Oct. 18 thru 21- Mount Shasta to San Diego...

We promised ourselves we'd stop in places we hadn't been before... well, except for San Diego of course... who can resist that delectable sailors haven?

Thur Oct 17th to Mount Shasta, CA:  We enjoyed a great 6-7 hour drive, through gorgeous scenic ranch land and mountains... all the way to Mount Shasta, California.  What a breathtaking place!  We stayed at the Cold Creek Inn, a small but immaculate motel, situated within the shadow of Mount Shasta.  There were several nice restaurants in the area and we drove a few blocks through the main drag checking them all out.  Many had good reviews... we chose the pub (of course) just the other side of the downtown area... and had pizza and salad for dinner... then back 'home' for a good nights sleep.  The water here comes right from the springs...it's almost freezing cold but very good; we filled our water jugs before we left the next morning.... continuing our trek south - this time towards another 'new' place for us, Elk Grove, CA.

Fri. Oct 18th to Elk Grove, CA:  This next leg of our journey took us through kind of a 'badland'... very few 'nice' places to stay - or so we thought.  But, after driving for 3-4 hours, we found Elk Grove and stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn (we've been getting the AAA discount which really helps with the room prices).  A very nice hotel, with a great brew pub beside it, and friendly staff...  who could ask for more.  And, just as you leave their parking lot there's a Chevron station with a MacDonald's (they have this new egg white breakfast bun... very nice and half the calories) which is very convenient.... Then it was 'right' onto the Hwy and with our new GPS (Jack) calmly explaining where to go (very handy when faced with 6 lanes of traffic and a turn or exit coming up in 3... 2.5... 2.4... miles) there's a whole lot less paper map flapping and debate about when, where and how to get off the #?!* freeway :-)

Sat. Oct. 20th to Irvine, CA: This was the day we'd hoped to stop in Uplands, at the Garhauer store, to purchase some kayak racks... but, no luck,...  no answer of phone meant (we assume) they weren't open - so we didn't even try. We pressed on and 6 or 7 hours later we arrived in Irvine, CA.  Another Hilton hotel, this one at the airport (Hilton Irvine / Orange County Airport) gave us refuge.  Here, we met Lynn (wife of our friend Grant in Mazatlan) and had a great Vietnamese meal for dinner.  But the next morning it was time to go again... so after lugging our bags back out to the truck we headed on down the road.

Security: Each time we've driven from home to Mexico we've had to carry quite a bit of 'stuff'.  Most of it's boat 'stuff' and each time we say "phew, that was a load!  Next year's will be smaller".  But they just seem to keep getting bigger and bigger.  This year, the good ship Shannon is demanding much of the equipment we left at home be returned.  Little things, like the pull-out couch cushion and the original main sail and the door to the heads.  Finicky things like the broken hydraulic back-stay adjuster and a box of parts that may aid in its repair, and the propane tank to replace the lovely, fibreglass one that has been recalled #!*#.  And then there's our own 'stuff', clothing and meds for 6 months, along with maintenance materials and tools for the boat.  The list goes on but my reason for reporting this is to explain that the 'stuff', the payload, the cargo... is so crammed in to Chuck the Truck there isn't any room left, even for a new pair of shoes... nope, Chuck is full to the brim. Luckily I made curtains for the canopy last year... and with the curtains closed the load is less obvious to passing opportunists. But we still do our very best to keep Chuck in sight, parking right outside the restaurant window, and trying for rooms that over-look the parking lot, and covering the pile of 'stuff' behind our seats (there wouldn't have been room for Sophie on this run even if she'd wanted to come) with a nice grey blanket.  We always put the 'club' on and we choose parking spots that are either right under a light or backed up to a wall if possible... and then we just walk away with our fingers crossed.  It's very stressful, but there's nothing much more we can do.  Anyway, I digress.

Sun Oct. 20th to San Diego, CA: I was about to say that, after leaving Irvine, and 7 or 8 hours later.. we pulled in to San Diego. But actually, there was no real definition between Irvine and San Diego... kind of like driving from Richmond to Coquitlam... but in a much bigger way.  So, thanks to Jack the GPS, we actually made it off the freeway at the right place and didn't carry on until we ran out of road and town.

