Arrival in Mexico!

November went by fast! Portland one week and Mexico the next.

After (finally!) finding a boat which suited boh of our needs, we jet-setted down to San Diego for survey and sea trial in early November. After given the all-clear from the surveyor we only had 14 days to finalize the sale, put our jobs on hold, move out of our house, sell all the big things and move the rest into our cargo trailer and 1-ton passenger van.

Thanksgiving week we left the freezing temps of Portland and drove south. As the scenery rolled by at 60mph it just kept getting warmer. Thanksgiving morning we had a lot to be thankful for as we woke up on Camille for the first time!

Over the past five days we have dropped our waterline by several inches and got ready for our first overnight passage aboard Camille. Last night was filled with shooting stars, whales and dolphins playing in the bioluminescence . At times we encountered patches of fog in which the front of the boat was not visible. Never have I appreciated a piece of electronic equipment more than our radar.

While Mike was sleeping blissfully after his watch, the sun rose over Ensenada as we sailed along in the company of dolphins.

Introducing Camille | Guest Bedroom aka V-berth

We are slowly getting moved aboard and it is amazing just how much stuff a little boat can swallow up. The weather has been San-Diego-perfect and after the freezing temps we were experiencing in Portland we feel like we have found paradise already!  Read more about Camille...

Coronado Bridge 

Downtown San Diego

Camille's V-berth (guest bedroom) looking forward

Camille's V-berth (guest bedroom) looking aft

s/v Camille - Our First Home

We spent our first night aboard Camille last night as her new owners. We are very thankful this Thanksgiving. 
For background info about us and to see more photos of Camille visit our About page.

After our last day at work in Portland, we had less than a day to finish packing the van and trailer in order to make it to San Diego by Tuesday, as Wednesday was to be the big day for the offshore delivery. We had been planning for this day for years by reducing our belongings and selling off furniture - yet in the end we still ended up with too much stuff and the trailer and van were filled to the brim. Here is the story (in pictures) of our trip south.

Our Champagne celebration three miles offshore was a giant step we worked very hard to get to. Thank you Gregg and Charlotte for the sweetest drink we have ever had!

Why is Camille called She?

A ship is called 'she' because there is always a great deal of bustle around her; there is usually a gang of men about, she has a waist and stays; it takes a lot of paint to keep her good looking; it is not the initial expense that breaks you, it is the upkeep; she can be all decked out; it takes an experienced man to handle her correctly; and without a man at the helm, she is absolutely uncontrollable. She shows her topsides, hides her bottom and when coming into port, always heads for the buoys.

Drying Fruit

Down the street from our house is an empty property that once must have had a grand house on it. What's left is a beautiful garden complete with fruit trees. A few weeks ago we harvested several bags full of fruit from the pear trees that adorn the circular driveway. They finally finished ripening and we are drying and vacuum-sealing the pears after giving the sliced fruit a bath in citrus water, which should keep them from getting brown.

For great on-board recipes check out our sister site GalleySwap!