More Items off the Shopping List, Sailing on Saturday

I have been able to cross off more items from my USA shopping list.

Two "Excalibur" 120mm x 120mm computer fans made by Cool Master arrived early in the week. (http://www.ninjalane.com/reviews/cooling/cm_excalibur) I will use one for extracting air from the compartment holding the refrigerator compressor to replace the one that failed in Argentina.  I purchased two because there  was free shipping with orders of over $25, which made the second fan very cheap.  The all up cost for both fans was $32.35.  The run-of-the-mill fans were so laughably cheap that I sought a more up-market fan with better prospects.  The Excalibur fan rides on ball bearings rather than sleeve, giving it a longer expected life of 100,000 hours.  Arnold connected one to his motorcycle battery and the fan pushed out a serious amount of air.  It draws 320 Ma at full speed.

Then the open flame toaster came in.  Arnold and I had tried to find one at several large sporting goods stores with no luck then Sandra made the useful suggestion that I try Amazon.  Amazon had what I wanted in stock so I immediately placed an order and it was delivered to the house about two days ago.  It is a collapsible one made of stainless steel and should see me through to Australia.  The cost of the toaster (http://www.amazon.com/GSI-Outdoors-Glacier-Stainless-Toaster/dp/B001DHMKV6) was $9.52 but taxes and shipment to the house brought it up to $16.52.

Waterproof Silicone External Keyboard

This morning I drove to Silverdale and picked up the flexible waterproof computer keyboard that I had ordered the previous week.  I plugged it into one of the laptop's USB ports (a PS/2 adapter was also provided) and found that I could use either the in-built or external keyboard.  In a heavy seaway I'll probably protect the in-built keyboard with plastic and rely on the external waterproof one.  The cost including tax was $26.98.

On Wednesday Arnold took a call from West Marine in Kingston advising that the surface mounted Raymarine ST6002 autopilot head (i.e. display/control) had arrived.  This is to replace the one on Pachuca that was repaired in Argentina with the advice to replace it ASAP.  I telephoned yesterday and told West Marine to expect me on Monday to pick it up.  This was the number one item on my USA shopping list.

Tomorrow (Saturday) at 1 PM we will meet Chris Boscole at Salady Point on Camano Island for a sail on Orisha, his 65-ft McGregor.  The forecast is for good weather and light winds.

Videos of Morales Homestead - 4

Video of Morales Homestead -3

Video of Morales Homestead -2

Video of Morales Homestead -1

Here are two videos taken from the back yard of Arnold and Sandra's property.

Going to Vancouver, BC

I have confirmed train reservations for my visit to Nigel and Patrick in Vancouver, BC. 

The departure point is Edmonds, WA, which is the terminus of the Kitsap ferry.  Arnold will drop me off at the Kitsap ferry a few miles down the road.  I'll disembark at Edmonds and walk maybe 50 meters to the train station.  Very convenient.

Purchase Summary

Train 510: EDMONDS, WA - VANCOUVER, BCDepart 8:07 AM, Friday, October 19, 2012

1 RESERVED COACH SEAT

$26.35

Ticket Terms & ConditionsSENIOR CITIZEN 62 YRS OR OLDER - ID REQUIRED

Subtotal

$26.35

Train 517: VANCOUVER, BC - EDMONDS, WADepart 5:45 PM, Sunday, October 21, 2012

1 RESERVED COACH SEAT

$33.15

Ticket Terms & ConditionsSENIOR CITIZEN 62 YRS OR OLDER - ID REQUIRED

Subtotal

$33.15

Total Charged by Amtrak

$59.50

Janet and Sue at PT Boat Haven

Last Tuesday Jean Davies accompanied me on another visit to the Port Townsend Boat Haven.  Jean and I set off on foot to revisit the first of two jetties where Pachuca had been berthed in 2009.

