July 21-26 Enjoying San Francisco

Have been enjoying San Francisco immensely.

Danny arrived Friday night. Dave Williams and his sons met us for breakfast Saturday morning.

After breakfast, TR departed to the airport and Danny and I set sail to Sausalito. We anchored in the bay and rowed ashore. Then walked around the main street and had dinner at the Sausalito Taco Bar. We spent the night on the hook (at anchor) and headed to Tiburon on Sunday morning where we met Dave C (from Alamida) and we set off to Angel Island. There we hiked to the top of the mountain with a great 360 degree view of the bay area. Dave took the ferry back while Danny and I spent the night.

Danny departed Monday morning back to Seattle. Tuesday I biked over the Golden Gate Bridge to Saulsalito the bussed back to the boat.

Dave W, Ken, Danny, TR

Sausilito Floating House

Sausilito sunset

Angel Island Marina

Atop Angel Island with Dave C, Danny, Ken

Bike to The Bridge

Bike over the Golden Gait Bridge

Family arrived Wednesday 5pm where we loaded all the gear and water toys.

cheers, Ken

Thur July 19, ARRIVED SAN FRANCISCO!!!

Wow!! we made it. After 3 days of motoring the wind started to pick up about noon. We put up sails and then the spinnaker (Yea Baby!!). The wind piped up outside of San Francisco to we dropped the spinnaker and reefed down in preparation for our windy entrance to the bay. What a glorious day and we celebrated with champaign as be neared the bridge. The fog cleared, the wind was astern and spirits were high. After 2 weeks of travel we finally made it. The struggle made our arrival all the sweeter. It's been my dream (bucket list item) to sail under the Golden Gate Bridge and it lived up to the dream. I'll let the below photos and video do the talkin.

Its hard to comment on this blog so feel free to email me to say "hi."   kennethpainter@hotmail.com

Cheers, Ken

Wed July 18, Point Arena to Point Reyes

Date: Wednesday July 18, 2012 

Location: Point Arena to Point Reyes, 5-10 miles offshore. Closing in on San Francisco.

Random Thoughts: Really nice to have a calm day even if it means motoring. I feel more rested and am really looking forward to arriving in San Francisco.  I hope we can arrive in style under sail but who knows after 2 days of motoring.

Weather/Conditions/Sailing: Today was calm and flat. Tried to sail at one point but we could only make 2-3 knots to we continued to motor.  Mixed clouds with fog limiting visibility to ½ mile at times.

Sea Life: No whale spottings today. Noted some small sea birds of mixed white and gray fluttering on and off the water. I wonder what they eat out here. They seem more appropriate to land.

Food: Breakfast was cold cereal and lunch was our usual cold cut sandwiches. We usually make 2 each, eat one now and save the other for later. However, with the flat ride we were able to have a nice dinner of baked potatoes with sour cream and pan fried marinated flank steak (yeah Costco) …Yummy!!

Recreation: Still no joy fishing. The 2 trolling lines got hopelessly tangled together. We tried for 30 minutes to untwist them but ended up cutting them off and starting from scratch. We had what seemed like 2 bites but then there was nothing on the line.

We watched our first DVD tonight (“Master and Commander”) which seemed appropriate in the fog. TR was able to keep watch outside while watching  the inside screen and listening to the movie through the outside stereo speakers. I was surprised that we had not watched more movies but with running the boat and trying to sleep, there hasn’t been time.

Boat repairs/maintenance/improvements:  Burned ½ quart of oil in the engine. The automatic bilge pump is coming on every 25 minutes which could be an issue. Tried to purge air from the air and hot water system to help circulation but it still only barely heats the hot water.

Boat Systems: (covered galley and head) Lets pick a simple one today. How about electricity? Mariah, like most boats, has 2 banks of batteries. There is one engine battery and a set of 5 house batteries (for everything not engine related).  The house batteries are 75 amp hours each x5 equals 375 amp hours total. You can only access 50% of this power so that leaves almost 200 amp hours available. So in real terms, if your fridge draws 5 amps, it can run 200amp hours/5 amps= 40 hours on a charge. I think my batteries are tired since they don’t last nearly this long. On board Mariah, electricity is generated by the engine alternator (80 amp) when motoring and solar panels (two 145 amp panels)and a wind generator (KISS model) when not motoring. The solar panel do well, obviously, when the sun is out but are useless at night. The KISS wind generator is high out put so needs at least 15 knots of wind to work. The main electricity onboard is 12 volts (like in your car) but I have a small 400 amp inverter for 110 volt to power the TV and other small 12 volt items (even a small blender). When plugged into shore power, it can power a battery charger, the hot water heater, the fridge and I have a small portable electric heater.

