Day 498 Into Drake's Bay

We took off from Ft. Bragg/ Noyo River at exactly 1300 after taking on 100 gallons of diesel to fill up the tanks. So far, they were the cheapest place we've gotten fuel all the way down the coast. At $2.50, they were .40 cents under Port Townsend when we left there. We're still averaging about a gallon per hour which for Zephyrs weight is great milage.

As we were about to leave the dock at the marina, I talked to a boatload of Coast Guard Auxiliary members. They had just come back in from a patrol off the coast. Upon hearing where we were heading(South), they told me the winds were coming out of the South!!! Can we never catch a break? Every forecast we had(NOAA, Storm Surf, PassageWeather, and Buoy Weather) all said the winds were to be out of the Northwest to the West. So after filling the tanks at the fuel dock, out we went. Sure enough, as we left, the winds were out of the Southwest. Not much wind--maybe 8 knots, but still, hey give us a break can't you Mother Nature?

We were off for Point Arena about 30 miles South. One of the last big hurdles on the trip. We'd driven down to see it by car a few days ago. Now we would be passing it by from the water side about 5 miles off shore. The wind started to change and come out of the Northwest as the afternoon passed. Unfortunately, by that time, we wanted to make sure we passed Point Arena in the daytime so we continued to motor along. The seas were a bit confused. Some times the swells would come out of the West and sometimes the Northwest. We were forced to zigzag down the coast. Head West hitting the waves at a 45 degree angle for a while and then turn and have them off the stern and surf down the waves as they passed. Our top speed as we did this was over 10 knots!

We'd left later than we usually do as the trip was about 105 miles and if we had left at dawn, we would have gotten into Drake's Bay about midnight and I'm no fan of entering a strange bay in the night. Instead, we left at 1300 with the plan of pulling in about 0600 the following morning.

On we pressed into the night with the wind building from the North as the evening progressed finally getting into the mid 20 knot range. The Sun set about 1940 and the Moon wasn't due up until about 2200 so I had a while with no light from above. I unzipped one of the sides of the cockpit cover and stared out at the millions of stars above me. The Milky Way was amazing! For so many of the nights we have been out on passage, the night have been overcast. What a delight this was. I just wish it was warmer so I could lay out on the stern deck and watch it go by instead of huddling under a comforter in the cockpit. That time will come as we progress South toward Mexico and Central America next year.

When Tracy came on watch at 2300, I went below to check on Snowshoe. He sat in the "pilot berth" forward and just looked at me and meowed this poor little meow of "I don't like this!!! Make it stop!!". He never has travelled well when we are out. For you land lubbers, our "pilot berth" is the lower bunk bed in the forward compartment on our boat. It's well enclosed and had a cloth across about half the opening so if the boat heals the opposite way you don't fall out of the berth(OW!) In the stern compartment, the berth has us sleeping with our heads on the starboard side and our feet on the port. So as the boat rocks back and forth, so does your body. Not an easy way to sleep. In the "berth", we lie along side the hull so as the boat heels over in the waves, you are wedged in and can sleep with much more comfort.

I shinnied in with him and tried to comfort him over the next few hours trying to get some sleep as Zephyr rocked back and forth in the waves. At 0230, I returned on deck for my watch. Tracy stayed up for a while so we could talk. She had tried to get the radar tuned for better reception with little success so going through the owners manual was put on the front burner for this afternoon after we pulled in. She's watched several boats pass without showing up on the radar screen and one buoy that should have been there. About 0330, she went below to catch some sleep since we were still on schedule for a 0600 arrival. By 0430, we were enshrouded in dense fog as we approached Point Reyes just West of Drake's Bay. Tracy came back on deck as we were just South of the Point and were about to head into the bay.

We'd made good time and actually arrived by 0530 in the dark and in fog. Neither of which I cared for. We slowed down and slowly motored into the bay and found a good spot in about 29 feet and I dropped the anchor. I let out a lot of chain as Tracy put us into reverse to set the anchor and we were all set by 0620. We were finally in Drake's Bay(38 00.694N 122 57.946W) just outside of San Francisco! Another 115 miles on our way South were gone.

We stowed our gear from the cockpit and I took off for bed, cold and damp from the fog as I set the anchor. Tracy handed me a hot water bottle to help get rid of the chills. With the proper administration of some pain killers(back is still bad), I was out like a light barely remembering Tracy climbing in a few minutes later.

