Blue Whales

We have been reading recently about the Blue Whales feeding off the coast of Long Beach and this weekend on the way to Catalina and back we ran into a pod of them (both days). There were 8 or 10 whales at times all around us, some closer than we were really comfortable with! At one point two or three cruised right in front of the boat and we almost ran over them. They were much bigger than the boat and it was awesome. Alas, we didn't have a camera but I finally managed to get a few shots with my iPhone.

Summer 2011

Looking over the previous posts, I cannot believe it has been over a year since the last one! Reading these posts and the blogs of our other sailor friends make Dave and I eagerly anticipate our next voyage to the South Pacific. We have certainly been keeping busy though, not only with our work but with our many land bound trips and excursions as well. Last year for my birthday, we vacationed in Australia and checked out the wines and the kangaroos.

This summer was a lot of fun with a family vacation to Europe. We visited Germany, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. We also did the local vacation here in Southern California with family and friends to Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Santa Monica along with the local wineries as well as vacations to Lake Havasu and Las Vegas. We are also in the planning stages of a trip to Italy next spring.

Of course, we take Starshine out on day sails as much as possible, but it is not quite the same as being in the Caribbean. We keep telling ourselves that these next few years will quickly pass and before we know it, we will be blogging from the South Pacific!

Final Leg Completed

Starshine is now in her new home in Long Beach, California. We had a cold, uneventful motor-sail up from Ensenada, Mexico last weekend. There was almost no wind for the entire 160 miles and we stopped in San Diego to check in and get fuel. It was quite a difference sailing into one of the world's busiest ports (LA) after many miles off the beaten track in the Caribbean. There are even huge oil wells in the LA harbor (though none leaking oil thankfully).

Now that we have made it to the Pacific Ocean we are thinking about a future sail to the South Pacific. But first, it's back to the real world: buying a house, raising two high school kids and of course, working. The list of projects on Starshine seems endless but then so does the time between now and when we can go cruising again.

Wow, what an amazing trip it has been. Over 3000 miles, two oceans, 8 countries, 6 months, one marriage, countless new friends and enough memories for a lifetime. I will continue to post about our upgrades and repairs to Starshine but there probably won't be any long passages for a while. To those of you still out there sailing, carry on, we'll catch up with you in a few years on the other side of the world.

A Ride on the Beluga Fantasy

Starshine is ready for loading on the Beluga Fantasy, 06/03/10. After transiting the Panama Canal, she should be off-loaded in Ensenada, Mexico on or about June 20. We have a slip lined up for her in Long Beach where we will sail for the next few years as we get her ready for our next adventure. I also helped Trevor load up Lea Scotia (below) on the same ship in Port Everglades. She is bound for Victoria, BC and then home to Seattle.

Wahoo !

The last long leg in our circumnavigation of Cuba was a 4 day passage from Isla Mujeres, Mexico to Key West, Florida. This should have been a 350 mile trip but ended up being more like 450 due to a strong current and wind pushing us north from Mexico before we could turn East and head for the Florida Keys. The good news is that we sailed almost the entire way. My crew, Chris, showed off his fishing skills (including cleaning and cooking!) with the capture of this huge Wahoo. We estimated it to be about 30 pounds, so big that I couldn't get the whole fish and Chris in the same picture. We caught this on the first day out from Mexico and so we had fish for the rest of the trip (and then Chris took some more home with him!).

After we made it to Key West, we had a great overnight sail up to Ft. Lauderdale where Starshine now sits. Meanwhile, I picked up my truck at Matt's and drove out to my new home in California. Next week, I will fly back to Florida to load Starshine onto a freighter to be shipped through the Panama Canal to Ensenada, Mexico. From there, it will be a short sail up to her new home port in Southern California.

When I said we circumnavigated Cuba, I want everyone to know that we did not actually stop there as it is still "illegal" (though lots of Americans go there now). See the "Travel Map" link on the homepage to see the route of our trip. All in all, we went about 3000 miles in 4 months and visited 7 countries. We missed the earthquake in Haiti and the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, but not by much. We learned a lot about diesel engines and ourselves and, of course, got married. A successful voyage I'd say!

As I begin the daunting task of looking for work, we have already begun talking about our next voyage ... Tahiti?

Mexico

It has been a few weeks since our last post because of so much activity! We did end up spending several weeks in Belize checking out quite a few of their cays. The snorkeling was amazing at Rendezvous Cay! We also stopped and visited several cities, notably Placentia and San Pedro. We stayed at San Pedro anchorage several days longer than expected because of the infamous motor issue, but finally gerry rigged a part to allow us to continue on to Mexico.

Since it is a two day sail to Isla Mujeres where we are currently staying, we stopped at Puerto Aventuras which is about the half way point. We stayed several days as we waited on customs to clear us in and then visited the Mayan ruins at nearby Tulum which was amazingly beautiful next to the ocean up on a cliff. Check out the pictures to see what I mean. We also played "tourista" and visited Cozumel and Playa Del Carmen. Puerto Aventuras, Cozumel, and Playa Del Carmen are all the resort areas and tourist traps as one would expect to find. We did rent a scooter at Cozumel and drove around the island which was a lot of fun and allowed us to get away from the cruise ship tourist shops. We stumbled across a Tequila museum and discovered how Tequila is made. We also had some local food at another "Bob Marley" restaurant on the beach. It was a wonderful day!

Sunday we then motor sailed on up to Isla Mujeres where we have been visiting Cancun and of course the island of Isla Mujeres itself. It is wonderful to pick up the Gulf Stream current that is with us as the boat got up to 8 knots which is a first on this trip and maybe for the boat herself! I am indulging my love for "mole" sauce and had chicken mole both in Cancun restaurant and then again last night at another restaurant which we visited with friends Pat and Jay. I figure if you can't indulge one's love for Mexican food when in Mexico, then there is something definitely wrong! Isla Mujeres is a jumping off point for those going to Florida as well as those going further south to Rio Dulce. As such, we have met up with several boats and friends here at this marina that we have been hopscotching along the way and it is great to see everyone again.

Sadly, my cruising experience is quickly coming to an end as I fly out Saturday for California. Dave's friend, Chris, will be joining him here on Tuesday to help sail the boat back to Florida, where we will then have it transported to California for her final resting place for awhile as Dave and I go back to work to re fund and dream about the next adventure. It has been an amazing experience as I knew it would be, and I would not have missed it for anything!

Belize It!

Cruising is all about the ups and downs ... First, one of the highlights of our trip - Mahi Mahi sashimi! I finally decided to use one of the many flying fish to land on the deck as bait on the fishing lure since I was having no luck with the lure by itself. That did the trick, I got a hit in less than an hour. As I reeled it in, the first thing we noticed was the bright colors of the fish, greens and yellows. I knew right away it was a Mahi Mahi! After I got him near the boat, Gail gaffed him and then I cleaned and filleted the beautiful fish. The first thing we did was mix up some Wasabi and soy sauce and had our fill of some of the best sashimi ever. The rest was grilled up for lunch. What a treat!

After a great passage from Roatan, Honduras to Belize we anchored the first night off Hunting Cay, an idyllic South Seas-type island with crystal clear water. We snorkeled on the reef there before sailing to the Belize mainland to check in at Customs, Immigration and Quarantine. After that we sailed around to Placentia for a day off, exploring the town and sampling the local delicacies (Belikin Beer, for one).

This morning, we got up to head up the coast but about 10 seconds after starting the engine it died. I spent several hours today cleaning the fuel filters and bleeding the engine but got it running again. Just another day in paradise... We'll try moving on again tomorrow...