I like Eureka - don't get the wrong idea by the title of this entry, but jeez, it's been a while since I was on the water. I could have left yesterday, but there are always a few more things to take care of. Namely, I hadn't yet had good enough weather to install the vinyl with the name Chemistry and the hailing port on the transom, so I did that yesterday and now I'm legal. This morning it took about an hour to get fuel, as there were 3 fishing boats all filling up at Englund’s so I had to wait (good hovering practice). Greg from “Passing Wind” came along to help me because it’s a pretty ugly fuel dock with pilings (not set up for cruisers, really). Then after that my autopilot was freaking out – turns out at some point the sensor arm for the rudder angle indicator came unglued from the rudder arm. Yes, glue. :\ Anyway, my neighbor Kevin came over and diagnosed it right away and fixed it in about 5 minutes with a couple of hose clamps, and I was ready … again.I motored out of the harbor and across the bar about an hour ago, and fiddled around with the mainsail just making sure I could raise/lower it with no trouble, since there are some big winds forecast for tomorrow. I hope to be sitting in Bodega Bay (either at the marina or at anchor) by noon tomorrow, so I should beat those big winds to port. In any case, they'll be blowing from almost straight behind me, which is a heck of a lot more managable then trying to go into them. Yes, I'm going against my own vow to not "race weather into port" but I can't be a weather weanie this whole trip, and I know that Chemistry can take it.At the moment I’m motorsailing at about 7 knots (6.9 – 7.5, depending on the swells/wind) so I’m making really good time already. The wind is only 8-10 knots apparent (probably about 13-14 true) so the sail is slatting a bit. Another 5 knots would be nice, but I really want to keep the motor going and make great time. Considering this is my first time single-handing offshore, I don’t really want to be out here to the point of exhaustion (and my insurance won’t let me single-hand more than 24-hours at a time anyway). I see lots of sunshine right on the other side of Cape Mendocino, but after the Cape the wind will be right from behind instead of on my quarter, so I’ll probably have to rig the whisker pole. After Cape Mendocino it’s about 95 miles down to Point Arena, then another 55 to Bodega Bay.Almost out of range – I’ll post more later.TT
