water pump doesn't work, 2. the electrical system doesn't work, or 3. the main water tank becomes contaminated. We have ordered a Spectra 3000 series water maker which will provide about 12 gal/hr. of fresh water from sea water, but it depends on battery power. We have 3 banks of batteries giving us 900 amp-hrs of power, and two 120 watt solar panels to charge the batteries, but we will be using about 500 amps of power daily. Since we can only use about half of the rated battery power before recharging, this means we will have to run at least one engine about 1 - 2 hours daily. With 95 gallons of fuel, this should not be a problem.

We are really lucky to have volunteers to help us cross the Big Blue. Our son Vaughn and his cousin Jeff have volunteered for the first big leg from Sydney to Aukland, New Zealand. This is the real first test of ours and the boat's sailing abilities across the Tasman Sea (1200 miles). We plan on leaving Sydney around December 10, 2007, so we can get to Aukland before December 23, which is when Jenny (Vaughn's wife) and two children plan on arriving in Aukland (by air). We will have additional visitors from the USA while we stay for three months in New Zealand: Toni and Jerry Smith (RV buddies from El Dorado Hills, Pat and Ted Stuart, Tom Hanson and Merrie Bailey, and Bill and Jill Case (friends from Oregon). And maybe others. We want to stay in New Zealand until the hurricane season ends before heading up to Tahiti. Ted Stuart and Tom Hanson will stay on as crew for the next big leg to Tahiti in April.

2007-09-20T16:49:00.000-07:00

The Exploratory Trip

I hadn’t thought much about Australia. It was so far away and after all there is plenty to see here in America. But....the more I read, the more I became captivated by the country, it’s history and people. Suddenly it became a place I really wanted to see. And now we had a good excuse. We not only had to have all our questions answered, determine the options we wanted, determine what “stuff” we had to buy that we couldn’t have shipped, look at the boat factory and hopefully “our” boat during construction and do some sightseeing while we were at it.
We scheduled our flight so that we could attend the Santuary Boat Show along the Gold Coast south of Brisbane. The long, long flight was tiring and we lost two days!!! We stopped over at Aukland, thinking that we could see a little of New Zealand from the air, but at 4:30am, it is still dark there.
Arriving in Brisbane, we rented a car since we had planned on traveling a bit during our stay. This was quite an experience - driving on the “proper” a.k.a.”wrong” side of the road. Carol had to keep reminding me, “Stay on the left. No, you are going to hit the curb. Not quite so far.”. Several things come to mind as I think of Brisbane: curvy, narrow streets - many of them one way, no pennies, no tipping, no highway patrols (they have radar and cameras, so everyone follows the speed limit), lots of shops, bakeries, ice cream shops, no homeless people, no trash ($150 fine for a cigarette butt), beautiful people (blue-eyed blonds are all over the place), and generally not very many obese people and they are all sports nuts - everyone.
The factory visit was very comforting. The owner, Richard Ward, opened up the factory and his office to us. After a complete tour of the factory (we even saw our hull completed), and all our questions answered, and a commitment for several more “boat bucks” i.e. thousands of dollars, we flew back home. This time we gained a day and actually landed before we took off - time wise.

2007-09-20T16:46:00.000-07:00

Sailing

2007-09-20T16:27:00.000-07:00

There is a sense of adventure in everyday life aboard a sailboat. The sun rises and sunsets are magnificent, the storms more exhilarating, the calm is more peaceful, the marine life is more fascinating, the stars are brighter and cleaner and the continual movement and change is most soothing.
To share the wonders of cruising life with loved ones and dear friends is the most rewarding of experiences one can imagine. The challenges of navigation, seamanship, maintenance, weather predictions and the most challenging: interpersonal relationships in a confined space, taxes all the skills required to face nature and the environment one one’s own. One is free to go in any direction, yet is restricted by the speed of the wind, the elements - mostly weather and ocean conditions. If something breaks, you must fix it, or go without. The people one can meet and enjoy “their” life style is unlimited.