Indythink

Graduation photos

2009-08-26T17:53:00.000-07:00

Long overdue photos from graduation!

The rest are on this album.

Mesa Lane

2009-08-23T11:00:00.001-07:00

The steps to Mesa Lane on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon.

Oso

2009-08-23T00:40:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite bands right here in town, with Phil the crazy uni-cycling masterful guitarist.

Oso - they have a one-of-a-kind mix of rock and folk, check out their songs here: http://www.myspace.com/thebandoso

Starfish low tide

2009-08-23T00:33:00.001-07:00

Up close and personal with the sea critters during the low tide at the wharf in Santa Barbara...

Rowboat and Roadbike

2009-08-23T00:28:00.001-07:00

My vehicles for commuting...

Why sprawl is bad

2009-05-17T14:52:00.000-07:00

View from the Office

2009-05-14T16:33:00.000-07:00

From Santa Barbara '09

Hard-to-beat view at the Coastal EcoVentures office, for the Spring quarter. I can see the latest campus point conditions, and if I peer around the corner, I can just see the Black Pearl bobbing happily in the anchorage, and right below, the joggers running along the bluff.

Too many people have beautiful views but keep the shades drawn because of the glare on the computer screen. The trick with windows and computers - keep them at 90 degrees from one another. Or perhaps it's just lucky orientation...

Marine Layer dampens the fire

2009-05-10T12:51:00.000-07:00

Funny story from a couple who were evacuated from their Painted Cave home.

I talked to them as they were hanging out in their rusty RV by the beach - said they're having a grand time (they're lucky to have a "mobile home" to escape to!). So the story is, they were at the full moon drum circle night before last, and asked the blind guy who does "divining" to bring in the marine layer and dampen the fire.

"What direction do you want the wind to come from?" the blind guy asked, and they responded, "No wind, just calm, damp air!" "Ah, ok." A few hours later, at 2am some cool moisture was felt in the breeze - "It arrived! The marine layer is here!" like some VIP guest to a classy dinner. Ironic enough, as most people detest the foggy grey layer that pervades Santa Barbara in the summer mornings; but everyone is welcoming it now. What would be of light if there was no dark??

"Yeah we went back to check on our house last night, there's parts of the freeway like a lunar landscape, just charred" the RV friend mentioned. I remember from Applied Ecology: big infrequent fires are catastrophic to the ecosystem, but small regular fires are actually great for biodiversity. "The Chumash used to do controlled burns all over the mountains, to protect the oaks from fungus, and get rid of underbrush so the medicinal plants can grow - and keep big fires like this from happening." Do we need a different approach, controlled burns instead of just one mantra, prevention? Can people handle that?

Well, the marine layer is here, thanks to the diviner, and the fire is now 40% contained, after burning ~80 homes, and costing $7MM. The blind guy should have been summoned earlier....

Ash on Water

2009-05-09T16:37:00.000-07:00

Ash fell like snow Thursday night, after the Jesusita brought another evening of mayhem, and created dark swirls on the sea surface.

Last year, several months after the Zaca fire in the backcountry, a big wind kicked up the ash and deposited it on the coast - everyone thought there was another wildfire. But nay, it was just wind-blown ash from the last one.

The many lasting effects of fire: on hydrology (flooding), sedimentation (erosion), soil (nutrients) - which is one bright spot in this whole equation.

Volvo Ocean Race

2009-05-08T13:17:00.001-07:00

In a different part of the world...

Great photos of the Volvo Ocean Race in China and Brazil (thanks Dylan!)
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/05/the_volvo_ocean_race.html

Great combination of modern racing technology and traditional adventure, sailing around the world with speed and endurance.

http://www.volvooceanrace.org/

Jesusita fire grows and grows...

2009-05-08T10:47:00.000-07:00

Everything that could go wrong seems to have gone wrong - the sundowner blowing down the mountains in gale force, the air was so warm I would've have slept with the windows open, had it not been ash making its way westward. I feel safe but useless at the same time.

Evacuation areas now increased all the way to Goleta - here is the County map.

Jesusita by night

2009-05-07T19:56:00.001-07:00

Jesusita fire scatters around the foothills of Santa Barbara (source unknown)

Some of the "evacuees" are friends at the Bren school, staying around at campus till late, where we can watch the fire from upwind, clear air free of ash, smoke, traffic jams, and chaos. Everyone is in a disjointed condition. I paddle back to the boat around 11pm, watching the spot fires lighting up the mountain, the moon is bright and full, everything is intense. Even my anchor has dragged because of the gale winds, which I'll have to re-set soon...

Resources:
UCSB website - http://www.ucsb.edu/campus-update/jesusita-fire.shtml
Santa Barbara County Web - http://www.countyofsb.org/ceo/dept0.aspx
KCSB 91.9 FM - www.kcsb.org
KEYT TV - www.keyt.com
KSBY TV - www.ksby.com
KCOY TV - www.kcoy.com
SB Independent - www.independent.com
Santa Barbara County Chapter of the Red Cross - http://www.sbredcross.org/

Jesusita Fire

2009-05-06T19:30:00.001-07:00

From Santa Barbara '09

View of Jesusita Fire from UCSB looking towards Santa Barbara - note the Black Pearl at anchor on the right side of the frame. Photo: Scott Webb

Wildfire above the hills of Santa Barbara, just raged out of control this afternoon due to the 50mph+ winds and hot air. Houses are on fire.

Third fire in 12 months, even people downtown have evacuated twice this year. Incredible. In November '08 the Tea Fire burned above Montecito and in July '08 the Gap Fire above Goleta.

I watched the flames from the boat, sitting at anchor last night. Warm gusty winds, aircraft flying overhead to dump water, people losing sleep as they picked up their things and evacuated. Like my professor this morning, wondering if his 200 paintings would survive the next 24 hrs, or my project colleague, who packed everything into his Subaru last night.

I never expected that living on the boat would somehow be more secure than living in a home... but that is certainly the case right now.

The places we live

2009-02-01T15:00:00.001-08:00

Photo essay about urban city slums

http://www.theplaceswelive.com/

Ecuador - Papagayo

2008-10-01T01:09:00.000-07:00

Hostal Papagayo, not far from Cotopaxi, run by a young and helpful Israeli, with everything from cheap dorms to stylish rooms - but the food is always expensive (and delicious). A great jumping off point for climatizing in the local mountains.

Ecuador - Cotopaxi

2008-09-30T00:52:00.000-07:00

The mountain's snowy peak was stark against the blue sky, when I first saw it. Cotopaxi had a fantastic appeal. We're already at 3000 meters, and Cotopaxi juts up to 5900 meters, like a proud throne. We camped at Laguna Limpiapunga across from the tallest active volcano.

The night was cold and a light drizzle came down. The cows, bulls, deers, and birds all migrate to the lagoon edge at dusk and seemed to crowd around us.

Earlier in the trip, we did go to Banos, the famous town that cradles the jungle/mountain boundary; and had quite a good time riding bikes through the "rota de las cascadas", but the camera broke.

2008-09-29T00:06:00.000-07:00

After the Galapagos, Scott and I returned to Quito, and spent 12 days roaming the Andes and mountain towns. We started at Isinlivi, a little village on the "Quilotoa Loop", after a slightly harrowing bus ride.

The landscape was a patchwork of family farms on steep slopes. One gentleman escorted us to the river, and we had a picnic together. After some prying, he revealed worry about his kids' schooling - the uniforms were expensive, and the school was far away. We contributed to their education fund, as best we could.

The land was completely but sparsely occupied; the region made for better hostel hopping than camping, but after the Galapagos' strict regulations we were excited to sleep under the stars.

Diving at Cousin's with Sea Lions and Rays

2008-09-19T23:38:00.000-07:00

Diving - Cousin's Rock

2008-09-19T23:26:00.000-07:00

Cousin's Rock is north of Santa Cruz Island, 1.5 hours from Baltra. Super clear and vivid diving peering into the rocky shelves to uncover some gems.

Afterwards, we went to Bartholome Island, which has a famous vista, but nowhere near the underwater beauty at Cousin's Rock.

Isla Isabella - Sea lions and Mangroves

2008-09-18T22:38:00.000-07:00

An amazing wetland where we played with sealions for 25-30 minutes, in the middle of the mangroves.

World Heritage mangroves enroute to the Concha de las Perlas snorkeling lagoon.

Our accommodation at Isabella, at the end of the sandy road - the bar was on the beach, the bungalows were on the lagoon with pink flamingos.

The beach at Puerto Villamil in Isla Isabella, a short walk from "Bar do Beto".

Mural.

Artwork in a lady's house.

The trio: Scott, Kym, and I.

Isla Isabella - Baby tortoise, flamingos

2008-09-16T10:38:00.002-07:00

Baby giant tortoise ontop of an egg at the breeding center in Isabella. Males can be differentiated from females only after about 5 years, when their tail becomes thicker and longer.

Behind our room at "Bar do Beto" we had a view of the pink flamingos in one of the many lagoons in Isabella.

Isabella is a fantastic island. Funny thing, most Galapagos cruise boats don´t stop here; those people who do visit come on a 2 night "tour" and wish they had stayed longer. Scott, Kym, and I stayed for 5 nights and even that was barely enough.

Isla Isabella - Volcano

2008-09-16T10:38:00.001-07:00

Our trip to Vulcan Sierra Negra - 2nd largest crater in the world, recently erupted in 2004.

Our trip leader. Everything in the Galapagos requires an arranged tour.

The volcano crater - the bed was like a black sea, flat, with steep cliffs all around in a big oval.

The backside of the volcano had some surreal landscapes.

The moon in daylight? Behind Sierra Madre.

From Galapagos - Isabella

Happy that the lava is not currently flowing.

Isla Isabella - Tunneles y Tintoreras

2008-09-16T09:04:00.000-07:00

LOS TUNNELES

Galapagos Penguins migrated to the equator in the Humboldt current and adapted nicely to the tropical climate. They are about a foot tall.

Los Tunneles, a 45 minute boat ride from Puerto Villamil in Isabella, is reached by a treacherous boat ride through breaking waves and a ridiculous channel. Wonderful to watch sea turtles swimming in the shallow water, clearly visible, doing laps around the lava formations like go-karts on a track.

Kym with a blue-footed booby (piquero pata azul) at Los Tunneles - these birds are almost like the lizards, they couldn´t care less if we are next to them...

From Galapagos - Isabella

Penguins kept a watchful eye as we snorkled in the Tunneles. Just around the corner, we could see about 5-6 white tip sharks (small, around 1-1.5 meters) swimming in the caves and tunnels, less than six feet underwater. In retrospect, I wish the Tunneles trip had lasted all day instead of a half-day - the place was just too amazing!!

LAS TINTORERAS

Another trip was to Las Tintoreras. It started at a dock near the town and went 5 minutes to a small island, where the white tip sharks (also called tintoreras) like to rest. Note the marine iguanas on the rocks right above them. No worries though, these sharks are vegetarians, supposedly...

Diving at Gordon's with Hammerheads

2008-09-03T23:52:00.000-07:00

Diving - Gordon Rocks

2008-09-02T11:09:00.000-07:00

Dive master Hugo showing us the layout of Gordon Rocks, my second dive in the Galapagos. He is the owner operator of Academy Bay Dive Center in Puerto Ayora.

Gordon Rocks is the best known site nearby Santa Cruz island to see hammerhead sharks. The strong currents flowing across the submerged crater attract the animals. Kym, Scott and I went, along with an English girl called Anushka.

We watched the school of hammerheads for about 1 minute. The 15+ big sharks above our heads had graceful and powerful silhoettes - a few made agitated, brusk movements that were slightly scary. I just clung to the rocks below me as the current swept by. It was surreal.

I lost track of how many turtles we saw, they were around every corner. Turtles are so relaxed, casual.

This white tip shark, also called a Tintorena, was sleeping on the rocks.

Spotted eagle rays, floating, flying.

Dive #7 for me.
Max depth: 91 feet
Total time: 42 min
Water temp: 22C/73F
Visibility: 30-50 feet
Current: strong - held onto rocks, then drifted
Surge: moderate

For more pictures, check out the album here.

San Cristobal - scenes from the town

2008-09-02T10:11:00.000-07:00

San Cristobal is to the right of Santa Cruz, centered, 2.5 hours by boat.

The waterfront road at Puerto Baquerizo.

August 10th was the celebration of Ecuador's independence, and all government workers (at hospitals, school, etc.) were mandated to be part of the parade. There had been band practice with loud drums nearly everyday, particularly during siesta time. This evened out the noise spectrum - from the 6am blarring radio at the mechanic shop, to the dogs and chickens making a racket all night, to the taxi horns during the day. Noise seems to be a part of life here.

A week before independece day, the mayor put on a concert for the locals, to celebrate the town.

Yan the surfer from Paris - the ozzies taught him hand motions to mimmick getting barreled on a wave, and he practiced these in the middle of the street.

The beach and the ozzies from Melbourne, Warren and Eric.

Enroute back to Santa Cruz island - August and September are the windy months and the channel crossings are the roughest.

Diving - Leon Dormido

2008-09-02T09:51:00.000-07:00

This was my first dive in the Galapagos, off San Cristobal Island - a monolithic rock 1 mile offshore, called Leon Dormido or Kicker Rock, with a split down the middle. The split has produced a channel with moderate currents that attracts sharks and rays, about 20 meters deep (60 feet). This was my 6th dive, the first after finishing the SCUBA certification back in California this May.

There was a school of 20+ Galapagos sharks, 1-2 m (3-6ft), swimming through the channel as we dove - they went right up near the surface and paid the snorklers a visit! A school of 8 or 10 spotted eagle rays, as wide as the sharks were long, also swam by.

Shot of a green sea turtle with my "waterproof" Pentax before it leaked water and broke. The water was too turbid to see hammerheads, which cruise by the rock walls at 80 feet. Our guide explained that the water is supposed to be colder this time of year (it's 22C or 73F); since the cold and warm currents are still mixing the water is more cloudy than usual.

There was a family from Cuenca on the right (old colonial town in Ecuador), a spanish diver, an american diver, myself, and the two neighboring ozzies.

San Cristobal - El Junco, Galapaguera

2008-09-02T09:15:00.000-07:00

Climbing the volcano in San Cristobal - "El Junco". The inactive volcano crater is the largest fresh water lake in the Galapagos and provides the town with its drinking water, which is much better than the other towns in the archipelago. I walked its circumference in 30 minutes.

