The Toreador Has Docked

[gregthegr8]

Alright, somehow I lost the first 10 photos of its approach as it fishtailed a bit, but luckily I still have the main 25 pictures. So, here's a link to the slideshow, which if you just let open and play, you can watch the boat make its way into the lock, get dropped down, and then go on its merry way. Enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com//photos/249373...21593373/show/

[Kouper]

I'd like to be on that boat to the left that came in behind us!

Very cool, Greg - thanks for posting....I think you've redeemed yourself for that unwarranted attack on my character last night!

Let's hope it's smooth sailing to Port Hueneme in the next week!

[gregthegr8]

The first 10 pics that I somehow lost were funny cause I got it coming from way back, then the boat fishtails for a bit which I assume EatMyDust saw, then it corrected, then I had the lock gates opening, but alas...those pictures are gone.

I might even put us on the decks out there if I have the time, but considering it's 9:15 and I'm still working...probably not tonight. Would be funny to put our cars on the decks and then do the slideshow, rotating them around so it looks like they're dancing and playing up there. Hmmmmm.

For the record, I wasn't attacking your character, I was more mad at myself for being so gullible, cause I rarely am. That is what we call...transference. The stress of the circus selling my other car also doesn't help. But that's a whole other story that gets no slideshow. Sideshow maybe.

[EatMyDust]

Nice pic set. I got bored after a few minutes so didn't stick around to see the whole thing -- just checked back to grab a few pics and ran. Now after all that excitement its going to be another long, slow week til we make it to Port Hueneme. I think I'm going to start working my through all that cerveza we picked up in Panama.

[gregthegr8]

I should have been working, but was so intent on getting the screenshots and making that slideshow, I sat here for an hour getting them. Just meant I had to makeup the time later on at night, but was worth it.

[EatMyDust]

.... Costa Rica off the starboard bow cap'n. I'm gonna pop over for some surfing and zip lining, then more beers on the beach. Catch back up with you when you pass Guanacaste ... long as I'm not passed out on the beach when you chug by.

[gregthegr8]

Whoa, how did you get that?! What site are you using as marinetraffic has it off radar for the last 21 hours?

Alas, no ziplining for me due to a bum wrist, though suppose I don't really need to hold on since I can dangle in the pouch and go 1-handed.

[EatMyDust]

Originally Posted by gregthegr8

Whoa, how did you get that?! What site are you using as marinetraffic has it off radar

Click the show track button on the pop up and it shows you where it should be based on last reported position, speed and course/next port. Or at least that's what I am assuming its doing.

[gregthegr8]

Mine shows as off radar for a day and a half, so the track just shows it barely outside the panama canal.

[EatMyDust]

Haha that's what mine shows now too. I must have somehow been redirected to the pay site by mistake. Now I am back in Panama too. Or actually you are. I am drunk on the beach in Guanacaste waiting for you to show up.

[gregthegr8]

I'm beginning to think your car has a drinking problem...

Or maybe it's just on spring break?

[EatMyDust]

Nah it's just bored of the salt air and cruise buffet ... And the waiting. The first day of the cruise is great ... so much to see and do and eat. By day 3 you've had your fill of shrimp, the made to order breakfast omelettes are getting old, and the casino has taken all your spare change. By the end of the week the comedian is starting to repeat his jokes, you've figured out all the magician's tricks and the loud couple down by the pool are really starting to get on your nerves. Three weeks? Fuggetabiutit. You'll find me in the bar going str crazy. Time to get this car home where it belongs.

[gregthegr8]

I agree. I have seemingly run through every emotion with this darn car and it's not even here yet. I think the best remedy is to just them home where they belong.

[gregthegr8]

I believe our cars are right about at Manzanillo, Mexico, after just passing Simian's favorite town of Zihuatanejo, where the Pacific is as blue as it is in his dreams and his pal Andy takes tourists out fishin on his old boat.

Only a couple more days til she docks. Seems like both forever and just yesterday...

[Kouper]

YO, Toreador -- where ARE you??

Must be getting close. I think I can see you from my backyard.....oh wait, maybe that's Russia. Never mind.

(bites tongue and avoids jokes about recall, returning to the mother land and EGR valves.... )

[gregthegr8]

Any potential jokes will carry no weight at this point, so do your worst. Ain't no stopping it now. Only reason the other one had a scintilla of truth was because the stupid boat went from INSIDE the panama canal, to docking back OUTSIDE the panama canal, which made no sense at the time.

[simianspeedster]

Originally Posted by gregthegr8

I believe our cars are right about at Manzanillo, Mexico, after just passing Simian's favorite town of Zihuatanejo, where the Pacific is as blue as it is in his dreams and his pal Andy takes tourists out fishin on his old boat.

Only a couple more days til she docks. Seems like both forever and just yesterday...

This requires some joke about our cars swimming through a river of sh!t and coming out clean on the other side. Is that a fair description for a 26 day cargo ship ride through the tropics?

[EatMyDust]

Originally Posted by simianspeedster

This requires some joke about our cars swimming through a river of sh!t and coming out clean on the other side. Is that a fair description for a 26 day cargo ship ride through the tropics?

Sounds about right to me. Just glad I didn't order the vert.

Wallenius still showing arrival not til Friday. Marine tracker predicting Thursday. Either way should have it sometime next week. Gonna get my quattro on this week, as I know I will miss both that and the 5-speed once i go to RWD DCT set up.

[simianspeedster]

Port Hueneme confirms the Friday timeline:

http://www.portofhueneme.org/documen...l_schedule.pdf

[gregthegr8]

Originally Posted by EatMyDust

Sounds about right to me. Just glad I didn't order the vert.

Wallenius still showing arrival not til Friday. Marine tracker predicting Thursday. Either way should have it sometime next week. Gonna get my quattro on this week, as I know I will miss both that and the 5-speed once i go to RWD DCT set up.

Port of Hueneme showing Friday, too, but will probably be late Thursday afternoon I imagine. Should pop back up on radar this afternoon or early evening off the tip of baja.

Sadly, I won't be getting my S5 quattro on as she's been sitting in my garage just collecting dust as I ride around in my lovely front wheel drive Hyundai Accent rental I know you all must be jealous of. I'm thinking of it as like being in the on deck circle using a bat with a donut on it...

I don't think I'll be missing my quattro, though I will say, there is a feeling of being planted in the S5 that you don't quite get with a RWD. But I'll take the DCT over the crappy steptronic auto in my S5.

[EatMyDust]

Originally Posted by gregthegr8

But I'll take the DCT over the crappy steptronic auto in my S5.

True dat. If I wouldn't have had the 5-speed manual I would have ditched the A4 long ago. Of course I absolutely detest the steptronic in my wife's X3 as well ... am looking forward to the DCT, and just hope the 135i tracks the road as well as the A4 does.

[gregthegr8]

The steptronic on my 2008 135i was perfectly fine. The only thing I fail to understand about the new DCT is that you have a sport button...but also can put the car in sport mode with the gearshift, putting it in DS mode. So, what happens if anything if you do both? The dealers never seem to know and make stuff up. "Oh, it's like sport plus then...I think."

The manual doesn't seem to have any answer either. Figure that one out while we wait.