SoCal TaTa

Charlie and I have been wanting to do more off-shore sailing, in preparation for our eventual retirement (hopefully in a few years) when we plan on doing some long-term cruising. We've always wanted to do the 2-week sailing rally to Mexico known as the Baja HaHa, but we just can't take the time off work for the 3-week-long sail BACK from Mexico. We even tried to sign up as crew for a couple doing the HaHa on their own Islander Freeport 36, but unfortunately they picked other people for their crew. After being summarily rejected for the HaHa, We decided to participate in the first annual Latitude 38 SoCal TaTa, a one week long group cruise along the Southern California coast and Channel Islands organized by the same folks who put on the Baja Haha. On Friday, Sept 7th, we left our slip in Channel Islands Harbor at 6:00 AM for Santa Barbara Harbor. We powered and motor sailed for most of the way at about 6 knots for about 5 hours. We arrived at the Santa Barbara Harbor harbormaster dock before noon and requested a guest slip for two nights. We ended up in a slip adjacent to Profligate, the organizer's boat, and AHA, a large catamaran that sailed up with us from Ventura.

Saturday was a layover day, which we spent exploring the lovely Santa Barbara harbor, purchasing the last few provisions, and giving Bubba lots of walks (feeling a bit guilty that he wasn't going to be able to get off the boat for a few days once we departed). We walked into town, and Bubba got to make a new friend outside a little Mexican market.

Sunday afternoon was the skipper meeting. The theme for the SoCal Ta-Ta was Reggae Pon da Ocean, so everyone wore their best Rasta-wear, including us!

Monday morning the fleet departed for Santa Cruz Island. The weather was lovely, the winds were brisk and it was a blast sailing with 33 other boats.

We had a lovely sail into Smugglars, and found a nice spot on the north end of the anchorage. We wore our Rasta gear for the finish - here's Charlie looking for a good spot to drop the hook.

We spent two nights at Smugglers. The first night we held a dinghy appetizer party, with ten or twelve dinghys rafted up to each other near the surfline, passing plates of food. We called this the "Outcasts" party...the story was, Profligate (the organizer's boat) had a skipper/first mate party each night for the first three nights, but could only fit 1/3 of the fleet each night. We were scheduled for the 3rd night. So, as part of the 2/3 of the fleet who weren't invited the first night, we attended the Outcast party. It was a lot of fun, although a bit bouncy! We were treated to a lovely sunset over Anacapa that night.

The second night I used our new Korean BBQ to whip chicken and veggie kabobs, and gazed at another gorgeous sunset.

Here's a shot of the fleet, gazing towards Yellowbanks.

Charlie and I never went ashore at Smugglers, given our scary experience a couple years ago when we'd dinghy'd to shore and then couldn't get BACK to our boat due to the crashing surf! So we happily just relaxed, played with Bubba, and napped. Fortunately Bubba took well to his new astro-turf potty pad, although I'm sure he missed his usual walks.

On Wednesday we departed early for Paradise Cove in Malibu. It was our longest leg, but one of the best as the winds and point of sail allowed for us to use our spinnaker for hours! It was the longest we've been able to fly our chute yet. Charlie got to take several naps, which Bubba always appreciated.

Paradise Cove was a bit of a challenge - lots of kelp, and no way to go ashore as the surf is just too dangerous. That meant yet another day with no walks for Bubba! He was doing fine, though...he's really become a great boat dog.

Even though we couldn't go ashore, we enjoyed the view of the mist over the Malibu canyons, the pier and the famous Malibu institution, the beachfront Paradise Cove restaurant.

