The whole crew on aCappella has been busy moving steadily north. Dylan has been showing Dee Dee some of his familiar haunts – Cumberland Island, Morningstar Marina Golden Isles, Charleston Harbor Marina, Barefoot Marina, Mile Hammock anchorage, Morehea…
Quick Trip To Sarasota
Nordhavn Exumas Abacos Bahamas trawler Caribbean Pickwick Boat dogs
Memphis Downtown
Weeskers in my Poo!
Yup, you read that right. I got weeskers in my poo! Winter before last we spent 12 days in Mexico and while walking along 5th Ave in Playa Del Carmen one of the local kids started calling me Senor Weeskers ’cause of the beard & stache I guess. 
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Sniper Ghost Warrior PC Game System Requirements
May 5 – Jacksonville, FL
Lamb’s Yachting Center
“When my toes are sunk into warm sand and the ocean is lapping my feet, when I breathe in the scent of salt and hear the cry of a seagull, I know that I am returned to a place of restoration. I am home. I can heal here.” ―Toni Sorenson
Our wonderful relaxing river cruise came to an end by lunch today. We spent a quiet morning enjoying the peace and quiet a Monday brings to the water…everyone was back at work. We had a picture perfect day for our cruise into Jacksonville, cool temperatures and light winds. We were fueled up and pumped out and in the shade of our new slip at Lamb’s Yachting Center by noon. We’ll be here for about five weeks doing a few projects and redoing a little teak and then we’ll head back to Texas for the birth of our second grand wonder. Our new temporary home doesn’t have much of a view, but we’re undercover and that will keep us cooler while we work on projects.
Right after lunch I went to Wal-Mart for groceries and needed supplies, by the time I returned Stan had removed the bimini and stainless rub rails on the handrails…The Pearl looked a little sad, but a new coat of vanish and she will be looking even better than before. It’s amazing how fast you can go from relaxed cruiser to maintenance crew…oh well, living on a boat can’t always be fun. Even we have to work sometime, but the next few weeks won’t be all work, we will go and have a little fun too.
Our only company today on the water
Coming back into Jacksonville
Looking back at the Ortega Bridge and Jacksonville
The Pearl…looking a little sad
We will have a little morning sun…so we won’t be totally in the dark!
First story from Vlissingen
Goedemiddag,
You can probably guess what that means: good mid-day or afternoon.
Our passage from Ipswich to Vlissingen was quite comfortable with mostly smooth seas; no rolling or bumping along from wind or waves. The only tricky part came when during my watch I noticed blobs on the radar and lots of lights that didn’t […]
Sunday May 4, 2014 – Dana Point
Sunday, May 4, 2014 – Enroute from San Diego to Dana Point
Friday night Clark treated us to an awesome dinner at the Punta Moro Resort near the marina. It is a spectacular setting, reminiscent of La Joya and the restaurant was on a par with the view. Everything was beautifully prepared and served. It was a wonderful last dinner in Mexico.
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| View from the restaurant at Punto Moro |
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| Joan looking for the green flash |
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| Post dinner stroll at Punta Moro |
Sometime around 5 am on Saturday we took off for San Diego, blessed with smooth seas and a favorable current that boosted our speed to 7+ knots. Would that all days going north could be the same!
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| Blowing 40 plus |
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| Seas as they ought to be |
As we travelled north, I knew we were getting close to Southern California when I spotted the first mylar balloon. On the way down, the sea was spotted with hundreds of them. A very sad thing to see.
As we approached San Diego the traffic and activity increased. Several sail boats races where underway and we enjoyed watching the boats drop their jibs and lift their colorful spinnakers as they rounded the buoy. In addition to racers, there were many other assorted craft enjoying the beautiful weather. We particular enjoyed a couple of classic multi sailed boats
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| Boats in front of San Diego |
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| Beautiful Sailor! |
Coming into San Diego, we felt like country bumpkins hitting the big city for the first time. After 5 years of boating in Mexico, we were unaccustomed to the hurly burly of a major port. Although there were clearly marked traffic lanes going into the harbor, we seemed to be one of the few boats to honor them. Vessels of all descriptions, from freighters to kayaks and paddleboards, were going every which way! The only things not moving were the piles of sea lions hauled out on the buoys, something we had not seen since we left the USA in 2009.
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| Sea lions let you know you are back in California |
We were pretty stressed by the time we managed to tie up at the police dock to clear customs.
