Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Monday, January 22, 2007
Our friend Liz Hammond (incoming director of the NOLS Mexico Branch) and Trini and Concha, sisters who have worked for NOLS Mexico for more than 30 years!
We've been working on the boat all week doing projects. Dan has had the engine almost completely apart and has had ennormous success in solving our overheating problem. We continue to chip away at the "LIST," which is difficult in that usually when you cross one item off two more get added. But we are feeling good about the boat and plan to have her ready for the Pacific "puddle jump" by the end of March. And when not working we've been having some fun visitors aboard!
A little Texas Hold'Em aboard Confetti:
YES or NO? Should Dan wear white socks with his Keens?
Monday, January 15, 2007
All is well aboard Confetti! We had to make a quick whirlwind trip back to San Francisco to close on our house sale, but we're back in Coyote Bay now ready to attack a bunch of boat projects. The most pressing one is the engine, which has been overheating on us. So we are slowly troubleshooting and trying to figure out if we'll need to go south to LaPaz to hire a marine diesel mechanic.
We go to work again in a couple weeks for NOLS - a week-long alumni course. If you're somewhere freezing now, thinking how toasty we must be in sunny Baja, think again! It's overcast and freezing here, and we're wearing hoodies and down jackets. But the clouds are actually a stunning backdrop to the desert mountains, and the break from the sun is nice on the skin!
We go to work again in a couple weeks for NOLS - a week-long alumni course. If you're somewhere freezing now, thinking how toasty we must be in sunny Baja, think again! It's overcast and freezing here, and we're wearing hoodies and down jackets. But the clouds are actually a stunning backdrop to the desert mountains, and the break from the sun is nice on the skin!
Saturday, December 30, 2006
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A Zuiches Christmas
Well it was a windy Christmas in Baja!! Jim and Carol were troopers to come sailing with us in 30+knots of wind! They maintained a great attitude on the boat, although must have seriously wondered if we are crazy as water sprayed everywhere and we buried the rail with only a double-reefed main.
Hoping to take a hike in the desert on the first day of the Zuiches family Christmas trip, we sailed across the Bay of Conception to a protected anchorage. Unfortunately all we could do was sit on the boat and look up at the beautiful peaks and the deep cut arroyos with the rarely-visited cave paintings. No hiking would happen, as it was so windy we feared the dinghy would never make it to shore against the breeze.
We tried again on Christmas Eve and sailed to another anchorage to “hang on the hook” for the night. But it was so rough at anchor that it was difficult to enjoy the voice of Nat King Cole with the sound of wind shrieking through the rigging, and dinner rocking in the gimbaled oven. So we opted for a night sail back to the mooring before eating. Despite our comings and goings Santa still found the boat, and the merriment never stopped.
Christmas morning - fingers crossed - we shoved off early and sailed the 22 nm’s north to Punta Chivato, where Jim and Carol had a reservation at the gorgeous hotel Posada de las Flores, and D&D planned to stay on the boat anchored just in the lee of the hotel. After many hours of hard, soaking-wet, upwind sailing in 25-knots and steep seas, we came to within a few hundred yards of the hotel. So close to margaritas and tapas, but, sadly, engine problems meant that we couldn’t anchor safely. We ran back south putting up more and more sail area and making over 8 knots. Then we sailed onto our mooring sans engine (wishing we had practiced that particular maneuver when the engine was working!). Eleven hours and 45 nm’s of heavy weather sailing later we were back where we started. Not giving up though (!) we rowed ashore, hopped in the rental car and drove 1-1/2 hrs. down dark dusty unmarked roads to the hotel, and arrived just in time for Christmas dinner. Despite missing Joe, and putting up with the “Norte,” we all had a great time.
Happy New Year (Felize Ano Nuevo) from the Confetti!!
Hoping to take a hike in the desert on the first day of the Zuiches family Christmas trip, we sailed across the Bay of Conception to a protected anchorage. Unfortunately all we could do was sit on the boat and look up at the beautiful peaks and the deep cut arroyos with the rarely-visited cave paintings. No hiking would happen, as it was so windy we feared the dinghy would never make it to shore against the breeze.
We tried again on Christmas Eve and sailed to another anchorage to “hang on the hook” for the night. But it was so rough at anchor that it was difficult to enjoy the voice of Nat King Cole with the sound of wind shrieking through the rigging, and dinner rocking in the gimbaled oven. So we opted for a night sail back to the mooring before eating. Despite our comings and goings Santa still found the boat, and the merriment never stopped.
Christmas morning - fingers crossed - we shoved off early and sailed the 22 nm’s north to Punta Chivato, where Jim and Carol had a reservation at the gorgeous hotel Posada de las Flores, and D&D planned to stay on the boat anchored just in the lee of the hotel. After many hours of hard, soaking-wet, upwind sailing in 25-knots and steep seas, we came to within a few hundred yards of the hotel. So close to margaritas and tapas, but, sadly, engine problems meant that we couldn’t anchor safely. We ran back south putting up more and more sail area and making over 8 knots. Then we sailed onto our mooring sans engine (wishing we had practiced that particular maneuver when the engine was working!). Eleven hours and 45 nm’s of heavy weather sailing later we were back where we started. Not giving up though (!) we rowed ashore, hopped in the rental car and drove 1-1/2 hrs. down dark dusty unmarked roads to the hotel, and arrived just in time for Christmas dinner. Despite missing Joe, and putting up with the “Norte,” we all had a great time.
Happy New Year (Felize Ano Nuevo) from the Confetti!!
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Saturday, December 23, 2006
We're back after a fabulous NOLS course. On our last day, after sailing Drascombe Longboats for a month, we took our entire course out sailing on Confetti. Talk about great crew!