Cheers, Ken

Tuesday July 17, 2012 Cape Blanco to Cape Mendicino

Im actually on my 6 to 9 am shift Wednesday morning but will review the events of yesterday…before I forget.

The seas on Wednesday were a bit bumpy with a 2-3 foot ground swell from the north and short wind chop from the south. These two opposing forces make for mixed seas and a somewhat bumpy ride. However, the bumpiness was in a forward and back direction compared to the previous side to side direction which the crew agree is worse given a choice. We had mixed fog, high clouds and some sun.

"Im too sexy" pose

Still no luck in the fishing department. Im not sure if we are moving too fast at 5 knots or have the wrong choice in lures but will keep at it. I hope to land at least one fish on this leg of the trip. After all, fishing is in my blood and my grandfather, Big Al, would have been proud. I forgot to mention that back in Coos Bay we met another sailboat (“The Office”) heading south for Long Beach who caught a 30# tuna and shared some sashimi and also some rum cake …yummi!!!

Sealife included a brief visit by some Dals Porpoises which look like mini orcas with their black and white coloring. They dart around the boat at faster speeds then dolfins and are smaller in size. I ran to take video but they were soon gone. I kept getting the feeling like whales were sounding in the distance but had no confirmed sightings. Sitting in our “plastic bubble” of a full cockpit enclosure I need to remember to look outside for no only for boat traffic but wildlife at sea. When its warm and the sun is out I head up to the forward deck to soak in the sun, fresh sea air and observe any sea life, which is why we are out here in the first place. However, the enclosed cockpit is great protection from sun, rain and wind.

Boat Systems, Installment 2:

Okay, lets get the dirty topic out of the way. The one you all have been waiting for: the head (bathroom). I converted Mariah’s toilet from a standard marine toilet which flushes salt water and “stuff” into a 20 gallon holding tank which is either pumped out at a pump out station at a marina or pumped overboard when at sea. I grew tired of the smells and maintenance of this system so I installed a Air Head “composting head” that separates liquids from solids. The liquids are captured in a one gallon container and pumped overboard daily. The solids go into a “bucket” in the unit and are mixed with peat moss and turn into fertilizer which can be added to your garden. It reportedly can take 80 uses prior to the need to be emptied which is not a fun job. The unit has worked great for occasional seasonal use but we will see how it works with full time use at sea. The space for the old sewage tank was converted into a 40 gallon freshwater tank; don’t worry, I didn’t use the same tank but a new water bladder tank.

On the cleaner side of the head is a sink with hot and cold pressure water (when there is hot water). The faucet pulls out of the sink and attaches to the wall for a shower. Ive sealed the floor and added a drain to the bilge for the shower and there is a curtain that can be pulled around to protect the walls which were not designed for water (painted wood and not fiberglass).  Some people are quite “put off” by sitting on a toilet while showering but I find it quite convenient. For bathing I often just fill the sink with hot water heated on the stove and take a sponge bath; it uses less water and is less of a mess, but doesn’t get the hair clean.

Okay, so we finished with the galley and the head. So the next topic could include sleeping, sailing, navigation/electronics, engine propulsion, electricity, safety equipment, heating/temperature regulation, entertainment…the list goes on. I hope to post these when I get to San Francisco.

Cheers for now. Ken

Monday July 16 Departing Coos Bay

Monday  July 17, 2012 toward SF

We woke Monday 4am hoping to get an early start to catch what wind was left after the gale winds, but the harbor entrance “bar” was closed due to 12 foot swells.   So, we had breakfast and ended up leaving about noon when the swell died down to 6 feet. The forecasts were correct that it was going to be a windless day so we motored at 5 knots all day. The fog eventually burned off and it was beautiful sunny day as we motored south within 6 miles of shore.

We passed Cape Blanco later in the afternoon and sighted the lighthouse and large rocks miles off the point.  We also spotted about 4 whales about ½ to 1 miles away heading north for the summer. Mostly we could see their spouts.

We continue to tow fishing lines but no luck today.

