SV Panta Rhei Retirement Trip

Vessel Name: Panta Rhei
Vessel Make/Model: Able Apogee 50
Hailing Port: Seattle
Crew: Larry and Karen
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18 September 2017 | Seattle
23 August 2017 | Prince Rupert
15 August 2017 | Anan Bear Observatory
19 July 2017 | Petersburg, AK
17 June 2017 | Hoonah, AK
03 June 2017 | Seward AK
03 June 2017 | Denali
25 April 2017 | Seward AK
23 March 2017 | Seward, AK
11 March 2017 | Seward, AK
23 January 2017 | Seward AK
06 December 2016 | Seward AK
12 November 2016 | Seward Alaska
14 October 2016 | Valdez, AK
21 September 2016
05 August 2016 | Seward, AK
26 July 2016 | Whittier, AK
19 July 2016 | Valdez, Alaska
05 July 2016 | Seward, Alaska
Recent Blog Posts
18 September 2017 | Seattle

We are back in Seattle

It feels like home. Of course we are not in Silshole. Maybe we will be, someday, but there is a list and we are on it. In the meantime we are at Bainbridge Island Marina.

23 August 2017 | Prince Rupert

The dinghy holds air again

It wasn't very nice of the bear to tear the fabric across a seam. We were worried that we couldn't patch it but tried anyway. The glue had a job to do and it did it!

15 August 2017 | Anan Bear Observatory

A Grizzly Bear damaged our dinghy

We were visiting the Anan Bear Observatory south of Wrangell. It is one of the best places to visit in all of SE Alaska BECAUSE it has bears. But (as we learned) there is a dark side to this bear concentration. And of course, there is a story to tell.

19 July 2017 | Petersburg, AK

Moving On

"No matter where you go, there you are" (unknown reference). By now we have been there and done that. Most recently that included Cannery Cove on Admiralty Island. The photo shows the quiet grandeur of the setting with Ron and Suzie's boat SV Tango in the foreground. It has been like that for the last [...]

17 June 2017 | Hoonah, AK

We are in Hoonah, SE Alaska now

We got something resembling a high pressure ridge so we moved expeditously across the Gulf of Alaska. The crossing took three days and weather stayed as forecast. That was a very good thing. The weather changes in the far north far more rapidly and dramatically than we ever experienced in the more southern [...]

03 June 2017 | Seward AK

Crossing the Gulf of Alaska

We are still in Seward, AK. Now that spring has come, why not start south?

A crowded ocean

23 October 2011 | Mazatlan, Mexico
Larry Nelson
We've arrived in Mazatlan where we are docked at the Marina Fonatour. This dock is convenient to Total Yacht Works where we are scheduled to have work done. The key problem is that the engine overheats at moderate to high power settings even though all the heat exchangers have recently been removed and cleaned. The warmer water (currently measuring 87F) is not enough to explain the overheating problem. My guess is that the salt water exit into the exhaust is carboned up but that remains to be confirmed. It may be more complicated than that. The other problem is that the house bank alternator front bearing is making inappropriate noise and the windlass backing plate is corroded badly (which is a little like a cancer than may include the windlass motor or gear train. It all has to be brought into good condition before we start our trip south. Those are only the really big things. Other tasks include the vang (which has lost its nitrogen charge again), putting the water maker back into an unjury rigged configuration, the bow thruster (which now exhibits huge and unrepeatable delay between command and thrust), a door for the forward head that won't latch shut, a scuba compressor that needs a new third stage piston and ring assembly, a bottom paint repair on the keel (from where I touched a sand bottom...removing all the bottom paint from the bottom of the keel), uneven cooking in the barbeque (probably needs a new burner assembly), and a chain that needs to be re-marked so we can see how much we've put into the water. We've pre ordered the parts we expect to need, but also included enough time in the schedule that we can get what we need but don't have. We can probably get everything except maybe the vang fixed here. We'll know soon. While all this is being fixed we will be living in a messed up boat (to give full access to the engine room). The pain is worth it. We need things working properly for the trip across the Pacific.

Also, while work is being done we plan to go to the Copper Canyon to see what is reported to be a wonderous and fun part of inland Mexico. Our friends Ed and Connie Quesada will be joining us. That should at least double the fun.

So what about the trip south? Well, we can report a fairly uneventful and safe but long journey. This particular trip was different because we expected to be in an empty ocean (which is normal) but found instead that the entire 200+ mile trip was congested with shrimp boats. We did have to stand a careful traffic watch. It was like freeway traffic. About 50% of the time we had enough wind to sail and that was nice. We had our usual trouble with sleep deprivation and sleep pattern disruption. That is the downside of ocean travel. We made a safe arrival a day early (we had allowed time for light air sailing). We are connected to power and enjoying air conditioning once again. Mazatlan is hot and humid. Winter isn't here yet.

The picture is of racoon tracks on our deck. It was taken in the morning at San Carlos. Who knows what happens when you sleep?
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