Category: Voyages

Dear F&F,
We left Big Geiger Cove on Saturday night, October 20th at 7pm after a great
day of fun, hikes and dinner. Mike and Beth left to return to Redondo Beach
at the same time. They got a good welcome home with a 33 knot
Northerly . We had little wind going around to the South side of Catalina
to prepare for the Santa Ana wind event, but the trip was very rough and
bumpy as the left over swell from the NW Gale was still dying off. 2 1/2
hours later we were snug in \”Cat Harbor\” on the South side, with doubled up
bridles facing the expected wind. That night was calm, but Sunday to Monday
night….it blew. 20-30 knots (25-35 mph) with occasional gusts to
35knots. The boat was covered in dirt and ash from the fires 35 miles away
on shore. The sky was a smoky color all day and night and we could actually
smell the smoke from the shore. We watched with the same concern (on the
internet) as many of you had about friends and family ashore and their homes
in harms way. We were glad to hear all of you \”weathered\” the event as well.

On Monday morning we got the \”good bye gust\” at 42 knots (about 50 mph).
Monday night things got calmer and by Tuesday morning, it seemed to be all
over. We have relocated to \”Little Harbor\” enroute to Avalon Harbor where
we will head (probably) tomorrow. Here at Little Harbor, its 86 degrees and
no wind. We are anchored Bow and Stern behind the reef. We seem to have
good internet and have posted some photos, (yet a bit disorganized) about
our Ventura Harbor Boat Projects in the \”Gallery\”. You will see these under
\”Boat Projects\” and its sub-catagory. We have some great stories to write
about, including another close encounter with the Catalina Island Buffalo.
More stories and photos soon.
KIT,
S&C……Little Harbor, Catalina Island, California

26 November 2007

Dear F&F,
I\’m catching up slowly, but catching up. We write you sitting here at
beautiful San Diego Yacht Club, in the cool and clear Fall of 2007.

First, some housekeeping. As you know, due to the management of this
site, I have SUBSCRIBED you all to the mailing list. From now on, I
can just send these \”Ships\’ Logs\” to the site and you will be notified
that some fresh reading and photos are ready. Instructions will come
with all future notifications should you wish to UNSUBSCRIBE. As you
can see from the number of \”hits\” our site has gotten, we\’re getting a
bit popular. I have updated the Anacapa – Santa Cruz – Santa Rosa
photo gallery with some additional photos. Next…….Santa Cruz to
Santa Barbara Island and on to Catalina Island………….

KIT,

Scott and Cindy

Dear F&F,
First, during the long spells between our \”official emails\” and reports.
Please feel free to check the \”Position Report\” section of our website or
any of the three links on the home page which ALWAYS shows our most
recent location. Also, feel free to go to our \”Contact Us\” form and send an
email at anytime. Due to the nature of selecting and sizing photos, etc, we
will usually be about 2-4 weeks behind in our F&F emails and photo posting.

Sorry about the delay in beginning to tell of our adventures. So far, its
been the \”Goodbye Contractor Tour\”. We have a series of appointments
scheduled down the coast for projects in Long Beach, Newport Beach, San
Diego and even a little cosmetics in Ensenada. Ah the last minute (never
ending) details. For our first set of \”Boat Projects\”, see our \”Gallery\”
under Boat Projects > *Ventura Harbor Boat Yard Projects- October
2007*<https://svbeachhouse.com/gallery/album/C10/>.
Here we raised our swimsteps, repainted the bottom (for marine growth – done
about every 2 years), added underwater lights and other maintenance. Always
remember that Cruising is defined as \”Doing Boat Projects in Exotic
Locations\”…..:)

When we first left Ventura, the weather was calm, the seas flat. We sailed
a bit to Santa Cruz Island located 20 miles south of Ventura, but then the
wind went calm and motored on. The first night found us in an unusal
anchorage called Potato Harbor. Its a beautiful \”U\” shaped bay with 200
foot high vertical walls. The reason it was unusual is because it is rare
to be able to stay the night as it directly faces the often very boisterous
Santa Barbara Channel and is too rough. We caught this lovely bay on a
light South Easterly wind and it was flat, calm and reminescent of an ocean
version (mini of course) of the Grand Canyon. The stars filled the night
sky, we were anchored \”bow and stern\” (two anchors to prevent swinging
around this narrow harbor and enjoyed our first night at peaceful anchorge.
We took some photos of the boat and ourselves which will be seen in our
photo gallery under *10-2007 – Santa Cruz & Santa Rosa
Islands*<https://svbeachhouse.com/gallery/album/C11/>

There will be more photos posted to both these galleries soon, but I wanted
to get some out as I have been a bit tardy in my postings.

The next night we moved on to Pelican Bay on the South side of Santa Cruz
Island which was famous in the early years for camping and fishing. A
wonderful book called \”Diary of a Sea Captains Wife\” tells a wonderful tale
of this magic Island in the early 1900\’s and includes a tale of how Humphrey
Bogart read \”The African Queen\” while anchored at Pelican Bay and then
rushed back to the mainland to procure the rights and the rest as they
say…is history.

After Pelican Bay, we tried to go to Painted Cave on the South Coast of
Santa Cruz, but despite light winds, we felt it was a bit too dicey to enter
this 600 foot long \”sea cave\”, one of the largest in the world. I had the
chance to go into it in 1976 when I was about to embark for the voyage to
Hawaii on \”Triad II\” (the first big cruise on a 32 foot ketch). We left the
Painted Cave\’s entrance and in very calm weather decided to go to Becher\’s
Bay, Santa Rosa Island. This was the last of the calm weather for awhile!
We anchored off the pier near a 37 foot \”Flying Ductchman\” sloop from San
Francisco with Emmy and Eric Willbur aboard. They had sailed their boat all
over the Pacific and were the caretakers of \”Palmyra Island\” (a destination
we hope to go to one day). The wind began to BLOW. We had 25 to 30 knots
all night, but forturnately were protected in the lee (down wind side) of
Carrington Point. The next day, the wind abated long enough for Cindy and I
to go ashore for a brief tour. This is the only place in California where
the \”Torrey Pines\” were indigineous (other than Torrey Pines, CA). The old
ranch house was very interesting and this island was distinctly differerent
than Santa Cruz; much more barren and wind blown.
The Spanish Explorers stopped here and indeed the final resting place of
Juan Rodriegez Cabrillo was at the Western most of the Northern Channel
Islands, San Miguel. We didn\’t go to San Miguel because the weather around
Point Conception (The BEND of California\’s Central Coast), known as the
\”Cape Horn of the Pacific\” was in full force. After our brief visit, we
sailed off to Coches Prietos on the South side of Santa Cruz. That night,
we saw 50 \”purse seiner\” fishing boats with their partner \”light boats\” who
turn on metal halide lights (they look like the sun) to attract squid near
the full moon. It looked like a freeway off the coast with all the lights.
Here we stayed for a day and then moved to Scorpion Bay (see our photos of
the boat in the foreground and Anacapa Island in the back ground). The next
day we moved to Smugglers Cove. It was a bit bouncy to go ashore, but we
enjoyed the calm anchorages the Scorpion and Smugglers
provided……….

Next, our sail to Santa Barbara Island, Catalina Island,
Long Beach and travels South from where we currently are in Newport Beach,
CA……