Catalina Island  

We arrived to Two Harbors on Catalina Island the morning of the October 25th around 830am. Stephen and I left the Santa Barbara marina around 10am and anchored out until 4pm to set up for an overnight sail to Catalina. It was going to take us 16-17 hours approximately. We wanted to leave in daylight and arrive in daylight. We had a great sail for several hours but then eventually had to motor the rest of the way. It was a full moon so the illumination was gorgeous. There are a ton of oil platforms all around Santa Barbara that we had to navigate around in the beginning.  These platforms actually are dive sights. We did not pursue this but was reading in the Diver's Alert Network aka DAN magazine that these oil rig pillars make for excellent artificial reefs. What a unique dive sight and something to consider another time.  When we arrived in Two Harbors we were greeted by Dave and Kelly on SV Arctos who left Santa Cruz to meet up with us again. 

Two Harbors is in Isthmus Cove. It is definitely more serene than Avalon although this time of year both are even more mellow without the heavy summer traffic and crowds. We were able to get moorings easily without reservations in advance. We thought about anchoring out but the anchor sights are quite a distance from the shore and at fairly deep depths.  We do have 300ft of chain but didn't want to commission our dinghy. And if folks remember we are one paddle board down due to seam tear on mine. Stephen and I mastered the 2 people paddle board shuttle and thank goodness we have paddle boards that are more utilitarian than speedy. Two Harbors is quite a simple little area with a general store, one scuba shop, a set of restrooms and a nice restaurant. It is more geared towards camping folks it appears. Because you are on an isthmus you can walk to the other side quite easily and see Catalina Harbor.  During this quick walk, I ran into Richard on SV Firewater again. We met him up in Neah Bay and he is 76 years old and well traveled on his sailboat. He single hands and he has made 28 South Pacific passages. I think I mentioned him in the blog in Neah Bay. It was great to catch up and say again. 

Stephen and I had a lazy 1st day catching up on sleep and then I had a great afternoon hike catching an Island Fox sighting - yehaa!!! The fox was not that skittish so I am inclined to think there are some good scraps at these campgrounds I noted almost at each little cove.  We had another day of hiking and snorkeling and after 2 nights moved to Avalon. Stephen and I threw out some hand lines on the way over but no such luck 😕.

Avalon is definitely busier due to being more commercialized. There are many shops, restaurants and places for people to stay. The hallmark feature coming into Avalon is the Catalina Casino which contains a movie theatre and a ballroom. We did take advantage of seeing a movie at the theatre and the organ player who precedes the movie was fabulous! Very talented and was fun to watch him play. The theatre is lovely inside with a celestial ceiling.  

Other adventures we took advantage of is to go snorkeling in the protected Avalon Underwater Park which is right in front of the Casino. It is a 2-acre park roped off restricting boat access.  We were able to see tons of Garibaldi and kelp bass. There is a monument undersea for Jacques Cousteau about 35ft below and Dave who had a weight belt and free dive fins did make the drive down for a pic. Apparently, there is a wreck as well but we were only snorkeling. We also took advantage of hiking which is really a dirt road and it is a 13.5-mile circumnavigation around the harbor getting up to 1500ft in elevation. We ran into 3 young spry premed students on day 1 of their Trans-Catalina trail hike which is 32 miles and traverses the entire island. We actually met a fellow in Two Harbors who had just completed this feat and was heading for a beer.  The nice thing about that backpack is you can stay at campgrounds along the way with access to water as the island is primarily dry. They actually have desalination plant on the island and an evaporative reservoir by East Peak. 

I did enjoy my 46th birthday here and tasted the Buffalo Milk! A truly delicious drink. I did not see any buffalo on the island but did see some scat that definitely belonged to one of them. There are some deer and of course the island fox but really no other large animals here. All the wild pigs and goats were removed due to the concern of erosion. 

