Still waiting in Coos Bay, Oregon

Ever since we got here, a week ago, there have been strong north winds and hazardous seas warnings.  Now it looks like there may be a break in the weather on Friday where we can zip out of here and continue north and home.  It is 350 miles from here to Cape Flattery, where we turn right into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, then another 100 miles to home.

We have, however, been making good use of our time.  I (Jim) did a bunch of routine maintenance on the engine.  And I was able to fix the leak in the injector pump, which was causing the engine not to start.  That took a bunch of phone calls to several Yanmar dealers, a particularly helpful conversation with an injection pump specialist in Oakland, CA, a pep talk from friend and diesel mechanic, Walt, in Port Townsend, and the overnight delivery of an o-ring. O-ring cost: $1.50; shipping cost: $20.00.

Lost At Sea Memorial

We also had a new autopilot delivered, replacing the one that burned up about two days before we pulled in here to Coos Bay.  I guess it really melted rather than burned up.  I wish now that I had taken pictures.

Karen singing Karaoke at the local restaurant

One of the best parts of cruising is, as we have mentioned before, the people you meet.  Boat people tend to be fairly unique, often interesting, and sometimes amazing.  Meet Spud Murphy - he is all three.  A tribal elder in the local Naive American tribe, he is 1/4 Coquille, 1/4 Aleut, and 1/2 Irish.  Now 74, he has been all over the world as deep sea diver doing underwater construction, a commercial fisherman, a boat builder, and a welder; he was in the navy at the Bay of Pigs; he owned a diving operation in our home town of Port Townsend; he builds hot rods and machine guns; his 11 foot fishing boat (which he built) will do 40 mph; he likes to go fast. I met him while admiring his latest boat project.  He bought the bare hull of a 40-foot wooden Garden Ketch sailboat and almost has her built out, including making the masts himself.  This is his first sailboat and the the 38th boat he has built.  He says he's slowing down but still seems to get more done before breakfast than most people do all day.  To top it all off he's a hell of a nice guy.  Today he drove is to the grocery store and gave us a tour of the area.  We are hoping to see him again in Port Townsend as he has family in the Puget Sound area.

Spud Murphy