Friday, August 15, 2014

500 Nautical Miles and Counting...



 We fell so in love with Catalina that we decided to stay a while longer. We moved the boat over to a mooring in the Avalon Harbor and felt like we were in the middle of a heavenly mix of land and sea. The next few days were filled with snorkeling, island touring (by foot, golf cart, and dinghy), swimming, eating, drinking, and just hanging on the back of the boat. We never would have know what time it was if it were not for the beautiful bell tower that rang on the hour, and for the happy hour dinghy cruisers that started at promptly at 4:30 pm. And, speaking of hours, we will be counting each one until we can return to this magical place.
A view of Avalon from the historical Avalon Casino.
Hey little lady- wanna ride in my little boat???
Photo we asked some nice tourist to take
Avalon has been known for its beautiful tiles since the mid twenties
And this was on a slow day...
Hanging on the boat...
NOT hanging on the boat
Joining the happy hour cruisers- I mean, when in Rome...
Dinner at our new fav restaurant- The Avalon Grille
The Avalon Grille's Dragon Berry Mojito

-Bacardi Dragon Berry Rum                        
-Simple Syrup                                              
-Fresh muddles of strawberry, mint, and lime
-Splash of Sprite        
                                     
Avalon captured from the Bell Tower. Can you find the Emily B?
Sunrise over Catalina...

 This is our last posting here on the blog. We are back in Marina Del Rey for the weekend to see a few more friends and to prepare to leave the boat in SoCal for a bit. Thank you to everyone who has taken this virtual journey with us. We have been so immersed in the natural world and all of her moods, elements, and creatures- all the stuff the soul is made of- and we are so happy that we could share even a small bit of it with the people we love the best! You have all been very patient with the puns and jokes- but buoy, don't you think puns are just swell? Want to hear moor? Beach, please, haven't you had enough? Shorely knot...

What did one ocean say to the other ocean?  Nothing, it just waved!

What do you call a baby whale?  A little squirt.

What kind of phone does a mermaid use?  A shell-phone.










Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Catalina- A Postcard Through the Porthole

Captain B installing the new grill after the regulator from the old one fell into the sea
Hanging in Santa Monica...
Filler' up!
Captain B going over mooring procedure- very serious stuff
Catalina- here we come!
Our mooring view to the left...
...and to the right
WE LOVE CATALINA!!!
One more sunset toast...
After spending a few days in Santa Monica we headed out for Catalina Island. Chris had talked often about how much he loved this place but words don't describe it's beauty. The island's one town, Avalon, feels like a small European seaside port, and the color of the water here is unbelievable. Today we plan to snorkel in the underwater park and later take a golf cart tour of the island. Or, maybe we'll just do whatever floats our boat...

"The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Yves Cousteau

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Marina Del Rey!



 After passing Malibu and Paradise Cove, the Santa Monica Pier was in plain view and we knew we had made it! Pulling into Marina Del Rey was exhilarating - like crossing an emotional finishing line. We settled into our dock at the California Yacht Club and celebrated our journey with a sunset toast before attending the club's weekly seafood buffet. The next day we spent visiting friends both on and off the water. As the sun began to ebb, we reflected on how this has shorely been a great adventure so far.

Santa Monica Pier
Pulling into Marina Del Rey- Whoo Hoo!!!
Captain B is so excited he can't sit still
The marina is gorgeous...
and HUGE!
The B has landed
Captain B all cleaned up and ready for the buffet
A surprise visit from our friend Richard and the New Zealand chase boat from the America's Cup that he was taking out for a spin.
Out for a ride with Skipper Dick (as the ladies lovingly called him at the bachelorette party last fall)
this lil' boat went quite fast
Ending the day with dinner at Shutters in Santa Monica...
...and laundry.
Good night sun
Goodnight sea gull flock
Goodnight drunken skipper
and your loud girlfriend
and your barking dog
Next to our dock.

What do you call a small pirate ship?    A thug boat






Friday, August 8, 2014

They call him Flipper...

On our way to Marina Del Rey today we had the most amazing visit from a very playful pod of dolphins. We tried to capture a small fragment of this magical gift from the sea. This page is dedicated to all dolphins everywhere. You know who you are. Peace out.










In what year did the first season of the tv show "Flipper" start?
1964

What were the names of the two children that were friends of Flipper's on the show?
Sandy and Bud Ricks  

What was the name of sandy's pet pelican?
Pete

What did the animal trainer for the set of Flipper go on to do after the death of the dolphin that most often played the character of Flipper?
Become a world -renowned animal activist.

Thursday, August 7, 2014

The Interception of Point Conception and Beyond

Waking up to a glassy dawn...
...coffee, tea and navigational charts for breakfast.
The 1st Mate was very concerned as we rounded the infamous Point Conception.
Flipper! I think we saw around 200 of your brothers and sisters today.
artsy photo to pass the time...
Captain B with a big smile as we pull into Santa Barbara.
Postcard pic
Another postcard pic
Our home for the next two days
Hi! We're here!
Guest dock welcome committee
Like OMG the sweetest yacht club EVER! (we are in SoCal now)
Oily feet after a walk on the beach. The Santa Barbara Channel has the world's largest natural oil seepage, which we learned about first hand (or, first foot, rather).
In addition to having awesome restaurants, pleasure boats, and every water sport available, the dock is home to tons of commercial fishing boats.
Sea urchins fresh from the Channel Islands. We were starting to wonder if there were any left after today...
Uni, anyone?
"I'm a cowboy...on a seahorse I ride..."
Captain B checking the buoy weather app to plot the course for tomorrow's departure
as the 1st Mate is submerged in the Santa Barbara sunset. LA here we come...
 For months before this trip, Chris was anxious about the idea of rounding Point Conception. The Point, located between Morro Bay and Santa Barbara, is notorious for its strong winds and crazy currents. The ancient Chumash people called it Humqaq, meaning The Raven Comes, and believed it was a place where the souls of the dead could pass from the mortal world to a heavenly paradise. Chris timed it perfectly, however, and rounded the Point during a weather window that was so mellow I almost slept through it. Kudos to Chris for being an amazing captain and for taking such good care of us on this journey. And congrats, Captain B, for crossing off one more thing off your bucket list!!