San Diego

This last leg to San Diego was either a lot of wind on the nose or none...then we got some on the stern...hoisted the Genny and later the Mizzen, picked up about 2-3 knots in speed.  Since we were against the wind and current all the way from Cabo, it appears we only averaged around 80 miles per day (70 Nautical miles)...poor.  If only we can maintain 4-5 knots, then it would be closer to 100+ mi per day.

When we stopped at Turtle Bay the diesel vessel came up and filled all of our tanks.  Only just off San Diego and around a navy Destroyer, did we find out we had some water in the fuel.  Switched Racor filters and then the transmission started to slip...meanwhile we are getting notices to stay away from the Navy vessel.  I hoist the Main as since the Genny and Mizzen were already up...and off we went...towards LA at a speed of 8.5 knots...scared the crew..huge main and where can we go?  I dropped the main...put some oil in the transmission (it was low) and we started the engine...it ran fine, but now we were
concerned.  So, slowly motor into the Harbor Police and Customs/Immigration dock.  This started at 4:30 and we did not get into dock until 8 PM.  So, we had to pay for Customs/Immigration to check us out.  Immigration seemed to home in on Mike (hair or his lack of answers...why was he there?).  Meanwhile, Customs seized our Eggs and Potatoes (great potatoes...and about 4 doz eggs).  Crushed them in a dock refuse container.

Oh well, we got a slip ($35/day)...headed out to find Downwind Marine to replace the VHF antenna for the SSB radio I have (iCom digital) and a tri color light, plus odds and ends.  Took two days to get the tri color...around $300 with the mount and it is an LED Tri/Anchor light by LunaSea.  Great little unit...plus an stainless mounting bracket.  I did mention that our wip antenna and the tri color lense was torn off at sea?....I told you we had some great winds :-)

The next day, I spent 4 hours up the mast getting every thing hooked up and operational.  It works great.  The LED is automatic and very bright.  It has an anchor light and a strobe light...but that is 2 more wires, so I taped it off.

Getting a new part made for the Mizzen goose neck...need to use it and it is a mess.

Mike flew out to Denver, so it is Tom and my self.  Justin (my Step Son who lives here) has taken me shopping for groceries, laundry and the post office.  I am grateful for his help.  Had a great dinner @ Phillipi's in Little Italy here in SD.


The Volvo mechanic suggested a new elbow for the exhaust system, and a new raw water pump (leaking) for the engine.  All else is OK (including the transmission).  The parts will be here Tuesday, so we should be headed north on WED morning.

I re-stuffed the stuffing box (I am learning) and it no longer leaks...hate all of the water in the bildge...it already has salted my lap top with bildge water...hope I can rinse it off and fire it up when I get home.

I just Calculated our eta for Port Hadlock...about 20 days from Wed, so hopefully we will arrive there before or by the 23rd of May.  Hope to stop 3-4 times on the way for rest.  Perhaps meet my wife in New Port, OR (weather permitting).
 Time to Go...check with all later...Skipper of the Noe Mar....Ken
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Lights!

Today is Monday and the sea is as smooth as glass.  We are motoring @ 4.6 knots and the wind is only 2 knots (up from 1) and that is apparent.  So, it looks like it is behind us.  I do know it will be behind us when we land in San Diego tomorrow. Hopefully that will be in day light...so it might be on the 25 vs the 24th of April.

Just cooked up some apple sauce (save the apples).

Tom fixed spaghetti and steamed veggies last night.  That and our marinated Bonito fish.  Good meal.  He put in a dried Mexican pepper (red) but it was not hot and we were not sure it added to the spaghetti sauce he added.  Good meal...took some pictures, but since my lap top is toast until I can get home, I am not sure I will be able to post the pic.  Hmmm...maybe Candy can if I send it to her by my iPhone...you know the top restaurant on the sea...Tom's dinner @ Noe Mar in the Pacific.  :-)

Position:  30 deg 9.8615 min N  116 deg 7.4222 min W...heading 337 T  speed 4.3-4.7 knots.

Yesterday afternoon I hoisted the Genoa and we motorsailed @ 6 knots for 3-4 hours.  When I lowered it (due to lack of wind) the little Morning Dove on the rail, said, forget it and flew off.  He had rested for 4 hours, so hopefully he made it back to land. He knew where he needed to go.

