Sunny San Diego and Baja Bound

     The Baja Ha Ha Cruisers are starting to arrive in preparation for the 130 boat rally south to Cabo San Lucas on Oct.24th. Our plan is to slip out of the harbour ahead of the gang, and get to in La Paz at the end of the month. In the meantime we have met up with good friends (and newlyweds) Grayce, from back home in Victoria, and her husband Tripp, who graciously invited us to their home, with a stellar view of the entire San Diego Bay area, for a good old Canadian Thanksgiving dinner, and an American Columbus Day celebration and a sumptuous meal it was! Rib-eye steaks , yorkshires and mash. Daragh was in his element. We have also made the acquaintance of Karen the doggy groomer at Doggy Deluxe, where Georgie spent the day getting spiffed up for the Mexican dogs. She left us with a very handsome pooch and a bag of Persimmons from her tree, no extra charge.
     We have relocated next door at another spiffy yacht club, the SouthwesternYC, and Daragh is busy emptying his pockets at the mecca of marine stores in the area, a sailors paradise! Later we took a well-deserved respite from life at sea and spent a pampered evening with Daragh's aviator friend and partner in crime, Ivor, and his wife Deann, and devoted companions Maverick and Sophie, the family Retrievers, at Rancho Santa Fe, a pastoral setting nestled in the hills outside of San Diego. The socializing has been a pleasant diversion from preparing the boat for the trip south to Mexico. Grayce assisted me with provisioning  food and supplies, while Daragh spent the day at Shelter Island buying such essential gadgetry as 'Flopper Stoppers'.

        On Saturday, after an invigorating sail in the harbour with new arrivals Colin and Dora, the last of the Irish contingent surfaced, Joey, and we were whisked off to his lovely beach house at Oceanside for a final night of revelry before heading off. Our closing day in beautiful San Diego was spent scrubbing decks, cleaning the cabins, replacing the dinghy prop, and generally completing last minute preparations. We had a farewell burger and bevy in the SDYC chartroom with Kim and Tom, who had just arrived on 'Exit Strategy'. So great to see our pals from RVYC and the BCA Fleet back in Victoria, whom we had shared our dreams and plans with so many months before. Alas we could dally no longer, the sea was calling us back.
         October 19th, we set out once again on the next chapter of 'The Voyage of Chantey', hoping yet again for fair winds and following seas, as we crossed over the border into Mexico.
         Ensenada, our first port of entry, marked a day shrouded in red tape and bureaucracy. The day started with a nice bracing cold shower as the local plumbing left a lot to be desired, and of course, the language barrier is challenging at best. One can only apologize with 'no hablo Espanol, muchos gracias', so often, while absorbing the blank, bored stare of the sales clerk. Time to get out of our comfort zone!  We spent most of the day roving from one government department to the next , and paying the ubiquitous 'fees' at 'Immigracion' in an attempt to clear customs. Actually, most of the people have been very helpful and tolerant of us Gringos who ought to know a little more Spanish. We are on our extra-good behaviour since we have crossed the border , especially after observing the ominous presence of the Mexican military, notably, the adolescent boys in fatigues wielding semi-automatic machine guns! As the afternoon drew to a lazy close, we hoisted the mainsail and set course for a double-overnighter to Cedros Island, and then on toTurtle Bay, Baja. Til' Mañana........
Adios Amigos!

May the road rise with you
And the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
And the rain fall soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

And Miles to Go Before We Sleep...

Oceanside Yacht Club,CA
The charming David, our OYC host, welcomed us at the dock for the Baja Ha Ha Rendezvous, a group of cruisers all heading south to meet up with another 168 boats who plan to shoot around the Baja together October 24th. There we met other HaHa'ers, Gilly and John on Destiny and several Vancouver and Seattle cruisers. Oceanside is a very small but active sailing club that certainly lives up to its reputation as the friendliest yacht club on the Pacific coast. The weekend opened with a tasty pancake breaky, and man-overboard presentation, with happy hour and Mexican dinner later in the chartroom, thanks to Les, Judy, Lee and the OYC crew. On Sunday we joined in a race around the buoys and flew the spinnaker, with myself, Cathryn, as Skipper and Daragh as crew. Yes! Chantey got the OYC trophy for fifth place! Which really isn't that great considering there were only five boats in our category. We also received a beautiful framed photo of Chantey, compliments of Judy the club photographer. Sadly, the party ended and we were off Monday morning for Mission Bay.
San Diego Bay
Well we made it! The first leg of the journey is over, and with 1500 miles behind us we slipped into Mission Bay, San Diego and dropped the hook in the pristine bay beside John and Gilly on Destiny from San Francisco. They shared many interesting cruising stories with us about life in Puerto Vallarta, their new home. We awoke to the unfamiliar sound of rain on the deck, as we haven't seen rain since we left Victoria, and beat a hasty retreat out of the bay, winding our way through a sea of crab pots and kelp beds around Pt. Loma to San Diego Bay. The sky opened up and poured buckets as we hunkered down for a wet night. Next morning sun filtered in through the portholes and we recalled the San Diego of our former visit, all drenched in sunshine. So here we are in sunny San Diego where we will relax and chill out, and prepare for the long trip down the Baja.

