Where are you going???

[Seadogg]

Well, the weather here in Michigan was pretty darned nice for sailing.  The thunderstorms never showed up, the winds were light, but steady, and the temps were perfect!

However, life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans, right?

The father of a dear friend of ours "sailed to his final harbor" and we've been standing by the rest of the family with help and support.

Life is precious.  Good friends are precious.  There will be other days to sail.

Fair winds,

Nick

[Pixie Dust]

Nick, I had a ditto weekend of yours.  The weather here in N. FL is very hot...99, winds light, sailing and anchoring out would have worked, however, I did the same thing you did this weekend.  A dear friends uncle whom I also knew very well went to a much better place on Thurs, very unexpected, so I have been involved with that.  A very emotional weekend, but what a beautiful tribute was paid to a wonderful man.
Things like this certainly give cause to pause and reflect.
Life is precious and living life to the fullest is so important.  Good Friends make our life so much more meaningful and are to be treasured.  Maybe that peace and contentment I felt last weekend when I anchored out was preparing me for this last week......

[Zen]

Doyoubi Benicia ne Ikimashita
(Sat. to Benicia)

Sat morning, we get down to the marina there is some serious wind blowing. White caps on the waves, leaves on the palm trees blowing like long hair on hot chick on a motorcycle. Wind howling through the masts






But I was heading out anyway. I figured it would be good practice. The hardest part was getting away from the dock. Current and wind was not helpful to launch, but I did it, not as planned but going with the flow of the energy then making a u-turn, and headed out of the marina.
We got fairly wet leaving the marina, heading into the wind, with big waves.

A bit of ways out I raise the mainsail and we head off on a close haul. After we got a little way out the ride got a bit more comfortable. We were sailing just under the mail sail. Still with a fair about of heel , but Lady Zen said she was fine, she has gotten more use to it and did not bother her anymore. As we approached the far shore and a tanker, I tried to come about, but could not do it. Not enough drive, I basicly went into a heave-to and could not move further. I figured to Gyib.
No good still too much current and wind not but not enough drive. I fired up the motor made my turn to a starboard close haul and killed the motor. We stayed on a close haul the rest of the way.





We past a couple of tankers, well,we passed one which was anchored, another past us.


We approached Benica dropped the sail and motored into the marina




We docked and checked in with the harbor master



After docking and checking in we walk into town. It is fairly quiet, and on the late side so we rushed over to the Thai resturant for lunch only to find it closed on Sat!!!!! WHATTTTTT! Agrrrrrr. Oh well, there are lots of other places around.
So we ended up going to The first Street Cafe, where we had breakfast on our first overnight trip to Benicia 2 yrs ago.



We had some Ahai tuna and something with articoke hearts mixed with something yummy. That was not enough of it, but pleasing.
After a bit this cute guy showed up...a Beagle and Pug mix.




Next we go up the street and have some icecream before heading back to the marina


From here we head back to the marina



After a bit of waiting about 25 min, while a big Big GAS Hog POWER Boat filled up.

Also talking with another speed boat driver who wanted to know about sailboats, upkeep , cost, sailing. He said he spent about 500.00 for a weekend on the water!!! He was ready to look into something else. I told him I filled up a couple of weeks ago. It cost me about 8.00 after motoring down to San Rafael. I sailed back, 5 hours, then went out a couple of times since then and filled up today on 1 gal of gas. He was impressed!  He was still worried about how the boats heel ( wimp) I explained how a sailboat works and what it take to turn one over...
Meanwhile the big yacht was still filling up!after making some kind of spill  :o :o
Finally he finshed and we were able to lauch away from the dock. They were so close whilst filling it was easier to wait than to go around them.

We turn and head out of Benicia Marina after this nice ketch goes by.

The wind is still fairly up on the way back. Since we are heading down wind. I go for just using the jib. we have a nice smooth ride back on a run, almost direct to home port, only a small course adjustment, dropped, (refurled) the jib once inside the breakwall.
So ends a pleasant sail day and mini vacation.

[Seadogg]

Pixie Dust:  Thank you very much!  Ed had a wonderful life and it was good to reflect on that and celebrate all the things that meant so much more because he was there!

