Dana Point was a well-protected harbor and a perfect spot to wait out the rough weather. There was a lot of activity around us, including a swarm of paddleboarding witches on Halloween! We explored the town, took Desi to a vet for his shots, and did some provisioning. We left at sunrise and had a beautiful 10.5-hour sail to San Diego, with lots of dolphins playing at the bow and a stressful obstacle course of lobster buoys nearing San Diego. We had our boat inspected at the police dock to secure a spot in the 30-day anchorage. I’ll be flying back to Oregon to visit family and friends while Karl works on installing a new inverter and a watermaker. Then we’ll be off to Mexico!

We spent three nights in Goat Harbor. Karl discovered a spot where leopard sharks congregated, and we had a great time watching and filming them. On our last day, I got up the nerve to snorkel with them -so magical! Goat Harbor was beautiful, and we would’ve loved to stay a few more days on the island, but strong winds and large waves were forecasted, so we headed back to the mainland. The trip to Dana Point started warm and sunny, but halfway through, we were engulfed in thick fog. Karl had a fishing line out and caught a mako shark! The low visibility made approaching the harbor a bit nerve-wracking, but we made it safely. We plan to be here for the rest of the week before heading to San Diego, our last stop before Mexico!

Avalon was a fun change of pace after weeks in remote anchorages. The harbor filled up over the weekend, and the town was bustling with a street fair and a jazz festival. We did some short hikes, went to a movie in the beautiful historic theater, browsed the shops, snorkeled in the dive park, and had a wonderful visit with Karl’s brother and sister-in-law. We made the short hop over to Goat Harbor and are enjoying having the cove to ourselves while we plan our next move. We have some high winds and steep waves headed our way this weekend, so we’ll pick a more sheltered anchorage or head back to the mainland before Sunday.

Little Harbor was a nice stop. It’s a small cove so we were happy to find space, with only two small fishing boats anchored there. It was a cloudy couple of days, so we skipped snorkeling but enjoyed hiking around the hills, paddleboarding, and playing on the beach with Desi. We were bummed to discover that we lost our anchor buoy overnight, but one of the crew on the fishing boat found it and returned it to us! It was a calm 3.5-hour sail to Avalon, where we are taking advantage of the off-season mooring deal, (seven nights for the price of two!) So, we’ll be here for a week before making our way around the rest of the island.

Cat Harbor was a beautiful and calm anchorage. Our friend Matteo visited for the weekend and we hiked to a great viewpoint, snorkeled in Little Fisherman’s Cove, and had dinner with Portland friends who were on the island on their own boat. We took the boat out without much wind and had a fun visit from some dolphins. After our friends departed, we made a quick one-hour hop over to Little Harbor, where we plan to stay a night or two before sailing to Avalon for a visit with Karl’s brother and sister-in-law this weekend!

We loved Emerald Bay. The water was amazingly clear, and we had the beach to ourselves every day. We got a lot of work done, took a beautiful hike to Parson’s Landing, and had a great time snorkeling in the kelp forest off Indian Rock. We returned to Isthmus Cove for water, fuel, garbage drop-off, and a few groceries before heading around the island to the other side of Two Harbors. We plan to be here for a week and are looking forward to a visit from our friend Matteo this weekend!

We spent one night in Isthmus Cove, moored beside our friends Roz and Sean on S/V LuSea Blue. We enjoyed an evening out with them at the little bar on shore and were sad to say goodbye for now as they were heading north the following day. We departed in the early afternoon and made a short hop over to Emerald Bay, where we dropped our anchor in water so clear we could see our chain in 40-foot depths. We’re excited to break out the snorkels and explore!

Newport Beach was an interesting stop. The anchorage was 45 min from the entrance, and the whole way was lined with nice homes with private docks and beaches, and swarming with cute little electric Duffy boats. It was a calm, spacious anchorage with a small dog-friendly beach minutes away, and many conveniently located dinghy docks. Karl had a wonderful day visiting family he hadn’t seen in years, we explored Balboa and Balboa Island, stocked up on groceries, and found a few deals at the marine consignment shop. It was a calm, eight-hour sail to Catalina Island, where we will be hopping around for the next few weeks, exploring different anchorages and enjoying visits from friends and family.

