Day 497 A few tasks.

I checked back in with the marina early in the morning to let them know we were still here even though we had planned to be gone last Saturday.  Always good to tell your hosts what is happening and settle the bills.  It keeps both sides happy.

I returned the Enterprise rent a car back to the office since we expect to be leaving for Drakes Bay on Wednesday afternoon.  We won't need it any more.  They were(as always)nice enough to take me back to the marina

Back to the boat and off to the showers.  This time, we used the marina's showers as they had been locked up all weekend.  No quarters needed and a never ending spray of water.  What a change!  Still a small shower but I'm not about to complain.  This isn't the Ritz after all.

I set off in the afternoon to find a new clevis pin for the forestaysail stay.  That's the pin that holds the inner forward stay--or long wire--that holds the smaller head sail to the boat.  The "quick disconnect" pin that we installed in Port Townsend seemed to have come loose sometime during the trip South and almost came out.  If it had, the forestaysail would have been flapping all around the deck and could have caused some problems if it had happened at night.  All the clevis pins I have on board are not large enough in diameter nor long enough to go through the entire fitting.  Ft. Bragg is a fishing town and not a sailor town so my search was for naught.   It will have to wait till San Francisco.  But I did have a nice walk.  I did come upon a nice pelican beside the road though.  He seemed to have no fear of humans and let me get quite close.

I replaced a few cotter pins that had begun to rust.  The supplies of them that are on board are not all stainless steel.  I guess it will be trail and error until I find one that doesn't start rusting immediately.  This is all part of the routine maintenance that has to be done on a boat.  Check, check and recheck regularly.

Wednesday morning will be for stowing everything and getting ready for taking off for Drakes Bay about 105 miles South of here.  We'll be stopping for more diesel before we set off.  It's always good to top off your tanks when you can.  Unfortunately, it's another of the "climb up the ladder docks" like we ran into in Crescent City, but some times you have to do what you have to do.  Drakes Bay is the last stop before San Francisco.  We're trying to get a slip at one of the marina's near Oakland to be near Matt and will find out Wednesday if they will have space.   We won't be there till Friday morning since we will be spending the night at anchor in Drakes Bay for a change.