Not a Sea Creature was stirring…
December 2021 – Jimena and I and the Michin (against his will and his better judgement) cut the docklines and departed Long Beach. We sailed overnight through light and fluky winds past Santa Catalina Island and San Clemente Island to Shelter Island in San Diego where we tied up at the boatyard dock at 0240. The next day we ran must-do errands, including replacing the battery in my phone which only just decided to give up the ghost. We got it all done and the good folks from Rigworks replaced our LED Tricolor navigation light and our VHF antenna at the masthead which seemed to cure the static issue we were having with the LED Tricolor fuzzing our VHF radio. (Spoiler alert: when it got dark on the ocean and we switched on the Tricolor light…wah, wah, wah, same old problem as before).
That afternoon we moved the boat around to Southwestern Yacht Club. They gave us a very warm reception, we showered, did laundry, sent mail to the IRS and did all things thereunto pertaining. At the Southwestern guest dock we met Les aboard S/V Isabel M who was also headed down south.
We pondered staying several more days to wait out some rain but calculated we could run down to Ensenada, Baja California Norte before the rain caught us and so the next day we shoved off around noon.
Southwestern Yacht Club, SD
Coronado Islands, MX just SW of San Diego
On the morning of 22 December, after good sailing all night long, we tied up in Ensenada at Cruiseport Village Marina at 0830, having successfully beat the rain. We went through Mexico’s COVID protocol of meeting with a doctor and answering some questions then checked in at the Marina office, then were ushered to the consolidated government offices where we cleared into Mexico, got our visas for 180 days and checked in with the Port Captain. Then we ate breakfast and slept the rest of the day.
In the evening we went out for a fine dinner and a couple of beers at La Langosta then showered and racked out again.
The harbor in Ensenada BCN with Cruiseport Village on the left
On the 23rd I received the sad news that my longtime childhood running mate, classmate and neighborhood friend Bill Hetrick, had died. I am happy that I was able to have lunch with him and some of our gang just several weeks ago at CS’s. Tempus Fugit. Rest in Peace Bill.
In the night it rained like the proverbial cow pissing on a flat rock. We have a couple of water intrusion issues that have come to light as a result, so our to-do list grows longer.
The Michin surveys the world from the companionway after a rainstorm passed.
We decided to stay on the dock several more days to let some more rainstorms pass over and to watch Ole Miss play Baylor in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day.
Today is Christmas Eve. The Marina staff brought us some tamales with refritos and macaroni salad, very thoughtful touch. And we wonder how Santa gets to us. Does he squeeze down a dorade vent? Does he come up through the hawse pipe? And where does he park the sleigh and eight tiny while he is at his ministrations? The world wonders.