That night was our skipper/first mate party on Profligate. We enjoyed appetizers and wine, and got to spend some enjoyable time with Richard, Donna and the rest of the crew of Profligate. As the owner/editor of the magazine "Latitude 38", Richard is a fascinating guy with an encyclopedic knowledge of West Coast sailing. Richard also organizes the Baja HaHa, and he is full of amazing stories. We didn't get much sleep that night - the winds were pretty strong, and a small sloop that had dropped anchor near us ended up swinging into us, colliding at about 3:00 am. Fortunately the collision was relatively soft - we could see no damage - and after a bit of scrambling in and cranking in some rode, we managed to avoid each other for the rest of the night. The next morning we departed for King's Harbor in Redondo Beach. We had some guests along the way - Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins, racing the bow.

Charlie partook yet again of his favorite sailing activity - napping with Bubba.

King Harbor is a lovely but somewhat cramped harbor - there were no slips available, so most of the fleet rafted up together in the middle of the harbor near the King Harbor Yacht Club. We were rafted up between Shadow II, another Islander 36, and Tilligo, a Union Polaris 36, along with several other boats. We had a great, solid raft-up, although some of the boats in other raft-ups apparently dragged and had a bit of a rough time. FINALLY we were able to get off the boat! We dinghied to the dock at King Harbor Yacht Club, where Bubba finally got to get on dry land, and we both got to take showers. That night the wonderful folks at Kind Harbor Yacht Club held a spaghetti dinner for the Ta-Ta, and we all enjoyed the delicious food, and made copious use of the bar! Friday morning we departed for Catalina. We motor-sailed up to the Palos Verdes bell bouy, then killed the motor and headed on a rumline for Two Harbors. This was our best sail yet! The winds were perfect, close reached on a starboard tack, hitting our best upwind speed of 7.4 knots - a record! We were pacing along with the Tilligo and a few other boats from the fleet, and keeping up nicely. It was about a 5 hour sail, and it was one of our most enjoyable EVER! We nabbed a nice mooring in Isthmus cove, and then dinghied ashore, where we enjoyed showers and Bubba got another walk on dry land. We had two fabulous days in Two Harbors, including two great parties with the Ta Ta fleet replete with Conga lines! On Sunday we dropped the mooring at 6am for the 9+ hour motorsail back home. We met some GREAT people, had fantastic sails, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!

Solar Panel

In May we added a 100W Ramsond mono-crystalline solar panel on Spray's stern rail. Our intent was to provide enough power to keep the house battery charged while anchored or sailing with the refrigerator, radio, and navigation instruments running. The panel weighs only 16.5 lbs and generates 5.41 peak amps which should be sufficient for our needs. We installed a Schnieder/Xantrex 40 AMP charge controller configured for our Lifeline 8D AGM house battery with the float charge rate set to ~13.2 volts. We mounted the solar panel on the stern rail using two sturdy adjustable Magma BBQ mounts. This allows us to position the solar panel on either side or aft sections to achieve optimal sunshine based on our position. We're pleased with the results and will upload some pics next week.

Daysail to Anacapa

On Saturday we took a daysail out to Anacapa Island. We picked up some extra sandwiches which we planned to bring for Dave and his crew aboard Niko Maria out at Frenchie's Cove. We powered out of the harbor and then set the sails for a close reach toward Frenchie's at 5-6 kts. The wind died down as we approached the island so we furled the Genoa and approached Dave's boat under power. It took us a little longer than we expected to get out there, so rather than drop the anchor we just did a quick pass by Dave's boat, which was at anchor.  LeeAnne hung onto the spreader and tossed Dave his sandwiches.  Luckily he caught them, or some fish at Frenchie's would have been enjoying a couple of foot-long roast beef subs.

We did one more spin around Niko Maria and then headed back.  We were hoping the winds would be favorable for flying our new spinnaker, which we've only flown twice.  Initially the winds seemed to have shifted and were right on our nose, so that wasn't going to work.  But once we got a little further away from Anacapa, the winds shifted back to the port beam and we were able to set the spinnaker.  We'd asked Dave to take a few pictures of our boat under sail..  So after they chowed down their sandwiches, they powered up behind us and snapped a few shots.

