Catch up again.
OK, sorry again but I’ve been too exhausted to write. We spent that one night at Santa Cruz Island on our anchor on the roughest shore yet. It was beautiful when we went to bed and then the wind shifted and the sea-swell and wind came right in upon us with no protection. The winds kept us broadside to the swell and the rocking was extremely violent! We got very little sleep and left as soon as we could in the morning. We sailed up the other side of the island but weren’t too impressed with the anchorages after the previous night so, having been so impressed with Santa Barbra, we sailed back. With eleven to twelve knots right on the beam, we zipped along smoothly at a steady seven knots for the whole thirty mile trip.
We anchored off the beach and were delighted to be back in the beautiful town that we had become so enamored with. But after sunset the wind shifted and we spent another sleepless night laying abeam to the swell. At first light I began building an anti-rocking devise composed of a five gallon bucket with a hinged bottom, and a five pound dingy anchor under it. Then we swung the boom out to port and dangled the devise into the water from off the end of the boom. It worked! But later in the evening when the winds shifted and the larger chop and swell landed on or beam, the devise proved too small to end the violence. So another sleepless night on the hook we spent rocking violently. At first light we pulled up our anchor, raised the sails and set a course for Channel Islands Harbor, Oxnard.
This is our new favorite harbor. When we pulled into our slip we immediately launched the dingy to see the sights. Among the beauty and many delights we found a pizza restaurant with a dingy dock. So we landed and I had about four beers and the best pizza that I’ve ever had in all my life!!! We will have enjoyed a few days of recuperation here at the dock before we continue south.
Michael