We've had Sunshine and that puts me in a Jimmy Buffet frame of mind, things like "Boat Drinks" and "The weather is here wish you were beautiful my minds not too clear," and so on. I'm sorry you have to be a Jimmy Buffet fan to understand that, I was just rambling.
Again we have met some wonderful people here at Cabrillo Beach yacht club, one member ran me around to used marine stores to look for the chock that I'm still looking for and another member ran me around to marinas to check on moorage for Sept. when we head home, and they invited us to their home for dinner one night. We did burger nite at the club and what a spread, you had your choice of veggie, chicken, seafood or 1/3# beef pattie, w or w/o cheese, coleslaw, salad, baked beans, french fries and all the deli condiments, B. L. T. onions, pickles, relish,and a selection of mustard's.
After we used our reciprocal time there we moved 1/4 mi. to L.A. yacht club for three days and they said that I can stay five days since I have to wait until 9/1 to get into a moorage. We did find a reasonable moorage, I say reasonable because we found prices from $483 a month at a live aboard marina in the industrial area to $1780 a month in the upscale area and one marina wanted a copy of a survey (boat inspection) within the last 24 months.
We have had two big fires down here within 6 to 10 miles away that have burned about 1000 acres and we got up this morning and the boat was covered with ash and it came in through the open windows and we had big flakes inside the boat so we have spent the day cleaning.
This is a great adventure but we really miss family and friends back home. Would we do it again? Only to meet the wonderful people that we have met, as for the boating----it's really hard to beat the Columbia River and Puget Sound for great boating.
We will move into our slip on the 1st and we have our plane tickets out of Long Beach on the 8th with our return flight on the 29th.
We want to stay home for most of the month because the bad news is that the Dr's. think that my youngest son's cancer has returned, say a prayer for him.
We probably won't post anything until we come back to Calif. unless I download the camera and I put some pictures on here. So until then, we're thinking of you.
Irv & LaVon
Friday, August 28, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Found some sunshine
Had a great dinner and visit with Josie and her mother, we stayed another 2 days at the municipal marina in Marina Del Rey so we could meet up with Ralph and Jackie for lunch as they were on their way to a wedding at nearby Manhattan Beach the next day. So great to meet up with some of the wonderful people that we have met along the way.
We left Sun. noon and made the run to Redondo Beach, nice trip the ocean was pretty smooth but we still had low clouds 1 to 2 mile visibility, met a couple from Seattle that are headed back to Mexico.
Mon. A.M. we headed down to L.A. About noon we pulled into Cabrillo marina at San Pedro, again low clouds and 1 to 2 miles visibility until we arrived then the sun came out and it got up to the low 80's. The weather is supposed to get back to normal, mid 80's the rest of the week.
I'm going to try to meet up with someone from here that is going on FUBAR (the trip to Mexico) when we are going, then I have to get busy on the phone and try to find a place to moor the boat for a month so we can come home for 2 to 3 weeks.
Plans are to come home on the 8th and stay until the 29th so I need to find out where I'm going to leave the boat so I know what airport we'll fly out of.
We look forward to spending time with family and friends, we miss everyone!
LaVon's comments: Girls the water hasn't been so bad, had couple times when uncomfortable for me at least. Meeting people along the way is great but seems like you don't get to much "girl time." Moving so often isn't always great, would love to find a place to be for a couple of weeks to stay and feel more like home than nomads. Places around here are few and far between to just go anchor out, sit back relax and lay around. I will admit it is a great place to own a kayak as you can go around the marinas with ease. These guys down here even go out in the ocean. NOT for me. Does make it a little challenging coming in to a channel or harbor with all the kayaks and the latest thing, people on surf boards standing paddling in the middle of the channel. For some reason big boats coming in or out of the harbor doesn't mean they should get out of the way!!!!! I am ready to come home for a visit although the weather has finally improved and am looking forward to finally getting a tan. Have learned one thing: YOU CANT ALWAYS GO SHOPPING AND JUST BUY THINGS 'CAUSE YOU DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE SPACE TO STORE IT. Rule #1. Something comes something goes.
That's all for now
Irv & LaVon
We left Sun. noon and made the run to Redondo Beach, nice trip the ocean was pretty smooth but we still had low clouds 1 to 2 mile visibility, met a couple from Seattle that are headed back to Mexico.
Mon. A.M. we headed down to L.A. About noon we pulled into Cabrillo marina at San Pedro, again low clouds and 1 to 2 miles visibility until we arrived then the sun came out and it got up to the low 80's. The weather is supposed to get back to normal, mid 80's the rest of the week.