We arose about 1130 and made plans for tomorrows entrance under the Golden Gate Bridge. I'd confirmed our slip at the marina in Oakland on Wednesday while we still had phone service off the coast as we came South so we have a "home" for the next several days once we clear the bridge. It will be good to see our son and his fiance again and spend some time with them. I'm going to have to go up the mast while we are there to replace the masthead light again as it has failed again. One is being shipped to Matt's so we will get it in time for the installation while at the marina. Tonight, we will do it the old fashioned way with a kerosene lamp on the stern.

Sorry for no pictures but I don't have internet connection and this program doesn't allow them unless we're connected. Look for them on tomorrows post as we should be at the marina then.

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.

Day 496 A trip to the dump.

The "Glass Beach" sparkling in the sunshine.(click on it to see in full size)

Back in the early 1960's, Fort Bragg used to dump their trash right into the ocean just North of town.  Cars, glass, steel--you know--just trash all went straight into the ocean to be swept out to sea.  At least sort of.  Come the 1970's, the town father's got smart and stopped the dumping and created another land fill farther inland and the dumping of trash into the ocean stopped.

As time went by, the things that would disintegrate(cars) did so and that which would not stayed.  Well, they dumped a lot of glass into the water and over the years, it has been slowly polished and pushed back on shore in such great quantities that an entire beach is now covered in small pieces of polished pieces of glass.  Reds, greens, blues, yellow and white as well at lots of clear pieces cover whole sections of the beach.  What had been the dump is now a tourist attraction drawing thousands(including us)to it each year.  And to think they thought nothing good would ever come of dumping trash!!  Now it's a money maker for the city.  

People used to go out with buckets and bring back lots of it  Finally in the 1990s, the town deeded the section over to the state for a park(costs the city nothing but makes them money-smart!)where people can go to look at not only an incredible shoreline, but a beautiful sparkling beach covered in small pieces of colored glass.  It's now illegal to collect the glass, though we saw lots of people taking small pieces with them(us included).  I took off my shoes and slowly walked along the coast, through the glass and the sandy beach.  It's the first time since we started this journey that I have done so.  I finally got sand on my toes!!!  It was a beautiful day--the fog left early--and the sun was beautiful to see.

We left for Zephyr and I barbecued a bunch of brats for dinner and meals while we are on passage.  It's much easier to reheat than cook as the boat rocks and rolls through the waves.

I walked to the marina office and paid for the past few nights since we had originally intended to leave Saturday.  Several boats had snuck into and out of the marina over the weekend with out paying.  Only one got nabbed and paid before leaving.  I paid through tonight and the plan is to set off for Drakes Bay tomorrow just after lunch so that we arrive in daylight.  It's about an 18 hour sail to get there and it's better to arrive in the day to drop the anchor than the night.  We've talked to George and Celeste from Nereid about their stop there so we know what to expect.  Some wind and a muddy/sandy bottom with good holding.  We figure a night there and then on to San Francisco for a few days to see our son and his fiance and some of the sights.  We also have an anchor light to replace at the top of the mast(again).  Then off for Half Moon Bay south of the city for a while(plan written in sand of course).  

We had a question in the "comments" section yesterday about our boat.  She's a Shin Fa 458 Custom Cutter made in 1982 in Taiwan.  And Jeff and Brenda, it was good to hear from you too.  If anyone has any questions, please feel free to put them in the "comments" section and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Day 495 Road trip to Point Arena Lighthouse

Point Arena Lighthouse Station shrouded in a light mist of fog.  It had been beautifully clear five minutes before.  This section of the coast is some of the windiest and wettest anywhere along the coast. 




We took off about noon for the Cape Arena Lighthouse to do some sight seeing along Coast Highway 1 for a change.  This way we will see from the shore what we will be passing on Zephyr in a few days.

We're stuck here for a few more days as while the wind isn't too bad, the swell is a bit steeper than we would like--8 feet at 7 seconds or less which can really rock a boat as you go through the water.

We hit clear skies and fog during the trip.  When we got to Point Arena, it was clear and by the time we got to go up the lighthouse, it was fogged in and stayed that way for the rest of the time we were there.  The trip back was the same.  

I think it takes a special person to live along this coast.  You must be prepared for sudden isolation as the highway can get washed away at a moments notice.  We ran into one section out in the middle of no where that suddenly had a traffic light that controlled traffic each way as the road had washed away and it was limited to just one way traffic over a short pass that had been rebuilt to reconnect the sections of the highway.  I'm sure the folks that live there never expected to have a traffic light right beside their house.

