Flight of the Blue Eagle

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After nearly two years of bouncing around San Francisco Bay, the Delta, Angel Island, and the Farallons, Blue Eagle is preparing for a cruise down the coast, with possible ports of call in Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Pebble Beach, Morro Bay, Avila Beach, Coho, Santa Barbara, and Marina del Rey, weather pending. Of course with the way the coastal weather can be, particularly Point Conception, it may just be a trip to the Golden Gate Bridge and back.

I have been hesitant to post because it is so weather dependent, however, on the Delta/Bay Extravaganza cruise, Jim convinced me otherwise and we will be sharing our experience here. Of course, like I said, this may just end up being a journal of my trip to the Gate and back.

Incidentally, on that same cruise we finally named our boat Blue Eagle, after our last boat, a 1934 Monterey Clipper, which is now part of the Fisherman’s Wharf Historic Fishing Boat Association's collection.

Anyway, I'll be posting more as we get to places with internet, and let everyone know how it works out.
 
Good Luck with the weather!

Someone proposed that trip here about two years ago in a CD-16, and we collectively convinced them it was unadvised, as 40 foot sailboats and powerboats often have great difficulty out there.

The weather on Highway 101 is not the offshore weather of the California Coast, but you know that, and so does Jim Gibson, a good friend of mine, a very competent helmsman, and a fine fellow C-Brat.

Here's the thread for those that don't recollect reading it:

Have you traveled between SF BAY & San Diego?

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
BlueEagle-

What would really make more sense to me if I were going to do it, would be to take my tow rig and boat and do a hop-scotch (not hip-hop) trip down 101 with two day or so stops in Santa Cruz, Monterey, Morro Bay, Avilla Beach, Santa Barbara, Ventura, etc..., staying in convenient nearby camping areas at night.

One could stay for two days or so in each location, spend a day or two on the water, visit the town and surroundings, take in some nice restaurants at night, and have a great, safe, time, without all the weather worry.

Actually, I'd even bet there would be some interest in doing it as a C-Brat get-together, traveling in a caravan and mobile flotilla together.

Anyway, I had the thought, and decided to share it with you.

Good Luck, whatever you do!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Hi Blue Eagle, your trip sounds fabulous. You might want to trailer the boat to Santa Barbara and do the Southern California bight. There is so much to see and do -- especially at the off shore Islands (Channel Islands & Catalina).

And, if you have the time, you can hit every port along the way. Don't miss Ventura (my home town) -- and no matter what comes to pass, don't miss the Channel Islands.

If you are looking for truly deep water adventure in a small boat you can do Santa Rosa -- and if the weather is right, San Miguel.

It's a long way around Conception -- and dangerous in a small boat. Several years back NOAA lost a small research vessel just below Pt Conception -- "On November 4, 2000, Channel Islands Sanctuary research vessel R/V Ballena was hit by a rogue and capsized near Point Conception in Santa Barbara, California. The ship was 56 feet (17 m) long, and the wave estimated at 20 feet (6.1 m) high. Although the two USGS crew members were trapped briefly inside the ship, they were rescued by the captain and all three managed to swim to shore. The boat, operated by NOAA at the time, was a total loss."

I would suggest breaking the trip up between a northern CA trip (SF to Monterey) and a southern CA trip (SB to Catalina or San Diego). So much to see in either place, and it would make a passage around the weather pts unnecessary.
 
Appears to me your still straddling the fence between the risk and the challenge. Whatever the conditions are when you pass under the gate they will change multiple times there after as you well know. Tortuga's advice is sound, but for some the challenge of the adventure is worth the risk.

I have no advice to give, instead, like Joe "wishes of Good Luck" in whatever you do and looking forward to reading the "account".

Jay
 
I hope that you get a weather window that allows you to do the trip. Since we have the same year and model of boat in common, I will be very interested in following your experiences. Sounds like a fantastic adventure, I would love to do it myself someday. Good luck, hope it's not only to the gate and back!
 
