How the boat was bought

STM: purchased May 1993 in Marina Del Rey, CA., from a bank during a default by the owner. As we prepared to leave Lisa switched out batteries and turned on the battery switch, wow...burning electronics filled the air !

Spent a day and a half searching for a new alternator and ended up with a 99% match using an automotive unit (still in the boat by the way. cost $70 vs $500). Replace all the fuses and headed homw. Larry and I along with my dad and Lisa sailed the boat to San Francisco, 3 days. Lisa flew home from there, my father, Larry and I continued up the coast for another 9 1/2 days.

We ran into a rather large storm off of Cape Mendocino or Pt. Conception (Larry might remember), 60 kts of wind and 20 + seas. This lasted from around noon 'til 11:30 pm, it was very fortunate that the storm was from the SW. At any rate we pulled into Eureka, CA., tired. This also happens to be the place where we first ran STM aground, just a few feet from the Coast Guard station. Luckily for us they had a rather large light and kept shining it on us just to let everyone around know that another fool boat had gone aground in the channel. We did get off (the bottom) and made our way to the marina. Stayed for a day to dry out, unfortunately it rained so we left. Made our way to Newport, OR., where we deftly sailed past the harbour entrance, all the while ignoring the GPS directions. Finally decided to follow a gill netter in, but not before I had lost my right shoe to Neptune.

We liked arriving at port in the middle of the night and did pretty well at keeping to that plan !!!!! I must say at this point that I was off watch during the approaches but it never ceased to amaze me how noisy it is when the watch crew is uncertain of where they are.......so I always jumped out of the sack and stumbled onto deck to assist. Stayed here a day too. Then off to Westport, WA., it sure is neat how these ports seem to fall within a day and a half of each other. We pulled into Westport, AND it was during daylight, I was totally amazed, but glad to navigate this entrance in the daylight. Stayed here for the night and then off to home. It was on this leg that the wind eventually changed to come out of the NW and picked up to 20-25 kts, and the temperature headed down towards the bulb end of the tube. NOTE: it had been pleasant most of the trip with the evening temps dropping, the 4 hr watches kept us from freezing. Okay, so we're close hauled wind is increasing, I'm off watch and what do you think happens ?

Noise on deck ! I try to ignore it but all that scrambling around keeps me up, up jumps I and head for the hatch. Looking forward I spy LArry wrasslin' with the headsail, the headsail was winning. Up forward I go to help and we finally get the light #1 on deck, 25 kts. by now, and work at hoisting the blade. Success ! Survey the damage, broken life line at the bow pulpit and bent pulpit. By morning we have passed many fishing vessels all lit up like hotels on the water and made our way to Cape Flattery.

Wind, well it went away so on come the engine, what a great little motor, Yanmar 3GM30F (I'll check this but it's pretty close), .5 gal per hour at 1800 rpm and 5+ kts. Into the Straight of Juan de Fuca on a flood tide, we're hitting 9 + kts. over the bottom all the way to Pt. Townsend. At this point we had to stop, all the beer pruchased in CA was gone, Larry had done a good job of lightening the boat on the way up. Our pit stop was 30 minutes max and off we went, heading for Shilshole, wonderful cloudless evening and rather warm too. Tied up at CYC dock that morning, early and then next day into the locks and her new home on Lake Union.

STM, designed by Doug Peterson, built by Carl Eichenlaub in San Diego 1975/6. IOR 2 ton, with full accommodations below.....not just pipe berths, even an enclosed head !!

Ask me more !!

About the Texas flag you see flying as STM's battle flag. Don was born in El Paso, Texas and on a trip from Ft. Lauderdale to Seattle in 1992, Don picked up the flag from a small antique store in Texas....deja vu, as the flag would later grace the forestay of STM !! Don says he just loves it when the flag flies upside down as that is when all the Texans make sure he knows he screwed up. Never met so many people from Texas as when the flag is flying wrong.