Pictures of Catalina

Only about 4 months late, I finally uploaded pictures of our Catalina trip to Picasa. (For those of you who use Facebook, they are essentially the same as the ones I uploaded there in August.)

Cruising to Catalina Island

Anchorage: Glorietta Bay

Mo-C with Hotel Del in the background

 Last Tuesday, we set sail for Glorietta Bay with our friend Andrea. We anchored for two nights and Adam and Jasmine met up with us and anchored on the second day. We had some good times with good friends. It used to feel like bay sails to La Playa and Glorietta were so much work that sometimes we opted to stay put on the mooring ball. Ever since our Catalina trip, however, our perspective has changed. Looks like this anchorage was number 4 for the year, not counting the Mission Bay/Dana Point/Catalina trip. Not bad for a couple of newbies! 

Rita and Mo-C anchored in Glorietta Bay

Catalina Island Videos

The internet gods have not been smiling on me lately. I went to the Cafe yesterday to upload pics and videos but I wasn't able to get online there because they were having issues with their router. Ben was able to upload some Catalina videos from his computer, so I figured I'd start with those for now. We left Dana Point around 4:15 AM on July 25th and pretty much motored the whole way to Catalina... around 10 hours. We threw up the sails for about the last hour of the trip, when the wind finally greeted us. We were anchored in Hamilton Beach by 1:45 PM. As we arrived at Hamilton Beach, we were greeted by a playful pod of dolphins:



We spent one night in the rollers at Hamilton Beach and by morning I insisted we grab a mooring at Avalon. (This was my first experience cruising and I wanted to go home with happy thoughts about sailing and anchoring.) Perhaps the Harbor Master felt sorry for the only girl on board (Adam left his boat anchored @ Hamilton Beach and came along for the ride to Avalon) because he gave us a pretty sweet mooring, right next to the dinghy dock and close to all the action. Ben went for a quick swim under and around Mo-C and took the camera with him:




We headed back to San Diego on Thursday morning, July 28th around 8:30 AM. The usual northwest wind had switched to a southeast wind so it was a bit of a hindrance to us. The forecast predicted it would switch back to the northwest around noon but it never did. After about 20 hours of motorsailing, we arrived back on the ball at 4:20 AM on Friday the 29th. We traveled a total of 168 nautical miles in 44 hours and 26 minutes over a 10 day period. We learned a lot along the way, much of which I'll share in future posts. We also took lots of photos and as soon as I'm able to upload them, I'll post them here.

Dana Point

Mo-C on the hook in Dana Point

 When we arrived in Dana Point yesterday, Adam had used up his 5 days for this month in the protected anchorage so he had to anchor outside the breakwater. We anchored out there with him and tried to catch some Zzzz's. I got up pretty early (I was feeling refreshed from the 4 hours of carbon monoxide-induced sleep I'd gotten while underway the night before) and got caught up on some work. When Ben got up, we dinghied to land and ate some giant hamburgers (sailing does funny things to you) and then returned to the boat. The ocean anchorage is like, well, let's just say it is kind of difficult to work from a laptop and a monitor while having to hold on to your seat. It's like working on a rollercoaster, I guess you could say. Since Ben and I have never been to the protected anchorage, we decided to pick up and move inside the breakwater where I could work in peace. It's amazing what a difference a breakwater makes!

Rita on the hook at Dana Point

We learned a few things along the way from Mission Bay to Dana Point. Ben found out the engine wasn't charging the batteries as it should have been, so he adjusted that today. There was absolutely no sun when we came up here, so our batteries really needed that extra boost from the engine while we were underway. Before we left, we got a Simrad TP22 Tiller Pilot to make the trip a little easier, but naturally, it needed some adjusting so we (okay, Ben) had to hand-steer the entire way. I helped out whenever he needed but I was mostly fixated on not getting ill or losing my mind, as I said before. He's currently working on adjusting the tiller pilot to fit the boat, but none of the trips we'll be making now will be as long as the one from Mission Bay to Dana Point, so if it's not working, we can suck it up and steer. There's a big learning curve out here. Not just from the ocean and the wind, but just understanding the ins and outs of being underway. Luckily we have Adam to give us tips, not only on navigating but also simpler things like what to keep in our ditch bag. It really helps to have a an experienced cruiser guiding us along the way!

