Broken............

12-18-12 Tuesday, Wednesday,

I don't know when I've been quite so discouraged! Living on a boat has been one of the toughest challenges of my entire life. But living in San Diego, though very expensive was pure Heaven! I loved living there and when we realized we could not sell the boat without taking a huge loss, we decided to get ready to take her cruising. Over the last year we made all the preparations for this huge undertaking. Planning has taken a whole year, (should have been 2). Then as we came right down to the leaving date, I can't even begin to tell you the things that went wrong. They just kept happening, over and over and over. Then we finally made it to Ensenada, and even more went wrong. Then we end up there a month and finally have to spend every last dime to get out of there. On our way to Turtle bay had a horrible storm that ripped our Bimini to shreds, among lots of other things going wrong. We lost power to the generator which then shut down our water-maker. One thing has snowballed into another and the last 2 nights getting from Mag Bay to Cabo, has been literally HELL ON EARTH, (water)! We've been in horrible weather and the boat has felt like it would break into pieces. I spent hours praying we would be OK. Then last night in the ugliest part, while on shift, Whitney discovered that our oil was showing very low. It had been right were it should be the entire trip. Darrell went down stairs and sure enough we had a leak. He had to turn off the engine and dig into the compartment. There was oil filling the bottom of the engine compartment. We tried a few things and discovered where the leak was. He got into the area and found out that a fitting had broken right off, inside of the other fitting. The weather had been to much and the weight had finally made it snap. We were out in the middle of the ocean for hours, with the winds howling, and waves chopping. He put up the sales and had Jordan and Jamin take over. Darrell and I spent 3 hrs., trying to rig up something that would make it possible to limp to Cabo. We should have landed in Cabo at 7:00 am, and were all excited. It's now almost 1:00 pm, and the leak has overtaken us. We have no wind, no engine, no generator, no water-maker and are at our very lowest. I have noooooooooo idea what this lesson is all about. We've even talked about just finding a way to take the dang boat back to San Diego and putting it on the market again. We have got to ge t into Cabo......

We called for vessel assist, and they would come get us, but not unless we paid them $500.00 American dollars. NOTTTTTTTTTT We have barely enough for fuel and food. So we are limping along at about 3.2 knots toward Cabo. We should be there in about 2 hrs., and are praying we can find a way to start the engine, though it's leaking, by poring oil in as fast as we can and get into a Marina. This is one of the most expensive places on the globe to be in a Marina! The boat is torn to shreds with boat parts and it's absolutely beyond discouraging!

• So here's the run down...... First came the batteries, (fixed), then the toilets, times 10 (fixed). The radar..............(fixed). The kids teeth...........(fixed). On the way here, the generator, the Bimini, the battery to the generator. Without the generator, we can't make water, without the generator we can't make electricity unless the engine's running. With the engine not working we are SCREWED!!! Anybody, anybody, what would you do................ we are at a loss! I don't know when I've been so blue. This is a huge boat that you can't just let float anywhere because of the keel........
• What do we do from here.?????

Well I did what I always end up doing when there are no answers in life..... I hit my knees, (believe me, they have callouses on them)...... While praying the thought came to me, that I should grab my measuring cups, have someone help me siphon the oil out and right back into the engine. To keep it going and to do it NOW!!!

So that's what we did, Darrell went up on deck with the kids, and Jamin and I did the siphoning. He knew what marina to head to and how to get the boat in the cramped spaces. So for 45 min., Jamin and I worked our butts of, with the oil going in and out through a funnel with a filter. I know this will make people cringe, but HEY, you do what you have to do.

We made it into the Dock and there were several people waiting at the slip for us. One of the men said he had a great mechanic who was honest and he could get to come to the boat in the next hour. We had barely got things picked up off the floor, (what happened when your sailing), when the mechanic and was there. He worked on the ending for a couple of hours and said he would take the part home, and bring it back Menyana! So we found out where to go buy a generator battery, and walked to the Marina office, (4 blocks away). The Marina here usually costs $250.00 a night for our size of boat, but because it was so close to Christmas they only charged us $83.00 per night. (Tender Mercy).

The kids were pretty thrilled because we were put right in the middle of the mega yachts and had the best view in that area. About 4 boats down, was a Mega Yacht from San Diego, The Piano Bar. Whitney swam in college with one of the crew members. We had hoped to see him, but he's home in Capetown, SA., for Christmas....

We all pitched in and got the boat back in shape, and the kids took off. Darrell and I were so exhausted we just walked around a little bit, after going to the office. Both of us worried about the cost of the repairs and wondering once again (WHAT IN THE HECK ARE WE DOING).....

Mag Bay

12-17-12

Today Is Monday, the 17^th, of December. We decided that with the bad weather coming we had to stop in Mag Bay after all. We figured that if we needed to charge up the batteries, we would just have to run the engine. We have enough fuel to do that and make it to Cabo. The night before getting into Mag Bay when Jordan and Jamin were on watch, they could see more dolphins in the phosphorous waters. Jordan has a sharp eye and again saw a giant glow in the water and saw a huge whale stretched under our boat. He looked over the side, it was right there. He thought it would hit our prop, so hollered to Jamin to slow the boat down fast! Darrell and I had been asleep, and during that same time, I'd heard a loud thud and thought we'd snagged a crab pot, or a huge piece of kelp. About a min., later we heard another thud and the boat engine being pulled way back. Darrell jumped up and went on deck. Sure enough he saw the whale come up from under the boat, as it went into the dark, by the boat, he saw the big puff of air from the whale.......WHEW

We motored into Mag Bay and found a place to anchor. Our friends on Blackjack wanted us to take them into the little village so we could all throw our trash away. We thought we could find a little market or something. First let me say, it was definitely a VILLAGE, and it was Sunday and what might have been open was now closed.