Brenda and I had gotten to know Janet, whose boat had been berthed on the other side of the jetty from Pachuca, and I had little trouble in finding her boat because it was still decorated with a flower box near the bow. There was a young woman sitting in a boatswain's chair working half way up the mast and on the jetty was Janet herself.  She remembered me, Brenda, and Pachuca.  I introduced her to Jean then she asked me what I had been up to so I gave her a brief outline of my stay in La Paz, the sail around the Horn to Argentina, and the presence of the boat in Brazil.  Janet then gave me the sad news that Bob Benoit, whose boat had been next to Pachuca, had died.  I came to know Bob as a first rate sailor and a fine man.  He had given to me the best book on the exploits of small boat sailors that I've ever read and which is now a permanent member of Pachuca's modest library.  Bob was a lean and strong looking man so the loss came as a shock to me.

I asked Janet if she knew where Sue Hoover's boat Quantum Leap was, and she replied that it was probably near where Pachuca had been berthed the second time.  We drove to the other jetty and Jean waited in the car while I went looking for Sue's boat.  Sue had been forced to make an emergency return to Port Townsend from Anacortes with a suspected bent propeller shaft after running into a mat of eel grass during the night.  Her boat had been lifted out and found to be OK but we weren't sure where the boat was and didn't expect to see Sue because she  would be busy making preparations for departure early on the following day.

Janet

Sue and Jean

I got lucky and found Quantum Leap with Sue on board setting up a charger for her batteries.  We were very glad to see each other again.  Sue then walked back to the car with me to say hello to Jean and we all had a short chat.

Sue was planning to leave very early on the following morning in order to make Anacortes before nightfall.  The next day she would go to Bellingham where she would pick up a friend.  Then the two of them would set off on a 2 or 3 week sail around the San Juan Islands.  Lucky her. The weather was perfect and she was going to have a great time.

--------

Today, Friday, Arnold and I drove to Silverdale to pick up my repaired Toshiba laptop from Best Buy.  The keyboard and two sound cards had been replaced and everything else had been checked and found to be OK.  The all up cost including shipment and tax was $157, which made the repair very worthwhile.  I will now be returning to Brazil with the Acer notebook running XP and two Toshiba laptops running Windows 7.  On the boat is a fourth computer, the original Toshiba laptop running XP.  All four machines will be loaded and ready to go with the required navigation and communication software.  The new Toshiba will be the boat's navigation computer and the repaired Toshiba with its new sound cards will be my movies machine.

While I was at Best Buy I ordered a waterproof roll-up keyboard that can be plugged into any of the four machines via USB for $27, following up on Stephen's suggestion.  I had been planning to use it as a backup in case of keyboard faiulre, however, after looking at the hilarious clip at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STpNYMNC0K8 I may use it proactively during rough weather to protect the permanent keyboard. 


I've been in contact with Chris Boscole whom I met in Hawaii and currently has his McGregor 65 at Camano Island.   Arnold and I went for a sail with Chris during my last visit and pending good weather we tentatively plan to go out for another sail on the 29th or 30th.

Denver the Philosophical Dog

Finally, I am including a photo of Denver the Dog who has been wearing one of those head cones to prevent him from licking at stitches on his shoulder following minor surgery.  Denver has displayed amazing patience and good humor during the several weeks of his ordeal.

La Paz Here I Come, and Boat Shopping in Seattle

I have booked a return flight to La Paz Mexico.  I fly out on Monday 8 October at 8 AM and arrive at San Jose Del Cabo airport (SJD), which services Cabo San Lucas, at 2.39 PM.  I will then take a bus to La Paz which from memory will represent a 2 or 3 hour ride.  I will return to the USA on Friday 12 October, giving me a full 3 days in La Paz.

I've had help from Friends in High Places.  Bob Carroll visited Teresa at the apartment building where I lived during those two summers.  She seemed happy at the prospect of seeing me back and made apartment no. 8 available to me from the 8th to the 12th or whatever other days suited me.  Knowing that I'll have accommodation waiting for me makes my return to La Paz very much easier, and I am grateful to Bob for his help.  I'll have a chance to thank him personally over dinner on the night of my arrival. The cost of the accommodation, by the way, will be 250 pesos or about $20 per night.  I'll take my alarm clock with me because I don't want to miss morning coffee with the guys at the Palapa of Knowledge, Wisdom, and Truth.

That will mark the beginning of 3 days of catching up with friends, prowling around the town in the clear and sunny weather, tacos and enchiladas for lunch, Pacifico Clara beer, walking along the Malecon along the waterfront in the evening for a cone of the best double ice cream on the planet, and margaritas overlooking the bay while I wait for dinner.  It will be a tough three days, but somebody has to do it.