Thanks for your support, concern, and advice,

One of the first articles I ever read here was the Have you traveled between SF BAY & San Diego? thread, but I think there are several notable differences, not the least being that this is a 26’ Venture(CC) rather than a CD-16. We will also be going north to south.

I am keenly aware of how the weather changes offshore, as I can see the Farallons from my house on a clear day (approx. 30miles), and have travelled out there many times.

When speaking with friends who have done this run, the key appears to be patience, patience, and more patience; especially for Point Conception. The Honda Point Disaster remains, to this day, the largest peacetime loss of US Navy ships.

In terms of plan-b, I have spots that I can tie up all the way down, so staying ashore for several days, and/or getting a trailer and continuing by land, remain options at both ends of each segment.

David
 
In the 1950s a family friend who owned a huge shell/rock shop in Morro Bay salvaged lots of stuff off the destroyers. In the process he found huge jade boulders. His son and I burned the cordite that was in the salvaged brass shells -- great fun for 10 year olds!

Bill Uffelman
Las Vegas NV
 
Well, after 16 windy days the weather has finally improved.
Blue Eagle flew the coop today, passing under the Golden Gate bridge at 12:18.
The weather is improving as we head south and this is allowing us to stay close to shore, only one or two miles out.
Good views thus far have included one seal who swam over to check us out, the Exploratorium building, Golden Gate bridge, VA hospital, Cliff House, Great Highway, Western Division, Pacifica, Devil's Slide, the radar installment at Princeton by the Sea, and my house.
We should be able to make either Santa Cruz or Monterey by tonight, and am almost out of the small craft advisory area, so I anticipate yet better weather ahead.

Anyway, just thought I'd keep posted. I'll post more as time allows.

David
Posted from my iPhone at 37'24.255" N 122'28.121"W
 
Hi David,

I admire your sense of adventure and spirit! Is your Dad coming with you? Marcia and I will be looking forward to updates on your cruise.

Best of luck as you head South. Keep us tuned in and we'll try to meet you somewhere in these southern climes. I hope you don't need your "special weapon"!

Best of luck!!!

Kent
MARCIA JANE
 
Thanks Kent,
Having your posting pop onto my screen while in 8 ft swells was a nice, warm, fuzzy feeling; almost like having you and Marcia, and the rest of the gang cruising along with us. Incidentally, my father is here and said to send his regards.
Making sandwiches in swells like that was really tricky. I gave up on the avocado as it seemed likely that I end up slicing myself rather then it. Getting into Monterey at 7:42p we promptly abandoned our galley for a local fish restaurant and had a nice dinner (along with a half dozen samples of chowder from all the places trying to tempt us in).
We're taking it easy today, Independence Day, and will get to bed early for a pre-sunrise departure to Morro Bay.
The boat handles impressively, even in the big water; and of course the extra fuel(30 gal.)in containers on the forward floor of the cabin, and a full tank of water help to ballast her nicely; for the most part we haven't even needed to use the trim tabs, which are often maxed out on lightly loaded trips around the bay.
Anyway, that's all for now.

David
 
Off to an early start, 6am and hazy, we've seen lots of wildlife this morning. Harbor seals, sea otters, porpoises, and just now two whales! We were looking at them, just at water level, when all of a sudden one of them decided to flip it's tail up out of the water about 25 yards off our port. I've paid to go out all day whale watching before and not had such a good view. This was about 3nm off Point Arrowhead.
The weather is good as we continue on to Morro Bay.

David
Posted from my iPhone at 36'32.598"N 122'00.006"W
 
Just read about it. That's got to be a great trip.

We made it down the coast in Our Journey, a 36' sailboat, which was 6 knots all the way, and a 25' sailboat from Morro bay to Santa Barbara.

As you know, try to pick your passage early in the morning. I've passed Point Conception at 7 AM in a dead calm. And gone by Gavotia Pass (just south) at nightfall in 20 knts of wind.