The winds were picking up and when we got into the dingy to go to their boat, the choppy water was drenching me. You'd think I'd get it by now!!! I had put on some fresh clothes and now they were getting soaked with salt water....boooooo

We picked up Hilly and Johnathan, and made it to the island. The little houses that were speckled here and there looked like no one was home. We walked over to the church and right next to the chapel was a big make shift wire container that holds trash. It was odd seeing the trash being stacked so close to the church. We walked around a little bit when a young couple came around the side of the church. They were American's, Michael and Claire, from Kitty Hawk, N.C. They were looking for food and water. They had been sailing for several days, on their 28ft. Sailboat, the Splendid Isolation! They both spoke Spanish and told us about a little hut selling some food. They walked with us to the little store. Inside was shocking to me. There were the oddest things. Jars of pickled things, (because there's no way to refrigerate things). Odds and ends, hostess Twinkies, tortillas, onions and tomatoes and cabbage. Then a refrigerator with a few bottles of barely chilled pop. We took pictures of the little town and the church and with our friends, then headed back to the boat. We were originally going to go onto Blackjack and see if we could get on Johnathan's wifi, but by the time we hauled the dingy off the shelly sand, one of the wheels broke off and Darrell couldn't get the outboard started. We've had nothing but trouble with that outboard, so when we get to Cabo, we're going to see if our backup outboard, our friend Kraig gave us will work. We need something reliable. After the incident with Jake and the dingy paddle getting broken we need something to rely on. The water was getting choppy on the way back, Hilly and I once again got soaked! By the time we got to Blackjack, it took everything we had to maneuver me and Johnathan so he could get on his boat. The water was chopping, we were bouncing hard against their boat, while we were switching places. I laughed right out loud, because the bobbing of the boat, threw me right onto Johnathan lap and I'm so much bigger than him that I knew he was frustrated I couldn't move. But with the fact that the gravity was against me, we were all soaking/slippery wet, and I have no ability to push up with my right arm, (titanium parts/elbow), it was a task. But I've chuckled ever since thinking about Johnathan's reaction......

We got back to GabbyWray, got everything settled and made the decision that we would leave in the morning instead of leaving in a few hours. Jordan had put out a line behind the boat earlier, and while Jake and Darrell were on watch, they caught two small Tuna, Darnell cleaned and fileted them and Jake made dinner. It was great! Our fridge isn't holding cold, so all the milk I bought for the trip went rotten. We've got to find a refrigeration guy in Cabo. Ugh!!!

Darrell and the kids played rook, while I cleaned the dishes and Galley. Don't feel bad, I HATE playing cards.....wish I knew why, but just DON'T like it. I do love watching them all play and the banter that goes back and forth.

We had the engine idling for 3 hrs., building up our batteries again, (good thing we don't use much fuel). We all went to bed around 8:30, and the water was so calm and nice, I thought this would be the “sleep like a baby night.” But at about 2:30 the wind picked up and the boat started bobbing and the mast was banging so loud that Darrell had to go on deck and hunker things down several times. By 3:30 we were both back in bed and able to sleep until 5:30 this morning. Jordan and Jake pulled up anchor and we took off. I climbed back in bed, but for only a min., when the boat came to a stop and I heard a light thud against the side of the boat. Jordan and Darrell came down into the salon and started looking for clothes and batteries. A Ponga with two fisherman had come up to the boat and wanted to trade for a bag of shrimp. They didn't want the batteries but wanted the 2 shirts Darrell offered them. The one man was excited about the long sleeved red tee shirt. They asked if we had chocolate, (when would I NOT have chocolate). I gave up some of my stash......(I can replenish in Cabo at Costco....LOL) They gave us a big bag of huge shrimp! Our friends were watching on Blackjack and wanted them to come to their boat. So we sent them over, but another Ponga had beat them. We don't know if Blackjack wasn't watching, or the Ponga was duping them, but Blackjack hit the Ponga, doing (the fisherman claimed) about $100.00 American dollars worth of damage. So our friends ended up not trading anything and paying them 980 pesos!!! We felt bad. We'll have to get together with them in Cabo and hear the whole story.......

So it's beautiful and clear outside, the water is a bit washing machine, (rocking like crazy down in my cabin).....but in 5 min., I'm going to stuff pillows all around me and go back to sleep......Zzz

(I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M DOING THIS)

Mag Bay

12-17-12

We met a cute young couple today in Mag Bay, Michael and Clair, from Kitty Hawk NC. They are on a 28ft. Sailboat, called “Splendid Isolation.” They had been there for a few days and were running out of water. I wished so bad we couldl have made some water to give them.....brave young couple.

The day has been beautiful on the water. Saw a few whales while leaving Mag Bay, but no dolphins. The water has been pretty good, a few big swells here and there, but overall great. The weather is definitely getting warmer. None of us had jackets on today and spent most of the time up on deck. Jordan threw the fishing line over again and we caught a 4 ½ ft., 40 lb., Dorado! It was amazing......