Repairs and Improvements:    Im happy to report the lee cloths were a big hit! The one mounted among the settee bench next to the table is narrow and cozy and has been dubbed the “Pen” as in play pen. The second lee cloth is on my bed in the starboard quarter berth next to the surfboards so has been duly dubbed the “surf shack.” Rhys’ sleeping area is the Port quarter berth and is positioned so far aft that it doesn’t need a lee cloth; it remains named “the cave” and requires yoga contortions to enter or exit. Nothing else has broken today and the engine seems happy.

Boat systems:  While at sea I thought I would pick a boat system each day for those who might be interested. How about starting with the galley (kitchen) and food storage.  Mariah has a standard marine galley with a 4 burner propane stove with oven. This unit is “gimbaled” so as to keep upright while the boat rocks side to side and has “fiddles” to hold each pot in place…in theory.  Propane is quite dangerous if there is a leak because it settles to the bilge awaiting a spark…..then BOOOMM!!! So, to avoid the “boom” there is a timer switch one turns on every time you use the stove which turns on the propane at the tank. There are 2 tanks on the aft rail which total about 1 standard BBQ tank volume. There is also a BBQ which mounts outside on the rail when in port but we have yet to use it.

The galley has a double sink with a standard pressure faucet. There is hot water when plugged into shore power and suppose to be hot water when running the engine but its not cooperating now.  Despite having 70 gallons of water in 2 tanks, we conserve it while cooking and doing dishes.

Behind the stove, sink and limited counter space there are cabinets which house pots, plates, cups etc and has room for snack food. A point of interest is the dishes: I prefer ceramic dishes and bowls in port but we use plastic  plates/bowls with rubber grip bottoms while bumping around at sea. We have three 66 Quart plastic storage bins to hold most of our groceries for the 2 week trip.  Lastly is the refrigerator which runs on 12 volt(boat or car) or 110 volts (home). To save space it is the freestanding style which serves as a step as you enter the cabin. The downside of this arrangement is it has to be moved to access the engine underneath and draws 3x that of a new model. The fridge is usually the biggest energy draw on most sailboats but when motoring it is not an issue.

This brings an end to our first episode of “happy boatkeeping” aboard “Mariah.”

Galley

fridge

sinrise

TR in the "pen"

Coos Bay, Sunday July 15,2012

We are currently in Charleston which is 7 miles short of Coos Bay (same bay, different town). We are docked in a marina which is mostly fishing boats but some sailboats. Walked out to the breakwater this morning to view the swell which wasnt all that big but they closed the entrance for boats 20' and under.

Winds here are light but reportedly 30 miles south at Cape Blanco the winds are 25 to 35 MPH.

Im heading back to the boat soon to work on some projects to prepare for departure early Monday morning.

Cheers, Ken

glue repair with make shift clamps

Mariah at Foggy Coos Bay

Nice views during a hike on wobbly legs

Toward Coos Bay, Sat July 14

Today is Saturday July 14 and we are currently 7pm motoring toward Coos Bay Oregon on flat windless seas. We hoped to sail nonstop from Neah Bay to San Francisco but there is a gale wind warning in northern California for Sunday so we thought it prudent to duck into shore for a day and wait for better weather. Unfortunately, after the gale may be too little wind to sail so we may be motoring more than hoped.

After departing Neah Bay on Wednesday and motoring  all day and into the night we found wind about 30 miles offshore. We continued to about 50 miles offshore in search of more favorable wind which we found Thursday. Both Thursday and Friday we sailed in 15 to 20m knots of wind with bumpy seas. It felt like being inside a washing machine…everything being shaken around. I felt mildly queasy much of the time but go used to it. After standing my 3 hour watch I didn’t feel like doing much other than reading or sleeping…mostly sleeping.

We saw a one whale in the distance Thursday and one Friday. There was also the occasional cargo ship and fishing boat. Late last night we were hailed by a research ship about 6 miles away asking us to change course to avoid something they were towing 6 miles long. We never did find out what it was but are guessing either a net or fishing line.

This morning when we started to motor Rhys said a four letter word – “Fire”!!!    There was smoke coming from the galley area. It smelled of antifreeze and we soon learned the engine was overheating. We shut it down, tightening a loose fitting and added antifreeze. We still were not sure of the initial cause of the engine overheating but all seems fine now.

We are currently entering the channel for Coos Bay so I better make myself useful.