On Monday Jean Davies drove me to Seattle for shopping at Fisheries Supply next to Gas Works Park on Lake Union. She made it all possible because it would have been extremely difficult and downright dangerous for me to have attempted to find my own way in Arnold's RX7.  Fisheries Supply (http://www.fisheriessupply.com/) is by far the best boating shop that I've ever seen, an opinion heard many times by their staff. 

Walking in to Fisheries Supply was the realization of a dream of mine since rounding the Horn and I was determined to keep calm and take my time in working through the list of 10 items.  Jean was very helpful and seemed to enjoy learning a lot about the bits and pieces that go into boats.

Item number one was control lines for the Monitor wind steering.  I gave the man my specifications of 1/4" diameter, strong, low stretch, and highly resistant to abrasion.  He told me that most people use 12-strand "Amsteel", with a tensile strength of 7400 lbs.  I purchased 16 meters (52') of it, enough for two sets of lines.  If the line is as strong as I think that it is, it should last for years, as did my original lines.  The idea is to avoid at all costs having to change the lines out at sea, and I think that I have ensured that.

I found a hand fuel transfer pump, something that has been eluding me since Mexico.  This should eliminate the messy ordeal of fueling in a rolling sea using an open plastic bucket.

Then I got help in finding two extremely bright strip lights each with 24 LED's.  The lights, including switches and wiring, cost only $32 each.  They will be replacements in case of failure of my cabin, navigation table, or galley light.

There were many small items such as sealants, fuel stabilizer, marine wax, and electrical connectors that are trivial for someone living in the USA but difficult to find by a visitor to Argentina or Brazil.  I purchased two 17 Oz containers of the marine restorer and wax because it is likely that I will polish Pachuca's hull myself by hand when I return to Brazil.

I then dealt with the flaky deck light where the tiny halogen bulb burns incredibly hot and yet is not protected by a cover leaving it exposed to the elements.  After getting help in getting a replacement bulb I was shown a better model of light that uses a large diameter halogen bulb that is self sealed.  At a cost of $72 I thought that it was worth a try.  The mounting method is the same as with the old light but it uses four fasteners instead of two, which will mean drilling of 4 holes for pop rivets.  I don't think that I have a pop rivet gun on board but rather than purchase one and add to the weight of my luggage I'll probably try to borrow one from Enrique in Bracui.

After a leisurely ninety minutes or so I had 9 of my 10 items crossed off the list.  The only thing that we were not able to find was a suitable wire mesh toaster for open flames.  But I was not concerned about that because there are plenty of camping stores on the Kitsap part of the sound.

We then found our way to Ivar's on Lake Union and had a lunch of their renowned red chowder.  Jean asked why only the white chowder was on the menu and the waiter replied that the red chowder is an "insider" thing and not advertised. Jean established her credentials as an insider then asked me if I still wanted the white chowder.  I told her and the waiter that I too wanted to be an insider and ordered the red chowder.  It was a great clam chowder, accompanied by a chilled bottle of white wine.  By sheer luck it was Tuesday, and on Mondays and Tuesdays bottles of wine are at half price. (Elisa and I had similar luck at Ivar's on the waterfront.)  I told Jean that the more bottles of wine we ordered the more money we would save, but we prudently held it to only one bottle.

It was approaching sunset when we got on the Kingston ferry and our car was parked with a good view to the front so I took some videos from inside of the car.

We telephoned Arnold and Sandra from the ferry, much later in the day than we had expected, and Sandra, bless her heart, was preparing dinner for four at short notice.  There was more good food, copious wine, and enjoyable conversation.

Visit to PT Boat Haven

Last Monday I returned to the Port Townsend Boat Haven to see friends who had worked on my boat.

I visited Mark who had played a major part in the repowering of Pachuca and continues to provide advice and support even when I am out at sea.  On the surface nothing had changed.  Mark was in his usual office with the same staff, and the sign still said "Shoreline Marine"; but in fact "Shoreline" had been purchased by Haven Boatworks at the other end of the boatyard.

