It turns out, I’m terrible at keeping up with blogs, even when there is stuff I want to write about. Consider this an attempt at getting back on the horse with a massive review to get caught up. I hope never to write a post this long again. Hopefully that will serve as motivation to post updates more frequently. It should prove to be an interesting read for you, though!
In the year and a half since I bought Festina Lente, much has happened. One thing that didn’t happen nearly as much as I’d hoped was sailing. Multiple factors worked against my goals, but primary among them all is the state of the Martinez Marina.
I’ve made good friends at the marina, and I’ve enjoyed the time FL has been there, but the condition of the marina is simply terrible, and while progress is being made to improve things, there are limits to what the city and the new management company can do, and the state of the sea wall and the shoaling at the marina entrance is so bad that I was severely limited in terms of when I could get out to sail. Having to plan around very tight tolerances with regard to the tides really made it difficult to be flexible when recruiting crew or working around family obligations, etc.
On top of that, while I’ve really enjoyed the experience of sailing in the Carquinez Strait, you’ve really got to enjoy frequent tacking if you’re going to sail downstream. With such a narrow strait and an unfavorable prevailing wind, you’re tacking constantly. Getting to the San Francisco Bay typically takes about five hours, as does heading up to the delta.
So, I’ve decided to change things up for at least a bit. I have moved Festina Lente to Berkeley. I’m looking forward to having faster access to a wider variety of destinations, including out the Gate. That said, I already miss having the boat just 10 minutes away from home. Time will tell whether the trade off is worthwhile.
I do want to document some of the experiences I’ve had while berthed in Martinez, as a lot has happened even if I wasn’t out sailing.
On the night Festina Lente arrived, tensions were a little high as folks weren’t expecting a new boat to be coming in, but everything went smoothly. The following day I took the delivery captain and his mate to the airport and began building my project list. I’m still nowhere close to done with the list. As any boat owner knows, it just keeps growing!
It wasn’t all work and no play, though. I did get to take the boat out with Des and Bob shortly after her arrival.
I think Bob really enjoys being at the helm.
In early November, Tom and Ellen joined me for a sail. We had Rob’s Zombies sandwiches for lunch, though they were a little cold due to a mixup involving the propane. Still, we had a great day out.
The joy and excitement of October was quickly brought down by the events of November. After a long battle with cancer, we lost our beloved dog Swell. Walking our other dog Buddy alone filled me with sadness.
To try to cheer myself up, I would take him on walks at the Martinez waterfront. He enjoyed the outings, mostly the part where he got to smell evidence of other dogs, but he never really felt comfortable on the boat with me. He would just stare off into the distance looking for Amelia.
Amelia and I both got very sick around Thanksgiving, and life was generally miserable without Swellie around. Although I had hoped to give myself a grieving period before getting another dog, a week sick in bed with no dog willing to cuddle with me quickly changed my mind. As soon as we were feeling better in early December, we started looking for a puppy.
Mariana brought joy back into my life. She also monopolized more of my free time than I ever could have imagined. 🙂 Looking back at early photos of her, I can’t believe how tiny she was compared against today.
In late December, Bob’s long-time friends the Arnolds visited from the east coast, and we had a happy hour aboard the boat. We still owe them a sail.
In January 2024, I singlehanded the boat up to the Delta to meet up with members of the Bay Area Sea Kayakers club outside of Sherman Lake. Some came aboard for coffee. This was my first time anchoring single-handedly. It was also the first time I’ve had to deal with a snagged cable coming up with the anchor. Thankfully, I was able to free the cable from the anchor, but not without sacrificing a boat hook. Next time I’ll think to tie a tether to the boat hook.
It was also on this trip that I discovered the motor for my dinghy wasn’t working well. The seller had done some work on the outboard prior to my purchasing it, but the motor would bog easily and stall out at very inopportune times. I got quite a workout rowing back to FL that day.
In February I was able to get out for a sail with my dock neighbor Chad. Despite my complaints about all the tacking, the Carquinez Strait sure is a gorgeous place to sail.
In early March, I sailed with my friend Tom and fellow kayakers on his beautiful Offshore 40, Mistral. We anchored and met up with Ellen and more paddlers. On our way out of Berkeley Marina we had to stop to help out a disabled fishing boat. Towing them back in was an interesting experience.
In April, motivated by wanting to be able to tow Des while he learned to wing foil, we worked on fixing up the dinghy outboard. Turns out, it was just bad spark plugs. Next time, I’ll check that first.
It was also in April that the reality of Martinez Marina’s poor condition really started to set in with me. Lack of protection from the natural siltation and the constant artificial siltation caused by the turning of tankers bound for the Martinez refinery wharf combined with regulatory red tape and a lack of budget to keep up with much-needed dredging and sea wall repair have rendered the marina difficult to get out of outside of high tide. And with dock fingers in terrible disrepair, I really started to feel concerned about the safety of the marina.
In late April, I was joined by Tom, Angela, and Doug for a nice sail into San Pablo Bay. On the return, we had some fun following seas and great focaccia!