After setting the spinnaker we FLEW back toward Channel Islands Harbor at 6-7 knots on a broad reach. The wind was blowing 10-15 knots with 4-6 foot following seas. Flying the spinnaker was exciting in these conditions with just the two of us. We were the only ones flying a spinnaker and we got a lot of cheers from passers by, and a few powerboats even swung by to take photos.

After about an hour the wind shifted and got kind of flaky when about half way across the channel so we doused the spinnaker and motor sailed back to the Harbor.

Electrical Upgrades

Mike from Boatyard Electric came by today to replace the house and starter batteries and upgrade some of the electrical components. We replaced the 4-1/2 year old wet cell 8D house and group 27 starter batteries with new Lifecycle absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries. We used an 8D deep cycle AGM for the house and a larger Group 31 AGM starter battery for the engine. The new AGMs are maintenance free and hold their charge better than the wet cell batteries. Since the AGMs are more tolerant of high temperatures I decided to leave the starter battery in the engine bay. Mike has had good luck with the Lifecycle brand and thinks we should get 8+ years of service from them. We mounted the starter battery box more securely and repositioned it slightly to make room for the other components. Since the AGMs require a lower float charge voltage than the 14.2v that our alternator puts out, Mike installed a new Balmar voltage regulator specifically configured for the AGMs. I've been using AGMs for my motorcycles for many years and really like them.

We also added a Xantrex Link LITE battery monitor. This will allow us to better monitor the condition of the batteries. The LinkLITe is much more accurate than the old original analogue volt and amp meters. In addition to volts and amps, the new monitor includes a gauge for percent full. This will be useful to determine when we need to recharge the batteries while away from the dock.



In addition to the battery monitor, we added a remote panel for the Xantrex 40 Amp battery charger. The remote charger panel was mounted below the main battery switch. This will make it much easier to monitor what the battery changer is doing since the charger is located under the starboard settee.

Mike also installed a 12 volt accessory outlet at the navigation station and fixed the shower sump which had a detached wire at the circuit breaker connector. Having a working shower sump pump will make LeeAnne very happy. LeeAnne will use the 12 volt outlet to charge her cell phone.

Mike convinced me into upgrading our basic Perko main battery selector switch to a Blue Sea unit with an automatic charging relay (ACR). The upgraded switch will automatically allow the generator to charge both batteries and will also isolate them to ensure that the starter battery is optimally charged. He has had good luck with these and said they last a long time. After our experience on New Years eve day, I decided to give the automatic charging relay a try.

Mike referred me to Curt for some woodwork. Curt crafted a teak panel for flush mounting the new main battery switch and remote charger panel. Unlike the current panel, the new panel has finished edges, counter sunk and bunged screw holes, and the grain is properly oriented. While we was on Spray, I asked him to repair a crack along the port side settee board used to make the double bed and flush mount the v-berth door so that it will close properly. Everything he did came out great!  I varnished the panel in seven coats of gloss and re-did the galley cabinets in satin.
 

Here are some pictures of the new Jabsco electric toilet with instructions and the new sink faucet.  LeeAnne really loves the electric toilet!

 

Year end at Coches Prietos, Santa Cruz Island, CA

The weather forecast was good so we decided to spend our Winter break on Santa Cruz Island. We left our slip in Channel Islands harbor at 8:00 AM on Wed and powered over due to light and variable winds. The seas were flat with virtually no swell. We encountered the typical sea life of common dolphins, sea lions, pelicans, etc... but did not see any whales.

LeeAnne had never anchored on the south side of the island so we decided to head for one of my favorite anchorages, Coches Prietos. The anchorage was empty when we arrived at 12:30 so we picked the preferred spot close to the beach behind the reef and near the west wall. Coches is a charming little anchorage, shaped like a little circular indent in the island with a perfect half-moon, soft-sand beach, surrounded by lush vegetation leading into a deep, picturesque valley.

