Visitors and Family in San Diego

Dear Ones

    Don and I had a wonderful weekend.  Beginning on Friday we had a special visit from Anne and Dick, friends from our Blaine Marina who are also cruisers.  They had planned to leave this summer with us and other friends but were detained by a health issue.  So they happily continue to get ready for next year and came down for a short visit here in San Diego with us before we all leave for Mexico.  Good new the health concern is looking like it may be cured and cruising is still going forward.  We were delighted to spend time with them and are looking forward to them joining us in Mexico this winter and cruising with us next fall.

     On Saturday we went to see my first cousin Doug Wheat (on my mother's side) and his family.  They graciously invited us to stay overnight so we would have more time and  gave us great food and a tour of Escondito and surrounding beach communities.  Doug is a business owner here in the area and filled us in on how the economy in Southern California is progressing.  We shared memories and great food plus visited a new brew pub here called Stone Brewery.  Their dog Chuck was fun to get to know and I was able to look at photo albumn's of Doug's siblings and my cousins at various get togethers. We agreed to keep in better contact through the next years and maybe we will have a family reunion so our children can meet each other. Something I got to do with my second cousins but that type of thing has not happened because of how spread out we all have become.... It is always great to visit with people you are related to.

     This week Don and I have to really push to finish all boat projects; I am busy sending some things home, can you believe I brought too much along?  Don is repacking, relubing, replacing, cleaning, changing, God only knows with in the head, in the galley, in the engine, up on deck etc.  He seems busier.

     But hey I have to make our Halloween constumes for our next Baja Ha-Ha function.  We are going as Fred and Wilma Flintstone.  I promise pictures.  I have finished some winch covers, and line (sheets) bags and only will do a barbecue cover before leaving, although there are still things to make, (an awning for shade). 

     We leave on October 27, 2009.  Pray for us. 

Love Jacquie

Hooray We are in San Diego

     Today is Saturday October 10th and we are in San Diego. It was all very easy to make our last few stops. Santa Barbara to Redondo Beach to Dana Point to Oceanside and then San Diego. Time wise we had arrived at 3 of the mentioned spots at night and wanted to arrive here during day light because we are 11 miles down in San Diego Bay.  We passed a nuclear sub in dry dock and many other US Navy ships having work done.  Most fascinating is the USS Midway which is "moth balled" here and one of the enormous hospital ships "Mercy" is here being worked on.  And it is larger than many hospitals. Fascinating.


      Haven"t been anywhere yet.  We found anchorage in  Pier 32 Marina, it is a new one and is more like a yacht club than a public marina.  The pool is not open yet but they say possibly by November 1...5 days after we leave for Mexico.  However, there is a great little cafe and a workout room, both of which we have tried. Also a very nice and new laundry facility...nice after all the awful laundromats we have used.  Some laundromats are as much as 3.00 but here 1.50 to wash and 1.00 to dry and the clothes got dry in that amount of time.  Probably now to fascinating to lots of you but to me heaven.


     Many folks on our dock are going to Mexico too, some doing the Baja Ha Ha like we are and other just on their own. Some of the boats are new and huge...fun to see, I do envy the galley's. Don and I both have many projects to do here: fix the things that did not make it down the coast, add new things that we had planned to do here, and I have some sewing to do. Making wench covers, bags for sheets (which are ropes for sails etc.) finish the seat covers for the table, and make some supplex shorts for Don and me.  Not too much.


     Hope to see Sea World and del Coronado beach while here, maybe the zoo too. If our funds last, we have to buy some paper products and canned goods before leaving. 

    We have found that being out on the ocean is much different than Puget Sound.  Little things that have lasted for years in the sound have been eaten alive by the different in the salt air out here, some things have been clearly rattled to death by using the motor when there is no wind.  No wind is very common out here, something no one mentions, until you find it out for yourself.  Glad we did not spend the $$$$ on a spinaker sail.  Instead we are getting a downwind pole that telescopes and holds out our jib, at only half of the cost...LOL. Also adding a auto tiller pilot which we had thought about but now realize it is needed. Now we know why a boat is called "A hole in the water than you throw $$$$ into".  The watermaker than we did 2 years ago is worth its weight in gold, and the monitor wind vane is great when there is wind to sail.

    I will pack up the cold weather clothes we brought and used but it will be nice to free up space. And will send a few things back that I packed which are too much. Still trying to get Don to send some of his books home..on sailing..I don't thing they will all be needed (duplicates) they take up lots of space, and my yarn and knitting doesn't.  LOL.


   Well time for me to get busy.  More later.  Jacquie


Reminder: "God's controls the wind, we can only set our sails."