A great trip and I'm envious, since I'm sitting in a trailer in Colorado

Boris
 
I've fallen behind on posting, so let me begin with Morro Bay.
It is a really nice, boat oriented, town about halfway between Monterey and Santa Barbara.
There are lots of shops with locally made products and foods, as well as some good restaurants that are reasonably priced.

We were fortunate to get in while the weather was good; sometimes the surf breaks just outside the entrance to the harbor and no one can get in or out. The channel winds it's way in, surrounded by shallow, fauna filled, shallow areas and beach on the right, and colorful commercial establishments on the left. Everything seems lumped together, with not much delineation between shops that sell fuel, or machine parts for fishing vessels, or sell fish, or souvenirs. It is all lumped together in a pleasant way.

We got a slip, by advance reservation only, at Morro Bay State Park. The people at the dock, although very friendly and helpful, know nothing about the slip rentals, which is why prior arangement with the park, directly calling the park not the State Park reservation number, is critical. It is also a quiet, out of the way, but not too far away spot that I recommend, which is why I digress with details. There is also ample anchorage in the harbor, and dinghy docks/tie-ups are all over.

Since it is such a boat centric town, we finally stopped procrastinating and inflated the dinghy for the trip into town. Not having yet painted on the registration numbers I put a wide strip of painters tape on each side and used a Sharpie magic marker. The trip to dinner went well, with the little 27lb, 2hp Honda humming along. I only wish I'd allowed a few days to rent a kayak and explore all these little coves and shallows properly, however, the weather at Point Conception is supposed to be good for only another day, so we must leave in the morning, and come back some other time.
Goodnight.
David
posted from my iPhone
PS There is a boat launch here too, so you could trailer inane just explore the area without traveling the coast.
 
Hi David,
Wishing you fair winds for your adventure. We'll be following along with you. Tell your Dad "HI" and have fun.

ps- That boat luanch at Morro is tricky. You have to consider the tides when you launch, or you may lose your boat.
 
David-
We will be at the Channel Islands Harbor boat launch parking lot this week, Thursday to Sunday, in the motorhome. Stop by and meet with us.

Roger King
 
Point Conception went well; weeks of waiting for the weather to be just right paid off handsomely. Even so, you should have seen the scale of some of these low lying monsters. There were swells a couple hundred feet across; swells so big that you could lose track of them optically and keep track of them by watching the speedometer increase and decrease, despite no change in the RPM. Whenever my speed dropped dramatically it meant that we were nearing the top of a particularly big swell, and soon we would be rushing forward, surfing the wave while reducing the throttle to keep our speed in check. According to instruments, at one point I was going 25 knots yet getting 7.7 mpg! I could only imagine what it must be like when they go vertical and break into giant cascading waves, pounding the coast and smashing anything else in their way.

One of the keys seems to have been waiting for a day with minimal wind waves(less then 2'). If there had been significant chop then the swells(8.9'@11sec) would have been much harder, or impossible, to deal with. All said it was calmer then San Francisco Bay, or San Pablo Bay, on a windy day. The boat likes swells much better then chop.

Highlights of our passage included seeing our third whale, albeit a juvenile at 75 yards, 1 seal, 5 sea otters, a beautiful fog bank, packed tightly to the coast, and the oil platforms. After months of monitoring the weather in this area it felt odd to finally see the 'Horizon' platform, on whose reports I had been so relying(They seem to get the worst swells out of the buoys and stations in the area so I had been graphing out their data looking for an opportune time to go for it.) It was like meeting someone face to face that you have only emailed with before.

We finally got into Santa Barbara, but that is for another post.

David

PS Roger, we would like to do that. I'll try to give you a call in the morning. Is the number you sent last month your cell? If not, please PM me.

PPS Whose 2008 or 2009 Tomcat with dual helm controls is this on L dock? Nice boat.
 
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