Susan, Sequoia, and Todd go sailing

Woohoo! We’ve made it to Mexico! What a relief to finally be in a country with decent internet access, after all we suffered through down the coast of California! I tell ya, I don’t know how people can live in those conditions.

We had a fantastic sail from San Diego to Ensenada, although poor Eric was a bit seasick. The upside was that he could barely choke down one peanut butter sandwich, so he didn’t get hungry until after we’d docked. And Todd got the Cape Horn wind vane working, so it steered us for a good part of the trip.

Capn Gringo was a bit nervous about being in a new country where he doesn’t speak the language, but as soon as he found out he could get a meal of fish, shrimp, and steak tacos, plus a beer, for $5, I was worried he would never want to leave! Luckily, there is a strong surge in the marina where we’re docked (Baja Naval). This means the boat rocks a lot, and rubs against the fenders. But just to be sure he’d be willing to head south, I’ve been adding a few extra scuffs to the side of the boat. (more…)

San Diego is home to fantastic maritime and cultural museums, the Cabrillo National Monument, and of course, the world-famous San Diego Zoo. We didn’t see any of it! We were too busy swimming, sitting in the hot tub, and figuring out how to get the sauna to an optimum temperature.

We arrived early on Sunday, Nov 4, to discover that all the $10 slips at the police dock were full; there was a big power boat rally in town; and there is a 24-hour waiting period to get a permit to anchor out.

We called one marina-resort that would cost us $150/night and required a 3 night stay. Many calls later, we had few options. One marina was $67.50/night; the other was the Marriott Marina, at $90/night, which included the use of the lavish pools and hot tub. “Well,” said Capn Silverspoon, “If we’re gonna splurge, we might as well have a hot tub!” Koiya flew in that night, and we went for an evening swim. And the next morning we went for another swim. Doesn’t leave a lot of time for sight-seeing!

The following day we moved to the San Diego Yacht Club, which also featured a pool, hot tub and sauna. I was worried Todd would never want to leave, but luckily the internet connection died in the middle of the week!

It wasn’t all fun and games, though. We had to carefully schedule our day to get to Downwind Marine in time for their free BBQ lunch; one day we got there too late and only got donuts! We also had all sorts of errands to run: I had to get Koiya to Border’s Books to use up a gift card, and Todd went to Tijuana to get his Mexican HAM radio license. And we hit Trader Joe’s a couple times, too. (more…)

Catalina Island has a permanent population of under 4,000 people, but is visited by a million tourists a year! Since we only had a few days before we had to be in San Diego to pick up Koiya, we decided to head straight to Avalon Harbor. After hearing so much about Catalina, we were prepared to be disappointed. After all, it was certainly no Morro Bay!

We had to admit that it was beautiful, though, as the afternoon sun pierced through the fog. And Avalon, with its houses covering the hills, the boats in the bay, and its quaint streets reminded us of the Caribbean… minus about 20 degrees!

We launched the dinghy and went ashore to check out the town. “We’ll just find out where the services are, and look around a bit, and then go back to the boat for a nutritious dinner of kale and tofu,” I said. Todd grunted something that I thought was agreement.

Well, we got about 10 yards from the main pier, when Todd’s keen vision spotted a sign at El Galleon Restaurant: Happy Hour: 16 oz. margaritas $5. “Time to practice my espanol!” he cried.
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When you quit your job and go sailing, you think you’re going to have all sorts of time on your hands. You pack the boat full of books you’ve been meaning to read. You bring along 20 skeins of yarn (because you’ll need lots of scarves in Mexico!). You squeeze in materials for learning Spanish and Egyptian (well, there are pyramids there!). Oh, and hey, how about a guitar? Throw one of those aboard, in addition to the dozen harmonicas! By the end of the trip, you’ll be the nautical Partridge Family!

Let me tell you, you will not have time for any of it! Tasks that you barely gave a thought to suddenly consume huge chunks of your day. And without the structure that work hours impose, it is all too easy to succumb to laziness.

Take Tuesday for example. Todd and I slept in, then went online to check email, pay bills, buy insurance, and order still more things we think we’ll need. Our internet connection started out strong, but then became very flaky. Oh, the frustration! I mean, it’s one thing when you’re at work, just trying to waste time. It’s quite another when all you want to do is find a nearby Trader Joe’s. And downloading podcasts? Just plain torture! (Plus, I don’t even have time to listen to them anymore!)

So finally, around 2pm, we decided we’d get lunch and go on a reconnaisance mission, to scout out restaurants, the laundromat, and the place that fills propane tanks. Well, we found the shopping center with the laundromat, but weren’t too thrilled with the food choices.

Then I noticed Todd gnawing on his lip; a bad sign, because it meant he was thinking. Or rather, scheming. “Let’s go back to Chipotle, because it is right by West Marine, and I want to buy a folding cart to carry the propane tank,” he said. I was too weak with hunger to argue, so we trudged back to Chiptole.