Mark was very generous with his time and after a short chat he treated me to a tour of the Haven Boatworks premises, which until now has specialized in all facets of boat building and repair except engine work, a gap now filled by the acquisition of Shoreline.

Job at Haven Boatworks

Mark at back of Shoreline building.  Mural is of Foss tug.

Mark's retro bicycle

A great restoration project

Mark introduced me to the principals of Haven Boatworks, Julia Maynard and Stephen Gale.  Stephen recalled his travels through Argentina, and from the short discussion that I had with Julia about sailing I could tell that she knew blue water sailing.  Mark then took me on a tour of the workshops and I drooled at the sight of the comprehensive woodworking equipment and the expertise that must reside within those walls.

At the Port Townsend Boat Haven just about everything has character.  Mark's escorted across the boat yeard on his retro bicycle in John Deere colors.  Afterwards I photographed an even more retro bicycle that must have been fished out of the harbor.

Afterwards I walked over to Port Townsend Rigging and saw Lisa and Shannon.  Unfortunately Dan was at Port Hudson, no doubt on a rigging job.  Lisa told me that Dan would like to get feedback from me on my rigging problems during the Horn adventure, and I'll make sure that I see him during this visit.

PTWBF Video - 5

PTWBF Videos - 4

PTWBF Videos - 3

PTWBF Videos - 2

PTWBF Videos - 1

Photos of PTWBF

Here are a few photos that I took at the 2012 Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival.

3 photos of beautifully restored launch

Give away price of $16,000

Hand brake?  Probably gear shift.

2 photos of steam boat

Returning from the regatta

Lady Washington back for maintenance

Beautiful fittings available for purchase

Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival

I arrived at the PTWBF at about 10 AM accompanied by Jean Davies, one of the many friends that it is my good fortune to have in the Port Townsend area.  After a brief look around we attended a superb presentation by Carol Hasse at her sail loft,  "Essentials of Sail Making" in which she beautifully described the various the various types of rigs and rigging as well as sails and their manufacture. 

Howard Rice wih John Welsford Speaking in front of SCAMP

Patrick, Nigel, Robert, Jean

Chart Drawers at Northwest Maritime Center Library

Toad,Jean, Francis

When we stepped out of the loft after Carol's talk I told Jean that we'd better head toward the festival entrance and keep an eye out of Nigel and Patrick.  They found us first.  I knew that we were late to meet at the appointed time but I was relieved to hear that they too had been late and had been at the festival for only about 10 minutes.  It was great to see them again for the first time since Brenda and I had visited Vancouver in Pachuca.  They had driven from Vancouver to Whidbey Island and parked the car then boarded the ferry to Port Townsend on foot, thus avoiding all of the parking hassles near the festival grounds.  I asked where they were planning to spend the night and they replied that they were returning home that night.  "You mean you drove from Vancouver to Port Townsend for lunch?" I asked, surprised, and indeed they had.  It was a classy thing to do and I very much appreciated it.

After a pleasant lunch we split up for an hour.  Nigel and Patrick went on a tour of the interesting boats at the jetties, most of them open for visitors.  Jean and I went to the presentation "SCAMP, The Evolution of an Optimal Micro Cruiser" by Howard Rice and John Welsford, the New Zealand designer.  As I had hoped, I saw Simeon Baldwin who is also very involved with the SCAMP project. (http://threesheetsnw.com/blog/2011/10/at-less-than-12-feet-scamp-boat-offers-big-features-in-a-tiny-package/)  He took me over to say hello to Howard and John, whom I had met the year before.  I told them that I had brought with me the SCAMP burgee autographed by John  after the PTWBF of 2011 that I had taken around  the Horn. 

We then met up again with Nigel and Patrick but, sadly, it was time for them to set off for home.  I hate goodbyes but this one was made easier by their invitation for me to visit them in Vancouver, and I hope to do that in mid to late October.

When Jean and I returned to her car I said "Where is my video camera?"  I had carried it to the festival and it was no longer with me.  It was the great Sony camera that I had managed to protect so well during my rounding of the Horn.  I figured that I had left it at the sail loft, where I had put it on the floor in front of me during Carol's presentation.  I returned to the sail loft and was told by one of the volunteers that nobody had turned in a video camera but that I might want to check at the "lost and found" tent.  On the way down the stairs I met Carol Hosse and explained my problem.  She told me that she'd keep an eye out for it.