After considerable effort by the national park to remove the invasive species of guava trees and blackberry bushes, which have overwhelmed the islands and destroyed tortoise habitat, the area around the volcano is back to native vegetation. It's ironic that fruit can do so much damage!

From Wikipedia:
The shape of the carapace of some subspecies of the tortoises is said to have reminded the early Spanish explorers of a kind of saddle they called a "galápago," and for these saddle-shaped tortoises they named the archipelago. Up to 250,000 tortoises inhabited the islands when they were discovered. Today only about 15,000 are left.

A noted visitor to the archipelago, naturalist Charles Darwin, remarked "These animals grow to an immense size ... several so large that it required six or eight men to lift them from the ground." [3] This is due to the phenomenon of island gigantism whereby in the absence of natural predation, the largest tortoises had a survival advantage and no disadvantage in fleeing or fending off predators.

This sign at the Galapaguera shows how they brought tortoises in 2002 from their natural habitat in the far north of the island to Puerto Baquerizo (by boat) and then to the breeding center at Cerro Colorado (by truck). The breeding program run by the Charles Darwin Foundation and the National Park has succesfully re-introduced hundreds of captive-bred juveniles back into the wild, helping tortoise populations to recover.

Puerto Chino, at the end of the road.

San Cristobal - surfing

2008-08-24T16:02:00.000-07:00

First look at Tongo Reef, two guys out.

I was deceived from the view from my house, at the top of the hill - it looked like the surf was flat. So on the first day I walked out to Lobería, which is the sea wolf colony just past the airport, and picks up the most south swell. It is a heavy reefbreak just outside a pretty lagoon - unfortunately, the trade wind is blowing onshore at this spot, between June-Nov, 24 hours per day.

The following day, I walked out past the naval base to check out Tongo Reef, not expecting much; El Canon, the indicator spot which we can see from town, looked tiny. After the 25 minute walk I arrived at Tongo - it was overhead and consistent! I galloped back to town on my havaiiana sandals, scouted out a $10 rental board, and rushed to Tongo, where I had two excellent and redeeming afternoon sessions, on my own.

They were long lefthanders, tame but enjoyable, and the wildlife was unreal: a bunch of sea turtles swimming around, blue-footed boobies divebombing for fish, sea lions messing around. Sadly, as I went through the "minefield" of lava rocks on my way to shore, I snapped a fin off, which ended up costing me $20 for a replacement, out here in this isolated and costly island.

The view from the naval base enroute to Tongo. Popeye rules.

The outside and inside sections linking up. The water was 68-70 degrees fahrenheit.

The Cabana and the rental board. I ended up spending $60 on surfboard rentals all together, more cost-effective than bringing my own? Less hassle, at least...

While I was in Cristobal 2 weeks, there were 3 smallish swells, never much bigger than a foot overhead, and flat for days on end. People didn´t seem particularly surprised by this, except for me. The roaring 40s are pouring with storms, and everywhere else is pumping: Peru, Tahiti, Australia. So why is there so little swell in the Galapagos this time of year? Or maybe I caught a slow period and it usually pumps...

Everyone raves about the waves during the other season - November thru April - as the north swell spots are firing, the wind is calm, AND there is south swell. Go figure. Clearly, that´s the best time of year. But, I certainly got my money´s worth in the perfect playground of Tongo Reef, for seven days in the water.

Local kids were really good, even with just 2 years experience. They would sometimes wait for each other on the beach to share the board, as they likely co-owned the expensive tabla. The sea lions look like they´re slobbering white stuff, but it´s just an illusion.

The view of "El Canon" from Casa de Celeste, where I was staying. It never got big enough to surf it. There is, in fact, a big naval canon in front of the point.

Just past the actual point at Tongo is another section, called the "Peak" - I surfed this as it was less crowded and more powerful. Disadvantage: it is littered with rocks to dodge and weave through. No damages to body or equipment, I´m happy to report.

San Cristobal - sailors

2008-08-19T18:30:00.000-07:00

Daniel the Czech sailor aboard his steel cutter, "Waterbird".

(Photo courtesy Mysticsail, thanks guys!)

As San Cristobal has a much nicer anchorage than Santa Cruz (offshore breeze, no swell), most of the cruising sailors stop by here enroute the Marquesas, usually coming from Panama. I met Daniel, who had sailed from Europe to the Carribbean, spent a year or two, and was now on a mission to go to Antarctica (after the southern winter is over, to be sure). With just a masher and a whisk, he was able to mush together a fantastic banana smoothie aboard his boat. He was stoked because he met the banana farmer, and got to ride in the pickup to the plantation, and choose a gargantuan lot of bananas for his trip westward.

If you look really close, in the center, you can see the sails of the "Waterbird" raised, leaving the harbor to follow the sunset.

Whereas Daniel was solo, the folks aboard the "Natural Mystic" were having an absolute party. Led by 30-some year old Captain Kyber from Santa Barbara (of all places!), and the crew consisting of Khalil the Kiwi, Dizzy the Ozzie, and Ben from the east coast, these fellas were living it up - aboard a 55ft almost-new catamaran, a super-fast dinghy surf mobile, and a really good attitude. All the ladies in town wanted to meet them. They were anchored nearby Playa Man, the town beach, so I´d swim out there every so often, to froth over the boat. Like all boat owners, they did their share of maintenance work, dealing with immigration officials, and debating whether they should leave or wait for that swell that was coming in a few days... read about their travels here.

San Cristobal - marine iguanas

2008-08-18T12:35:00.000-07:00

Prime marine iguana real estate just past La Lobería, San Cristobal Island.

Past "La Lobería" is a stretch of black lava rocks with several families of marine iguanas. All morning they rest motionless, lounging on the rocks, calmly collecting the sun´s rays. When they are warm enough, they slither into the ocean and go find some algae and seaweed to eat. You can approach to watch close up within 2-3 feet of them. They look like wise old men, or mini-dragons, with their eternally serene demeanor. Marine iguanas are relaxing to watch, and even more so, to try and emulate.

At night, iguanas pile up together to maintain warmth - in the morning they look like a big happy family.

Marine iguanas can grow up to 1.3 meters - the largest ones live in Isabella and Fernandina Islands, on the western end of the archipelago. The biggest I´ve seen is about 0.8 meters. Incredibly, they can also change size - scientists discovered that during El Niño years, when their food source (marine algae) was reduced, the iguanas actually reduced in size about 20% by shrinking their vertebrae.

In the past, the iguana´s only predators were sharks and other large fish. They have not evolved to thwart their new predators - humans, dogs, and cats - so their populations are dropping. Galapagos Online has an anecdote describing how their instincts are ingrained:

"In the 19th century when Charles Darwin visited the islands he found thousands of Marine Iguanas living along the rocky shore. He picked one up and threw it into the ocean it instantly swam back to the shore. This was repeated several times and the Iguana continued to seek the safety of the shore when it could have easily swum off to escape Darwin."

San Cristobal - sea lions

2008-08-14T07:33:00.000-07:00

Mom and pup laying on the lava rocks - they seem to plop down into any position and relax all day.

SEA LIONS
There are sea lion colonies all over the place in San Cristobal! Right by the docks at the waterfront, along the beaches, and at "La Loberia" - it is a great show. They are a relative of the California sea lion, but slightly smaller, and really playful in the water (they love to swim within inches of you). On the beach, they are very relaxed about human presence - except male bulls taking care of their harem. They guard their territory and chase other males with their barks and attacks. Occasionally they will also mistakenly chase Australians out of the water, I noticed.

La Lobería - the "wolf-place", sort of translated - is where sea lion colonies congregate. Every island seems to have at least one. Sea lions are "lobos marinos" in spanish, or sea wolves.

The colony at Punta Carola - They can smell really foul - apparently in other seasons their stench moderates a bit.

A sandy sea lion huffing and puffing. I had to walk a good distance from the bull´s harem in order to be allowed in the water.

From Galapagos Online:
(the site also describes the Fur Seal)
Adult males known as Bulls are the head of the Colony, and can grow to be up to 7 ft (2 m) in length and 800 lbs (363 kg). As males grow larger they fight to win dominance for a territory including a Harem of between 5 and 25 Cows. Each Cow in the Harem has a single Pup born a year after conception. The Pups have a strong bond with their mother. The Cow will nurture a Pup for up to three years. In that time the Cow and the Pup will recognize each other's bark from the rest of the Colony. When the Pup is 2 - 3 weeks old the Cow will mate again.

San Cristobal arrival

2008-08-12T18:03:00.000-07:00

View Larger Map

LEAVING SANTA CRUZ
I felt a distinct sense of relief. I was starting to feel a bit claustrophobic in Santa Cruz island - the onshore wind, rocky shore, cramped town. The boat dock was total chaos: 4 boats leaving for 2 islands, at 2pm everyday, down a tiny gangway. Through the confusion I heard the name of the boat, "Sunfish", and joined the other 2o passengers on a rough 3 hour crossing. (August and September are the roughest months, because the southeast tradewind is blowing non-stop.)

The Israeli backpackers were lucky to sleep on the floor - possibly the most comfortable place on the "Sunfish".

THE WATERFRONT
Puerto Baquerizo, the town in San Cristobal and capital of the Galapagos province, was gloomy and drizzly when we arrived. Still, the harbor was protected and calm, with a gentle offshore breeze, an impressive "malecon" (the waterfront) spanning several hundred yards, made of wood. I was instantly at ease.

Puerto Baquerizo in San Cristobal is calmer and more welcoming than neighboring Puerto Ayora in Santa Cruz island.

This time of year, it is usually cloudy during the day, but the sun will peek from under the clouds just before sunset.

ROOM UP ON THE HILL
After 20 minutes walking around town looking for affordable accomodation, a taxi driver told me about a $10/night room at someone´s house up on the hill. The newly built rooms on the third story far exceeded my expectations. I was greeted to an incredible view of the bay and a lefthander peeling in the distance. Landlady Celeste showed me around, and I immediately settled into my new favorite place, the large patio.

Mural on my wall facing the patio. The rock with the pointed crevace on the right is Leon Dormido, the famous diving spot to see sharks. The male frigate bird is the one on the top right, with a red throat sac to attract females.

The gourmet breakfast was $3 extra - fruit, eggs, pancakes or french toast, and plenty of fresh juice.

Galapagos - Las Grietas y Garrapatero

2008-07-21T13:44:00.000-07:00

The salt marsh and the bar enroute Las Grietas.

On Friday afternoon I headed to "Las Grietas", by first crossing to the bay with the $.60 water taxi, and then walking past the mangroves over volcanic rock to a deep grotto of rock. The deep clear water had an occasional large snapper swimming through it, which would vanish once someone jumped from the 40-80ft rock ledges into the water below. I met up again with a tour guide called Darwin, who is a great guy - we played soccer at Tortuga Bay together last weekend. On the way back I started talking to two other people, Shaun and Alejandra, who were also strangers, and we ended up having impromptu adventures. These started by having a caipirinha at the bar and then being invited by the bar owner into his house - an expat with a crazy sense of humor. His humble abode had the most impressive view of the moonrise over the water and we danced with family for a few hours and tried homebrewed vodka, before he ferried us back to town in his own skiff.

Pre-jump adrenaline.

After a night of dancing in the town's one and only club, Bongo's, Shaun and I decided to go camping at Garrapatero. Shaun was an investment banker on Wallstreet just 6 months ago, but he "capitalized" on the real estate downturn and became a happy go-lucky vagabond cruising South America. Everyone told him it was impossible to get a cargo ship to the Galapagos these days - but after 1 weeks of pleading he managed to get a spot above the banana crates, where ants bit his lip. He said it was pretty aweful, second only to spending 2 weeks in the Bolivian jungle with a native guide having a "real Amazon experience" - eating worms, having no mosquito nets, hunting with a bow and arrow. I was proud of Shaun.

Playa de Garrapatero and surroundings.

Playa de Garrapatero was a scenic beach 30 minutes by taxi from the town. It was full of people on tour when we arrived but they all left. We were an absolute hit with the big crowd of Ecuadorian schoolteachers who were here on a work vacation - they wanted to take pictures with us and our tent, at least 20 times. We were sad that the flamingos weren't around in the lagoon area; but we had an excellent time regardless.

A crowd of Ecuadorian schoolteachers overtook our campsite.

Galapagos - working with CI

2008-07-19T13:07:00.000-07:00

I set up my office in the outside patio - nice and cool with the breeze.

I am assisting the people at the Conservation International (CI) office in Galapagos with two projects. The first is a research vessel, actually a "barge" called Tiburon Martillo (hammerhead shark in spanish) which will be posted in the Wolf and Darwin Islands, a remote part of the Galapagos archipelago.

These islands are just big rocks in the middle of the ocean, but there's a lot going on: they are a major breeding ground for hammerhead and whale sharks, and have some of the last remaining coral in the Galapagos, after 90% of it was wiped out by the last few El Nino events. More tour operators are coming to the area as the SCUBA diving is world-class, and some consider it the best in the world in terms of watching megafauna. The islands are also a haven for fishing - legal and illegal. The mafia-like illegal shark fin industry supplying the Asian market has exploded in the Pacific and there are even boats coming from Costa Rica to exploit the sharks, which in turn is destroying the ecosystem, which depends on sharks for top-down control.

The fisherman's wharf in the Puerto Ayora waterfront, where they sell fillets of "pescado blanco" for $2/lb.

The "Tiburon Martillo" barge will stay in this isolated area, with a crew of 7 or 8, to conduct scientific research, monitor, and enforce regulations. Its a major endeavor, logistically and financially, and my role is to figure out how to better integrate the private sector (tourism and fishing) with this project.

The second project CI is doing here is the "Zero Anchors" initiative, which is trying to set up mooring balls along all the anchorages that are heavily visited by tourism boats. After you see the size of the boats at Puerto Ayora it is easy to understand why this is so important - 50 foot boats are dwarfed by several mini-cruise ships and mega-yachts that take tourists around to each of the islands every week. Their anchor and chain can clear 100 feet of whatever is on the seafloor, and more when the seas are rough. There are literally scrubbing clean the very habitat that the tourists are coming to see - hence the hope that they'll be able to use (and pay for) these mooring balls, instead of their anchoring equipment.

I'm excited about what I'll be doing, particularly since it's quite open ended - and I'm hoping that I can get on some of those boats...

View of the Puerto Ayora pier and anchorage from the top floor of the supermarket, Proinsular.

Mexico and Ecuador

2008-07-14T15:37:00.000-07:00

In May this year, I received an Ambassadorial Scholarship from Rotary International to study and work in Central America during 2009-2010. Two Rotary Clubs sponsored my application: Santa Barbara Sunrise and Goleta Evening. What follows is my letter to them about my trip to Mexico and the first part of my trip to Ecuador.

