Here and there but generally south....

Well we are back to the Island lifestyle……Southern California style.

We left Morro Bay after a fun visit with Bob, Pat and their daughter Lisa, after choosing a good weather window to pass around Cape Conception.  It is known as the Cape Horn of North America……I think that might be a little overblown myself.  For one thing it does not take very long to get around and the temperatures are never below freezing here…..it is after all, southern California.  But never the less we were careful to choose a good weather window and passed around the Cape at midnight, in calm seas and in company with Solestra, a fellow Bluewater Cruising Association boat that we last saw in Neah Bay, WA.

Bill taking Bob, Pat and Lisa for a cruise.

Bob, Bill and Scott all used to work together.

A hitchhiker

 As we approached the Cape the offshore oil rigs started to make their presence known.  At night these big islands of light invariably seemed to be exactly on the course we wished to take to Santa Barbara!  They were a bit intimidating at first but since they are immobile all we really had to do was steer clear. Phew!

Less intimidating in daylight

Santa Barbara is a lovely city with tree lined streets, nice old buildings and a beautiful waterfront that we spent four days enjoying with the crews of Solastra and Searover II, another Bluewater boat on the way to Mexico.  The next stop was Oxnard where we caught up with Kanilela, another Bluewater boat that we had first met in Morro Bay. 

 

Day of the dead decorations

Just some of the boats in Oxnard

Oxnard has a huge section of manmade canals and it sure was fun going shopping by Dinghy.  However the marina fee was high so we did not stay long.  We are now enjoying what Catalina Island has to offer in company with Kanilela and Searover II, Solastra has elected to keep working their way to San Diego along the mainland coast.

 

Neil Youngs boat was also in Oxnard, proudly flying the Canadian flag

  Catalina Island is experiencing a severe drought so things are pretty brown, but the weather is pleasant and the harbour is lovely.  There is also lots of good hiking, just beware the rattlesnakes and the buffalo…….I have not yet seen either though.  While here we have also finally finished our watermaker installation and it has been successfully tested!  Yay!  The signs about the drought everywhere were a good incentive on that one!

Kialoa is in the middle of the group

Made it to the top!