A special thank you to Casey and the Santa Cruz Yacht Club for hosting Sampaguita, and a shout out to Roland Nikles, the president of the Port Townsend Sailing Association, for helping to facilitate it.
I had an excellent visit with a couple bandmates of the past in Santa Cruz and made a new acquaintance too.
Also, thanks to Commodore Jeff at the Monterey Peninsula Yacht Club for hosting Sampaguita in Monterey. Her crew even got a hot shower and a shave. The mirror was bigger than Sampaguita’s galley! I also must thank Jeff Brantley, also of the PTSA, for helping to make this happen. I couldn’t have done it without him.
A few more observations:
Cruisers on a budget, take note. Hooray for Trader Joe’s. If you think they are an expensive boutique store, they are not. In fact, I just paid the same price for goods in Monterey, CA as I paid in Seattle, WA. Not true for a Safeway, for example. In fact, most everything in California costs more. Except Trader Joe’s. Yes, I am having sesame chicken for lunch.
Whales. Landlubbers often ask, “Do you see whales?” Does a dairy farmer see cows? All day, every day. You will not convince me that humpback whales are endangered. Of course, I am traveling along their migration route. The thing that concerns me most everyday, is having a close encounter with a whale. I am not a whale chaser. I even feel at times, they chase me. I’m not big on regulation, but I think there should be a law requiring whales to stay 500 yards from any Flicka 20. I see them twice Sampaguita’s size often. They do what they want. I will regularly vocalize, “STAY AWAY.” Naturally, as both human and whale populations expand, there will be more instances of close encounters.
Just sayin’.
Sampaguita en route from Port Townsend, WA to San Francisco, CA sailing wing and wing, (though I prefer orejas de burro) on a beautiful day. The Windpilot does the steering, the sails provide the power, the pole keeps the jib full, while Sampaguita does the floating and the rolling. I guess that just makes me a supervisor.
This happens every afternoon as the thermal westerlies kick in. It feels like I’m in a M. Night Shyamalan movie.
I’m planning my escape under and out of the Golden Gate. It requires an outgoing tide and NOT a strong westerly wind. Afternoon departures are not on the menu.
I met Monica Grant, the editor for ‘Lectronic Latitude, and her husband, Jay. They are proper people and sailors and it was an honor to be in their company. Their support will not be forgotten.
I also met up with a bandmate of 25 years ago from my SF music days. I’ll spare mentioning her name as I suspect she prefers to go under the RADAR. But I will say it too was an incredible honor to have her come over the bridge to see someone who she hasn’t spoken with in 25 years on such short notice. We had a grand time catching up.
Well, no records broken here, unless it’s for the slowest transit. 🤣 But what do you expect from the runt of the cruising world.
One overnight in Eureka. Lots of calm. Very little motoring. Small boats can’t have schedules. Perfect.
If you would like to support Sampaguita in her voyage, she’s a boat, and always demanding something.
Donations can be made via PayPal or Zelle: wheelersf@hotmail.com
Thank you.
Thanks for checking our position. Due to a technological universe far bigger than Sampaguita and Sailing With Josh, it takes a little effort on your part to locate us.
Presently we are travelling down the west coast of North America indicated by the red triangles.
One day we may figure out how to make this easier for you, but at the time, it is beyond out technical savvy. And the trying has not been any fun at all.
I believe in you.
Sampaguita sits anchored in Humboldt Bay with CoHo Ho-Ho-ers. While she’s not one, they are out in force.
I’m willing to bet it’s her first visit to California.
While she’s a workhorse, her skipper needed a good solid rest. Hopefully that is just about to come.
There is no wrong answer! Give a shout out to your favorite tool and why. It could be years in the defining or a ‘what have you done for me lately’ answer.
A special thanks to Monica, Olivier, and the staff at Latitude 38 and ‘Lectronic Latitude for supporting us in this fun game.
Click Latitude 38 link below to read the full article and participate in the discussion.
https://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/2023/08/18/#resourceful-sailor-favorite-tool
Sampaguita‘s circumnavigation of Vancouver Island in June, 2023 inspired some new Resourceful Sailor pieces. Here’s one about reinstalling a Navico Tillerpilot 1600. I decommissioned this gear when I bought Sampaguita in 2013 for various reasons, but recently brought it out of retirement. Thanks to Monica and ‘Lectronic Latitude, Latitude 38’s online mag, for publishing it on July 17, 2023.
Click the link below to be redirected to the article:
https://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/2023/07/17/#resourceful-sailer-reinstalls-electronic-autopilot
Sampaguita has her mast lowered again this week for a port shroud replacement and thorough inspection. The port shroud had some conflict with a sail ring during my Vancouver Island rounding and neither got out unscathed. I decided it was worthy of refreshing and the sailmaker has the sail in hand.
I reviewed some of my old video in prepping for today’s lowering. It’s important and easier to not cut corners on the prep. When you do it right, the lowering happens so quickly and easily. I still get nervous because if something goes wrong, it could be pretty bad.
Locally, Gus, with the Olympic Crane Service is the go-to for mast stepping. I like Gus, and he is very experienced in his line of work. I’ve stepped a mast with him and Olivier on Breskell. The cost was $225 per hour. So, a round trip would be $450.
This is why I have a small boat. It’s not for the comfort.🤣 It is so I can. So I can have a fighting chance to maintain it properly. So I can raise and lower the mast at the cost of a few hours. So I don’t have to defer maintenance or rationalize it away.
Here’s a link to the ‘Lectronic Latitude article I wrote about lowering a small boat’s mast:
Here’s a video from the previous mast lowering:
sailingwithjosh
Sailing With Josh 