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We left Santa Barbara on Thursday, Oct. 26. We meant to get an early start, but couldn’t resist going to the Breakwater Cafe for breakfast again. Koiya got a Belgian waffle piled high with whipped cream and sugary strawberries. I was worried she might try to hide in the kitchen and live there forever!

The 15- 20 kt wind was from the southwest, so we were beating, but we had a wonderful, 24-nautical-mile sail to Santa Cruz Island. Great wind, a few big splashes up on the decks, and a close encounter with a HUGE car transport freighter, just to keep things interesting. A lot like sailing San Francisco Bay!

One thing we don’t get in the bay, though: dolphins riding our bow! How exciting to see them race and dive! While whales’ size and power fill you with awe, the dolphins’ speed and acrobatics are so thrilling, you want to shout and holler like idiots… which we did! Southern Californians might call them “the Blue Angels of the sea”, but really, that doesn’t give the dolphins their due respect. They are effortlessly fluid and graceful in a way that no machine could ever be.

I can’t help but wonder if the dolphins can see Koiya on the bowsprit, hear her excited shouts, and know that their brief visits are the highlights not only of our day, but our entire trip! Koiya used her Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises book to identify them as common dolphins, and in the excitement of seeing them, she often recites what she’s learned about them. “I think the best kind of dolphin for us to see is common dolphins, because they are known for being playful and riding bow waves,” she told me.
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We were going to stay Morro Bay through the weekend, but the Yacht Club dock that we were tied to was closed due to races. Todd suggested we just head down to Port San Luis, about 24 miles to the south. “What about the gale warnings?” I asked. “Oh, yeah,” slurred Capn Boozy, “Those warnings expired last night.” Hmmm, right after the yacht club’s happy hour ended…

So we were off! There was a bit of a swell, so the boat pitched quite a bit as we headed out. Todd was hesitant to go forward and raise the sails, but I gave his thong a snap and soon we were on a beam reach under staysail and double-reefed main. It was a beautiful sail!

We anchored off of Avila Beach, and got to spend more time with our new buddies Barrie and Sandra of Passat II. Talk about a rolly anchorage though! The first night wasn’t so bad, but on the second I got seasick making dinner, and we all had a hard time sleeping.

Monday afternoon, we were glad to be heading out to sea, where things were much smoother! The sea was almost glassy. We raised all sails, but the wind soon died down. Then, to starboard I saw some spouts. “Koiya!” yelled Todd, “To the bow!” Koiya hesitated, because usually we don’t let her go up on the bowsprit when we’re under sail; but once I gave the OK, she lost no time in carrying out the captain’s orders.

We could see an area up ahead that was a bevy of activity. Gulls and other marine birds swooped and cried; sea lions barked and leapt from the water. Then… POOF!!! A humpback whale exploded into the crowd, its head coming clear out of the water!
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We left Monterey at 6:30pm Monday night, for our first overnight passage. The sun was setting as we motored by Cannery Row and the aquarium, and I was sorry to be leaving so soon. But Capn Bligh had made the call: we were headed for Morro Bay! I made a thermos of cocoa and was tempted to spike it with bourbon, but the last thing I need is Koiya slurping down my precious Woodford Reserve!

There was hardly any wind, so we motored. I took the helm and Todd and Koiya went below to watch an episode of Hornblower. After an hour or so, Capn Lager poked his head up to see how things were going. He had a beer in his hand! It was just like being back at home.

The waxing moon set early, and the sky was filled with stars. Our wake created bioluminesence, the sea glowing around us. It was so romantic that I left Todd on watch and headed below for some sleep.

The boat rolled in the swell, but I snuggled in to the lee cloth with my trusty sleeping bag and soon fell asleep. The wind picked up from directly behind us, and Todd flew the jib and killed the motor. At around 2:30am I woke and headed up to take my watch. The wind was increasing, so Todd decided to bring in the jib. Just as he did, a strong gust blew from the north east, and backed the jib! We got everything under control quickly, but Todd was worried about the increasing wind and swells, and my ability to steer the boat downwind in those conditions. He sat around in the cockpit for a while, then went below to lie down, but never really got any sleep.

Once Capn Worrywart was out of my way, I got into the rhythm and enjoyed my time at the helm. Steering was challenging enough to be interesting, but not so difficult as to feel dangerous. I was surprised when Todd came up and told me it was almost 6am; the time had flown by!

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It was raining when we awoke on Friday in Half Moon Bay, so we spent a wonderfully lazy morning reading and talking about what we might eat for lunch. The rain didn’t let up, so we donned our jackets and boots. “I’ll bring a backpack with our books, in case we want to hang out at the cafe,” I volunteered sweetly. Todd’s eyes lit up. “Maybe they have free internet!” he exclaimed gleefully, stuffing his 18 pound laptop into my bag. Lest Capn WiFi’s precious cargo be dampened, I covered my pack with an IKEA bag. (If any of you are still wondering why my nickname is Sherpa, take a look at the photo.)

