A FEW FIRSTS

Avalon during the summer is a zoo but there's a completely different vibe during the winter. We found a brief weather window to make the journey and we made the best of it. To Life!

We had to delay this trip several days because of fog. On our day of departure the sky was beautiful and the conditions were excellent.

 The first thing we have never seen before was a container ship under tow. Two tugs were pulling this behemoth south. It's sure nice to be a member of Vessel Assist.

Nature's color never disappoints.

The second "first" on this trip was the whale that cruised into Avalon Bay. We had seen this little guy while fishing earlier in the day. He wondered into the mooring field and put on a brief show for the boaters.

We had a five hour ride home, calm sea, clear sky and a 10-15 knot W,  NW breeze pushing us along.

Nostrovia!

LOG ENTRY 11/09/2019

D and S afternoon sail. Sunny, warm, wind 5-10 knots from the west. Sea calm. Crowded and busy in the harbor. No whales or dolphins. Nice day.

SANTA BARBARA

While visiting this beautiful beachside city we enjoyed some great meals, bicycled along the strand and harbor, and saw the makeshift memorial for the victims of the Conception tragedy. I think the Admiral had a wonderful b-day get-a-way.

No shortage of sand here, In fact, pay close attention to the buoys when transiting the marina. It's narrow.

Our hotel, the Milo, had several of these fire pit areas. We had this one all to ourselves for the entire stay.

Serenity Now...out.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADMIRAL

A quick trip to Santa Barbara to celebrate the Admiral's B-Day allowed us to take a ride out of Summerland. It was super fun.

Two amigos on the trail.

GOOD MORNING

Today's sunrise reminded me of ones we had in Mexico seven years ago on the Haha. Great ride amigos!

THE BRONCO BUNCH

Crewman Chris and his family; Ashley, Jude and Kennedy joined the capt for a great afternoon on the water. The conditions were perfect. It was the best way to beat the heat. In fact, we were actually a little chilly at times. The dolphins and whales eluded us but we did spy some lazy sea lions. Super day.

Look closely, there's a shy Kennedy in this pic somewhere.

PERHAPS THE BEST TRIP EVER

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.

Willow Cove

Saddleback Mt. sunrise

The speck in the center is Serenity Now at Big Geiger

Big Geiger

Our location at BG

The iconic Avalon Bell Tower

Yep, we were livin' it

Two hours in this pea soup

Good morning