4/28 Sailing adventures near Ventura, Oxnard, Santa Barbara and Channel Islands

Outlook summary for the weekend:
Light winds, patchy fog in a.m.

Sailing News and Views

SailTime Channel Islands Sailing School Completers
Congratulations, shipmates

John McKinney ASA 104
Buzz Hall ASA 101

Local Adventures and Adventurers -

Went on a three day/two night circumnavigation of Santa Cruz last weekend with John and Jane McKinney. After motoring to Grace in SailTimes new Hunter 36, we had another two and a half days of great wind and sun.

The island is spectacular - green so dark that it looks black when a cloud passes over, bouquets of wildflowers on the slopes and meadows totally yellow with them.

Lots of wildlife: leaping whales (possibly a Killer female and baby) and Rizzo's Dolphins, which usually ignore us, but this time joined up for a 30 minute swim on our bow. They even stuck with us through several tack changes.

We explored most of the anchorages on the north and south shores, staying in Cueva Valdez the fist night and Smuggler's the second.

It was a great way to do ASA 104. I've got another one coming up next week with Jim and Karen Hervieux, but May has several openings if you're interested in an ASA qualification or simply an exploration out to the islands.

4/14 Sailing adventures near Ventura, Oxnard, Santa Barbara and Channel Islands

Outlook summary for the weekend:
Wet on Friday, partly cloudy the rest of the weekend. Temps 50-60, standard (10-15 kt. west) wind.

Sailing News and Views

SailTime Channel Islands Navigation Class Graduates!
Congratulations, shipmates
Carol Feazel
David Feazel
Dave Gross
Brent Schneider
Tony Martin

Local Adventures and Adventurers -
I was invited to accompany Rich and Lori Boren on their first cruise aboard Third Day, their Pearson ketch. Our mission was to move her from her former home in Santa Cruz harbor to their new mooring near Pismo Beach.

You'd think that would be a downhill joyride. Well, the hill was turned upside down that week and we had to power much of the way into brisk winds and - at least sometimes - pretty big seas.

Rich, Lori and I learned a lot about their boat and got a lot of practical navigation experience. But I'll use Rich's words to tell the story. It begins here and continues on my web page via a link.

Voyage of the Third Day

by Rich Boren

29 March 06

0800hrs

Capt Dan Ryder arrives in Pismo Beach, Ca right on time to begin delivery of THIRD DAY (TD). My wife Lori and I purchased our new sailboat, a 1978 Pearson 365 Ketch, two months ago and have been frantically preparing for this delivery trip. THIRD DAY was located in Santa Cruz, Ca and she needed to be taken to her new home on a mooring in beautiful Avila Bay in Port San Luis, Ca. We have made all the plans, taken the ASA 105 Coastal Navigation class from our great delivery captain and sailing instructor (Capt Dan), and spent all the necessary money on upgrades to safely make the 130nm trip south. Our plan for today was simple, drive the rental car from Pismo Beach to Monterey Airport and from there a good friend of Capt Dan’s would drive us to TD in Santa Cruz. From Santa Cruz, we would sail the 23.1 nm across the bay. This was planned to be a perfect shake-down cruise prior to heading around the point on a 83 nm trip to San Simeon anchorage. Then the final leg of the voyage would be a leisurely sail from San Simeon to my waiting mooring ball in Avila Bay. The prevailing winds should keep us on a beam to broad reach the whole trip with the swell running gently with us the whole way.

Aren’t all plans simple when they are just plans? Plans at least can serve as a yardstick between what you wanted and hoped to happen and what you were forced to actually contend with. Sometimes cruel beast called reality sets in, as we would later find out.

Log of the Sailing Vessel Third Day