Earl had asked me to check on the hours that customs were open before we left Ensenada. The website I had found indicated that they were opened until 5 everyday but Sunday and listed procedures for contacting them. Happily Earl had written down the information because it turned out that they were not on hand on Saturdays. After an hour or so, a couple of very nice men came down and did the paperwork for us to reenter. Turns out they were originally from New York and one of them gave me a big hug before leaving.
We had made reservations at the Cabrillo Marina. When we finally found our slip, not an easy task in this giant place, it turned out to be too narrow. Earl did manage to slip in, but there was no room for bumpers on either side. Fuming, Earl went to the marina office to demand a slip to fit us. He did well. In compensation for our trouble, we got a 72 foot slip gratis.
We had done such a good job of eating all the food that might be confiscated at customs that our larder was pretty bare. I had hoped to make a quick trip to Trader Joes that is only a mile from our moorage, but happily settled for pizza delivered to the marina from Pizza Nova. It was very good and Joan and Clark are now converts to Thai Chicken Pizza. After dinner we walked up to the little deli near the marina office and picked up eggs to make French toast for breakfast from the sour dough bread that had come along with the pizza. Joan spied a freezer of ice cream bars, so we all had Hagen Daas ice cream bars for dessert. A wonderful welcome home to the USA meal!
We said goodbye to Joan and Clark a little before 8 am and were off within minutes for our run to Dana Point where we will be spending a few day. In 2007 when we bought the boat, we had rugs made by Jeddy in Dana Point. Now after 7 years of use and abuse (what else could you call spilling a whole jar of Yoy Soy Sauce) they are rather sad and we are looking forward to replacements.
In addition, despite Earl’s best efforts with the toilet plunger, the master head after complaining for the last few months has finally said no mas! A new toilet awaits us in Dana Point. Fortunately we only had to share the forward head with guests for a couple of days. During that time, we developed a new meaning to the verb facilitate. For us it meant using the facilities as in asking others if they had any objections to our facilitating.
Two things to which we will need to become reaccustomed: NOAA weather forecasts over the radio and reliable charts on the plotter. Both are blessings that before cruising in Mexico we took for granted. I for one will take a while to internalize the reliability of the plotter after years of having it show us crossing islands in the Sea of Cortez.
I am doing a whole day of laundry as we head north. Our laundry bag which is on Earl’s side of the bed when we have guests, had long since reached capacity and there was a small mountain that threated to soon reach the as high as the bed. We have so many things hanging out to dry on the railing that Earl says someone may think we are trying to signal distress.
Sunday May 4, 2014 – Dana Point
Sunday, May 4, 2014 – Enroute from San Diego to Dana Point
Friday night Clark treated us to an awesome dinner at the Punta Moro Resort near the marina. It is a spectacular setting, reminiscent of La Joya and the restaurant was on a par with the view. Everything was beautifully prepared and served. It was a wonderful last dinner in Mexico.
|
| View from the restaurant at Punto Moro |
|
| Joan looking for the green flash |
|
| Post dinner stroll at Punta Moro |
Sometime around 5 am on Saturday we took off for San Diego, blessed with smooth seas and a favorable current that boosted our speed to 7+ knots. Would that all days going north could be the same!
|
| Blowing 40 plus |
|
| Seas as they ought to be |
As we travelled north, I knew we were getting close to Southern California when I spotted the first mylar balloon. On the way down, the sea was spotted with hundreds of them. A very sad thing to see.
As we approached San Diego the traffic and activity increased. Several sail boats races where underway and we enjoyed watching the boats drop their jibs and lift their colorful spinnakers as they rounded the buoy. In addition to racers, there were many other assorted craft enjoying the beautiful weather. We particular enjoyed a couple of classic multi sailed boats
|
| Boats in front of San Diego |
|
| Beautiful Sailor! |
Coming into San Diego, we felt like country bumpkins hitting the big city for the first time. After 5 years of boating in Mexico, we were unaccustomed to the hurly burly of a major port. Although there were clearly marked traffic lanes going into the harbor, we seemed to be one of the few boats to honor them. Vessels of all descriptions, from freighters to kayaks and paddleboards, were going every which way! The only things not moving were the piles of sea lions hauled out on the buoys, something we had not seen since we left the USA in 2009.
|
| Sea lions let you know you are back in California |
We were pretty stressed by the time we managed to tie up at the police dock to clear customs.
Earl had asked me to check on the hours that customs were open before we left Ensenada. The website I had found indicated that they were opened until 5 everyday but Sunday and listed procedures for contacting them. Happily Earl had written down the information because it turned out that they were not on hand on Saturdays. After an hour or so, a couple of very nice men came down and did the paperwork for us to reenter. Turns out they were originally from New York and one of them gave me a big hug before leaving.