Last night radar and the watch spotted a couple of lights...woke me @ 3 AM (this is good).  Turned out 1 was a light house, and one kept ahead of us and later on my watch disappeared.  Then I saw 3 light houses (this is good, most of them are not working). Well, we are close to Ensenada, so that could be the reason...more traffic.

Talk to all of  you tomorrow and hopefully when we clear Customs I can send Candy (my great friend/wife/CEO) pictures so she can upload it.  This is how it works for the blog.

Cheers......Captain of the s/v Noe Mar

No Wind

Another day on glassy seas...motoring @ 4.7 knots and apparent wind is 1 knot.  So, it must be following us.
I downloaded a GRIB file and notice that the winds should be on our rear after San Diego.

Today we sliced up the apples, and made applesauce.  No cinnamon, but we do have turbinado sugar.  Should be good if I don't scorch it :-)

Tom made spaghetti last night and steamed some cabbage and carrots.  I will post a picture of that when I get home.  Seems my laptop is toast until I get there.

Meanwhile, not to much to report other than we should pass Ensenada tonight and come into San Diego tomorrow.  Hopefully in the AM...even though the harbor is lit well and marked...hate to come in at night.

Yesterday, I hoisted the Genoa and picked us up to 5-6 knots for 3-4 hours, then lost the wind and lowered it.  We had a hitch hiker, a morning Dove..she rested for the time we sailed, but left us when I lowered the Genoa.  Hope she made it back to land.

Current position is:  30 deg 9.8615 N and 116 deg 7.4222 W....heading is 337 T.  Should arrive in San Diego on the 24th.

Cheers...Skipper of the s/v Noe Mar

Finally Fish!

Today is our lucky day (10th day out) @ 27 12.342' N and 114  30.947' W Tom caught another Bonito (type of tuna)...which he promptly stuck a screw driver through it's eye (why waste Tequila?), gutted, bled it and filleted it.  It is now in the fridge soaking in lime juice (little juicer came in handy) with chopped tomatoes and onions.  Hmmm  Cevieche? For dinner tonight or tomorrow.

Today, Tom came up with rice/can of campbells soup and sliced carrots with some onions.  I cooked it for lunch (see, I can light the stove :-)  Tom is always being innovative about dinner and lunch.  All of it tastes good.  Mike is great about washing dishes and watches...good crew...but he has a book of Candy's that he finally is engrossed.

Our sailing has be rough...slamming...calm motoring...all the time.  Some times we get some really nice sailing in.  We have had some sailing @ 4-5 knots and one day with the Mizzen stays'l up we got a full 6 knots of speed downwind.  This is what I was hoping for to Hilo...but the Weather God changed his mind...it would have been a 25 K crash bash for 2,000 mi and then nice sailing in the Trades.  Oh well...we are going home anyway.  We try to douse the Main at night because a lot of wind can arise quickly and then boom...nothing.

Yesterday we ran out of fuel...and no wind...so I drained most (but not 100%)of our cabin heater fuel tank (the beer barrel) and managed to fill 90% of one tank. Saved our bacon...then I heard the engine rattle a lot...pulled the cover and found the new alternator had a bolt loose.  Stopped and fixed it...well Tom managed to get the bolt in.  It is operational...but this took most of our afternoon...so no Turtle Bay yet.  Late tonight we should motor into it and get fuel and a rest.

The heavy weather has ripped off our tri light housing...so at night the decks are lit up like a bright moon.  Next a heavy sea tore the wire loose from the deck light...Oh well, don't use that anyway.

So far all is well, except I cannot get the Iridium phone to send emails...but I can get gribs and talk to Candy every night

Seems we are now 7 hrs away from Turtle Bay and fuel...oops...seems we will be breathing fumes or sculling into harbor...wish us luck :-)

Cheers...Captain of the s/v Noe Mar

Close to Turtle Bay

Here it is the 18th of April, already...taxes are done (or not :-)anyway, mine are. Getting close to Turtle Bay on our way North.  Motorsailing @ 4.7 knots...Jib & Jigger...plus the iron Genny...in an apparent 15 knot wind...meaning the wind is about 10 knots.  We could sail...but night is coming and I would rather not hoist the Main at this time.

