If its palm trees it must be hot! Guess again, we are here in beautiful Santa Barbara, and connie is still cold. I asked her to be photographed in front of the palm trees but she wouldnt leave the heated boat and her beloved quilt to go out and be photographed..... but enough whining I did have shorts, and a short sleeved shirt on for part of the afternnon, but when we arrived we had on long johns, multiple fleeces and full set of foulies when we sailed into the marina.
We have been out of touch so to recap
First the hospitality at the Morro Bay Yacht club was fantastic, We met Bill Sanders
on the dock Friday who arranged for a diver, took my empty propane and refilled it in town and when I tried to buy his drink at happy hour in the club bar put my drink on his tab.
Sunday we met a couple (Dana and Terri )at church who drove us inland to San Luis Obisbo to see the Mission (built in 1772) and then on to the coast to Avila Beach. It was a great opportunity to meet some local people and get some inland sun.
While tied to the dock, who should show up but Ami and Michael on Peregrine. Ami and I taught at Windworks together, and we saw her on the last day in Seattle before we left. They had sailed non stop from Neah Bay (top corner of Washinton) to Morro Bay (central coast of CA) non stop inlcuding laying hove to for a day several hundred miles off Cape Medicino in a 50kt gale. After visiting Michaels dad they plan a one jump leg to central Mexico.
We also spent an evening with Howard and Lynn on Swift Current from Vancouver. They are also on the way to Mexico
Monday we left at noon and sailed through the night to get the best time to round pt Conception, and then on to Santa Rosa. This island is one of the channel island group, very remote. We arrived before dawn and hove to outside the bay until first light then as the wind built we anchored in 20kts of wind behind a dune. We spent the day and subsequent night in constant wind some times gusting 25kts. Too windy to land the dingy on the beach we had to be content with looking at the beach through binoculars. Tuesday we sailed over to Santa Barbara and civilization with hot showers and the worlds best clam chowder.
Tomorrow more work on the boat.