Hi Gary, Harold, and Rotary friends,

I hope you're doing well this summer, and that the ash hasn't been too bad. I hope that the fires in Santa Barbara will soon be under control, if they aren't already.

I've been having an amazing time so far during my trip. First, I spent two weeks in Mexico, in the vicinity of Zihuatanejo (just north of Acalpuco, in the southern part of the mainland) doing research for my graduate thesis. The other 4 people in my group were also there, and we did several site visits to Playa Viva, which is the eco-resort that we are using as our case study. Our group is looking at examples of socially responsible investment in property, with a focus in the tourism industry in Mexico, and this could turn out to be a good role model for "green development".

Our first tour of the Playa Viva site was carried out impromptu by someone we met on the road: Canadian expat Bob, who has spent 30 years in the area and makes Aztec stone sculptures. The site is a mix of estuaries, palm trees, native vegetation, and sand dunes - it's really beautiful and full of animals - 85% of the land will remain preserved according to Playa Viva's plans. Canadian Bob took us to the turtle sanctuary, which Playa Viva helps support, and we watched newborn turtles scurry into the ocean. In days to come we also met with the architect, the permaculture specialist, and other community members.

Besides the turtle sanctuary, Playa Viva assists the community agriculture program in the area, which promotes organic farming practices; as well as the recycling program in the local township. The resort will be built with natural materials and will have on-site solar energy generation. Most impressively, they have an extensive restoration project to bring back the native vegetation and restore one of the lagoons which previous palm plantations had filled. In all, the development could actually improve the biodiversity of the region, and will hopefully bring positive benefits to the local community. We are now conducting background research on the project, which will be discussed in greater detail in our master's thesis. Although every development has impacts, and none can be perfect, it's still exciting to see that people are becoming increasingly conscientious about environmental and social issues these days.

Besides working on our project, we also spent plenty time of at the beach - the days were warm with a nice amount of cloud cover, and regular thunderstorms would cool down the temperature. Every other night there were lightning storms which we watched in the distance or hunkered down as they went over us. Even so, we often used fans or A/C to stay cool at night. During the days, we drove north to different surfspots, where we'd rent boards and get waves; or we'd drive south into Zihuatanejo itself (about 30 minutes) to get a bite to eat. Often, we just stayed at home and enjoying the ocean right in front, since we were fortunate to be in a beautiful house on the beach - courtesy of the family of one of our team members.

Crossing the channel from Baltra to Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos

After my two weeks finished, I had a full day of travel to arrive in Guayaquil, the second largest city in Ecuador, which lies on the southern part of the coast. Although it seemed fairly peaceful, a number of people advised me to be careful in Guayaquil - the folks from the organization I will be interning with organized a homestay with a family. It was quite nice, their son showed me around the town and we had some good Ecuadorian meals - plantains, beans, roast beef, etc. I spent two night there, and then got the morning flight to the Galapagos islands.

At my school (Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, at UCSB), all the master's students need to complete a summer internship. I was lucky enough (and worked hard for it!) to find an internship in the Galapagos with Conservation International, an organization whose mission is to support biodiversity of flora and fauna around the world. My work will likely be in the financing and communication documents to support a research vessel based in the Wolf and Darwin Islands, a remote part of the archipelago that is a breeding ground for hammerhead sharks and whale sharks.

The fishing port at Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island

I arrived on Saturday, and the plane landed on the small island of Baltra; we then took a shuttle to a ferry, in order to cross the channel and arrive in the island of Santa Cruz; at which stage we took a taxi (they are all white pickup trucks here) which took me to the main town of Puerto Ayora, and finally to my accommodations at the Charles Darwin Foundation, where I am being housed. It is located in the outskirts of town, right on the water's edge, with lush vegetation all around. Walking around, one must be careful not to step on the ubiquitous marine iguanas; this is especially challenging as they like to flounder on the black lava rocks by the beach, and camouflage perfectly so that it looks as if "the rock starts moving".

Marine Iguana that likes to hang around near the "comedor".

At night in the waxing moon I walked about the property and watched the giant tortoises asleep - they're like big mounds. On Sunday my new Ecuadorian friends, who are volunteering at the Foundation, took me to the long sandy beach west of town, which also has a nice clear lagoon. The weather has been cloudy, this being the season for such conditions, but it makes things cool and comfortable even though we're right under the line of the Equator. The folks from Conservation International lent me a bicycle and I've been exploring the town, which is larger than I expected, but small enough that we often need to wait one week for "special supplies" like copies of my office keys.

I'll be here for a month and a half, after which I'll travel around the islands and the Ecuadorian mainland; and finally return to California around the 16th of September. I'll send other updates in the weeks to come.

Have a great summer and we'll talk soon!
Best,

Kristian

Nighttime on the waterfront of Puerto Ayora, Galapagos.

Anchoring for 10 weeks

2008-06-25T14:55:00.000-07:00

Since I would be leaving the US for 2.5 months - two weeks in Mexico and 8 weeks in Ecuador - I wanted to make sure the boat would be safe. Many preparations were taken, such as making sure the bilge pump was working, the solar panel was charging the batteries properly, the skiff was ontop of the sailboat securely, the bow gear and cleats would withstand the stress of time and potential gales.

View of the Black Pearl as I paddled to the wharf Furthest out at East Beach, but still close enough so friends would be able to check on the boat, I dropped the 33lb Bruce anchor and 250 feet of chain - which is a fair amount for 40 feet of water during the summer. In case the harbor patrol had to tow my boat (knock on wood) and drop the anchor rode overboard, I left a few buoys handy. With surfboard and waterproof satchel in hand I jumped in the water and paddled back to the wharf, much to the confusion of the fishermen at the pier.

Early in my trip there was a scare. During the first week I was in Mexico, I had a bad dream about the boat (it disappeared!) and the next day I got a voicemail from the harbor patrol: "We got a report that your boat may be dragging, and you should come down here to move it." After a few phone calls, my friend checked out the situation and discovered that a powerboat had anchored right next to me; and had a bunch of anchor line hence was swinging around into other boats during calm times. They were there to watch the July 4th fireworks, and then left afterwards. Last I heard, my boat hasn't moved much, and continues soundly to this day, while I travel in South America.

Day 4 of the Trip

2008-06-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

The situation was becoming a bit interesting, for 3 reasons: 1. we needed to return tonight as the crew had to return to their jobs; 2. the wind wasn't picking up; and 3. our gas was probably insufficient to get us all the way back across the channel. As it were, several boats decided to visit Potato Harbor this day, I suppose since it was so calm, and we asked if they wouldn't mind spotting us some petrol.

A kind couple from Oxnard gave us a gallon, and the rowdy follks from "Tipsea" also let us syphon a gallon from their outboard. Thanks to these friendly boaters we'd make it back on fossil fuel alone, if need be. As it turned out, we didn't need it, but... it's better safe than sorry. Since I'm really not a fan of using gas engines (hence the reason we only brought 4 gallons on this trip, which wasn't enough given the calm conditions) the experience reinforced my hopes of one day getting an electric inboard and a more robust solar system and battery bank.

Getting gas from Tipsea - arrghh, the bounty!

So shallow was the anchorage that I dove for the stern anchor (20lb Bruce) in 10 feet of water and walked it along the seafloor back to the boat (nevermind the 100ft of 1/4in chain). We motored into the channel, expecting total calm, but happily felt the first airs after an hour, and soon had 10 knots of wind on our beam. The Pearl was flying with her recently scrubbed hull, doing over 5 knots in the blissfully smooth conditions for a full 3 hours. The final few miles were back on engine mode, which gave us enough time to wash down the decks with buckets and scrubbers; secure all the sails and gear; and make the boat more beautiful than when she left.

The boat was sailing sweet and fast under helmsman Owen.

Enjoying post-voyage meal at the Endless Summer Cafe in the harbor.

Day 3 of the Trip

2008-06-20T13:31:00.000-07:00

June '08 Trip Santa Cruz Island

The wind wasn't even threatening to make an appearance; yet we had the itch to move so we weighed anchor around 1pm and motored in glassy seas with the silver tarp half-sheltering us from the scorching sun. We hugged the coast chugging along at 3 knots to save gas, and checked China Harbor to see if there were any waves; there were none. On we motored to Potato Harbor, which is a scenic potato shaped cove, quite large but rather exposed to the prevailing North West swell and wind. However this being an ultra calm day we tried our luck there.

The others hiked off to watch the sunset from the top of the mountain while I hunkered down and watched the boat, increasingly concerned as a regular windswell emerged from the NW. Was this an indication of a stronger wind ready to howl, or the fickle night sweats of a dark ocean? We had been a bit arrogant about anchoring so close the rocks and now I regretted it. The worry subsided though, as the wind remained a steady but light breeze, pitching the boat considerably like a seesaw, but thanks to the bow & stern anchor setup we were not rolling at all, and were able to sleep fine.

Later, I was to find out that my friend was aboard his 38 foot Islander sailboat hanging on for dear life as a strong wind was sweeping down the canyons at Smuggler's Cove, on the other side of the island. How strange - we were in the windward side of the island, and experienced only shifty light airs, while my friend was on the leeward side, protected one would imagine, but getting blown by offshore winds. This is apparently a result of the Venturi Effect that increases the velocity of the wind as it travels up the mountain and then blows down the other side.

Anchored at Potato Harbor

Day 2 of the Trip

2008-06-19T08:32:00.000-07:00

June '08 Trip Santa Cruz Island

The Nature Conservancy owns about 76% of Santa Cruz Island, which is restricted to no public access. Their efforts to preserve and restore the land range from native species restoration to pig eradication campaigns to support the island fox populations. Access to most of the island's coves is only possible by boat, which is how we made it into Fry's Harbor.

The experience of being anchored in a remote cove is unlike any other I know. The lack of civilization, the calm water, no distractions from phones, internet, and chores, lends to a near total state of relaxation. I say near total, because for the captain at least there is always an undercurrent of anxiety, which often lies unmanifested, but is ready to be triggered at the hint of any problem.

The dragging anchor is the primary possibility for stress - if the wind picks up and/or the anchor is fouled (not properly set) the rocks are awfully close by. But there is also a personal satisfaction drawn from the responsibility of smart anchoring and the edginess of being on your feet at all times.

As for the crew, the total relaxation was multiplied by the heat wave that was overtaking the California coastline during this summer solstice weekend - 85 degrees on the coast, not a breath of wind even in the "Windy Lane". The water was crystal clear, not too cold (63 degrees or so), we donned our wetsuits and went diving. Swimming through the kelp beds is a show of filtered light, tunnelling through the plant material that rises 40 feet off the ocean floor; and when we are free-diving, to look up at the water surface twinkling above and look for an opening in the kelp is a veritable joy.

A note on kelp: it is the fastest growing plant at a max of 2 feet per day (in contrast to shabby performance of bamboo, corn, and kudzu, which grow up to 1 foot per day), supporting a productive ecosystem of fish and crustaceans by affording hidding spots from predators and providing plenty of food. Only because of the cold water from the upwelling of nutrients does kelp grow, so even though it's located in chilly waters with the right wetsuit and attitude the experience is well worth it.

In the spirit of Two Years Before the Mast, I recruited my willing crewmates to do some maintenance work on the boat after our leisurely morning. That book taught me two things: 1. to be thankful that I have my own boat, despite its trials and tribulations, there is nobody who will slave-drive me; and 2. that the pattern of a vessel disintegrating at sea and being repaired in the harbor need not be the case, that through diligent maintenance it can actually be more beautiful when it returns to port.

So we scrapped the hull free of barnacles for 45 minutes each, and sanded and oiled the teak trim of the toerails and handholds; and in 2 hours accomplished what would have taken 8 hours for me to do in port. All the while, we had big grins in our faces because we knew a nice dip in clean water was seconds away.

Day 1 of the trip

2008-06-18T16:40:00.000-07:00

June '08 Trip Santa Cruz Island

This trip is a celebration of finishing my first year of grad school. Just before school started in September I also did a trip to the Islands, so this trip felt like a "bookend", giving the year a context for reflexion.

The forecast was for strong winds on Wednesday, the day of our departure, for 20-25knots, 8ft seas at 10 seconds. It couldn't have been more different - the first 4 hours were all motoring in calm seas, and finally the wind picked up as we entered "Windy Alley" 10 miles from Santa Cruz Island and were suddenly flying at 7 knot speeds.

The moon, starting to wane after being full, rose in a spectacular fashion just after the sunset. We pulled into the Fry's Harbor the first night in the dark, with one other boat in the anchorage. The guy was taking up the entire inside part of the harbor with his extra long scope with lightweight line, which we did our best to navigate around, and anchor bow & stern under some difficulty. The hot, dry air was blowing out of the canyons and I jumped in the 64 degree water after we were snug and safe around 10pm, after 9 hours of travel time, 23 nautical miles, 8 knot max speed.

Disappearing Dinghy part 2

2008-06-15T16:09:00.000-07:00

I kept forgetting about getting a lock for the dinghy, particularly now that I was in finals week. Just how things turn out, the dinghy disappeared again. This time there was no sign of foulplay or clues to its whereabouts. The stress was compounded by the fact that I was planning a trip out to the Channel Islands with 3 friends, planned departure the very next day. The dinghy was an essential item for us.

I ran down to Goleta Beach, about 500 yards away, and was overjoyed to see the dinghy on the beach - upside down on the rocks near the parking lot, as if someone had dragged it up there. The oars were gone, and the stern line was now attached to the bow. Weird. I ran along the beach another 1/2 mile but did not find any gear. At least the most important piece of equipment was not lost!

The happy crew with the dinghy intact, enroute to the islands, the sailboat in the background. A key item when you're based in an anchorage - but also great for visiting fellow boaters, using as a raft for diving, going to shore during trips, etc.

Remains a mystery what happened - whether someone took the dinghy, or whether it came loose from the knot on the post. Either way, a bummer, and I had to race to the marine store to purchase oars at $100 for the pair. Better than having to purchase a new dinghy, which cost me $250 used.

One would hope I had learned my lesson by now and plan on leaving things more secure!

Disappearing Dinghy part 1

2008-06-05T07:47:00.000-07:00

I keep telling myself to get a long cable to lock the dinghy to the post, currently it gets tied on with the rope. However I do lock the oars together, so nobody would be able to use them, but that wasn't enough to prevent some stealthy kids from taking it out for a spin.

