Dana Point Stop

Sunday, October 23

We are learning California's coast harbor by harbor. Sometimes it’s confusing. Last night for example, looking for a free slip in Newport we found ourselves next to the Balboa YC. Actually it’s in Corona Del Mar. To us these sounded like different places. BYC was a very nice club with a great chef. Finally I found sand dabs on the menu.

In the morning we hopped down to Dana Point to visit the Pilgrim, a replica of the ship Richard Dana described in Two Years before the Mast. Anchoring conveniently off the Ocean Institute dock, we rowed in, signed up for a Pilgrim tour, and visited the exhibits including one on the addition of plastics to ocean beaches. (Results of one study locally yielded 11% plastics in the sand.)

The “captain” of the ship met us at the dock and entertained an enthusiastic group for about an hour with salty stories including a ghost story of Jack Tar whose frozen hands we found locked onto a ship’s wheel after a dreadful storm at Cape Horn. The kids ate it up. (See Charlie in photo.)

Making it a rare two stop day, we headed off to spend the night in Oceanside.

A Real Bike Trip

Saturday, October 22

Under the gun to vacate our slip at noon, we decided to go for a very early morning bike ride to the Bolsa Chica Conservancy, an estuary in Huntington Beach, a spot our friend Carolyn had recommended visiting. As it has been for days, the morning was foggy, so foggy that we could barely see. Luckily the paved trail along Long Beach is the best we’ve pedaled, wide and smooth (no tree roots!) with three lanes. Long Beach really deserves the name. It must be about 4 miles long. Oncoming bikes were few as we felt our way through the water droplets, my glasses hiding in a pocket. Charlie wondered how the gulls could see to land.

When we reached the end, it was early enough that few travelers were out. We continued along canals with every inch of mooring space occupied, mostly by white motorboats, and finally met the Pacific Coast Highway. Although in places it’s a 50 mph road, the biking world has claimed it for recreational use, at least on weekends. Following several friendly encounters with lycra clad athletes, we stopped for breakfast at a bike clogged Starbuck’s in Peter’s Landing, just a mile short of our destination.

Bolsa Chica was a military site now being restored to its natural state by the efforts of a lot of local people. A large crew of students had gathered to be instructed in the removal of invasive plants. The kids were having a great time hauling huge bags of weeds and smashing them into dumpsters. We walked out the trail to a gun emplacement passing lots of shorebirds drilling into the mud, a few mourning doves, sparrows and black peewees sitting on the wire fence. Coyotes roamed on the other side. I would have like to spend the whole day there, especially on a guided walk. Instead we zipped back, in lessening fog, and sailed off. Good-bye L.A. Hello Newport!

Consorting with the old Queen

Friday, October 20
Why would we make two stops in L.A. ? Some people have asked. The short answer was Long Beach, the home of that grand old lady of the seas, Queen Mary. Both Charlie and I had sailed on her during our youth, he in 1959 and I in 1962. We had to see what had become of her. As kids we weren’t interested the décor or the history. As adults we were amazed at what we hadn’t appreciated then. Of course we weren’t allowed in the beautiful art deco bar.

Edie, the shuffleboard patterns are still painted on the deck, but the ping pong room is gone! Charlie’s favorite part was the engine “room” of course. Finding a propeller in its own water box was a thrill, too.



The radio room is still is use, operated by the local Ham club and usable during emergencies as a communications base.

We also toured her dockmate, the Scorpion, a Russian sub retired in 1994.

Most amazing fact: Submariners were allowed one shower per week. They had the luxury of hot salt water for one whole minute.

L. A. Take Two

Thursday October 20
On Thursday we sailed around to the south side of L. A. passing the longest, most complex series of breakwaters ever. San Pedro Bay, a.k.a. Los Angeles harbor makes all the other U. S. harbors look like one zip code towns. There are so many different loading docks spread out so far that it's impossible to distinguish them all, but at one time I counted at least 130 cranes. Threading our way past the three entry channels and noting next to the third the handsome Cunard ocean liner Queen Mary, we tied up at the Rainbow Harbor Marina. Perhaps it was named for the tacky cement constructions in fading tropical colors on the island bordering one side. There was an aqua blue paneled tower and several mango and papaya walls we couldn't figure out. At night, hearing water rushing, we looked out and saw it transformed into a lighted panorama with two waterfalls, all created for our entertainment? Upon inquiry we found that the oil wells on the island had been camouflaged by civic demand.