Since I hurt my back a few days earlier and didn't want to deal with lifting the dinghy or outboard, we decided to use the easy method of setting two anchors: we came in close to the beach and dropped our stern anchor in 17' on the sandy bottom, set the anchor after letting out ~100' of rode, let out enough additional rode to approach the reef, dropped the bow anchor in 25' behind the reef, set the bow anchor, then took up the slack on the stern anchor. We settled in perfectly in the lee of the reef and wall and close to the beach. This was surprisingly easy and meant that we didn't have to go to all the trouble of launching the dinghy.















We had clear, warm, and calm conditions the first day with the anchorage to ourselves. This was an amazing feeling, being so removed from civilization and cut off from other humans, even though we were within 25 miles of a major population center. The only other humans we saw that first day was a small lobster boat coming by occasionally to check their lobster traps. We didn't see them pull any out, or we might have asked them if they wanted to sell us a couple! The sunset over the west end point that night was truly spectacular.

Thursday, a couple of other boats came in mid-day. We rowed the dinghy to the beach several times each day to walk along the beach and explore the trails. The hiking was very satisfying - there's a well-defined trail heading straight into the deep, craggy valley. The woods were surprisingly green and lush on this island that often looks brown and dry. We saw a couple of Island foxes and a bunch of quail in the bushes. We brought Bubba to the beach for some exercise and he absolutely loved it. He ran full-speed from end to end stopping to dig up rocks, sticks, or shells every now and then. We picked up after him since canine diseases are very threatening to the Island foxes.











































The fog rolled in and out on Friday and Saturday. It mostly hovered just off the beach leaving the shore and trails relatively clear.

Our plan was to leave early Saturday morning and spend New Years Eve with friends back home. Unfortunately, when we got ready to leave our engine wouldn't start! Charlie spent several hours trying to diagnose the issue and change the batteries. He discussed the symptoms with one of our neighbors from a nearby boat named Jay and he came aboard to help. The batteries seemed to be sufficiently charged, the ignition switch and preheat switches were working; however, nothing would happen when the starter switch was pushed.

At 11:00 am we decided to raise our anchors and sail home. Another neighbor named Russell helped tow us out of the anchorage with his dinghy, which was necessary since we were anchored so close to the west-end rocks, and the wind was very light so trying to pull up anchor and sail out could have been dangerous. Once Russell got us well out of the anchorage he dropped off, and we sailed south for about 1 mile and then...the wind died. Completely. Not a puff. We sat there and bobbed for hours. Fortunately, there were several pods of Risso's Dolphins, sea lions, and sea birds feeding and playing around us helping to calm us down while waiting for some wind. The Risso's Dolphins were particularly fun to watch, as they are not very common in near-shore waters so we only see them when we are on a long trip. They are huge - 10 ft plus - and have large, round heads that look like Beluga whales. They usually travel in small pods of only a few, so it was surprising and thrilling to see dozens of these pods all grouped together in one area. Some of them swam right up to our boat, leaping into the air and then darting under our boat. Between the dolphin pods, the huge rafts of sea lions, and innumerable sea birds dotting the surface as far as the eye could see, tt was amazing how alive the ocean was in that particular spot.

After several hours of no wind, and after noticing that we appeared to be drifting closer to shore, with an unfavorable weather forecast of "light and variable winds", we decided to call vessel assist for a tow home. We just didn't want to spend New Years Eve drifting close to the cliffs! It was a hard decision to do that, as no sailor wants to admit defeat, but at this point the utter lack of wind was not something we could conquer. We also knew it was going to be extremely expensive to be towed all the way from Santa Cruz Island.

