From Morro Bay to Monterey ?

[Sven]

So getting around Point Conception at night in the summer is supposed to be easy, and it was.

The two hours of cutting kelp of the anchor chain before we could finally take off at 02:00 was not easy but Nancy did almost all of that work. 200' of chain and almost every single foot had incredibly slimy strong kelp wound around it ... it was amazing !

Anyway. We got up to Port San Luis and stayed there for a couple of days enjoying the incredible whales and other sea life in the harbor.

Then we managed to motor (again !!!) up to Morro Bay despite winds and waves that kept us down to as little as 2 knots over ground as we were fighting breaking seas and pretty impressive winds for a few hours.

Now that we are here we'll be relaxing for 4-5 days as we wait for parts to arrive (the holding tank evacuation pump needs servicing and that is a show stopper). The Morro Bay Yacht Club is outstanding !! But, the question is how to proceed after that.

San Simeon is a stop-off that we'll take advantage of just to cut some miles off the next coastal hop, but after that ?

As far as we can tell, we are up against small craft warnings or gale force winds on the nose for the next 80 NM, before we turn east towards Monterey, after San Simeon.

So, should we set sail and head west for a long tack for a day or two and then tack back for another day or two, or should we just monitor the weather and try to motor yet again when it is relatively calm (just small craft warnings) ?

Suggestions ?

Thx.



-Sven

 

[Sven]

Looks like a good weather window opening up

I may just have answered my own question. The GRIB files I just downloaded show a nice calm period opening up Thursday AM and lasting for a few days. If we skip San Simeon on the way up we should have an easy if noisy motoring passage.



-Sven

 

[Loren Beach]

Get a move on!
We're just standing by to drive down to Astoria and buy dinner for you guys when you stop in for a day. And if it's in mid September we might even have our boat down there for a week.

 

[Sven]

Get a move on!
We're just standing by to drive down to Astoria and buy dinner for you guys when you stop in for a day. And if it's in mid September we might even have our boat down there for a week.

We're trying

We definitely won't make it to Vancouver but we're going as far north as we can before it starts getting too fall like.

Are you sailing down (up ?) there for vacation ?



-Sven

 

[Loren Beach]

We're trying

We definitely won't make it to Vancouver but we're going as far north as we can before it starts getting too fall like.
Are you sailing down (up ?) there for vacation ?
-Sven

For sure it's an uphill grind for you folks. Several "ladders" in lattitude lines for you to scale.

We sail on the Columbia River, about 90 miles inland from Astoria. Plans are to take our boat down to the ocean for a late season vacation, in Sept.
Due to family concerns it's been kind of a funny summer so far.
At least I am getting the boat out for a good sail once a week.

Where do you plan to be by winter?
Mexico? Hawaii? Seattle?


Regards,

Loren

 

[Mark F]

Hi Sven and Nancy,

Keep an eye on the forecast for Point Sur, sailflow http://www.sailflow.com/windandwhere.iws?regionID=128&regionProductID=30&timeoffset=0 does show lighter winds up there for Thursday. Too bad there isn't a "southerly surge" forecast. If you need a brake before Monterey Stillwater Cove is a little closer.

Hope you can stop at Santa Cruz.

 

[Loren Beach]

It's "Magic"

The magicseaweed site is built for surfers, but the wave height and period are very interesting for sailors near shore.

You can move the slider to see the rough and smooth areas as they progress.

http://magicseaweed.com/California-...1345939200&gc=off&gcSpot=&gcWave=1&gcPeriod=9

Lots of info on this site, so spend some time on their options.

LB

 

[Sven]

Hi Mark,

Keep an eye on the forecast for Point Sur, sailflow http://www.sailflow.com/windandwhere.iws?regionID=128&regionProductID=30&timeoffset=0 does show lighter winds up there for Thursday. Too bad there isn't a "southerly surge" forecast. If you need a brake before Monterey Stillwater Cove is a little closer.

Hope you can stop at Santa Cruz.

Thanks for that link reminder. Very useful !

Is Stillwater Cove usable overnight ? None of the books we have mention it ?

Which Santa Cruz marina are you in ?



-Sven

 

[Sven]

The magicseaweed site is built for surfers, but the wave height and period are very interesting for sailors near shore.

You can move the slider to see the rough and smooth areas as they progress.

Very interesting info. I wonder how they decide what period to show when there is a mix ?




-Sven

 

[our38]

Morro Bay to Monterey

Hello Sven. If you are in Monterey long enough, I'd be happy to let you use our guest passes to the Monterey Bay Aquarium; if not, just let us know when you'll be here and we'd love to stop by and say hello, and hear first hand about some of your adventures.

 

[Mark F]

Hi Sven,

Stillwater is a very protected anchorage as long as there is not much of a southerly swell. The entrance is a little tricky, lots of kelp so a daylight arrival is a good idea.

