Good bye San Diego (Peter)

As we write this, we are preparing to leave San Diego. It is time to head south, the hurricanes seem to have stopped and it is downright cold at night here. Other boats from the Northwest have collected in San Diego. Some we know well, some we are meeting for the first time. A lot of them are to leave on the HaHa in a couple of days, and of course some are "independents" heading south soon like us.

Here are Susan and Daryl, whom we first met a couple of years ago on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Both boats were sailing with an eye to testing systems for heading south to Mexico. We had enjoyed a dinner together, sharing plans, and we remember wondering what the chances actually were that we would really head down the coast. Now as we sat down below on "Wiz" it seemed hard to believe, but we felt grateful and lucky to be on the water in San Diego.

We've also seen and chatted with Shilshole K dockers "Yohelah" “Baloo”and "Kinship." "Masquerade" and "Argonaut" will arrive soon. Also here from Shilshole is “Rocinante.”

We have some relatives in San Diego, here are Mel, Melissa (niece), Miles, and Melina. We also had dinner with Dom (nephew) and his wife Tasha but weren't quick enough with the camera.

Ginger’s sister Edie and mom Sara (with her friend Jim) came to visit for a couple of days.

Edie’s actress friends Heidi and Meeghan came aboard for a dinner.

The new mast step that Shelter Island Boatyard fabricated is beautiful.

Here is Wayne, the boatyard boss.

We especially enjoyed the A9 cruiser’s anchorage with the great views of the city

and the variety of ships and boats passing by.

Though the anchorage was rough at times!

Here's my favorite dinghy at the downtown dinghy dock.

We’ve sewn new curtains to keep out all that sun, done the grocery shopping, and the laundry, picked up some pesos, gotten our visas and other paperwork in order, checked email, stowed the gear, topped off fuel, folded up the dinghy, plotted a course, run new rigging, tied up the lee cloth, and now we’re ready to go!