It doesn't get much better than this!!!!! A whale 20 feet off the boat; pods of dolphins; and herds of seals frolicking around us!!

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"...all objective phenomena is drawn to you subconsciously; all events are created by you unconsciously; every person, place or thing in your life was drawn to you by you...to provide you with the exact and perfect conditions, the perfect opportunity, to experience what you next wish to experience as you go about the business of evolving."

The above quote comes to mind as I reflect on the past few days.....We traveled from Monterey to San Simeon Bay (a 14 1/2 hour sail)...amd then on to Morro Bay.....
One of the first people we met at the Morro Bay Yacht club was Manny -- another Kelly Peterson owner from Ventura...You could see the joy in his eye as he saw "home" in our boat....And right behind us, as we entered the harbor, was another cruiser, "Pour Les Filles" that we had been docked near in both Santa Cruz and Monterey.

The next morning we woke to yet another surprise: docked behind us was Esmeralda -- a Kelly Peterson 44! considering that there were only about 200 of these boats designed and built in the late 70's, it was amazing to see both of us lined up at the same dock; same time...

We spent most of the afternoon wandering the coastal village of Morro Bay and enjoyed meeting tourists and locals --- with interesting, colorful, and common stories to tell.......We are definitely coloring our lives with the people and experiences that are being created each day!

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It's not far down to paradise
At least it's not for me
And if the wind is right you can sail away
And find tranquility
The canvas can do miracles
Just you wait and see
Believe me

It's not far to never never land
No reason to pretend
And if the wind is right you can find the joy
Of innocence again
The canvas can do miracles
Just you wait and see
Believe me


Sailing
Takes me away
To where I've always heard it could be
Just a dream and the wind to carry me
And soon I will be free.........

---Christopher Cross

The days pass. Each day something unexpected; something new; something to be discovered..After leaving Stockton, we motored down to Martinez and spent the night...the next day, while waiting for more favorable winds and conditions, we wondered the streets of Martinez, enjoyed latte's and shopping in the local farmer's market.....coming back to the boat, we were shocked to learn of both the passing of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson: an angel and a king (June 25, 2009)...we left later than expected, but the trip back to Angel Island uneventful --- 30 kt. Headwinds and choppy water made for slow progress, but conversation had time to explore thoughts about the existence of God ---- and how man tends to "create" God --- rather than allowing for just the opposite to occur and be felt.....

We entered Angel Island around 9 pm........New issue: while attaching to a mooring buoy, we wrapped the line around our prop shaft. Crap! This was not the "gift" we were expecting at the end of a long day.....

The next day involved finding options to unravel line that was completely stuck. Steve attached a knife on a long pole and worked at cutting away.....He tried to reduce the strain by shifting from forward to reverse. Nothing seemed to help; the line was knotted. Finally, Arleen (being a "shit or get off the pot" kinda gal) donned bathing suit and snorkeling mask and jumped into the cold water and unraveled the knots holding the line to the shaft.........

We spent out time relaxing the next day in the heat of Angel Island and took off later in the day for ClipperCove, and anchored there for the night....

We left Clipper Cove around 2 pm to head for Sausalito.....Winds were around 25 knots. Steve hoisted the main with a single reef and unfurled the jib. It was just about perfect. As we were coming close to Alcatraz, suddenly, a huge gust of wind pushed us to a near knock-down --- with water coming into the cockpit and the sails skimming just over the waves. Once again, like an acrobat, Steve was going through all the motions of jumping, pulling, and letting out lines --- and in a few brief moments, we were upright.....These are the things we don't tell our moms about....... �~� Got to Sausalito without any further issues.....

On June 29, we headed out of the Golden Gate......and headed down to Half Moon Bay.
With Alan's book to give us perspective and optimism, we reflected on the fact that the only true security lies in our hearts.....We were ready to go....

We enjoyed 3 days in Half Moon Bay and spent our last evening enjoying with some delicious mahi mahi that Steve marinated and grilled to perfection....And then on to Santa Cruz and Monterey!

Monterey in many ways has been a turning point --- especially in recognizing what this voyage is about and how it can both impact and color our lives.....We took time to explore the Monterey Bay Aquarium and reloaded provisions at the local Trader Joe's...

As we get ready to depart and head south for San Simeon, the following quote rings clear:
"The deepest secret is that life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation. You are not discovering yourself, but creating yourself anew. Seek, therefore, not to find out Who You Are, seek to determine Who You Want to Be."

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An Unexpected Delight

Our second start.....what a week! A huge thank you to members of the Stockton Sailing Club and their commodore, Tom Lueck --- couldn't have asked for a nicer place to dock Ubuntu......The Club offers warm hospitality, great youth sailing programs, clean facilities, fun & helpful gals in the office (Debbie & Susie) and unpretentious social activities: we joined their popcorn and movie night (Captain Ron) and Taco night - where we met the Jones family, and a very bright young poet --- David Jones, 13, who has shared the following poem:

What lies in Love


This fortress black and strong
With walls erected tall
Has faced loves greatest throng
Yet still it stands to fall


The gates are closed to dark
The king's full heart now bare
He loathes with great remark
The depth of love's despair


His heart was freely given
To the lady of lovely grace
Yet he was pushed and driven
Into death's sharp embrace


The harsh red king of white
Was the ignoble fool
Who stole away the right
Of the king to his jewel


The fortress still remains
Although dark and marred
Until a heart more true
This land is hurt and hard


Don Brazil made the repairs to our stern pulpit (a metal artist!)......Many thanks to him and everyone for their support, encouragement, advice, and plenty of good conversation and laughter ...Please check them out at www.stocktonsc.org.

