I am having a Bulgarian Brewsky overlooking the Black Sea from a high bluff in Nessebar. About 50 boats started at 7 p.m. for what is most likely an over night long distance race. The marinas were all packed with them when I arrived at 3 p.m.  And I was told that there would be berth for me after the racers had left. But I have a problem. I couold not back the boat up when I approached for a berth. I anchored out in the bay. Went down in the water and discovered that both blades on the folding prop are no longer there. For some weird reason I could make decent headway in forward. But none in reverse. I have talked to a diver. We may try to search for the blades in the area where I rember the problem started. But I have little hope for finding the two blades. I do have a fixed two bladed prop on board and I may need to get this one put on by a diver. But that is not an easy job. There are no haul out facilities here. I figure there might be in the much larger port of nearby Burgas. But I am not certain as to how I would manoevre in there without blades on my prop. The folding prop had been taken apart in Zimnicea and I had them tighten up the slop on the blades that had developed over it’s 30 plus years life. But I suspect that somehow that is where the problem originates from. So, stand by for the rest of the story….

Yesterday Evening another “real” cruiser couple asked me over for sun downers on their boat. Keith and Carol from “Kirsten Jayne”, an English couple. He retired from Techtronix at 50 and started their blue sea crusing life, in the early nineties. They have spent a number of years cruising the U.S. Atlantic and Pacific Coast as well, including Alaska. They know Gig Harbor.

I left at 7.30 this morning. I wanted to be sure I made it in before sun down. The distance to Nessebar is about 45 miles. I was in here by 3 p.m. I started out with full main and the 90% jib. It became a N.W. reach. And the wind kept getting stronger. From full main to, one reef, to two reefs, to three reefs and finally that was still too much sail. I came in here on just the 90% jib. The GPS showed over the ground speed of as much as 6,9 knots….  I could become addicted to this Black Sea kind of sailing.

Nessebar is an UNESCO protected world heritage center. It has remains of the Greek and older cultures that go back to 6000 b.c. The first floors of the houses and streets are built from rough quary rock and the higher floors are a rough pine with red tiled roofs. The newer structures are done in the same style and even though it is very attractive the whole town is filled with restaurants, souvenir shops and reminds me of Carmel, California.