Have I mentioned we love San Diego? We really do.  This time we're staying at the Best Western Plus Island Palms Hotel on Shelter Island Drive.  It's in the heart of the sailing and naval community.  There are boats and ships and cruisers everywhere you look and there are miles of docks to be walked... once you manage to gain entry (most are locked or private :-)  We've found some interesting boats for sale and some even better boats that aren't.  We've visited with old friends and made some new friends. We arrived Sunday afternoon and have spent the last day and a half just visiting our favourite places and hanging out (there's a pool and hot tub just down the hall).  There's nothing finer than looking out your window at beautiful sailing yachts beating up and down the bay... and junior sailing classes filled to the brim... and a sea of masts waving in the breeze.. on both sides of the drive.  Even the sound of the whistle buoys are neat, taking us instantly back to our time 'at sea' when those whistles or horns were the sound of safety on our foggy journey.  We had dinner last night with friends Larry and Nelda (SV Diamond Girl) and listened to their tales of their previous journey down the coast and across to the South Pacific.  It sure doesn't take many stories to cause a girl to wonder.... just wonder... a bit... about the possibilities...  Don't worry sisters, no real intent here.. just playing with ideas :-)

Today (Tuesday) is our last day here and we hope to spend it doing a little shopping and seeing a few more people.  Tomorrow we head for Arizona, just north of the Nogales border crossing. When and how we cross remains to be determined.... seems there's some confusion about exactly where we are to pick up our Tourist Cards.. and, although the advice has been to cross early, if we need the bank (and usually you do) to complete the Visa process, well... the banks don't open till 8.  So, I've more research to do but wanted to drop a note to you folks before I get started... besides it's nice and quiet here in the mornings... a good time to write.

So for now good friends....  know we are well and enjoying ourselves... We're missing our Princess Sophie who has stayed home to care for her friends Susan and George (and didn't really want to come with us for the long drive and the hot hours of work time on the good ship Shannon anyway) but we know she's having fun and enjoying some great company. Tomorrow we press on and the day after that we will be crossing in to Mexico (first stop Guaymas where we will stay for Friday as well).  We should be in Mazatlan by Saturday, Oct. 26th and busy at work on Shannon by the 27th.  Will write again when I can.

We wish you all much peace, good health, and happy times.  Stay well.  Bye bye for now...  CJ

Road trip !!!

Oct. 16 & 17, 2013

When I was a little kid, maybe about 10 or 12, my parents bought a 5 acre lot on a cliff top overlooking Eagle Bay on Shuswap Lake.  It was fantastic!  I'll save the stories about what we actually did there... like herding a cow into the gravel pit to see if we could ride it... or using that same gravel pit for target practice with the .22 and dad's hunting rifle... or stripping small trees to use as poles for the creation of the world's best bunk house (now, cleverly disguised as a tool shed by the lucky folks who bought the property years later)... or the adventures to be had, sunbathing on the beach and skinny dipping in the lake, and rowing about in the RV (that'd be 'rowing vessel') Firefly.., fashioned after a Sabot 8' dinghy and painted brilliant red,. that dad built in the basement for us and that Marga (well she's another story) used to float about during basement floods, collecting the laundry... anyway, back to the lake... fishing... and fishing... and fishing.... absolutely certain there were fish in the lake, 'n stuff like that. I'll save those stories for another day.  Today, this story is about the road trip.. the travel between here and there... between the Vancouver I knew as a kid... and the glorious wilderness of Shuswap Lake country in the early 1960's.... very early.

