30 April 2011 - Mazatlan, Mexico

ITCHEN has sold!

The broker came to the boat with a couple from Washington State right after we arrived in Mazatlan. They toured the boat and spent most of an afternoon with us. They left as they had several other boats to look at, but returned in short order. They had come down the previous winter with friends and spent some time sailing around the La Paz area and fell in love with sailing; they had never sailed before, but they were hooked. This year they came to Mexico just looking for a boat to buy. On their journey, they had previously stopped at La Paz and San Carlos and had two more stops at PV and Bahia de Navidad, after Mazatlan.

They spent the weekend visiting the boat and us, deciding whether to cancel their plans for looking at other boats. Monday they made us an offer (after 25 lookers it was our first). We did the usual bantering back and forth, agreed upon a price and started the paperwork. It all went very smoothly and by the end of the following week we had money in the bank and they had a new boat. ITCHEN will stay in Mexico and be home ported out of La Paz. She will gain a new moniker as well … Klickitat II.

We are sorry to see ITCHEN go, as we are quite fond of her. She sparkles and shines and moves through the water as gracefully as any boat out there; she is in perfect shape. I knew it was the right move though as on the test sail in lifting the main, I thought to myself, “if I never raise another sail again, it’ll be too soon.” We did not set out to do what we had originally planned (sail around the world). However, as a result we are going to take a different path and we are on to new adventures. We plan to return to the States, buy a car and start heading east looking at trawlers along the way. When we find what we want, we’ll begin cruising The Great Loop. I will start a new blog under the new vessels name, which I will post here for those of you who want to follow along. With that said, I will now do a final roll call for ITCHEN …

DING - DING … … DING - DING

Reveille, Reveille, Reveille; All hands heave out trice up. Prepare the ship for and aft for the morning net. Female berthing spaces are now secured. Uniform of the day is clean shorts and flip-flops. The smoking lamp is lit. Breakfast for the crew.

The time is Oh-Eight-Hundred hours; this is Saturday 30 April 2011.

Good Morning Mazatlan cruisers.

This is tj and Julie your net hosts, aboard the sailing vessel ITCHEN.

Priority Traffic - All hands switch your radios to high power and listen for any emergency or priority traffic. Those vessels with priority traffic are cleared to transmit. Nothing heard.

Quarters, Quarters, Quarters; All vessels to quarters for muster, instructions and inspection. Vessels prepare to sound off! Sound off at will!

New Arrivals – New arrivals muster in with your vessels name, crews name, last port-of-call and next port-of-call; … Welcome Aboard new arrivals.

Departures – All vessels getting underway muster in with your vessels name, crews name and next port-of-call.

This will be ITCHENS last net.

The sailing vessel ITCHEN will soon come under the command of new masters. Somewhere in the not to distant future, ITCHEN will slip her mooring lines for the final time. In the dimly lit haze of the future, just at the half-light of the horizon, Poseidon will rise from the depths and with his great trident STRIKE the name ITCHEN from the ledger of the deep, expunged for all time and from all records and recollections …

Her new masters plan to homeport out of La Paz. On this auspicious occasion we wish them, and you, safe and rapid passages throughout your journeys.

Tides and Weather - Vessel with tides and weather muster in; Well Done - Master at Arms issue extra rations of grog for that vessel.

Mail Call, Mail Call, Mail Call – Personnel volunteering to transit mail identify yourselves.

Rides and Crew - Captains muster with your vessel name, manpower needs and sailing destination; stowaways, wenches and unassigned personnel looking for world travel and adventure on the high seas, muster in for assignment to a vessel.

Thoughts or jokes for the day - All hands are reminded hilarity and mirth are mandatory. Very well, hilarity and mirth are secured for the day.

Newly moored vessels may now shift colors. Working parties muster on the forecastle. Sweepers, Sweepers man your brooms. Give the ship a clean sweep down fore and aft. Sweep down all lower decks, ladder-backs and passageways. Empty all trashcans, fore and aft. Bring all trash on deck and hold on station for dumping in receptacles on the pier. Set the in-port watch. Secure the sea and anchor detail. Crews inspect your vessel for watertight integrity; make all reports to the Officer of the Day. Liberty expires for watch standers and cooks at 1700 hours. Cinderella liberty expires at 2400 hours. Authorized personnel may commence liberty. Liberty boats are free to depart.

DING - DING … … DING - DING. This net ... (this blog) ... is secured.