Vessel Assist said that they were assisting several other boats and wouldn't be able to head towards us for a couple of hours and it would take another 1-1/2-2 hours to reach us. At that point Charlie decided to launch our dinghy with the small outboard motor and try towing Spray away from shore and towards home. The idea was not only to keep us safe but to try to get us closer to the mainland to help reduce the towing fees. He lashed the dinghy to the side of the boat and climbed in, making himself as comfortable as he could for what we knew would be long, slow trip. This actually worked quite well - we towed Spray at ~3 knots around the east end and a mile or so past San Pedro Point where we finally met the Vessel Assist boat just before dark. It's a good thing that we called Vessel Assist because the wind never did pick up, plus we encountered thick fog all the way from the shipping lanes to Channel Islands Harbor. It would not have been fun trying to make our way using just the little dinghy motor, without radar or visibility beyond 10 feet, through shipping lanes plied by enormous freighters that can take 15 miles to stop!













The Vessel Assist captain brought us right into our slip at about 7:30 PM, where we were happily greeted by our dock friends...who just so happened to be having a New Years Eve party up at the clubhouse, complete with a full turkey dinner! This was indescribably welcome, given that we had eaten nothing but a can Pringles for almost 12 hours due to focusing on trying to get home. We're not sure what hurt the most - the embarrassment of getting towed or the $680 out-of-pocket fee! At least we made it home safe and sound and got to spend New Years Eve with some friends.

The next day, Charlie and Dave managed to figure out that the problem was a broken wire to the starter solenoid. All that for a broken wire! They managed to not only fix it, but also build a work-around switch so that if this ever happens again, we can go right to the bypass switch on the engine and get it started that way. Ah, boating...it's always a learning experience!

Thanksgiving Weekend at Santa Cruz Island

The weather forecast for Thanksgiving weekend called for sunny skies and warm weather so LeeAnne and I decided to take Spray to Santa Cruz Island. We spent a lovely Thanksgiving night at the marina with our boating friends and left our slip at 9:45 Friday morning. The winds were calm so we motored the entire 4 hours using the autopilot. Along the way we encountered numerous large herds of dolphins feeding and playing. Unfortunately, there was about a six foot swell and Bubba got seasick a few times before he finally settled in and slept.

We pulled into Prisoner's Harbor at about 1:30 PM, anchored in less than 20' of water between the pier and the West wall, and had a relaxing lunch. After the Island Packers charter boat left we launched our RIB dinghy, putted around a bit, and then landed on the beach West of the pier.













On Saturday we left Bubba in his crate and took a one hour hike up the trail towards Chinese Harbor. We encountered a baby snake and four Island Foxes along the way. Two foxes were grazing and playing in a grassy area along the cliff. We spotted two more foxes walking towards us on the trail. They seemed remarkably tame and did not appear to be too concerned about us. It was cute watching them carry on. They are very beautiful animals and act very dog like.





























By the end of our hike the tide had dropped another five or six feet making the descent down the ladder from the pier to our dinghy a bit scary for LeeAnne.

The weather was beautiful all weekend. We had clear skies and warm weather during the day and cool at night. It was probably the best weekend of the year weather wise! The only problem was that from Sat night at about 10:00 PM to Sunday morning at 2:00 AM a nasty chop blew in from the Santa Ana winds. It never got too windy; however, the chop from the wind waves made a lot of noise and kept us awake.

We pulled up our anchor at about 9:45 Sunday morning and headed back to Channel Islands Harbor. The winds were variable and on our nose at first so we motored along under autopilot. After an hour or so we had a NW wind and rose our sails to pickup some speed while motor sailing home.

It was a beautiful way to spend the weekend!

Maintenance

Yesterday I did some routine maintenance. The Westerbeke 44B diesel engine had 138 hours which means that we've put 100 hours on Spray since we bought her almost two years ago. I changed the engine oil, oil filter, pencil zinc anode, and fuel pump filter. I used the Chevron DELO 400 LE 15w-40 oil which the mechanics in the area recommend. This was the third oil and filter change since we've owned Spray. In July 2007 Spray was re-powered by the previous owner down at Driscoll's in San Diego. The engine was manufactured in June 2007 so it is requires the low sulfur lubricating oils. I also added distilled water to the starter and house batteries. I started the engine and verified that there were no leaks. The engine purred like a kitten and is ready for our next trip to the islands!