We were three... little girls that is... and we were sisters.  Now there's no doubt that sisters love each other.. and we do... but three little sister girls, well... just sometimes that love became a bit territorial.. kind of like "don't you touch me... and don't you cross my line!" and... "Give me back my crayons!  Use your own!"  Anyone with two sisters knows of what I speak... and, yes, I was in the middle... chronologically and sometimes physically.  Unless you've had the not so thrilling experience of spending time in the back seat of a 1950 something Ford... you won't relate to what I remember... but I can assure you that 'pulling seniority' is not something reserved for adults.. it works for10 year olds as well; especially when your little sister is 8.  Yup, I scored the window seat quite a lot of the time...  And, it's from that throne that I can vividly recall our sojourns driving to the lake.  Up at 3 AM, bundled into the back seat in our pajamas and with our beloved pillows (and sometimes the dog), we slept until Hope....  Usually about 6:30 we'd pull into Hope and head directly for the Cariboo Cafe for breakfast. It was always good and the waitress was usually friendly.  Then, with full tummies, off we'd go... next stop Kamloops.  Hereafter lies the excitement.  In the days we were travelling...  the Fraser canyon was in a state of chaos...  They were building the tunnels... those tired old cement caves we still drive through today.  Well, in the late '50's and early '60's they weren't old and they weren't tired... they weren't even there!  What did exist was a single lane, dirt road... no protected sides... no curbs or guard rails... nope,  it was a clear drop to the river bed (hundreds of feet down) right outside my window (I always sat on the drivers side....).  Yikes!! pretty scary.  As well, it was one-way only... 20 minutes in one direction, then 20 minutes in another.  It took hours to negotiate the terrain and the patience of... well you know... to survive with a carload of kids and sometimes a dog.  I should tell you there were times when friends... like the Griggs, Fentons, Milnes, Plasketts or Elvidges... and the like, would travel with us.  When that happened, we kids got farmed out.. and the dog stayed with mom and dad...  But all the cars traveled the same.. in convoy, with canvas water sacks (for the radiators) hung over the front fenders..and spare tubes for the tires... and, well, everything including the wash tub tied securely to the roof and hanging out the trunk.  I'm tellin' ya; this was an adventure... just getting to the lake.  The best part, besides all that camaraderie singing campfire songs and testing each others boundaries... well, it was lunch in Kamloops at some place on a hill that served foot long hotdogs... no kidding.. one foot long.  They were the best.  And, of course, Salmon Arm where we stopped to shop before heading to the lake.

I guess the point to this story is mostly that we survived that long journey (36 hours the first time... and 18 hours the last) by talking, singing, counting train cars across the canyon, and generally spending time together in whatever way made peace.  It was a great experience and one that just made us stronger as a unit.

Kathy and I travel well together too.  As our date of departure drew nearer, we both found ourselves getting excited about shoving off.  We were sad to leave our friends and family... for sure; but the notion of 'hitting the road' and seeing where it would lead us... well that was just too good to miss... and so, finally, at 0630 hrs. precisely, we slithered backwards down our driveway in an over-loaded truck.. and headed off down the highway. Mexico here we come!.

Even though the roads are smoother and the cars are newer... some of the survival techniques are still in use...  still help us get through an otherwise long, and sometimes dreary, drive. For instance, you probably don't know this, but I (secretly) suspect Kathy and I may be frustrated crooners.. you know.. singers.  It probably stems from those hours singing "You are my sunshine", "Froggie went a courtin'" and "I know an old lady who swallowed a fly".... back in the '60's... or it may be the long, lonely hours at the helm when you start making up words after you've sung all the ones you know... but... we sing.. oh yes we do!  We sing quite a lot....  Stand back Loretta!!  Now, if only we could harmonize... we'll work on that.  And we talk; talk about lots of things...  being a captive audience without distractions helps.. and so we get to mull over and through some of those thorny issues that normal, every-day life, lets you ignore... and we play games.. word games, guessing games.. stuff like that... Oh yeah, and we eat.... oh oh... we eat all the wrong stuff.. but it passes the time :-)

And so my friends, here we are "on the road" and ready to report on our progress....  (hope you didn't mind the side-track).  We left BC on Wednesday the 16th.. aboard the MV Coho.  The trip was good.. and the best part.. well didn't we meet up with Ron and Fran, friends of ours from El Cid Marina in Mazatlan.. right there on the ferry.  Great to see them and they'll, no doubt, beat us to Mexico... but it was fun to catch up and talk about the season to come. We cleared Customs smoothly.. the hardest question?  "So, tell me all about the vegetables and fruit you're bringing into the US."  We passed the test ( the answer was "none") and headed on down the road.

First stop was St. Helens, Oregon where we stopped and visited with Vern - on board his Pearson 385 SV Vision.  He was great and provided us lots of answers to our questions about the Pearson 385s. We then carried on to our hotel (Best Western - Oak Meadows) which was clean and  friendly and just fine.  Their breakfast choices were ok... (the new waffle maker worked very well; the eggs and bacon were.. well.. luke warm) but we had a nice, quiet sleep and were glad we'd stopped there.

