San Francisco

Last weekend Jan & I hired a car and drove up to San Francisco for a short break away from Long Beach. We drove Highway 1 up thru Malibu and Big Sur then Highway 101 to Frisco staying in the Radisson Hotel 4 Miles North of the International Airport. Parking in the city is between $25-$28 a day even if you stay at a Hotel, so that is why we stayed outside the city as parking was free there. Being winter the sea fog was everywhere so the Golden Gate Bridge was hidden except for the day we drove over it, how lucky was that?. We walked up Lombard Street and drove down it (That’s the very steep twisty street!), went on a cable car, went to Haight Ashbury (Home of the Hippies of the 60’s and got the T shirt!) saw Alcatraz and San Quentin prison. We had a fantastic time driving 1161 Miles or 1861 Kilometres in the 5 days we had the car.

                                           Here is Jan at "Home" in Haight Ashbury

Tall Ship in the docks.

This is the famous Lombard Street we walked up!!

The cable car we went on.

We have managed to get a few jobs done on FiFi. We have bought the 130 Watt Solar panel and will install that soon.  The rear head hand pump was replaced with the spare one as there was a slight leak from the pump handle seal. The other night the fresh water decided to stop working, the pump pressure switch was diagnosed at fault and a new one soon got things back to normal. We have replaced the stern running light with a new LED one as suggested on the survey we had done, replaced the forward Red/Green globe with an LED one, replaced the saloon light globes with LED’s but kept normal globes on the side reading lights. Raymarine AIS type B has been installed and the mast rigging wire tensions adjusted.   

We are flying up to Canada on the 21^st returning on the 28^th, then we will stock up with supplies and head down South to San Diego so the next report will at last have details of how she sails !!

                May we wish all our readers a very Merry Christmas and all the best for 2011  

En route

So we are having a week off in San Francisco, to chill out
and have a look at somwhere other than Long Beach.
We were on highway 101 and the temptation to stop at Buellton was almost
too strong to resist. You might like to know that Buellton proudly
proclaims itself as "Home of Split-Pea soup". Tempting, huh?

Mike & Jans photos

Here's a link to some photos Mike took in Hollywood and Long Beach
And some that Jan took!
You will see one of the Queen Mary disappearing in sea fog - it was so bizarre and absolutely freezing, we'd gone for a bike ride, when we left it was bright sunshine then within seconds *whammo* sea fog rolls in, engulfing everything - visibility literally down to about 10 feet....but the QM looked great in a spooky way!

To see yourself as others see you

So, dear reader, here's what happened.
I'm on a laundry run, basket full of dirty clothes perched nicely on the little trolley Mike bought us from Costco.  I am halfway there when I realise I don't have enough quarters (like my American accent???) for the machines, so with a handful of coins adding up to 2 quarters (that's fifty cents to you) I start asking passers by if they could change them for me....I was a little upset and a lot offended when three people in a row completely ignored my polite request and was thinking "how rude", it meant I had to walk all the way back to the boat to see if Mike had any change (funny how he never wants to join in the laundry fun).
Anyway, when I eventually got back and told him what had happened, he suggested I go look in the mirror with my hand outstretched and trailing a cart behind me....ok, I suppose I did look a bit like a bag lady.....guess I've gone a little ferral :-)

Photo pages

As a few people have requested some more photos, here is a link to the first small collection.   More will appear as and when we are not quite so busy!
http://picasaweb.google.com/115175406968458943880/YouAskedForIt?authkey=Gv1sRgCLixlpn5sfPWJg&feat=directlink
Thank you all for your patience and support.  Hope you like the photos!

And now Mikes bit...

Wow what a boat. They build IP’s very well, everything is solid, all sole opening panels have catches so nothing moves when you walk, the sinks have normal full size drain plugs, the Nav seat is retractable by a hydraulic ram powered from its own electric motor & pump!! The details go on and on. Some might consider it a bit anal, but every screw head slot is aligned to the next be it a slotted or Philips head, now that’s attention to detail. All the electrical wires are either Yellow (Neutral) Red (positive) or Green (earth) easy, and each is numbered at its ends corresponding to the sheet in the A4 size manual that comes with the yacht. Storage is everywhere, pull back a seat cushion and there is a storage area behind with a lift up floor panel that reveals another equally big storage area below that, for example, under  the Port seat are 3 storage bins, I have put the Spinnaker in one and the 2 storm sails in another, they could have gone in one but why cramp things! We have 2 reverse cycle air conditioning units with an outlet in the rear heads! Lazerets have lights inside with gas struts to hold them open, the forward cabin bed also lifts up on gas struts to for access to the storage below. But I guess the neatest thing on her is the dining table. Island Packet design it to fold up on the forward bulkhead when not in use thus giving a ‘dance floor’ size area in the main saloon, lowering it reveals the drinks cabinet with storage for wine & glasses, now that’s neat!

I even have my own “shed” to keep all the tool & parts in, its designed for the fenders but it’s massive as you can see. Jan says she will lock me in there if I am naughty!! Forward of my right elbow is the twin anchor lockers holding the 150 Metres of chain for each of the two bow anchors.

So what don’t I like about her? To be 100% honest, so far nothing.

What has been fixed? Vacuum flush toilet decided to stop producing a vacuum on day 5, Hmmmm...4 new Joker valves (They are called Duck bills here) and new pump piston cured that, all parts incidentally were on the boat when we got her together with a vast assortment of other new parts. The odd light globe needed replacing, but apart from that nothing else. I am replacing the fridge and freezer door seals as they look to be original and are quite hard in places.