Redondo Beach has a nice protected anchorage, and we enjoyed our stay there. Unfortunately, no dog-friendly beaches or parks were nearby, so Desi had to settle for playing frisbee in a patch of grass in the parking lot. We were surprised and delighted when friends on another Island Packet arrived in the harbor on our second day, and we enjoyed their company for happy hour on the boat and a fun day in the nearby town of Hermosa. We didn’t have much wind on the way to Newport Beach, but had a pleasant 7-hour trip in calm seas. We plan to stay four or five nights before heading to Catalina Island.

Marina del Rey was quite a contrast to our quiet week on Santa Cruz Island. We celebrated Karl’s birthday with a fun day exploring Venice and Santa Monica, returning late to find a dance party in the park just yards from our boat. The following night, there was a movie screening, and the next morning, there was a drum circle. At night, big party boats circled behind us in the channel. It was an entertaining stop, but we were very happy to move on after a few days. We had a beautiful four-hour sail to Redondo Beach, and are enjoying the calm, quiet harbor for a few days before sailing for Newport Beach.

We had a nice short stay in Yellowbanks. Karl paddled to shore for a hike and I took it easy after tweaking my knee in Coches Prietos. We prepped the boat and departed early for Marina del Rey. It was a 10.5-hour trip with less wind and more motoring than we would have liked, but the weather was lovely and we saw lots of dolphins - one pod swam at our bow for 10 minutes, so delightful! We arrived in the evening and Desi was very excited to get his paws on solid ground for the first time in a week! We plan on staying three or four nights before heading to Newport Beach or Catalina Island.

We loved Coches Prietos. We were nervous about bow and stern anchoring with other boats very close in the small cove, but it worked out fine and the neighbors invited us over for happy hour. We snorkeled in kelp forests and took a nice hike. After two nights there, we had a relaxed two-hour sail to Yellowbanks. Tomorrow we will depart early for Marina del Rey, with a possible stop in Paradise Cove.

Smuggler’s Cove was beautiful. I continued working on the brightwork and Karl did some fishing. We swam, paddle-boarded, and hiked to Scorpion anchorage. We returned from our hike to find the beach and anchorage packed with a huge group that was staying the night before paddle boarding to Santa Barbara the following day! It was a nice 2-hour trip to Coches Prietos, where we will spend a couple of nights before heading back to the island's east side to prepare for our trip to Marina del Rey.

We worked hard and accomplished a lot in the boatyard in Ventura. We had a nice visit with new cruising friends, had a fun day in town at the Aloha festival, enjoyed many beautiful beach trips with Desi, and stocked up on provisions. Now we are excited to explore the Channel Islands! Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed on most of the islands, so the length of our stay will depend on how well Desi does without shore time. Hoping we can keep him entertained on the boat for at least a few days!

We had a lovely couple of weeks in Santa Barbara, enjoying the beautiful Southern California weather. We arrived during the Old Spanish Day Fiesta and enjoyed exploring the confetti-covered streets. After losing sleep in the rolly anchorage, we set a stern anchor for the first time, making our stay much more comfortable. We had a pleasant five-hour trip to Ventura, where we are hauling out for bottom paint, prop servicing, and installing a through-hull for a watermaker.

San Luis Obispo Bay was a nice stop. We explored the little town of Avila Beach and took the trolley to Pismo Beach for a day. We finished a few boat projects, visited Port San Luis Lighthouse, and got practice surf-landing the dinghy. The next leg of our trip involved rounding Point Conception, an area known for its rough conditions. We sailed through the night in thick fog and rounded Conception in the morning into warm, sunny weather. A highlight was being surrounded by a pod of probably over a hundred dolphins, the water looked like it was boiling with them! We’ll be here in Santa Barbara for a while planning our next move - heading to explore the Channel Islands or possibly hauling out for bottom paint and a few other maintenance items.

