Golden State Cruising

Monterey by Moon Light

Cruising from Seattle to Mexico seems to consist of a series of varied stages. First is the journey down the inhospitable coast lines of Washington, Oregon and Northern California—a passage often fraught with gales, huge seas, and long gaps between tiny fishing ports. Then comes the Bay Area, with its glittering urbanity. Next comes Southern California, with an array of pleasant yachting communities and welcoming reciprocal yacht clubs. And our next passage appears to be the desolate Pacific coast of the Baja peninsula, a description of which will come with our next posting. The variety has been stimulating and has helped to add interest to passages that otherwise might be rather monotonous.

Lynne and Salty at Morro Beach

It has been a month since we last sent out our last posting from Monterey Bay, as we began a longish 100-mile passage along Big Sur. We ended that passage at Morro Bay, one of our favorite stops. After tying up at the Morro Bay Yacht Club, we found a perfect playground for Salty on the sand spit across the channel. We also hooked up with a like-minded cruising couple, Robert and Sheila aboard their sail boat The Good Rain, from Nanaimo, also headed to Mexico. This also gave us a good spot to plan our way around the last of the four challenging West Coast Capes (the first three being Cape Flattery, Cape Blanco, and Cape Mendocino). Once again, the

Roger's Halloween Costume

weather was benign and we motored past an often tumultuous Cape Conception. Our only excitement came when we split between two on- coming freighters, about one mile to either side of us. Thank goodness for AIS, our collision avoidance electronics!

We spent the next two weeks with our son’s family—Andy, Lorraine, and Clark—in Oxnard. As a Harbor Patrol Officer, Andy was able to get us great moorage very near their home. While there, we had a very hospitable stay with the Pacific Corinthian yacht Club, took a jaunt out to Anacapa Island, and hiked up in the hills behind Ventura. All in all, it was a relaxing vacation within a vacation. From Oxnard, we went the “26 Miles to Santa Catalina” where we found a few secluded anchorages and

Goat Harbor, Catalina Island

 did a town stop at Avalon. In Avalon we did a night out at the Casino, seeing a Tom Cruz movie (2 stars) and taking in the 1929 organ recital (4 stars).  Then it was off to San Diego, stopping in at several lovely beach side towns—Long Beach, Newport, Dana Point and Oceanside. As we write this, we are at Silver Gate Yacht Club in San Diego—perhaps the friendliest yacht club we have been to yet! It is time for a bit of last minute chores and then on Thursday it is time to head south across the border and on to Baja California.

Hasta Luego!

Roger, Lynne, and Salty

Give us a call at 206-755-4193 or email rdwerner47@gmail.com