Zen: Thanks for the virtual sail.  You did such a nice job documenting it that I felt I was there. (I love the "Zen" hand sign!)

Fair winds all.  I'll see you out on the water a little later.

Nick

[Pixie Dust]

Zen, Thank you and Lady Zen for putting me on the water since I am currently land locked.  Great read and thoroughly enjoyed the picts along with it.  I was sailing and eating ice cream with ya buddy.  :) I will be back in the hills of Charleston WV on Wed.  Cannot wait to see old friends, but already looking forward to being back on Pixie Dust. 
I received a very cool surprise today.  A gift certificate for West Marine for $250.  :o I helped an attorney friend get a new client and he was very grateful!   ;D  How cool is that?  I will be planning my next gadget purchase while flying North this week.   :D ;D  Any ideas on how I should spend it?  Gadget girl goes shopping.   ;)
I also received an offer to help deliver a trawler from FL to Boston this month, all expenses paid.  I am dying to figure out how to make that happen, but I have a lot of appts the 2 wks they are heading up.  What an experience that would be!  I have not ruled out making it work yet.   ??? ::)

[Captain Smollett]

Seadogg and Pixie Dust: you and your friends will be in my prayers.

Zen:  Wow; great story and pics.  I also loved the "Z" hand signal.  Very nice touch.

[Zen]

Thanks , glad to share with the family. ;D

And all are in our prayers as well!

[Zen]

Ok, here is part II of the weekend

I did a collage on the pictures since I'm at work. This is a long post.


Marin Co. Sunday

Today was not a sailing day, but really a boat day. I went to Loc lomond marina first thing in the morning. This was were I sailed to memorial weekend.

I drove today because the yacht club there was putting on a flea market sale. I thought I could get lucky and pick up a few boat parts I needed cheap. There were not really a lot of sellers there. Only a few. They did have some boat stuff but nothing I really needed.

A couple of things I would have gotten if the price was right, which it was not. I did get a little box fan for s/v Zen and a pair of jeans.


A Mission to Modern Sailing Academy

So next I'm off to Sausalito on a mission. Bill-san from Osaka Japan, who runs BLISS, ( Bob Littles Informal Sailing school) a sailing school there, contacted me. He is the one who got me on the idea to get certified with ASA and teaching. So he told me another American who will be working with BLISS is here to get teacher certified at the Modern Sailing Academy school. If I was interested he would be around for 5 days. Also if I was to go over please leave a message.
So I leave the flea market and head over to MSA about 20 min away. I get there and expect to miss the boat. However the office guy says, oh they are still here, right there.

I go down to the dock and ask for Dave and it is is Dave I'm asking, wow! what karma!. We get to chat for a very short time as he is heading out with the class. I take a few shots of the area after they leave.


Too many to put up, other than this. There was however this monster in the next yard.!! It would take my whole year salary to fill this with fuel no doubt
It looks like a building but it is really a boat!
Bottom center of the shot is a car and those are warehouses to the left







Next stop the Artist Marina


Further down in town is another marina where the Artist Community on the water. I find out later it is one of the last low income housing spots in Marin co. much less that it is on the water.

I hear most living there are in some type of boat related work, or painting, photography, woodwork, etc.

This is also the place where there is to be a Flea Market and Art show in Aug. So I was interested in seeing what was there. This a place that is managed a African American woman writer who her, and her husband, from France, a jewelry artist, that built their Cat. and sailed around the world for two years with their family. I wrote to her before and never got a reply... ( her Cat. is in one of the pictures in the background)

I stroll around looking and taking pictures since everything is open. Some interesting looking boats and places. I speak to a few folks, one dock guy and I chit chat for a short bit. Then I head to the office. I want to see what time the show starts and if there is someone who can make a dodger for s/v Zen. I am greeted by two ladies. One of which is the writer. She introduces herself , I say " oh the writer" she looks surprised, but I keep on going about the dodger. After we get that out of the way we talk about her, how did you know? she asks. I explain, the other woman says yeah we saw his web site. I think, hmmm so they did get the email. Anyway, I did not push it. I figured she was busy with her life, and just moved on with the chat. She turns out to be a nice lady. We talk just for a little while as she was heading out shortly. The other woman reminded her, so we cut the talk short. If you want to read some of her adventures, I will now recommend them :-) look under Sailnet.com and SailJazz .com for the writer named Doreen. If that is not the name it is close and maybe the only female writer there at least with a similar name.