I went to the "lost and found" tent and reported of my loss. One of the ladies asked me where I had lost it and I replied that I thought that I had left it at Carol's sail loft, pointing to it with my left hand.  Another lady then reached in a bag and produced my video camera.  Wow!  I declared that this greatly lifted the reputation of Port Townsend in my eyes.  Some very decent and honest woman had brought it in. I said that it was very good karma for the woman and asked them to thank her for me if they saw her again.  I left with three the three women in the tent beaming with big smiles, which matched the one on my face.

Jean and I then wound up on the upper veranda of the Northwest Maritime Center building watching the boats returning to port from the regatta while we waited for Lin and Larry Pardey's presentation, "The Compelling Power of Adventure".  The wind and weather were perfect and  the boats looked spectacular as they came in under full sail. 

I saw Larry walk over to the rail and I approached him.  I had brought for him and Lin a card of Neil Shroyer, the manager and no doubt part owner of Marina de La Paz.  Lin had given me the impression that she and Larry had not seen Mary and Mac Shroyer since the '60s, but Larry told me that they had seen them only a few years ago.  I said that in that case he would not want the card but Larry asked if he could have it and I handed it to him explaining that I had brought it to the USA to give to him and Lin. Soon we went to the presentation  which included fascinating photographs of their many adventures on land as well as sea.  ... Larry is getting on in years like the rest of us, but wow, could that man build wooden boats in his time!

Jean and I were back in Port Townsend again on Sunday.  Jean unexpectedly ran into an acquaintance from another part of the country.  While walking along the boat haven she had spotted Burl's memorial bench along the path next to the beach.  Jean's sister Vi, who was the inspiration for the bench, would be very happy to hear about that.

We then spotted Francis and "Toad" and it was great to see them again.  Being around those two make me - and I'm sure Jean and just about everyone else - feel happy.  We accepted their invitation for drinks and finger food at Toad's new house.

Jean took me into yet another wonderful boating resource that I had not been aware of.  In the top floor of the Maritime Center building is an excellent nautical library with a wide and comprehensive range of boating literature, including very old and possibly rare books.  There were even charts that could be examined in detail using old fashioned surface-sliding magnifying glasses.

Just before Jean and I stepped into the elevator to go up to Lin and Larry's "Storm Tactics" Larry walked into it.  I assured him that it was a coincidence and we were not stalking him.  The presentation was good, though for me it was only a reenforcement of the lessons in their book "Storm Tactics" which is in my boat and I have read several times.

We then visited Francis and Toad, admiring her very well built two story 4-bedroom house on a large double lot.  Francis was, as usual, the consummate host, serving an outstanding pizza which he had "value added" to 5-star standard that was accompanied by a choice of various wines an beers.

While I was biting into a pizza I felt the false tooth of my upper plate give.  We were in a social setting and I didn't want to disrupt the flow of the conversation so I managed to work the tooth to the upper left part of my mouth between the gum and cheek while chewing and speaking.  Later I retrieved the tooth and put it in my pocket, wondering how I was going to get it fixed.

I'll jump ahead of events and say that on Monday night Arnold and Sandra were very helpful in finding potential dentlal technicians.  I couldn't see the need for going to a dentist to be referred to a denture lab instead of going direct.  We settled on Anderson Denture Center because they had a good web site, a good Better Business Bureau rating, and were in nearby Paulsbo.  I telephoned this morning and got an appointment for 1 PM.

It was a good choice.  I got great service and liked Bruce Anderson very much.  At first he seemed more interested in questions about Australia and then I told him a little about my sailing adventures.  Regarding the partial plate, it was such a straight forward job that he saw no need to take an impression of my teeth and told me that it would be ready at 4.30 PM.  At 4.30 I was back and told him about some reasearch that I had done on the internet concerning his questions.  He produced a copy of Hal Roth's classic Trekka Round the World and I pointed out where he had been pitchpoled while approaching the Horn.

He made a couple of adjustments to get a good fit to the plate then I asked him whether to address him as "Mr." or "Dr."  "Call me Bruce" he replied, then we shook hands and he wished me the best on my voyage.  At the desk the bill was $94 which I considered to be very good considering the exellent and very fast work.
 

