1/1/98 to 6/1/98
Life at Tahoe

Todd answers: Contrary to popular belief we did not drop off the edge of the planet. It's true, we are still alive and kicking. Waiting out El Niño at Lake Tahoe was a great choice for us. While southern California was getting pounded by waves and high winds we were getting fabulous snow and lots of it. Ellen's knee has healed and we purchased telemark ski gear for both of us. We spent a wonderful week at Sun Valley with my sister Sonja in early March. The skiing and weather were great. Tahoe has provided lots of entertainment too. We skied several days at most of the resorts around North Lake Tahoe. We hunted out the discount days for locals, business or fund raisers for the schools. Much better than paying $48 a day. The ski patrolling never panned out, however, Ellen and I joined the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue. While we did not do any searches, we were able to help out with their functions as well as participate in several trainings. We are going to continue to be active with the local sheriffs department for Search and Rescue this summer.

Karen who is also on the Search and Rescue also works for Tahoe Trips and Trails (www.tahoetrips.com). During the summer and fall they guide hikes and mountain bike trips for corporate and private groups. Through her we found out that they were looking for people to help lead some of their outings. Ellen and I thought this would be a great way to get out this summer show others this beautiful area. We will see how it works out.

My father, Buzz, is finally on the mend after his vehicle collision last November. After several setbacks that put him back in the hospital, he is now in much better shape. Through physical therapy, most of the range of movement is returned to his injured shoulder, and surgery has resolved the infection in his leg. The best medicine however was three weeks in Hawaii with Luanne, walking several miles every morning, snorkeling and sport fishing off a 38' Bertram. He caught: Ahu, Ahi, Spearfish, and a 7 ½ foot Bronze Whaler shark which they released at the boat. It's bad luck to kill a shark, bad karma too since they have so few offspring. I think we should aim to catch smaller fish from Mandolin. Luanne got to do quite a bit of Scuba diving and even was able to swim with a pod of pilot whales. Ellen and I stayed at Tahoe to take care of the dogs. We will get our time in the sun when we reach Mexico.

Ellen and I recently attended a crew party at the Tahoe Yacht Club. This event was to hook up boat owners here at the lake who need crew for racing with those who want to race and sail. We were successful in that the next day we helped Lee and Cathy launch their Olson 25, "Xurgoth 648". After stepping the mast, attaching the boom, tuning the rigging and getting things organized we went out for a short sail on the west shore. Tahoe can be very challenging to sail on since the wind isn't consistent in either speed or direction. As we approached the mooring buoy the wind switched so were now sailing downwind. No problem, just pass the buoy, tack then try again. Wait, as soon as we tack, the wind turns 180 degrees. We are now approaching the buoy downwind again. Finally we get the wind to stay consistent for a moment and we catch the buoy. It was great to be back out on the water again as Ellen and I are starting to miss Mandolin now that the weather is starting to warm up.

The current plan is to start cruising south in early September. We would like to explore the California Delta, spend some more time sailing the San Francisco Bay before heading down to Santa Cruz. After some sailing and diving we want to continue to the Channel Islands for more diving before we join the fleet of boats participating in the Baja Ha-Ha V in San Diego around the end of October. This cruising rally includes several seminars and a loosely structured race from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico with beach partys and gatherings. Of course we know all plans can and do change. Things are pretty open ended after that. Send us suggestions.

Todd and Ellen Mandeville
S/V "Mandolin"

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