Of course, our visit to Stockton had another treat --- more time with Emily, Kris, & Clara! A trip to the zoo; dinners, and shopping for more "necessities" and a day of Clara to ourselves added to the fun....
(Clara and "Papa" connect with a very special relationship..(perhaps on some level they're both the same "age" �~�

Without saying, the kids will be missed --- but will always be as close as a phone, computer, or airplane....They leave for Europe next week; we leave for the south Pacific........

Shortly after noon, we said our good-byes, pulled up the lines, took final pictures of the Stockton Sailing Club as we headed back down the delta for Martinez.....

Do your little bit of good where you are; its those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world. --Desmond Tutu

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After a long, but restless sleep, it was time to tackle the issue of the transmission cable.
Of all the spare parts stored, duplicated and triplicates - we don't have the one, small part needed for full repair.
Thank goodness for Steve's resourcefulness and ingenuity --- he jury-rigged the needed attachment by drilling a hole into a bolt "end fitting" and screwed it through the cable with fasteners. In actuality, the repair Steve made was more than a band-aide fix --- it was probably more secure and efficient than the original design. By 2pm, the task was completed and we were ready to pick up the lines and move on. Sort of.....

Side note: it's not all fun and games out here. And as in all life endeavors, struggles and obstacles are not an option. I have to admit that this "start" had me questioning....Stress, frustration, and fear can grab a hold of you so quickly (and underlying lots of things is the quality of my vision)....It was hard to "see" the gift in this set-back. Having faith in my abilities and myself hit me square. Then I read and re-read the following:

"Throw all negative thoughts out your mental constructions. Lose all pessimism. Release all doubts. Reject all fears. Discipline your mind to hold fast to the original creative thought..... Know and understand that there will be challenges and difficult times. Don't try to avoid them. Welcome them. Gratefully.....
There is nothing you cannot be; there is nothing you cannot do. There is nothing you cannot have." (Conversation with God, Book 1)

I am a cruiser. I am a sailor. I can do all of this!!!

I put this here for you.....it changed my perspective (that's what miracles are --- a shift in perception!)....And I put these words here for you that you may find strength in your time of need...........

We sailed uneventfully to Martinez and docked at the Marina where Steve once has his first boat (back in the 70's)....Bacon and eggs for dinner at 9pm and all was well.....

Stay tuned for the next entry......Our trip to Stockton, boat repairs, and the wonderful warmth, fun, and hospitality of the Stockton Sailing Club...

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Steve had a nosebleed.
Arleen had a xanax. Hahahaha

At the San Mateo Bridge, we said our farewells to the South Bay by tossing rose petals into the water --- and laughing because we just couldn't come up with anything profound or serious to say....So much for a ceremony! �~�

We past San Francisco after 9pm (on a sailboat, it takes about an hour to pass a city�~�......We reflected that, without a doubt, the City by the Bay is one of the most spectacular cities in the world --- and at night, it definitely has the most "bling-bling"......(I'm sure I heard Tony Bennett's voice resonating somewhere in the background....:)

We came upon Angel Island sometime after 10pm and headed around to the north side --- our favorite sheltered spot: Ayala Cove. Over a dozen sail and powerboats were tied to mooring buoys and vying for position. Finding a suitable spot for Ubuntu proved to be tricky --- but another boat coming in along side us offered to share: they'd tie up their bow; we'd tie up our stern, using the same buoy......As the other boat maneuvered, we held our position. Steve stayed at the stern with line in hand; Arleen at the helm. Suddenly, the other boat was bearing down on us and Steve yelled: "Put her into FORWARD". Arleen pushed the lever and increased the throttle ----- but nothing happened! And then: metal to metal --- the bow of the other boat rammed into the stern of Ubuntu (or was it the other way around? It was dark, fast, and we're in water!)
Moving more like a gymnast on a balance beam, than a 57-year-old sailor, Steve flipped from stern to cockpit and realized immediately that we had lost our gearshift cable and we were stuck in reverse! Thank goodness: no damage to the other boat. Ubuntu suffered a crimp in her stern pulpit, and some minor structural damage to the ring that holds the towing generator....Also, the stern lifelines now looked a bit dead. No damage to the hull, self-steering vane, or solar panels - thank goodness!!! We could deal with that....

The bigger issue was now the transmission cable. Simple investigation (well, simple for Steve) indicated that corrosion was the culprit --- and she had come undone......
By now it was after 1am. Before Steve could even think about the cable, we had to get the boat moved. At this point, the only way to fasten the stern to the buoy was to move the boat "by hand"....The dinghy had to come off and Steve had to row - flashlight in mouth, and line in hand to find and attach us to the most suitable buoy.

Once we were secure, the only thing left was to stumble into bed and sleep. The first day and 30 miles didn't bring us a celebration, but an awareness of "the nature of boats" and the phrase "cruising is repairing your boat at exotic ports" --- anything can happen!

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