We are ready for our next adventure to San Diego which will be our last port before heading international into Mexico. Stephen's mom will be meeting up with us for a week in San Diego and I have a good friend Lynne who I met in Montana but now lives in SD and we will connect with her and her boyfriend Steve also! SV Luego Sonni and Brad should still be there and SV Arctos Dave and Kelly. SV Jeane Anne has left today for Mexico as they are part of the Baja Ha Ha and we wish them well! 

OH, I forgot to mention the splendid chimes you here in Avalon! They are being refurbished but they do add quaintness to this town that can seem overwhelmed with tourism. 

At night these oil platforms are lit up like Christmas trees but interesting the little docking platform that is a 1/4 mile next to them is not lit up!!! Weird and unsafe

Sun going down on way leaving Santa Barbara and heading to Catalina. 

Arriving at Two Harbors

Cove right next Two Harbors 

Island Fox sighting!

Catching sunset light on Two Harbors returning from a hike

Hello Catalina!! The famous Casino on the right

Good view looking down on hike

East Peak - the next day I ran up here for my Birthday:)

Those are our Buffalo Milk drinks - yummy!

Birthday Run to East peak :) 

Lovely Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara is truly a lovely town. Stephen and I arrived here on 10/19 and we are leaving today 10/24  to Catalina Island. Santa Barbara was an unintended stop but Santa Ana conditions had us leave Santa Cruz island and make a break for the mainland. We both had been here before visiting Dave when he was on his previous boat to Arctos called SV Oso, a 33ft Wauqiez Gladiateur. We sailed with him on Oso to Santa Cruz in 2012ish.  I thought the area was fabulous then and still think it is fabulous now! I was happy to enjoy this tranquil place again with its lovely weather, gorgeous scenery with the Santa Ynez mountains in the background and really down to earth folks.  The local people are so laid back, kind and generous. It does make you wonder about living here full time down the road. Skiing is not close by so that would have to be re-evaluated for sure!

After being on the hook for almost 2 weeks it was difficult to enter a busy marina but soon enough after we tied up in the slip the great neighbors in Marina 4 made it hard to leave. We first met Mark who lives on a powerboat on our starboard side. He gifted us a lovely dinner of yellowfin tuna the night before we left and there were daily dock conversations between him and Stephen. He is fully recovered from a cervical spine injury in 2012 that left him wheelchair bound for a year. He, unfortunately, sustained his injury on the beach just right next to the marina body surfing a wave. He was crushed by a wave that caused him immediate paralysis and he almost drowned. Two Aussies saw him floating face down in the water and brought him ashore. It has been a long recovery and despite my words of full recovery, anyone who has gone through such a large trauma recognizes this is a loose phrase. He was very entrepreneurial prior to this event and afterward this inspired him to create a flotation device called the Mantra to aid with pool rehabilitation for others with spinal cord injuries. We wish him the best success and as medical providers can attest that patients do feel more inclined to trust others who have been in "their shoes" so to speak. Check it out at MantaTherapy.com!

Julie and Ross were on the port side of us and have been sailboat liveaboards in the slip for 18 years now. She used to be a park ranger in the Sequoia and Kings Canyon region in a previous life. We had a lot to talk about regarding our love of the Eastern Sierras and the outdoor adventures that can be had.  We also met a Jeff Baldwin, who just published Diving the Devil's Crown: Extreme Encounters with Great White Sharks at the Farallon Islands, and has sailed internationally and was a commercial abalone diver in the past. Then there was Bill who has an eye patch and plays his guitar as he strolls down the dock... it was a warm-hearted group of folks on this dock.

 Better yet,  this dock, Marina 4  is right next to the laundry, the hotdog stand that has ice, snacks, and booze as well as restrooms past the gate on exit. Oh yeah and the gorgeous beach just adjacent to us with a fabulous walk/run path. Last time when visiting Dave he was on the other side of the marina, closer to the restaurants, harbor office, West Marine and Maritime Museum. He and Kelly were placed on this dock again for this visit. Both are win-wins but laundry being soo close after being out for almost 2 weeks on the hook was a Bonus! The simplicity of both lives makes you appreciate this stuff. 