In Goleta Bay, view from the boat of an airplane landing in the Santa Barbara airport. Right below that is where the kids took the dinghy for a fishing expedition

After class I had gone for a run and a swim at campus point, when I decided to walk out to the cliffs and check up on my dinghy - I hadn't been down to the boat in 2 days. I skipped a beat as I realized it was gone, as far as I could tell from a distance. I ran down there and saw a group of 4 kids floating on the dinghy down by Goleta beach. They had left the locked oars behind so I grabbed the oars and chased after them.

I made a strong showing once they were within sight to pay attention to me, and signaled for them to return to shore. Once it was clear they were cooperating, I said "hey sorry to spoil your fun but this is my dinghy." They were in their 20s, and apologetically claimed not to realize it was being used; although they had clearly planned out this little escapade since they had their own paddles with them.

At that stage I rowed back to my 'parking spot' and tied up again, noting they had left me a few hooks and sinkers unwittingly as gifts

Rowboat from campus at night

2008-06-04T22:15:00.000-07:00

It's a daily adventure - walking at night with my backpack, the waves crashing on the cliffs, getting to the dinghy. Sometimes I have to hold the backpack above my head to keep it from getting wet, water swirling up to my waist.

There's an incredible amount of kelp washed up on shore and the flies are thriving, which is a bit unpleasant, but I'm sure they serve a good ecological purpose. The tar has also been really thick on the beach.

Untie the dinghy, push towards the water's edge, and time the little sets with the moonlight. On good days I just get my ankles wet, no more. Sometimes the southeast wind is quite strong at night and I paddle against the chop, but it's always rejuvenating - I feel fresh and alive by the time I hop on the sailboat, and the lights of the campus are far away on shore.

Sunken Dinghy

2008-05-29T14:01:00.000-07:00

I left town for three days and when I returned the dinghy was submerged by sand. I showed up at 11pm after a long day at school and I couldn't believe it - the dinghy was nearly buried, sand filled to the rims which was wet and hard like concrete.

The oars and things were still inside, which I discovered as I started digging with my bare fingers. It took over an hour, and incidentally the tide was creeping in, higher and higher, so it was a rush against time. I strategically dug the sand out in piles that would block the incoming tide. After I had most of the sand out I still couldn't budge the dinghy - it was stuck in the hole. I dug around it, my hands and finger now feeling raw and sore. It could rock the thing back and forth, but only after a big wave sent water to the edge of the dinghy, did I bring out the "mom whose baby is stuck under the car and lifts it" superpower, and got it upside down, draining water.

Soon I had the dinghy afloat and was rowing back to my boat, still sweaty from the exertion, way after midnight on a calm night.

Smashed Toes

2008-05-24T13:44:00.000-07:00

In early May, sailed back to campus point. The first thing I noticed was there is a lot less sand on the beach. The winter storms had washed most of it away, which should be replaced over the course of the summer. I tie up the dinghy about halfway between the steps at campus point and the Goleta Beach rocks; the rest is all cliffs. Hence I need to walk along about 700 yards of beach to get to the skiff.

The morning after the stubbed toe

After finishing school around 10pm, I was surprised that the waves were crashing right onto the cliffs - the tide was high. The new moon made nearly 7ft high tides in synch with the time I need to commute. I waited 2 hrs one night, and the other I skipped out and went to my girlfriend's house.

Then my friend Miles came into town and really wanted to come visit. We walked down the steps, got down to our boardshorts in the pitch black, and walked into the swirling shorebreak with our packs above our heads. When the surf receded and the beach became visible momentarily I ran for it, to gain a bit of distance, but ended up stubbing my toe really badly. Miles also hit his, but mine ended up broken, as I found out the next day. Still, the cold water kept things numb for the rest of the evening, and we made it out to the Black Pearl.

Sailing Team: GP

2008-04-28T22:55:00.000-07:00

My master's thesis in grad school is actually a group project (GP) done with four other students - in order to simulate a "real" work environment. "El Capitan" Beadle had everyone come out for a day sail, the rest of the team being Lucas, Gia, Ashley, and Paul; their gung-ho-ness was put to the test that Sunday --

First the team had to meet at the Stern's Wharf since Black Pearl was still anchored at East Beach. The team skillfully descended the wooden ladder leading to the dinghy below, with bags and the odd six-pack of beer, and piled 5 people onto the small rowboat (official max capacity, 3 people). We paddled canoe style through the calm-ish water to the vessel, and proceeded to weigh anchor.

Ashley had the initiative to work the windlass, with vigor might I add, which was excellent until we came up to the stern of another boat and realized they had anchored on top of our anchor. A Bummer - first time this has happened to me. I clambered on top of the bloke's sailboat (nobody's home) and tried to maneuver the Pearl around them, but to no avail. Happily, the intruding owner returned, as it were, fairly drunk but agreeable, and apologetically pulled on his own anchor until we are able to get right alongside him. If it weren't for my crew to fend off, I'm sure our spreaders would have collided and tangled by then. Hurrah team!

We were actually able to pull up our anchor aboard his boat and then get the 33lb thing over to the Pearl. Funny enough, through a casual conversation we figured out they had the very extra gas cap that I needed for my small Nissan outboard - fluke of all flukes - so I gave them $5 for it and jumped aboard the Pearl before we drifted off and set sail.

We practiced tacking and jibing up to Leadbetter Beach and after 2 hours went back to the harbor. We pulled into a guest slip without a hitch and we concluded that next year we should celebrate our success as a group project by competing in a few Wet Wednesdays with the SB Yacht Club. If the race includes weighing anchor and rowing dinghies, we'll definitely be ready...

Electrical System re-do

2008-04-24T22:31:00.000-07:00

My daily electrical needs are pretty modest. I just have one light in the cabin (plus a few stand-alone solar powered lights), one 12 volt plug for charging my cel phone & laptop, and an automatic bilge pump. Sailing the boat requires juice for the VHF radio, GPS, and navigation lights at night. In the future, I hope to install a radar and auto-helm.

At the stern is the 60 watt panel that charges the Pearl's electrical system.

Two 6 volt batteries (golf cart deep cycle variety) have been the Pearl's source of power. They have been working ok but I've been a little apprehensive because they don't seem to hold voltage so well any more. The power adapter to my laptop was failing at night (when the solar panels have no output) and I falsely diagnosed the 6 volt array as faulty. At the same time I was given a big 8D battery, so I hired an electrician for an hour to come give me some advice.

The 8D battery turned out to be a starting battery, not a deep cycle battery.

Although there was some uncertainty about the condition of the 6 volt batteries, I eventually decided to bite the bullet and get new batteries and a new charge controller, without which the new batteries may get spoiled. I went all out and got high end AGM gel batteries that don't vent fumes in the cabin, don't require maintenance, and are less likely to fail if submerged, compared to lead acid batteries (the standard type). I also sold the 8D and the 6 volts to a guy in the harbor.

The 6 volt batteries didn't pass the test but still seemed to work.

Now my task is to re-wire a lot of the boat since it is poorly done. It's good to note that I never had a clue about electrical systems (or any mechanical work, for that matter) prior to living on the boat, so I'm learning as I go with books, advice, and occasionally by hiring help. Ultimately, if I keep the system as simple as possible I have a chance of doing it myself (ie. no 110 volt plugs, as few appliances as possible) which is important because then I can address issues mid-voyage. Simplicity = safety and lower costs too.

The only exception I guess would be if I were to install a fully electric inboard motor, which would require more charging capacity, more batteries, etc... but that possibility is still far in the horizon.

Springtime renewal

2008-04-21T20:45:00.000-07:00

During the winter, I was doing the 2 weeks in, 1 week out of the harbor program. While out of the harbor, since the boat was anchored so far away (winter anchorage rules), so I didn't stay on the boat - I just anchored it and would typically stay at my friends' house. Many thanks to Scott Webb, Kym Kline, and others for lending me a hand!

Taking Sarah, Dave, and friend out for a sunset sail in February

April 1st was the beginning of summer anchorage rules, and all the boats are anchored near Stern's Wharf again - which makes things much more convenient. I spent the last two weeks in the harbor, doing 'spring cleaning', repairing the boat's electrical system and various things. Finally today at 6:30am I motored the boat out of the harbor and anchored by Stern's Wharf, my first time here since October last year.

It was a beautiful day - sunny and calm. The Black Pearl was anchored bow and stern so that she would ride into the swell and not roll too much. The Black Pearl has a funny disposition for rolling around tremendously so regardless of what I do she still likes to jump around. Still, it's nice to be out in the water - the beach with its palm trees on one side, the long horizon on the other.

Ed Bastian's 38foot Islander Uma Karuna cruising through East Beach

In the evening, I ride back from school and park my bike at the Wharf, climb down the ladder, hop on my dinghy, and row out to the boat. The sun is going down over the hill and it feels good to be rowing across the water. I've got a veggie burrito which I eat as the twilight sets, sitting in the cockpit on this still night.

I check my email and browse the net on my laptop, courtesy of my cel phone internet connection. It's pretty sweet, for $20/mo I was able to get unlimited access - a bit slow at times but acceptable. Night falls, and I'm bundled up so that I can work on my computer outside, so that I can keep track of the stars, which I haven't seen in awhile.

December swell, back to the Harbor

2008-04-09T22:45:00.000-07:00

On December 4th one of the largest swells of the decade swept through California. I was going to re-anchor the boat further offshore; then a lobster fisherman came by on his boat. He was pulling up his traps because "this swell was going to be huge"; he recommended I return to the harbor. So I took his advice.

surfing at Naples on the big wednesday

campus point inside at poles was peeling all the way to goleta beach

I turned out to be a good idea - my boat had been previously anchored halfway out on the bay, where now waves were threatening to break. I was also able to enjoy the waves without having to worry about my boat washing up on the beach. Most likely, I would have had to paddle out there on my surfboard and taken her to deeper water. But I'm glad I was at the marina and didn't have to fret.

campus point low tide december 3rd

enroute to Naples - nobody else around

I spent the rest of the winter in the Santa Barbara harbor, commuting to school by bus (which takes 25 minutes). It's only affordable to spend about 2 weeks in the harbor, because after that they double the rates on us: for a 30 foot boat, it goes from $18 to $36. So at that stage I anchor the boat for 1 week, then the rate goes back down.

early morning at the SB harbor

However, between Nov 1 and Apr 1 "winter anchorage" rules are in effect, which means we need to anchor about 2 miles east of the harbor - it is extremely uncomfortable out there (very rolly) and a pain to get to. Since I don't have an outboard for my dinghy, I would try to borrow my friend's skiff with a nice yamaha engine. Still, it was a major effort to get out there, pull anchor, and motor the sailboat back to the marina.

moonrise at the East Beach winter anchorage

Living on the boat at Campus Point

2007-12-25T18:58:00.000-08:00

I started grad school September 2007 at UCSB's Bren School of Environmental Management. During fall quarter I anchored the Black Pearl at Campus Point. I rowed to school every morning and back late at night. The weather was calm and sunny most of the time.

The view of campus from the boat - the Bren building is on the right.

The dinghy is parked on the beach, I tie it up to a pipe and lock it. This is the view as I walk up the beach to the stairs going to campus.

The view from the bluffs, the boat is barely seen in the distance.

Sunrise in Goleta from the water.

Aerial View of Campus Point.

Aerial View of Goleta and Isla Vista. Campus Point is in the center.

Exploring Twin Harbor

2007-09-07T19:19:00.000-07:00

A magical spot guarded by a fortress of rock on both sides, and a calm cobblestone beach behind. It is a narrow enough cove that I hardly expect another boat to try and squeeze in. I am alone with my thoughts, only to share with the resident sea lions, which make quite a commotion while hunting: flapping their flippers, uh-uh-uh hooting, while the pelicans dive-bomb to gather the stunned fish left behind.

Both mornings have been foggy, which I managed to greet with a yoga session on board, followed by some productive work: whipping the end of lines, assessing the headsails, etc... These accomplishments have been rewarded with breakfast feasts, like french toast and black tea, or omelette with corn tortillas. The sun always seems to emerge halfway through the breakfast, which so warms me from inside out, that I feel overwhelmed; the gratitude and the abundance is such that I eat slowly and try to take it all in.

working on the bow at twin harbor

The previous day I went ashore and explored the ravine leading from the beach, which is blocked by a stupendous rock. Spelunking-style, one climbs through the crevices of the rock with a feeling that a billion tons are hanging suspended above. The ravine then opens into a creekbed and a narrow valley, but I did not pursue it far. A notebook is left next to the rock, neatly packeged inside a plastic bag with a pen to record people's impressions of the trek.

Today I paddled the dinghy - with the one remaining oar - and explore the west cove which makes this a "twin harbor"; though it is much less protected and full of kelp, the diving is clear, with the usual assortment of garibaldi, opal eye, and rock fish that weave through the kelp bed.

Upon return to the mother ship I had an incredibly productive afternoon, fixing the solar panel (the wire had come loose), the main VHF radio (the connection was faulty), as well as repaired both my board shorts by hand-sewing. This was a first to me, a skill which I have learned from the necessity of fixing sails and whipping line, but is readily applied to mending clothes.

The day is capped off with a shower in the cockpit, complete with shaved beard and conditioned hair, which sets me up for a pleasant evening of reading and writing in the cabin. I finish The 4 Hour Work Week, by Timothy Ferris, the message being "lifestyle design" and lifelong learning, which leaves me elated at both my current state and future prospects. In the context of this excellent day, which brought me nothing but high spirits and strength of resolve, I experienced the following bizarre occurrence.

Ominous Evening at Twin Harbor

2007-09-06T23:17:00.000-07:00

I was feeling merry at the end of a positive day, when a most bizarre thing happened. While I listened to Dave Matthews' song "Halloween", which is fairly brutish but good, I heard a sound outside the cabin that made my heart quiver.

Bear in mind that there is constant rattling of the wires in the mast, the slap-slap of halyards, the creaks and groans in the boat; yet this sound was qualitatively different, and I peaked my head out the hatch with a flashlight. I saw nothing, but felt something.

People have asked me, aren't you scared out there on your own, at night? Though ten seconds ago I had been inflated like a happy balloon, suddenly I felt a bit... scared. I collected my thoughts and figured, my intuition is telling me something. On a purely non-rational level, my gut told me there were other "beings" in the area. Of course, now I started imagining all kinds of noises, exaggerating them on the basis that I was here all alone.

Then I remembered doing something - just an hour ago - which was purely by chance. I was digging around some toiletries and found a crystal inside a satchel, an old present from a friend, and decided to place it in the boat somewhere. Granted, I'm not much of crystal-type of guy, but it was a pretty little thing and needed a home.