Once back at Zephyr, I set about downloading more maps for our Garmin chartplotter.  We're now setup with charts as far South as Guatemala.  We already have them on our Nobeltec system, but it always pays to be prepared with backups.  We have paper charts for farther South in the US but now we are starting to get prepared for farther South of the good old USA!!

Don't forget, if you click on a picture, you can view it full size.

Day 493 & 494 Work, walk and road trip.

They raise their mosquitos big here in Ft. Bragg.  Those boards are 6 inches wide.  Tracy saw two of these big guys(or girls) in the restroom up on shore.  We took their picture and left them alone.  Not something we wanted to annoy. 
The entry to Noyo River at Ft. Bragg.
Heading up river to the Marina around the far corner at the top of the photo.
The beach at Drake's Bay looking West into a large fog bank.  There's lots of land out there, you just can't see it.
Looking East--the same fog.  It's everywhere out there.
Finally starting to clear--sort of-- out near the end of the bay West of the beach as we walked out to the car.

Friday started with the change of the diesel injector oil.  We had again reached the 50 hour+ mark so out with the old and in with the new.  I've done it so many times, it no longer takes a lot of time.  It takes as much time to get the tools together as it does to do the job.  All in all, about 35 minutes.  She is still behaving well and only giving me about as much oil when it comes out as I put in--12 ounces.

We took off for town checking in with the marina office to let them know we would be leaving on Saturday for Drakes Bay, about 105 miles South of here.  Up the hill and into town to find Safeway and see what else Ft. Bragg had to offer.  As it turns out--not much.   We returned to Zephyr, groceries in hand for a quiet evening before we set out on  Saturday.

We'd planned on leaving about 1300 as it's about an 18 hour sail to Drakes Bay and we wanted to arrive in daylight.  We now subscribe to BuoyWeather.com.  A weather service that will give you pinpoint forecasts for any area of the globe you happen to be in.  By Saturday morning, the weather had changed and the coast below Point Arena--the next cape we had to cross had turned bad by Sunday afternoon--about the time we would be getting there to a "hazardous seas" warning with wind up to 30 knots and mounting seas.  Thanks, I think we will pass as it's not to bad here at all.  Clouds and the occasional fog bank rolling in.  

So we changed plans and found Enterprise Rent a Car and called for a rental.  I talked to the local agent.  They had cars on hand but we would need to keep it till Tuesday as they were closed on Monday.  The cost---$$205.50 for a compact car for a three day rental, but she would let us have it for $174.68 since I belong to the Enterprise Club.  I told her we would think about it and get back with her.  That's almost $60.00 per day--WOW!  I got on line clicking a link from an earlier promo ad from Enterprise and made reservations for the exact same car for $94.00 for all three days.  That's $80.00 less than what she quoted!!!  I called her back and gave her my reservation number and she said that it was always cheaper when you book on line and that she would have someone pick us up in about 25 minutes.  

Up we went and after inquiring of the driver of a good local eatery--Jenny' Giant Burgers's--for lunch we went in search of the restaurant.  They've been here for over 25 years and after eating one of their burgers, we really had to wonder why?  They were tasteless and the fries greasy and also lacking flavor.  We left quite disappointed--and still hungry strangely.  

We took off for Drakes Bay where we had planned on sailing to to see what it looked like.  Along the way South on the 101, we saw signs for Calistoga, a town we first visited 25 years ago or more and had stayed at the Mount View Hotel in the center of town.  It's now a hotel and spa and still doing well.  Unfortunately, we chose the wrong weekend(Labor Day) to visit.  The town was packed with people and cars out for one last hurrah before the end of Summer.  What a mad house.  Restaurants packed with people paying big prices for so so food from what we could see.  Back in the car and West for Santa Rosa and the coast.

A quick(and cheap lunch at Wendy's) and out with the Mac computer and on line we went to get good directions to the bay.  It helps to have access to the internet(thanks Verizon) as we rolled down the road.  It took us right to it with no problems.  Lots of people playing in the sand and some with the guts to go out in the cold water.  We stayed about 30 minutes and plied back in the car for the trip back to Zephyr.  By now, it was 1800 and we had a trip ahead of us.  There is no freeway to Ft. Bragg.

We headed over to Petaluma and up the 101 to Cloverdale and over the side roads to Ft. Bragg getting home about 2130.  It had been  a long impromptu day with lots of mileage and sights seen as we went down the country roads.  Strangely, we had no yen to stop at any of the wineries as we passed them.  Not sure why other than poor Zephyr already has quite the supply of wine already on board.

