San Diego, it could be better…

You can never go back, yes, I know that but still I was very much looking forward to returning to San Diego, the port where in my youth I had spent three blissful years racing Flying Dutchman and crewing on several magnificent old, wooden, engineless, Luders 44’ yawls, under the tutelage of skippers who had learned to sail those same boats at the US Naval Academy.  Salad days, accompanied by the inexperience, enthusiasm, idealism, innocence, and indiscretion that one usually associates with youth.  

The geography the place still looks roughly the same but the basic vibe and the nature of the people all seem quite strange to me.  It started when we arrived at the harbor guest dock and were met by nobody.  The new tone of this place hit me as soon as I hit the dock.  The Guest Gulag (Dock) seems to be controlled by the Harbor Patrol but when we arrive at 9:00 Last Sunday morning there was nobody around. 

 

Lots of cop boats, more than I’d ever seen in one place before but no people.  I called their office, got a machine but never heard back from them.  There was a sign outside their office that said to use the self serve kiosk to obtain a slip. 



That did not work so we booked a slip online at their wonky web site.  It’s just 1984 weird about not having an actual staff.  They would send three harbor police officers down to give someone a ticket for being a day over their computer generated reservation.  I’m talking about guys in cop uniforms, bullet proof vest, sidearm and tazer.  I remember a much warmer, more humane San Diego harbor.  One with a whole lot more sole.  How sad it is for anyone to loose their soul?  How much more so for a whole place to loose such a thing.  

Then an unfortunate boater in his boat hit Malo’s anchor fortunately for us causing no damage to either boat or anchor but unfortunately ripped off his starboard dinghy davit.  Seems like Malo can give more than she gets.  WHOA Malo!  After hitting Malo the poor guy accelerated for another 100’ until hitting not one but two boats on the other side of the finger docks.  So 3 heavily armed Harbor Patrol cops  showed up to take names and stories then after 2 hours of investigating they suddenly left with out properly securing the offending boat which was only partially and precariously tied up at the end of one of the finger docks leaving the poor captain in looking very PTSD.  

The cops actions and attitudes were bad enough in and in themselves but worst of all was the curious but uncaring attitude of the other boaters who gawked aplenty but did nothing.  So Bev, myself and one other down and out looking cruiser took the situation in hand and used some long dock lines to warped the rough boat across the finger dock canal and to it’s new slip. 

But, alas, it was not all darkness and gloom.  There is a bright spot in our visit, two such bright spots no less.  The first one comes in the form of our new port running light which now; lights!  And the second is the new dome light over my nave station.  From day one I thought that spot was too dark but I try to refrain jumping to conclusions with how a new boat it set up.  Everyone does most things for a good reason so I try to “walk a mile” in the previous owners shoes in order to gain greater understanding and another prospective before I change anything on a boat.  Now over a year later and a couple thousand sea miles I was sure that the nave table was too dark.  So today I picked up and installed a LED dome light in the nave station and suddenly my life seems to have twice as much light in it.  What a difference a day can make.  

Oh, oh, oh, and the third bright spot was the Crew of Cinderella Ava & Pajo showing up at our dock to water-up and say good by.  It was special seeing those guy again but unfortunate to be saying good-by to them so soon.  They are on their way down to Mexico tonight.  We cast them off and shouted our fond well wishes to them as they sailed off into the evening.




We are just finishing up our boat repairs and then will start cleaning in preparation to receiving boat guest tomorrow.