San Francisco’s Embarcadero

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Since returning from our circumnavigation in 2009, we’ve started several threads that we haven’t finished. One of Christi’s New Year’s Resolutions is to get better about finishing blog threads. So to start the year off right, we are going to finish up our San Francisco thread from a few months back.

To recap: on Wednesday, October 31, 2011, we set out from our home port in San Diego on our way to San Francisco, where we planned to spend a couple months. We broke the trip up north into two legs: the first was 24 hours at sea, stopping in Ventura. The plan was to wait in Ventura for a good weather window around Point Conception. Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait long. After only 24 hours in Ventura, we were back at sea. Leg two took two days, and we arrived in San Francisco Bay on Sunday, September 4.

We docked at South Beach Harbor Marina, located right next door to the AT&T ballpark in the heart of downtown San Francisco. We picked that location because Eric could walk to work (his company also has an office in San Francisco, which he worked out of). Here is a shot of Eric in front of the ballpark and one at the back of the ballpark.

Monday, September 5 was Labor Day, so Eric had the day off work. We took a walk along the embarcadero to the famous Ferry Terminal Building. Here are some sights along the way:

This is Pier 38 right next to the marina. Along the waterfront, there are several more of these Pier buildings that all look similar.

The view of San Francisco Bay and the Bay Bridge from just past Pier 38

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Contest to Win Our Books and a Coupon for Discounts on Book Purchases

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World Footprints Media, who did a radio interview with us a few months ago, is currently running a “I LOVE To Travel” Photo Contest. Prizes include a copy of our books. For more information on how to submit photos, check out their contest page.

Also, if you are interested in buying our books, Lulu is currently offering a buy one book, get a second one for 50% off coupon. At the check out screen, simply enter the coupon code SECONDHALF305. Coupon expires January 15, 2012.

      

America’s Cup Racing in San Diego

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We were invited to attend an event centered around America’s Cup Racing on Sunday, November 20th. It took place at the Navy Pier in downtown San Diego, in a tent that was set up next to the Midway Museum. In this photo, you can see the tents to the left on the Navy Pier. To the right is the cruise ship terminal. In the foreground of the cove between the piers is the New Zealand vessel. In the background you can clearly see a French and an American vessel. Farther in the background a few more vessels are not as clearly visible.

At 1000, the event started. A speaker explained the history of the event. The 1851 World Exposition was hosted by Queen Victoria in England. As part of the festivities, there was a sailing race around the Isle of Wight (a 53-nautical-mile course). 14 British ships and one American ship, named America, competed. America won. The prize was a silver trophy, now named after that ship, the America’s Cup. A few years later, the America crew donated the trophy into a trust to be used as a perpetual challenge trophy to promote friendly competition among nations.

Over the years, the rules changed and the racing event slowly evolved (there were even several court cases to help determine what were fair rules). In the last few years, the sport has changed dramatically. It used to be that, Continue reading →

Reviews of the Unexpected Circumnavigation Part 1

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More Info About The Book:

The book is quite different from the blog in many ways, making it a more enjoyable story.

Jeff Merrill did an extensive book review on the Nordhavn site.

In March, April and May of 2010, it was Number 1 on Lulu in the Travel category! It was also the third top seller of all categories in March 2010.

Read an excerpt printed in Shelf Unbound Magazine’s October/November 2012 edition.

So what are people saying about the book?

“The author did such a good job describing the scenery, food, atmosphere and people, that I felt like I got to experience it too…The amazing and inspirational is in the book as well as the difficult and scary. It was a gripping tale and I can’t wait to read about the next leg of their journey.” Michael Floyd

“In a frank and friendly writing “voice”… Christi Grab does a terrific job of describing the joys and miseries of traveling the obscure South Pacific in a boat less than 50 feet long. This first leg of the Grabs’ bold round-the-world-in-two-years adventure is every bit as exciting and exotic as it sounds…I couldn’t put this one down!” Daniel P. Sniderman “Froggy”

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Passage from Oakland to San Diego

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When we initially arrived in the Bay Area, we stayed in South Beach Harbor marina, next to the AT&T ballpark in the heart of San Francisco.

As much as we loved being in the city, we didn’t enjoy the slip we were in at the marina. There was no Internet, it was a long walk to shore and it was so rolly we felt like we were at sea, particularly in the afternoons when the wind picked up. Christi would find any and every excuse to get off the boat, so she didn’t get much work done on the books.

After a month, we moved across the bay to Jack London Square in Oakland.

We enjoyed our time in Oakland. Not only was the marina good, we were in a great location. We had easy access to the Continue reading →