Tonight's dinner...another of Tom's gourmet feasts...boiled carrots...steamed cabbage (pressure cooker)...butter, salt, pepper and the ever present Spam.  Actually it was great...the salt/pepper/butter and a glass of Rojo Vino made the meal.

For those that think Yuk on the meal...sorry, but it tasted good.  I was going to forgo the salty spam...but the combo came out great, for all of you boaters that are on a long voyage.

I find that Iridium sucks when it comes to email...but great to call my wife and great to download GRIB files...so it is worth it for both reasons.  I am using Sailmail (SSB posting) and that is working very well here on the Pacific Ocean.

We had oranges that were poor quality...so today I juiced them and got a half gallon of juice.  Tastes great.  Fridge and RO water maker are working very well.  So, our diet is good...what with fresh veggies, cheese, cabbage, carrots,etc...it is a good feast.

I am recovered and back to my sailing self...and it is a long way to Port Townsend, WA...we will see where we stop.

Need to lower the Mizzen (lousy cut Sean) and take out a batten that has broken it's pocket& make it loose footed, so we can get it to sheet correctly.  All of my sails are great, except the Mizzen.  It was lousy from day one.  To low (cannot use the Aires wind vane due to the lack of height of the boom) and it's bottom is shaped wrong.  All other sails made by Sean and or Carol Hasse are excellent.  So, we will try tomorrow night to out-haul it more,take out the batten, and make it loose footed to see if we can get the great shape it deserves.

Have a great day, we are...cheers...Skipper of the s/v Noe Mar

Flat Water and Rest

Here we are...motoring/some sailing/ to the Pacific NW. In the morning we will be @ Bahia San Juanito on the Pacific side of the Baja. Last night we anchored in the Bay of Magdalena...enjoyed the rest.

I wish to apologize to all of the prospective crew that I had to sail to Hawaii...problems were two fold: 1) The Skipper (me) got seriously sea sick for several days (OK now)... this is the worst that has ever happened (it may be due to my illness a few years ago) anyway, it happened...#2) I have checked the weather patterns for 4 years...and all was great in April, but not this April, 2012...the trades never kicked in until over 3/4 the way there...it would have been a hard sail.

Anyway, it is done, we are headed to the NW, motoring most the way...due to wind on the nose. Hopefully, after Turtle Bay we will go off shore and tack to San Diego.

Meanwhile, we are using twice the water we used coming down here when Heather and Corey were crew. OH well, the RO water maker is functioning well and we are generating 50 gal of water as I type. The system I have puts out 25 gal per hour and is working nicely.

Cheers to all that read this...sorry the Skipper is a Dude...but best to do what is safe and correct.
Skipper of the s/v Noe Mar...Ken

Heading North and Eating Well

Here we are in Mag Bay on the Pacific coast of the Baja. The crew is in good shape...and the Skipper is recovering slowly for Mal de Mar...wrist band and a scop patch seem to help. Seems my stay in the hospital a few years ago (pancreatitis) changed my gut forever. Oh well, the crew, Tom and Mike are great.

Tom is quit a cook...tonight he is making a cheeze, onion, problemo peppers...and it should be great. Will take a while to be ready to eat. So far it is looking like a thick crust pizza...he said it looks like a flat loaf of bread :-) I doubt that.

The last few nights Tom has chosen to cook up great concoctions...all his...last night was mac/cheese/tuna/potatoes/with a base of milk...cooked well and was good for 2+ meals. Great taste. Before that he made an omelet that was mainly potatoes, onions, carrots, problema pepper, tomatoes...and a bunch of eggs...another great that lasted a few days...don't forget the salsa.

Several things I need to do with the boat...1) mfg some rigid backing for the 6x5 gal jerry cans of diesel...we almost lost them in a storm. 2) make sure all items that can be destroyed by salt water are high and dry(I may have lost my personal computer). 3) Make sure the through hull for the sink is closed before sailing in high wind...it back flowed and made a mess. 4) Get the mizzen re cut...it does NOT fit, I don't care what Sean says. Other than those items, she is a sturdy boat.

We are motoring up wind and against a 2 knot current, so it will take us a while to get to San Diego, San Francisco, or Port Townsend, WA.

I finally got Spot Connect to work...I think the problem was me...not sure though...what I do is turn it on, go to my iPhone and reconnect blue tooth to it...now, wait...say 60 sec and then open Spot and then follow the instructions...it is working. You can see it on my facebook page.