Thursday, the 17th, 0800 hrs. found us visiting with Bill on board his Pearson 385 SV Halcyon.. just down the road.  Again he was very helpful and answered more questions for us.  But.. by  0900 we were on the road and hustling south.  It was a beautiful drive once the fog lifted.  We drove through miles of 'cowboy country' and by 5ish we were in Mount Shasta, at the base of the famous mountain, and happily ensconced in the Cold Water Inn.  It's wonderfully clean and we're glad we're here... about to head out for dinner.

Tomorrow we continue our trek south... stopping somewhere...  and the day after that, we expect to arrive in Irvine, CA.  So, for now dear friends, we are well... and hope you are too... talk to you in a couple days.. CJ

Southward Bound...here we go...

Sunday, Oct. 13th.... yikes!  imminent departure looms... We're out of here, early o'clock on Wednesday morning, heading for our date with the MV Coho - the ferry to Port Angeles... departing at 1030 hrs and arriving at 1230 hrs.  Then, we will hopefully clear smoothly into the US and begin our trek south to Mexico.

As usual, there's something a little different about this trip :-)  Our primary goal is, of course, to get ourselves to Mazatlan to prepare the SV Shannon for her new life.  Her new owners are arriving early in November and we plan to have her up and ready by the end of October... and clean and shiny by the time they arrive.

But we have a second goal as well.  We will be stopping in St. Helens, OR to meet the owners of two different Pearson 385s and tour their boats.  We just want to get a feel for one, having never actually physically laid hands on one.  Then it's on to Lake Shasta and from there to Irvine, CA where we'll meet our friend Grant's wife Lynn.  From Irvine it's a short hop to San Diego and we have a date with friends there as well.  If nothing else we intend to enjoy a lunch at the Southwestern Yacht Club, the most beautiful and friendly yacht club we've visited.  As well, their restaurant and deck overlooking the boats is spectacular.  Food and drink is great too.  We particularly enjoy the Cobb salad and a glass of chilled white wine :-) I was pleased to see that one of the seminars put on by Downwind Marine for the Baha Baha boats... will be on the Monday night we're in San Diego so we plan to take that in too.  When we leave San Diego we'll be heading to Nogales, AZ and then we'll make an early start the next day to cross the border into Mexico.  Our first stop will be in Guaymas/San Carlos and then, on the 25th, we'll make the last leg of our journey to Mazatlan.

It's a longish drive, but we enjoy it.  This trip we're staying in places we haven't been before and that's always fun.  We look forward to the time when we'll have more time to explore the actual places we visit... but that's in the future... for now... we blast south and get on with  our season.

We have a Pearson 385 (SV Detachmente) waiting to show us her stuff in Barra de Navidad and we're quite excited about meeting her.  She's been a cruiser in the Sea of Cortez for many years, under the caring hands of Jerry and Astrid, but she's been resting in a Barra marina for the past several years...  we hope all will go well when we meet.

Our overall goal is to find a boat we will be happy with as soon as possible.  Then, if we can, we will cruise the mainland this season and the Sea of Cortez for the next 2 or 3 seasons.. and then, probably, we'll bring the boat home to BC where we can continue our adventures here.

For now... we pack and prepare.... make copies of our paperwork... make arrangements for the dog, the house, the car, and little Mojo... and cross our fingers that we have a safe and enjoyable trip.

We will remain available via email, and will love to hear from any of you who care to write.  We also wish all of you and your loved ones a happy Thanksgiving, a merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.

We'll keep the blog going so you can keep an eye on us (make sure we don't misbehave :-)  ...  Take good care....       CJ

A busy, busy summer...

Time is flying by:  Unbelievable!  It's already September and we haven't accomplished half what we'd envisioned for this summer...  BUT we did have some fun, oh yes we did.  And, we did see some friends and family (never enough time). And, we did get a little travelling in.  We're already deeply involved with the planning and preparing necessary to drive south through the States and into Mexico... so the following is a short recap of how our spring and summer unfolded.

I've already shared the Celebration of Lives for mom and dad (Daley) in May... and you're aware we acquired an older, in need of tlc, summer boat (SV Mojo), fixed her up a bit and did a little sailing.  Of course there's always the domestic chores we're all familiar with when it comes to maintaining a home, and we did ok in that regard, but by early June we were ready for a break and so Kathy, her mom Marg, and I took off and headed north to the Kingfisher Spa.  There we enjoyed a couple days of pure pampering and relaxing.  It was really quite marvelous, with whirlpools and mud baths, great food and terrific staff... we all came home much more relaxed.  Kathy was heavily involved with some contract work from her office during the months of May, June and part of July.  It was hard work and took long hours of each day and night, but she really enjoyed doing it.. which is always nice when you're putting in that kind of time. 

