25 February 2024 | We are back in Gainesville, FL: Tregoning is in Mersin Marina, Mersin, Türkiye
18 February 2024 | We are in Glenwood, New Mexico: Tregoning is in Mersin Marina, Mersin, Türkiye
12 February 2024 | We are in Morro Bay, California: Tregoning is in Mersin Marina, Mersin, Türkiye
19 January 2024 | We are in Vancouver, BC Canada: Tregoning is in Mersin Marina, Mersin, Türkiye
01 January 2024 | We are in Washington State: Tregoning is in Mersin Marina, Mersin, Türkiye
15 December 2023 | We are in Minnesota: Tregoning is in Mersin Marina, Mersin, Türkiye
18 November 2023 | We are in Florida: Tregoning is in Mersin Marina, Mersin, Türkiye
29 October 2023 | We're in Florida - Tregoning is at B-dock, Mersin Marina, Mersin, Türkiye
21 October 2023 | 7 Oda Kapadokya Cave Hotel, Ürgüp, Türkiye
14 October 2023 | Hotel Aşikoğlu, Boğazkale, Türkiye
07 October 2023 | B-dock, Mersin Marina, Mersin, Türkiye
19 September 2023 | “Chez Jon & Angela”, Near Otterton, Devon, UK
14 September 2023 | Airbnb in Fortuneswell on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, UK
11 September 2023 | With Mike, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, UK
03 September 2023 | Ardington House, Ardington, Oxfordshire, UK
24 August 2023 | Near "Chez Joan and Peter", College of Roseisle, Moray, Scotland
11 August 2023 | Andrew's house (not exactly), Lichfield, UK
22 July 2023 | Chez Gail, near the New York Café, Budapest, Hungary
17 July 2023 | Piata Uniri Cozy Inn, Bucharest, Romania
14 July 2023 | Hotel Favorit, Sofia, Bulgaria
A bracing sail
06 November 2013 | Buttonshell Cove, Santa Catalina Island, CA
Photo: Approaching Avalon with its iconic, round casino
The sun returned on Tuesday (November 5th) along with some fresh breezes. We decided to go around the south end of Santa Catalina Island so that we could “drive-by” the town of Avalon and then moor in one of the coves managed by Two Harbors (and so covered by our weekly mooring fee). Not long after motoring out of the Catalina Harbor mooring field, we raised the mainsail with one reef and partly unfurled the jib. We enjoyed an unexpectedly bracing sail southward in off-shore winds of 15-20 knots that gusted up to 30 knots. It was exhilarating to be sailing so quickly and heeling over in the gusts.
Once we rounded China Point we had to head into the wind to make our way eastward towards Seal Rocks but not being in any great hurry we made some wide tacks and were intrigued by the variations in the directions from which the wind came as we moved closer to, or further away from, the island. On rounding these Seal Rocks at the southeastern corner of the island, we were thrilled to see many Risso’s dolphins churning through the water. We were also surprised to see a huge quarry owned by the Santa Catalina Island Company on the side of East Mountain, where it appears that the island is slowly being removed for use elsewhere.
With the wind on the nose and decreasing, we slowly motored passed the mouth of Avalon Harbor with its numerous moorings and iconic round Casino. Being so close to the huge population of Los Angeles, over the years, several groups of investors have tried to make Avalon a popular resort. In the 1920s, the Santa Catalina Island Company was dominated by the chewing-gum magnate, William Wrigley Jr. who loved the island and invested millions of dollars in building the Casino and other resort infrastructure. He also brought his baseball team, the Chicago Cubs, there each year for spring training and other than during the years of WWII when the island was closed to tourists and used for military training facilities, Avalon remained a popular boating and resort destination especially during the summer.
We felt no need to stay in Avalon so we continued on to Buttonshell Cove where we found a mooring that was sheltered from the northerly wind and waves. The shoreline in the cove was dominated by the YMCA Camp Fox which even in early November was full of middle-school children having a wild time kayaking and going on nighttime snorkeling adventures in the bay. With so much activity around us and on shore, it was not the most peaceful of coves until after “lights-out” but it was good to see so many young people enjoying water activities and having the opportunity to live on an island.