We are in the Santa Cruz Harbor (only one). Our current slip is L7. I am out of town til Saturday so hopefully your weather window doesn't open too soon ;-).

 

[dwigle]

Stillwater

I really like Stillwater, but don't go in at night or in heavy fog. Lots of kelp. Last time I was there (two years ago), they had a very helpful harbormaster. If you can raise him it will make getting in much easier, other than that, you might consider passing. We like to spend a couple of nights and walk into Carmel through Pebble Beach golf course. As Mark said, very little or no protection from southerlies.
Santa Cruz has had a one night only policy as they're still repairing docks after the tsunami, but there's a good anchorage a short distance away at Capitola, or just off the pier.
Half Moon Bay is the next stop after Santa Cruz. Easy anchorage, and if you're there for Labor Day lots of boats. It seems like half the boats from SF Bay go there. It'd also be a good way to get local knowledge about coming into SF.
Good Luck,

Don Wigle
Wiggle Room
E28 #8
Pt Richmond, CA

 

[Bryissa]

Come on by Moss Landing

Sven,

I highly recommend a stop off in Stillwater Cove. The Elkhorn Yacht Club has a cruisers group go down there once a year. My wife and I will be racing our 1981 E38 Lela Margariete this weekend in a local Double Angle Regatta. The finish is in Moss Landing and the Elkhorn Yacht Club will be having a large party afterwards with food, music, and fun on Saturday evening 8/25. Although the North Harbor will be packed with race boats, we do have a free 2-night stay 80' guest dock for reciprocal yacht clubs. Please stop on in and visit.

Cheers,

Bryan Ellis
Rear Commodore
Elkhorn Yacht Club

 

[Sven]

Off to Monterey and then MBARI and then Santa Cruz

Thanks for all the advice and suggestions. Assuming we get the pump part today we'll head up towards Monterey tomorrow during a calm spell in the weather.

After the weekend we're off to Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute where we might give an informal presentation about our World Exploration. Then off to Santa Cruz and yonder

http://www.grenander.com/Senta_II/Blog/Entries/2012/8/22_Getting_ready_to_cast_off_(Sven).html

Nice life but it is getting cooler and damper as we go



-Sven

 

[Mark F]

Hope you guys have taken off. I just noticed there IS a "southerly surge" happening right now, they are notoriously hard to forecast. You may be sucking diesel fumes but you shouldn't have any wind on the nose.

Hope to see you in few days.

http://met.nps.edu/~lind/profiler/map/loopcc.html

 

[Charles]

Bodega Bay

Not sure what your next stop is, north of SF. Bodega Bay is about 58 statute miles north of the Gate, rounding Reyes. Spent a couple of weeks camped there in a VW Westfalia. CG motorlife boat station is there, along with fishing fleet, and good anchorage in the large harbor. Fairly good provisions are on shore.

Watching your progress !

Charlie (thinking about the next boat-this time on the Chesapeake).

 

[our38]

Mbari

Sven, if you might possibly do a presentation at, or for, the Aquarium I'd love to attend if that's at all possible. Also, if you might be doing a presentation for those folks, you might be getting a free passes to the Aquarium from them, but my offer still stands (we have two guest passes to loan out) AND I'd be happy to bring them down to the harbor. Our E38 is in slip A34, and I'm down there most days; Friday I'll be down there replacing the impeller, and checking to see what I need as far as new hoses for when my new Heat Exchanger arrives.

I didn't realize you are World Traveling, as I am fairly new to all this, and would be honored to treat you to breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You can email me directly through the Ericson site, and I check messages frequently during the day. I hope to have the opportunity to meet you. We have guest accommodations available, especially for World Travelers, so let me know if you're interested.

 

[Sven]

Sven, if you might possibly do a presentation at, or for, the Aquarium I'd love to attend if that's at all possible.

Let me find out. It is actually at the Hewlett-Packard sponsored Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute which is separate from the aquarium even if they have close ties. I love the aquarium (I've been there a couple of times when sponsoring conferences) but Nancy has never been there so if our host at MBARI does not get us access we'd be flattered to borrow your guest tickets. We just have to get our logistics straightened out

Right now we are in Breakwater Cove Marina at the guest dock. We'd be happy to have you stop by for a visit as long as you give us some advance notice so we can air out the head if I've been working on my new hobby, or just clean up if we've been doing other chores.

We're here until Wednesday AM. After that we head to Moss Landing where the MBARI dock is and we'll be staying another few nights.

Thanks,



-Sven

 

[Mark F]

Hi Sven,

How did the trip from Morro Bay go? Did you stop at Stillwater?

 

[Sven]

How did the trip from Morro Bay go? Did you stop at Stillwater?

We've arrived. We went "straight", kind of

I've written up the good part and will write up the horrid :jollyroge experiences we had with Randy and Bruce of Pacific Salvage later today or tomorrow.



-Sven