As it turns out, coincidence or not, it was hung directly above my head where I sit in the cabin - though without any plan or design of my own - about an hour before the "ominous" feeling. A remote possibility, but perhaps my intuition had taken the preventative measure?

Remembering the advice from a friend of mine who has experience in these things, I asked (knowing not who or what) respectfully for permission to stay in this fine cove tonight, and please may I also have a restful sleep. Both were granted, evidently, for I did not stir the entire night.

Description of Solo Anchoring Bow & Stern

2007-09-06T19:12:00.000-07:00

People ask me how I anchor bow & stern on my own. It ain't pretty! I run around a lot and make a mess, but this is how it goes:

1. Drop the headsail and secure it under the spinnaker pole.

2. Drop the outboard in the water, connect the gas line, and pull-start it (the electric ignition isn't working)

3. Place a fender next to the boat and pull the dinghy alongside, tie it to the cleats.

4. Drop the mainsail and tie it off to the boom.

The boat LOVES to get beam-on to the swell, which sends her rolling drastically, making all this work incredibly difficult. Then;

5. Prepare stern anchor - untie anchor from stanchions, tie extra long line to the end of the rode, and make sure it won't bind.

6. Prepare bow anchor - release from secured spot, and possibly pull chain on deck to facilitate.

Ok, now we're ready to anchor, so I back up as close to the beach as I dare, and drop the stern anchor over board with one hand, while the other hand puts the boat in forward and steers. Despite precautions, often the line gets tangled or caught and today is no exception. Finally it's extended all the way to the end, more than 250 feet away.

I begin to drop the bow anchor, but I don't want it all piling in one spot, so...

I make the bow chain fast,

run back to the cockpit,

give the engine some reverse,

pull on the stern line,

put the engine in neutral again,

and run back to the bow to let more chain out.

This is repeated multiple times, tripping over lines and such, always intent on the rocks around and the stern line on the propeller. Furthermore, a few extra doses of reverse gear are needed to ensure the bow anchor is set properly, or else it needs to be re-set.

Finally once we're back all the way and both bow and stern line are fairly tight, I coil up the mass of wet line which is everywhere, and adjust other things like the topping lift (so the boom clears my head) and whatever else isn't in its correct position.

I wear a gloves whenever anchoring, and use beeswax hand salve in the evening, to keep my hands from becoming callused beyond recognition.

Going to Twin Harbors

2007-09-05T19:03:00.000-07:00

As if the gale had blown away the residual funk from my psyche, and left me uncluttered and fresh, I went about the day like a new person. For breakfast, I prepared the first genuine good meal of the trip: eggs on toast with cherry tomatoes and avocado. I then got everything "shipshape" and headed into the Channel, tacking upwind.

I was bound for Twin Harbors, which was to be my first visit to the anchorage, located to the west of Pelican Bay. The Channel was foggy and cold, but the wind was consistent out of the west, and the seas relatively light. With the tiller lashed, the boat maintains a bearing of 330 degrees on one tack, then 210 degrees on another. I don't venture too far into the Channel to avoid the shipping lanes, which pass quite close to this end of the island.

I sit in the leeward side of the cockpit, sheltered from the wind, reading my book, glancing every so often at the compass bearing. I get up to tack the boat then return to my comfortable position. Despite the fog and cold this may be one of the most pleasant days of the trip - when a boat is sailing herself to your destination, life could hardly seem more ideal.

Especially when compared to the descriptions in Two Years Before The Mast of a passage around Cape Horn during winter, with frozen decks, snow

storms, and massive seas, the situation here at 34 degrees North 120 degrees West feels very cozy.

The incessant work of the merchant men does inspire me to work myself, and I venture on deck with a screwdriver, heeling over 15 degrees, and remove the belaying pins which have been getting my jib sheets stuck. Quite satisfying to be productive while "on the go".

Five hours later, approach Twin Harbors - two tiny coves with tall cliffs surrounding them. I choose the one to the east, which looks much more sheltered. This is the calmest anchorage so far, we're within 45 feet of the rocks and securely berthed. Having skipped lunch, I prepare an early dinner which is delicious: polenta over sauteed veggies with masala sauce.

Riding out the Gale at Yellowbanks

2007-09-05T11:36:00.000-07:00

Several boats were already situated when I arrived. Yellowbanks is, after all, a good anchorage to ride out a gale from the north west. Conditions were hot and glassy, with a slight easterly wind coming from the opposite direction than expected, which was quite deceiving.

On VHF channel 16, I hear, "calling any boat in the Yellowbanks anchorage". I respond, "this is the Black Pearl, do you have a copy?" My primary VHF radio has had some faulty connections so I'm using the handheld unit. "Hi Black Pearl, this is sailing vessel Guayana, change to channel 68" and I respond "changing to channel 6-8".

On channel 68, Guayana expresses their concern "with the easterly wind, which is making me a bit nervous". The infamous Santa Ana winds blow out of the east so doubtless this fellow was concerned about that possibility - but this wasn't the case today. I respond saying this is a "back eddy caused by the heat in the island" and the north-west wind should come in strong before sunset.

They seem satisfied with answer and finish with "over and out". I then make the most of the heat and take a shower in the cockpit - fill up a gallon of fresh water from my tank, and soap myself up, shampoo and conditioner, with speedos on. Just as I'm drying off the first few puffs came down the hills, then it blew like mad.

The only time I've seen comparable winds were at San Miguel Island, anchored at Cuyler Harbor. The island gently slopes up on the windward side, forcing the airmass into higher altitude, which is hurling down unimpeded for hundreds of miles along the California coastline.

Then suddenly the topography of the island falls into a cliff face leading into Cuyler Harbor, which accelerates the wind tremendously, like a roller coaster coming down a hill. Although the wind blows right off the land, which would normally just ripple the surface of the smooth bay, the wind had such strength that one foot waves were being produced in a fetch of 300 feet.

Similar conditions were happening at Yellowbanks, which sent the Black Pearl jackknifing back and forth, pitching in the mini-seas, the dinghy tied up 40 feet behind. I was heating up some Indian lentils on the pan, quite enjoying the fury of the wind outside, when I noticed my dinghy was upside down, capsized! though it was still tied to the sailboat.

Incidentally, when I had crossed the Santa Barbara Channel a week before, rough conditions as they were, there was hardly any water in the dinghy; I was surprised how well it rode out the waves, while I had gotten pumelled.

The dinghy actually has two hulls, which makes it remarkably stable, much like a trimaran. However, like any multi-hull, one of its great weakness is the fact that once it flips over, there ain't no coming back.

Somehow the gale had picked up the dinghy and flipped it over. Now, it was a relatively simple matter for me to pull on the line, using the winch as necessary, and then once it was abreast the sailboat, flip it right-side up. But this little exercise had come at an interesting time - in the lee of my obsessions about getting a 30+ foot trimaran as my next sailboat. Food for thought.

Throughout the incident, I lost the kayak paddle that was inside the dinghy and whatever else wasn't attached - a sponge and a towel. That added the tally of "shook-down" valuable items to #5, just after the discovery the previous day that the BBQ metal hose was missing - probably washed overboard in that mischievous rogue wave in the Channel.

I might have also burned down the boat, because the Indian lentils were still cooking in the stovetop that whole time... but nay, knock on wood.

Now alongside the sailboat (which hasn't drug anchor, thankfully), I put on the foul weather gear and try to bail out the water-logged dinghy. Feels like we're in a critical storm, with spray flying and wind gusts above 40 knots, though the skies are clear with stars twinkling happily.

Much the same as the description in Two Years Before The Mast, by Richard Dana, which I'm currently reading, talking about the gale off Point Conception which blew for days under perfectly clear skies.

After a few more hours of the mast shaking, the rigging quivering, and everything rattling about, the gale ends as suddenly as it started.

Two Years Before The Mast

2007-09-05T06:51:00.000-07:00

"The fourteenth of August was the day fixed upon for the sailing of the brig Pilgrim, on her voyage from Boston, round Cape Horn, to the western coast of North America."

This is the story of Richard Dana's two years aboard a merchant ship starting in1834. Dana comes upon the coast of California where the brig is collecting cattle hides for trade back in the "United States" - this was when California was actually a Mexican province.

The descriptions of the small pueblos on the beach, and San Diego "not more than half as large as Monterey", and "nothing for miles which could be called a tree", is wonderful to imagine; as was the number of "Sandwich Islanders", as he called Hawaiians, in the trade with California, and their deep camaraderie and pleasant attitudes.

Dana describes more than one passage past Point Conception as demanding and exhilarating, and I can compare to my own travels along that coastline; and though he makes little reference of the Channel Islands, where I'm currently traveling, there is an indirectnoteworthy, yet indirect connection:

Smuggler's Cove, in the east end of Santa Cruz Island, right next to Yellowbanks - where I stood shelter from a gale - is famous for merchant ships doing contraband with goods, so as to avoid the tariffs imposed by the officials in Monterey. Here ships unloaded their illegal goods into ships that had been "cleared" by customs.

His being a Harvard student, which is as far from being a sailor as is possible, Dana has great insight into the affairs of sailorly-life aboard a merchant ship: the morale of the crew, the grueling work on deck and on shore, and the behavior of the captain.

In contrast to the situation of the modern sailor, the life of the merchant sailor was "a dog's life"; though we are attracted to the sea for the same reasons, the modern vessel affords an individual the freedom that in the past was simply impossible - even to a captain in a merchant ship, in his "supremacy" and all.

Not to say modern sailors don't get their share of discomfort, for that's just part of life at sea; personally, I just have renewed appreciation for the level of complete freedom that we get to enjoy.

Olas, Trimaran Dreamin', Gale Warning

2007-09-04T10:36:00.000-07:00

[Note: this post was recently modified as someone wasn't happy about the naming of this spot - hopefully it has been edited sufficiently. My intention isn't to spill the beans and have people flock to destinations; but rather to show that an adventurous lifestyle is possible, regardless of where you are.]

DAY 7

Early morning I heave anchor with a functioning windlass, which brings me great delight, and motor to get some waves. Even though this is the Tuesday after Labor Day, there are 10 boats there and about 15 people in the water. Head high sets were rolling through with nice rights and lefts, though with a bump in the water.

Last year I came out here twice in the Tabula Raza and anchored for several days straight off the spot, without bothering to go at night to a calm anchorage. The downside was the comfort level: during the day it's rolly, at night it's quite rough. But it's ideal for surf, as I had waves to myself for an hour every morning, and was also the last one out of the water in the evening; not to mention completely avoiding the hassles of re-anchoring and motoring about (and spending gas $$).

TRIMARAN DREAMIN'
During this trip my comfort threshold was much lower - the rolliness was frying my nerves, and the constant re-anchoring with difficult gear was wearing on my spirit. Every trip, especially solo, presents a new challenge and this was definitely the issue for me: as a surfer, wanting to be at a spot as much as possible, yet suffering because it's inherently a rough place to keep a boat.

My mind was spinning on the idea of getting a trimaran - how much more stable it would be, etc... and as it turns out older tris in the 30-34ft range can be had for as little as $5000. Why should I spend another minute of my time on this boat if my future lies in a trimaran? Such was the logic that was keeping me from being present and content with what I had, and which I was determined in some way to overcome.

GALE WARNING
The surf session was fun enough, and being the 4th and smaller day of waves, I felt satisfied to move on to the next phase in the trip. Plus I had hit a wall in my psyche and needed a change of environment, so I made my way around the island.

As soon as San Pedro Point was passed, the wind was howling and the whitecaps were big and mean. After several days in the protected lee of the island it was obvious I wasn't in the least prepared for this, equipment being unsecured and flying around the cabin. I turned on the VHF and listened to the marine weather radio, which announced a gale warning that evening - "winds consistently above 30 knots are expected". I promptly turned around and headed back to Yellowbanks, where I was going to feel some of the heaviest (yet brief) winds I had felt in years.

Yoga, a broken Windlass, and Diving

2007-09-03T22:26:00.000-07:00

DAY 6

FINDING MY YOGA
Six days into the trip and I'm starting to feel like I'm truly on vacation. Decompressing from the hectiness of daily life takes time - the first few days spent "on vacation" are caught in furiously accomplish things, as if still under the pressures of a schedule. The rush-rush mentality carries on until you truly slow down.

The beach at Albert's

This is best done by staying a whole day (at least) in one place. On this fine Monday I stayed all day at Albert's, which required some discipline, for the south swell was on the rise. But this is what a commitment to relaxation requires. Besides, I figured the Labor Day weekend crowd was going to be mayhem.

I paddled the dinghy to shore - using a kayak paddle, since one of the aluminum oars broke the day before I left. The beach is narrow and full of cobblestones, with a thin track of sand at the top spanning 30 feet. Being on terra firma is a delight. I do an hour of yoga, and explore the fresh water spring coming down the hill.

BROKEN WINDLASS
The boat anchored next to the Pearl is a 36ft Islander with father and son on a 2 week trip. They are most enthusiastic about un-jamming my windlass, which has been a source of agony. The day before I had anchored in deep water and the fingers in my left hand got caught between chain links and windlass spokes which sent me hollering in pain. So I was excited to fix the problem.

The funky windlass - lever on the left, stick on the right.

The neighbors brought over their toolbag and un-jammed it, as well as showed me how to use it properly. Nevertheless, the set up of the windlass is poor and it keeps sucking in the chain such that gets it stuck constantly, unless I use a stick to prevent that from happening (for 10 minutes I used my fingers then realized that was a bad idea).

DIVING AND A-FISHIN'
In the afternoon we went fishing, by going on an assault armed with 2 hawaiian slings and a fishing pole in the nearby rocks. The swell made visibility poor, but in 20 feet of water we were able to spear a rock fish and a sheepshead. With the lure on the end of the rod I caught a small sea bass.

Aboard their sailboat, which is considerably roomier than mine, we prepared oven-baked fish along with pan-fried potatoes and carrots, garnished with avocado. By the time I left, the stars were twinkling bright, before the moonrise; so I pull out my star book and gaze at cassiopeia, scorpio, and of course the big and little dipper, the North Star just above the steep hills surrounding our quiet cove.

Some Surf, Some Sweat

2007-08-31T21:19:00.000-07:00

DAY 3

SWEAT THE HEAVY ANCHORS
The sunrise is nice, then I get to work heaving the anchor. It must've been in deep water, because I could barely pull it up, so heavy was the length of chain leading to the bottom. The Pearl has a super thick 3/8 inch chain which weighs, I'm guessing, about 5 lbs per foot; in 40 feet of depth, that's 200 lbs, plus the 30 lbs anchor. I try to recruit the help of the windlass but manage to get it jammed, since I don't know how to use it properly. I'm dripping with sweat, inch by inch, my back feeling the workout, and finally we're clear and motoring away.

