Departing Mission Bay at Sunrise
14 July 2014
I considered doing on overnight passage from Mission Bay directly to Catalina Island, but I realized it wasn't necessary, either on the way there or on the way back. First thing the next morning, without attempting to go ashore, I headed out into the pacific and up the coast. My destination was Dana Point, some 40 nm north, but I was prepared to stop at Oceanside if necessary, which is only about 20 nm north of Mission Bay. Turns out the new engine is somehow a lot more powerful than the old one and able to take the boat to hull speed at 1/2 throttle, so I traveled faster on this 25 foot sailboat than I did on my Catalina 36 with its 25 hp inboard engine, using significantly less fuel. I can understand now why members of the Catalina 25 forum claim my engine is the best for this particular sailboat. I found that I enjoy being out on the water as much, or moreso, than being in port. It is a wilderness of ocean that makes me relaxed, meditative, and free from the stresses of humanity. Though a bit nerve racking to be heading out to sea, I learned that doing so is a good thing.
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