Jim and Carol flew into Loreto yesterday (unfortunately Joe wasn't able to get out of Denver airport) and we are about to take them out sailing for a few days in a "Norte," which are the strong winter winds that blow in Baja. It won't be a white Christmas, per se, but there will be a lot of whitecaps (!) on the water, and maybe we'll even find a cardon cactus to decorate.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Confetti!
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Monday, November 06, 2006
Now that we've made it to Mexico it's time to go to work. Confetti will be staying in Coyote Bay while we teach the sailing instructor's course for NOLS. After 35 days in the field, we'll be back on December 18th and ready for the Zuiches family to join us on board for Christmas. Many thanks for all the support!
Coyote Bay
Confetti is now safely moored in Coyote Bay, in the Bay of Conception, in front of the NOLS Branch. After some exciting upwind sailing in the Sea of Cortez with double-reefed main and storm jib we sailed down Conception Bay with the spinnaker flying and grins all around, knowing that we had completed the first leg of the journey.
Going forward on the deck to reef (reduce sail area) is always an exciting adventure.
We stopped for one night in beautiful San Basilio, where some friends of ours were anchored with a NOLS course. They brought the little Drascombe Longboat out for a visit, which made Confetti look huge!
Going forward on the deck to reef (reduce sail area) is always an exciting adventure.
We stopped for one night in beautiful San Basilio, where some friends of ours were anchored with a NOLS course. They brought the little Drascombe Longboat out for a visit, which made Confetti look huge!
Systems
Even though Confetti is a "sailboat,"there are about a million other systems on board always requiring attention. The Volvo 3cyl. 43hp diesel inboard engine is one of those. We carry 100 gallons of fuel with us, which we consume at a rate of about 1-1/4 gallons/hour. Generally we can motor at 7-knots (nautical miles per hour), so we have the capability to motor roughly 560-nm's (the trip from San Francisco was about 1600).Depending on how long the passage is we will motor when the wind is light or non-existent, but the engine is also really important for charging the batteries (we have 5 car size) when the solar panels can't keep up.
The batteries run all the navigation instruments and electronic equipment, the cabin and running lights (so other vessels can see us at night), the pressure water, refrigerator, watermaker (yes we can turn salt water into FRESH!!!!! at a rate of 12 gallons/hour), fans (it is hot here!), radar, VHF radio, HF radio and of course the stereo that we have our ipod plugged into. Managing our power consumption, keeping the batteries charged and making sure all systems are working properly is a big part of each day at sea.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
LaPaz!
10/29/06 - We have just pulled into LaPaz, BCS, Mexico under a most beautiful sunset. All well aboard Confetti!!
Friday, October 27, 2006
rounding Cabo
most tip of Baja, on a calm day, but immediately were faced with beating into a north wind. We felt very welcomed to the Sea of Cortez!
After talking for the last year about, "anchoring our boat in Scorpion Bay and catching some waves," we finally did it! Nestled in among the shrimp trawlers, we set the hook, threw the boards off the boat and dove in. Confetti looked really big from the water, and it was pretty exciting to be riding a wave and seeing her out of the corner of our eyes.
Dolphins!
We also have had dolphins with us almost every day. Todd, in an effort to
"pet" the dolphins found the scrub brush to be an effective tool. Although
the dolphins probably were not sure why he was trying to clean them.
"pet" the dolphins found the scrub brush to be an effective tool. Although
the dolphins probably were not sure why he was trying to clean them.
There's a fish on the hook!!
Todd's 2nd catch - a beautiful Dorado that Gene turned into a gourmet dinner for us.
making southerly way with the kite
We flew the 1.5 ounce spinnaker most days on our way south. Note the speed
on the knot meter!
on the knot meter!
Good food on board.
While cooking under way can certainly have its challenges, like having to strap yourself in with a harness attached to the "gimballed" stove, we have eaten well!
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Scorpion Bay!
After 5 days of some light wind, and also some really great sailing in15-20kt. with the spinnaker up, we anchored last night in Scorpion Bay to catch some waves. Dan and Danielle made the long paddle in from the boat last night for a super fun evening surf sesson, and then Todd paddled in for dawn patrol this morning. We'll take off today and head around Cabo and up to La paz, before any more hurricanes come north. We should arrive there by Sunday and clear customs Monday. Then we'll head up to the NOLS branch in Coyote Bay in the Bay of Conception by Wed or Thurs.
Life aboard has been great. We are on a rotating watch schedule where each person stands a 4-hour watch during the day and a 3-hour one at night. With the moon new, we've had some pretty dark (!) nights and are looking forward to a waxing moon over the next week. With our time in San Diego, we got a lot of projects done on the boat and she is sailing like a dream!! We are really pleased with the boat.
We've had the spinnaker up almost every day, and Todd's been deemed local fisherman. While jibing the 17-foot spinnaker pole yesterday, Todd of course hooked a yellowtail and things got exciting! The fish was delicious though grilled at anchor last night.
We're off to pick up the anchor and head back out to sea. All our best from S/V Confetti!!!!!
Scorpion Bay
October 26, 2006
Life aboard has been great. We are on a rotating watch schedule where each person stands a 4-hour watch during the day and a 3-hour one at night. With the moon new, we've had some pretty dark (!) nights and are looking forward to a waxing moon over the next week. With our time in San Diego, we got a lot of projects done on the boat and she is sailing like a dream!! We are really pleased with the boat.
We've had the spinnaker up almost every day, and Todd's been deemed local fisherman. While jibing the 17-foot spinnaker pole yesterday, Todd of course hooked a yellowtail and things got exciting! The fish was delicious though grilled at anchor last night.
We're off to pick up the anchor and head back out to sea. All our best from S/V Confetti!!!!!
Scorpion Bay
October 26, 2006
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