Kelly and Dave did take off to back to Santa Cruz after a few days and Stephen and I took this time to accomplish some more projects that we were putting off for San Diego. This included engine and transmission oil and fuel filter changes, a new circuit breaker, a deep clean of the fridge and a good boat wash, additional buff/wax on the gel coat on the deck to prevent oxidation and some errands in town. Being in a slip is a blessing and a curse I feel. It affords easy access to the shore and makes boat projects and daily chores easier but also can inhibit fun time because you want to utilize this precious time on the dock. I had some errands in town like mailing back some clothes (brought too many- ugh) and returning amazon purchases like our VHF 7 pin ICOM radio that does not send or receive and going to West Marine of course.  I also wanted to take advantage of finding a copy place instead of running out of ink and paper on my little printer on the boat to make copies of boat documentation for getting ready to enter Mexico and other countries. Our visit to Ensenada last year inspired me; I wanted to ensure we had a canceled temporary import permit on our boat and remembered that there was only one copier, you need cash and line of people needing to use it. I wanted to more prepared this time.

It wasn't all boat business, we did enjoy the Farmer's Market Saturday am and bought lots of fresh goodies. I was grateful to buy the most flavorful organic greens I have ever eaten,  tons of guava including a small bin of strawberry guava that didn't even make it back to boat yet alone the exit of the market either.  There was pineapple guava as well which makes for a great appetizer dish with crackers and brie cheese... new hot fruit pepper jellies which can spice up a sandwich nicely,  tons of other citruses, and some hardy Hass avocados.

We will rendezvous with Dave and Kelly in Catalina tomorrow and also we were contacted by SV Calyspo, Robert and Karen, who are in Avalon now and will be there when we arrive.

'Til next time....

Sailing to Santa Barbar from Santa Cruz! 

Saturday's Farmers Market in SB - they have a market EVERY day of the week in different locations!!! Yummy!

I forgot to add this sad and bad share - my paddle board sustained a tear on the seam from being over pressurized and left on the deck of  the sailboat. Stephen and I never usually leave them out but we had been using them so often and our sail from Santa Cruz to SB was rather unexpected. Anyway I should have taken some air out or put her away. Hoping to get a repair vs buy a new paddle board -I love having a paddle board!  Keep ya posted on this one. ULI does repairs and they are located in Carlsbad CA only 30 min outside SD....

West Beach as it is called next to the Marina and a 5 min walk from us and Stearns Wharf in the distance. The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center is there - we missed this and the Maritime Museum - shame on us and I would have liked to have visited these - next time... We are in a bit of hurry now as Stephen's Mom flies to San Diego Nov 1 and we want to sneak in a visit to Catalina as well. When you only go 5-7 (mph for land folks) traveling takes some time:)

Dave's halibut cooked with butter, salt and tarragon! 

Nice sunset walk on Leadbetter Beach, sits right behind the harbor buildings. 

SHORTS FULL TIME!

AVILA TO POINT CONCEPTION

We left Morro Bay on October 11,  2018, after a 2-week stay and it was nice to be back at sea. There is always this feeling of excitement with arriving at port, a new destination for exploration but then there is always the added excitement about leaving and moving on to continue the adventure. When cruising there are two parts of the trip I feel that provide the experience: 1) it is being on the sailboat with the sails up and in the moment, enjoying the sights, sounds and natural rhythms of the ocean and 2) being at port, whether in a slip, anchorage or a mooring because it entails a visit on land to traverse the topography that includes hikes, runs, diving ( and the usual unwanted "time sucks" of laundry, grocery shopping, & the never-ending boat projects). The best part is your home is ALWAYS with you. You have the same bed, same kitchen ( aka galley) and you always feel like no matter where you are it is nice to return to the familiar feeling of home. 

