S/V Grace: WE GOT COMPANY

We've been here a little over a week now, with our noses to the grindstone. Our days start about 7am, end about 9pm with nothing in between but boat projects. We're getting a lot accomplished, but its been boring. Especially boring since we are here alone, without friends to get together with at the end of the day.

Well let the good times roll. Last night we got a double dose of very welcome company. Larry and Karen on Panta Rhei and Bob and Sherry on Ponderosa both arrived at Venture this afternoon. We had a nice dinner and a very good conversation about our experiences coming down from Seattle.

Panta Rhei left Seattle at the very end of the weather window. They pushed through some nasty weather, worried that it could soon get worse as the Pacific high, with it's northerly winds and waves disappeared, replaced by fall storms from the south. Along the way they had to cope with some very serious and difficult mechanical breakdowns at sea while suffering from seasickness.

http://www.sailblogs.com/member/pantarhei/?show=contents

Weather and breakdowns are just part of the adventure. The real 800 pound gorilla that all us older cruisers fear is loosing our health. Like most folks my age I have medical issues, and after years of planning and work and the investment of our children's inheritance my biggest worry is having to quit because they worsen or something new kicks in. This is what Bob and Sherry are dealing with now. Bob is just out of the hospital, having suffered some serious complications to existing heart problems due to dehydration. Thankfully they were close to excellent medical care in Santa Barbara, and after a couple nights in the hospital he was released with everything back under control. He looked great last night.

http://www.sailblogs.com/member/pantarhei/?show=contents

Larry is coming over this morning to take a look at my watermaker installation. He is an electronics engineer from Boeing, who has a drawer full of patents. It's a little like having Ken Griffy come over to toss a ball around.

The installation is about done, but my subconscious woke me early this morning to let me know that I had created a problem by placing the watermaker membrane above the high pressure pump. Remember I was bragging about installing it so I could drain the oil, well now I don't know if I can get to the plug. Haven't looked yet. Don't want to ruin my day before it begins.

I don't have any recent photos, but would like to share a couple I really like.