Off to the PT Wooden Boat Festival

The first day of the PTWBF was yesterday, Friday.  I chose to stay in Kingston to see my niece Elisa off on her return to her working life in Pennsylvania.  I also wanted to meet Andy, a relative of Sandra, and his friend Travis.  Sandra would remain at Seatac airport after seeing Elisa off to meet Andy and Travis in the afternoon.

Late in the morning UPS arrived with my two BU-353 GPS antennas and the new extended life battery for the Acer netbook.  I expect to get at least 4 hours of running time from the new battery.

During the middle of the day I drove to Silverdale intent on purchasing an HP g6-1d11dx laptop at Best Buy. I was discussing the HP machine with the sales guy and noticed a Toshiba C855-S5206 next to it at the same price ($400).  I wound up purchasing the Toshiba because I was familiar with Toshibas, there would be a compatibility with power adaptors (simplifying my cabling and giving me redundancy in case of failure), and the Toshiba offered a fast USB 3.0 port (along with two USB 2.0 ports).  I set the machine up in the evening and it felt exactly like the Toshiba that I had just put in for repairs.  The C855 is a more powerful version, with a faster processor,  4 GBof memory instead of 2 GB, and 500 GB of disc instead of 320 GB, and a 6-cell battery providing 4 hours of running time.

I visited the "Geek Squad" counter of Best Buy and was told that the Toshiba C655 machine that I had brought from Brazil with keyboard problems would have to be sent to Kentucky for assessment, and that it may not be worth fixing.  However, for a non-refundable $35 they would ship it to Louisville and give me a quotation.  If I decided not to proceed with repair the machine would be returned to me.  I figured that at $35 it was worth the shot.

I am about to set off for an early start at the Boat Festival to see as much of it as possible.  At about 11.30 AM I will be meeting for lunch my friends Nigel and Patrick who are driving all of they way from Vancouver, BC.

Videos: Seattle Space Needle

Videos: Fish Market

Videos: Ferris Wheel

Tour Day in Seattle

Elisa and I spent the entire day in touring in Seattle.  For me it was a bonus because for me it was like having my own personal tour guide.

Ferris Wheel, Space Needle, Market In Between

Panic Button in Ferris wheel gondola

Fresh Fish at Market

Live Entertainment at Market

The First Starbucks

We parked the car at Bainbridge Island then took the ferry to Seattle.  Soon we were on the Ferris wheel which I understand is a fairly new feature of the Seattle skyline.  We had our own private gondola so were able to jump around taking photographs and videos.  After that Elisa took me to a spooky shop that features two mummified bodies upright in glass cases.

We then spent a lot of time exploring the famous market area and it surrounds.  It's a terrific market that in my mind lived up to its national reputation.  Across the street from the market Elisa showed me the first Starbucks shop.

We then spent some time in the CBD where Elisa got a shield for her telephone.  I mention this because while we were on our way to the Space Needle I did one of my frequent back pack checks and could not find the little Fujifulm camera in its glasses case.  We emptied just about everything from the back pack and the camera just wasn't there.  I knew that I had not left the camera laying around so I figured that a slick pickpocket had unzipped one of the back pack pockets and lifted the camera.  I stoically wrote the camera off but fortunately Elisa suggested that we return to the Verizon store.  Before we went through the front door I saw it on the floor.  It had slipped out of my pocked while I was seated waiting for Elisa.

That crisis over, we had a great lunch at Ivar's on the waterfront (Grilled Coho Salmon accompanied by a bottle of chilled Sauvignon Blanc)  then took the underground bus and the overhead train to visit the Space Needle.  It was the first visit for me, but we both enjoyed the spectacular views in the clear weather. 

Mt Raineir in Background

Lake Union from Space Needle

It was late in the afternoon when we emerged from the Space Needle but decided to push on and take the tour of the "underground city" below the street level of modern Seattle.  We learned a lot of the colorful history of the city, much different from the sanitized version found in high school history books.  The explanation of how the underground city came to be is fascinating but too complicated to try to explain in this blog.  However, I highly recommend the tour to all visitors.  The standard tours run until 6 PM. After that are two Adults Only tours which the brochure describes with "Dirt Corruption Sewers Scandal! Hilarious Historic Tour Beneath Seattle's Sidewalks" and "Lust Sin Sex Debauchery!"  I will be taking that tour on my next visit to the Northwest - for historical reasons only (Yea, Right).

