Minimus is Launched

Ready for the trip to south to Santa Barbara

As far as we're concerned, the most hectic and dangerous part of the trip is over.

On January 24 we headed south from Oregon with Minimus in tow.  After two high speed days on Interstate 5, we drove into the Santa Barbara harbor parking lot, grateful that we and our vessel had survived the traffic.

We got to Santa Barbara just before noon and spent the rest of the day raising the mast and attaching the self steering gear before launching Minimus around sunset.  In the darkness we loaded her up with 70 gallons of water, sailing gear and a seemingly endless amount of food.  

Shortly after 9PM we rowed her under a starry sky to the guest slip.  We'd been in shorts and sandals since the launching and the mid-40 temps had us both thoroughly chilled.  I slept on the boat and Pearl in the truck, both of us shivering until well into the night. 

By noon the next day we were finished loading and hit the road back to Oregon, grateful to have the boat launched and be towing only an empty trailer.  By the next afternoon we'd dropped the trailer off in Eugene and were back at the farm.

We're very grateful to know that we won't again be sailing at 60 mph and certainly not with a bunch of crazies weaving in and out of traffic at 80 mph.  

We'll catch the train south on Monday afternoon and should be back in Santa Barbara by Tuesday evening.  After a couple days of getting everything stowed and shipshape, we hope to be sailing toward San Diego by Friday or Saturday.  

Passing snowy and stunning Mt. Shasta

When the alternator went out in Castaic, CA, Leo and his gang at Castaic Auto Performance let us spend the night parked in front of the shop, then got us back on the road the next morning.  Thanks Leo!  

We've happily traded snow for palm trees in Santa Barbara.
The mast is up and we're ready to launch.  

Minimus in her slip the next morning.  We're relieved to see that a couple inches of
bottom paint are still showing.