Engine OK and Kingston for Christmas

This morning over coffee and toast I mulled over two immediate problems: my prepaid cell phone was down to $2.53 and the $60 that I had put in the day before had not been credited, and the engine would not start. A good omen was the fact that the weather in my corner of the world was cold but very clear, even though snow was reported in the California mountains, an Interstate highway, and Monterey further south. The feared torrential rains (with sand bags issued to parts of this region) had not happened.

I was resigned to dedicating half of the day to visiting Hilltop Mall to sort out the telephone issue. During week days the trip requires a bus change each way which adds to the travel time. Just before I began preparations for the trip to Hilltop I did one more check and found that the $60 had been credited, about 20 hours after the $60 had been keyed in. I figure that a server or router must have gone down on Sunday because these updates have been automated and I normally get a phone message confirming the account increase within minutes.

I then went over in my mind the engine wiring harness that I may have disturbed when replacing the oil filter and could not visualize the cause of the no-starter problem. Without sliding back the engine cover I turned on the key next to the navigation table then went topside to try starting the engine. In the cockpit I must flip down a toggle switch (Australia, possibly because everyone there is below the equator walking upside down, uses the convention where "down" is on, and "up" is off.) and then push the start button which is under a rubber cover to protect it from the weather. Nothing happened. So I pushed the button hard three times and the engine started on the the third thumb thrust. Trust the cockpit switch to hiccup after I've stressed the wiring harness below, just to confuse me. I ran the engine for 10 minutes then shut it down and checked the oil level which was Exactly at the top mark on the dip stick. I then restarted the engine and ran it for 20 minutes with the gear in reverse to stress it a bit and had a look at the fuel vacuum gauge which was pegged at the low end far, far below the yellow range which indicates a need to change the filter. (Mark had looked at the Racor primary fuel filter bowl and commented on how clean the fuel looked.) I looked down at the engine thumping along at 1000 rpm, thinking at the robust flow of cooling water, tight alternator belts, fresh crank case oil and filter, topped up transmission fluid, clean fuel filter, not-too-drippy stuffing box, and felt pretty good. The SABB diesel was running like - well - a well-oiled machine.

By then I had decided to accept brother Arnold and wife Sandra's invitation to spend Christmas and New Years with them at their Hacienda in Kingston, Washington. It wasn't a difficult decision since I greatly enjoy their company; they have a big, beautiful, comfortable, and warm home set in several acres of land; they have a great dog; and have cable TV (in that order). But it was a "game changer".

First of all, Arnold had reaffirmed his desire to accompany me in the Sea of Cortez for spear fishing and other delights of that part of Mexico. That meant that I would not depart from San Diego until after New Years so that Arnold could spend the holiday at home with Sandra So I figured that leaving Pachuca in Richmond until New Years would delay our arrival in Mexico only about two weeks (the few days to sail to San Diego plus a Fudge Factor.) Then there was the question of Pachuca. I could see that it was too risky to sail to San Diego on a schedule (never sail to a schedule!) to meet an airplane departure and also find a safe, affordable berth for Pachuca. The only practical solution was to leave Pachuca here at the marina in Richmond which I knew to be safe and watched over by Barry, Barry & Joyce, Jim, and other residents of the jetty whom I may not know formally but will know me. So after conferring with Arnold I booked Pachuca for another month at this Marina until 5 Jan 2010. I then visited "single" Barry (Barry Crandall is his name) and got his OK to use his secure wireless internet. On Barry's boat I booked a return flight with Alaska Airways for an all-up cost of $99 USD. By Australian standards that is really, Really cheap flying. I fly out of Oakland( which I didn't know existed until Mark told me by phone this morning) on Flt 341 at 12.40 PM on Tues 15 Dec and arrive at SeaTac at 2.45 PM. For the return to Richmond I fly out of SeaTac on Flt 344 at 12.50 PM on Mon, 4 Jan 2010 and arrive at Oakland at 2.56 PM.

After that I'm not sure. Arnold has indicated that he will sail will me from San Francisco, which will be of great comfort and assistance on the leg to San Diego. Assuming that he arrives in Richmond a day or two after I do it is likely that we will set sail from Richmond by maybe Jan 10. San Diego is only about 450 nm from San Francisco. If we sail "outside" and directly we should be there in about 5 days (15 Jan). But if we decide to take the coastal-hoping route the trip may take about 10 days, with arrival in San Diego of about 10 Jan.

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