I'm going to try to meet up with someone from here that is going on FUBAR (the trip to Mexico) when we are going, then I have to get busy on the phone and try to find a place to moor the boat for a month so we can come home for 2 to 3 weeks.
Plans are to come home on the 8th and stay until the 29th so I need to find out where I'm going to leave the boat so I know what airport we'll fly out of.
We look forward to spending time with family and friends, we miss everyone!
LaVon's comments: Girls the water hasn't been so bad, had couple times when uncomfortable for me at least. Meeting people along the way is great but seems like you don't get to much "girl time." Moving so often isn't always great, would love to find a place to be for a couple of weeks to stay and feel more like home than nomads. Places around here are few and far between to just go anchor out, sit back relax and lay around. I will admit it is a great place to own a kayak as you can go around the marinas with ease. These guys down here even go out in the ocean. NOT for me. Does make it a little challenging coming in to a channel or harbor with all the kayaks and the latest thing, people on surf boards standing paddling in the middle of the channel. For some reason big boats coming in or out of the harbor doesn't mean they should get out of the way!!!!! I am ready to come home for a visit although the weather has finally improved and am looking forward to finally getting a tan. Have learned one thing: YOU CANT ALWAYS GO SHOPPING AND JUST BUY THINGS 'CAUSE YOU DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE SPACE TO STORE IT. Rule #1. Something comes something goes.
That's all for now
Irv & LaVon
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
On to Marina Del Rey
Had a great time with beer and bocci ball Thurs. evening at Channel Island Y.C., then went to the Sat. evening "name that tune" dinner/dance, that was a real hoot. This is a MUST stop for any one heading south, they are a great club and a lot of fun, they made us promise to stop by when we go back north, one member gave LaVon his cowboy hat and told her that she has to return it on our way back she wound up leaving it at the club with a note that we don't have room for more "stuff" on board but we will be back.
Sunday we headed to Marina Del Rey, great trip 1' swells at 8 secs. some of the time the ocean was like glass, little or no wind until we got to Marina Del Rey. We had dolphins running under our bow, 75 degrees out sun shinning.
Marina Del Rey is a busy harbor on a Sun. afternoon but they have traffic separator buoys in the channel coming in and out. Power boats stay on the outside edge of the channel by the jetties on the way in and out and the sailboats are restricted to the center of the channel this make for a great system.
We had a little trouble finding the guest dock, we had a non boater receptionist on the phone trying to give us directions so we tied up on an end tie and ask a member that was close by on his boat "where is your guest dock" he pointed it out and came down to help us tie up.
The club is closed on Mon. and Tues. as many of the clubs are so there is not much activity around here. I peddled off to a chandlery, I'm still looking for a chock to replace the one we had torn off up in the delta, no luck!
We called our friend from Pittsburg Y.C. and made plans for dinner then we peddled off to Costco, now that is a real challenge, go shopping at Costco on your bicycle. We could only buy what would fit in 4 grocery bags because the saddlebags on each bike will only hold 2 bags. We got a few strange looks at Costco as we loaded our bikes but you do what you gotta do. One guy commented "bicycles, I like to see that" I didn't tell him that we burned 700 gallons of diesel to get here!
In another 3 to 4 days we have to meet another friend probably at Redondo Beach then on to San Pedro, L.A., Long Beach, Los Alamitos Bay and around then we will fly home for two to three weeks.
Weather here is still cool and overcast until noon and then in the 70s in the afternoon, not as warm as normal, we do want to make a trip out to Catalina Island but we may not do that until we come back from our trip home.
We're having a great time, keep in touch, we love to read the comments people leave.
Irv & LaVon
Sunday we headed to Marina Del Rey, great trip 1' swells at 8 secs. some of the time the ocean was like glass, little or no wind until we got to Marina Del Rey. We had dolphins running under our bow, 75 degrees out sun shinning.
Marina Del Rey is a busy harbor on a Sun. afternoon but they have traffic separator buoys in the channel coming in and out. Power boats stay on the outside edge of the channel by the jetties on the way in and out and the sailboats are restricted to the center of the channel this make for a great system.
We had a little trouble finding the guest dock, we had a non boater receptionist on the phone trying to give us directions so we tied up on an end tie and ask a member that was close by on his boat "where is your guest dock" he pointed it out and came down to help us tie up.