While Kathy toiled with her contract work and pitched in around the house when she could, I puttered with Mojo, did some work for the yacht club (re-organizing the policy and procedure manual and writing a few new policies as required), and took on the challenge of organizing the thousands of Daley clan photographs in preparation for having them digitized. The photo project has taken many hours but was really a neat activity as I got to spend those hours wandering through my memories of our family growing up... I also met some ancestors I hadn't known of and am very excited about spending more time with the historical piles... next year.

Mojo upgrades (of course :-):Some of the projects the little boat endured included; rebuilding the pull-out bed so that it was large enough to sleep on, new canvas (dodger, tiller cover, handrail covers, sail cover), scrubbing and cleaning all the 'black' out of lockers (left from the original diesel engine), the new 'pots and pans' cupboard, servicing of the outboard, repair and varnishing the tiller, replacement of the fore stay and re-alignment of the shrouds (we lost the old furling unit but at least the mast hadn't fallen down), and major cleaning of the stove and BBQ.  As well, Kathy and our electrician friend Tony worked hard at cleaning up the old wiring and installing a proper charging unit and wiring system.  We also had to 'retire' the infamous 'sausage'.  I'm afraid it was just too unsafe to tow and not very good at rowing.  We acquired a new main (hidden in the back room of a sail shop) two used, hank-on jibs for the new fore stay and a new, used, inflatable dinghy that rows much better and tows just fine. It's even quite light for moving around.

Cruisin': Our 'cruising' over the summer was fairly spotty.. rebuilding the boat and other domestic things got in the way... but that's okay; we had fun when we did get out.  We spent several glorious days at Pirates Cove, one of our favourite spots in the Gulf Islands, and, we had a few simple day-sails. In August we spent over two weeks floating about our favourite haunts in the southern Gulf Islands.  As Kathy puts it, during our two week cruise we circumnavigated Salt Spring Island and visited 6 different islands while doing it.  Great fun.  Even living on the little boat wasn't too bad.  The hardest thing was that we'd brought way too much gear (what else is new) and spent far too much time looking for things... never did find some of them.  I'll be emptying those lockers a lot before our next outing which will be the Commodore's cruise in late September.

House guest: Do you remember last December, when we had to return home quickly following the sudden passing of Kathy's father?  Well, the reason we both were able to return, and abandon both the boat and the dog in Mazatlan, is that a wonderful woman named Cheryl (who was crewing on a neighbouring boat) came over and offered to boat and dog sit for us.  And so she did, allowing us both to come home.  Cheryl's from Australia and has been out for the past couple of years exploring the world.. doing all kinds of exciting things.. and this summer she came to visit us here in Maple Bay.  She arrived on July 31st and spent the rest of the summer with us.  We've shown her Victoria and around our little neck of the woods as best we could and she departed for a new adventure on September 2nd. She's now RVing in Utah.. or some such place. It's really quite amazing what she's come up with...  crewing on boats in the Caribbean, ocean cruises, trips to Alaska and Central America.  She's braver than me... Anyway, Cheryl will continue on with her journey and, with luck, we'll see her again sometime in Mexico.

MBYC Regatta: Kathy and I both pitched in to help at the yacht club for the annual Regatta hosted by the MBYC.  It's a huge undertaking and we spent most of our time mixing and delivering pancake batter for the morning breakfasts.  We also did some cleaning up and selling of hats and t-shirts.  Our feet are still sore from the standing, but we had a good time working with a team of great people. 

As for heading south.  We did the math and can't leave until October 16th.  Once we head off we'll be driving down... slowing a bit near San Diego to look at some Freeport Islanders and then hurrying on to Mazatlan to prepare SV Shannon for her new life.  We will miss that boat so much... it still hurts the heart.. but we know it's for the best as we do want to move up a wee bit before we swallow the hook - and mother time isn't slowing down for anyone.  Add to that the logistics of trying to sell a boat formally.. anywhere.. and the very good luck of having someone find us.. and want to take over the care of Shannon.. and, well, you know what they say about opportunity knocking.