Additions...I am intending to add a 130 Watt solar panel to the already installed 60 Watt panel and together with the 400W wind generator they should keep our 9 x 100Amp Hr AGM house batteries in good charge. I will also get a Hydrovane steering system fitted and the A.I. S installed and that’s about all.

Sailing on our own

Well, we finally had a sail all on our own!
Long Beach harbour has one of the longest breakwaters in the Northern hemisphere, so it takes a couple of nautical miles to get outside it.  No problem there, a bit of container ship traffic, couple of other yachts but generally easier than crossing the shipping lanes in Freo!
Then we were out in the Pacific Ocean proper, wow what a feeling.  No significant waves, just a moderate swell, very comfortable.  In an average of 8 knots of breeze, we sailed along nicely at about 3.5-4 knots with full main, stay and head sails.  After awhile of having a play around with all the systems, the wind got up to about 15 knots gusting 18 so we reduced sail and started back for the slip as this was only a brief exercise in self confidence for us.  Mike did a splendid job getting back into the pen, whilst I leaped on shore to secure the lines (we are on a floating jetty and the rule is here to take all your lines with you, hence the need for someone to jump ashore to secure), and we both agreed a bow thruster is a wonderful thing to have.
We have been very busy making Fully Involved ours, little personal touches and furnishings etc.
We have found everyone to be so very friendly and helpful here, not a bit as the tv shows back in Oz would have it.  Oh and by the way, ever watched CSI Miami? It's filmed right here where we are in Shoreline Village, Long Beach! Our good friends Lloyd and Ruth bought us a pair of folding bicycles and we have been cycling everywhere we can (as we do not have a car)....those of you who know us will think nothing of Mike cycling but probably  have a hard time believing that I do to...! But it's true and I am enjoying it.
Meanwhile, we have become addicted to shopping - there is just so much 'stuff' here to choose from, simple things like for example chicken stock.....not only are there 25 different brands to choose from, you have a choice of salt free gluten free freeze dried sun dried liquid cubes powdered shaved granules kosher half a pint half a gallon aaaaaaggggghhhhh it takes forever to decide and thats just one item, we always end up with loads of stuff at checkout that we didn't even realise we needed....I love it! God Bless America,  and Happy Thanksgiving for tomorrow.

More photos

Photos

An oil rig disguised as a palm fringed island...

Lifted out during survey

 Strange method of lifting!

She passed a very stringent and exacting survey with flying colours.  They build these yachts to such a high standard and she has been very well looked after.  We close on the deal at 9am tomorrow morning (Friday 12th November).  I think we have been most fortunate to have found such a great boat and such a great broker who has gone well and truly beyond the call of duty to assist us in every way - a certain broker in the Hillarys vacinity could learn many a lesson, trust me! More photos when we take over ownership :) What a birthday present!



LaLaLand

We are staying in a penthouse condo in the Long Beach area with amazing views over downtown and to the Hollywood hills in the distance.  It's a ten minute walk down to the ocean and pen FF49 where our beautiful girl resides (for now).  I am pleased to say that she is all we thought she would be, in pristine condition and has obviously been cared for very lovingly by her previous owners.  We completed sea trials yesterday, in what the broker and the owner both described as "highly unusual conditions".....about a one meter swell and 15-20 knots of wind...(hehehehe, how would they cope with Perths' sea breezes?) and Fully Involved was romping along at about 8 knots over the ground under full sail....the water here is absolutely filthy by the way, and we saw a dead cat floating in the pen area yesterday....

After the sail, we had the rigging surveyed, good for another 5 years the surveyor reported.  Lift out is tomorrow, will blog next time with photos, so cheerio from the Land of the Free for now :)

The countdown is on

Leaving November 5th to meet Fully Involved for the first time.  We hope she lives up to our expectations and that we love her as much as we loved Sirocco! Obviously, everything is subject to lifting, survey, test sail and so on, it is after all a huge gamble, but we both feel so right about it all - and that's always a good sign.  I have been concentrating on the safety aspect, reading everything I can get my hands on written by people who have experienced bad weather and survived.  Someone asked me the other day if I was frightened - that's the thing - if I know I am prepared, conscious of the risks, confident in my ability of how to handle different scenarios and maintain a healthy repsect for the elements, what's to be scared of? I don't really do frightened.  I do however do impatient....in fact I'm quite good at it, I go to bed every night wanting to wake up on the morning and just go.....
I am living in "in-between-land" at the moment - I have belongings all over Perth in various peoples houses - two tea chests are on their way to Los Angeles - the back of my car is my garage, filled with things I can't fit anywhere else.....and I really am counting down the days - 15 left. Stay tuned!

Fully Ready!!

The things I do to make sure my gorgeous husband is safe sailing with me......yes, I jumped into the water, yes I was fully dressed in wet weather gear (plus three layers underneath, hence the Michelin Man appearance) and yes it was DAMN cold.....however I passed both theory and practical components scoring 47 out of 50 :-) Here's the proof - not the most flattering photos but at least they're real !

Sneak Preview

Here is a photo of our soon to be new baby, FULLY INVOLVED
She's a year 2000 Island Packet 420, we'll be meeting her for the first time in early November and we can't wait!