The club is closed on Mon. and Tues. as many of the clubs are so there is not much activity around here. I peddled off to a chandlery, I'm still looking for a chock to replace the one we had torn off up in the delta, no luck!
We called our friend from Pittsburg Y.C. and made plans for dinner then we peddled off to Costco, now that is a real challenge, go shopping at Costco on your bicycle. We could only buy what would fit in 4 grocery bags because the saddlebags on each bike will only hold 2 bags. We got a few strange looks at Costco as we loaded our bikes but you do what you gotta do. One guy commented "bicycles, I like to see that" I didn't tell him that we burned 700 gallons of diesel to get here!
In another 3 to 4 days we have to meet another friend probably at Redondo Beach then on to San Pedro, L.A., Long Beach, Los Alamitos Bay and around then we will fly home for two to three weeks.
Weather here is still cool and overcast until noon and then in the 70s in the afternoon, not as warm as normal, we do want to make a trip out to Catalina Island but we may not do that until we come back from our trip home.
We're having a great time, keep in touch, we love to read the comments people leave.
Irv & LaVon
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Oxnard
8/6 We fueled up at Ventura and learned a lesson, when I call around to check on fuel price some places quote full price with sales tax and some quote pump price that does not include sales tax.
We left at 10:00 before the afternoon wind picked up but by the time we got 10 miles down the coast, Oxnard had small craft warnings out and we followed a commercial fishing boat into the harbor. When those guys come in you know it's getting bumpy out on the ocean.
We spent 3 days, with SUNSHINE hanging out at Channel Islands Yacht Club. A great bunch of members, Thursday we were invited up for $1 beer, $1 hot dogs, and bocci ball, Friday night for potluck and Saturday for their dinner night. Sunday,after our allotted 3 free days we moved 1/2 mile down the channel to Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club for 3 days there. Monday evening we dinghied back to CIYC for movie night and popcorn. We had been invited to come back down to CIYC for 4 days before we leave (they waved their 3 day limit).
Sunday there is a great farmers market at the marina and we rode our bikes to town, Monday we dinghied thru the residential canals, for 1 to 1.5 million you to can have a house on the canal with your boat at your dock on the canal, we cruised on up to a shopping center with a dinghy dock and bought groceries, came back to the boat and puttered, cleaning windows and painting the boarding ladder.
Monday had cooled off and Tuesday was overcast all day, 65 degrees, the weather calls for cool days for the next week, about 15 degrees below normal. They call it their marine layer I call it overcast and chilly!
This (Tues.) was a good day to stay inside, I spent several HRS. online trying to figure what forms I need to fill out and mail to F.C.C to get my "restricted radio operaters license" (required to use your radio outside of the U.S.)
Tomorrow, Wed. we will go back to CIYC for beer, hot dogs, bocci ball, and then Sun. head out for a 5HR trip to Venice, Marina Del Rey to meet a friend we met at Pittsburg Yacht Club when we were up on the Delta.
That's all for now
Irv & LaVon
We left at 10:00 before the afternoon wind picked up but by the time we got 10 miles down the coast, Oxnard had small craft warnings out and we followed a commercial fishing boat into the harbor. When those guys come in you know it's getting bumpy out on the ocean.
We spent 3 days, with SUNSHINE hanging out at Channel Islands Yacht Club. A great bunch of members, Thursday we were invited up for $1 beer, $1 hot dogs, and bocci ball, Friday night for potluck and Saturday for their dinner night. Sunday,after our allotted 3 free days we moved 1/2 mile down the channel to Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club for 3 days there. Monday evening we dinghied back to CIYC for movie night and popcorn. We had been invited to come back down to CIYC for 4 days before we leave (they waved their 3 day limit).
Sunday there is a great farmers market at the marina and we rode our bikes to town, Monday we dinghied thru the residential canals, for 1 to 1.5 million you to can have a house on the canal with your boat at your dock on the canal, we cruised on up to a shopping center with a dinghy dock and bought groceries, came back to the boat and puttered, cleaning windows and painting the boarding ladder.
Monday had cooled off and Tuesday was overcast all day, 65 degrees, the weather calls for cool days for the next week, about 15 degrees below normal. They call it their marine layer I call it overcast and chilly!
This (Tues.) was a good day to stay inside, I spent several HRS. online trying to figure what forms I need to fill out and mail to F.C.C to get my "restricted radio operaters license" (required to use your radio outside of the U.S.)
Tomorrow, Wed. we will go back to CIYC for beer, hot dogs, bocci ball, and then Sun. head out for a 5HR trip to Venice, Marina Del Rey to meet a friend we met at Pittsburg Yacht Club when we were up on the Delta.
