Magic Carpet Grande Adventures

Greg, Donna Lou and Boat Cat Ziwhot's Search for Adventure Captain Gregory (KI6IIU) and Admiral Donna Lou (KI6IIS) Norell E-mail: norell49@yahoo.com

24 December 2021 | Marina San Carlos
20 December 2020 | Marina San Carlos
27 November 2020 | San Carlos, Sonora
26 November 2020 | San Carlos, Sonora, Late Entry
20 November 2020 | El Burro Cove, Conception Bay, Late Entry
24 October 2020 | San Jaunico, BCS, Late Entry
26 December 2018 | San Carlos Sonora Mx
07 July 2018 | Pinacle Rock San Jaunico BCS
06 June 2018 | San Jaunico
22 April 2018 | Tanzania Africa
22 April 2018
22 April 2018
22 April 2018
22 April 2018
22 April 2018
22 April 2018
22 April 2018
22 April 2018

Merry Christmas Happy New Year 2022

24 December 2021 | Marina San Carlos
Gregory Norell

S/V Magic Carpet sailed to the South Pacific without us, we set set her up for a win win the new owners are good "nut at the wheel"

24 December 2021
Gregory Norell

Merry Christmass Happy New Year

20 December 2020 | Marina San Carlos
Admiral Donna Lou | Coola nd Clear

ADIOS S/V MAGIC CARPET

27 November 2020 | San Carlos, Sonora
Admiral Donna Lou | Sunny Calm Clear
Thanks for being so fantastic, you are great in all conditions, you're a perfect cruising boat, and you kept us safe and sound always. The joys and wonders we shared with you we will treasure forever! We never dreamed the day would come that we would part with you. Magic Carpet you have aged beautifully, you're better than ever. It's hard to admit but your Captain & Admiral & even the Cat little Z are slowing down. We were fortunate enough to find a young couple who took one look at you and knew you were just the Sail boat they were looking for. So you're off cruising the sea again doing what you do best making your skipper happy. It was with a heavy heart & tears in our eyes as you sailed away without us.

“Dreams into Reality”

26 November 2020 | San Carlos, Sonora, Late Entry
Admiral Donna Lou | Sunny Calm Clear
Little did we know at the time our Golden Years Adventure "Dreams into Reality "had ended!
That was our last sail, We sailed out of Todd Harbor, Bethel Island, California Delta to San Francisco Bay on December 7, 2007. It took a little over a year to finish our voyage preparation and sail under of the Golden Gate Bridge chasing a dream. The kids were raised on their own, it was now our time. We have had a great time seen and done things we only dreamed about. Developed a great love and respect for our south of the boarder neighbors, there is so much to see & do in Mexico, knowing we would never retrace our trip we have tried to see it all. It seems like time has run out for us, we still hold on to our adventures spirit, but health & age have taken their toll! 2019 was a wake up call year for us. As we prepared Magic Carpet for sea in the fall of 2018 we found it harder to get things done, Doctors in the states told us we were just getting old, but we found that very hard to except. Our Doctor in Mexico tried to find out what was happening test after test - but he found the problems & the solutions. Both the Captain & Admiral are now doing well. The recovery was slow and Magic Carpet danced at the docks like a floating condo for us. During that time we came to realize it would be very hard to handle a storm at sea in our sail boat, age and health were against us! Trips to the fore deck were out of the question even little Z was now a geriatric. But swallowing the hook was hard to do; we didn't feel ready for that yet. The Mexican medical Doctors have time to really do their job - diagnose and treat. We needed them on our team. After a lot of soul searching we decided we needed a different boat one that would meet our geriatric needs. After a lot of looking we did what we thought we would never do sold Magic Carpet and purchased a trawler. She's a floating condo for sure were very comfortable and looking forward to returning to our sea fairing gypsy life for a while longer. It's really hard after all our sailing years to think about being at sea without a sail to rely on. The Dreams continue but it not our Golden Years Dreams, We moved up to our Platinum Years Dreams, a little more comfort for our old bones!
It's often said old cruiser give up the sea and go to #1 go to rest homes. #2 Buy R.V. and travel the roads. #3 go to the dark side buy a power boat & stay on the sea.
She is called M/V Magic Carpet Grande, a 41 ft DeFever, The Captain is currently commissioning her with updated Electronics, The Admiral loves the all teak interior, teak and holly soul ,larger galley, bathtub, staterooms, & most of all real chairs.

Conception Bay

20 November 2020 | El Burro Cove, Conception Bay, Late Entry
Admiral Donna Lou | Sunny Calm Clear
For the last few weeks we have tried our best to relax and enjoy the sea. We finely caught the southern wind & sailed to San Domingo at the head of Conception Bay. The water was still a little cold so so the Dorado hadn't joined us on our voyage north, a few Skip Jacks and Jack Carvals were willing to be caught but know keepers. We cruised anchorages in Conception Bay enjoying all is has to offer. We even attended our first salt water floating Art Show, enjoying good company and a chocolate claims feast. The water had finely warmed up to 88 degrees. Swimming, diving & just doing our daily laps around Magic Carpet delighted us. We felt we appreciated our boat and life afloat more than ever, we had really been able to turn "Dreams into Reality".
News of several Hurricanes brewing in our tropical kitchen with predictions of their heading up the Sea of Cortez. Encouraged us to get back to Santa Domingo and look for the best possible time and conditions to cross over to the main land & Magic Carpets berth at our Hurricane hole in Marina San Carlos. We didn't want to ride out Hurricane Bud in Conception Bay. Our crossing was not the piece of cake we hoped for! The always unpredictable Chubasco hit, the first of the season greeted us half ways across. Lighting at sea is a assume sight but the damage it can do is not. We altered course to find relief from the wind stirred up seas, sailing farther north than we would have liked but in greater comport. Three hours on watch and three hours off for 22 hr's Little Z was giving us dirty looks again "no time outs" . The phosphorescence was spectacular the night before we left Santa Domingo we had watched M.C. being surrounded by poke a dots of light in the water . We watched small needle fish chasing and jumping after 2" baby fish and turtles slowing by with their mouths open. We were enchanted and reminded why little Z insisted on staying on deck all night when the anchor was down. The phosphorescence was stoning all during the Chubasco crossing joined by the front of Hurricane Bud. At one point the Admiral screamed out as she was startled by what looked like a sea monster jumping up right beside her, of course it was just a Big Dorado covered in phosphorescence.