We are leaving for Newport tonight or tomorrow morning. I'll post again when we arrive.

Buddy Boating

Adam's boat Rita off our starboard bow

 Yesterday afternoon, we left Mission Bay and headed north to Dana Point. Our first big trip in Mother Culture. We buddy-boated with our friend Adam and made it to Dana Point early this morning, around 6:00am. Overall, we went 59.6 nautical miles in 17 hours and 22 minutes, at an average of 3.4 knots. We sailed about 6 or 7 hours and motored the rest of the way. When we first started sailing three years ago, we always swore we'd never use the motor. That's what sailing is all about, right? But when you're out there moving 0.0 knots, it can be treacherous, so we motored. For me, the trip was an exercise in mind over matter. This was my first long-distance trip so I was mainly focused on not going insane. Luckily, Ben and the voices in my head kept me company along the way. ;) We're not much for planning so we'll be here in Dana for a day or two so I can catch up on some work and then we'll see where the wind takes us.

Rita under Sail

Spring Sailing

Ben and I have both been honing our sailing skills this year. Back in March, I enrolled in a US Sailing Keelboat sailing class at Mission Bay Aquatic Center. You might be wondering why a girl with a boat would bother taking a class when she can learn through trial and error right here at home. I am the type of girl who needs to feel competent away from my man. It seems to be a running joke among the men on the mooring field that their wives or girlfriends couldn't save them if they fell overboard. Those jokes aren't funny to me, and I'm happy to report I took the written exam a couple weeks ago and passed. So I am now a US Sailing certified Keelboat sailor. I learned tons of cool stuff, like how to tie a bowline without looking in a book (finally!), how to rig a boat, how to heave-to, the Figure-8 and Quick-Stop man overboard drills, among other things. And the best part is, now I can rent a boat anywhere in the U.S.A! (I know, I know, we already have a boat. But if we fly somewhere, we can't take our boat with us!)

As you can see in the picture above, Ben has been getting his share of sailing practice, too. Recently, he's been perfecting his skills around the Bay on Joe & Julie's "Bad Seed."

Memorial Day Sail

I thought I'd have more time to blog this summer but I decided to take a couple 6-week summer courses, so those have taken precedence for now. Hopefully, I'll make more time to write when I finally have a break in July and August. Although I haven't had a chance to write, I did find time to squeeze in some sailing. On Memorial Day, our neighbors Joe and Julie hijacked another neighbor's beautiful Hans Christian 38' and took Ben, Lola and I along for the ride. Joe tried to get me at the helm, but I have a strict policy of NOT captaining a boat that I can't afford to replace... so other than trying out the wheel for a few minutes (so different from our tiller steering!), I left the dirty work to the others and sat back and enjoyed the ride. The rollers were pretty big out in the ocean so we headed back towards home and bumped into some friends along the way. Here are some pics:

Sailing On Point

Rainy Day Excursion

We've been experiencing our share of rain here in San Diego over the last couple of weeks. A couple weeks ago, Ben's Mom, his sister Jenny and her three kids came down from the east coast to splash around with us. We didn't have too many opportunities to take them sailing, due to our busy schedules and the bad weather. But with the help of our friend Justin, we managed to get out there one Saturday, much to the chagrin of the seasoned salts on the field. A storm was making its way straight up the bay, so we had enough time to get out of the mooring field, raise the sails, dip the rail and soak ourselves before heading back. Naturally the sun came out just as we were arriving back at the dock. Ben and Adam took Jenny and the kids out again on Monday (I think his Mom had enough of an experience in the stormy weather!) and had a beautiful sail out to the ocean, complete with dolphins. I was only able to snap a few pics of our rainy day excursion (and not too many because my camera isn't waterproof and I was busy pulling in sails!). Here are the pics:

First Sail of 2011

School Daze

We're gearing up to start school again on Monday and we have pretty full loads this semester so our adventures will be few and far between for the next few months.  On our way home from Mission Bay last weekend, Mo-C experienced a little engine trouble, so Ben ordered a new carburetor and head gasket and once the parts arrive, he'll put on his grease monkey suit and take care of business.  Since summer came late this year, we're hoping it will stick around a little longer so we can take a few more weekend sailing trips before winter creeps in. 

