Where oh where...

July 2008

I love small spaces and organization so I thought I was prepared to add my things to the boat and stay organized. Yes, it was a challenge to find places for everything. But I wasn't prepared for the challenge it is to find those same things again. Biagio has things that he hasn't found for seven years. Well, I'll just concentrate on being grateful for space to loose things in. Now where was that brush, and that dress, and that box of cereal, and...

The Initial Steps...

A map to orient you if you are not familiar with the Pacific North West.

1st Leg - Right map - Seattle to Victoria

2nd Leg - Left map - Victoria Going out the Straight of Juan de Fuca and 'Turning Left'. Then first stop, down to visit my long time friend Ligia and marpa in Eureka, California.

Note: We will be going via the blue watery area.

Mixing Two Countries on One Boat

June 2008
Gem is currently docked in Victoria which is just a 2 hour+ boat ride from Seattle on the Victoria Clipper. Now to get my things on the boat shouldn't be hard, right? Just drive them there by car. That sounds good but customs doesn't agree. Even though the boat will be leaving Canada and going to the US, it's not possible to put my things on the boat by going through customs unless we want to pay duty on everything. Biagio left Seattle with a car load of clothes, kitchen things, etc. and had to turn back because of this slight problem. They would have let him in if I had taken out a visa for Canada but because since I hadn't done that, he would have to turn back to the US. Problem was that the US customs wanted to know where he was going with all of those things and didn't want to let him back across the border. They reluctantly gave him 24 hrs. in the US and then he would have to cross the border again. Biagio truly felt like a man with no country.

Dave and Gay wonderfully let him store everything in their garage near Everett until we could come up with another plan. On to Plan B. Anacortes in a city/marina/jumping off point to the San Juan Islands. For me it is a 1 1/2 hr. drive north from Seattle. For Biagio on the boat, it was an almost direct west sail/motor due east. So in Anacortes we happily loaded 2 car loads of things including clothes, a 15 horse motor, fabric for curtains and upholstery, and 'stuff'. So all was worked out.

Now it is 2 weeks later, and the accumulation pile is growing again. Running lights for the salon, locks for the cabinets, soy sauce and green tea from the Asian store, my folding bicycle, the new chart table chair... So let's see, how are we going to get this all on the boat this time?

Preparing on Land for Sea

April 2008
It is now mid April. Leaving in August for off shore and who knows where on SV (sailing vessel) Gem. Gem is a Hans Christian - Christina version sail boat that is 43' long. The boat originally sailed from Victoria 7 years ago and spent time anywhere from Victoria BC Canada to New Zealand and Australia. It has been back for 1 year, refitted with many new systems (many of which were not available 7 years ago..including blogs!), new crew (that would be me), and new spirits and dreams of adventure.

Down the coast of the U.S. to start, then continuing on down the coast of Mexico, turning the corner at the Baja Peninsula and on up into LaPaz, the Sea of Cortez and diving and exploring along the western shores.

From there, .... well we'll decide that later. But surely on the 'list' is the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, and we'll make it up from there.

In the meantime, I'll have to get my banking in order, do some fixing on my house, figure out how to get my mail, many little details. But I'm sure they will also work themselves out along the way.

Victoria/Vancouver Group Top photo: Matthew, Adrian, Tia, Anne, Jesse and Biagio (Be Ah' Sjho) 3 Sons and 2 Never Boring Daughter-In-Laws

Seattle Group Lower: Biagio, Jill, Jesse's Long time partner Theresa, son Jesse and the mighty dog Teegan who will gladly stay land bound.