September 17 – December 4, 2023
Anxious to get down to Mexico, we didn’t anticipate enjoying the coast of California nearly as much as we did – between catching up with friends and family and exploring gems like Morro Bay and Catalina Island – we had a grand time. First, we spent a few weeks in what turned out to be a lovely marina, Coyote Point in San Mateo, in the southern part of San Francisco Bay (we’d chosen it mainly for its affordability and easy access to the airport). The Harbormaster was friendly and accommodating to our circumstances, and we made fast friends with the folks at the Yacht Club there, while we spent hours using their laundry machines and wifi; special thanks to Jason for always being available for our questions and needs. My parents also visited us here and it was wonderful to have their car for running errands and exploring the area with them – including a quick overnight trip to Yosemite which felt like the land version of Princess Louisa Inlet. We also took my parents sailing for a weekend trip up to Sausalito, and caught up with our friends on Eva G there, with a lovely sushi dinner!
From the Bay we sailed south to Monterey, a small shore side city full of old traditional Spanish style architecture. We briefly explored the tourist area along Cannery Row with its eccentric gift shops, seaside themed restaurants, and local history, walking through the old customs house and the old home of Pacific Biological Labs – where Ed Ricketts developed techniques as one of the first marine biologists, and often collaborated with his friend, author John Steinbeck. The real highlight for us in Monterey was visiting one of Alex’s best friends and his wife who live close by. We met them in town for dinner our first night and the next morning they came to the boat with a huge haul of pastries from their favorite local bakery. They showed us the local fish market where we bought some rockfish for dinner at their house, and they helped us run a couple errands. It was wonderful to just spend time in their cozy home, catching up with them and their adorable old dog.
Morro Bay, our next stop, was one of our favorites – it’s a unique estuary situation with a small but completely calm anchorage, prominent view of the Morro Rock, adorable sea otters, and a quirky small town feel. Our only problem was getting in. We’d spent a miserable night rolling in the swell at San Simeon after leaving Monterey, so we were already ragged and exhausted. A dense fog had engulfed us in the morning so our trip was soupy with low visibility and the narrow entrance to Morro bay, created by two large breakwaters, shallows quickly, and the swell can sometimes make it hazardous to cross. Before we approached I called the local coast guard to make sure the conditions were appropriate for us to enter, especially since we couldn’t see the channel, and were relying on our charts and radar. They told us there were no restrictions so we continued in – the swell grew as we made our way into the shallower water, and the tide ebbed against us. We rode the 12 foot swells between the jetties, barely able to see the waves crashing over them on either side til we were well into the channel – and I thought maybe it was for the best we weren’t able to see that ahead of time! We still had to navigate the rest of the channel, and figure out where to anchor in the dense fog – but we were both so grateful we’d made it safely out of the swell.
A couple friends of ours would catch up to us a few days later, but in the meantime, we spent that Friday, my birthday, wandering the town to Morrow Rock and indulging at a lovely vegan cafe for lunch. There were quite a few thrift shops to explore as well as touristy gift shops along the water front. Eva G arrived that weekend and we had an excellent Mexican dinner and then went for a hike to the top of Black Hill the following day. Next, Karma arrived and we spent our last day with them exploring more of the town. Though we would’ve loved to spend a few more days here we’d made plans to spend the coming weekend with Alex’s cousin who lives in Redondo beach and the weather was looking decent for the passage.
The day we left Morrow Bay was calm and clear and we had a gorgeous 48 hour sail to King Harbor. Traveling downwind through Santa Barbara Channel we were wing on wing for awhile and had frequent humpback and dolphin visitors. Unfortunately, Alex and I were so tired the second day getting the pole set up for downwind – we didn’t realize it was a bit twisted and the end fitting busted and the pole fell on Alex’s head and his thumb. Other than a long awful headache his noggin was okay but he ended up losing his thumbnail which took about a month to heal and another 4 months to fully grow back.
In King Harbor we tied up to the King Harbor Yacht Club for a few free nights using our recipricol moorage. Alex’s cousin met us later that morning and we had a wonderful weekend catching up with him and his two kiddos. We ate amazing baja fish tacos, birria and poke and went to a Halloween party on a couple of their friends boats in Marina del Rey. Huge thanks to cousin Billy for all the delicious food, fun and use of your washer & dryer!! We also met some other cruisers and made fast friends and as usual I didn’t remember to take pictures with any of these people.
Just a quick day sail from King Harbor lies the infamous Catalina Island. Based on the weather, we opted to sail around the west side of the island, and anchor in Catalina Harbor, or Cat Harbor as it is affectionately called by locals. A large funnel shaped inlet, Cat Harbor cuts well into the island affording protection from all but south winds. It was a nice break to get back out into nature and away from city life, and the water was gorgeous! I took my paddle board over to a rocky ledge, and snorkeled in the crystal blue water – admiring the neon green sea grasses, and purple and green kale looking seaweeds, swaying in the gentle surf with a few brightly colored fish. We spent hours hiking around the rock cliffs and cactus strewn shorelines, peering into the clear water from the towering ledges. From the dinghy dock at the head of the inlet, Two Harbors was a short walk across the isthmus, and we ventured over a few times to use the small restaurant’s wifi and enjoy a simple lunch.
Our final stop in Cali was San Diego where we hopped between the many yacht club docks and the small cruisers anchorage for several weeks. We had our boat surveyed so we could apply for our new insurance coverage for Mexico. Alex’s family visited for a long weekend, and we enjoyed their airbnb, and exploring Point Loma with our young nephew. While we waited for our paperwork to be processed, and our insurance to be approved, we met up with friends and fellow cruisers – visiting Mission Bay, exploring the historic ships along the downtown waterfront, and spent miles walking to marine shops and food markets around town. Before our departure we spent our final Sunday brunching with Eva G and Copacetic in the nearby Little Italy neighborhood. Next stop Mexico!!
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