One of the Irish lads, and good friend, Ivor has called by, and has taken us out for a delicious dinner at 'Island Prime', with a panoramic view of the magnificent SD skyline at night, a real luxury after boat life. Ivor invited us to stay with himself and Deann at Rancho Santa Fe for an evening and delectable steak BBQ on the deck.





Just sit right back
And you'll hear a tale
A tale of a fateful trip,
That started from this tropic port,
Aboard this tiny ship.
The mate was a mighty sailin' gal,
The Skipper brave and sure,
And one Westie set sail that day,
For a one year tour,
A one year tour...
'Gilligan's Island'

When the Sun comes up on the Santa Monica Boulevard....

We docked at the swanky California Yacht Club, in Marina Del Rey, Santa Monica, California only to find we had been given a slip too small and were now wedged in like sardines in a can! A good chap next door helped us find another more suitable slip and we headed up to the 'Chartroom' (a euphemism for the bar in boatspeak), to call the Irish contingent, Colin, and Dora, to meet up with us. On the return to the boat we noticed a sign, 'FOUND: Westie with Red Scarf wandering the Docks'! We quickly recovered the happy wanderer, and thanked our fellow mariner, Bill, for his troubles. Back on dry land, we stayed a couple of nights with Colin and shared a sunny day sail and delightful evening and BBQ with neighbours Mike and Leo.
        Next day we were off to Redondo Beach,CA.where we felt the concrete-car-consciousness closing in on us. After the solitude of sea travel the noise and traffic of the streets and highways seems a little crazy at times. However, the bike paths are wonderful and we peddled to the Santa Monica Pier, and Venice Beach where you can see anything from roller-bladers in drag to hippy Peace nics, all enjoying the vibe and selling their wares including 'medical Marajuana'!

         Our next port of call was the stunning Newport Beach harbour community of gorgeous waterfront villas, all with their own dock, and of course, personal yacht tied up outside. All the best toys! Now we know how the other half lives!  Catalina Island was our destination for the weekend. We picked up Colin and the UK Princess, Dora, at the dock, and cruised over to this most idyllic of spots. Tucked away on this tiny island is the seaside town of Avalon, reminiscent of a traditional European village. Once moored in the bay we set out to explore the village by motorized golf cart, with former race car driver, Colin, at the wheel. Yikes!( Fortunately top speed was only 16mph)   Later we celebrated Dora's birthday at a local steakhouse and toasted the day with a bottle of bubbly all round.

          Unfortunately, all good things must end, for on our return trip home in the dinghy we went to disembark on Chantey and all went ass-over-tea-kettle straight into the drink! Luckily, we made a quick recovery and were back on board wringing ourselves out a joking of our misadventures, thanks to our good-natured and resilient friends Colin and Dora.
          Back in Newport Beach, toasty warm and dry once more, we peered out the hatch and there sat Sea Whisper, with Barbara and Lionel aboard, our Bluewater pals from back home in Victoria. What a pleasant surprise! It is great to explore this beautiful coastline of ours, but home is where the heart is.
 With Lionnel's expertise we were able to resurrect the outboard motor, which had also taken a dip, in readiness for future predicaments! And so we sail off again for more of life's rich pageant
 "There is nothing, absolutely nothing,
   half so much worth doing,
   as messing about in boats"

   Kenneth Graeme, Wind in the Willows
               

Monterey Musings

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The fog has lifted, and we sailed into Monterey Bay, buddy boating with our new sailor pals, John and Nikki on SV Seychelles. We spent the day touring the stunning coastline and visiting the world of Steinbeck and Cannery Row (more sardines), and the street market filled with earthly delights. A beautiful part of the world to hang your hat, or sou'wester, for that matter. It is also the home of the Monterey Pop Festival, where Jimmy Hendrix lit his fire on stage and made rock history!

Morro Bay

     The next stop was Morro Bay, literally 'The Rock', named for a monolithic rock at the entrance to the harbour shaped like a giant steaming Christmas pudding. Once inside, we were in a lovely sand-dune encased estuary, and tied up with the very good folks at the Morro Bay Yacht Club. Later in the evening we joined our local mariners for a convivial Happy Hour, which turned into two and then some, with our most gracious hosts.