Now after that I head home back across the bridge
but it is not over yet...



The Ebay Sewing Sailor:

I buy a fair amount of stuff off Ebay for s/v Zen and in general for our home use. The last cover Lady Zen made for s/v/ Zen she had a hard time with it. The machine was not built to handle the heavy material double triple folded like she does to sew. So I figured to find us a better machine on Ebay since money is an object. I found several. I Asked a few questions. One guy took a couple of days to reply, he said he had been out sailing, sorry for the slow reply. He then told me the machine was good for what i had in mind, but if I wanted to make sails I would need something else, another brand. If said he did not want to have a fellow sailor bummed out about the purchase. He also told some woman that she did not need to buy his machine just have her's adjusted. So I placed my bid, after a while I get an email saying pretty much the same things as told me before. He said he saw I was a sailor and did not want another sailor to be unhappy with the purchase, the machine was good but not for making sailing. Repair and canvas, etc was fine. Something to do with the size of the stitches for sailmaking. All this to say he was concerned not only the quality of his sale but for another sailor. He stated in his ad he was "into" sewing machines, from his actions, I felt comfortable buying this machine. I also got it at a GOOD price. I am putting this up, because
1. Not just another sailor looking out for another, but someone concerned about customer service, which I am finding is getting more rare here.
2. So to give some due respect where due. If you need a sewing machine on ebay check out "sewteck".

So ends boat day.

No adventures planned for this week or weekend, maybe some misc work on Sunday coming and a short sail.
BBQ on the 4th. Maybe I will invite some friends over to see the fireworks from the boat...

[Zen]

Must be a good day to be at the marina and out. It is here. I did the Zen's garden thing, now I'm off to the marina, then out for a sail. Feel ya on the water... 8)

[oded kishony]

Went out to the boat in Urbanna mostly to do a bit of maintainance since I've been away for two weeks at a violin acoustics workshop. Boat was nice and dry despite a LOT of rain in the last two weeks. Changed oil, thightened belts, charged house battery, fixed bow light, cleaned. No sailboats out despite a nice little breeze-just too hot! This is the 'shake and bake' season on the Chesapeake.
Any time spent on the boat is time well spent  :)

~~ __/) ~~

Oded

[AllAboutMe]

Oded,
Glad you were able to get some of the drudgery out of the way. The next trip down you can actually spend some real time on the water. I'll be down in Urbanna on Tuesday and Wednesday, and hope to get some sail time in on the Saber out of Deltaville. Friends are cruising to Onancock Tuesday or Wednesday with plans to overnite there, and then sail back thru Tangier for a ship's eye view. Then back to Deltaville on Thursday or Friday. Wish I had the couple of extra days to do a tandem sail with them. I'm still hoping we will be able to do a trip in September to Tangier and surrounding area.
Fair Winds,
Larry

[AdriftAtSea]

Went out today with a really full crew—first time having five people on the Pretty Gee.  I'm posting a story about it on my website tomorrow, when my brain recovers from a bit too much sun and a bit too little water.  :D  Really great day though.

[AdriftAtSea]

The story is up on my website.  You can read it at http://blog.dankim.com.  First time out with five people aboard the Pretty Gee, and she did quite well, even if the wind wasn't as generous as I'd have liked.  Also saw another trimaran up close, owned by Charles and Hilary, a Corsair F31 CC.  Nice boat...faster than my Pretty Gee..but I wouldn't trade for the world.  :D

[Zen]

Hot fun in the summer tyme
Wu weeee 113 degrees here on Sunday.  8)
I kept hearing Sly and the Family Stone in my head. Loved that group! Hot fun in the Summer tyme.
Did not feel really inspired to do much but stay inside out of the heat. However, a/c makes you too soft and I needed to get out. I may not get any sailing in over the next week or two. Kung Fu seminar starts this weekend coming.

So I went out to get my sail on. It was better at the marina only 99 maybe and less on the water.

