Mr. Perkins is in....and we're out!

Out of the Port of L.A.  Out of California.  Out of the country!  Hoo Ray.

My father joined us for our maiden voyage to Ensenada, and things were incredibly frantic the first two weeks of September as it was a mad scramble to sell the car, get the engine in, commissioned, as well as re-install all the other systems and re-commission them(depth sounder, plotter, everything on the binnacle).

a true sailor

Things were so tight we rushed to get Discovery out of the slip for the first time under her own power only 1 day before we were scheduled to shove off for good.  Well of course nothing went smoothly.  We test ran the engine the day before our little test cruise and naively thought it was all ok.  A loose fuel line fitting, and a cracked hard fuel line on the return from the injectors caused a vapor lock which stalled the engine as we were backing out of the slip.  After almost crashing backwards into our neighbor, we spent the next few hours fending off, side tying and chasing down the fuel problems.  Good thing we listened to my dad and left the dinghy inflated and in the davits "just in case" as it acted like a massive fender.  After being rudely interrupted, our neighbor was incredibly friendly and helpful.  When we finally fixed & bled the fuel system we motored back to the end tie of our dock and realized the steering was reversed!  could have been a whole lot more interesting.  As my dad and I fixed the steering that night, we had a good laugh, but didn't tell my wife that I had also neglected to tighten the steering wheel nut.  Dad and I thought it was hysterical as we described a vision of me frantically running around the decks with the giant wheel in my hands as we drifted astern, powerless.  We figured Samantha was shaken up enough not to have to hear that part.

After all of that plus the majority of the next day scrambling for last minute stuff, arranging to return the Mcternan's borrowed truck, and more scrambling, we got underway, got out of a crowded L.A. harbor and set sail for Catalina.  It was quite a moment for us when we cut the engine and listened to the water rush by the hull under wind power alone.  We had a wonderful sail with great winds, and Discovery fell into her groove and carried us along at 7 plus knots with full canvas flying.

finally leaving our marina

Vincent Thomas bridge

the salchicha likes the fresh air

goodbye L.A.

Sam really enjoyed true sailing, as we all did

 We made it to Avalon around 10:30pm and I promptly gashed my foot on something jumping around the decks trying to secure a fore & aft mooring.  After splitting my little toe and getting six stitches at the   Avalon hospital(clinic), we slept the exhausted sleep that was six months coming, rolling gently on a mooring in Avalon Harbor.  The people at the hospital/clinic? were incredibly friendly and Dr. Norton did a great job putting in the sutures, and even gave us a ride back to the harbor, even though it was past 1:00am by then.

this after lecturing my crew about wearing their shoes on deck at sea

little toe on the right, rest of foot on the left

doc Norton

Avalon harbor

The next day we had more great wind and sailed to Two Harbors and stayed there for a night.  Third day out and the wind shut off, of course this was the day we wanted to start for Ensenada.  After motoring for the most of 2 days and nights, we arrived at Marina Coral, Ensenada where we will spend at least a few months.

leaving Avalon

on a mooring at Two Harbors.  was so nice to see Discovery away from a dock and rigged for business

slow boat to Mexico...

A Special thanks to my father for being there.  Richard is 84 years old and crewed like he was my age.  He cruised a wooden cutter for 4 years that was over 60 years old in the sixties!  He was working in Hawaii, then went to England  when he had some cash because he knew the English "built good boats"(no yachtworld back then), found Grisette, outfitted her and took off.  He crossed the Atlantic, and through the Carribean.   He spent 2 years in the Panama Canal, sailing Grisette and working on the locks, then the south pacific, and back to Honolulu where she was sold.  

this guy can sail in his sleep

His beloved Grisette, 48', 18 tons.

stepping the mast at Universal Shipyard in England

in the river at Lisbon, Portugal

at ease in Virgin Islands, dad at far left

dad transiting the Panama Canal. transit fees were around $60 then

under way off  the Galapagos 

hauled out in Hawaii

AlaWai Yacht Harbor, Honolulu

Having dad there with all his experience was very calming for us during our first sail with our "home".  I am so glad I got to experience that with my father.