The Home Stretch

I considered making my way north from San Diego to Ventura to be the home stretch.  It stretched from July 21st to August 1st. Being into the prevailing wind the entire way, it was almost all motoring in the lighter winds usually encountered earlier in the day.  That of course meant some oh-dark-thirty wake-ups for the longer legs.  I stopped in Mission Bay, Oceanside, Dana Point, Newport Beach, Long Beach, Marina Del Rey and Paradis Cove along the way.  There were no significant problems, I just had to keep pushing to make the August 1 marina deadline in Ventura.  I spent a few days in Marina Del Rey to see Carol and get a little rest.
While it feels good to be back,  I've found it difficult to respond to the question everyone asks:  Why did you come back?  It turns out to be a pretty challenging question in light of how much I enjoyed my time in Mexico.  I've been giving it some thought and hope to come up with an answer by my next post.

Leaving San Diego for the short hop to Mission Bay

was not without its hazards.  I had to stay well clear of

this big guy as well as the infamous kelp patch off

Point Loma.

Sundown in the anchorage in Mission Bay.

When here in 2000, there were no moorings

(which now almost completely fill the 

anchorage) and no other boats.

Because my masthead anchor light wasn't working,

I put up two Luci Lights.

The guest docks in Oceanside, my next stop,

were right in front of the Jolly Roger Restaurant.

Surprisingly, a large tree next to the restaurant was the

chosen place for a cormorant nesting condominium.

Even more surprising was a rabbit spotted in the

restaurant landscaping.

Dusk in Oceanside Harbor

The nuclear power plant between Oceanside and

Dana Point.    Always gives me the creeps.

Even though there wasn't a lot of wind, I still did

a bit of bashing to weather.

Looking at one of the tall ships in Dana

Point from the anchorage.

Sunset over Lido Isle in Newport Beach.

The first oil platform I passed on my way to Long Beach

Long Beach/San Pedro Harbor is one of the busiest

shipping ports in the world.  Each blob on the radar

screen is a ship.  Most were anchored.  Most....

Wending my way past all the ships to get to my destination

in the inner harbor wasn't difficult, it just meant paying

attention and determining which ones were moving.

This is oil island White, off of which I anchored for the night.

Carnival Cruise Lines ship, with the Spruce Goose dome

peeking out from behind it.  On the right is the

Queen Mary.

Sunset over Long Beach downtown.

Leaving at daybreak through the fog to get to Marina

Del Rey in the afternoon.

Yes, it was anchored.

No, these aren't battle machines from Star Wars.

They are container cranes in the Port of Long Beach.

Point Vincente Lighthouse

No sooner had I tied up at a guest slip in Chace Park in

Marina Del Rey when the locals came by to check me out.

It turned out I had arrived the weekend of the annual antique

boat and car show, and all the slips had been reserved for

the show.  I was just about to leave when the folks in charge

of the show rescued me.  They explained to the office that

they wouldn't need all the slips and I could stay.  WHEW!!

It was much better to be able to enjoy the show than be

forced out of the harbor into the not very comfortable

anchorage outside.

The car show included an exhibit of working antique

engines.  Don't see a pink ones very often!

I caught a stowaway that must have come aboard in tropical

Mexico.  I released it on one of the trees in the park.

A cormorant nest in a tree next to the Santa

Monica Windjammers Yacht Club.  It would

seem cormorants like to nest in upscale 

neighborhoods.

Coming from sea almost straight

into the concrete and glass canyons

of Los Angeles was quite a shock.

But I was able to catch a rare concert

featuring top jazz musicians with

Carol and friends in Zipper Hall in LA.

Mike Lang, piano; Michael Valerio, bass; and Jim Keltner,

drums.  All top tier; look 'em up!

In Paradise Cove in Malibu I saw what may

be the biggest mobile crane I've ever seen.

It was being used in the construction of 

a beachfront/cliffside home.

Sunrise in Paradise Cove

Sun rising over Point Dume

Approaching the Ventura detached breakwater for the

first time in three years was exciting and a little strange.

I was able to tie up in my new slip with no problems.

Home again:  the first morning back.