The masts are back up!

Well, we took the main mast down to fix some bothersome noises due to wiring problems inside the mast and ended up getting in much deeper than we planned. The noise turned out to be a loose wire conduit that was banging around and which was easily fixed. After finishing that, Chris, working on the boat next to Starshine in the yard asked if I was going to paint the mast while it was down. After thinking about it, seeing how bad the paint job was and talking to Chris about helping me I decided to go for it. I spent a day taking all the hardware and rigging off the mast and then spent several days sanding. Part way through the process, I realized how bad the paint job really was and decided if I was going to do the main mast then I should really do the mizzen and the two booms as well. So I got the crane to come and take down the mizzen and started the whole process of removing the hardware and sanding on that mast. Once the sanding was done, Gail and I spent several days priming and sanding and priming and sanding (2 coats) both masts. After that I found Chris (he had long since moved on to other jobs on other boats) and had him come back and help me put on 3 coats of Awlgrip on the two masts (again, with lots more sanding between coats) and I was almost there. All that was left was several days of re-attaching all the hardware, repairing and/or replacing the halyards and re-attaching all the rod rigging. In the mean time, Gail was busy making new sail covers for the main, mizzen and staysail. The main and mizzen covers are stack packs built using the very informative how-to video from Sailrite. Finally, the big day arrived and the crane showed up to re-step both masts. I made sure to put a 2013 silver dollar under the main mast and an Australian silver 3 pence coin (from my birth year) under the mizzen mast. While the whole process took much more time and effort (and money) than I expected, the results are awesome. Now to finish all the other projects I have already started - replacing the steering cable, repairing and re-bedding all the thru-hulls, replacing the cutlass bearing, repacking the stuffing box and refinishing all the teak. Not to mention the projects I haven't started yet - adding the wind vane and the water maker, painting the bottom and on and on ...

Getting ready for our next adventure ...

Wow, it's been a year and a half since we've posted but now it's time! Both Dave and Gail are now retired (OK, wishful thinking but at least temporarily). Gail's facility was closed last year and Dave's contract with GeoEye was terminated when the company was bought by their competitor DigitalGlobe. So no more work excuses, it's time to go sailing again! Starshine is currently on the hard in Oxnard CA where we are in the process of a major re-fit. We have too many projects on-going to even begin to list them all but some of the key ones include: all new canvas, a new watermaker, a Hydrovane self steering system, some new electronics, updated plumbing and lots of maintenance. Here are just a few pictures of some of the upgrades: a rebuilt windlass and anchor locker, new head direct overboard discharge and new companionway cover. Gail also made some awesome cushions for the cockpit and is in the process of making all new sail covers including a stack pack for the main and mizzen. The current plan is to get Starshine back in the water sometime this summer before heading South as part of the Baja Ha-Ha on October 27 (http://www.baja-haha.com/). After cruising the Sea of Cortez and Mexico this winter, we plan to set out on the Pacific Puddle Jump next spring (http://www.pacificpuddlejump.com/), ultimately bound for Australia. In the near term, Dave is headed to the Abacos in the Bahamas to help Chris sail Faro, a Tayana 37, home to the Chesapeake next week.

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?