This is a picture of Mother Culture at anchor in Mission Bay last week. 

Summer Sail

Yesterday we sailed from San Diego Bay to Mission Bay. I'm always a little nervous when sailing because I've always had a fear of the ocean. My fears have subsided a lot over the past two years but I am still very aware of the power of the ocean and I try my best to stay out of Mother Nature's way. Yesterday's sail was pretty awesome for beginners. The seas were pretty calm but we had enough wind to make it there in good time. And we even saw a pod of dolphins crossing our path!  Here are a few pics and a video...

This stealthy, wealthy boat was anchored off the edge of the mooring field when we left

I'm always a fan of the seals and sea lions on the buoys

Steering

Relaxing

At anchor

I also added a panorama shot of the anchorage at the bottom of my page.  Scroll all the way down to the very bottom of my blog to check it. But first, check out this quick video of the dolphins!

Glorietta Bay

On Thursday, we got a permit to anchor in Glorietta Bay. We decided to motor over rather than pulling out a smaller sail.  The wind was howling and there was a small craft advisory in effect. Here is a view of the skyline heading toward South Bay... it's a lot different from the view we see everyday from our mooring. 

Adam was already anchored in Glorietta, so he rowed his dinghy over and met us just before we entered the anchorage. This was our first time anchoring in Glorietta and since Adam lives on the hump, he knows the ins and outs of all the anchorages from here to Catalina. We took a spin around and found our spot and dropped anchor.  We actually dropped two anchors- Bruce on the bow and Danforth off the stern.  This is a view from our anchored boat.

Lola and Jasmine relaxing in the cockpit

There is a little beach running along one side of the Glorietta.  We took the dogs over to run around and check out the area.

Mother Culture at anchor

Our own *almost-private* beach on Coronado

The girls sniffing for buried treasures

Lola running on the beach

Coronado Bridge

The view out our window

Mother Culture

Rita (Adam's boat)

Mo-C & Dinghy

We grilled some food, had some drinks, walked to downtown Coronado and had another drink at a local bar and on Friday morning we pulled up our anchors and headed back home.  Friday was another windy day. On our trip back to the ball, we passed some people flying kites alongside the bay.  

This one was a quick trip but we're looking forward to summer, when school's out and we have more time off to take overnight trips. 

The Hump

Before I post pics from our recent anchorage in Glorietta Bay, I wanted to explain the hump.  Since I'm new to this sailing thing, I don't know much about it other than what I've been told.  I don't know if it's a universal term among live-aboards everywhere or if it's specific to San Diego.  All I know is it is supposedly possible to live aboard a boat here in San Diego without paying a fee.  There are a handful of people that "live on the hump", moving around the bay from free anchorage to free anchorage.  There are a bunch of rules and regulations that I can hardly get straight in my head and I'm still not even sure if it's possible to live this way without actually succumbing to The Man by occasionally paying a temporary slip fee or a fine for anchoring over 72-hours or without a permit.  Regardless, the whole idea fascinates me. 

Here's what I know:

• Mission Bay (depicted by anchor, upper left): Pros: You can anchor for up to 72 hours, any day of the week.  It is well-protected here, glassy like a lake.  No permit necessary.  Cons: Once your 72 hours are up (don't be late!), you can't come back again for 7 days.  Since this is the only anchorage in Mission Bay, you have to make the sail all the way back to San Diego Bay (six-ish hours) when you leave here...unless you want to pay an exorbitant amount for a temporary slip at one of the marinas.   
• Zuniga Jetty (anchor, lower left): Pros: You can anchor as long as you like for free, without a permit.  Cons: It is not very protected, making for a rocky ride.  Since it is off the coast of North Island Naval Base, you can't dinghy to shore and walk to town.  You are stuck on your boat for as long as you anchor here (unless you're bold like our friend Adam, who rowed from Zuniga Jetty to Shelter Island and back last weekend).   
• La Playa (anchor, middle left):  Pros: You can anchor for up to 72 hours, weekends only.  Fully protected, it is serene like a lake.  You can pull your dinghy up on the beach, with easy access to Shelter Island. Cons: You need a permit and you can only anchor here on weekends. 
• Glorietta Bay (anchor, lower right): Pros: You can anchor here any day of the week, for up to 72 hours.  Cons: You need a permit. There is no dinghy dock but if you want to go into town, you can beach your dinghy and run across the golf course when no one is looking. 
• Cruisers Anchorage (sailboat, upper right): Pros: You can anchor here for up to 90 days with a permit.  Cons: This anchorage is designated for visitors from out-of-town, so it doesn't actually apply to the hump but it's nice to know, anyway.   

