Half Moon Bay to Monterey

Journal Entry from October 13, 2013

We are on a course heading south. The sun is shining, the waves are rolling and it feels good to be moving forward.

Last night was our first windy one at anchor. It's amazing the scenarios that run thru your mind as you lay in bed listening to the wind howl. Keegan awoke to check the anchor on a regular basis and we made it thru just fine. What sounded like 20kts of wind from inside the boat turned out to only be 9kts. gusting to 13kts. It will take some time to get to know all of the new creaks and groans of our Malabar. When to worry and stand watch and when to rest.

We departed this morning at 8am with the hope of making Monterey tonight. Keegan is more optimistic than me. I'm pretty sure we'll have to be happy with an anchorage at Santa Cruz. We are motoring right now, but hopefully the wind picks up a bit so we can get some sailing in as well.


Journal Entry from October 14, 2013

We are making the short 20 mile trek from Santa Cruz to Monterey this morning. It is beautiful out and the only thing for which we are left wanting is a whale identification guide. Other than the unmistakable humpback whale that presented its barnacled underbelly to us yesterday afternoon we have seen pods and singular whales of several shapes and sizes. Fifteen sightings at least and that does not count the dozens of blowhole spouts we've seen from a distance. A variety of sea birds, sea lions, jellyfish and sea nettles are all around. I feel like we are sailing thru the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

**On a less magical, but fact of life side note, we did our first overboard dump yesterday. Macerator worked great, but a little odd to see your own waste shooting into the ocean. I remind myself of the size of whale poop and it makes me feel better. Hehe!

Leaving Santa Cruz with the Boardwalk in the background

Whale watching vessel

Heading towards Monterey