Sailing Sirena: Leaving SOON and a few photos from San Diego

We are READY to GO! More than ready actually, but still waiting for our big F-250 truck to sell. If that doesn't happen by next week we're outta here anyway and it will go to a consignment lot. The boat's checklist is pretty much completed, with only a few odds and ends left. Ninja is now microchipped (LoWang already was) so now I feel comfortable taking them both into the more troublesome ports of Fiji and New Zealand where they have stringent laws against bringing in animals, even if your pets never leave the boat.

The boat is packed and ready to go. The plan is to hop down to Encinitas for customs check in and then to Turtle Bay where we will overnight before proceeding on to Cabo and finally to Puerto Vallarta. There we hope to reunite with some of our newfound friends before making the puddle jump across to the Marquessas islands in late March, early April. Latitude 38 has a fabulous program to assist sailors in connecting with one another, and in finding crew for the trip. We expect it will take us around 21 days to cross from Puerto Vallarta to the islands, so we plan to take on at least one other crew member for night watches and general boat work. There is also a party scheduled for march sometime so that the sailors can get to know one another prior to making the puddle jump. We are certainly looking forward to meeting more of our fellow cruisers!

Here are a few photos taken by our good friend Gretchen, who lives here in Ocean Beach, CA. Great shots, Gretchen! Thanks so much for sharing them with us!

View from our boat when docked at Shelter Island. Notice the Great Blue heron on far right who haunts the docks at night hunting fish in the shallow water under the dock lights.