We had a great week in Morro Bay. The harbor was busy with boating activity and wildlife, there were lots of cute shops in town, and there was easy access to nice beaches. The trip to San Luis Obispo took about five hours. It was rolly and foggy with less wind than we hoped, but we were able to sail part of the way and the fog cleared as we entered the bay. We plan to depart in a few days to round Point Conception and head to Santa Barbara or possibly San Miguel Island.

We were in San Simeon for two nights. There is no dinghy dock and we almost flipped our dinghy twice surfing waves into shore and trying to get past the break to return to the boat. We had a great day touring Hearst Castle and hiking around the point. The five-hour trip to Morro Bay was lively, with good wind, a large swell, and thick fog. We saw lots of jellyfish and sea lions, and not much else. Now we are anchored in Morro Bay, planning to stay a week or so before heading to San Luis Obispo Bay

Monterey was beautiful. We had great access to the beach, lots of wildlife around us, and we enjoyed watching the sailboat races from the anchorage. We finished some projects, stocked up on provisions, and visited nearby Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, and Carmel-By-The-Sea. The trip to San Simeon was very calm, with some beautiful sailing in the bay, a bright clear night with incredible stars, and lots of whale and dolphin sightings. We plan to stay for a night or two before heading to Morro Bay.

Our month in Moss Landing flew by. Karl traveled to the East Coast for work and his son’s wedding, I cranked out a bunch of sewing projects, and Karl installed our new whisker pole. The beaches in Moss Landing were beautiful and nearby Elkhorn Slough was teeming with wildlife. We had a wonderful visit with friends from Portland and spent hours watching the sea otters play. Now we’re in Monterey, getting a few provisions before heading south to Morro Bay.

We spent a week and a half in Santa Cruz, anchored in front of the boardwalk. There was a lot of activity with an amusement park, busy beaches, sailing, fishing, surfing, and lots of seals and sea lions around us. The anchorage was very rolly, which quickly got old, but we enjoyed seeing the town and had a sweet visit with friends. It was a short three-hour sail to Moss Landing where we got a slip for a few weeks since Karl will be traveling for work and for his son’s wedding this month.

We spent three weeks in Half Moon Bay, a nice little town with some beautiful beaches. I spent a week with family celebrating Salimatu’s graduation, Karl finished installing two additional solar panels, and Desi got lots of beach time in! We left Half Moon Bay in misty rain and thick fog, but before long we had sunny skies and some lively sailing! Now we are anchored in Santa Cruz Harbor, surrounded by the barking sea of lions and screams from the boardwalk amusement park.

We left San Francisco Bay! The bar crossing was a bit rough heading into the wind, but once we turned south things settled down and we had a beautiful eight-hour sail to Half Moon Bay. Karl and Desi will be hanging here while I spend a week with family and celebrate Salimatu’s graduation!

We spent a busy two months in Alameda getting ready for departure. Karl traveled to Indiana for work for the Final Four. We got some projects done on the boat, did some spring cleaning, provisioning, and stowed and secured everything to head back on the ocean. We’ve waited two weeks for good weather and it’s looking promising for the 5th, so we are spending a few nights back in Clipper Cove before saying goodbye to San Francisco Bay!

We had a really nice four days on Treasure Island. There was a big flea market over the weekend, lots of activity in the anchorage, and we were starting to see the early signs of spring! Karl will be traveling for work in early April, so we are spending the next four to six weeks here in Alameda, preparing the boat to continue south in mid-April if weather permits! We have lots of projects going: building a stronger motor mount and installing a motor lift, water purification system, whisker pole, dinghy wheels, and a new VHF, and stocking up on supplies for the next leg of our trip.

We enjoyed being back in Berkeley for a month. I traveled to New York to visit family and celebrate my sister’s birthday, and Karl took a trip to Washington to celebrate Super Bowl and go snowboarding with his family. Now we’re moving back to Alameda for a bit, but since the weather is nice, we decided to stop for a few days at anchor at Treasure Island.

We spent a little over a month in Emeryville. We had a lovely holiday sailing with Salimatu and Marcel, Karl had a great work trip to Michigan for the college football championship, and I did my best to adjust to my new full-time work schedule. We’ll be in Berkeley for a month and I’ll be heading to New York to visit family.