So Darrell and the boys hauled it in, took pictures and Darrell fileted the fish. Guess what we're having for dinner???

We had to kill some time for about an hour, while our buddy boat, Blackjack, had some autopilot problems. It's a miracle they were able to fix it here on the ocean...... Being out in the middle of no where with no land around hasn't bothered the kids at all. Also, Whitney's seasickness has been very little to none. She seems to only get a bit nauseous in the mornings after she's been sleeping for a while. And the fact that she hasn't stood on dry land for going on 9 days. I think she's been a champ. None of us get seasick but her and she's seemed to conquer it! So it's been great that our entire family can be camped out on deck, or hunker down below without that problem.... What can I say, we are born sailors!!! I took pictures tonight of my stove rocking back and forth with the potato concoction, while Darrell was grilling fish and shrimp from his bartering this morning. My grandmother's would be proud of me.......cooking home made meals in the middle of the ocean, with a stove that's rocking back and forth! And while not getting a bit seasick! I ROCK......... Literally, I rock.....LOL

While they were fileting the fish, I saw this big brown lumpy thing starting to float by, I thought it was a big piece of kelp, (which we don't see anymore), but it was a big sea turtle. I hollered and it turned and lifted it's head out of the water, just in time for Jordan to see it........so cool.....

The heat, the fish, the turtle, and weather has lifted everyone's spirits. Being delayed with the storms and battery problems, that made the water maker none functional, & the Bimini being shredded in the scary storm, have been disheartening to say the least..............so all in all. A great day!

We should be in Cabo by 9:00 am. Cabo, here we come!!!!

I'M REALLY DOING THIS....................

Turtle Bay...........

12-15-12

Today is Saturday, (I think)..... We left Turtle Bay last night at 9:00. We had been trying to get the generator to start so we could use our water maker to fill our water tanks, but it would not start! It's sooooo frustrating to constantly get knocked back like this. First it was the toilets, then the batteries, then the radar, then, then, then...... Oh and don't let me forget, that our Bimini was shredded to pieces in the instant storm that took everyone on the boat to pull up anchor, get out and over to the other side of Turtle Bay, soaked to the skin.......

Darrell spent a couple of hours trying to fix it, when we decided to radio into the village and see if they could send someone out. They brought Alejandro out (Alex), and he helped Darrell take some generator parts off. We were missing the right tool! He couldn't speak a lick of English, so we would try to relay our message to him over the radio, to the young man who works for Annabelle and Reuben....the fuel and diner people. He was able to be the go between. Darrell, Jake and Alex (who is now fighting to NOT throw up), leave with Antonio in the Panga, to town. They aren't gone very long when Darrell comes back and says it's the battery and they don't have any in town...... This I do NOT understand! They live in the tinniest little dirt looking huts, but every house had at least 1 or 2 cars.....there were cars everywhere. How can they NOT have a battery? So we laid down to see if we could all get in a 2 hr., nap. We got up at 8:30 pm., called BlackJack, and they were pulling up anchor. I think they had been trying to contact us, but we'd had our radio off. We all jumped into crazy mode......and were able to pull out right behind them. It had been raining while we were sleeping and everything on deck was wet. So while were leaving and wiping everything down, we're all getting everything hunkered down. Darrell and Whitney took the first shift, and the water was pretty choppy. The min., they got out of the Bay and into open waters, they could see that it was phosphorous water again. There were dolphins everywhere, zipping by like green torpedoes.

Jordan and Jamin were on watch from 1:00 am., until after sunrise. The water was so choppy it felt like we were being tossed around like a toy boat on the water. Darrell slept like a log, I on the other hand, have to keep going up on deck to check and see if things are alright. I should just sit on deck. It doesn't feels as bad up there as when your down below, can't see anything, things are flying here and there.....

The boy's got to see the same great dolphin show..... We were heading into a storm by the time the boy's shift was over, so Darrell went up with Jake and have spent the morning portion, until now, 1:45 P.M., on shift. We were in some pretty messy water and the clouds looked like they were going to dump. But somehow we out ran them, and were just ahead of it all. The sail being out made things a little more stable. After a few hrs., they were able to lift the sails and turn off the motor for 3 hrs. Everyone below slept like babies..........I don't know what my deal is, I'm still catnapping here and there. To see the black clouds up in front of our buddy boat, (BlackJack), and the choppy water and waves is a bit unnerving to say the least. But it is still beautiful to the eye. The sun was up, cutting through the black clouds, and you could see our tiny boats in a sea of nothing but blue, black and streaks of brilliant light! We've had breakfast, lunch and saving the chili I made for dinner. We are rationing our water, because without a generator we can't run the water maker. Our friends are going to motor with us through the night and hit Mag by tomorrow. If weather looks good, we are going to bypass Mag Bay and continue on to Cabo San Lucas. With no generator to charge our batteries while we are at anchor, we don't want to take the risk. The batteries stay charged while we are motoring. One great thing. I've never prayed so much in my life!!!

(I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M DOING THIS............)

Leaving Turtle Bay

12-15-12

Today is Saturday, (I think)..... We left Turtle Bay last night at 9:00. We had been trying to get the generator to start so we could use our water maker to fill our water tanks, but it would not start! It's sooooo frustrating to constantly get knocked back like this. First it was the toilets, then the batteries, then the radar, then, then, then...... Oh and don't let me forget, that our Bimini was shredded to pieces in the instant storm that took everyone on the boat to pull up anchor, get out and over to the other side of Turtle Bay, soaked to the skin.......