SOLO SMALL SURFING
At Marmetta, the waves are small, waist to chest high, but as usual it's a lot more fun that it looks. Plus there's nobody else out here, so I take my pick of the longer, fast rights, and occasionally the punchy, bowl-shaped lefts. The wave is very similar to Lower Trestles, fun for anyone from expert to beginner. I'm in my boardshorts for the first session, but the water is much colder than I expected, probably 63 degrees, whereas this time last year it was over 70, so I'm paddle back to the boat for a full suit and a snack.

After a second session, I call it a day and venture over to Albert's, where I'm hoping to find some smooth water to relax for the evening. The incessant rolling aboard the boat is frying my nerves, which is bizarre because I've been living on anchor all summer in Santa Barbara without too much worry. The East Beach anchorage is rougher, in fact, but the swell comes consistently from the south-west; such that a bow and stern anchor keep the boat pitching, which is much more comfortable than rolling. Out here, the lumpy seas and surge seem to throw the boat around despite the 2 anchors.

From Yellow Banks to Blue Banks

2007-08-30T16:12:00.000-07:00

DAY 2

Yellow Banks anchorage

In the morning I wake up and the first thing I notice is how much we're rolling. The conditions are calm, but the lumpy ocean sends the boat into a harmonic motion. I squeeze some fresh orange juice and by 10 am "hit the road", sailing out of the anchorage with the light north wind.

I set the big genoa and shake out the reef in the oversized mainsail, which brings the canvas to a maximum. We're moving well, around 5 knots with a light wind, going around the south of the island, beating upwind. The aim is to reach Albert's anchorage to spend the night.

The mainsail (left) and genoa, aka the headsail (right)

SEMI-AUTO PILOT
The autopilot is back in action but it's "rusty", sometimes moving very slowly, not keeping up with the boat's motion. Maybe it's kaput. Still, under these mellow conditions it is steering proper, which is a tremendous luxury - I can go up on the foredeck and say hi to the spider which has taken residence in the bow. I haven't actually seen the insect itself, but every morning there's a beautiful new spiderweb between the forestay and the windlass, which is a prime spot indeed.

The autopilot clips on to the tiller, and occasionally works.

FRUSTRATIONS
I'm a few miles offshore, planning to tack soon, when the wind suddenly dies. Kicking the engine into gear, we motor for several hours; though I'm still a half hour away from Albert's, I decide to investigate another anchorage, Blue Banks, which is closer to the surf spot I plan to go the following day or two. It is deceptively beautiful, but the constant surge or slush of water makes it feel like a "toilet bowl".

Blue Banks anchorage

By this time - 7 pm - I'm so tired that I don't want to go elsewhere. I drop the 2 hooks, make a quick Indian food "heat and eat" dinner and go to sleep, looking forward to the surf tomorrow, which is close by.

Heavy Channel Crossing

2007-08-29T23:11:00.000-07:00

DAY 1DEPARTURE
I've sailed solo a few times, but this is the first time on the Black Pearl. I'm going from Santa Barbara to the Channel Islands, for 10 days.

Leaving the harbor around 12:30pm, the horizon is rough like a saw's teeth: a sure sign of heavy winds and seas. I decide to sail conservatively, with a reefed main and a working jib - a small duo of canvas. Nevertheless, within 20 minutes the Pearl is cruising at 6+ knots, according to the brand new handheld GPS. Not bad for a poorly cleaned hull - and she's handling nicely.

DETERIORATING CONDITIONS
The sky above is clear, but in the distance a fog bank is shifting about, which aren't the best conditions to cross the shipping lanes. The windswell increases, the boat heels over and bounces around, the sea spray flying in bursts into the cockpit drenching me. The tiller autopilot is malfunctioning, so I scramble into the cabin to grab my foul weather gear, and return to the helm before the boat gets off course. It's tough to put on the pants with the boat heeling at 20 degrees and one hand on the tiller.

The clouds darken and the grey turbulence is a bit wild; as the boat gets tossed about, I brace myself with my feet and arms, and we stay on course at 160 degrees, aiming for the east end of Santa Cruz Island. After about three hours of hard work, with just 5 miles to go, it appears the worst of it has passed; I get comfortable and bring the cushions back into the cockpit, not imagining what is about to come.

ROGUE WAVES WASHES ABOARD
Just then a rogue wave overtakes our stern quarter and heels us way over, knocking off my lifesling and 2 cushions, while donating a few gallons of salt water to the cockpit. I try to pull the lifesling back aboard, but the pathetic line snaps. Good thing the lifesling wasn't being used for real. I turn around and attempt a "man-overboard" drill under sail to recover the lost items but the vessel is overpowered; dealing solo with the jib and mainsail is more than I can handle, and I fail after 4 tries.

Meanwhile the jib sheets keep catching on deck hardware, especially the shroud fittings, which forces me to go to the foredeck in precarious conditions, and eventually it snags and rips off the brand new $40 ventilator I installed 2 days prior. At this stage I decide to cut my losses and move on before more damage is done.

THE EAST END OF SANTA CRUZ ISLAND
The Pearl reaches the east end of the island 4.5 hours after leaving the harbor, 23 nautical miles as the seagull flies, but our erratic meandering course was more similar to a snake's. I'm haggard and tired but as soon as we round the point it's hot and glassy, which rejuvenates me. The outboard motor is put in gear and we soon reach Yellowbanks anchorage. I clean up the crushed bananas, and I'm asleep before it's even dark.

Note: When I returned to Santa Barbara at the end of the trip my friends were worried because of the "huge thunderstorm" the day that I left. I didn't hear any thunder but the wind sure was strong...

Solo trip to the Channel Islands

2007-08-29T10:35:00.000-07:00

Heading out on my yearly pilgrimage to the Islands today, August 29th, until September 8th or 9th. I'll head to the east side of Santa Cruz Island, by Yellowbanks anchorage, and then around to the south side by Alberts anchorage.

I'll be situated mainly at Marmetta reef to surf, fish, and relax. Three south swells are coming to hit the SoCal coastline. The Wetsand.com forecast for this week:

Long Range Synopsis

* SW small to moderate through Thursday...
* SW swell fills in by week's end...
* Weekend has more SW swell...
* Series of SW swells next week...

Rock climbing harness used to keep myself tethered to the boat, since I'm sailing solo and can't afford to fall overboard.

Fruit sack with goodies for the week. The ice chest in the boat isn't working too well so I'm limited in terms of cold foods.

The Black Pearl is fairly well organized for the trip. Two main things that need improvement, and which I hope to do during the trip, are:

1. The ship VHF has not been working consistently, I believe there's a faulty connection. Until it's fixed, I'll be using the handheld VHF, which I think can also be plugged into the main antenna.

2. The automatic bilge pump is not plugged in properly, requires wiring every time to operate. I hope to connect this in the next day or two with the help of my book "Sailboat Electric Simplified". However I'd still feel much better having a high-capacity manual bilge pump.

I've already postponed the trip over 4 days and the window of opportunity before school starts is diminishing quickly. A sinus infection, projects around the boat, and life obligations that continually arise made leaving on this trip a challenge. But it's time to go on the maiden voyage with this sailboat.

New rowing dinghy

2007-08-29T09:59:00.000-07:00

After 2 months searching around Santa Barbara for a good rowing dinghy, I had to start looking far and wide - they are hard to come by! I finally found a Watertender 9.4 in Marina del Rey for $250, so I drove the red Aerostar van 2 hours south. The Aerostar measured exactly the beam of the dinghy (55 inches) so I figured it would be a tight squeeze!

Happily, the dinghy slid in nicely, though I had to keep the trunk open. The owners were kind enough to give me a discount for being a friendly student, so the dinghy only cost $200, and it's in perfect condition. A new model costs $600.

I wanted a fiberglass dinghy because I like to row, and I'd rather not rely on outboard engines. I've been out at the Channel Islands and watched people struggle with their outboards, the dad working at it while the family is stranded on the sailboat. This is because an inflatable is very difficult to row, especially with more than one people. Meanwhile, we cast the skiff in minutes and were immediately enjoying ourselves.

Plus, who really wants to turn on a noisy, smelly outboard once they arrive in the peaceful islands? Living out on the anchorage, I enjoy the daily routine of rowing. It keeps me fit, taking no longer than 15 minutes each way, and I have some quiet time to reflect and watch the stars and clouds. The key is to have a good set of oars and a stiff dinghy. I get passed by the hawaiian outrigger canoe club rowing their fast boats. It's nice to include exercise in the daily task of commuting home.

Putting the friends to work, rowing to the wharf

However, when winter comes and the anchorage moves farther away, I may have to invest in a small outboard, particularly since stormy weather will make rowing very challenging. I'm looking into getting an electric outboard, but a decent one (equivalent 2HP) costs over $1200. Meanwhile a nice outboard with 4HP may cost as little as $500. If I take that route, I'll definitely go for a 4 stroke, not a 2 stroke, since 2 strokes are incredibly polluting.

Zaca Fire in the distance

2007-08-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

Everyday ash has rained on the boat leaving a dirty soot everywhere. Every so often I take a bucket and scoop up seawater to wash off the decks. This inconvenience is trivial compared to the work of firefighting and the stress of residents evacuating their homes. Thankfully all homes and buildings have been spared; the wilderness continues to burn though, destroying a lot of habitat.

From the ocean, the plume of smoke and rising hot air comes above the mountains like the mushroom cloud of a nuclear bomb. While I ride my bicycle around town, particularly at night after the wind drops, ash stings my eyes. Imagine what it's doing to people's respiratory system.

Thanks to the thousands of firefighters working through the summer heat.

Weekend with Dylan

2007-08-26T13:08:00.001-07:00

The bros with smoke from the Zaca fire
Originally uploaded by krikrigoiaba

The Zaca fire burned in the backcountry blowing smoke and ash into the Santa Barbara afternoons. Still, the visit by my brother Dylan, wife and baby was a good time for all. They spent the night crowded in the v-berth of the Black Pearl, which was docked in Marina 1 - true family bonding.

In the morning we went sailing, Maya loved seeing the sea lions on the buoys offshore. It's fun to have the family to share the boat with.

From Anchorage to Harbor

2007-07-29T07:33:00.000-07:00

See the satellite image of this route here.

How long does it take to get from the East Beach anchorage to the Santa Barbara harbor? The "Black Pearl" was anchored about 200 yards from Stern's Wharf when I began the task, gloves in hand:

...drop stern anchor line overboard with a float attached...warm up the outboard engine...pull up the bow anchor and 2 pounds of kelp...motor back to the stern anchor float and pull it up on deck... 40 minutes.

...motor around the wharf to the harbor...call the harbor patrol and get my guest slip number...tie up the boat and clean up the mess... 20 minutes.

That's on a calm day when everything ran smoothly! Unforeseeable events such as shipwrecks boats preventing the anchors to come up, mermaids sabotaging the propeller, and maruading pirate ships all need to be factored in.

On the this particular day a Tall Ship was entering the harbor at the same time, they fired a fake canon as they approached the wharf, as if aiming at the Black Pearl itself, scaring the heck out of me!

See the satellite image of this route here.

Concerts in the Park

2007-07-28T00:36:00.000-07:00

Thursday evenings at the East Beach anchorage feature free music - we can hear the Concert in the Park live show without going anywhere. Gotta love the summertime...

The Mystery of the Stern Anchor

2007-07-23T22:57:00.000-07:00

The dinghy loaded with the displaced anchor gear.

3pm. I receive a call from Miguel saying that my boat has moved in the anchorage. Since the Pearl is anchored bow and stern this normally would not happen; it appears that the stern anchor failed, and the boat was being held by the bow anchor alone. The explanation that came to mind was that one of the fittings came under - between the line and chain, or between chain and anchor. However, this is the most unlikely of days - a sunny hot day with no wind at all.

The Pearl was terribly close to the other boats in the anchorage, all set bow and stern. I start hauling on the stern line and it's heading in the opposite direction than I previously had it. Furthermore it was just dragging along the bottom so I was surprised when I pulled the anchor up - a small 20lb Claw anchor.

This was no anchor dragging event; the only explanation I could come up with was that a boat somehow caught my anchor line, dragged the gear 100 yards, and then proceeded to drop it. How that could have happened is difficult to visualize - maybe a submarine? Either way, it's good to be nearby and deal with fouled anchors immediately.

Jazz the West/East way

2007-07-22T21:57:00.000-07:00

Miles Jay playing at Brick's Cafe downtown Santa Barbara with the Colter Frazier Jazz Trio. He spent over a year in Cairo, Egypt, recording a fusion of jazz and egyptian which came together in his CD "el 'Aysh wel malh" with the band he put together, named "Massar". Check it out here:
http://cdbaby.com/cd/masar

Endless Summer dinner

2007-07-22T21:48:00.000-07:00

The view from the Endless Summer cafe. Free popcorn, live music, happy hour 4-6pm with $4 burgers and $5 Fish Tacos; a to-go emergency dinner guaranteed spot!

Seals on the Docks

2007-07-22T21:07:00.000-07:00

Boaters have a love hate relationship with harbor seals. They are cute and friendly, yet they have been known to take over docks and sink dinghies!

Going aloft, mast steps are cool

2007-06-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

The boat looks like a lilly pad floating on the water. The aluminum mast is hollow and vibrates like a nervous giraffe, it sways like one too!

If able to go aloft quickly on your own, you'll be more likely to check the condition of fittings, spreaders, blocks - and this is important for safety. Also if a light bulb breaks or a line needs to be run through the masthead in the middle of a storm - hope not!

The Black Pearl has mast steps - triangle ones at the bottom and foldable ones the rest of the way. Chaffing of lines and sails is a real problem but this setup minimizes that effect, while giving you the flexibility of climbing quickly.

Random Piece of Teak

2007-06-30T18:13:00.000-07:00

Cousin Titcho wondering what purpose this nice bit of wood serves in the boat. The mish-mash of various parts and semi-installed equipment that comes with these live-aboard cruising boats is a source of much humor for sailors more interested in day sailing and racing.

As for myself, I fall somewhere in the middle of those who keep everything "just in case" and those that obsessively de-clutter the boat so you can actually get to the stuff- with a tendency for the former, and a desire to go to the latter.

Later ex-owner Mark told me "Oh, that's a good piece of teak, I used it once as part of the dodger." As part of the dodger(*)?! Now that's creative...