I picked up a carp wind sock in Japantown on Sat.

I planned o using it as a wind direction indicator. This is a small version they are used in Japan even as big as 8ft long on Boys Day. Kind of like mothers day but for boys, there is also a girls day and a grand parents day. The Carps are very strong swimmers. So symbolically they are saying to the boys . You must be strong swimmers in the sea of life.

I mounted it on Sunday.


There was a fair wind, but I did not feel like dealing with a lot so it was a jib only day. I was able to move along fairly well with just that. Did a few turns and stuff to practice under jib.


The carp did well.

I do not know how long the string will hold up, maybe I will change it before it breaks. It is nice having the roller fast simple. Bada bing bada bom, off you go don't need no boom.



A few back and forths, then a few practice runs to see about stopping under sail.


Started to sail over to the moth ball fleet, but did not want to take that much time as I was getting hungry.


Still about 4 miles away in this shot.

So headed back to the marina, felt ok after a few trial passes, enough to try docking under sail. I practiced with just the main, but it would not go out far enough so that I could stop with the slip angle to the wind, so as I had more control with the jib it felt better,... as in safer.
So I gave it a shot. I overshot my turning mark a bit when dropping the fenders at the last moment, I lost my focus but it still went ok. I'll try it again another time, but it went well enough that I know I can do it.

Home for dinner and cold Sake

[AdriftAtSea]

Hey Zen-

Your dating yourself with the Hot Fun In the Summertime music. ;)    Love the carp.. very nice... and fitting for the boat. 

Dan

[Zen]

 ;D

You must know it too  8)

[AdriftAtSea]

I can neither confirm nor deny that.  :D

[Zen]

Water no water...

For now just some pictures...I'll fill in later
A bit if everything in Sasulito Bay


S.F. Bay a view from Sasulito

[Pixie Dust]

I was on the water, but not sailing.   :(  Trying to get lots of boat things done so my girl will be ready to haul me around for a few months.   ;D  I have to be out of town frequently for conferences etc, so time is of the essence.  I never left the dock this weekend.  I even broke down and put my hatch AC in which I have not done all yr.
I probably have the most expensive bimini frame in the 3 surrounding states.  I should have just had an arch built with dingy davits attached, but I was trying to save money.  :P ::).   I have put so much into stainless fittings that I cannot even bear to add it all up.  Gadget girl did not come out ahead on this one, however, that frame that supports my solar panel is rock solid now.   :D  I replaced the bimini straps this weekend with stainless tubes, connected to the boat with drilled fittings and also to the stern rail.  She will not collapse with the solar panel now when I remove my new canvas.  Next time I am down, I will snap some picts to post.  You guys will crack up at my engineering design. :)
I also replaced a rusted out burner in my propane grill and reinforced the board that gave way on the Pensacola trip which finished off torquing my ankle... (that is my story and I am sticking to it. :))
I also tried to drill holes in my stainless to replace my set screws with screw screws, but my 18 Volt WM drill ( which I only recommend if you want to drill through cardboard) is not powerful enough.  I broke several bits and only got one done.   I need my sons to loan me their power tools.  I measured my jib sheets so I can get those replaced, measured my battery space so I can replace with golf cart batteries.  Last weekend I put 3 coats of teak oil on everything from the companion way back.  My teak was extremely dry. 
Good weekend as far as projects go.  It was all I could do to not drop the lines and head out to sail a little and anchor out.   I keep telling myself, get her ready and then you will have 6 months to 1 yr to just float until your heart is content.  :)  I think I am definitely doing the Bahamas instead of Mexico, at least for my first trip.  My gut is telling me to go there.  :)
I did get a nice Italian meal on Friday and a nice shrimp dinner on Sat.. a girl has got to eat!! ;D :D 

[Pixie Dust]

Zen, I love Sasulito! It has been a few yrs since I was there, but it is so beautiful!
Thanks for sharing the picts and bringing back some good memories.  I spent a few wks in Calif with my aunt and uncle and it was great.   We had a wonderful time.   Yes, it was Hot Fun in the Summertime!! 
I am right there with you on that one. :)
Your little boat is so cute!!  That is girl talk for "nice boat dude!"   :D