We had a great time in Sausalito. We hiked to Horseshoe Cove where there were great views of the Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. Now we are in a marina in Emeryville to be close to Salimatu for the holidays and have a good spot for the boat while Karl does a work trip in January. We plan to be here about a month. Happy Holidays!

We had a great week in Aquatic Park Cove. We explored downtown San Francisco, made it to Salimatu’s exhibit and performance at MoaD (SO AWESOME!), and I got inspired by all the outdoor swimmers and braved the cold water to change the zincs and do a little bottom cleaning. Now we are excited to spend some time in Sausalito, before heading back to the East Bay for the holidays.

We spent a few days on Treasure Island. There wasn’t much to do on the island, but there were amazing views and the first dog-friendly beach we’ve found in the Bay Area! We moved to Aquatic Park Cove in downtown San Francisco for a few days and are looking forward to exploring the city and seeing Salimatu’s solo exhibit at The Museum of the African Diaspora!

We spent almost a month in Berkeley. We explored the area and continued our job search. We spent some fun time with Salimatu, enjoyed a visit from our friend Matteo and got some great sailing in! Now we are off to explore more of the Bay, starting with four days in Clipper Cove on Treasure Island.

We had a great time visiting with Karl’s brother the last couple days and exploring Alameda. We gave the boat a good wash, checked out the used marine supply shop, and got stocked up on groceries. Today we headed over to Berkeley. We got a good deal on a slip here and are planning to call it home for a couple weeks before heading to San Francisco.

We have been loving our time in the Bay so far! We enjoyed some sweet time with Salimatu and their partner Marcel, explored Oakland, and Karl finished the second repair on the dinghy. We had a very short trip over to Alameda, where we plan to spend a few days.

We made it to San Francisco Bay! Crossing under the Golden Gate Bridge and into the Bay was incredible. We are in a marina in Oakland where we have a good dock to work on the repair to our dinghy, which failed in Drake’s Bay. We are excited to get time with my wonderful sibling Salimatu, and are looking forward to visits from Karl’s brother John and our friend Matteo! We plan to spend at least a few weeks exploring different parts of the Bay.

After waiting for weather for two weeks in Eureka, we finally got a good window of calm seas. We had a wonderful, 36-hour trip to Drake’s Bay. We had two amazing sunrises, a beautiful sunset and a bright moonlit night. We saw whales, dolphins and seals all through the day. We arrived in Drake’s Bay just before dark on the 30th. We plan to head into San Francisco Bay on Thursday, Nov 2nd.

We spent a few days in Crescent City, provisioning, working on job applications and enjoying the beautiful beaches. We took advantage of a small window of favorable weather and had a beautiful, (mostly) smooth 14-hour trip down to Eureka. It looks like it may be a week or more before we have safe conditions to continue making our way south.

We made it to California! After spending a few days in Charleston enjoying nearby beaches, exploring Coos Bay, repairing our dinghy and waiting for good weather, we had a great 24-hour trip down to Crescent City. It was foggy and we didn’t have much wind for sailing, but the seas were very calm, a huge relief after our previous trip! We expect to be here for several days waiting for a storm to pass before continuing south.

After two weeks in Newport waiting out some very stormy weather, we had a rough 21-hour trip down to Coos Bay. Sadly, our new dinghy was punctured during the trip when our chafe protection wore through. We are in a marina in Charleston, working on the repair and gearing up for the next leg. It’s looking like Friday may be a good weather window to head for California, fingers crossed!

After five weeks in Astoria getting lots of projects done and taking a trip back to Portland for a wedding, we are back on the move! We crossed the Columbia River Bar and headed south! The trip to Newport took us just under 24 hours. We will be here for a few days waiting for a good weather window for the next leg of our trip.

We had a beautiful trip down from Kalama and are planning to spend a week or two here, completing our final preparations before crossing the bar and heading south!

We are continuing work on the solar panel installation and enjoying a new view of the river. We’ll be here another day or two before heading on towards Astoria.

We are getting some help with an electrical issue, enjoying visits from friends and family, continuing work on projects and enjoying sunsets on Sand Island.