(*)dodger - a "windshield" of canvas and plastic that is installed above the companionway to keep the cockpit dry when sailing into the wind and seas.

Cleaning the Motor

2007-06-26T22:34:00.000-07:00

Ahhh... This is what happens when you leave the motor in the water too long. The motor mount is tweaked so I can't raise the motor easily out of the water. I'm going to have to exchange it for a heavier duty mount, since the 4 stroke 10 horse outboard is kinda heavy.

I REALLY like having a quality outboard instead of an inboard engine, so far. One of the main issues with an outboard, though, is that when motoring in a swell it will "cavitate" which means that it'll come out of the water killing your boat's momentum. A good motor mount will let you keep the propeller nice and low, and then when the motor isn't in use you can pull it clear out of the water.

After some good scrubbing done from the dinghy this is what the propeller looked like:

First sail aboard the Black Pearl

2007-06-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

I like how easy this is going... so far. Bought the boat on thursday, by saturday we were casting off the lines for a day sail. The only work done on the boat thus far was maybe 1 hour of tidying up and organizing.

Outside the harbor we raised the main and jib and saw the delightful rips already existing along the leach of the sail (the back part of the sail - or is that the luff? I always get it confused). But the wind is light so we go for a cruise anyway.

Fran, Ed, and his dad Maurice, brought over a bottle of champagne and we celebrated on the dock - they helped back out of the dock, which is tricky on a down wind slip (wind pushing the boat into the slip) specially with the outboard.

When the propeller is behind the rudder, as it is with an outboard, maneuverability is compromised. That is one of the many advantages of an inboard, since the prop is in front of the rudder, and powers the turns more accurately. That being said, I'm glad I don't have an inboard, for reasons to be explained later!

A rough video taken with the trusty cel phone:

The Black Pearl - 1964 Cal 30'

2007-06-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

8 months had gone by since I sold the "Tabula Raza". Living in an apartment just wasn't... satisfying. I couldn't help looking everyday on Craigslist for boats and marine gear. A guy in Long Beach was getting rid of his 26ft Islander for $750 and I was about go buy it. The day before that happened, I went to the harbor to check out the this Cal 30 that I saw listed.

Immediately I knew the boat was for me. Seeing it opened that door to imagination that led me to anchorages in Mexico, skirting about in the Galapagos. I had been dreaming for months about this and now it was here. A cruising boat loaded with serious gear - a burly hull from 1964, classic look - an ideal setup of sails, rigging, and engine.

Purchased her the very next day for $4250 cash. I had $1250 in my account and I pulled $3000 from my 12.5% line of credit from Wellsfargo. Such good equipment:

-2 Bruce anchors on bow rollers with lots of chain and a Windlass, plus stern Danforth
-3 headsails, spinnaker, 2 mainsails, lines led aft to cockpit, boom vang and self-tacking jib setup, mast steps.
-Radar, GPS, 2 vhfs, oven and 2 burner stove, manual sink pump, coal burning cabin heater, shower.
-75 watt and 15 watt Solar panels, 2 batteries.
-9.9 horse Johnson four stroke high-thrust, electric start, cockpit controls, battery charging alternator.
-A beauty black hull, mast, red boom and spreaders.

The Blessing of the "Black Pearl"....

Orcas in the SB Channel

2007-06-03T19:43:00.000-07:00

Sailing to the Santa Barbara Channel Islands with Miguel and Luna.

After cruising last year for 6 months between Morro Bay and the Channel Islands, I sold my Columbia 29 "Tabula Raza" to Miguel in October '06. Since then we've become good friends, and I've helped him get started on the sailboat life. He's living aboard the Raza in Santa Barbara.

We sailed on my birthday, the afternoon of March 30th. The conditions were gorgeous. Then in the late evening we had an amazing encounter: as I stood on deck a huge fin came out of the water 500 feet away.

An orca whale! We changed course to follow the beauty and ended up seeing Momma Orca - a massive fin and incredible white spots. Holy mooly. At that point we figured we should get on course for Lady's Harbor in Santa Cruz Island. I was buzzing with excitement for hours - what a great present for my 26th birthday.

Riding by the Giraffes

2007-03-25T22:27:00.000-07:00

20 minutes of riding takes me to work everyday. Do I get sweaty and look disgusting for my PR job? Do I see any strange animals?

Early in the morning it's cold enough that I barely break a sweat - and luckily, for halfway it's downhill. Arriving at work I'm buzzing on adrenaline, not caffeine. The route is by the beach in Santa Barbara with the sailboats visible in the anchorage offshore. I look out with nostalgia.

The icing on the cake is the lake we ride by, full of ducks and lillies backdropped by the Santa Ynez Mountains. On the other side of the lake is the zoo, which I didn't actually realize was there. Then one day I saw a giraffe through the foliage. Wait, was that really a giraffe?? I keep my eye out now, and sure enough, there's three of them. I should go visit them, since I say "good morning" to them everyday.

Not having a car brings some unforeseen benefits.

Floripa New Year´s Eve

2007-01-18T18:18:00.000-08:00

The champagne would soon flow into eager flutes and unsteady hands. The crowd was streaming in, like a funnel pouring people down the steps onto the sand, in anticipation of the fireworks and celebration. The beach was buzzing with people, suffocating, intoxicating with joy and delirium. DJ Leo and his family - complete with grandma, baby, cousin who's studying to be a priest, and stepmom - were gathered when I announced, "OK, champagne everyone, we've got 5 minutes until the- " KABOOM!!! A fireball erupted right next to us and terror took over the revelry; people began trampling one another to move away from the flaming colors, which from far away would be just another pleasant fireworks display.

The mob mentality, like bewildered animals, is a greater danger than the fireworks, I figured; if I caught fire the ocean water was 50 feet away. I just kept my eyes covered low, and my back to the flames, noticing the red and green eruption had not ceased in 45 seconds, which was only 10 yards away in the sand. The fun was over - it was time to rejoin with my hosts and make sure everyone was OK. Back at the street, lightning up the mood after our brief scare, we began pouring champagne freely, to strangers, passerbys, and whoever else had a glass or paper cup. The exuberance in the air was uncontrollable; I had the feel that even if people were injured and bleeding they'd still be laughing.

A moment of numerological coincidence back at the car; the time/date digital display read 01/01/07 00:17. This unwittingly brought our merrymaking to a heightened frenzy, and as I the driver kept the vehicle at a steady pace, DJ Leo the champagne server offered the bubbly satisfaction to whoever dared - including a moving motorcyclist, who somehow produced a glass made out of glass and held it out as DJ Leo poured and I drove. No one was hurt.

DJ Leo's father is a true Gaucho - a southern brazilian with a reputation for churrascos, yerba mate, and rough manners - so he had no problem starting the barbeque at 1AM. Within an hour the fillets, lamb, and chicken heart, heavily seasoned in salt, were being scarfed down. Around 3AM I took a night on the hammock. Luckily the mosquitoes were biting my feet so I woke up, so we jumped into the stepmom's Citroen and sped off towards Praia Mole.

Besides the lightweight carnage with the fireworks, we were witness to various displays of violence during those early hours of 2007: a fist fight at the gas station with girls crying on the ground; a drunk was run over by a bus; a guy ran off with our $30; a gang on the beach chased off an irritating fellow by hurling stones; then broke a glass bottle over a guy's head (which broke the lifeguard's attention - it was 9AM by that stage). Chaos and disorder not withstanding, I contemplated the new year with a dip in the ocean, then found a lovely bonfire with other folks keen to watch the 1st day of the year unfold.

Rainshowers kept us huddled at times under towels or beach umbrellas; then sunlight was burst through the clouds and light the green hills and our awed faces. Beer continued to be consumed by the rowdier types, while I made an attempt at a healthful breakfast by ordering an açaí smoothie with granola. By noon we were properly fatigued. Without resolutions, we welcomed the new year devoid of any particular hopes or fears or projections - living in the fullest despite the violence, magnifying the joy, meshing together and carrying on as one hopes to live during the ups and downs of life.

Floripa New Year´s Eve part 2

2007-01-18T18:16:00.000-08:00

"This is IT! This is paradise!! Electronic music on the beach, waves and caipirinhas!" DJ Leo has a contagious enthusiasm, although it fizzles as we approach the bar with loud music. Indeed, there are good tunes with a crowd on the sand; indeed, the surf is firing right in front. But on closer inspection, we realize there is a large population of clean cut, military style Europeans with massive biceps, clad in small Speedos..... hugging one another. Even our gay friends later mention that the left side of Praia Mole is "a little too much". We relocate to the center of the beach where the demographic has increased bikini lines, and much more pleasing to the naked eye.

Praia Mole, the nucleus of Florianópolis' beach scene, in southern Brazil, the setting for our 2007 New Year's Eve. Jam-packed with good looking people... famous even in Brazil for incredible quantities of beautiful women.... to the point that the traffic literally comes to a standstill. A hellish effort was at times required to cross the narrow roadways due to the island's unique geography: forty miles long, connected to the mainland with a Golden Gate look-alike bridge, intersected by a mountain range with lakes and extensive sand dunes keeping things REAL tight. Gorgeous to look at from far away - an unforgettable view from the top of the mountain pass.

The traffic hassles were a factor but quickly overlooked since days were spent in a daze, recuperating for the timely midnight opening time for clubs scattered everywhere. No place for Cinderellas here - 12am to 7am is prime time. Mind you I came under the impression we were on a family trip, to relax at the beach, etc. But DJ Leo is a vicious beast when alcohol and music combine, and even traffic jams became another excuse for blasting electronic tunes and guzzling Skol brewskis - contrary to our U.S. education, that is a perfectly legitimate complement to driving in this country. In fact, slight inebriation is almost a necessity, to negociate the potholes, wacko drivers, and just flowwww.....

Technology for the Environment

2006-12-17T06:39:00.000-08:00

Gyroscopic Electric Vehicle for 2 People

Int'l Environmental News

2006-12-16T05:28:00.000-08:00

China: less focus on GDP, more focus on Environment
India: Tourism impacting Goa's environment, society

The Grenades from Ipanema

2006-12-15T13:08:00.001-08:00

    Rio looks deceptively clean and safe on first impression. Trash isn't piled on the curbs; streetkids aren't flocking on every streetcorner; even the traffic is relatively tame. Wait.... it's a holiday, so everybody is home. And there's more: the evening news announced that alongside the girls in bikinis, there were grenades in Ipanema today.
    The villains from a nearby favela clashed with police forces in broad daylight next to a popular supermarket, the Zona Sul. No one was hurt. But machine guns and grenades can't be pleasing to the ear during lunchtime. The monster of poverty and crime gets swept under the rug and shows it's ugly head when least expected.

My brother and I continue our nostalgic tour of Rio. In a little rental car, we maneuver past the distant suburbs of Barra and Recreio, where we used to live 10 years ago. The endless sandy beach is backdropped by skyscrapers; then the lagoon takes over, a long waterway that leaves just a thin strip of land next to the shore. Mountains resembling Mickey Mouse and baloons sit placidly in the distance.
    We used to drive along this road every day, on the way to school. It used to be quite neglected and beautiful. It is now well maintained and beautiful - with just a token of idiosyncracy. Kiosks line the promenade with stone work; speed moderating bumps keep cars at a safe velocity. Eventually we arrive at the remotest beaches, Prainha and Grumari, our childhood hangouts during weekends. The grenades and machine guns are so far away we decide that Rio isn't so bad, after all.

Chaos in the Brazilian Airports

2006-12-04T12:14:00.000-08:00

SAO PAULO AIRPORTS
Sao Paulo, "Guarulhos" airport, 5:45AM, and my bags haven't arrived in the baggage claim. The Copa Air representative looks at my ticket stubs and leads me to a pair of cute, flowered small bags, announcing, "Aqui estao suas malas." Aha... so I ended up with my 3 year old niece's bags. There is dire need to rendezvous with my sister-in-law and niece, who were boarding a connecting flight to southern Brazil at 8:00AM... in a different airport - "Congonhas". So I race on a 30 minute cab ride, whose driver was better educated about politics and world affairs than most Californians, and arrive just in time for their check-in. Baggage transfer was successful, frenzy in airports as usual; but nothing like we'd witness the next day, on the connecting flight to Rio de Janeiro.

BRAZILIANS LOVE SCANDALS
There's always some sort of crisis in Brazil to incense public imagination and that common reverberation, "See! that's what's wrong with our country." Last time a priest associated with the ruling political party was caught with barrels of dollars in his underwear, as he boarded a flight. A week later another US$200K was found in a politician's briefcase on a private jet. The corruption scandal nearly brought the whole government down.

This time the crisis is in the aviation industry, which is doing a precarious pitchpole after a private American jet collided with and brought down a 150 person Brazilian airliner in the Amazon jungle. There were no survivors from the airliner. The flight traffic controllers immediately went on strike, perhaps in fear of being scapegoated, especially since their safety procedures are tremendously flawed. Media reported on de-classified aviation documents of multiple "near-misses" of large planes in the last few months.

CHAOS IN GUARULHOS
On top of all this, a severe storm hammered all of southern Brazil on the evening we spent at one of Sao Paulo's all-you-can eat sushi houses, for US$10 a person. Outside our raw fish heaven, lightning and gale winds wrought havoc. Dozens of flights were cancelled.

The following morning my brother and I walked into a madhouse at the Guarulhos airport. In an otherwise empty airport, a frantic crowd was gathered at a check-in counter, shouting and chanting in unison, a company representative standing ontop of the counter screaming back at the people. We managed to wiggle towards our gate; the angry mob followed half an hour later. "We've been waiting for thirteen hours!" These were the folks that had flights cancelled in last night's storm.

They got hold of a microphone connected to the PA system and began to proclaim their revolution: "We've waited long enough with no word! We're working people, we've got jobs to go to! We don't want no stinking hotel and lunch now! We want justice! Everyone without a flight, let's go back to the check-in counters and take over, cause we won't stop until... we have revenge!!!" In another airport, angry mobs actually went into the airplane runway and prevented departures. Our flight only delayed 2 hours; we considered ourselves lucky.

RIO FINALLY
Thence my brother and I arrived in Rio de Janeiro, cidade maravilhosa, rented a budget car without A/C or handholds, and headed towards the statue of Christ overlooking my aunt's apartment and the rest of the city.

CSM On Energy Efficiency

2006-12-04T09:14:00.001-08:00

Recent Christian Science Monitor articles:
Surprise: not so glamorour conservation works best

Greener, cleaner... and competitive?