Today--probably down Coast Highway 1 to see what it has to offer.  We will see.

Day 491 & 92 Off for Ft. Bragg

Snowshoe makes sure the charts don't blow away in the cockpit.

As we pass Cape Mendocino, California making our way South.  The winds were light, though from the South(darn it) and seas running about 1 meter.  An easy crossing till later that night.

Sun setting shortly after 2000 hours just off Cape Mendocino.  

The entrance to Noyo River Marina in Ft. Bragg, CA.

Our first palm tree of California--the land of "milk and honey"so they say.

We left Crescent City at almost exactly 0800 after a nice breakfast of hot oatmeal and headed out on a beautiful sunny morning navigating past their navigation aids and out into the ocean. As we left the marina, Tracy found the clevis pin that holds the forestaysail stay to the deck had just about come lose and out of it's fitting.  We'd installed the pin back in Port Townsend with a set up so that we can remove the stay when we only want to use the big Genoa sail.  We'd used the forestaysail sail a good bit as we headed South and apparently, it had worked it self loose. Once we were out, I went forward with a hammer and unscrewed the stay until I could get the pin back through the holes it is supposed to be in.  I'll be looking in our stock of spare parts for a more "permanent" pin that won't come loose.   Within an hour, we were back in the fog and it stayed that way till about 1130 with it coming and going.  All the weather forecasts had been for Northwest winds in the 5 to 10 knot range.  We of course, found the winds to be from the South--exactly where we were heading.  You can't sail a sailboat into the wind so the engine stayed on as we slowly plowed along at just over 6 knots.

We ran with the radar on to try and help us find not only our way through the fog but to help us not hit another fishing boat as we motored along.  Visibility was down to about 100 feet at some times and the small fishing boats were hard to see.  We almost hit one as he came out of the fog right across our bow.  Tracy had to quickly shift course to avoid him.  Not a blip on the radar screen until he was behind us.  While AIS(shows the big boats) is great for navigating in shipping channels, radar is the way to go for all around protection.  If you can afford it, get the best you can afford and mount it as high as you can for better range.  Ours goes out 16 miles at most and the big ships travel at well over 20 knots so the gap between us can get eaten up quickly.  With the engine running, we left it on for almost the entire trip.

Shortly after 1200, we were buzzed by a Coast Guard helicopter checking us out and I'm sure taking pictures of us.  A quick buzz and they headed South for parts unknown.  We saw lots of types of birds just bobbing along in the water with lots of youngsters keeping close to Mom & Dad as they bobbed along.  As we came near, they all dove under water and disappeared.  No whales and very few seals.  Not a dolphin was seen.

Since the winds were light--about 5 knots, I fired up the barbecue on the stern and did some hamburgers for dinner--even added cheese.  With green beans, we had a nice dinner in the cockpit.  

While in Crescent City, Tracy had long talks with Benita aboard Moon Angel about their voyages and what they did for snacks as they voyaged.  They set up a grab bag of all kinds of snacks from nuts and M & M's to popcorn.  We tried it this time with different things and it was great to be able to just reach into a bag and get something special to nosh on during the night while on watch.  Now as we tour the grocery stores we watch for more healthy snacks.  Tracy also got a class on radar which was great after the fog we ran into as we headed out.  I'll be pulling out the manual while we are in Ft. Bragg and seeing what other things it can do for us.

We planned to pass Cape Mendocino just as the Sun was setting to make sure we were past the hardest part of the trip while we still had light.  There was a full moon scheduled for the night and so far, the sky was clear.  We rounded the cape just as the Sun was setting.  That's when the "fun" began.

The moon rose out of the east and the seas started to heave and churn.  Tracy was resting below before her watch started at 2300 hours.  The winds had shifted finally from the South to the Northeast(coming off the shore) shortly after the Sun set and started piping up to the 20 knot range or higher.  The seas grew to about 6 to 8 feet and we got suddenly "pooped" by a large wave.  For all you landlubbers, the definition of  getting "pooped" is when a wave slams into the stern of your boat and hits hard enough to swamp the deck.  That's exactly what happened.  As we headed South, a BIG wave slammed into the stern port quarter and splashed over the deck.  Luckily, with the cockpit enclosed in canvas, we were dry, but there are instances of cockpits getting filled with water.  We had already changed out our companionway doors from the standard ones on hinges to the new drop in boards we had made in Port Townsend so there was little chance of any major water getting below deck.  Still, the force of the wave through off the auto pilot and it started having a hissy and loudly proclaimed that it could not keep course if we were going to treat it like this.  The wave turned us over 90 degrees of course.  I disengaged the autopilot and grabbed the wheel turning us back on course and on a heading that better suited the wave action around us.  This is what boaters expect as they cross past most of the capes along the Pacific coast.  We have run into this regularly as we passed along the coasts of Washington and Oregon.  While a bit less in California, they can still surprise you--especially at night.

