DATE OF PURCHASE
11 DECEMBER 1999
San Rafael to Napa Valley Marina on the Napa River
Shatoosh is in her new berth at Napa Valley Marina 12 Dec 99, I'm at the apt with my car and how it all happened was grace. I drove to San Rafael, leaving on the spur and "getting it," to bring everything with me, bedroll, warm clothes, toothbrush, charts and that the fedexed money would be there when I got there and I could bring the boat back Sat. It happened that the money did arrive so I was met by the broker and everything finalized. The broker was very reluctant for me to singlehand the boat to Napa. "The Bay can be very rough and dangerous", he says to me. When he went to lunch I parked my car at the haul out area, had a wonderful Indian bandhara at the marina Indian restaurant (doesn't every marina have an Indian restaurant?) and climbed aboard getting the flooding tide. I meandered through the houseboats and condos on the San Rafael River, then out into the bay. It was slick as glass with no wind. I thought I'm going for it.
At 340 PM I was docked at the visiting yacht dock in Vallejo. As I was checking into the office they had a cab ad for flat rates, so I called and within minutes I was off to San Rafael to get my car for a mere $52.00. Returning to Vallejo with my car, I had a wonderful dinner and celebrated the first phase of my trip with clam strips at the Sardine Can restaurant at the marina. I awoke at 5 am and had to hike to the bathroom at the marina and it was cold. Shatoosh is insulated well as it wasn't that cold sleeping in fact I got hot in my down bag and 2 vests and a wool hat on.I drove to a nearby restaurant for coffee and some breakfast and waited until 9 am for the marina office to open so I could get my key refund back. Then measuring the height of Shatoosh to make sure I could go under the bridge. I took the VHF antenna down and had plenty of room as the height was 16 feet. The next bridge was 200 feet high..no problem. The river was like a lake and filled with thousands of birds. It was so peaceful and beautiful. A group of coast guard boys and girls in a high speed zodiac passed and I thought I hope they don't want to board me. They didn't and later up the river they passed me again and I held my breath.
After tying up in my new slip I checked in and got a key for the bathroom, which I used immediately. The young man on the dock across from me said he'd take me to Vallejo to get my car, so off we went and I returned with my car just like that. Yesterday morning I had no idea how I was going to move a boat and car all over this bay area and have them all back in Napa on Sunday. This voice just kept saying, "take the first step and the other steps will fall into place." So, I did and they did too. What a great lesson for life. I am very content right now, all warm and rosy from the sun and knowing that I have this adorable little boat, named Shatoosh to take me new places. Shatoosh is so cute and really handles well. Very easy to single-hand and that was what I wanted. A jump aboard boat that will take you anywhere. I prob. used 1.5 gallons of diesel, the meter never moved. I am so happy to be puttering on a boat again. I love being on the water and the freedom a boat offers.
