Our Hardy Crew

Left to right, front row: Connie LaBounty, Will Fredrickson; back row: Derek Stroening, Jennifer Goodrich, Bryan Saulsbury and Ian Joseph.

A rainy Sunday discouraged us from sailing, but still provided an opportunity to orient our California coastal crew aboard Sea Story. Will and Ian will help Connie and I get to Santa Barbara. Derek, Jennifer and Bryan will get us from there to San Diego.

Weather permitting, we will be heading out under the Golden Gate at slack tide, 8:00AM on Monday, the 29th. That should get us into Santa Barbara late on the New Year's Eve, unless we overnight at some port or anchorage along the way. Tradewinds designated driver, Brandy, will bring Jennifer, Derek, and Bryan down on the 2nd and take Will and Ian back with her. With a stop off at Catalina, we should make it to San Diego by the 5th.

So, everything is lining up for an excellent trip down the coast. All we need now is for the weather to get out of this long, cold, wet phase and give us a couple of consecutive days of sunshine for a change!

New Windlass Installation

There's nothing like an upcoming bluewater cruise to motivate all those repairs and upgrades you have been planning to do, but haven't found time for. This windlass replaces one that quit on the way to Mexico last year. After five months of pulling up 100 ft. of chain and a 44 lb. anchor by myself, this new Lewmar unit is going to be a good friend! Here, I'm putting the final touches on the installation at the KKMI boatyard in Richmond. Note the shorts and T-shirt during mid-November. It's really been a warm fall for northern California.