Latitude 34 Degrees

Hi All,

By the time that you all get this email, it has been almost a month since we set sail on August 6th.  Quite a send off – with yacht club friends singing “Anchors Away” as we left the dock; and Cardinal Point friends waving the American flag as we cruised by CP.  My dear friend Mari reminded me that I'm due for a letter, so here it is........

According to plan, we are leisurely sailing down the coast of California and we’re in the middle of the Channel Islands as I write this letter.  Still haven’t reached San Diego yet, but should be there no later than mid-September, in time for my grand-daughter Chloe’s first birthday and to root for my cousin Daniel Hart (star of the UC Davis football team) as his team plays against University of San Diego .

Well,  what can I say so far – it’s all been great so far – despite chilly weather and lots of coastal fog, some weather delays, and of course, a few minor breakdowns that you always hope occurs during your “shake-down” cruise in the U.S.  Yeah – as you might of guessed, my very mechanical husband Dennis is in the middle of some boat maintenance/repairs as I type this letter.  I’m starting to believe that about 80% of cruising is keeping the systems going and constantly making repairs, which fortunately Dennis is very good at!

We’ve been fortunate to have great crew assist us down the rugged coast of California .  My young 19 year old cousin, Nick Hart, and his buddy Jamie crewed with us from Alameda to Santa Cruz .  Amazing how fast young minds and bodies pick up sailing!  They really learned fast and we were so happy to have them along as they really did most of the sailing while Dennis and I hovered under the dodger to try to stay warm (and of course giving them a lot of coaching).  When they reached Santa Cruz , they informed us that they were totally confident that they could do this on their own, which I believe they can!  So Nick and Jamie too got to do a world cruise, they just happened to jump ship sooner in Santa Cruz , as our philosopher friend Bob Kimball says.

Maddie Millard, our 12 year old grand-daughter from Auburn WA , jumped onto the ship practically as Nick and Jamie were jumping off.  It was a delightful week hooking up with Maddie – she is such a delight!  We went whale watching, kayaking, played tennis, rode the roller coaster and other harrowing rides at the boardwalk (Dennis observed at one point that he was the oldest person on most of these rides – way to go Grandpa), played miniature golf and lots cards during her stay with us.  Will take us about a month to work off all the ice cream and other treats that we ate during Maddie’s visit.

Our sailing friends/neighbors Mari and Gary Campbell joined us for the Santa Cruz to Santa Barbara leg.  We were so lucky to have them with us to share all of their knowledge and expertise as they have sailed the California and Mexico coasts many times.  It was especially comforting when Gary told me as I was about to start my night watch shift, that I was coming upon Pt. Conception – the “Cape Hatteras” of the west coast.  Phew, we made it with no incidence.

We have stopped at many of California ’s delightful seaside towns – Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz , Monterrey , Morro Bay , Santa Barbara and have more to come after we complete our sail of the Channel Islands .  Each seaside town has it’s own flavor and many “old salts’ who have been quite interesting to meet and have also done their own circum-navigation. Kat, I think, was the most colorful – now about 65ish, had many stories and adventures to share – including how it all got started for her when she left home at the tender age of 17 for a job that took her across the Pacific on a cruise ship!

Life has slowed down a bit – which I guess is true as I have to work very hard now at remembering the days of the week.  Our new sailing lifestyle offers no auto’s, dishwashers, TVs, washer/dryers or other modern conveniences as we have chosen to replace these items with other high tech sophisticated equipment for the boat (such as chart plotter, GPS’s, water-maker to desalinate the salt water, solar panels, wind instruments, monitor wind-vane, single side band radio, etc. etc.).  Hard to imagine that sailors did this about 20 years ago with none of this hi-tech stuff!

When we first arrive in port – the first thing that we look for is a reciprocal yacht club that offers such amenities as slip space, washer/dryers, WIFI, food, etc.  Otherwise, we find ourselves doing quite a bit of walking, which is a very pleasant experience too!  It’s quite rewarding to become more self-sufficient!

As we sail through the Channel Islands , we are so happy to finally have some of that wonderful SoCal sunshine!  We’ve had some terrific sailing days – winds about 15 to 20 knots and have seen lots of marine life, including blue whales, dolphins, a variety of birds plus the Oyster Catcher, and orange garibaldi fish.  We’ve been able to inflate our kayak to explore the shores and caves of the Channel Islands .  And at last, we’re finally getting to see the constellations at night.

All for now!  Hope this letter is finding everyone doing well!  We think of you often and miss each and everyone of you.

Love from “Lardo” – the name of our 39ft CAL sail boat.

MaryLee