We had made reservations at the Cabrillo Marina. When we finally found our slip, not an easy task in this giant place, it turned out to be too narrow. Earl did manage to slip in, but there was no room for bumpers on either side. Fuming, Earl went to the marina office to demand a slip to fit us. He did well. In compensation for our trouble, we got a 72 foot slip gratis.
We had done such a good job of eating all the food that might be confiscated at customs that our larder was pretty bare. I had hoped to make a quick trip to Trader Joes that is only a mile from our moorage, but happily settled for pizza delivered to the marina from Pizza Nova. It was very good and Joan and Clark are now converts to Thai Chicken Pizza. After dinner we walked up to the little deli near the marina office and picked up eggs to make French toast for breakfast from the sour dough bread that had come along with the pizza. Joan spied a freezer of ice cream bars, so we all had Hagen Daas ice cream bars for dessert. A wonderful welcome home to the USA meal!
We said goodbye to Joan and Clark a little before 8 am and were off within minutes for our run to Dana Point where we will be spending a few day. In 2007 when we bought the boat, we had rugs made by Jeddy in Dana Point. Now after 7 years of use and abuse (what else could you call spilling a whole jar of Yoy Soy Sauce) they are rather sad and we are looking forward to replacements.
In addition, despite Earl’s best efforts with the toilet plunger, the master head after complaining for the last few months has finally said no mas! A new toilet awaits us in Dana Point. Fortunately we only had to share the forward head with guests for a couple of days. During that time, we developed a new meaning to the verb facilitate. For us it meant using the facilities as in asking others if they had any objections to our facilitating.
Two things to which we will need to become reaccustomed: NOAA weather forecasts over the radio and reliable charts on the plotter. Both are blessings that before cruising in Mexico we took for granted. I for one will take a while to internalize the reliability of the plotter after years of having it show us crossing islands in the Sea of Cortez.
I am doing a whole day of laundry as we head north. Our laundry bag which is on Earl’s side of the bed when we have guests, had long since reached capacity and there was a small mountain that threated to soon reach the as high as the bed. We have so many things hanging out to dry on the railing that Earl says someone may think we are trying to signal distress.
I’m on a boat – ten years later
I remember the day we drove to Montreal to picked up the Boatel. It was June 1st, 2004 and we stood on the dock at the Port of Montreal looking at “our new boat” with a mixture of fear and … Continue reading →
May 1 through 5, 2014, still at Marsh Harbour Marina
5-1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 -2014, Thursday through Monday: We are still waiting on our part. First we were told it was sent Fed Ex overnight last Wednesday the 30th but it was not. The excuse was that all the parts did not come into Fort Lauderdale and they are waiting on those parts. The latest now is everything was sent by Fed Ex at 16:00 Friday the 3rd. Fed Ex doesn’t deliver on weekends so our part should be here on Monday sometime. I still haven’t been able to get a tracking number from anyone so I do not have a lot of faith that it will be here on Monday.
In the meantime, the marina had to move us again. The 100 footer needed more room and the marina needed to sell some fuel. Everyone thought we would be gone by the weekend, including us. It was a very windy day and the wind was pushing us into the dock. Jason towed our bow with the dinghy, there were about 6 or 7 guys on the dock pushing our boat out, plus 3 guys on the stern of the 100 footer ready in case we ran into their back end. Keith used our starboard engine and bow thruster and we barley got away from the dock with about 4 inches to spare before hitting something. Due to the wind and with only one engine, it was also challenging to put our boat in the new slip but Keith did a great job. We are more protected here and away from all the commotion on the fuel dock. The marina owners have worked with us through this whole ordeal and we would like to thank them for everything they have done. Last Saturday we went to Steak night thinking it would be our last time but we went again tonight, hopefully for the last time for real! It rained most of Saturday night and during the day on Sunday. Didn’t do much of anything.
5-5-2014: Well, it is Monday and guess what? No part. It is still in Fort Lauderdale and they would not send it until they talked to Keith personally. So, Keith made the call; they wanted more money. Jermain, from Marine Gear and Power in Fort Lauderdale, promised he would bring it to Fed Ex himself. Later this morning I did receive an email with a tracking number so now we wait. The dinghy is cleaned and up on top and as soon as our part gets here and put back into the boat we are heading back to the US. The sooner the better.
CO’s comments: The CO has no comment at this time.