Darrell spent a couple of hours trying to fix it, when we decided to radio into the village and see if they could send someone out. They brought Alejandro out (Alex), and he helped Darrell take some generator parts off. We were missing the right tool! He couldn't speak a lick of English, so we would try to relay our message to him over the radio, to the young man who works for Annabelle and Reuben....the fuel and diner people. He was able to be the go between. Darrell, Jake and Alex (who is now fighting to NOT throw up), leave with Antonio in the Panga, to town. They aren't gone very long when Darrell comes back and says it's the battery and they don't have any in town...... This I do NOT understand! They live in the tinniest little dirt looking huts, but every house had at least 1 or 2 cars.....there were cars everywhere. How can they NOT have a battery? So we laid down to see if we could all get in a 2 hr., nap. We got up at 8:30 pm., called BlackJack, and they were pulling up anchor. I think they had been trying to contact us, but we'd had our radio off. We all jumped into crazy mode......and were able to pull out right behind them. It had been raining while we were sleeping and everything on deck was wet. So while were leaving and wiping everything down, we're all getting everything hunkered down. Darrell and Whitney took the first shift, and the water was pretty choppy. The min., they got out of the Bay and into open waters, they could see that it was phosphorous water again. There were dolphins everywhere, zipping by like green torpedoes.

Jordan and Jamin were on watch from 1:00 am., until after sunrise. The water was so choppy it felt like we were being tossed around like a toy boat on the water. Darrell slept like a log, I on the other hand, have to keep going up on deck to check and see if things are alright. I should just sit on deck. It doesn't feels as bad up there as when your down below, can't see anything, things are flying here and there.....

The boy's got to see the same great dolphin show..... We were heading into a storm by the time the boy's shift was over, so Darrell went up with Jake and have spent the morning portion, until now, 1:45 P.M., on shift. We were in some pretty messy water and the clouds looked like they were going to dump. But somehow we out ran them, and were just ahead of it all. The sail being out made things a little more stable. After a few hrs., they were able to lift the sails and turn off the motor for 3 hrs. Everyone below slept like babies..........I don't know what my deal is, I'm still catnapping here and there. To see the black clouds up in front of our buddy boat, (BlackJack), and the choppy water and waves is a bit unnerving to say the least. But it is still beautiful to the eye. The sun was up, cutting through the black clouds, and you could see our tiny boats in a sea of nothing but blue, black and streaks of brilliant light! We've had breakfast, lunch and saving the chili I made for dinner. We are rationing our water, because without a generator we can't run the water maker. Our friends are going to motor with us through the night and hit Mag by tomorrow. If weather looks good, we are going to bypass Mag Bay and continue on to Cabo San Lucas. With no generator to charge our batteries while we are at anchor, we don't want to take the risk. The batteries stay charged while we are motoring. One great thing. I've never prayed so much in my life!!!

(I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M DOING THIS............)

Day Two, Turtle Bay

*Because of our location cannot load pictures at this time* Boo.....

Day Two, Turtle Bay

12-13-12

Thursday

We got up this morning and were met by Enrique in his ponga, with our friends Hillary and Johnathan (from Australia). We went into the little village, and found an internet spot and notified family & friends of our location and plans, while they hunted down a place to take a shower. I was happy I I could to let family & friends know where we were. We haven't made tons of progress, because of storms, but glad were safe and sound.

We were dropped off at the dock, (if you dare call it that). More like boards here and there nailed to some pylons and weathered rotted boards to boot! We got out of the ponga, and climbed the rusty stairs up to the dock and I just kept thinking, (I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M DOING THIS)............ I'm so far out of my comfort zone, I should be walking backwards!!!

We walked through the little village, the houses are little shacks, with bright colored curtains, closed shut....every window. I'm thinking it's because of the dust made from the roads with just dirt. Oh, and everyone in town was driving a car. We were the only people walking. We passed several little homes that owned 2 cars. I was totally shocked! Yet when trying to acquire a battery for the boat, No one had one! How can that happen when the town is full of cars???

We made a stop at the phone store for John and Hillary, when you could see it was starting to sprinkle and the sky’s getting a bit dark. I just felt really strong we should go back, which we did. By the time we got to the pier, the wind was really crazy and they were moving the floating dock. I could see our boat out on the water bobbing like a toy. It made me feel sick!

We got to the stairs and the worker told us to go to the other side of the pier and a guy would pick us up there. Darrell went down first, (I was trying to decide if I was really going down those rotted metal stairs)......Hillary wasn't to happy either. They were rotted out rusty stairs, several missing here and there and when you hit the bottom, the entire set of stairs was a swinging set like a swimming pool ladder. I got almost to the bottom, (the creaking and wind and ocean slapping), when the worker Edwardo, yelled, ALTO! He had us turn around and come back to the pier, (now shaking and waving back and forth). We climbed down another set while Darrell, (now in the boat), went to the other side with the driver. We climbed in and took off to our individual boats. When we arrived at their boat, the water was slapping so hard we couldn't get them into their boat without going to the side of the ship and when the waves pushed the boat high enough, you had to shove off from the side and hope to hit the railing on your boat. By the time he got us onto our boat the wind was so bad and the waves so high, he told us to get out NOW, to the other side of the island. We started engines, and the boys ran up to pull up the anchor. The weather hit so fast and hard that we didn't have time to put jackets on. Only our life jackets. Our Bimini ripped and we were fighting the sheets from blocking Darrell's vision. I grabbed the material and just stood at the helm with Darrell because we couldn't disconnect it. The boy's were struggling to get the anchor up. We were all soaked to the skin. We were in 30k winds, waves and choppy water, in pouring rain for about half an hour getting to the safety of the other side of the bay. I came down stairs and got on my knees and thanked Heavenly Father for our safety. The Bimini was a total loss, but can be fixed.......whew (I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M DOING THIS)

Dinner over, kids watching a movie, I'm dry, hunkered in my bed under the covers, safe and warm.....LIFES GOOD!

