Wharf Rats

Keeping with the Grateful Dead song titles while we’re in San Fran (which we learned no local would ever call this city), we have certainly been wharf dwellers this last week. We haven’t seen any rats here at Emery Cove but there are cute and friendly California ground squirrels around. The squirrel families are so entertaining and most certainly are used to being fed by humans, lots of babies around who peak out while a parent keeps a watchful eye. The marina we’re at is less than half price of Shilshole even for transient moorage and also has free showers. Seems like an ideal place with great staff except even though they recently dredged we’ve never ever had less water under the keel and have definitely rested in the mud during some low tides this last week.

While we were at a dock and with lots of resources we decided to take off the countertop to have easy engine access and re-check the compression. We have good readings from about a year ago to compare new readings too and everything came out as well as could be expected. The gauge we used was different but the readings were essentially the same, great news. Even though I was nervous about what we might find it felt good to get another look at the engine with the cover off, it only takes about 10 minutes to disconnect the sink plumbing and slide it off. Totally worth it to have a little face to face time with the Isuzu, I like having a little chat with it.

That little leak of tranny fluid was still showing in the bilge but I couldn’t discern a change in the level in the transmission. That fluid is so thin and it doesn’t stick well to the dip stick so I wasn’t too confident in what I was seeing. Meanwhile, searching for a dropped screw, I lifted up the floor panel aft of the engine and saw some transmission fluid there too- hmm. When we were bouncing around that made sense but now not so much- it’s uphill and few feet aft of the transmission. I got out a flashlight and found that a tiny drip of fluid was coming from further outboard and finally from the little hanging locker where the bottle I had used to top it off had tilted over and been leaking. Hooray for dumb me! Good reminder to go for the easiest solution first if, I can figure out what that is.

An amazing thing about this marina is that it’s super close to the home of a really good long time friend/pair partner/amazing person, Julian Zimlich. Julz, as I like to call her, has a daughter named Mayzel and they’ve been up to visit us in Seattle many times on their way to and from Orcas where her parents live so it’s really fun to be here and see what their life is like. We went on an adventure day to a pool in the forest and then a walk around where Mayzel’s forest school is, we’ve been out to dinner a few times and been able to get some errands and laundry done. Totally amazing and so lucky to be here and get to spend some vacation like time catching up.

Next in fun with friends, Ann came down for two nights and we had an epic day of fun going around the bay and city. Evidence in photos below, not pictured stops at not one but two West Marines!

Our sail came back from the loft and it was too windy to get the battens in yesterday and this morning it’s finally calm so Greg is waiting for me to finish this up and get out there. Our crew is coming back tomorrow and joining Leo and Gavin is Gavin’s girlfriend, Ryan! Woohoo for another woman and an awesome crew to have fun sailing south with, super grateful they’re all coming and I can’t wait to get back out there.