Friends and family welcome us to Sausalito

November 20
Schoonmaker Point Marina, Sausalito, California


Zulu safely berthed in Sausalito

The sun shines in Sausalito. Friends welcome us with open arms.


Starr found Zulu first and welcomes us

Starr, who has an office in Sausalito, was the first to walk along the beach waving. He makes videos, one of which was of the Bayliss—a yacht designed by Tom Wylie, which has no standing rigging. He introduced us to Nick, who was his art teacher in college and with whom he motored through the San Juans this summer. Nick is a gentle soul and spends time on board his new motorboat in Clipper Marina.

Garen and Isabella, ever giving and ever loving, brought us into the warmth of their home in beautiful Pt. Reyes and shared all that could possibly be shared, including their car and laundry facilities. Good wine, delicious spinach pie and fields of green salad, wholesome breads and the Rolling Stones movie. Mexican wraps for breakfast. We enjoyed movies and dinners out and laughter and dinner on the boat.

Thanksgiving, with a meal made with love was scrumptious and so appreciated.


Garen hurry and cut the turkey



Jimmy, Joe, Gail, and Isabella self served with Thanksgiving

John, Isabella’s youngest son, togged up to the nines

Bruce and Sandy cooked us a scrumptious meal at their sweet home high atop Golden Gate Avenue overlooking Point Richards. They made it possible for us to get a discount on gear from Svensons. We enjoyed meals out at Indian and Pakinstani restaurants, and at the Pyramid Pub with beer and much laughter.


Sandy and Marilyn raise big glasses of good beer at an Indian restaurant

Bruce, Russ, Sean, and Sandy on Zulu after lunch out

Sandy and Mike and Francine, all old friends from California college days, came to visit us and treated us out to lunch at Le Garage, the French restaurant overlooking the yachts at berth and sparkling waters. Mike gave us two bottles of wine he had a hand in making. He is the entrepeneur middleman between the grape grower and the wine maker. A light cabernet he says. Smile. We savoured every sip.

Marjie and Jacky visit us on Zulu

Jacky my dearest college friend and her precious mother Marjie—who opened her home to me in San Francisco when I was a 19-year-old foreign student—also treated us to lunch at Le Garage and drank warm tea with me as my laundry, fed by coins, washed and dried.

Marjie leant Jacky and I her white Corvette sports car with red leather seats to go on joy rides in our early twenties. How trusting!! She owned and skippered a fishing boat called Marge’s Barge in the early ‘70s and crossed the Pacific Ocean on a catamaran in later years. She is approximately 87 years old and sharp as a pin and has the sparkle in her eyes of a youth. She sent angels to watch over us. I hang onto her strength from years past and on to Jacky’s calm.

Sean, the Irish character of all characters joined us, too, and shared sailing experiences from seven years of cruising in the Mediterranean. He told us the colourful story of how he fulfilled his promise to his friend, Bob, and bused and hitch-hiked to scatter Bob’s ashes off the waters of Blue Beach, Normandy.

We drove Garen and Isabella’s old Volvo with great care three hours to Albion, a small, small town south of Fort Bragg on Highway 1. The leaves of grapevines in miles and miles of vineyards were golden in the late afternoon light. Hwy 128 curved up and down through the vineyards and redwoods to the Navarra river and sea. Diana, Russ’ sister, cooked a Moroccan vegetarian stew. She had crab and the best of cheeses and breads and wonderful wines. I bathed in her old fashion tub with hot water and moisturizing beads, steam penetrating my dry skin and slept in a king size bed. Heaven. Thank you Diana!

Sarah and Vanessa and Ian all called from Seattle: our precious children, always in our hearts and mind. How happy and lucky we are. We can’t wait to meet in Mexico for Christmas.

Ian, Sarah, and Vanessa on Zulu in Seattle now call us in Sausalito

Now the rain falls. Russ is tired working his way through all the repairs. The heater warms the boat. He is showering. I will prepare yams for Isabella’s Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. And make chocolate chip cookies using Jacky’s fresh walnuts from Paradise for our upcoming sail to San Diego—Russ’ request. Then go to the emergency to get peace of mind from having an X-ray of ribs bruised.

The Grib files tell us the winds will come from the north and the sun will shine on Friday. All good signs for a safe, calm voyage south. We call our friends in Seattle and say we will leave around December 5.

But as I write we miss this window to face new challenges with new engine problems. We will have to fly to Mexico!!