Leaving tomorrow, for Cabo......(weather permitting), may bypass and head straight for Cabo! I'm praying we bypass and hit Cabo. Just sayin......

Turtle Bay...

GabbyWray in Turtle Bay.....

12-12-12

GabbyWray landed in Turtle Bay on 12-12-12 at 12:12 P.M......................BooYaaahhhh!

We made it to Turtle Bay safe and sound. Not without a few glitches. The first one was about 4 hours outside of Ensenada, we were fighting our way through kelp patties like mine fields. One bogged us down so we had to stop and turn off the boat. Jamin put his swimsuit and goggles on and dove under the boat to cut off the kelp. As the nervous mom, I counted from the time he jumped in the water. It took him all of 28 seconds!!!

We had long pounding night shifts. Saw beautiful stars, (like I've never seen before). When Jordan, Whitney, and I were on our night shift, we saw in the phosphorescent water, 2 whales come up and through the water. They were beautiful, surreal............. The dolphins look like green torpedoes in the water.

We made it to Turtle Bay, anchored and the fuel guy came to the boat right when we got here. Darrell and Jake put the dingy into the water and took off over to the island. They went into town for a few provisions. The rest of us fell asleep in the calm quiet and rocking of the boat. I woke up a while later, hearing Jake holler outside the boat. I went out to see Jake circling around the boat. He couldn't get the dingy to stop. He circled and came close enough to grab the davit lines and was almost knocked out of the dingy. I'm sorry, but it was all I could do to not burst into laughter. He let go and tried again, but this time worked with the engine, killing it. He was just far enough away he couldn't throw me the line. The wind had picked up and was blowing against him. So he kept trying to start the engine. I think it was flooded. He was drifting with the current and had to start rowing. He got over into a shallow spot, and with everything he had because of the wind, he dug the paddles hard into the water. SNAP! The left row, broke halfway up the paddle when it came into contact with the sand. He finally made it to shore, where Antonio, (the guy who gave us fuel), came running down to help him pull it in. Another man had run up to get Darrell. What started the whole scene, was Darrell needed more money. They sent Jake with the groceries to the boat, and to get more pesos. But since he couldn't stop the boat everything went down hill...... Needless to say, Jake felt horrible, (Darrell was good about it), crap happens..... But from my end, I came down into the boat and laughed my head off. Sorry Jake I just had to let it out somewhere.

Our friends on the Boat BlackJack, Johnathan and Hillary came by with Antonio, in a Ponga and picked us up for dinner. We climbed off the side of the boat and into the Ponga. It was just getting dark and was beautiful. We landed up on the beach, but you still have to climb over the boat and land into about 3 feet of wave. Sooooo glad I bundled up on top, and wore shorts. We arrived at a place called Annabells. It's owned by Rueben and Annabell, and their private home where they've made a big dinning hall for boaters to come for dinners. The meal was meager to say the least but they were very friendly and sweet. We spent a few hours visiting with our friends and their Captain, making plans of how and when we are all taking off. When we left, the waves had picked up and we met Antonio at the beach, walked down into the wafe, climbed into the boat and headed out into the pictch black! As we are bouncing across the waves in the black of the night, once again I said to myself, (I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M DOING THIS)...... I still have no idea now he found our boat!

It was wonderful to hit the bed..... But in the night several times I had to go check on the anchor. One time I took my flashlight and went out on the bow, and checked the bridle and anchor and flashed my light over to the tug boat, and a BIGGER flashlight, came on and was aimed at me, (in my red polka dot PJ's).....We were fine, but I wasn't looking at the land, just the boats, and thought for sure we had drifted away from our spot. I woke Darrell up and he assured me it was OK. The next morning, sure enough we were exactly where we started. I've got to remember to look at the land................. Lights out.....

Baja 1000

We got up early and walked up to the Hotel Coral, that's attached to our Marina, to see drivers and their cars for the Baja 1000. We took the shuttle to downtown Ensenada, where there were thousands of people, partying it up. Cars were everywhere. It was something to see. Now add the cars that were going to race in the Baja 1000, their crew and families along with all the people and cars of those in town, mix it up with the people from the Cruise ships.......lotsssss of people! The weather was chilly and there was a light sprinkle that made the cars squeal and slide out, while taking off. We were standing at the starting line with friends from the marina and probably not in the safest spot. Jordan ran in to Gregg Godfrey, from Utah, from Nitro Circus, (Jordan worked for him for a while). He was great! It was a fun day watching all the cars take off, and rip through the town. A good day........

Another Try.....

