Sailing with Bob and Joni

Port: Channel Islands Marina
20 September 2012
18 September 2012
18 September 2012
18 September 2012
18 September 2012
15 September 2012
14 September 2012 | San Simeon
12 September 2012
12 September 2012
12 September 2012
10 September 2012 | Oxnard/Santabarbara
08 September 2012 | Channel Islands Marina
27 August 2012 | Channel Islands

Back Home

20 September 2012
Once we docked and everything was secure, I call my sister who lives close by. She took me over to the Oakland Air Port where I was able to catch the 4:45 flight to Burbank and Joni was there to pick me up.

I had the time of my life and I owe it all to my good friends Shaun and Sue. They own "SeaYa" a beautiful 1994 Morgan 45 Center Cockpit sail boat.. I meet them in Santa Barbara where we shared a side tie for several days. They were waiting for a good window to go around Point Conception and it never came. They had to put the boat in a slip in Oxnard and drive home.

I sail out of Oxnard about every other week so I would check on the boat. When Sue called and asked if I wanted to crew for them I jumped at the chance.

It has been the best 10 days of my sailing career!

Thank you Shaun and Sue.

Day Ten

18 September 2012
Day Ten

Today we go under the Golden Gate Bridge.  More to follow.

Well, as we motored out of the protected waters of Half Moon May, the generator started screeming. We were to far to go back so we drifted while the Captain made the repairs.

New belt, fire the engine and now the throttle doesn't work. Go figure! Back into the engine compartment we go and ended up using some zipties to hold the RPM at 2700.

We are off for San Francisco on the last leg of our trip.

The rest of the day was great and we sighted the bridge about 2 hours out. The winds kept getting higher and we ended sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge at over 10 knots.

Once inside the bay we tried to see what was wrong with the throttle and found that we now had 1000 RPM change in both forward and reverse. This would make docking easier but going into a new slip, we called for assistance from the Yacht Club members and three of them were there to catch the lines and secure the boat to a side tie.

Sailing into the San Francisco Bay for the first time is a real treat! As we went under the bridge in the center, I looked to the south tower and saw why it is the called "The Demon Tower". Current was very confused and looked nasty. We sailed through Racoon Streights, past Angle Island and over to Richmond where we docked.

This ends my first sail as a crew member and now I can't wait to do it again.

Day Nine

18 September 2012
Day Nine

What a perfect day day sail we had.

We departed Monterey at 7am in calm flat seas and dropped the hook in Half Moon Bay at 5pm.  Most of the trip we were sailing on glass with a small puff of wind every now and then. Three hours out the wind came up at 8-10 knots out of the west and gave us a little push on the knot meter.  We made 6 plus knots all day.

The entrance to Half  Moon Bay is tricky with shoals and rocks to miss.  There is a well protected harbor behind miles of breakwater with a small entrance.  Inside the harbor we found a spot and dropped the hook for our last night out.  Tomorrow we sail under the Golden Gate Bridge and over to Richmond, ending our passage.

Tomorrow will be bitter-sweet.

Day Eight

18 September 2012
Day Eight

This was a LONG day! Like 16 hours

Up at midnite and on the seas at 1am.  We had to motor to Monterey and get around Point Sur before the winds kicked up.

It was clear to start but the fog come in and the seas were bigger than reported.  We were hitting some 8 foot plus and plowing right through them.  We had the radar working but never saw another boat until we got to Carmel.

We arrived at 5pm, got our slip and headed for dinner.  All of us are beat!

Boy was I ready for that Hot Shower and bed.

Off to Half Moon Bay tomorrow.

Day Seven

18 September 2012
Day Seven

Spent the day just "Chill'in".  

We motored in for lunch at that little restaurant, motored back and spent the rest of the day fishing with no luck.

Dat Six MacGregor called

15 September 2012
Mike. Inmon. called.
They need my boat for more testing.
Yes, I love it. More stress. cracks. to be fixed.
Vessel Name: Andiamo
Vessel Make/Model: 1988 MacGregor 26D
Hailing Port: Channel Islands Marina

Port: Channel Islands Marina