2017 Season

2017 Season 
Begins with a cruise to Big Geiger. The orange on the beach are tiny dead crabs.

The Shakedown Cruise

One would think that after all that has happened, our shakedown cruise would have been delightful.
Much of it was. The kids were with us, and we took long walks, snorkeled, swam, read, lay in the warm sunshine--all the things you would want to do from a boat at the Isthmus. Then the generator quit on us; next was the dvd player (no biggie); then the water maker; the sink clogged up; and then on the morning we were to sail home, the engine wouldn't start. Mark finally had to jump start the battery as you would on a car. Would we give it up? No way!

Sailing 2016

Here it is, time to go sailing and Convergence is on the "hard," waiting for a new rudder. Seems there are a couple of electrolysis theories regarding why. The first has to do with the bottom paint touching the rudder shaft--copper in the paint and aluminum shaft=electrolysis. The other theory is that electric currents in the marina create the eating away of the shaft. I figure if that is true, then every boat in Alamitos bay would be needing a new rudder. In any case, when this boat splashes down, it will be like new again--new engine, new rudder, and all the new repairs following the Avalon disaster.

For now, just sitting on the dock by the bay, waiting.

New docks-new slip in Alamitos

August 2015: We move onto the new docks. Now, we need a new
engine. Hey, it's a boat!

Cruise North 2015

First cruise of the year! Santa Cruise Island off Santa Barbara. Off the stern were hundreds of tiny crabs.

Six Months Later

To close the circle on our New Year’s disaster, we sailed back to Avalon. Summer in Avalon is a study in craziness. Every stereotype, every hyperbole you have ever heard applies. It is crowded; it is loud; what happens in Avalon…The first couple of days were actually fairly docile, and we were going to leave by the weekend and chug up to the Isthmus. That was the plan until we checked the weather which called for winds gusting from the west at 25 mph. So we decided to stay. On Saturday afternoon a sudden blow instilled such déjà vu that Mark quickly got the dinghy motor off and back onto the boat, put the wheel back on, got shoes on while I closed things up and got ready to get out of “Dodge.” The “blow” lasted only about a half hour, maybe less. We got a couple of sprinkles, and that was it—a subtle reminder that we are not at all in control. We can only be prepared to face that which we can’t control. On Sunday we watched the great exodus that is usual for those having to go back to work. One fowled his prop, another coming in next to us almost hit us. Those with loud engines tuned them up to impress us all; those with dogs urged more barking. Avalon in the summer.

LAUNCHED!

Convergence went back into the water today after six months of repair. From the sides down, she looks great. The top is covered in months of dust and bird droppings. Lots of sun bleaching of the teak, too. there is much work to be done. However, it is so fine to have her back in the water. If you love a boat, you never know how much you missed her until this happens.

Floating at last