I have to say I wasn't thrilled to learn about the out come of the Election. But now that it is, what it is, I hope President Obama, REALLY gets it, and hears what the people are crying out, all across the nation! I wrote this poem years ago, but felt it might be worth posting,in light of the where things are right now in the world. it wasn't written for this purpose, but still works......Would love to hear your input!

                                        Stand Upon the Line

It’s time to blow the trumpet, to let its warning sound,

And finally stand together, as one on hallowed ground.

Now all around the world, the evil has crept in,

And some don’t even realize they wear the face of sin.

There is a master marksman and cunning is the bow,

His quiver filled with evil, while he laughs at what he’ll sow.

He’s watching for your weakness, all targets are in place,

Each time he shoots an arrow, a soul has been erased.

He’s using all his power to catch you in the snare,

And when you’ve given hope away, he knows that you won’t care.

His face the mask of evil and wickedness his joy,

Because he has deceived the world, his goal, a soul, destroy.

The only way that he can live is to steal the life you own,

Then slowly take away your will, to make his presence known.

He changes one’s perspective, greed makes you want it all,

Know the higher up the star, much greater is the fall.

He has his own alliance; they hold his evils high,

And if you do not choose a side, they will not pass you by.

Some have lost the whisper that guides their inner light,

Because they have ignored it, they have no strength to fight.

It’s time to show your courage, to stand upon the line,

Unveil your gleaming armor and show how bright you shine.

Like soldiers in a battle, who learn to fight as one,

It will take each one of us, to lift our fallen sons.

Come stand behind God’s army and with them make your choice,

So you can hear the whisper, the sound of freedom’s voice.

Then you will have the strength to stand and join the fight,

Unveil your gleaming armor and let them see your light.

The warriors have now started, to hear the battle call,

Protected by God’s armor, for evil’s final fall.

 

Wendy S. Peck

Days Of The Week

Being without a phone, and no contact with the busy world, time seems to take a different agenda. Each morning someone will mumble out, what day is it? Someone will throw out, "Monday," someone else adds, "Does it matter?"....... So what day is it? I had to turn on my phone and look at the day. Drum roll......it's Wednesday! Yes, I knew the election was yesterday, "very messy" but still couldn't remember what day it was. You just seem to lose time here........and we aren't even on the real journey yet. A few more weeks for boat repairs.......
Each morning on my visit to the (bano), I see the same little man walking down the docks, taking out trash. I know the correct response is "Buenos Dias" and each time we meet and I'm ready to use my Spanish words, he gives me the most intense stare that I instantly become BRAIN DEAD! So far this past week, I've choked out, Bueno D, Bue, Di, Hola, O, and B, along with just walking on by.... This morning I see him coming up the sidewalk and I prepare my brain for the perfect greeting. I say it over and over in my head, (mind you I have no problem saying this or any other greeting in Spanish, during the day to anyone else), just this little man! So this morning I see him coming down the street, and he does "THE STARE" and I spurt it out "Bueno Dias" with great flare.......and he laughs right out loud. This little stinker knows he's giving me a head trip and he loves it! I think tomorrow I'm going to stop right in front of him and watch his reaction.....lol
Today were off to the WalMart, and then to Home Depot....should make for an interesting day!

Precious Life......

This week my heart is heavy..... Two nights ago, my sweet little 101 yr. old Grandmother passed away. She was the quietest, strongest, sweetest woman I've even known. I saw her several times a week from the time I was born until I graduated from High School and moved away. I loved being in her home and around her. I always felt loved being around her...... I'm so happy she is at peace and with my Grandpa, my Uncle Duane and my Mother, her parents and all those who've gone before!
This is my Grandma as a teenager......

Today my heart is with my cousin Carlen. She's actually Darrell's cousin, but I adore her and we are very close, and being in the family for 33 yrs., I claim her as mine too. Her oldest son Donny passed away last night from an accidental over dose. Donny was an amazing young man. He was very smart, talented and beautiful. He had so many hardships in his young life. His courage and strength have had to fight against some of the toughest physical and mental demons. We loved him and he will be missed. Carlen is such an amazing mom and I can't imagine the loss she is feeling. I love you dear Carlen and my heart and prayers are with you....... Hugs

Getting settled....

Getting settled into the Coral Marina in Ensenada brought a bit of  Deja vu..... It was nice to see old friends and meet new ones. When we left San Diego, we were very loaded down and many things were everywhere. We decided that with our timeline, it was better to just bring it, and go through the stash later. Hugeeeeee problem. Try moving 6 people around extra parts, is parts, is parts! We've been here almost a week, and things have started to settle down. Tension has been high, trying to figure out how to co-exist with this many people in such a small space. Our boat is actually considered big, but for full time living with 6, not so much. We love having a beautiful pool to relax in everyday, the view is amazing, and the placement of our dock is good for exercise in itself. Everyday has been spent working through the weeding process, along with new issues and seemingly never ending toilet issues, now batteries. Not our favorite things!
We have found the Soriana's to be great and getting there one just has to RUN across a freeway. Yes, I said run across a freeway. That's how they do it here. In the US, they have signs that show, watch out for deer. Here it's a yellow sign, with a family all holding hands running and the little girl at the end of the line has both feet off the ground. The boy's said we would all run fast and put Whitney at the end of the line but she had to commit to lifting her feet.......NOT!
Little by little we will get the final preparations ready for our journey south. It's been good to meet people who are leaving soon doing the same thing making the same journey....
Emigration was a bit of a challenge. The man examining the Passports was very stern, and picked one up, smelled one of them, and touched his tongue at the corner, then said, "NO GOOD!"  He picked up the last passport and did the same thing, passing them back to us. They just so happened to be the 2 newest passports, Jamin and Jordan's. I flipped, I went into a bit of a panic mode and then he looked at me with a slight smile, and said, "No good, no signature!" Then winked at me and started to laugh. He loved my reaction........ I told him he was a stinker, and he just grinned ear to ear. But then taking them to the lady handling the money, she made us stand in 2 different lines, while bumping people ahead of us. I started to get upset, and said, "HEY"! Darrell, immediately told me to go sit down, because I would cause more trouble. He said she could make us stand in a corner all day if she wanted to. She was watching, with a smug smile. I sat down and she immediately told him he could come to her window! WENCH.......pardon me....cough, cough....the whole event wore me out!