Vessel Name: Magic Carpet Grande
Vessel Make/Model: Defever 41
Hailing Port: Richmond Yacht Club, Pt Richmond, SF Bay, CA, USA
Crew: Greg, Donna Lou and Boat Cat ZiWhot Norell
About: Greg a Retired E/M Design Engineer from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Vice President and CFO of DLM Marketing, Donna Lou is President and CEO of DLM Marketing, also Greg and Donna own and operate an Olive orchard Dejavu Orchards in Northern California.
Extra:
Looking for Adventure, We have a DeFever 41 "Magic Carpet Grande" berthed at Richmond Yacht Club in SF Bay we both love to sail, fish and dive, Greg spent the last five years getting the boat ready. Ready or not were cutting the dock lines this spring (2009) and going South to Pacific Coast of [...]
Home Page: http://www.sailblogs.com/member/magiccarpetadventures/
Magic Carpet Grande's Photos - Tori Birthday Dive Trip
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Marcos, our dive Master showing us the Swanne, rock reef responsible for the sinking of the Salvartiera Ferry in 1976.
Blue and Gold Snapper
Swanne sunken Barge
Sea life growing on the Swanne, several types of coral
Large California Moray eel hiding! they inhabit Baja
Capt. Gregorio checking out the Swanne!
Look closely and see a Cortez eel garden
they hide when you get close!
Lot
 Our Hammerhead Shark!
Top part of the wreck.
hiding whole for smaller fish trying to stay clear of the food chain.
Going Down..under...
The family dive together.
Donna -Victoria - Greg Sr. - Greg Jr.
Family Fun
Looking around
Look good & you will see a ell garden only found in the Sea of Cortez.
Large Flower Coral & Brain Coral.
King Angle Fish.
Capt. Greg.
Ivory bush coral & garden eel
Smoth landing Capt. Greg.
A Wonderfull coral head!
Look at this fantastic coral garden. With all fish swimming about Jacques Cousteau call the Sea of Cortez the " Aquarium of the World" We agree it
Swimming in the Aquarium of the world!
Star Fish
So many fish!
Small Morey out & about among the Oysters & Sea Scallops. (see the shell openings)
Coral Head on top of brain coral head.
Coral gardens
Dive partners Tori & Greg Jr.
Sting Ray waiting to get us. If you put your feet down you must do it carefuly.
Most fish in the Sea of Cortez have teeth & pick at the Coral I have even seen them pull up garden eels & eat them!
Young fish swimming  by ribbon coral.
King Angelfish & Sargeant Majors and a young Parrotfish swimming amoung the coral.
A small part od the reef.
Mountainous star coral.
Jr. & Tori
Deep water gorgonia coral & club finger coral.
blowing bubbles
The Capt. with all the little fish!
a view of the reef
Cortez King Angelfish
Greg Jr. & Victoria in the Sea of Cortez Aquarium
Underwater greeting from Greg Sr.
Hard to see Scorpion Fish -ugly fish said to be good eating?
Cortez eel garden.
Relaxing under water is easy & you save air so you can stay down longer!
We always explor under water with our partners.
Los Islotes A sea lion colony - Two small rocky islands in the Isla Espiritu Santo area just out of La Paz -young sea lion hideing
a shy one!
Going down!
Sea Lion playing.
Partners
Great swimmers & show off
Hands out to the Sea Lion.
Swimming with the Sea Lions.
calling them close.
They are coming closer.
Porcupinefish.
The big thick-armed cushion star is @ 6 in across.
Hi from the Birthday Girl! She is so old I not only lie @ my age but hers to! What a great way to spend a birthday.
Look out for the sting rays!
Tori & Greg Jr.
So much to see - We have @ 1 hour of air on each dive - We do two a day.
Victoria & all her gear!  Magic Carpet carry
It
Sea Lion resting!
They are so much fun to swim with!
They are show off
Family Dive!
coming up slowly!
Great show!
Friends.
swim partners.
Dive Master Marcos checks out Capt. Gregs gear!
So much fun!
Rest stop on the way up: a must!
Looking down where we have been!
Time to take the Wt. belts off!
Tori loved it! What are we going to do on her next birthday?  This is hard to beat!
Aboard the Club Cortez dive boat with Capt. Carlos & dive Master Marcos!
The Island of Los Islotes.
It
It
Sea caves!
Greg Jr. enjoying the ride!
 
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"Greg, Donna and Boat Cat ZiWhot's BIG Adventure"