Be careless in your dress if you will, but keep a tidy soul.
---Mark Twain---
After three weeks on the boat we are enjoying the wonderful comforts of Grandma's house! We just had a wonderful breakfast of fruit (including fresh picked oranges) and homemade muffins with a cup of joe. It feels so great to be in San Diego with loving family on solid ground.
We have been out of computer zone for the past almost three weeks. We have tons of stories, photos and memories to share. We will see how long this coffee buzz lasts...
We last wrote from Morro Bay. Since then we have been mostly in the Channel Islands and a little on the mainland coast. Our first stop was at San Louis where we hitch hiked into San Louis Obisbo, a neat central California coastal college town. It was amazing to be on the water and in pants and a sweatshirt and then going 5 miles inland and be sweating in shorts and a tee shirt! Our first ride was with a very kind man in an old VW bus. A little trip down memory lane.
Next we straight lined it to San Miguel island, the first in the chain of 8 islands. We pulled into Cuyler Harbor at about noon and the wind started to freshen a little. By the evening time when we were about to go to be we had sustained 30knot winds. They lasted all night long. Sleeping on a sailboat with 30 knot winds is quite difficult. Well, not really for me. But for the owner of the boat I can imagine it is quite difficult. You hear every little creak and movement of the boat. After a certain number of hours the sounds turn start to fall into rhythm. Your mind has all the different sounds categorized and what they mean in relation to the boat. Which ones are okay and which ones mean something not so okay. I had anchor checks at 12pm and 3am, at 3am I sleepily made my way up to the bow and checked the anchor rode, okay, the snubber, okay, the second anchor, okay...but what's this...sleepy foggy brain...that looks like a boat resting against our boat...sure enough, I should probably shine my light in his window... I did... and the captain quickly awoke and realized what had happened and drove off. He must have drug his anchor. No harm done to either boat.
The next morning the prediction was for the wind to continue so we split to Santa Rosa Island.
To break up the boring writing here a couple shots of Santa Rosa:
We hiked around the island for a little bit, saw the Torrey Pines (which grow only on the island and La Jolla California) and then we found this amazing little cove. We saw it from afar and thought "man, if only we could get down into that cove..." Then we found this little dodgy rope leading down into it! Perfect.
The sweet little cove. (above)
We have been out of computer zone for the past almost three weeks. We have tons of stories, photos and memories to share. We will see how long this coffee buzz lasts...
We last wrote from Morro Bay. Since then we have been mostly in the Channel Islands and a little on the mainland coast. Our first stop was at San Louis where we hitch hiked into San Louis Obisbo, a neat central California coastal college town. It was amazing to be on the water and in pants and a sweatshirt and then going 5 miles inland and be sweating in shorts and a tee shirt! Our first ride was with a very kind man in an old VW bus. A little trip down memory lane.
Next we straight lined it to San Miguel island, the first in the chain of 8 islands. We pulled into Cuyler Harbor at about noon and the wind started to freshen a little. By the evening time when we were about to go to be we had sustained 30knot winds. They lasted all night long. Sleeping on a sailboat with 30 knot winds is quite difficult. Well, not really for me. But for the owner of the boat I can imagine it is quite difficult. You hear every little creak and movement of the boat. After a certain number of hours the sounds turn start to fall into rhythm. Your mind has all the different sounds categorized and what they mean in relation to the boat. Which ones are okay and which ones mean something not so okay. I had anchor checks at 12pm and 3am, at 3am I sleepily made my way up to the bow and checked the anchor rode, okay, the snubber, okay, the second anchor, okay...but what's this...sleepy foggy brain...that looks like a boat resting against our boat...sure enough, I should probably shine my light in his window... I did... and the captain quickly awoke and realized what had happened and drove off. He must have drug his anchor. No harm done to either boat.
The next morning the prediction was for the wind to continue so we split to Santa Rosa Island.
To break up the boring writing here a couple shots of Santa Rosa:
We hiked around the island for a little bit, saw the Torrey Pines (which grow only on the island and La Jolla California) and then we found this amazing little cove. We saw it from afar and thought "man, if only we could get down into that cove..." Then we found this little dodgy rope leading down into it! Perfect.
The sweet little cove. (above)
A couple more photos of Santa Rosa.
We left Santa Rosa pretty quick as well because over half the island was closed to public because of "the hunt." These islands have been privately owned and ranched since the early 1900s and the family which owns Santa Rosa stocks it with deer and elk so they can hunt them. This is beyond me.
Next stop Santa Cruz:
We spent a good two weeks at Santa Cruz and it was our favorite, by far. See for yourself.
Coches Prietos anchorage.
Next stop Santa Cruz:
We spent a good two weeks at Santa Cruz and it was our favorite, by far. See for yourself.
Coches Prietos anchorage.
Scorpian anchorage.
We have been taking jumpy photos eveywhere we go. The new thing is for me to have a stoic look and Kristin to have an excited face. See for yourself.
While on Santa Cruz we were in the water as much as possible. We have been spearing fish, swimming with seals and sharks, and seeing all kinds of other sea life. The snorkeling has been the highlight thus far.
Crazy trippy looking sea anemone.
Garibaldi with tons of sea urchins. The rocks are like purple carpet. Does anyone know if you can eat those little buddies and if so are they good?
Another vicious sea creature I saw.
The same creature can walk on land too!
Our last stop was Catalina island where we spent just a few short days. We were in Cat Harbor on the more mellow side of the island.
Notice the excitement of Kristin?
We have been taking jumpy photos eveywhere we go. The new thing is for me to have a stoic look and Kristin to have an excited face. See for yourself.
While on Santa Cruz we were in the water as much as possible. We have been spearing fish, swimming with seals and sharks, and seeing all kinds of other sea life. The snorkeling has been the highlight thus far.
Crazy trippy looking sea anemone.
Garibaldi with tons of sea urchins. The rocks are like purple carpet. Does anyone know if you can eat those little buddies and if so are they good?
Another vicious sea creature I saw.
The same creature can walk on land too!Our last stop was Catalina island where we spent just a few short days. We were in Cat Harbor on the more mellow side of the island.
Notice the excitement of Kristin?
Allymar under four sails with fresh winds from the beam. Notice the straight horizon and the heel of the boat? Yeah sailing in getting into our blood.
This is the inside of the boat. It looks a little more roomy than it really is. Think VW bus x 1 1/2.
We are looking forward to the next week spent here in San Diego. Grandma just gave us tickets to the San Diego Zoo!
Alright the coffee buzz is pretty much gone. We'll see if Kristin has anything to add.
