You would think after 122 trips to Catalina that you'd have it down to a science but several elements have to fall in place, i.e., the weather, water temperature, tides, provisioning, boat and dinghy preparation, etc. Well, the stars aligned for the Admiral and I as we made our way to the island. First stop, Willow Cove for the night. After a restful night we weighed anchor and ventured west toward Two Harbors and settled in at Big Geiger. Four nights in our favorite cove couldn't have been better; the weather, sunshine, snorkeling and cuisine were out-of-this-world. Our final night was spent in Avalon for an easy departure home in the morning. We dined on fresh local lobster and pasta, nice way to end it.
Sailing, or boating in general, can have its edgey and tense moments that add a little adventure to the moment and we had several on this trip. The first occurred at Big Geiger when we were preparing to leave. The wind came up in the morning blowing 18-20 knots. We were anchored bow-stern and would have to retrieve the stern anchor first and hopefully, not drag or swing into the shoreline on our bow hook. We waited until it settled down a bit, raised both anchors, breathed a sigh of relief and were off to Avalon. Our next "moment" was the dense fog we encountered two hours out of Dana Point. A smooth and uneventful crossing changed quickly. Visibility was down to 50 feet or less even when we entered the harbor. Another sigh of relief. Thank God for radar.
All in all, Catalina Island trip 123 was a classic.
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| Willow Cove |
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| Saddleback Mt. sunrise |
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| The speck in the center is Serenity Now at Big Geiger |
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| Big Geiger |
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| Our location at BG |
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| The iconic Avalon Bell Tower |
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| Yep, we were livin' it |
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| Two hours in this pea soup |
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| Good morning |