Blue and Snowshoe stayed in the cockpit though out the day and well into the night.  Just before Tracy came up on deck for her watch, Blue found a way out of the canvas enclosure and decided to take a walk along the deck.  One minute she was sitting on her cushion and the next she was gone.  The winds had built to about 23 knots--from the stern-- and the seas had grown to about 6 to 8 feet and she thought she would go for a walk!!!!  I was(to say the least) ticked!!!  On came the tether cord--I always wear a life jacket when on deck-- and I clipped onto the "Jack Line"(safety line that runs the length of the boat)and out I went in search of our crazy cat.  Just as I stepped out, she came slowly walking toward the stern from the bow like it was the most natural thing for her to be out there taking a nice evening stroll!!!  I called for her to come--good luck with that!!  She decided to jump onto the top of the bimini(the canvas that encloses the cockpit) and lie down and roll over on her back.  I ran around the outside of the cockpit and quickly grabbed her and threw her back through the door to the cockpit.  She'd used another of her nine lives.  She could have easily gone over board.  Needless to say, both cats will now be confined to quarters after dark in the future.

I headed below for my rest break(now full of adrenaline) after what had just happened and tried to get some rest.  The seas were in a confused state with Zephyr bobbing up and down and side to side.  This makes getting rest tough in the stern cabin.  One minute, you are flat and the next minute, you are standing on our feet, then flat, then standing on your head.  With my back still out of alignment,  it became impossible to sleep so I grabbed a pillow and headed toward one of the forward bunks that I can wedge myself into and not get thrown around.  Showshoe was already in there so we shared a bunk.  I was up and back on watch at 0300 hours.  The moon was still up and bright and the seas had calmed a bit so the rolling wasn't so bad.  Tracy took off for below to catch so Z's.  I watched a movie on my Ipod as we continued along in much calmer seas than had been earlier and watched the moon set at 0445.  It had been a welcome sight throughout the night.  The Sun was due to rise at 0645 but got up late and didn't show up till 0654.  Must have had a long night and decided to sleep in I guess.

Tracy came back above deck at 0700 for her watch and I just stayed since we were just a few miles away from Ft. Bragg and the Noyo River.  As we headed in, Tracy cooked up some eggs and bacon for breakfast.  Later, Tracy put out the fenders and dock lines in preparation of our arrival.  I'd called the Noyo River Marina(pays to plan ahead) shortly after we left Crescent City to make arrangements for Thursday night so we knew exactly where we would be staying.  We headed into and up the Noyo River just after 0800 and into the marina(39 25.449N 123 48.118W) and tied up.

We walked over to the marina office and checked in and then went back to Zephyr to catch up on some lost sleep.  It makes the day much easier when you get some rest after a voyage--even a short one like this one.  It was just about a 24 hour trip yet it can take it out of you.

We were up by 1200 and headed up the hill into town to see what they had to offer and get some lunch and check out their mass transit system.  Being on foot can get old if you are shopping for things.  We always check out each towns system.  It make it much easier to get around.  A nice lunch at David's Deli and some grocery shopping at the local market.  I found some cork gasket material to have on board that can be used to seal the diesel or water tanks should the need arise.  I need a piece that it at least 12" wide.  I'd found 10" but now I found 12 so we are set for that "just in case" moment.

Back to Zephyr to check the transmission fluid now that it had had a chance to cool down and rest.  The fluid is still at the top of the dip stick so we will see how it is later this morning now that it will be stone cold.  I'll be changing the oil in the diesel injector pump this afternoon since it's hit the 50 hour mark.  

We got a call from George and Celeste aboard Nereid that we had "buddied" with down a great deal of the coast.  They had made it to Bodega Bay and were checking in.  They recommend us by passing Bodega Bay as there is nothing there worth stopping for.  With that being the case, we will probably head for Drakes Bay just North of San Francisco tomorrow.  It's just over 105 miles so we will set off about mid day so that we arrive in daylight.  There is no marina there so we will be back on the hook again which is just fine with us.  We're surprised at the condition of the marinas as we head South.  Most are in dire need of repair or replacement.  If you're out there Bill Gates reading my blog, how about spreading some of your charities monies on the fishing industries marinas along the Pacific coast.  They sure could use the infusion of cash.