      Next we prepared for the dreaded crossing of Point Conception and dropped the hook in Port San Luis (Obispo) for a very lumpy night at sea. Three a.m. saw us hauling anchor in the dark, ready for a long day (18hours), around the point. As fate would have it, it turned out to be the calmest day so far, with virtually no wind, sunny skies, and a slow, uneventful passage into Southern California and the land of warm breezes.  Daragh breathed a sigh of relief when we arrived in Santa Barbara harbour after dark, a bit of a challenge with the lights of the city blending with the red and green harbour markers.

    Santa Barbara is a gorgeous setting amidst swaying palm trees and the elegant streets lined with the traditional Spanish architecure and inviting lush courtyards.We splurged out and dined at an excellent bistro a few blocks down on the main drag. Of course, one must sample the fine wines of the region,and we can verify they are all fabulous! We wished a fond farewell to this charmed place, and reluctantly headed out to more distant shores, notably Ventura, and Santa Monica's, Marina del Rey where Daragh hopes to meet Angelina Joli roller-blading on the Venice Beach boardwalk. A last note to the Bluewater cruisers; you will notice that Georgie has abandoned his signature red scarf for the blue and orange burgie of the BCA's!

"The Road goes ever on and on,

Down from the door where it began,

Now far ahead the road has gone,

And I must follow if I can,

Pursuing it with eager feet,

Until it joins some larger way

Where many paths and errands meet,

And wither then I cannot say."

Bilbo Baggins, JRR Tolkein

I Left My Heart...

   Here we are docked center-stage with the whole glorious bay of San Francisco at our feet. We have taken in all the sights including Fisherman's Wharf, The Museum of Modern Art, and Market Street. It has been great fun except for the general cacaphony of noise from Pier 39 due to the tour boats and the mosh pit of sea lions flaked out at the dock next door. We left a day early for the Alameda Yacht Club (Oakland) on the canal. There we received a warm welcome from the local sailors in the bar, especially seasoned sailor Jolly, Geena Sunshine, and newlywed husband John, the barmistress and club chef. We will always remember their warm hospitality when thinking of the AYC
A blustery sail across the bay landed us at the very posh San Francisco Yacht Club in Belvedere/Tiburon township. We meandered the quiet streets and admired the elegant architecture at every turn. Later we treated ourselves to a bevvy at the very grand Corinthian Yacht Club and prepared for a sail down the Napa River to Benicia with it's beautiful, sunny marina and a lovely community with lots of cutsie shops and coffee houses to stroll, and a great bike trail.

Master  and Commander

       Sausalito has been a highlight of our trip so far. This trendy, bedroom community of San Fran has a stunning waterfront with many nifty shops and eateries. We cycled up a windy roadway to the San Francisco Bridge where we were literally blown away by the windswept hillsides and misty vales. Back in the marina we met up again with  John and Nicky from Seychelles, and George and Tuuli, and kitty aboard  Albion, and planned to buddy-boat down to Halfmoon Bay. Our jolly threesome anchored in the harbour and arrived at the Halfmoon Bay Yacht Club in time for a BBQ and live music. The guidebook described it as a 'Steinbeck' experience, which we interpretted as down to earth, homey,and friendly, which proved to be all of the above thanks to Commodore Ray, wife Krista and the hardworking folks there!  We especially got a charge out of the hand-pull dock/ferry from the dinghy dock to the clubhouse. Another gem along the way!

     "went into a church, I passed along the way,
       I got down on my knees, and I began to pray,
       I'd be safe and warm, if I was in L.A.
       California Dreamin', you got me in a daze".

Under the Golden Gate!

The Big moment had arrived. The moment we had dreamed of....cruising under the San Francisco Bridge!.... and it was so enshrouded in fog we couldn't see a blessed thing! As we motored into the blustery bay (the only wind all day) we could see the Island of Alcatraz looming ahead in the mist. Then the fog cleared in front and we inhaled the stunning vistas of the Bay Area as we were carried into our slip at the St. Francis Yacht Club.

   Our first mission was to put together our folding bikes which we had purchased and had delivered to the Saint Francis ahead of us. Thumbs up to Don from West Marine SF for going the extra mile. (50 actually!) That accomplished we set out to a nearby bicycle shop to research carriers for puppy dogs. George chose a modest wicker basket style, and happily rode along behind Daragh taking in all the sights along the way. Hopefully he will learn to lean into the curves eventually! Tomorrow we head to the famous Pier 39 and, as usual, stay at the best accomodation in the bay, Chantey V.

California Here We Come!