L. A.'s Top Two

Tuesday, October 18

The choices for tourist activities in L.A. are even more overwhelming than in S.F. Our top 5 included the La Brea Tar Pits and the Page Museum both, surprisingly, set in a lush green park framed with the ubiquitous palm trees. In spite of the challenging odds against creating a Pleistocene era feeling, the eloquent docent in the current excavation and the historic recreations of the museum do quite well. Oily patches in the lawn helped to add a slightly ominous note to the bucolic manscaped veneer.

That afternoon we set off in a rented car for the wilds of Universal Studios. Expecting a total, overpriced tourist trap, we weren’t disappointed. However we had no sense of the scale of the place. First you park, then wander through a giant 2-storey mall called City Walk with every franchised label in America, until you finally run into the entry gates for the “Studios.” Ha! It’s actually an amusement park. We should have googled ahead, but that would have reduced the shock and awe.

To get in you need as much ID as for travel to a foreign land. They pressure you to get a VIP pass to go to the head of all the lines. True to Stillman form, we stuck with the bare bones pass even though we only had 3 hours til closing. As soon as we were inside we ran for the Jurassic Park river ride. It was at the far end of everything, including a series of three towering escalators that moved as if lubricated with library paste. We rushed into the very short line and boarded the boat, by chance in the front row seats.

I got out my camera and, heeding the sign “Hats will Fly Off” took off my hat. In the early stages of the ride I got unblocked pix of dinos, though a couple spat streams of water at us. Then came the dire and funny T-Rex lunges and signs saying Danger Water Treatment Facility Do Not Enter. We climbed high in the darkness and I hid my camera under my sweatshirt on my lap. At the top we saw that we were going to fall the same distance as all three escalators stacked on top of each other. Don’t you love to scream! The splash at the bottom was all real.

I spent the rest of the time at U. S. drying out and getting stared at.

Viewing the Getty Villa

Monday, October 17

Steve fetched us in his big white van, drove us across the canals of Venice and past the shore beaches to visit the Getty Villa. Mr. Getty’s ambition was to create the feeling of life in Roman times with the buildings and gardens, a great deal of it being outdoors. We loved the varied floor tiling and parquet patterns as well as the exhibited classical period art.

Dinner was at the Marina del Rey YC where we were staying. It's a wonderful YC. Their Monday night football dinner for $5, run by members, is a great idea. We sat at the bar (staffed and open) to eat. It was very social and most of the members ignored the game on t.v. Later I browsed through their large exchange library. Lots of contemporary books, several we've read for book groups, were shelved and organized in a large room. I swapped an enormous hard cover Wolf Hall for The Bone People.

Marina del Rey, our Introduction to L.A

Sunday, October 16

I biked out early for an Oxnard farmers’ market reconnaissance in preparation for dinner at Marina del Rey with my cousin Steve and his partner Jeannine. Fantastic blueberries, strawberries and greenstuff plus rockfish right off the boat.

Our arrival in Marina del Rey coincided with the height of Sunday afternoon activity. The entrance was completely full of boats. We could see why they’ve legislated three lanes between the breakwaters! The center lane is for boats that are sailing in (with spinnakers) or short tacking out. Or, in the case of the UCLA sailing team, practicing their buoy rounding in short races.

At the dogleg we got our first glimpse of L. A. whimsy with the colorful shoreline village showing typical Los Angelinos' coastal living.