Well, it's another day with jobs to be done so I'll close for now.  Sure was a long one.  By the way, if you haven't heard, Mike Perham completed his round the world trip a few days ago.  At age 17, he is the youngest to do so as a solo voyager.  Our hats are off to him and his accomplishment.  We've been following his trip for the past year.  Google him.  It's a great read.

 

Day 490 Getting ready to go

It's been quite the job over the past few days working on Zephyr and getting things done as well as making calls to "experts" to get their opinions on "problems".  As I said in my earlier post, we thought we were having problems maintaining the fluid in our "new" paragon transmission.  It was full in Neah Bay, WA but didn't register on the dip stick when we got to Newport.  I replaced the cooler unit and refilled it.  When we got here, the fluid barely touched the bottom of the dip stick.  I called the manufacturer as well as American Diesel that originally made our engines and asked questions.  At least I did on Monday as we got into Crescent City too late on Friday to call.

I replaced all the pads under the engine and transmission and the engine and ran it at the dock--in gear no less--with lots of lines to Zephyr to make sure she didn't go any where.  No leaks, no nothing other than a nice easy running transmission.  I had Jay from Moon Angel come over to take a look at it.  He's quite allergic to cats so I was thrilled that he would come over.  We locked all the kids up.  He crawled all over the engine room and basically came back with the opinion that there was nothing wrong with it, I was just checking the fluid at different times.   Sometimes while the fluid was cold and sometimes while it was hot, giving me different readings.  A sign of relief could be heard all the way downtown.  The response I had gotten from Great Lakes Power--they made the transmission--was that I needed to take it back to Sea Marine to have them look at it.  They're just about 800 miles from here and I would rather stab myself with an ice pick in a very sensitive area below my belt than take Zephyr back there.  We were pretty much on our own.  They give you a 6 month warranty on the unit, but only at the original installer figuring that they will take care of the labor charges instead of passing them on to their company.  I'll be watching it carefully over the next trip to see how the fluid level goes.  Jay's suggestion was to always check it when it's stone cold instead of hot or warm as it will give a false reading.  With it being cold, everything would have drained out of the cooler giving a more true reading.

I fixed a few other things including two trips to a chiropractor for my back and left arm and am now a bit better.  We had hoped to be off this AM with Nereid when they left but I had a second appointment for this afternoon.  

The last day has been tough for Nereid as they tried to get to the fuel dock, they backed up over a crab pot and promptly got snagged in the prop, pulling it right up to the bottom of their boat.  It took a diver to get it off.  It's against the rules to put pots there so the fuel dock manager confiscated the pot and line.  Today, as they left, the cut the turn in the channel a bit to close and ran aground.  Luckily, it was a muddy bottom so no harm came to their boat.  They made it safely away with no problems after getting hauled off the mud.

We filled ours--or at least got some fuel this afternoon.  The fuel dock here is a joke.  It's 15 feet above the water and you have to tie up to tires when you pull in.  Then you climb up a ladder and tie up at the top where the pumps are.  Then back down to the boat to pump your fuel.  We loaded up our jerry cans and took them over by cart to have them filled.  Ten gallons at a time.  The attendant did nothing but complain all the time we were there.  He wanted us to bring the boat over instead of him having to wait for us to get the fuel, take it over to Zephyr, pump it into her tanks and come back for more.  Too bad, the fuel dock isn't safe and that was how we decided to put our fuel into Zephyr.  He's just lucky we didn't want to truly fill the tanks or he would have been there all afternoon instead of a hour or so.

We cleaned up the deck so we can be off about 0500 for the next jump to either Fort Bragg or Bodega Bay further down the coast.  The weather is supposed to turn a bit sour by Friday so we will have to really move to make it into Bodega by late Thursday afternoon.  It's about 150 miles down the coast from Crescent City.

Well, it's off to bed.  We have to be up early in the morning.  One thing I would like to add is how nice Jay and Benita Wiggins aboard Moon Angel have been to us while we were here.  They are the great folks aboard Moon angel that we spent a good bit of time with in the Port of Brownsville.  They have been a great source of help and camaraderie.   With out their help and friendship, this stay would have been a lot harder on both of us.