Just one day at a glance, while chillin’ at Harbors in So Cal: french press coffee in bed, Kathy made egg/onion/tomato burritos, Scott changed out propane tank 1 to number 2 and we carry 3. Kathy went for a paddle to spy on the backyard gardens of the rich and famous, dinghy’ed to the beach for a picnic lunch and a long walk, bought 3 jugs engine oil at West Marine, napped in the sun on the bow.
Great 1st week on the go. We had plenty of time for decompressing, and enjoying no cell or internet service. The many island coves we anchored in gave us tranquility and hours of thought and planning. After our 1st quiet night in Cojo, we sailed and motorsailed in an average of 4 knots of wind, about 8 hours a day. The Channel Islands are rugged and mesmerizing (Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara and Catalina). The scenery, sealife, and our new life on the boat are all amazing! 10 days later we are in Newport Harbor enjoying quite the opposite experience: hundreds of fancy boats, mansions on the water, shops, restaurants and friends. It is busy boating around here, some not ever leaving the bay and many not knowing how to anchor. Life is all good! (Scott keeps saying he wishes we could have half of the wind down south we had up above Conception). We had our challenges too, rollie anchorages, organizing the new way of life and keeping the water out (leaky hatches). Heading to San Diego next week.
Did it!! We actually left! Sailed south 10 hours. Scott loves his remote control autopilot and I love the peace/quiet. We set anchor in 23 feet of water for our first night on our big adventure! Cojo, quiet, beautiful, little sandy, and deserted anchorage just north of Santa Barbara. We napped, paddled, walked, ate, drank and FULLY enjoyed the first day of actual retirement.