Avila was a half day sail from Morro Bay and it was met with great excitement as we decided to relax and spend the day wine tasting and enjoying the little coastal town of Avila. Dave and Kelly from SV Arctos joined us. It was a much-needed reprieve for Dave and Kelly after their water maker install in Morro Bay and Stephen and I dealing with some electric issues. We had an Avila blast. Steve and Dave decided to get a Mai Tai prior to their wine tasting so that helped immensely with their palate for different grapes 😈. We went to 3 different tasting rooms but Morovino proved to be the favorite by all 4 of us. I liked their white and reds and their dessert wine which is a raspberry chocolate port is divine. A true delight on the palate. That day included poaching a hotel pool and hot tub as well as joining a fire on the beach with some young locals. Our dinghies were attached to a 10' ladder that was attached to a dock and when we came in it was high tide. We did tie appropriately but it was interesting to climb down a ladder and your tie mark was 6ft down. 

The next morning we rounded Point Conception, often called the Cape Horn of the Pacific. This is the point where the Santa Barbara channel meets the Pacific Ocean. The Chumash Native American tribe call Point Conception the “Western Gate” and believe this is a passageway where the souls of the dead can pass through the mortal world to Similaqsa, the land of the dead but a “heaven” to their beliefs. It can be very dangerous in the wrong conditions. Many cruisers often round this point during nighttime as calmer conditions can often be counted on at that time.  We rounded this monumental section of our trip during the day as conditions were very mild and no forecasted concerning weather was on the horizon. We stayed the night at the anchorage called Cojo adjacent to the point.  It was almost anti-climatic but truly I was not looking for anything memorable. Just safe.

SAN MIGUEL ISLAND - Sixth largest Channel Island 8 miles long and 4 miles wide

In the morning, we were able to put up sails and sail the entire way to San Miguel Island to the Cuyler Harbor. It was exhilarating getting up the sails including our staysail and make 6-8 knots on a close reach/beam reach and just sail with vane trimmed for a course straight into the next anchorage.  We got settled in a beautiful lagoon and to be honest this was the 1st time that we felt like we were CRUISING with how we imagined it. Being in a more remote place with terrain to explore. We had harbor seals and elephant seals reminding us they were on the beach. An elusive island fox running around which we did not see but are happy to know the population is approximately 350 now on the island after the Golden Eagle almost wiped them out.  There is coreopsis all over the island and these often waist to chest high crooked and dead looking plants gives the island the appearance of a Tim Burton movie. There was a fire in May 2013 and a majority did die unfortunately but there still is a fair amount that blooms in the Spring with beautiful yellow flowers. We did walk the beach and in the morning made a trek up the canyon the Ranger Station. On the way up we saw the Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo memorial, it was suspected he died on this island.  He was a Spanish mariner who is also claimed to be Portuguese. He was the first explorer from Europe to travel the California coast.  At the Ranger Station, we met Inga, the NP service Naturalist and previously architectural engineer who guided such projects of Pepperdine University. Inga, unfortunately, was ill and could not accommodate our wish to go hiking.  Because hikes are restricted to attendance with a park ranger only that made our visit shorter. There are WWII remnants on the island and because of these explosive ordnances, liability prevents the park and the Navy ( they actually own the island) from letting you hike on the island independently. Another park ranger was coming the next day but we decided we would take off for Santa Cruz island which afforded us the ability to hike on our own.  I would definitely still recommend going here, it was a gorgeous island and even the hike up the canyon provided spectacular views.

SANTA CRUZ ISLAND - the largest of the Channel Islands 22 miles long and 2-6 miles wide

We started off with a great sail from Cuylers and then the wind just died. We ended up motoring to Forney’s cove, a great anchorage on the southwest corner of the Island.  We enjoyed 3 nights here. There was some rolling in the anchorage at night but doable. Stephen and I did our first beach landing in the dinghy with some surf. It was wet, exciting and less than perfectly executed. Ha! After that, we decided to take our paddle boards in for island landings:). Still, mine less than perfectly executed but more manageable with an inflatable SUP.  I had a great run on dirt road that basically traverses the south side of the island giving views of hidden beaches along the coast.  Stephen and I did a hike the next day climbing up the ridge about 1500ft and doing a ridge walk picking out a peak to settle and gift some of Petra's ashes. We had our 12-year-old German Shepard cremated and we like to spread her ashes in places of remote beauty.  

