Anduril Sailing Blog: More Motoring and Sailing

The last 5 days has been a mix of motoring and sailing with 3 interesting stops. Morro Bay is a small town with a bit of everything - fishing industry, tourism, shutdown Power Plant, Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant, bird and marine sanctuary. We signed in as guests at the Yacht Club and were the 5th visiting boat since May. Greg and I are surprised how few pleasure boats travel the coast of California. It is not a sailing mecca like BC with the Gulf Islands, Sunshine Coast, and Desolation Sound. Morro Bay was super friendly as well as warmer. A kind gentleman from the Yacht Club drove me up to the grocery store and back so I could provision.

We left the birds and sea otters of Morro Bay and motored 3-4 hours to Port San Luis (Avila Beach). It was another overcast day with lots of fog. I hear that Vancouver is having awesome warm days now. Stay there and don't come to California until the summer is over! We had no wind until coming into the anchorage at Port San Luis. Then the wind swept down off the hills and poured through the anchorage at over 20 knots. We found a better spot near the beach and anchored. When the wind dropped we took the dingy ashore to attend the Friday Night Beach Festival. It was alive with lots of upper middle class white folks, yummy food stalls served by the non-white folks, and a live band. It is surprising what a tiny bit of beach surf can do to a dingy. Leaving the beach Greg was rowing and I was pushing. A wave, a foot slip, and I was under completely. Now, 50% of my clothes are wet and salty. I am looking forward to finding a laundry.

The next day we passed the first of large offshore oil rigs. We also passed close to the Pacific Missile Test Area so that was a bit creepy. Apparently they can launch 3 miles out and we were 2.5 miles out. Greg spotted 2 groups of humpbacks on his watch. We finally rounded Point Conception (Cape Horn of the Pacific). The waves and wind built quickly. Greg got excited and setup the spinnaker but luckily he relented and decided not to hoist as the winds topped 20 knots and the waves were getting larger. As it was, I was having great difficulty driving with a furled jib and double reefed main. We rounded the corner and anchored at Cojo Anchorage. It was still blowing 20 knots and we re-positioned to escape the chop but not the wind. It is the most desolate wild spot. No boats, no people, no road. Just a railroad track and train passing by every few hours. The wind died during the night and I had a great view of stars and the milky way when I woke to pee during the night.