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Wednesday, August 18, 2010

in case you missed the link--

www.seaventure.us  is the site of the new blog and website combined.

Subscribing to posts

Those of you where were getting email updates from here need to come find our new home and subscribe there!


You can use either the RSS feed or an email subscription.

We don't want to loose you during the transition from one address to the other, so please, come on by and sign up so you'll know what we're up to and where we're headed.

www.seaventure.us

Thursday, July 08, 2010

Come and See What We've Done!

Okay. All of you who have subscriptions or are notified via email when I post, things have changed. On www.seaventure.us, our new Wordpress Blog/website, I just found out I can import all of the blogs from here. SO THAT"S WHERE YOU NEED TO VISIT!!!!

www.seaventure.us

I'm sorry, but those of you who were notified via email need to sign up for a subscription now as I haven't found a place for me to insert your emails. Please do so. Then, every time I post, it will send you the text, just as if I were sending an email. It seems to be just a click of a button, so it won't be hard to do!

For those not familiar with subscribing: there's a link at the near-top right of the new blog. It says something like, "Hey, there....RSS..." You want to click on the RSS thingy. Then you'll know when I feel creative enough or have enough to say that I add to the blog. 

That seems to be the only downside I've discovered so far. If you see others, let me know.

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

New Website/New Blog

I'm giving Wordpress a chance. They allow additional pages, which means our website and blog can hang out together. I wish Blogger did the same, but I couldn't find a way to make that happen.

Come on over and take a gander, will you? Let me know what you think.

www.seaventure.us

I can always change back, but this seems a simple solution. If it works well enough, I'll change my writing blog and website next fall when the hosting company sends me a new invoice.

Saturday, July 03, 2010

Puerto Escondido

Yesterday, we slithered up the twenty-some miles to Escondido. And I mean, slithered. What a difference a clean bottom makes when trying to cover ground by boat. I mentioned the slog out of La Paz, barely a knot over water. Michael took care of that in the bahia when he cleaned the prop. But we still had trouble getting over five knots of boat speed all the way to Agua Verde. Then, yesterday, lookee there: almost eight knots through the water. Amazing. So, that's why all the racers keep their boats out of the water between races or dive on them and clean, clean, clean. The La Paz magote just didn't invite diving, you know? Yes, we've had our typhoid shots, but still....

We should have gone sailing, but there were all those projects to finish. It seems there are always projects. Michael finished the aft cabin air conditioning system in Agua Verde -- good man -- and now he's doing some refitting of the pilothouse a/c. This morning is so cool I can't imagine needing it. But just a few days ago, my only recourse was a chilled gel pack on my skin and a big fan blowing. Good to be prepared.

We don't know how long we'll remain in Escondido. It's supposed to be a good hurricane hole. It's also just a short sail from Loreto, Isla Carmen, and, yes, Aqua Verde. We have Internet access here, which we've decided is a must for keeping in touch with folks like my agent and our family.

Agua Verde again

Oh, my, how lovely this place is. We found the small southerly cove empty except for two motorboats enjoying the day. By nightfall, Sea Venture was alone. During the next few days, Michael and I scraped the boat's bottom, removing the detritus we'd picked up in La Paz. Evenings, sport fishing boats would come to park, but they left in the morning, giving us back our bay and our peace. Michael made friends with a number of very curious and very friendly porcupine fish. They would see him donning his flippers and congregate, waiting for a barnacle meal, coming so close that he could touch them. Even though their spines can be poisonous, they seem sweet little critters.

Michael takes a rest as he floats near the boat.

Climbing out. We love that swim step.


And, of course, the perfect place to make water means the perfect place to do laundry.

Sea Venture, the work boat -- keeping  cool under the awning, laundry on the foredeck.

And, finally, an Agua Verde sunset.

Pictures from San Evaristo June 2010

The moon rising.



A guest who hitched a ride on our bimini from Evaristo to Agua Verde.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

San Evaristo Four

We arrived for our fourth visit to San Evaristo on Saturday, after spending Friday night in Caleta Pardita with about twelve other boats. As we headed out of La Paz early Friday, we experienced the drag that comes from a fouled prop, so we drifted around the bay long enough for Michael to cut the streamers off and rid it of barnacles. We also had a lovely visit from the Mexican Navy. They did a quick inspection, were courtesy itself, and happily accepted bottles of water. The gentleman who boarded took photographs of both instrument panels, checked that we had adequate fire extinguishers, and filled in his form. He also gave us the opportunity to express our opinion of the inspection. We gave him the highest honors -- and his crew for taking such care not to mar SV's topsides! He assured us that next year the inspection would not be necessary. US Coast Guard, take heed: this is the way to approach boaters. You will win accolades instead of scorn.
The motorsail from Caleta Partida to Evaristo was slower than usual. We have yet to have enough wind to raise the main, but the mizzen and genoa pulled us along with the help of the iron genny until about 20 minutes out. Then, no wind at all. We entered the anchorage to find a much different situation from April. Only one other boat lay at anchor, Willful Simplicity, a Catalina 27 owned by two delightful people who left the world of horse-training/teaching/blacksmithing for a life on the water. We spent Sunday on dinghy repair. Ah, yes, the dinghy again. Still, who can complain? With 3M 5200 and West Marine sealant, the dinghy once again will see another splash.
We left early Monday for Agua Verde. Pictures to follow.
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Thursday, June 24, 2010

Heading North

We'll be pulling up the anchor and heading north tomorrow morning. We should have winds to our stern, the best place to keep them.

The conditions will determine how far we sail each day and how long we linger at each anchorage. We'll let you know as we go.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Father's Day

I no longer have an earthly father, but I celebrate today because I am graced with a heavenly one. My earthly papa had a difficult time showing love, probably because his own father decamped when he was two. I grieve for the loss of what might have been for each of us. But my heavenly Father showers all who come, all who ask, with affection. Greater love hath no man.

So, on this day, I celebrate. And I thank the good Lord, my Abba Father, for the gift of His Love in the form of His Son. I thank Him also for the gift of the most precious husband a woman could want. I may have found him late in life, but I sail the seas with a best friend, a gracious lover, a bond servant of my Lord, and the best mechanic anyone on a boat could ever hope for! Glory! Thank you, Lord, for my husband, a father in his own right, and a step-father to my two: J. Michael Fischer, extraordinary captain of Sea Venture.


He is also quite the photographer. This is the sunset we enjoyed last night in La Paz. It is growing hot and humid here. Time to move on. So, as soon as Mr. Fischer finishes stocking the pipe and fittings he needs for the next projects, we will head north.


 And here is our resident night heron. He lives usually on the bobstay, but this evening, he came to roost on the bow pulpit. Michael caught this just before the heron squawked loudly and took off.