 Eureka! Yes, Eureka, California, our first landfall over the California border. At the pubic dock we met a delightful young family, Mom, Molly, and Dad and their 6 children, four girls 2 boys, and one a baby, all under 8 years old, on an old sloop with no running water! We are constantly amazed at the folks you meet along the way. They had sold all their belongings and were headed north with no specific plan or timeline.Wow!  With the chance of the weather deteriorating, we studied the forecast and decided to make an overnight passage to Fort Bragg across the formidable Cape Mendocino. As we cautiously crossed the bar next morning on our way out to sea, we knew we were in for a ride!  A rather ominous, milky orange moon hung low on the horizon  as dusk set and the wind and waves began to mount. By the time we started our watches about 9pm, the winds were moaning at 20knots and 9ft. waves were towering over us in our now seemingly tiny boat, being tossed about like matchsticks! We hunkered down for a long, dark night ahead. As the morning dawned, cold and foggy, 19hrs later, we dragged ourselves over the bar into the tiny village of Noyo River Harbour,  and Fort Bragg.
       With no slips left at the dock we tied up to a private dock beside a little seaside restaurant, Corine`s where we were welcomed by fellow sailors Michael and Brenda next door on Ruby Jean in their Haida 26.  The brothers at Corine`s, Anthony and Dominic have run the restaurant since the family emigrated to the USA 60 years ago from Italy. Dominic loaded us into his pickup truck and chauffered us into town. I christened him `The Mayor of Fort Bragg``, when ho told us of all the family holding they had accumulated in town since father Carine arrive in the 40`s and shined shoes for 10 cents each, giving the money to Mama Carine, which she squirrelled away and later invested in realestate. America, land of opportunity! Later he showed us his polka dot painted toe nails, compliments of  his wife the esthetician. Tomorrow we will reluctantly leave this charming spot and prepare for our longest day yet, 15 hours to Bodego Bay.

Astoria and the mighty Columbia River

Today, Tuesday, we crossed the infamous Columbia Bar,(Astoria, Oregon). As luck would have it the weather was clear and sunny with light winds as we timed our entry for low slack. The river current is VERY strong here, where the Columbia enters the sea, and can be one of the most dangerous in North America in poor conditions. As we crossed an enormous tanker came up from behind going 12 knots and honked loudly for us to move over! We entered under the arched bridge of Astoria and breathed a sigh of relief at a successful crossing. The harbour was peaceful and inviting after all that, and we spent the next day meandering through the town. After a satisfying luncheon at the Wet Dog Cafe, chosen by Georgie, we took the tram car to the Maritime Museum. The exhibits were excellent, with a fascinating history of the notorious Columbia River Bar and those unfortunate and brave lads who gave it the title `Graveyard of the Pacific`. The river marks the end of the Lewis and Clarke Trail which was the early route across America along the river. Tomorrow we plan our departure and the next in a series of bars, the Tillamook-Garibaldi and Newport, Oregon. 

Crossing the Bar

After some delay due to internet connection we are back in communicado once again.
Today we crossed the notorious Columbia Bar, with great trepidation. However, all went well as the weather was sunny and clear with light winds.The swells are still quite strong and one can just imagine how wild things can get out there! This was our third bar so far, so we are getting the hang of it. With good preparation and background knowledge of the shoals, depths, and current weather forecast from the Coast Guard stations, it was very do-able, just follow the recommeded way points. The trip has been a great success so far, from little first nation villages to urban centers, and gorgeous scenery, it's amazing to think we all live on this little blue planet third from the sun! Today we ventured into the delightful town of Astoria where we visited a superb Maritime Museum. Most of the displays were about the history of the Columbia River and the fearsome Bar. It told of the hundreds of ships, large and small that have braved the fierce currents, and gave it the name 'The Graveyard of the Pacific.' One certainly gains a new respect for these waters. Check out the photo of Georgie (first mate) and Cathryn from page 2 of the Port Angeles News.We're almost famous!Next stop Tillamook, and ,oh, yes, another bar!! 

Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me,
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I go out to sea.

But such a tide is moving, seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep,
Turns home again.

Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark,
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
when I embark.

For tho' from out are bourne of time and place,
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my pilot face to face,
When I have crossed the bar.

Alfred Lord Tennyson

Winter Cove, Saturna Island

Well here we are at Winter Cove, Saturna Island visiting our good friends Pat and Barb Ropars on our first stop along the voyage. Farewell Rendezvous is tomorrow and the weather is perfect for the week-end. Pat has kindly provided us moorage at the Winter CoveYacht Club which is much appreciated by first mate Georgie for his daily perambulations.  Barb, it turns out is also an O'Neill from Ireland and thus a distant relative of Cathryn! After a delicious steak dinner we were off to visit our Bluewater Cruiser friends who were just arriving for the festivities. We enjoyed a gourmet potluck dinner at the park, and then 'The Farewell the the Fleet' with the ever-eloquent Boudewijn MC-ing the event, and blessing the 37  'Leavers' with their goodie bags as they head off on their adventures.  Later we dingy'd about to visit old friends and new, and exchange last minute words of wisdom, and general goodwill wishes along the way. Daragh and I would like to thank all the Bluewater folks for your support and encouragement, and most of all for welcoming us into the fold. Without you, we wouldn't be setting out this day to live out our dream. Happy sailing til we meet again from Chantey.