Cafe Classique was all that we dreamed it would be: warm and dry, with yummy food and yes, even free wireless! We tucked ourselves away in a quiet little nook, and I repeatedly crushed Koiya in Junior Trivial Pursuit. I suggested that she’d have a better chance against someone of lesser intellect, but Todd was busy deciphering the front section of the Chronicle. “Myanmar?” he queried, “Don’t these people have spell check?”

Alas, the cafe closed at 3pm, so we headed back to the boat to tackle our one task of the day: motoring over to the fuel dock to fill our tank. When Todd began pumping the diesel, it quickly overflowed. “This nozzle is way too big! I think we’re at the wrong dock!” he cried. “Maybe we can just switch out the nozzle for a smaller one,” I offered helpfully. “Silly woman!” he snickered as he walked up the ramp to yell to the guy in the office. “The nozzle is too big. Am I at the wrong dock?” he asked the young man. “Just switch it out for the smaller nozzle!” came the reply.

I tried to stifle the urge to mock Capn Brainiac, but the fluffy buttermilk biscuit with butter and jam had sapped my willpower. I rocked my head from side to side, and in a playground sneer I chimed, “Oh, maybe we’re at the wrong dock, naah naah naah!” That might explain why I was given the task of pumping the fuel, while Todd went below to “make sure the tank wasn’t too full.” Within a few minutes we were tanked up, yet I remained standing on deck in the pouring rain. After 15 minutes I respectfully inquired as to the holdup. Todd claimed to be adding biocide to the tank, but it wouldn’t take a Junior Trivial Pursuit Master to know that he was really down there sipping tea and doing his nails. I made a mental note to spit in his sandwich the next day.

Lesson Two of cruising: Respect your captain’s authority. Never mock him to his face. Instead, save your snide remarks for the blog, and share them with his friends and family!

We were tempted to spend another day in Half Moon Bay for the Pumpkin Festival, but the weather forecast indicated that we’d have good conditions for the passage to Monterey, so Capn Bligh gave me a choice: he could set the alarm clock for 3:30am, or 4am. Hmmm, lemme think about that one…

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In picking our departure date, Todd and I did what any successful managers would do: we sat down for a meeting, at which we evaluated our target arrival date in San Diego, consulted the charts, and carefully considered the projected travel times for each leg of our trip down the California coast. We thus decided that we would cast off on Tuesday, October 9.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature didn’t get the memo. Instead of sun, she sent rain and southerly winds! When he saw the forecast, Todd yelled, “This is NOT going to look good on her performance review!”

Which brings me to the first lesson of cruising: throw away your calendar! Your schedule is now based on the force of the wind and the size of the seas.

The forecast for Thursday the 11th was for 5 – 10 kt winds from the NW, and 9 – 11 ft swells. While we would have preferred slightly more wind and lower seas (are you reading this, Mother Nature?), it was a beautiful day and the captain made the call: we’d head to Half Moon Bay! We called our friend Mike, who had planned to join us for the first few legs of our trip. Well, at least he would get in one day of sailing!

We quickly took care of last minute chores: emptying the trash and recycling, topping off the water tanks, and stowing everything away securely. Since our regular diver had not come by to clean our hull over the weekend, we were lucky to get Matt Buster to squeeze us in. Everyone in the marina shared our excitement. At 11am, under sunny skies, our G-Dock friends Jean (who just returned from a circumnavigation) and Eva (just back from Mexico, and kind enough to share many great tips) helped us cast off the lines. We were off!

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The other day, we told the nice people at Sushi King that we were leaving for Mexico for six to eight months. Our usual waitress said something about “spoiling ourselves”. As we walked out, Todd commented, “People think we are going to just be sitting around drinking pina coladas all day!”

I stopped abruptly. “Wait a minute… you mean we’re not?!!!” Then I pointed out that the sushi woman probably works 10 hour days, 6 days a week, so from her point of view, taking off for Mexico and spending all your money is pretty indulgent. We’re lucky to have the finances to do it.

Todd commented that many cruisers write about getting negative reactions from friends and family; we’ve gotten nothing but support and encouragement. (I didn’t sidetrack the conversation by wondering aloud if that is because we are surrounded by cool people, or if they’ve all just been worn down by what they see as a string of foolish decisions on our part.)

Still, Todd does have a point: quitting your job and setting sail takes a lot of work! Oddly, it seems like more work than staying home and “working” at our regular jobs. But if it were easy, a lot more people would be doing it! And a lot of it is fun work, so we really have nothing to complain about.

BTW, after almost 4 years, today is Todd’s last day at greatSchools! Someone should buy him a pina colada!