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Here we are in Morro Bay, half way between Monterey and Santa Barbara. We left Sausalito on Labor Day and had a disappointing sail to Pillar Point Harbor on Half Moon Bay. Instead of building, the wind died and we motored most of the way. Pillar Point is a small fishing town with a very good harbor and a large marina filled with fishing boats. We anchored in the harbor in good holding. There is a big wharf with a fish buyer and processor on the end and there are many other fishing businesses in the town. We bought a whole tuna for $12, it provided eight meals. We keep thinking we ought to fish off the boat as we go along but, like the dog that chases cars, we don't quite know what we would do if we caught one. El Nino is causing very warm waters all up the coast, causing the bait fish to come close to shore. Tuna and salmon are following and the fishing is great according to the fishermen we talked to. We heard that a marlin was caught off the coast of Washington. After two nights at Pillar Point we set off for Santa Cruz, again motoring. The wind came up at noon building to 25 knots, so we had a great sail for the last three hours of the trip. We anchored SE of the municipal wharf opposite the amusement park. The roller coaster is the original one from when the park opened in 1907. Since it was after Labor Day, the park was open from noon to 6, so it didn't bother our sleep. The anchorage was very rolly. Our "Rocker Stoppers" helped a bit, but after two nights we moved to the marina, which is very sheltered. Santa Cruz is beautiful. It is a mecca for surfers and is pretty laid back. The town itself is a mile or so back from the beach and two miles from the marina. We got our bicycles out and rode all around. We have fallen into the habit of finding a beer in the afternoon and, of course, we always look for real beer. We found a brewery in Santa Cruz that brews an Oatmeal Stout that is outstanding; it has won gold medals in Denver three years in a row. We also look for Farmers Markets wherever we are and buy fresh fruit and produce. There is always street food as well, so we have a good time. The area south of San Francisco is the produce area of California, so the fruit and vegetables are fresh and wonderful. The distribution center for West Marine is in Watsonville, 11 miles east of Santa Cruz; didn't make a pilgrimage, but felt the vibes! We did visit the local store however as we were missing the chart from Point Pinos off Monterey to Point Conception and we didn't have a harbor chart for Morro Bay. They were out of both charts, but copied what we needed out of a chart book for no charge. Then one of the employees loaded our bikes in the back of his truck and took us back to town. We left Santa Cruz on September 7, waiting until afternoon for the wind to come up. We had a perfect sail to Monterey in warm sunny weather, broad reaching in 15 to 20 knots and averaging over 7 knots for the trip. Our plans to anchor in the harbor were foiled because the whole harbor is populated by boats on buoys, so we went to the Municipal Marina. At $16 a night including electricity and free showers it was very nice. We had a slip looking right onto the harbor walk, so people watching was good. Being at a slip makes getting our bikes on and off much easier and being at anchor is peaceful and you can't beat the view, plus it helps out in the budget department. There was a Italian festival winding up steps from the boat. The band was great and the tenor solo, "O Sole Mio" was impressive, generating several encores! We liked Monterey a lot, better than Santa Cruz. The Aquarium is the best in the country and has added a $54 million addition since we were last there in 1986. We spent most of a whole day there, staying until closing. The harbor is full of seals, sea lions, elephant seals and otters. The seals fight for territory on the dingy docks and it is fascinating to watch them. The otters were considered extinct about 50 years ago, but a small colony was discovered and nurtured south of Carmel and the current population all come from that colony. One otter played around the marina, sleeping on his back and floating by the stern of our boat. Monterey is very important in California history and we took two walking tours around the city. Since the tourist season is over, we were the only participants for both tours. The State guides are very knowledgeable and the individual attention was very nice. We rode our bikes one day around the 17 mile drive through Pebble Beach and on to Carmel, where we visited the Mission that had been moved there from Monterey in the 1750s. We had previously visited the missions in San Francisco and Santa Cruz. Father Junipero Serra founded 21 missions starting in San Diego and walking north to San Francisco. Apparently he refused to ride a mule and wore sack cloth underwear laced together with barbed wire. I never did understand Catholics! He is buried at Carmel. Next stop was Morro Bay, 105 nautical miles south of Monterey. Leaving in the early afternoon, we motored out around Point Pinos, raising sail as the NW winds built. By 7 p.m. we had 35 knots and were surfing at eight knots under reefed genoa only. The winds gradually abated through the night, finally dying of San Simeon, sight of the Hearst Castle. We motored the final two hours into the very protected harbor at Morro Bay, anchoring off the waterfront. Morro Bay is a long bay protected by a natural sand spit. At the north end there is a huge rock, 580 feet tall that dominates the harbor. The south end is shoal and is a haven for wild life. We love to watch the pelicans, seagulls, turkey vultures and seals. The pelicans and gulls get very excited when the fishing boats come in. There are strong currents in the harbor on the ebb and flood tides and the water rushes by the boat like we are under sail. We had intended to stay for just a couple of days, but hurricane Linda is causing large southerly swells and, although not dangerous to us, it would be uncomfortable to drive into them. So we decided to wait until the swells die down. We will probably leave on Thursday for Santa Barbara, another over night passage, if the forecast is still fair. Morro Bay is beautiful and we are enjoying our stay here. Yesterday we took the bus to San Luis Obispo and visited another one of Father Serra's missions. San Luis is a pretty city of about 40,000, nice architecture and no tall buildings. It is a college town, but the college is a few miles out of town. It was pretty quiet on a Monday. The locals call it San Lewis or SLO. Using the Spanish pronunciation brands you as a tourist. The buses system is called SLO Transit and there is a free bus around the city called the Old SLO Trolley. All systems on the boat are working well with just some minor maintenance needs. I dropped the stern ladder on top of the dingy and put a hole in it. I have tried to fix it three times now without success. The patch just won't stick properly and always develops a slow leak. (Yes, I have followed the instructions and even used fresh glue as the original repair kit was 9 years old). Yesterday we came back to the dingy dock at low tide to find the dingy high and dry on the rocks. Even after a beer, it was still stuck, so we were forced to go out to dinner. Boy, this cruising life if tough! More news later, Colin & Patricia Shannon-Garvey |
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