Oxnard drive by

Saturday, October 15

A delightful day starting with wing and wing run down to Channel Islands Harbor on unusually calm seas. Our sunset stroll took us out to the beach where young kids in wetsuits were running into the waves, still practicing on surfboards at the end of a day’s competition. Tied up at the Pacific Corinthian YC dock in Andy Werner’s Harbor Patrol waters, we finally got organized to give him a call. He came around for a wonderful visit, told us all about the harbor and the cute little electric boats “Duffys” everyone drives there. We sent him off with a sample of his mother’s cooking, the best I could do to replicate her Mid-rat bars.

Ventura Visits

Friday, October 14

Work day: stayed below for hours planning our trip through Ensenada. I went out to West Marine by bike and found a trail running between a huge cement drainage ditch and vast strawberry fields. Boxes stacked alongside the rows labeled Driscoll gave away a source of Central Market’s supply!

On the way back I had to stop to repair a puncture and came back covered with grease and dirt. The lovely VYC shower took care of that. Jake showed up again for the Octoberfest dinner at the club and to take a few shots (not jello) for our Malo friends.

We had lively dinner conversation with Commodore Gary Bright who had arrived on his nice 46' Dutch built ketch "Antares". We'll see him southbound though he'll only have a short time in Mexico. We enjoyed hearing about the way their club is run. We were impressed by the nice facility and youth sailing fleet.

Ventura Beach Walk

Thursday, October 13

What a wonderful morning I had on the beach!

Yesterday evening the booming of the surf seemed to be right outside the boat it was so loud. You expected to hear the crash and then feel the boat roll. We did feel the waves, not like they are on the ocean rolling the boat or lifting it but instead short twists as we surged forward, the spring line tensioned, and we were snubbed against the dock. It wasn’t uncomfortable but a bit annoying. Later Charlie fixed the springs crossing and extending them adding stretch to absorb the rocking.

The sound of the surf still held my attention this morning, reminding me of my plan from last night to get off on an early walk toward the protected part of the beach that Jake had mentioned. Binoculars in hand I strode off across the 4 lane boulevard that runs along the ocean front here. Sometimes it really works to push off on your own.

There is a heavy board fence between the street and the beach, too tall to scale, and few crosswalks, actually only one that I saw in the mile or so stretch I explored. This makes it necessary to know where to get through to the sand, but is probably good for the dune structure. The municipal powers seem to be working on building up the dunes, a dream job for a few overgrown boys roaring around in giant yellow John Deere bucket loaders this morning.

I walked along near the harbor entry breakwaters at first. Willets and a few dowagers were foraging in the wet sand. Further along an enormous flock of gulls sat out the morning. Mostly Western and Heerman’s but some California and a few royal terns that occasionally made fishing dives. I crossed the road, checked out the unopened stores in the “harbor village” and then crossed where a few surfers were cooking breakfast on the back flaps of their pickups.

At the dunes I read a warning about the protection of birds on this section of beach, in particular the snowy plovers and least terns. I walked along seeing no one and no birds until a little rolling motion in the sand caught my eye. It wasn’t sand in motion, it was a small bird. Suddenly the whole beach was rearranging itself. I’d practically trampled a flock of 50 or so snowy plovers. They are so perfectly camouflaged for the sand color that hunkered down in the shallow sand pits you really don’t notice them. They were also very calm and let me walk to within 15 or so feet before walking off. None flew but their large eyes fixed on me and I knew when a couple ran off a ways that I’d come to the limit of their personal space.

Later I treated myself to a haircut for about twice what I pay in Seattle. (Martine, you should be pleased.) At the boat we did a little boat maintenance including teaching me how to pump up the water pressure (lucky I had brought my mini bike pump.) Then we rode over to return the visit with Jake. His boat has several clever additions including a stern anchor bracket. He has learned to sew like a pro. He designed and made his sail cover and dodger! Very nice.

The afternoon temps hit 93 here with not a cloud in the sky. At least there were bike lanes wherever we rode and the harbor path isn’t next to a road. It was peaceful riding around the high rent district of Ventura Key, a sort of water maze where everyone has a dock with a boat tied to it and all the trees are palm.