There's one other piece of news I should deliver.  One of our friends incorrectly reported on her blog that the Shannon was sold and we had gone home.  Technically, at that moment, that was possibly true.... however... many of our cruising friends have assumed that meant we'd thrown in the towel, swallowed the hook, lost our minds (or courage) and gone home.... So, for the record,  NOT SO MY FRIENDS.  We are alive, well, and anxious to get going again.....  We've even picked out the name for our new boat as soon as we find her.

Now then, for those of you who are interested.. we have narrowed our search for the new 'ride' to two different kinds of boats...  The first is a Freeport Islander 36 (like the SV Eagle, one of our buddy boats on the journey down the coast).  These boats are great.. with a huge amount of space, and a pullman berth, tucked into a beamy 36 feet.  They have lots of daylight below and a walk-through transom as well.  AND then we met up with the Pearson 385.  Haven't actually seen one (physically) yet but the reviews are terrific. They're generally slightly newer that the Freeports and very different in layout.  They have a centre cockpit, aft cabin with athwartships double bed, forward cabin with V berth, dedicated shower stall, and a nice salon. Many of them are cutter rigged as well.  So the Pearson 385 also has us very interested and we have an appointment to view one moored in Barra de Navidad... We have our fingers crossed tight this all works out.... we would really love to be able to continue cruising as soon as possible.

That my friends... is how it's been and how we're doing.  Busy ... like all of you... at this time of year, preparing the house for winter and our friends who will be caring for it over the winter.  Princess Sophie will lounge with Susan and George for the first month while we boat shop (too hot for a  little black dog to wait in the car while we traipse over miles of docks on the hunt).  Kathy's coming home to her mom's from mid-November to mid-December and PS will fly back to Mexico with Kathy when she returns.

That's enough for now.. just wanted to catch up.. We hope all of you are well and have enjoyed a fabulous summer...  And we hope your winter will be just as good... filled with peace, love and happiness.

The Blog:  We will be keeping this blog going.. it's a great way to stay in touch and we enjoy sharing our travels with you.  Stay tuned for news of our drive south and search for 'the new boat'.

ttfn  (ta ta for now)  CJ

First trek with the little ship Mojo (June 17-22)

Well, we did it; headed off in our little ship Mojo.  Rather Sophie and CJ headed out while Kathy slaved in Vancouver, working on her IT project.  The Princess and I headed off early Monday morning - bound for Pirates Cove where Kathy was to meet us via seaplane on Wednesday morning. With a helpful hand from our friend George, we slipped quietly away from our dock and headed off across Maple Bay. Well actually, we headed away from the slip, then slowed to drift while I raised the main (without falling over-board or making too much of a fool of myself). The main went up smoothly and so we continued... motor-sailing if you will, across Maple Bay and north towards Thetis Island.

I had decided to tow the sausage, er I mean dinghy (aptly named 'sausage' for it's incongruous lines and tendency to drag through the water rather than on top of it).  Anyway, it towed pretty well at 4 knots which seemed to be the speed we motor comfortably at.  But when the breeze filled in, which it did just abeam of Tent Island, and our speed picked up to 5 knots... well didn't I look back in time to see it starting to ship water...  spray, you know, off the tops of the waves that were slapping against its ungainly bow.  So, without the aid of an auto-helm and using my not-very-long legs and whilst trying not to gybe (which I did several times during this comical manoeuvre) I managed to reach back and pull the dinghy closer in an attempt to raise its bow out of the water and stop the ingress of spray.  After all, it was a heavy enough tow.. who needed a tub full of water dragging behind?  That went well... sort of.  As the wind continued to build, and the little ship began to sail well.... (couldn't possibly have been my finesse.... so it must have been the boat) our speed rose to, believe it or not, 6 knots.  Yippee !!  this was really fun..  heeled over with nothing flying about in the cabin.  Even Sophie was having fun, ears in the wind.  But, oh oh, a quick glance behind saw the horrible sight of the little sausage now attempting to submarine...bow first, into the depths.....  Drats!  Had to reef the foresail and slow down in order to prevent a sure disaster.


