Up

The Trip Home

Joe Hanko, Liz and I took the final drive from Oregon to San Carlos with more supplies and rigging.  Our Isuzu Trooper looked like something out of the "Grapes of Wrath."  Our boat looked much better with a new bottom and newly painted hull.  We rigged our boat in daily temperatures of 100+ degrees.  Joe was amazing with extra energies and ideas.  We would start at 5am and work to 1pm and broke for lunch consisting of 3 fish tacos and two pitchers of water.  Later in the evening after 7 pm we started with and one pitcher of margaritas per person, without any special effects.  We continued this regime for 6 days.  Liz's parents flew down to drive back with Liz and the Trooper.  Finally Joe and I left the dock.   Oops, I came back after being caught by a cruiser that Liz had begged to catch us.  I had left my briefcase with our Zarpe, passport, extra cash and boat documentation.  Now we're off. 

Since the homeward bound trip is now past 6 years, I don't remember the fine details.  Yet some comments are worth noting.  Joe and I were assaulted immediately by heavy wind when we left the San Carlos' protected bay.  We struggled with a poorly rigged sail plan, especially the staysail and a mainsail that had the roach cut away.  Maybe there were thoughts of "What am I doing.," but those thoughts were removed during the first 4 days as we neared Cabo San Lucas.  The nights were warm and our 4 hours on watch and 4 hours off became routine.  We caught Dorado (Maui Maui), a very tasty fish, especially when prepared by Joe.  After four days we arrived to our first port of call, Cabo.  Here we fueled and I hoped off to call Liz.  We were there a total of 2 hours.   

The next segment was the West Coast of the Baja.  After approximately 400 miles, we stopped for the night and refueled in Turtle Bay.  The next 400 miles to San Diego were slow.  Arriving at San Diego we spent 4-5 days repairing stuff that we broke.  One night we listened to Boz Scaggs and it made me call Liz since that music was special when we were dating.   

We left with the destination of Astoria, OR, but we fell short of that.  In our trek north we made a stop at  Monterey and Crescent City, CA for diesel.  When we entered Crescent City the Ocean was clam and it was night.  We spent the night tied to a dock for the first time since we left San Diego.  Joe and I had left San Carlos 23 days earlier.  We fueled and started to leave, but we found the ocean in an uproar.  After trying to leave the shore for 5 hours and gaining only 4 miles, we turned back and called Liz to pick us up.

The last leg. Three weeks later, Tom Potiousky, Joe Hanko and myself left Crescent City on an ocean that looked like a mirror. I had warned Tom that the weather could be rough - but it never was during the 2 and 1/2 days. Tom's only surprise were the little cities lighted during the night - fishing vessels. We caught lots of tuna, ate and drank and had a good time. It was nice to bring Slainte home to Astoria ok.