On the road to green fuels, automakers cover some ground

Can Florida's new marine reserve replenish the Gulf's fish?
In Britain, wind turbines offer homespun electricity

Never mind altruism; 'saving the earth' can mean big bucks

Cooling the Planet at the gas roots

New Combatant against Global Warming: insurance industry

Overbooked in Panama City

2006-12-04T09:07:00.001-08:00

Turns out Copa Airlines is a Panamanian airline which ensures all coach class passengers must be either ardent yoga practicioners or have a Latin spark for human intimacy in order to fit in microscopic seating arrangements. The resulting cramped limbs were a factor in my lack of sleep that night, even though I had my brother's 200 lbs to snuzzle up against.

OVERBOOKING VOLUNTEER
My slight delirium and occasional wafts of humid air in the Panama City airport led me to a questionable decision. As we were about to board our connection to Sao Paulo, the stewardess announced the flight was overbooked and they were giving US$300 for passengers voluntarily waiting until the next flight. In retrospect, I should have just stayed for a week or two in the Intercontinental Hotel suite that Copa sponsored; and live a dirty tourist existence between picturesque la Vieja Ciudad and my lounge; with my daily allowance of $10 per meal I could have done just fine.

I briefly considered being a professional overbooking volunteer, selecting flights that were sure to be full and getting paid cash to sit tight. However there familial obligations awaiting me in Brazil. So I went with my bandwagon of pissed-off "voluntarios", a Colombian, a Guatemalan, and two other Brazilians, and hopped on the next sardine-packed tin flight to the Atlantic seaboard.

Sailboats, Sustainability & Stuff

2006-11-08T19:39:00.000-08:00

Sailboats, Sustainability, and Getting Rid of Stuff.

6:00PM TUESDAY November 7th, UC Santa Barbara, Multicultural Center.

This slideshow will focus on how life aboard a sailboat leads us to a heightened sense of sustainability. Every system required for life - energy, water, waste, transport - is fine tuned for simplicity. This isn't necessarily for the sake of eco-consciousness, but rather for maximum efficiency. Whereas a complex society's needs are hard to fathom, the sailboat let's us pierce into the heart of the matter. Sustainability, and getting rid of stuff, becomes a practical issue, not just for safety but also for quality of life. After all, the joy is in going places, not in dealing with stuff. These insights can be applied to make our day-to-day life (on land) simpler, more sustainable, and hence more enjoyable.

NOTE: this slideshow will draw on the themes from the City College presentation (see below) but will be slightly different.

...click on the space below for the next slide...

Planet Under Pressure

2006-10-25T16:06:00.000-07:00

Click here for BBC News' series exploring the most pressing environmental concerns of today.

The Sailboat Life and Sustainability

2006-10-20T09:36:00.000-07:00

SLIDESHOW: 7:30PM. Thursday October 19, 2006 - Santa Barbara City College, Earth & Biological Sciences (EBS) Rm 309.

The Sailboat Life and Sustainability: insights for the real world.

I've lived aboard a sailboat for two and a half years, and have learned that the sailboat is a great teacher in the art of sustainability. It is a simplified system, in terms of energy usage, waste management, water issues, etc... so the lessons become more poignant. Because it is an isolated environment, making errors of judgement with the few resources you have at hand isn't just an inconvenience: this can have serious consequences. Hence we pierce into the heart of the matter, and fully realize the importance of vague concepts such as simplicity in our possessions, and wholesomeness of the individual. This is useful because then we can apply these insights to our society in the real world.

...for PHOTO slideshow click here...

...click on the space below for the next slide...

at Avila Beach

2006-08-22T14:06:00.000-07:00

The panorama of Avila Beach, with Port San Luis in the background.

The trusty "Pumpkin Seed II", fiberglass skiff with nice interior decoration, is the tranporation between the pier and the sailboat.

The steel pier, one of three piers in Avila.

The Good Life

2006-08-22T14:02:00.000-07:00

Fishing from the hammock at Avila Beach. Not that we caught much except a few starfish. But the sense of profound relaxation is sure to bring jealousy to even the more stubborn workaholics. A perfect picture for the office wall...

Street Murals in Morro Bay

2006-06-23T13:49:00.000-07:00

When I came back to Morro Bay to pick up my van I realized what great street murals there are in town. Murals are a fantastic way to make art in the public domain. Everyone gets to enjoy it; they tell a little story of the place and its culture; and they're infinitely more interesting than drywall finish.

These three murals are all on Main Street of Morro Bay, on the Taco de Mexico building, and just south of it.

The Morro Bay estuary under moonlight. It captures all the romance of the place.

The Harbor Entrance with a Coast Guard boat mid rescue. The Morro Bay entrance is in the top 10 most dangerous in the nation due to the swell conditions.

Fishing boats in the harbor. The bay had a thriving fishing fleet until recently when regulations have turned it into a costly industry.

Moving houses, moving boats

2006-06-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

"The brothers that help each other move keep moving."

In February I went down to Orange County and helped my brother move from Fullerton to Aliso Viejo. He rented an Uhaul, hauled furniture, the fridge, and the foozball table. Er, actually there was no foozball table.

Then in May my brother came to Morro Bay to help move my boat. I don't have as much stuff, or as much space, but the mess can substantial. Not much different than his Uhaul really; except that my home is like a snail carrying everything on its back, and transporting it is like riding a rollercoaster which moves chaotically across the water.

Sailing? or Gambling? enroute to Avila

2006-06-22T16:45:00.000-07:00

I was exhausted; ready to sleep in, when Dylan woke us up at 5:30AM. "Sun's coming up, we've got to go!" Gale force winds or not, we were going. My brother is such a champion for motivating the mission. Not bad for a Orange County family man and 9-5er who enjoys spending weekends indoors! Who would've thought! We coil the lines and motor off.

I access my state of mind: whereas during yesterday's shakedown cruise I was anxious, even a bit scared, today I'm exuberant. Feeling goooooooooood. Then, as we're raising the mainsail, still inside the harbor, I hear a thrilled hoot. "Yeeeeeeeeeeeah!!" Keith happens to be driving by in his car, waving at us. I wave back and feel a great surge of confidence. I like coincidences. "That's a good omen!" Dylan probably figures I'm a loony superstitious old salt by now.

The second good omen was just offshore, on the red marker buoy: a sea lion was laying out in the sun. Yesterday the seas were much rougher and no marine animals were frollicking. Today, even the dolphins were playing nearby us, as we cruised past the breakwater and ominous horn of the harbor entrance. Yes! Yes!

The VHF radio had a different opinion however. Coast Guard forecast on channel 22 warned sailors of "Gale force winds: if in port, stay in port. If at sea, immediately seek a safe haven." The time was 6AM and the wind was 5 knots, calm. Seas were bumpy but manageable. We figured that if we got around Point Buchon, halfway to Avila, before the wind picked up too strong, we'd be alright. That was our gamble, aboard the our trusty 1964 sloop.

A mile offshore, the Al Azar lay creeping along; they didn't make much headway in the past three hours. The wind steadily increased, and as we approached Point Buchon I decided to take the conservative approach and reef the sail early. We'd go slower but safer. All books say: "Reef early. That is, shorten sail as soon as the thought crosses your mind. You won't ever regret it."

Flying downwind 2 miles offshore of Diablo Canyon Powerplant, I decided to jibe to get away from the coast some. As I was preparing the jibe a wave knocked the boat around, sending the boom into an uncontrolled swing across to the other side, leading to a great "R-r-r-r-iiiiiip!" 5 feet of the mainsail lay in tatters, and while Dylan held the tiller I brought the mainsail down.

Under the jib alone we sailed at a respectable 4 knots. Around 12pm the wind really started to whip the sea into frenzy. The Port San Luis breakwater was visible, and we took a beam reach into the harbor, heeling the boat over 30 degrees in 25 knot plus gusts. The Raza sailed straight into the Avila Beach anchorage, between the two piers, without us hardly having to steer her, arriving around 1pm.

Although the wind still buffeted the boat, the anchorage was wonderfully smooth and hot. After tying up next to the Al Azar (it seemed calm enough), we re-organized the chaos inside the cabin, and eventually went to shore. Revelling throngs were milling about in the beach enjoying the Memorial Day weekend. Today's Beer Festival left a trail of college girls in bikinis and high heels struting about with hunky-dory dudes swigging on beers. After being in the harshest elements offshore, this hedonistic scene was too much to fathom. We scampered back to relax at home, which was bobbing gently. Home was no longer in Morro Bay. It was at approximately 35 degrees 26 minutes North, 120 degrees 68 minutes West, and happily so.

Al Azar's insane departure

2006-06-22T16:04:00.000-07:00

The 29ft Ericson sloop, the "Al Azar", is literally in shambles, it's already 10PM, but Chris determined to leave tonight. His eyes are twitching in sych with his scraggly beard, possibly in anticipation of the task at hand. The bow pulpit is sitting on the dock, along with the piles and piles of his gear. He picks up his friend Sarah from Napa, who has no idea what she is in for. She has never sailed before and also is pregnant.

"Kristian come help me mount this thing - 3 bolts on each stanchion is plenty." Chris lives by the 3/4 rule; the fourth bolt is probably not fully necessary after all. His bow pulpit has had major damage - he ran into a breakwater with it - so it's very wobbly, even after being mounted.

Chris starts piling gear onto his starboard deck. "As long as the port side is clear I can run the decks." Surfboards, aluminum rods, pieces of wood, all kinds of mixmatch get wedged between his deck and netting. The thought of what tomorrow's forecast gale force wind might do to his gear makes me cringe.

"The tide's already ebbing, I've gotta move!" It's 1AM and he's counting on the ebbing tide to slingshot him out of the harbor. His inboard diesel engine is sitting tamely on his cabin floor, since breaking down on arrival to Morro Bay. All he has for propulsion is a borrowed 5 horsepower Nissan outboard which regularly sputters.

Worse, the Al Azar has a large hole in the keel. A month before, his anchor line wrapped around his keel and sawed right through it; the Harbor Patrol put a quick fix to seal the leak. "Don't leave the harbor without hauling the boat out of the water and fiberglassing that hole!" they had advised. But the Morro Bay Boatyard owner was not very cooperative; and Chris' patience wore thin so he decided to leave on Memorial Day weekend, with the Tabula Raza behind to keep an eye on things.

Keep your fingers crossed!

By the time he was ready to leave at 2AM, and I cast his lines off, I was so stressed out I didn't think I'd be able to leave the next day - particularly because the forecast called for 35-40 knot gale winds. Chris is officially the king of unprepared-ness, reckless-ness, and put himself on the edge-ness. We more humble, slightly better prepared folk, bow down in reverence.

Nonsense on the Floating Dock

2006-06-22T15:25:00.000-07:00

Mike from the "Imagine", sailing from San Francisco down to Costa Rica, looking happy after the passage from Moss Landing.

Chris from the "Al Azar" holding the beer gut proud; or is he pregnant?

The three boats shared this little real estate for a few weeks.

Kristian from the "Tabula Raza" in full diving regallia and binoculars in hand.

"Imagine That!"

Overkill on anchor chain

2006-06-22T15:12:00.000-07:00

Since I'm a novice sailor, and usually fairly reckless with my equipment, I try to take a few conservative measures, just to even the score. So I upgraded my anchor rode to make sure if I anchored in some crazy surfspot I could feel confident about holding strong. Previously the Raza had 60 feet of chain with 200 feet of nylon line - which is already a respectable amount, especially with a 35 pound Bruce on the end. Now I've got a massive 210 feet of chain (5/16in)with the 200 feet of nylon line for backup.

The paint was painted white every 15 feet, with red paint on the links to indicate how much chain I've already put out. I use this system every time I anchor, because otherwise it's hard to tell how much chain is left. It's very practical.

Not too long ago, Chris fouled the anchor line on the "Al Azar" and the nylon line actually sawed through his keel, opening a gaping hole and nearly sinking him. I heard you can't go wrong with an all-chain rode. It's just really really heavy, especially when I had no bow roller. Chris gave me a roller though, and after a few modifications (ie sawing off bits of the toe rail) I managed to install it properly. Now all I need is a manual windlass, if I want to spare my back, which has already been getting quite sore.

the Renabel and the Rock

2006-06-22T14:57:00.000-07:00

A hallelujah-praise-the-lord type shot of a beautiful fishing boat in Morro Bay. The "Renabel" is for sale at around $50,000.

The Shakedown Cruise - we're ready for carnage.

2006-06-06T13:43:00.000-07:00

In a test of our perseverance, the weekend of the departure was marred by very strong winds and choppy seas. Arguably a perfect time to toss the boat around and see what breaks. My brother Dylan arrived on the Thursday of Memorial Day weekend; we sat at the Hofbrau of Morro Bay discussing our options with fellow sailors Chris and Keith, as the wind buffeted the glass.
"North to San Simeon? Maybe we'll make it to China Cove, which is just halfway."
"But what's the anchorage like there? We can leave at around 4 AM and see what it's like offshore."
"Or we'll just go for a day sail..."

Forecast called for 40knot plus winds from the northwest, with hectic seas of 10 feet at 9 seconds. Anytime the wave height (10 feet) is larger than the swell period (9 seconds) then it'll be very rough and choppy. The small craft advisory turned into a full gale warning. The 40 year old boat was groaning at the prospect of such a beating, but we cast off at 4:30 AM - heart in throat.

In the spirit of the shakedown cruise, which has the objective of "shaking down" whatever loose nuts and bolts (and larger hardware) need to get replaced before the big trip, a few things got knocked off the boat: including the sail track on the boom and this morning's breakfast. "I thought this only happened in the cartoons!" Dylan was astonished at the extent of his seasickness. "It can only get better from now on" he said with a twisted smile. He may be a family guy, but he's a trooper.

We scampered back into Morro Bay and rested, repaired, and slept for the day while the gale whipped the very spark in the air. The plan was to leave early the next morning and head south to Avila Beach. Real early, before the wind got strong.

9PM. As we dined at Pizza Port, contemplating this might be our last meal should be gale consume us, Chris announces he's also leaving - and on top of things, his friend Sarah from Napa Valley is coming too - and she's pregnant! "She should be arriving any minute now." What?! The pizza is delicious.

Back at the Tabula Raza, in the pitch black, the lads haul me up the mast, to recover the topping lift (an important line which came off the block). I'm 30 feet up in the air, headlamp illuminating the mast in front of me, nothing else exists. I breath and look around; the view of the city lights is fiery, along with the calm and hazy air, I feel like I'm inside the dragon's belly.