By evening we needed to make our nut as Charlie used to say. Not having finished the last item on my list, I got out the scissors and with the assist of an icy margarita made it a twofer haircut day.

Malo Owners' Reunion

On Wednesday we pulled out the bike bags, rode around town a bit and took off for Ventura, about 20 miles down the coast. Somehow the pedaling and the sailing are always downhill here. (Could we be coasting on those Irish travelers' blessings?)

The breeze was a bit light providing plenty of opportunity for photos of oil rigs. At one time we could see 11. The sea conditions were so smooth that we sailed wing and wing for about an hour, arriving in Ventura in time to catch our fellow Malo owner, Jake, still at work. He hailed us from the deck of Maloose "up on the hard," surprising us at the T of the harbor entrance. We tied up at the beautiful Ventura YC with the surf booming onto the beach across from their parking lot.

That evening Jake biked over and we had a great reunion, compared boat modifications and told stories. Jake kindly appeared fascinated by Charlie’s iPhone photos of insulating the fridge.

Santa Barbara

Tuesday, October 11

After rolling at anchor all night, we were anxious to secure one of the very few visitor slips in the marina. Some of Santa Barbara’s docks are under construction making it a tight fit for transients. Before 9 we pulled up at the Harbormaster’s office, right next to West Marine! While we waited, a uniformed marina worker strode up to the boat and popped a florazine dye tablet into each of our heads. We never flush overboard in marinas, but this was the first time we’d seen anything but the honor system in use. Confirming warnings that the relaxed approach to cruisers would change in Southern California, the amount of registration paperwork increased as well. Security in the marina required the use of a gate card for every entrance, even the on-dock bathrooms.

Even from the marina we could see that we had really arrived in Southern California. The beachfront walk is planted with palm trees. To us they look unreal and out of place. Everyone exercising on the walk seemed tall blond and athletic. The only other tall trees are eucalyptus.

We visited the Maritime Museum, also on the dock, and enjoyed the large exhibit on deep sea diving equipment lots of which was used in the oil drilling business, by the Seals and for wreck salvage. Their Channel Island restoration video and the good reports on the recovery of the sea bass, brown pelican and other island populations is encouraging. Strangely these droughty islands had been used for sheep and cattle ranching which destroyed vegetation and allowed some nasty foreign species like rats to take over. Now where these have been removed the former natives are returning nicely.

For dinner we found ourselves cheating a little, eating at Brophy’s overlooking the marina. They make the best clam chowder since Joe Knowles! Afterward we watched fisherman unloading huge nets full of spiny urchins into bins on the dock.

Southern California (or is this Hollywood?)

Monday, October 10

South of Port San Luis the coast of California bends to the east, rounding Points Arguello and Conception, notorious for nasty conditions in a blow. Charlie had been worrying a bit and wanted to take the turn when the weather was stable. Favorable northwesterlies, 25 knots, had been blowing every day and were forecast to continue. Figuring we’d sail the 75 miles to San Miguel Island in time to anchor in daylight, we took off at 4 a.m. in hopes that the rounding wouldn’t be tough. Of course we ended up with a double reefed main and half the jib for most of the trip. Unfortunately dense fog diminished our enjoyment of the scenery, entirely obscuring views of “Irene” our first oil rig!

As actual wind speeds of over 30 brought us to within 12 miles of Cuyler Harbor an hour ahead of schedule, our feet got colder and colder. Anchoring in foggy, unknown and possibly poorly protected conditions seemed unwise. Luckily the cautious skipper du jour, Charles, made the call to change course. We jibed over to a fast beam reach headed for the mainland.

It seemed that within a few minutes of re-entering the shipping lanes in Santa Barbara Channel the weather warmed, the fog cleared, angels began to sing and we discovered for dinner a very tasty packet of Indian curry that required us only to boil water. The only disconcerting element turned up close to shore where we powered into oily water. It actually smelled quite strong. Later we learned that just north of Santa Barbara the Coal Oil Point area has oil seeps. There was no room in the marina but with the big bright moon anchoring outside Sterns Wharf was no problem.