Oh well, we had our fun and besides, slowing down just when we did gave me cause to consider what lay ahead; the open expanse of water between the north tip of Thetis and the south end of D'Courcy Island. With a vision of the SE winds pouring up the channel, I realized I should down-size my sails if I expected to arrive at Pirates Cove with a dinghy still in tow, and so began another rather comical segment of "getting to know your boat". Of course everything is different on Mojo compared to Shannon and there is a real learning curve as you defy the forces of habit in favour of the 'new' experience demanded by a different set-up. Add to that the realities of no auto-helm to hold the course steady, and no extra pair of hands to release and pull-in the main sheet at the appropriate moment.. well, you get the picture.  A nimble acrobat with ballet like balance is required.  Having none of those attributes I had to think about this quite carefully and did, I thought, develop a pretty good plan of how to bring down the main smoothly and with some control over the situation.  Hmmmph.... I did pretty well up to a point.  First, I brought the boat up into the wind and then, after taking a quick turn around the tiller with a line I'd prepared, I leapt to the cabin top and forward to the mast. Lowering the sail as quickly as I could.. I thought it was going pretty well.  I even managed to keep the sail out of the water when the boom swung over the port side.  Then I realized my first mistake.  In my haste to dash forward I had forgotten to bring the sail ties with me.  They lay in a heap on the starboard cockpit bench seat - mocking me.  No problem.  Starting back down the starboard side I reached for the boom to steady myself (as had become my habit at the dock).  Big mistake.  Too late I remembered I had loosened the main sheet and, with my balancing touch and weight on that side, the boom swung neatly over towards me.. and beyond. Yup, as I looked through my knees at the water I knew that, for sure, things could get worse (and wetter).  But luck was with me... and we (the boom and I) were able to fling ourselves back towards centre line....  and I continued on my way back to the cockpit.. this time without the help of the boom as balance.  Phew!!  The rest went well, if not prettily (is that a word??) and, with the mainsail lashed haphazardly to the boom, we continued on our merry way to Pirates Cove and the Park Host dock.

The "Sausage" with her accessories

The rest of the day, and the next, were spent in glorious sunshine, fulfilling the duties as park host... and visiting with a few other Club boats that had come for the practice and to assist.

Mojo and friends at the Park Host dock (photo: Mike Weld)

CJ in her element (Photo Mike Weld)

CJ and Sophie enjoying the sunshine (Photo Mike Weld)

Kathy/Sophie heading for shore in the rain

It's all good with the right outdoor wear

Pirates Cove really is a beautiful marine park and my personal favourite on the south coast.  The other boats left on Wednesday morning... just at the exact time Kathy's seaplane was touching down and ferrying her to the private dock on the north side of the cove.  Tofino Air, bless their hearts, fly from Richmond to Pirates Cove... what a treat for us!  After lunch we went for a great walk and checked all the trails of the park.  Returning to the host dock we were greeted by MV Silver Fox who had stopped by for one night on their way north for the season.  Thursday we spent hunkered down in pouring rain.. which wasn't all that bad.  The interior of little Mojo is quite spacious because the table folds up against the bulkhead and then there's just a salon with two couches. We read books, played cards and went for short walks when the rain lightened up.  Oh yes, and about the sausage... it isn't all that comfortable for rowing either....  perhaps time to look for a replacement when we get home.

Hunkering in during the rainstorm

Evening light in Pirates Cove (Photo: Mike Weld)

Looking out of the Cove

Mother nature rained herself out on Thursday and Friday morning we headed off to begin our return trip home (motoring as there was no wind... and maintaining a steady 4 knots for the sake of the sausage).  Still not ready to head in, we stopped off at Telegraph Harbour Marina on Thetis Island and had a visit with Ron and Tara the owner/managers.  Saturday morning we relinquished our hold on our freedom and headed back to our dock in Maple Bay (you guessed it, at 4 knots :-)

Mojo at Telegraph Harbour

It was a great trip... only one window leak and one of those hanging glass holders that are designed for life-lines... worked very well at capturing the wee drops of rainwater that found their way in.  We're home now, pleased with little Mojo and with a list of things we want to putter at as we make her even more comfortable for our summer adventures.

Hope all is well with all of you.....   Here comes summer... yippee !!!!!    CJ

PS:  A little note about what waited for us at home....  Way back, in September, when we'd helped Dad move into his 'new' home at Sunrise Senior Living... we gave him an orchid to brighten up his suite. Dad passed in January and as you know we celebrated his and mom's life this past May. The orchid came to live with us when we returned home and sat on our living room plant table through the grey months of spring.  When we left for our little jaunt on Mojo there was one bloom and it was beautiful.  When we returned, there were two... side by side... touching.  I'll say no more.

Newsflash!! The good ship Shannon is bound for more adventure...