Today I met with friends and we walked along the coast to a sweet little apartment of a local woman who teaches Spanish. They have all been going for a couple of years, and all speak in only Spanish. The little teacher was darling and believe it or not, I understood quite a bit, but couldn't return the conversation.....very frustrating. I've got to listen to Spanish morning noon and night I think. It was very fun and we laughed and laughed. Next week she's teaching us while cooking in her kitchen. I can't wait! Lets just say, sailing, being a sailor and everything that goes with it, has certainly shown me what I'm made of. I'm sure my mom and grandparents would be very proud of me. I'm pretty darn proud of myself!!! So all in all, a few rough, good days. Here's a couple of sailing pics.
I tried adding the whale video, but alas, tech challenged. Will get help manana.....Buenas Noches

O' Dark Thirty...........

It's now 1:10 on Sat., morning, and we are all awake. We've been running none stop since the sun came up. We've been into West Marine, (our amazing, wonderful boaters store), for every device, filter, part, motor, etc, that one can possibly carry on a boat, (along with 6 people)! We've packed and jammed every nook and cranny. We will most likely have to unpack every nook and cranny in the next few weeks, and make a list of exactly where everything is. At this point, if we needed something in a hurry it wouldn't be pretty finding it....... We wanted to leave the Marina around 4:30, or 5:00, but at this point, a family has got to get a few hrs, of sleep! We want to tell Gretha & Gary our dear friends, and West Marine Sales Guru, THANK YOU, we couldn't have done this without you!!! We want to give a BIG shout out to our canvas guy Avi, who pushed to get everything finished in time.....whew! We also want to tell all our wonderful Sunroad Marina managment, friends and dock family, thank you for all the memories. We love you and hope you follow our journey and keep us posted on yours. It's a bitter sweet time. We have LOVED every minute of living in San Diego and a bit sad that we are leaving. But we also know there are new horizons to see and sunsets to enjoy. We are excited to savor every one....... So in about 30 min., we hope to get a couple hrs., of shut eye! Then it's Ensenada baby!!!

From the beginning...............

Hi friends, We are about to leave the U.S. and start our journey into foreign waters. I've had many people ask me how we ended up on the boat. Most people assume Darrell and I were just fulfilling our dreams. NOT!!! Believe me I had never once thought about living on a boat............ So I thought it only fitting to share our story from the beginning before moving forward to the 2nd half of this journey. For those of you who have heard the story, bare with me.  Here we go............

Over four years ago Darrell was transferred to San Diego, as a Supervisor at the SOCAL TRACON  center. He's an air traffic controller. We knew we would be moving somewhere out of Utah, so he could finish up his career. We had our home up for sale and he had moved to San Diego. I had joined him in San Diego several times to search for a home to purchase. We spent countless hours looking at homes that were extremely overpriced. The market was still high and to find a home that was in a good neighborhood and something we could afford was almost impossible. After several trips, we were becoming frazzled. I was planning a wedding while he was learning new air space and a new job. One weekend we spent 3 solid days looking at homes with our Realtor, and found a home in Escondido. It was bank owned, (needed lots of TLC), been sitting for over a year empty. It was VERY small, but we felt could be turned into a shiny penny..... The bank price was $425K, (which we thought was HORRIBLE). We made the offer, and left feeling really good, other than the fact that I would have to start looking for a job the minute we moved. That next Monday, while at dinner feeling like we could celebrate, I got a call from our Realtor. She said that the house had been in a bidding war over the weekend and we had been out bid by $200K!!! REALLY............. We felt like we'd been beat up. I flew back to Utah and we decided we had to do some serious knee bending to ask Heavenly Father, just what we should do. Darrell drove home the next Friday to pick up his Hobie Kat. He was feeling the pressure of work, finances, and not being able to help me maintain our big home and property. We also had been arguing a lot and were both feeling the pressure of the situation. We had just finished up a family dinner & our daughter was having a concert in our back yard that evening, Darrell was laying down in the sitting room by the fireplace, and the look on his face was so sad. I was doing dishes and felt such a huge burden that I started to silently pray. I asked God what he would have us do? What were we not seeing or doing? I thanked him for all my blessings, and asked him if he would please show me what I could do to help the situation. The minute I uttered that prayer, I loudly and clearly heard my name, "Wendy, look at things from his perspective" I was a little shocked, but turned and looked at Darrell. The sadness and weight of our situation was placed full force in my heart. I felt so overwhelmed that I had to lean my head down on the sink. I once again started to pray, asking, if that was how Darrell felt, how could I possibly help the situation, since I wasn't working, and felt I could do nothing to help. The second I asked that question I heard my name again, "Wendy, what are you WILLING to do?" I froze....... I looked out the window for several seconds, and pondered that question. Just what was I willing to do? Several thoughts raced through my mind, and none of them were very good solutions. So I said with everything in my heart, "I'm WILLING to ABSOLUTELY anything! Immediately I heard, "Buy Darci's boat!" I felt like I had been slapped by God. Darci is my husbands little sister, who had spend several years with her husband and four children in the Sea of Cortez, on their 54ft. sailboat. Had the Lord said to me, buy a boat, I would not have understood. But to tell me to buy Darci's boat, it gave me the full picture of living aboard a boat. I was in shock. Nothing on this planet could have been farther from where I thought we were supposed to be. I turned to Darrell and asked him if Darci's boat was for sail. He gave me an odd look and said, "how could you know that?" They had just put it on the market. He jumped to his feet and came up to me, grabbing me by both arms, and with the happiest look on his face, said, "you think you could do that?"  Me, feeling like I could throw up, said, "Yes!" Not really feeling that was in my realm of possibilities. The door bell rang and kids were pouring in, so we weren't able to talk more about it. But I watched the night progress, and the way Darrell just seemed to walk around with this new light air about him. I on the other hand, went into the bedroom, had a good cry and threw up. I WAS GOING TO LIVE ON A BOAT!!!