The diving and fishing here are well known and Dave who has a fishing license (we did not get one yet) caught a 35-inch Halibut on the hook. We enjoyed some great halibut tacos one-night thanks to his hard efforts and also filled the freezer! There is a white cross on Fraser Point, a coastal bluff on the western end of the anchorage, which was placed to memorialize Steve Crombie. He was 44 and died in a free dive accident on Cortez Bank. A lobster hole named Crombie’s hole in honor of Steve is at Fraser Point. For the most part, we had this anchorage to ourselves and it was fantastic. 

Dave and Kelly did make a journey to the north side for a day. Due to the swell and surge, they found it unenjoyable and returned to Forney’s cove. We were all going to go to Coches Priestos for another south side anchorage but winds kicked up. Santa Ana winds were not forecasted but high winds were mentioned for the morning. On one of the weather stations, 40 knots registered and we decided to bail and head to Santa Barbara! We did not want to take any chances on a Santa Ana event. Once we rounded the west end and headed into the channel conditions calmed and we had a great beam reach sail all the way to Santa Barbara. 

’Til next time... 

Leaving Morro Bay with dinghy in tow - we only tow when going short distances with calm weather

See ya guys later!

Nice coast line and enjoying sight of more coastal mountains to come!

Photo bomb by Morovino Wine Maker:) They truly had a great tasting for white/reds/and desserts! I think the chocolate raspberry port could get online ordered again down the road. 

Sunrise in Avila while anchored out

 That is Point Conception in the distance 

Cojo Anchorage sunset

Yep its a good one! 

What's in the blue bag you ask? Our dinghy deflated...Off to San Miguel Island now

Arctos in the background on our great sail to San Miguel

Dave says he has pictures of our boat too - ha! But where are they?? Dave are reading this? 

Anchoring in  Cuyler harbor at San Miguel island with SV Arctos 

Sunrise in San Miguel - Stephen and I have an internal clock of 7 am just in time to hurry up to make coffee, sit in the cockpit and watch the show. 

Cuyler Anchorage Beach

That boat in the background is called Truth and had 30 kids aboard for an excursion to the Ranger station as well. So not completely isolated here as you see the multiple tracks on the beach. The Ranger Inga says often she will not see anyone for her entire 7 day stay and sounds like that is her preference :)

Our dinghy landing here was easy compared to upcoming Santa Cruz except for the heavy sand, our dinghy wheels really help us out. 

This is a better pic of how I like an anchorage minus 2 boats - ha! It is us, Arctos and another sailing vessel with home port of San Francisco. 

Kelly walking the trail 

The Juan or Jaou Cabrillo memorial. Sucks about the bird poop but I wasn't going to remove it - The pic in the ranger station shows this memorial in Spring with a bloom of coreopsis that looked gorgeous. 

Coreopsis skeleton trail...

Hike back down the canyon to the anchorage

Dave and Kelly doing recon for a potential dive spot for all of us

Boom we move onto Santa Cruz! 

SV Soulstice at anchorage in Forney's cove

SV Soulstice and SV Arctos in anchorage at Forney's Cove

Beautiful coast line of south side of Santa Cruz

Same - south coast line of Santa Cruz from west end

The perpetually peeling bark of the Eucalyptus tree- I feel kinship with these trees and they seem to represent the human metamorphis during a lifetime. 

Bluff by Fraser Point

Steve Crombie's memorial on Fraser Point, Santa Cruz island. Later I discovered he authored a book called, Lost on Earth, which is autobiography of his travels from Australia to the Arctic Circle. 

Sunset in Forney's cove

Sunrise one morning in Forney's cove

Views from dirt road along south side 

This is from my run on this dirt run - I love getting to run with views like this and not see another soul 

SV Soulstice has the anchorage all to herself!

See ya later folks! Next spot Santa Barbara! Sad to leave Santa Cruz as we were unable to explore more at this time but I am definitely going back in the future.