Cat Harbor Cruise II: October 15, 2015

The rest of my week in Cat Harbor was pleasant, despite the heat.  Carol was able to join me for a few days and we had a very nice time. She even crewed on the passage to Marina del Rey.  The only negatives were a couple of jerks in Chace Park in Marina Del Rey.  One on a pricey 50-footer couldn't be bothered with carrying his own trash and just left a huge bag of garbage right on the dock when he left.  Later, a low-life sneak-in (on crack?) played talk radio all night in his cockpit.  Sigh. But I did get a visit from dolphins on my way back to Ventura...always a high!  Still and all, it's good to be back home!

October 16, 2014

I spent a very pleasant week in lovely Catalina Harbor.  The weather was delightful and the water so calm that no flopper-stoppers were needed.  The week included some solitary time, some company, some minor projects, some relaxation and entertainment that ranged from Polynesian dancers to diving pelicans.  Finally saw a buffalo on my last day here. Now I’m heading around the West End to Emerald Cove.  The forecast indicates it will be mellow enough to be comfortable.  We’ll see.  From there, I head to Marina del Rey to restock, clean up and host an open boat for Carol’s friends.

 

 

 

Cruise to Cat Harbor Part 3

This week was all about the annual Two Harbors Buccaneer Days bacchanal, the weather and dolphins. (I also managed to squeeze in a bit of varnish work.) Gale force Santa Ana winds were forecast in the channel for the very weekend of Buccaneer Days, which needless to say caused considerable anxiety.  A bunch of drunken boaters and dangerous conditions in the exposed harbor would not be a good mix.  Fortunately, although winds were very strong near shore, by the time they got to Catalina, they were only about 10 mph.  The resulting chop made for a very unpleasant morning after for those out on the moorings in Two Harbors, but didn't cause any serious problems.

Thanks to the wind direction switching 180 degrees during the day, I got acquainted with a nice couple heading south with the Ha Ha due to their boat dragging into me.  No harm done and it all worked out fine.

The highlight of the trip back to Ventura was all the dolphin activity. Of the six groups encountered on the passage to Paradise Cove, one stayed a good ten minutes playing in the bow wave.   Magic.  Only three sightings between Paradise Cove and Ventura, all feeding or otherwise on a mission.

My weather planning for the return passage was right on:  light winds going to weather made for easy motorsailing, and light winds in Ventura Harbor made getting into my slip relatively easy.   No gear problems, breakdowns or harrowing tales on the cruise.  All-in-all, a great trip!