This often-used phrase is almost a mantra for Bay Area sailors who dream of cruising. I can't recount how many times Nancy and I found ourselves lost in thought about actually leaving our home waters and heading South. All the wonders, the unknowns, the what-if's, the fears both real and imagined and the anticipation of the adventures that would lie ahead. If only we could make that famous left turn.

Well, with a little help from our friends, we finally did it. After a group raft-up at Horseshoe Cove under the Golden Gate Bridge, we set sail on Sunday August 25th for the start of our trip. With our good friends Jake and Neil (Calmate), Sean and Sara (Contessa), Elliot (Gatecrasher), and the Philips clan (Jen Christian, Anna and Lydia on Zara), offering escort under the bridge, we said our good byes to the Bay Area.

Wow. Who would have thought that a simple left turn could take 2 years to make?