That's all for now
Irv & LaVon
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Monterey to Ventura Harbor
We left Monterey at 5:30 A.M. and headed out on a 13HR trip to Morro Bay, pulled in and tied up as they were finishing their burger night so we ate dinner and then signed in. Morro Bay YC does not recognize any reciprocals, Yacht Club member or not eveyone pays $30 a night but they expect a free reciprocal wherever they go because "they are the only safe harbor on that stretch of the coast"---WELL excuse me but I could have anchored in the harbor for free and I let them know on my return trip I would anchor out and not support them by buying their burgers or drinks, I told them that to attract new members our club has to offer a reason to belong to a Yacht Club and that reciprocals were part of attracting new members. Oh well I vented, paid my $30 and learned a lesson.
One of their members I talked to does not agree with their policy but he says "I'm only one vote" and he told us that he has a mooring bouy at San Luis Obispo and we were welcome to use it so the next morning we went around the point to San Luis Obispo and hung out on the bouy for two days. Each day we would watch 50 to 60 young sea lions jump and frolic around in a group just stiring up the water, at one time we had them all around our boat just stiring the water into a foam, when I saw the pelicans diving into the group of sea lions I figured out that they must be circling around small bait fish and feeding.
The seas laid down a little and on 8/1/09 at 4:30AM we headed out on the 11HR run to Santa Barbara with 2' seas and 5kt wind for most of the way.
We had 3'-4' seas at 8sec's around Pt. Conception for about an hour and then it smoothed out again and we are now offically in "Southren California" waters .
We spent the next day checking out Santa Barbara, the shops and the historical spots, we found out that from here on south we need to call ahead and make reservations at Yacht Clubs so we called ahead to Ventura and Oxnard and made reservations for the next two stops.
8/3/09 we left at 11:30 A.M. and made the 5HR run to Ventura, calm seas and very little wind it was a good trip, my Nobeltec navigation program did have problems reading the charts that I downloaded from NOAA so I had to run from the flybridge and use the chartplotter up there.
Ventura was great we woke up to sunshine! No fog in the mornings, 73 to 75 degrees, not very many members around because they are on a week long cruise to Catialina Island but the ones we met are friendly.
Tomarrow 8/6/09 we will move on to Oxnard to Channel Island YC for a few days and to Pacific Corinthian YC for a couple days then we will cruise down the coast to Marina Del Rey and meet up with a really nice gal that we met at Pittsburg YC.
We'll let you know if we see any whales on the way down the coast, the tour boats out of Ventura have been spotting Blue Whales and Humpback Whales.
Irv & LaVon
One of their members I talked to does not agree with their policy but he says "I'm only one vote" and he told us that he has a mooring bouy at San Luis Obispo and we were welcome to use it so the next morning we went around the point to San Luis Obispo and hung out on the bouy for two days. Each day we would watch 50 to 60 young sea lions jump and frolic around in a group just stiring up the water, at one time we had them all around our boat just stiring the water into a foam, when I saw the pelicans diving into the group of sea lions I figured out that they must be circling around small bait fish and feeding.
The seas laid down a little and on 8/1/09 at 4:30AM we headed out on the 11HR run to Santa Barbara with 2' seas and 5kt wind for most of the way.
We had 3'-4' seas at 8sec's around Pt. Conception for about an hour and then it smoothed out again and we are now offically in "Southren California" waters .
We spent the next day checking out Santa Barbara, the shops and the historical spots, we found out that from here on south we need to call ahead and make reservations at Yacht Clubs so we called ahead to Ventura and Oxnard and made reservations for the next two stops.
8/3/09 we left at 11:30 A.M. and made the 5HR run to Ventura, calm seas and very little wind it was a good trip, my Nobeltec navigation program did have problems reading the charts that I downloaded from NOAA so I had to run from the flybridge and use the chartplotter up there.
Ventura was great we woke up to sunshine! No fog in the mornings, 73 to 75 degrees, not very many members around because they are on a week long cruise to Catialina Island but the ones we met are friendly.
Tomarrow 8/6/09 we will move on to Oxnard to Channel Island YC for a few days and to Pacific Corinthian YC for a couple days then we will cruise down the coast to Marina Del Rey and meet up with a really nice gal that we met at Pittsburg YC.
We'll let you know if we see any whales on the way down the coast, the tour boats out of Ventura have been spotting Blue Whales and Humpback Whales.
Irv & LaVon
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