Prospero "Anyo"

HAPPY NEW YEAR - PROSPERO 'ANYO' NUEVO!  Our sincere wishes for a wonderful start to 2012 - may it be filled with love, laughter, joy and contentment for you and your families.  We miss everyone and the chance to pass on our greetings in person or at least by phone.  Skype works to some extent, but we won't be able to reach many of you; know we are thinking of you and looking forward to catching up on our return (and we haven't even left the dock yet!! ) 

Lockers are being cleaned, items stowed, then moved to make room for something else.  We treated ourselves to a 'magic bullet' blender and a rice cooker for use at the dock; the pot locker is only so big.  Something has to go.

Kelly has successfully installed the first of our new LED lights over our dining table.  This replaces an old fluorescent bulb whose ballast stopped functioning; the company is also out of business.  It works well and we are pleased with the results.  This one has 18 small leds and 3 green ones as a night light set into a Fijian wood base and can be dimmed in 3 stages.  This is the first time we have had direct light over the dining table in years!  Kelly ordered them from Bebi in Fiji before we left home and he has two more of this style to install.  As well he will be replacing individual lights throughout the boat as our budget permits.

We have paid for another week at the dock to ensure we have ample time to work on all the outstanding items, yet be able to do some exploring and have down time.  We hope to visit the market in Empalme tomorrow.   It's a tidy, well laid out town with a railroad history and a very large variety of fresh produce as well as anything you might be needing in the way of second hand items.  Guaymas has a museum and a beautiful cathedral (Sacred Heart) we have yet to see.

Nothing planned here at the dock for New Year's; probably just some quiet conversation and New Year's toasts to fair winds and a great cruising season.  What will take place around us, on the malecon and in the discos and bars will be another story!  Enjoy!

Christmas Potluck - Guaymas

With sunnier skies, less wind and a chance to celebrate together, the cruisers with boats on the hard, in the marina and at anchor, along with some marina staff and their families enjoyed a scrumptious Christmas potluck...with a musical interlude following dessert!  There was stuffed pork loin, ham with pineapple, roasted veggies, salads, desserts, mulled wine, hot apple cider....a real treat.

Gathering in the works yard

Kelly and cruising friends 

Carol - Feliz Navidad everyone back home!



Pat, Margaret, Greg and Tony - our musical esemble



Suzy and Pat - harmonizing

INTREPID II - from the works yard to the dock

The view from the cockpit on arrival

 Foil and the remains of duct tape after a hot summer

 Kelly in the lazarette checking on the impeller - which did not want to come out easily of course

In the travel lift sling to finish bottom painting and stay overnight Dec. 22nd

New bottom paint for a new cruising season

Our rickety acess to the cockpit - a reason we fast-tracked to get in the water!

A very tight squeeze between the travel lift and Forbes and Cameron

INTREPID II in the water for our 3rd cruising season

Pictures along the way Victoria to Guaymas (Dec. 14 - 20th)

Mount Shasta

I5 Highway through the norther California forests

Mountain range between Tucson and Nogales

Highway 15 Sonora Mexico



Kelly visiting  Corky and his family in LA



Merry Christmas from Guaymas!

Merry Christmas from a happy INTREPID II crew.  We are now on the dock at Fonatur marina as of yesterday.  That procedure went well although we do have a few more projects than planned.  We are looking forward to sharing Christmas with fellow cruisers from the marina and the nearby anchorage.  A scrumptious potluck with a variety of foods awaits.

Have a very special holiday celebration!

Feliz Navidad!

The INTREPID II Crew have reached Guaymas - Tuesday December 20th

Hola family and friends.  We had a safe journey from Victoria, through Portland, Ashland, L.A, Yuma, and Nogales onto Guaymas.  We are once again at the Fonatur/Singlar marina.  INTREPID II looked somewhat lonely and definitely needs a good washing. She was still secure on the stands and several cruising friends have been keeping watch in between their own projects.

The car was overloaded when we left.  We somehow forgot how much we had left on board in the way of provisions.  Now we will make up a nice food hamper for some local families with items we overstocked.  We are of course well aware of all the good local stores, but like certain items from home and spoil ourselves with a few treats.   Weather is in the low seventies during the day, but cool to cold at night.  We had a heavy downpour on Wednesday morning which soaked all the items we had put on the deck to allow us to find spots to sleep.  

As businesses and shops shut down over Christmas, we are fast-tracking our efforts, trying to get in the water to continue our boat projects at the dock.  The bottom is now painted, thanks to Francisco and his crew, we are as of this afternoon (Thursday) in the travel lift sling overnight, and if all goes well, will be in the water and at the dock by tomorrow noon.  Then the real work begins.  Sails go back on, lines re-run, a good boat washdown.  I'll continue stowing and organizing; Kelly will re-install the SSB radio, the new water heater and check that all systems still work.   There will likely be an impromptu pot luck Christmas gathering early afternoon on Sunday.  Perhaps a few songs and stories while the sun shines and thoughts of family and friends back home.

Merry Christmas from our boat to your home! 

Leaving home soon

We are likely the last of the cruisers to leave our land based home and head to our on-the-hard sailboat.  If plans go well (or even if we leave things behind) we will be on the Coho ferry to Port Angeles December 14th.  We'll be heading to West Marine in Portland for boating provisions and a quick visit with Kelly's cousins.  Then onward over the mountain passes.  The weather forecast isn't great, but we're hopeful we'll get through to Las Angeles for a family visit.  From there we plan to head towards Nogales, AZ to pick up parts shipped there for pickup and on into Mexico.  As you can see from the photo, we are hoping the addition of a car topper will help keep our station wagon from being unbearably stuffed! 

It sounds like there are 'interesting times' at Marina Fonatur in Guaymas.  T he SV Forbes and Cameron crew are keeping us posted, which we appreciate.  We're hoping the travel lift is ready to go once we arrive, to allow us to splash before Christmas and be fully functioning at the dock.  The rest of the journey is TBA; the main goal is to arrive having had no unnecessary adventures or challenges along the way.  And to be much healthier than when we left home (has anyone heard of the dreaded "100 day cough"?).

Our best wishes to everyone.  This blog may unfold in 'fits and starts' while we get into the routine again.  We are looking forward to new explorations and revisiting favorite places and people in the Sea of Cortez.