For months we have had the date June 15th 2020 marked on our calendar as the start for our West Coast Adventure north. The corona virus hit hard in March and doubt set in. More for one of us then the other. We saw spikes in case and lockdown and work from home all put in place. I went into protective mode and didn’t allow either of us to leave the boat except to take a walk around our island. Groceries were delivered and sanitized before coming a board and masks and gloves were the norm. As time went on and we learned to live with the deadly virus we began to open up more to the idea of going out. We visited Jeff’s dad and sister and went shopping on our own at a supermarket. Finally I came to the conclusion this is just our life right now. As the June 15th date crept closer and closer I began pointing out to Jeff all the reasons we could still go on our trip. We started allowing necessary boat work to get done in order to take the trip. We went to a boat yard for a week but unfortunately our efforts were a bit too late. We didn’t make our June 15th date but began only a couple days after. Jeff had a the great idea that instead of going 12 hours our first day we could head to an anchorage further north in San Diego and shave two hours off our day. So Tuesday afternoon we untied our lines from Cabrillo Isla Marina and made our way to Mission Bay to set ourselves up for an early morning departure on the 17th.
Bon Voyage Photo
Underway
Anchorage Mission Bay
The night was uneventful we made dinner and our breakfast and lunch for the next day and went to sleep early. June 17th was (what I consider) the first day of our adventure north. At 6a.m we pulled up the anchor and set out. The seas were calm around 3-4 feet and we settled in for our long 10 hour day. The highlight for us both was spotting a whale about halfway to San Pedro. Jeff saw it’s entire back and I only saw the tale. Either way were were excited and shouting like little kids. We arrived at the fuel dock half delirious but happy to be at our first port. We spent another two hours fueling up and after 750 gallons we made our way to our anchorage.
Oil Derricks Outside San Pedro
Tug Passing By Fuel Dock
Anchorage San Pedro
Once again we were up in the dark and left the anchorage at 6a.m. for another long cruise (98 miles) to Santa Barbara. This time we would be staying at a marina and I was looking forward to stretching my legs after not being off the boat for over 48 hours. We saw several schools of dolphins when we left the harbor. The cruise was uneventful with periods of fog and the occasional sea bird. We were so happy once we arrived in Santa Barbara. Having been there last summer for a week on the boat we knew our way around. We tied up to an end tie and hit the walking path. It felt so good to give the legs a stretch. We walked as far as town then turned around. It was a strange combo of exhaustion and exhilaration being on land. That night we both had our best night sleep of the trip. We were secure at a dock, it was quiet and we didn’t have to leave before dawn to depart. A much needed stop to rejuvenate.
Dolphins Swimming By
Fishing Boat
Tidings of Joy at Santa Barbara
Entering Santa Barbara
Finally around 10a.m. we departed Santa Barbara to make our way to Cojo anchorage. This is where we would spend the night and prep for crossing the infamous Point Conception. The day was cool and cloudy but the five hour cruise was uneventful non the less. When we arrived at the anchorage there was a sailboat and several other smaller boats already there. It took a little bit but we figured out (from Jeff’s friend Hans) that this is a famous surf spot and all the small boats were there to start surfing at dawn. We were told it is some of California’s last undeveloped coast line. Just us and a train line goes through this long area known as Hollister Ranch. The boat rocked and rolled around most of the evening and into the night. We made dinner and went to bed early.
Sunset Cojo Anchorage
Cojo Anchorage
Anchored at Cojo
We woke up in the morning to thick fog and very cold temperatures. We both were a little on edge because as soon as we pulled up out of the anchorage we would be crossing Point Conception which is referred to in several guide books as the “Cape Horn” of the west coast. The anchor came up quickly and before we started heading out Jeff noticed that the radar wasn’t powering up. We tried several things and nothing happened. I instantly felt panicky. Not only were we crossing Point Conception today in the fog but we were going to be doing it with no radar. Imagine driving down the road in your car with your eyes closed hoping not to hit anything or be hit. That was us. Jeff put a call into our electronics guy and he too was puzzled but the sudden failure. After some deep breaths and a lot of self talk we both just accepted it and continued on. Fortunately the seas were flat calm despite the NOAA 4 foot predictions. As several hours past the fog began to dissipate and we saw a whole school of whales. We saw their spouts and their entire bodies surface. It felt like a reward for all of our stress and fear earlier. Finally we saw the smoke stacks and Morro Rock in the distance and knew we had arrived.
Morro Bay Smoke Stacks
Rounding Point Conception
Morro Rock
Entering Morro Bay
The only transient dock in Morro bay is at the yacht club. They have one long 150 foot side tie for any and all visiting boats. I had called the day before so they were expecting us. We were greeted with waves and smiles and a member came down to help me with the lines. Once tied up and checked in a nice couple who were members of the yacht club came over to welcome up. They gave us the lay of the land and told us all the highlights. We were here less then an hour and already everyone was so nice. We were exhausted from our long day and the trauma with the radar so we had a quiet happy hour aboard, watched the sea otters float by and settled in.
Tied up at Morro Bay
Due to bad weather and our radar we decided to sit in Morro Bay for a few days. Our first full day we slept in and had a nice long, slow morning in p.j’s. We haven’t done this in so long it was a nice treat after all of our hard work and long days. We took a long walk to the state park and bird estuary. It was stunning. Tons of birds - pelicans, herons and egrets and a nice nature walk all around the estuary. We were amazed. What a magical place.
Walking Path Thru Bird Estuary
Sea Otter Swimming By
At Bird Estuary
Birds Nesting at Estuary
Sunset view Morro Rock
Bird Estuary
We made our way back to the boat 13,000 steps later and chilled a bit before venturing out again. It was Father’s Day so I let Jeff take the lead. After a bit of rest we walked the other way into the cute little town. It was bustling full of people out and about on a Sunday Father’s day. We wore our new KN95 masks and felt safe. Cute little shops, bars and restaurants lined the waterway and John (the couple we met the day before) told us to make our way to the outdoor maritime museum were he completely restored and rebuilt one of the boats there. Very impressive. We meandered our way home and made pizza and had special wine for our Father’s Day. Per our buddy Dave we watched the movie Cannery Row in anticipation of our next stop - Monterey.
Building Downtown Morro Bay
Boat John Restored
Sea Otters Sleeping
Fish Boats Morro Bay
Today is our final day in Morro bay and we are doing a lot of chore type activities - Jeff handling the radar and some mold and mildew he wanted to address, Me- organizing the fridge and assessing how we are doing produce wise, blogging and making food for our long 117 mile journey tomorrow to Monterey.
