10/13/09

Solera is in the water and ready to go with a new transmission, rebuilt exhaust system, new bottom paint, repaired water tank, new depth sounder, new staysail and new wind system. All we need is some good weather. It’s raining right now as we sit under a tropical depression. The area is incredibly green though. The hillsides look like Ireland but with huge cactus. The temps have been much better with highs in the mid 80’s and comfortable breezes. As it turned out it was really hot for only the first three or four days.

We stayed on the boat in the work yard for a couple of nights. That’s something we will avoid in the future. I would compare it to living in an RV in the middle of a large construction site. Plenty of diesels and dust. Then add a 75 pound Airedale. Morgan has been great though. She has resigned herself to the fact that this is how it’s going to be now and is ok with it. I had to carry her up a 12 foot ladder to put her in the boat while in the work yard. That was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. I have a life jacket for her with a handle on the back that allows her be carried like a suitcase. She doesn’t fight it at all, she just lets out a grunt when you pick her up then spreads her legs out like a freefalling skydiver as she gets carried up the ladder.

I came out of retirement for a couple of days to help Oscar with a rigging job. We replaced the standing rigging, repaired a furler and aligned a prop shaft on, of all things, a Cal 2-27. I enjoyed doing the work and I’m learning a lot about rigging. I plan to help out on a few more jobs as they come along, may even start up a Colorado branch of Bermex Marine. Cindy deserves special mention here. While I was working with Oscar, she did the bottom painting on Solera all on her own. It was a big job and the boat looks really good now. Saved us a few hundred bucks too.

Cyn and I are more than ready to get out and sail. We plan on a day sail to test everything out, then an overnighter up the coast. After that we’re off to Conception Bay and La Paz on the coast of Baja. There are several islands with some excellent anchorages along the way. Total round trip will be over five hundred miles. I’m estimating we’ll be out for a little over two weeks.

Ric & Cyn