Catching up

Nina having her holiday picture taken
Ken with a wine bottle christmas tree

K
its a real dead pig

Ken and Bob in mazatlan

Reef fish in San Evistro

Full moon over Ensenada Grande Isla Partita

Ken and Harp on the bowsprit
Langostino on ther BBQ

Harp sailing

Parp sign on the island






Ken hiking on Espiritu Santo

Where Allymar spent the summer

I tried 3-4 times to post to this blog while I was in Mexico and was never successful. Got back to Oregon for my holiday vacation from my vacation and dug out the password I was missing. So. time to get caught up.
Where to start? The most recent adventure is the best place to start. At times in my life I have been more lucky than smart, and Boy was I lucky last week. Flew back here to Oregon on the 15th and had an emergency appendectomy the next day. Rapid onset of abdominal pain that migrated to the right lower quadrant in hours and 2 hours after seeing my doc I was on the table. Spent 3 days in the hospital and now have a 1 month 10# limit. If this had happened on the passage from Los Muertos to Mazatlan or on the plane ride home, who knows what would have transpired. I can't say enough for the local Silverton hospital and the care I received.
So, what else has happened since I arrived in La Paz.
Harp and I had a wonderful sail north from la Paz into the Sea of Cortez. The usual slow process of working our way north and then a few days of exciting sail back to La Paz (riding the usual NW and 1 norther). It was exciting to watch Harp marvel at the ability of the monitor windvane to steer Allymar on a wind course with 25 knots over the stern. We could both stand up on the bow and play airplane wing without tending the tiller. DDW with a twin and reefed main hitting some of the fastest speed she ever did. Harp loved the warm weather and lack of need for clothes. Walked on shore, snorkeled and swam daily and a good time was had by all. Beyond the sailing and being with her, highlights were Mango ice cream with real mango in it in La Paz, sitting on deck at night looking at the stars and has ability to use her spanish. Watching her leave on the taxi was hard. Met old friends from last year. and made new ones.
My next trip was with Bob (owner of a brew pub in Washington. Our trip north was against 2-3 northers and prevented us from getting further than San Evistro. Seemed like we were always hanging of the anchor swinging back and forth in the gusty anchorage with everyone else waiting out the norther. Decision was made to head for Mazatlan and give up the option of going north. So back to La Paz for ice, beer, tequila and meat for the BBQ. The crossing from Los Muertos was uneventful and could have been more windy. I believe that next year I will cross from Los Frailes to get a better wind angle. Bob was a great crew and I was never concerned about his abilities or companionship.
Mazatlan is interesting in that there is really no place to sail there, and is more a location for mariners to spend the winter or just pass through on the way south or north. Really a great city with a old down town marcado, good bus system and minimal gringos when the cruise liners are not in harbour. Marina Mazatlan is minimal in comparison to the amenities and cruising environment in comparison to Marina de la Paz. I did miss that and feel it is due to the close proximity of La Paz to the sea and its multiple marinas and anchorage. The only real place to anchor in Mazatlan is Stone Island which is a way distance from anything.
Highlights of Mazatlan were hiking to the top of the highest manned lighthouse in the world, the marcado and seeing where the local population lives and shops and the palapa at Stone Island. The weather is really different from La Paz in that the humidity allows morning fog and wet decks each morning.
I (after lots of investigation and study) made the decision to equalize Allymar's batteries. Almost burnt her down as an unknown short in 1 battery cooked the post off 1 and boiled the charge out of the rest. $700 out the door for new batteries. Allymar is in good shape and I will return in early Jan with Carl and Pam to head south with the final turn around point still to be decided. Harp will meet me in Feb and hopefully Marj just after that. Expect a call from me Dean so we can coordinate your arrival.

Fair winds

Ken
Happy holidays to all and hope to be able to add to this blog more frequently using the correct password.

Hello from La Paz.
Arrived here on the 18th after an exciting flight. First a passenger though the port motor was malfunctioning and the co pilot had to come back and check it out. He was then instructed in what a pitot tube was. The man"s wife needed to calm him down as he was sure we were going to crash. Then the pilot forgot to tell the cabin crew we were landing and they were tvisiting with the passengers as the gear went down. Never have I seen them scurry around so fast. maybe the pilot needed to pee as the plane had only 1 bathroom. A prop plane fully loaded from LA to LP. Sure was great to start to see places in the sea of Cortez where I sailed, and to see Allymar sitting on the hard as we flew over her.
And what a mess she was and actually still is. Dirt and dust everywhere, seams open as she shrunk in the hot summer sun, brightwork badly in need of varnish and teak needing lots of oil. Inside was OK although dirty (even with my mostly closing her up). I have spent all of my time since I arrived scrubbing, painting, oiling and working. Sails are on and all of the running rigging is in place. Head has been re built and the motor looks good. hard to tell until I start it in the water. No water damage but then there was little rain this summer in La Paz. they have a water shortage and will be putting in a desalinator plant. Overall the summer was hard on the ol girl. but with the addition of medical science and esthitics she is coming around. Once in the water there is more to do as I am reluctant to go up the mast on the hard. Way to high above the hard ground. On a positive note the cabinets and drawers all open and slide easily a the wood is smaller. Talked to a man that build his boat in Washington and when he came own here all the sliding doors were too small and fell out of their tracks.
Weather is in the high 8o's and low 90's in the day and mid 60's in the night. I try to work with respect to the sun and drink a lot of gatorade. Shorts and t shirt in the day, light blanket at night. Not bad. Meeting a lot of old friends at the marinas and each day brings new new boats into the bay. Wish I could do pictures but my computer will not accept the flash card from the camera.
As for fun, seeing La Paz again, meeting old friends and watching Phil Night University beat UCLA. Will watch the packers and vikings on sunday. The boatyard is multi national. Swiss, French, German and Gringo. We are all on the same mission, into the water.
Allyson this is for you for reminding me to blog.

Aloha to all and enjoy life.

Ken