Cheers...Skipper of the Noe Mar will check in later during this week
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First Leg

Here it is for now:
Took on fuel in Marina de La Paz and motored out of the mooring @ 9 AM on April 10th. Crew was Tom (mountain climber & sailor) Mike (lawyer...young and ecofarming is his experience in law)...11AM and we have wind...hoisted the sails, 7K and motorsailed then sail up. Nice rig in light air.

So it went most the day...on to Cabo, then later that night all Hades broke out...rounding the cape the wind was up to knotw and shoving way south. We tacked, but the mainsail was to much. I was seriously sea sick for the entire evening and earlier. So I was helpless. However, we had to lower the main and change head sails...so I did that. Tom said he needed a video camera of me heaving the green stuff and hanking on the working jib. Then later it was time to douse the main...way to much wind, port rail under water most the evening and Mike was sick also (not heaving, but). So Tom was left with all of the work.

So, I said...into Cabo...and we motorsailed into her this morning by 9 AM. Managed to get Spot Connect to work a couple of times. That is cool.

Decision is made by the Captain...I checked weather GRIBS and it appears we will have heavy winds against us for over 3 weeks and then and only then the last week would give us the trades. So the decision is: Coastal run up north against the winds, but close to shore...mostly it will be motoring. We will check in San Diego and head to San Francisco. Mike will fly to Hawaii and Tom and I will make a decision about the run up north after I see the GRIBs again.

Sorry to everyone...but we are wet, tired and ready to go home...crew is doing well for everyone being new.

This will not be fun...it is called a "bash" but there you have it...many harbors to duck into.

Might add that we heeled over so much the bilge water got to my laptop...hope it can be restored...or the data d pictures saved. Today I washed my clothes that were wet..took a shower and Tom fixed us good omelets and used up all our softening avocados, great meal.

For those who haven't visited Cabo...it is like Las Vegas on a beach...anyway...music and sales pitches tonight. Cuban cigars or stuff that will make you Really High...no thanks is what we said...but it strange...like the pitch man said...you are in Mexico you know.

Tomorrow we fix the Mizzen main stay (tore loose last night) and all of the webbing will come down and new lashing for the fuel cans (5 gal jerry cans...yellow)...the tore loose but Tom pulled them out of the drink, in heavy seas...yes, I did help. I am installing 1/4 inch stayset line...hope that does the trick.

One more item...we hit something 4 hours south of Cabo...hard...and today I see section of paint missing on the Port Bow...and a scrap on the Starboard bow. Everything looks good but scary.

Cheers for now...Skipper of the Noe Mar...pics will come later.

Getting ready

Time to repack all of the winches...they were a bit dry when opened and one had a small amount of condensation...but all 4 that are used were repacked in preparation of the trip. Thanks Mike...grease and all. Took off sail covers, hooked up the Genoa and ran lines. Jack lines are installed...and lunch was consumed, thanks Tom.
Tomorrow will be clean the dodger windows, etc.

Checking out

To check out of Mexico, the dept of Health has to inspect the boat. Now, never mind that the Noe Mar is licensed in Mexico up until 2016 and if it were a health hazard one would think they would've checked that a long time ago. I always find it interesting...in spite of the fact that the boat must be registered (10 years) the Mexican Navy, nor the Health dept, never want copies of it's registration...but they do want copies of it's annual US Coast Guard documentation papers, which is free and current.

The cost is about $300 US...or 3,300 pesos...of which most goes to the Dept of Health for their inspection. I used the firm in the Marina go do all of the paper work. I could've probably saved 10% (but not much more) for all of this...but it is a lot of leg work and when I checked in, I still missed one...had to pick it up later in San Carlos. So, this is better and quicker.

We fuel up Monday night, uncover all of the sail covers, make sure the Jack lines are in place, aires rudder is installed (wind vane for a back up) and motor out of La Paz Tues AM (7-8) and once clear of the buoys, hoist all sails. Pray for wind.

Then off to the Cape of Cabo and off shore we go. The aqua generator is ready to go and hopefully between it and our small solar panels we will be set for electricity and refrigeration...etc. Hope we have more than enough food.

el capitian y tripulacion

OK, so it supposed to mean the Captain and the crew...hope it does :-)

Final days

Here are the two crew members, Mike (beard) and Tom...finalizing the boat.