We have made the transition over to the cruisers anchorage without a hitch. A couple of things to get used to would include a lot more water traffic making the flopper stopper an absolute must and the noise that comes from the airport and naval base. Actually the airport is not bad at all, it is the naval base and their jets that like to take off late at night! If you have ever been to fleet week in San Fran, those jets that burst flames from the tale and shake your whole body when they fly over head…yep, they take off here just across the way. It is pretty cool to see all of the different aircrafts coming and going.
We have the coastguard station right next to us also. We have sat in the dinghy just in front watching the big red choppers take off. These guys here are really nice and friendly. They like to put on a little show by hovering close to the ground and giving us a little wave before taking off. They are nothing like the coasties from San Fran if you know what I mean. (Sorry guys).
The only real annoying thing here is that this place is a huge pain in the butt to go and get water for the boat or find a pumpout that works and is not private. Yes, private. As if a yachties poo is better than yours…I know that sounds gross, but to have to key in for everything or be denied water is just hard to comprehend. When we went to the Coronado pumpout the Dock Master came out and said,” you can use the pump but not the water. It belongs to the Marina and its patrons. Oh and by the way you are on camera, like 30 of them!” How lovely hey? He repeated the camera phrase several times…so what was in the water?? Vodka? Ha Ha . Whatever! The other one that was on the charts, would only work with a key, and that included the water. The “public” pump out close by us here is currently broken. They had water but it said non potable water. The other cruisers told us that this was not the case, it was fine, just super chlorinated and to filter it before drinking. So we will more than likely have to head back to the Police Dock to empty or to fill. They certainly don’t make things simple or easy here…permits and private water and pumps…it’s way different from what we are used to but hey, I can’t complain about the weather! I am still glad we are here!
shop shows
We have not heard much news from Neil’s doctors and such, but we are making the best of it. They are still giving him some heavy duty pain pills which allow him to move around without intense pain. I am glad that he has them but also unsure about it. You see all those ads on tv….and later a lawyer comes on and says something like, “have you or a loved one taken blank and suffered from blank…” Ya, I hope that this will not be the case. But for now, that’s all we have.
I really do like being close to the city. The Embarcadero here is fairly similar to San Fran but much smaller. They have lots of really neat shops, bistro’s and lots of ships ranging from old war ships to “Pirates of the Caribbean” type ships. It is a lot less chaotic here that’s for sure.
We were walking by the shore a few days ago and came across a marina just next to the convention center and Stewart says, “hey dad! That’s Ken and Saundra’s boat, Aquila!” We looked over and sure enough it was! We actually ran into Saundra and talked to her for a bit. I guess she is down here for a conference and they decided to sail down rather than take a hotel..How cool is that? So we are hoping to get over to visit with them later today before they leave. It’s a small world after all! They were so much of an inspiration to Neil and I when they took off to sail over to New Zealand and back a couple years ago. I would read their blog and drool…I hope to be making others drool myself, in the near future….
dollar days 2
We are excited to hear that Neil’s sister, Stacy, will be heading down here for a conference the first week of December.(this is a popular place for that I am noticing). We have not seen her in person for a long time. If she will let us, we would love to take her for a sailing tour of the city and perhaps offshore a ways. Either way it will be great to see her again! (love you!)
So who else are we going to see??? Hmmm? Joyce and Barry? Haha (ya I am still trying to twist that arm).
We have gotten some good use out of the fold up bicycles. I was beginning to wonder if they were a good investment or not…but oh yes, they are! One thing I can foresee is that my leg muscles are in need of a tune up! And the seats are not old person butt friendly. Haha. I am going to be getting some new seats very soon! Here almost everything like groceries, gas, laundry, books, parts, etc is a few miles away. So to have wheels is a must if you don’t feel like taking the bus. When we went to do laundry yesterday, it was all uphill and steep! I pedaled all but the last block which I swear was completely vertical. I hopped off and walked the last stretch of our 2 mile ride uphill. I will admit it, I am weak! (For now! Give me a few more weeks and I will give Armstrong a run for his money…haha, NOT!)…So…How was the ride down you ask? Well I think we were going close to 30 miles per hour. We were passing the cars, and all I could think of was ”Brakes don’t fail me now!” and “Please let the lights stay green!” It was a fast and fun ride down! Neil and I just giggled at the bottom and I said to him “Let’s go again!!” haha! If we had more time we probably would have!
The puppies have enjoyed the sunshine. They are almost big old enough to get the rest of their shots so they can go to shore. Winnie is still only 2 pounds. She is so tiny but so fierce! She can definitely hold her own. Foster on the other hand is bigger than Daisy and I think he will be twice her size when he’s done. He is such a snuggle bug and a big chicken! He is super cute and has taken to me the most. If I even go into the bathroom for a minute or so, he anxiously awaits and then it is “hey where were you?” and jumps up and gives me kisses like crazy! It’s cute! Daisy is still “Queen” of all that is dog here, and we want to keep it that way. She is the only one allowed to sleep on our bed at night and that makes her feel special. So it is working having all three dogs onboard. They get along well and they definitely don’t allow anyone to sneak up next to the boat without sounding the alarms!
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