Day 18-20 of the 2nd Voyage: In which we bid a fond farewell to Bodega Bay and hope we haven’t jinxed it by saying so.

To my faithful followers (both of you!), I don’t want to leave you in suspense any longer…yes, the Captain and I managed to get the transmission back into the engine room. It wasn’t easy manhandling 200 awkward pounds of cast iron up onto the boat, around the deck, through the pilothouse, down into the galley and back into the engine room, but we did it. We may never walk fully erect again, but we did it. Getting the transmission bolted to the diesel engine was another story. Imagine having to line up two objects perfectly so that they create a seal, only one part is suspended in mid-air and weighs 200 lbs. Oh, and the whole thing is down in a bilge that narrows and slopes down into the keel. And you can’t stand up. And it’s 180 degrees in there. Celsius. We had some difficulty. But luckily, Richard aka The Best Mechanic in Santa Rosa made the drive out and brought his special “moving heavy-ass things into awkward places” gadget. Within 45 minutes the transmission was bolted into place. Another hour later and everything was hooked up. Fifteen minutes of putting the engine through its paces, and we were all systems go! The only thing now standing between us and our next destination is a good weather window. A small craft advisory warning through Saturday morning set the day—Sunday. With a forecast of 10 mph winds, 3-5 foot seas and lots of sun, we’re slathering on the sunscreen and making a break for it.

But we are going to miss Bodega Bay. It’s a great place to break down (IF you have a good mechanic!) and had we not, we would have missed out meeting some awesome people. From Sean on the Melissa Jo, Shannon at The Dog House, and Reese at Spud Point Marina to Abalone Tony docked right next to us (still trying to figure out what he’s going to do with that bathtub) and our fellow bus rider from Sebastopol who asked if we would watch his groceries while he went to smoke a joint and would we like some frozen yogurt—to all of you and many others.. . it’s been fun. And if we don’t see you again, please don’t take it personally.

 

Pictured: Spud Point Marina in Bodega Bay, Sunset

Not Pictured: Good photography