September 12, 2019
San Pedro, California
It was a glorious week we enjoyed in Catalina. We spent two nights on a mooring in Two Harbors, then motored over to Avalon to take on the "big city". We relished spending the afternoon along the waterfront, while appreciating the beautiful view of the bay during happy hour at Bluewater Avalon. Too bad we waited too long for dessert as the ice cream store shut their doors very early! We had to settle for the recently remodeled Vons. It was rather hilarious to see all of those golf carts taking up the parking lot. Such a quaint mini city it has turned into-quite unlike the visits to the more rustic version of town in my youth where we arrived by sea plane. You really felt like you were taking your lives in your hands with the hazy, old windows and loud, bumpy ride. That was an adventure!
We were not as enamored with the water quality, however, as the algae bloom had resulted in very unfortunate floating "plant life" and murky water. We bailed out early the next morning, sailing out about four miles to pick up some wind and make some more water. The sailing is perfect, with light breezes and calm seas. After that, it was back to the Isthmus for another few days in which the weather was postcard perfect, and I truly embraced my morning routine of paddle boarding, then taking a long swim in the clear, cold water along the beach. Our shower routines were further simplified with camp soap, sea water, and a quick rinse from the hot shower on the transom. We are very pleased that our two solar panels (170 watts each) are providing plenty of power, and our water maker is doing its thing beautifully! All blessings indeed!

Friday the 13th of September
San Pedro, California
Currently, we are settled in a great guest slip in San Pedro, at Cabrillo Yacht Marina. This will be our home for at least a month through mid October. Fortunately, we have some wonderful friends here we have known for a few years through my brother, Murray, who also has a sailboat here. Many of those friends have logged hundreds of miles at sea, with one couple having circumnagivated the globe. We are hoping to pick all of their brains for tips as the time for leaving the country draws nearer! Just as with Marina West in Ventura, virtually everyone we meet here is friendly, fun, and full of advice for anything you might need! We resume progess on the boat (refreshing the Cetol coat on the hand rails, toe rails, and dorades). Rolf is hard at work, putting together the new Hydrovane system.
We made a quick trip back up to Ventura yesterday to pick up our cars from the marina, and take care of doctor, dentist, and hair appointments in the area. I stayed to see some friends and get in another last workout at Anytime Fitness. Why not? It was great to see everyone. I honestly feel like I've been gone for a month, when in reality, it's been less than two weeks! I suppose that's a good thing.
Surprisingly, I am thrilled to have our cars back! Just knowing that I can jump in and head for the store to get what we need or check out a sight in the area on land without relying on others is something not to be taken for granted! I do love to drive around, and the terrain is so very hilly and interesting around here-with fantastic ocean and harbor vistas. San Pedro is even more nostalgic for us, being virtually next door to Palos Verdes, where we both spent our childhood. We have fond memories of working at Marineland together "just a few years ago". I have slightly less fond memories of Cabrillo Beach, where I first tried windsurfing and had to be rescued by the Harbor Patrol after I managed to sail out to the far breakwater real well (and quickly!) but could not get myself back to the beach when the famous "hurricane gulch winds" kicked up!
We are noticing quite a difference in the temperature, especially in the mornings down here. We got a bit spoiled up in Ventura with fairly constant temps in the high sixties and low seventies. But at least once the afternoon breezes kick in, it cools off. We are trying to be very mindful of the sun and cover up, but I haven't figured out how to stay cool while doing that, other than soaking the shirt first! For now sunscreen is one of our best friends, along with the marina staff, who have been so helpful in getting us set up with this slip, gate keys, car passes, free popcorn, and the continuation of our stream of packages from Amazon while we still have a chance to order necessary items, such as tiki torch lights for the stern. You have to love anything that contributes to the coziness and makes the boat a home. We are very pleased with how things are turning out.