Shannon and her crew at anchor off Chacala
(photo courtesy of SallyAnne Calver - "SV Jekamanzi")

We are excited ('though somewhat sad) to report that the wonderfully good ship Shannon will soon be heading for distant shores and more adventure than we could possibly give her.  Her infectious spirit and svelte lines have captured the hearts of Bill and Juliana Lance, a couple from South Africa.  They plan to sail her first in the Sea of Cortez and then on to Australia where she will likely be adopted by their son and his family.

The Ontario 32 spirit lives on in Shannon, a vessel that has seen much success as a racer and a cruiser (fastest in her division of the 1978 Vic Maui, as well as other races in southern BC; and victorious cruiser of the west coast of North America on her journey to Mexico).  She has also provided, and will continue to provide, years of safe and enjoyable cruising for her owners and friends... and she still has the prettiest lines in the anchorage (there's just something about those green boats :-)

We will miss this wonderful little ship, but we will cherish our memories of time spent with her, learning her lessons of the sea and life aboard.

Our plans are to return to Mazatlan this fall and re-commission Shannon for Bill and Juliana.  We will then begin our search for a new boat on which to continue our explorations of the Sea of Cortez and the Mexican Riviera.

We will also continue this Blog... as it now represents...  Travels with the good ship Shannon, the little ship Mojo... and a new ship (to be determined)...

As always, we wish you fair winds and calm seas, and a summer filled with great fun.

Carolyn, Kathy and Princess Sophie

Summer sailing...on the "little ship Mojo"

Ah, yes... summer sailing.  We miss it so, so much...  "How much?" you might well ask.  Well, we miss it so much we kind of kept our eyes open on our travels home this year and... well... yup, we found a small boat to keep us happy on the water during the summer months...

Please meet the ...  little ship Mojo...

SV Mojo all clean and ready to return to the water

The SV Mojo is a 1978 Catalina 27.  She's in pretty good shape, needs a little tlc, and is fixing up nicely.  Since bringing her to the island (a very slow slog across Georgia Straits as we carried a significant number of False Creek muscles with us) we've had her up at the shipyard to clean her bottom and hull sides.  We're pleased to say we couldn't find one single blister (just a lot of shellfish)... and the bottom cleaned up very nicely. The sides of the hull responded well to some elbow grease and strong cleaners.. and she now has a gleaming white hull. Her motor, a 9.9 Mercury outboard, is mounted on the transom and seems to be running well.. even better since we added a spacer to keep the propeller from pulsing back and forth.  As for the interior... well, suffice to say it's setting up nicely as well... we've done a little plumbing and reorganizing and will be doing a little wiring over the summer.  All in all, we should be very comfortable.

Mojo has the 'traditional' interior.  That's the one with a pull-out couch (it makes into a double bed) and a drop down table... loads of room in the main salon with the table up.  Storage is very good as well... there's the V berth (too small for sleeping but great for stowage) and a full locker under the settee on the port side.  I've cut a hatch into that locker for easier access and added an inspection port to the side of the starboard locker (wherein lies the water tank and holding tank) for easier access to the heads thru-hull.  As well, we've turned the space below the two-burner Origo stove into a locker for pots and pans... never had one of those before... wonder if we'll miss the hassle of digging around for a pot in some godforsaken corner and having to remove and replace the upholstery and locker lid every time you want just one pot...?  Hmmm, probably not.  Now, we just have to open the door and presto! there they are.  The rest of the interior fix-up, well that will be taken care of by puttering, as the time allows and as we feel like it.

We hauled the sails off yesterday and dragged them up to the yacht club lawn for a good scrub.  I must say some of the stains came off, but not all.  We'll be keeping our eyes open for a new set of used sails... they're out there somewhere :-)

Our inaugural cruise is planned for next Monday (the 17th) when wee Mojo, the princess and CJ will head up to Pirates Cove for a little park hosting... and Kathy will fly in Tuesday from Vancouver to join the little ship.  We're really looking forward to getting back out onto the water and to spending some time relaxing and cruising in our beautiful Gulf Islands...

And so for now... we putter... we ponder... we plan... And, oh aren't those rhody's beautiful this year !  (we're enjoying being home too.. good friends to visit and we do so love Maple Bay).

For now, adios amigos y amigas ... we wish you all fair winds and seas... and happiness always.  CJ