San Diego: almost finished; outdoor concert

      I am almost finished painting GANNET’s interior.  Only the spaces between and under the pipe berths and beneath the two small counters beside Central remain.  They will wait until Monday.  Friends are coming by in an hour to take me up to their second home in Julian.  I have been there before.  Although only about an hour’s drive inland, Julian is at more than 4,000’ and has a completely different climate.  Hotter than San Diego in the summer and with an average of 2’ of snow in the winter.  I like it up there.
       After painting I will replace all five of the Blue Performance bags I use for storage in the Great Cabin.  The old ones are moldy beyond salvation.  I had a slight shock when I ordered the replacements because each costs $60-$70 and the order total was well over $300.  Ah, well, it is for a good cause:  a boat.
        
        While most of the US is brutally hot with temperatures that are or feel like more than 100ºF/38ºC, San Diego of course remains delightful.  The coastal clouds have burned off early the past two mornings and my evening drinks on deck have been perfect.  Two nights ago I was listening to Bach Cello Suites and two kayakers on their way in stopped to enjoy the free outdoor concert.  I am pleased to be a public service.
        I love GANNET’s location, but it is not one for a boat with a high priced paint job.  Kayakers run into the little boat with distressing frequency, sometimes hard.  There is lots of room and no excuse for this.  I accept it.  Usually this happens when youth groups come out in fleets.  
        GANNET’s does not have an expensive paint job.  Her topsides need repainting.  I did it before myself and will again sometime.  I don’t do professional quality work, but I can afford my wages.

        I thank Ants, who is preparing his Moore 24 for the Race to Alaska, for sending me information about the narrow catamaran I photographed a few entries ago.  He believes her to be a Gougeon 32.  The Gougeon brothers were behind the WEST system of boat construction, which has nothing to do with West Marine.  The boats were narrow for ease of trailering and had water ballast as well as a masthead float to keep the boats from inverting when they capsized.  Maybe I should put one on GANNET.