On Memorial Day Weekend, I convinced Amelia’s sister’s family and their friend Chris to join me and Chad on an epically slow day trip up the Sacramento River fighting the current to raft up with Des and friends at Decker Island. This also provided an opportunity to try out the dingy’s motor as I made a speedy beer and ice run to Delta Marina Yacht Harbor.
They were real troopers, but on the way back, all of my adult crew decided they would rather drink, so in strict accordance with my crew rules, I had to recruit Lizzie’s girls to help out. They did great. I have a feeling Lizzie will never want to take a day trip with me again, though.
The following day brought more sailing fun aboard Tom and Ellen’s boat with Mark and Winnie. This time heading out into the Golden Gate. Mistral loves to heel and dip that leeward rail.
Amelia and Abigail share the same birthday in July, and on this birthday, Abby got to take the helm again. I think we have a skipper in the making.
For my birthday in August, I…bought another boat. Frustrated by the conditions at the marina and difficulty recruiting crew on short notice, I felt that in order to accumulate the sea days needed to achieve my goal of getting my USCG Captains License, I would need something more nimble. I bought an old Proline 17 footer, which with its <2.5 foot draft will help me get out on the water more frequently.
I have christened the boat “Bar Hopper” in tribute to the shoaling at the Martinez Marina entrance. Of course, the day I bought her, the operator of the marina announced they would be abandoning their contract, throwing operations into disarray. This meant I couldn’t get an official slip for her in Martinez, so she’s at McAvoy harbor in Bay Point most of the time. I’ll be bringing her down to Martinez now that Festina Lente is in Berkeley.
It turns out this boat is the very definition of “project boat,” with bad wiring, saturated floatation foam, and lots of cracked fiberglass and other plastics, but it floats and it zooms, so that’s good enough for my purposes.
In October, nearly a year from Festina Lente’s arrival in Martinez, Chad and I followed Des down to Sausalito in Bar Hopper to attend the boat show. We stopped at Point San Pablo Yacht Harbor on our way for lunch. Our return trip took less than 1.5 hours. Quite a difference from sailing!
I’ve been dreaming for years of transitioning out of my current career. I am miserable at my current job and have been for a long time, but I have felt trapped. I knew I wanted to work aboard and among boats and I had been focusing on obtaining my OUPV Captains License from the USCG, but I knew that wouldn’t pay the bills without drastic changes to our lifestyle that we are unwilling to make. While I was working on (and immensely enjoying) improving Bar Hopper’s electrical system, it dawned on me that I could transition to a career offering a broader array of marine services and that I could start with something that I already had some tangential experience with: marine electronics, which would draw upon my prior career in network engineering and security and my hobbies, including amateur radio and electronics.
In service of my new goal, I’ve been acquiring relevant certifications, including ABYC Marine Electrical Advisor and NMEA’s Advanced Marine Electronics Installer and NMEA2000 Installer certifications. I’m also studying for ABYC’s Marine Corrosion and Marine Standards certifications as well as the FCC GROL+Radar. The current unpredictable state of the economy is preventing me from “jumping ship” so to speak, but as soon as we reach some level of stability, I hope to start searching for a job that will provide hands-on experience in the industry.
In November, we caught COVID-19 and not much else happened. In the beginning of December, we learned that Amelia has DCIS, a form of breast cancer. This started us on an unexpected journey to put it lightly. Most of our plans are up in the air as we focus on her treatment. She’s been through multiple surgeries now with frustrating results.
In December, I was invited to participate in the Benicia Yacht Club’s Christmas light parade aboard Pacific Dragon II with Des’s family and friends. It was a really fun night.
December’s storms brought more damage to Martinez Marina’s crumbling infrastructure, too. This was when I started seriously considering moving Festina Lente elsewhere.
In late December, I got my first paying marine services client. After helping him with his initial issue, I’ve been continuing to help with other projects as time allows, and I’ve even been able to join him for a race aboard his vessel.
December also marked the one year anniversary of our adopting Mariana. She wears pink well, don’t you think?
January was largely consumed by medical appointments for Amelia leading up to the first of multiple surgeries in February. We did squeeze in a much-needed trip to Yosemite before her first surgery, though.
In March I had a new Yankee and Staysail delivered by North Sails, and in the last two weekends of March I had a chance to try them out with Tom and Gordon. I also finally got an opportunity to rig and fly the asymmetrical spinnaker I had ordered the prior year through Precision Sails – they had slipped so much on the delivery date that I missed the right season for it. All is forgiven though, as it looks and performs great. The new foresails have sacrificial UV canvas on them, which I’m hoping will really help slow down their degradation. The sun had absolutely destroyed the older sails, which was also contributing to my sailing less than I’d have liked.
At the end of March, I made the decision to move Festina Lente down to Berkeley. Gordon joined me for the long slog motor-sailing through the strait and San Pablo Bay. When we reached The Brothers, everything started looking up. We found ourselves amid the Singlehanded Sailing Society’s Round the Rocks regatta and once we passed under the Richmond Bridge, the winds picked up and Festina Lente was in her element under full sail. From the moment we entered San Francisco Bay, I kept thinking, “She really wants to be in these waters.” So we’re going to give it a try.
And with that, we’re caught up. I guess that’s where the time went. Thanks for sticking with me through the whole post. The next one will be shorter and will come sooner.