Raven’s Adventure

Saturday 10/19 10:00 am was leaving time. Hiked up the main and set sail for Dana Point. Followed the coast line. Not too much wind so we motor sailed along at 6.5 knots. We had a bit of a swell that carried us along. Our friendly dolphins were back. We both hung out at the bow and watched them playfully swim. Reached Dana Point at 3:45 and discovered we didn’t have a spot at the YC. Went into the West Basin which was a public dock. We were given a spot that was way to small for us and we had a hell of a time turning around and going into an available one that fit our boat. A very busy place. We dodged kayakers, paddle boarders and small crafts... This is the SUP capital of the world, and we can attest to that. We met a lovely couple from Ventura, Rolf/Diana on Starfire a 42’ Tartan. Drinks and scrabble and the day was over. Sunday 10/20 Woke up to a very.... busy harbor. Must have been 100 SUP boarders around our boat. Tons of walkers and a group of kids taking sailing classes. Not...

Wednesday 10/16 Left Marina Del Rey at 10:30. With the main and Genoa up we got a bit of a push from the winds. Sailed a third of the way before it died. Kevin had fixed the auto pilot so that was a relief. The trip to San Pedro was only 21 miles. Very mild conditions. As we circled into the harbor the winds really came up. (Of course) Our slip was right in front of the Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club. A nice facility. Got all settled in and Kevin’s cousin Kerry Brady came by for dinner. He owns a business down here and lives in Long Beach so he graciously accepted a few Amazon packages for us. Fixed him a nice tuna dinner and the boys had a great time catching up. Thursday 10/17 It was time for a pedicure for these old feet. Ventured into old town and found a salon that only charged me $20. Kevin checked out the county library and we met at the grocery store. Lots of duplexes and apartments. Probably for all the cannery workers that use to be employed here. Kerry picked us up for dinner...

Sat 10/12 Kevin spent the morning cleaning off the dirt from the Santa Anna winds. Unreal how the dirt got into every nook and cranny. The weather is as calm as calm can get as well. Tim/Lee let us borrow their car to make a run to an auto parts store to p/up some well needed oil filters and a side trip to Trader Joe’s. Kevin changed the oil as I busied myself inside. We had Lee/Tim over for HH to thank them. A walk to a Greek restaurant for dinner. Sunday 10/13 We finally got our repaired mainsail back and Kevin and I installed it early in the am to avoid the winds. He worked on whipping lines while I scrubbed floors. It’s amazing how much time we spend cleaning this boat. Walked along the shore to the Channel Island History Center. Very interesting. The yacht club was hosting a free meal this evening so we went along with Tim/Lee. We sure enjoy Spending time at all these yacht clubs. People are so pleasant and love to talk to you about your journey. I have to say tho...

Wednesday 10/9 Couldn’t wait to leave this morning and get away from this windy island. Our anchor was imbedded quite deeply due to the prolonged exhaustive gale force winds. Kevin had another sleepless night. Put the Genoa up and motor sailed all day with very flat seas. Tried using the auto pilot again but it would work for awhile and stop. Hand steered most of the way. Thankful for a calm day. Again, we had tons of dolphins playing around the boat. We never get tired of watching them. I always thought I’d like to come back as a bird someday,  but maybe not. A dolphins life looks really fun. Made it to Ventura in record time. Tied up to the guest dock at Ventura Yacht Club and couldn’t wait to take a well deserved shower. Met Tim and Lee French on Sojourn from Morro Bay who are doing the Haha as well. Thursday 10/10 Took a walk around the Marina. It’s a nice complex with lots of boutiques, restaurants and galleries. Found a sailmaker to repair our mainsail. A small tear and ...

Saturday 10/5 Took our rental car back. Sure was fun seeing the area on land. Spent a few hours on San Luis Obispo. What a sweet and beautiful town. All the modern day stores with a home town feeling. Had lunch at a nice vegan cafe. I would love to visit there another time. Back in Morro Bay, there was a Harvest Festival going on. The town was booming with visitors. A car show with a couple dozen “woody” cars from the 30/40’s. Stunning. Boy I would love to own one of those. Got together with Campbell, Jen, Paul, Sharon, Ally and Spencer for some fun time listening and dancing to a great band. Boy, when did we get so old. The average age on the dance floor was 60+. Had dinner and to bed early. We are really going to miss this place. My favorite so far. Sunday 10/6 Shoved off at 6:45 am. A pod of dolphins greeted us. It is so much fun watching them swim along the bow. We motor sailed the entire day as there was no wind. The main and Genoa gave us a push. We had a perfect sunny day w...

Friday 10/4 After laundry and chores around the boat Kevin and I headed for Paso Robles for a bit of wine tasting. Our first stop was Bella Luna. A beautiful sight amongst gorgeous rolling hills. We enjoyed all the tastings but not enough to purchase any. Next was Clesi. Being the only two in the place, the wine steward was very generous with her pours. We especially loved the Rose and Convivio. Had to bring those home with us for a special occasion. Hidden Oak was our last stop. The owner was asleep as we walked in. He wasn’t very accommodating, so we drank and left pretty quickly. Back at the yacht club they were hosting a HH. We really enjoyed meeting all the locals. It never ceases to amaze me how lovely boating people are. It’s as if we’ve been friends forever.

10/2 Had a good night sleep after a grueling day/night sail. Went walking through town to see if we could find some material to cover our spreaders which chaffed our mainsail last night. This town is too cute. Everything you could possibly want. Great food, quaint shops, a brew pub and much more. People are very friendly as well. Cleaned the salt off the boat and tidied up the cabin. Had Sue/Andy and Sharon/Paul over for HH. Went to bed early as we were still recovering after sailing all night. 10/3 Kevin took the bus into San Luis Obispo to rent a car. Took Jen/Campbell and Sharon with us to see the Hearst Castle.  25 miles away. A pleasant drive through gorgeous brown hills. The castle, that took over 28 years to build was sensational. Went on a tour through Casa Grande the largest part of the home where all the entertaining went on. 68,500 sq ft. 115 rooms, 38 bedrooms, a library, movie theater, kitchen and living quarters for the staff. Mediterranean design, which was a li...

9/30-10/1 Pushed out of Monterey Bay at 1:30. Weather was perfect. Sunny and clear. Headed west for an hour then took a left for Morro Bay. Kevin put our new Hydrovane to work. It was a God send. She worked like a champ. Sailed all day and night. The winds started howling. Gusts up to 35, with 25 being the norm. The swells were an average of 8 to 10 feet hitting us on the beam and stern. It was a wicked ride. 19 hours later we made it to Morro Bay. Docked at the yacht club and went to bed! Met up later with Spruce, Charrell and Sundance for a brew and dinner. Along with comparing stories. We Broke our lazy jacks and have a small hole in the main. Sundance broke their auto pilot. What an adventure.