The entire weekend we talked about the idea, and both felt it would work. We decided that Darci's boat was to big and older than we wanted. Being it had no electric winches and since we would be newbies, we wanted a newer boat. Monday morning he left Utah, driving his Hobie back to California. We had decided that I would look on the Internet and he would get a boat broker. He gave me guide lines on the type and size and price of boat he wanted. He called me many times on the drive back to California. Each time he would say, "you really think you could do this?" Each time with such excitement in his voice. And each time I would answer, "Yes!"  When I told the Lord I would do ABSOLUTELY anything, I didn't say, anything but that! That night I got a call from my Realtor in Utah, the first words out of his mouth were, "are you sitting down?"  I seriously felt like I would faint. My house had sold over the weekend. We were offered exactly what we had asked. The family were offering cash and wanted us out of the home in a week. A WEEK!!! I had a wedding coming up the next weekend. How could that possibly be done? So we were able to push it back one week, excepting the offer. That entire week I just walked around in a daze and would burst into tears, looking at all the beautiful things I owned. The beautiful home I was letting go. To go live on a BOAT! I would lay awake at night and literally shake.......

During the week, I had found a boat on line that I fell in love with. It was in our price range and in Long Beach. I hadn't had a chance to talk to Darrell because of his work schedule and his flight home for the wedding. So with papers in hand I picked him up at the airport. I felt that since I was the one that had heard the answer, I should get the chance to pick out the boat. He got off the plane and the first words out of his mouth were, "I put money down on a boat."   I was sooooooooo hurt. I didn't even get to show him my photos of the boat I wanted. I started to cry, and told him I thought it wasn't fair that he'd done this. That he didn't even give me a chance to show him the boat I wanted. I shoved the papers into his hand. A big smile slowly came across his face. He had actually put money down on MY boat!!! We had both picked out the exact same boat.  Everything fell into place like a set of domino's. The wedding was beautiful, the move was so fast your head would spin, and I was on my sailboat living in Mexico in a matter of just a couple of weeks.

During this time, I kept praying that the Lord would give me strength and help me do this. It was so much bigger that I was. So after saying goodbye to family and friends and the fear of moving aboard a boat, (I'd never stood on a sailboat), in Mexico, (I spoke no Spanish) we drove to Mexico.  Our youngest son Jake moved aboard with me and Darrell dropped us both off at the boat, gave us some brief instructions, and had to drive back to the US. That night I hit my knees and asked Heavenly Father to help me. That I just didn't think I could do this. The next afternoon, I came walking down the dock from the pool at the Marina and was met by one of my boat neighbors. She wanted to introduce me to my neighbors who had just pulled in. It was a group of men who came down from Dana Point, California, to fish around the clock for a weekend. The last day they would come in and supply the fish while boaters on the dock supplied all the food for a wonderful dock party. The man got off the boat and came toward me. He shook my hand and told me his name. I had this shock go through me, (like I felt I knew him) and asked him where he was from. He told me a little town in Idaho. I felt like someone had wrapped me in a huge warm blanket. I laughed and told him I was from that same town. I had graduated with his brother.  Not only were we from the same small Idaho town, but my dearest friend, is his first cousin and we had just been in that town saying goodbye to my Dad and Stepmother. We stopped at his parents home and his mother had given me a bunch of patterns to crochet and knit. I laughed and asked him when the last time was he'd been home. He said he hadn't been home in a year. I told him his parents looked great. He started to laugh and went into his boat and brought out the little town news paper with my Dad's face on it, because my dad had just become the County Commissioner........... That night after the party, I went into my room, got on my knees and thanked my Heavenly Father for watching over me. For showing me he was there.......for showing me, that what was to come was so much bigger that I had eyes to see. The fun, frightening, growing times were about to start.......and I was being watched over!


I will continue to write about what is coming, while adding little parts of the past four years, hear & there......I would love to hear feedback and hello's from any of you!

Wendy (aka) GabbyWray

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Starting our journey......