You are required to obtain permits for La Playa and Glorietta at least 24-hours in advance of anchoring. You are allowed only three permits in one thirty day period. That's three permits total! for the month, not three for each of La Playa and Glorietta.  So once you've exhausted  your permits for the month, you have to stay at Zuniga Jetty or Mission Bay. 

So those are the basics.  And as long as you don't mind staying on your boat at Zuniga Jetty a lot of the time, it is possible to live on the hump for free.  But for now, I'll stick with my mooring.

Up next: Pictures from Glorietta Bay.

Detailed Map

Maiden Voyage of 2010

I guess I was feeling a little guilty about not posting over the past few weeks, but in retrospect, I didn't really have much to say. This blog is supposed to be about sailing and living aboard a boat and, truth be told, we hadn't sailed since our trip home from the boatyard in November. We also haven't done any "home improvements" since we hooked up the new icebox. So it wasn't that I wasn't thinking about all of you... it was that I had nothing particularly relevant to share. Until now...

On Saturday, after three full months (plus) of being stationary, we finally got off the ball.  Our intention was to get our Coast Guard inspection, which is semi-mandatory in order to keep a boat moored here in the Bay.  I say "semi-mandatory" because while it is a requirement, it doesn't seem to be very strictly enforced.  Anyway, like the law-abiding little live-aboards that we are, we moseyed over to the dock for our inspection early Saturday morning, waited 45 minutes while the Coast Guard Auxiliary dilly-dallied around, and then we realized that the registration we had on board was an expired copy and we couldn't get the boat inspected without the current copy in hand.  So we did what any sailor without a current copy of his registration on board would do...

We went sailing!!

We brought Justin and Anna along and took advantage of the gorgeous weather by sailing out to the ocean and then back to the ball before the fog rolled in just before sunset.  It was a beautiful day.  And of course we have pictures to share:

Tall Ship off our starboard bow

Justin, Anna & Ben

San Diego Skyline, complete with cruise ships

Gaff-rigged ketch off Point Loma

Point Loma, heading back into the Bay

What beautiful sails you have ;)

The fog rolling in over Point Loma

looked like a tidal wave crashing behind us

Anna & Justin

Lola making faces at the camera

Luckily, the fact that we never got our Coast Guard inspection means there will probably be more sailing adventures in the near future. Stay tuned...

Sail to Mission Bay

Yesterday, Ben, Lola & I captaind our first solo ocean sail from San Diego Bay up north to Mission Bay. We have an appointment this afternoon at Driscoll’s Boat Yard to have Mother Culture hauled out and her bottom painted. Once we got out of San Diego Bay, we had to swing really wide in order to avoid the kelp beds that run all the way up the shore. Our GPS wasn't working so we just hugged the kelp bed all the way up and made our best guess as to where the entrance to Mission Bay was.  The trip took us about 5.5 hrs and we actually motored the entire way. It’s crazy to think how a 10 minute car ride can take 5+ hours in a sailboat. After the first 3 or 4 hours, I began to channel my inner child with the words, "Are we there yet?" When we finally arrived after the sun set, we anchored in Mission Bay and went for a stroll over to the boardwalk for some grub and cocktails. Here are some pics from along the way:

The BMW Oracle,

an America's Cup Racing Boat.

To watch this thing sail is an experience in itself

Ben watching the HMCS Protecteur off our starboard bow

Seals

Sail

Point Loma from the Ocean

Waiting for the Green Flash

Me & Lola (Disguised as a Backpack)

Ben enjoying his Mug O'Jack