We got back to the homestead at about 10 PM.  It had been a long but very enjoyable and informative day. I got to know Seattle better and liked it more.

Visit to Point No Point

Arnold, Elisa and I took advantage of the great weather to visit Point No Point, a few miles north of Kingston.  Elisa and I went by car and Arnold followed in his Suzuki 550 CC motorcycle. 

Captain America and Daughter

Captain Two Scoop

Great Idea, Loaner Life Jackets for Children

Beach at Point No Point

Strong Current

We started off by visiting the nearby cafe-grocery store where I indulged in a double ice cream, my first since La Paz.  On the way to the actual point we visited a fresh water lake and did a bit of hiking along a path through the vegetation.  At Point No Point we managed to find parking for the car and Arnold decided to move on. Elisa and I visited the lighthouse where we were lucky enough to find the volunteer free and able to give us a history of the facility.  We then sat on a log for over 30 minutes enjoying the sun and the splendid scene of people enjoying the beach, a loopy dog trying to dig his way to china, and many passing boats.

Shopping List and Visit to Port Townsend

The settling in process has been easy, comfortable, and very pleasant.  The Morales household is functioning well and is superbly maintained.  The dramatis personae are all present as I remember them.  This includes the dog, the two cats, and the bear (whom I am yet to see) who has resumed his visits looking for food in the bird  feeders. The bonus is niece Elisa who will be here another few days.

A Challenging Project

The boat "penalty box"

Interesting if not Beautiful

Arnold had his RX7 ready for my use and after reacquainting me with its controls I made a solo  journey into the Kingston CBD to get cash from the Bank of America ATM and visit the hardware store across the street where I was happy to see that they still have the biggest reading glasses bargain on the planet.  I walked out with 8 pairs of glasses for $40.00.  As she handed me the glasse the lady at the counter told me that it would set me for life and I replied that it would do me for about a year because I live on a boat.  I then drove over to Wal-Mart and purchased things that are trivial in the USA but a big deal in far away lands.  I now have a new pair of track shoes with a half-size to accommodate my high instep and two pairs of my favourite slippers which on the boat is my signal for rest and relaxation whether I'm drifting becalmed or beating through a gale.

Through the Web I ordered an extended capacity (9 cells) battery for the Acer netbook computer and two more Bu-353 GPS antennas because at $25 they are great value for money and provide backup for the two that I a using on the boat.  Today I expect to order the Raymarine ST6002 Plus head  (control&display) for the autopilot  There is much remaining on my boat shopping list, the bulk of which I expect to address at Fisheries Supplies in Seattle.

On Saturday I paid my first visit to Port Townsend.   As soon as I started the RX7 the radio came on with Louie Louie and soon I was zipping down the highway under a sunny and cloudless sky, radio volume up, and feeling like a 68 year old teenager.

The first port of call was predictable: the Port Townsend Boat Haven.  I didn't expect to see any of my friends at the various businesses because it was Saturday and the beginning of the Labor Day weekend, but nevertheless it was great to see the place and the latest crop of boats on the hardstand.  I took several photos.  When I took the photo an interesting looking boat with big lee boards a man came from around his car and started talking with me.  He was the builder and owner offered to let me go aboard and have a look, but I didn't want to trouble him.  Then he jumped on board and had the lug sails up in about 30 seconds.  He described his boat as an "experiment" rather than "beautiful".  I also took a photo of the fenced off compound containing boats whose owners are in arrears in payments to the Haven.  The boats where the matter is not settled will be put up for auction.

I then drove through the town and was reminded of how traditional and charming it is.  I had lunch outside on a deck overlooking the water and got a good dose of sun and warmth.  I had a great dose of food too: a decadent and hefty hamburger with fries accompanied by a glass of chilled white wine.

The Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival (PTWBF, http://woodenboat.org/festival/) begins this Thursday afternoon and will run until Sunday afternoon, and  I expect to visit on Saturday and Sunday.