Breaking out of Fort Bragg

A lot has happened since our last post. Sorry about that, but internet access has been rather hard to come by. At Fort Bragg, where we languished for a week, it was about a mile and a half walk up a serious hill for basic groceries or a Laundromat. The only Wi-Fi was a similar walk in another direction. It reminded me a lot of an airport; not user friendly. And, unlike Brookings, where folks offered us rides or cars, there was definitely none of that going on.
Anyway, we escaped from Fort Bragg early on Wednesday the 5th, easing out of the very picturesque harbor with smiles on our faces. The ocean was a little snotty but not too bad – it’s amazing what you can get used to. We sailed with the jib and the mizzen, the sun was out, and Sojourner was happy to be dancing again. Later that afternoon, when I began thinking about the 12 hours of night coming up, we watched as the fog grew closer from the west. Al and I made bets on whether we’d outrun it and be spared. I won. The wind direction shifted to dead in front of us and grew stronger, so we pulled down the sails and motored through the night making good just about 1 knot. We were grateful for our radar as we were slowly passing by the Farallon islands and the shipping lanes in and out of San Francisco (in the fog).
On Thursday and Thursday night we motored as the wind died and then filled in directly behind us. Now, we were moving again, making good about 5 knots, so down the coast we went.
Friday dawned a beauty of a day. Clear blue sky and blue water flat calm. We motored the last 10 miles to Santa Cruz watching the shoreline from several miles out trying to pick out the “conspicuous” amusement park near the harbor entrance. Finally, at around 9:00 AM we were at the offshore buoy for the harbor entrance. We were all pretty exhausted, but cheered by the warming sun, and decided it was time to enjoy it for a while. Shutting down the iron beasty , the silence was magnificent. While fresh coffee perked on the stove, we removed layers of clothing and foul weather gear and just soaked up the sun and the sights. Boats were exiting the harbor as if it were Saturday, seals crowded onto the buoy all barking, and pelicans, looking totally prehistoric, flew near. It was spectacular.
Santa Cruz turned out to be another non user friendly place. No groceries or internet, so we weren’t excited about staying for the few days while a weather system worked on through. Then, Al decided it was time for him to get back to his life in Brookings. We picked up a rental car and, after a fine dinner at the Crows Nest, he was on his way. Al had been a great companion. In addition to helping us through the cold nights, he taught us a great deal about sailing and navigation. He will be missed.
Saturday began by looking like a repeat of the beautiful Friday we had just enjoyed. Claudia and I decided that we could both get a head start on our next passage and put ourselves in a more “user friendly” place by sailing the 20 miles across Monterey Bay to Monterey. So, off we went. Sails up and quietly zooming at 4 – 5 knots. Sojourner was happy and so were we. Then, clouds moved in. And about 5 or 6 miles from our destination, fog rolled in. Then it began to rain. Oh well. I kept hearing Al as though he were still with us. “it will be all right, just keep going”. And so we did, and we’re now tied up in beautiful Monterey Harbor anxious to check out the museums and nearby Fisherman’s Wharf. Yet we still have to go somewhere to access internet service. I sure got spoiled having it onboard in Winchester Bay and in Brookings. E

Monterey is really something. Coming into the harbor in the rain was a new experience. Those are the times you wish you didn't wear glasses! There is lots to see here with all the history behind the harbor & the many shops for us tourists. We found out why the internet is so hard to find in these harbors. Apparently the state will not let the harbors have their own internet because of all the private internet companies that are available. Something about free enterprise but it sure makes for finding WiFi service a chore. We are waiting out another weather pattern that should pass by Tuesday so we can move on to the next harbor. At this pace we might be in Mexico before Obama takes office. C