Monterey to Morro Bay

It was sort of sad to sail away from Monterey, but as we headed out to sea and into the overcast sky at 4pm the sadness melted into anxiety pretty quickly. Keegan and I embarked on our first overnight leg. A 20 hour trip to Morro Bay.

Two hours into the journey the sun began to set. It was not one of those beautiful postcard sunsets as the marine layer laid heavy above our heads. It was light grey turning to dark grey turning to black. As the darkness grew, so did my dread.

There is something so unsettling about the unavoidable nature of night. When you are at sea and the sun is going down their is nothing that can be done to stop it. There is no escape and experiencing the darkness for the first time was downright un-nerving.

Keegan was our rock for that first hour after sunset as my brain tried to settle itself down. Moving forward into the night in total darkness was a sensation I had never experienced and I'm not afraid to admit that I was scared. We were very lucky that the winds and the seas were in our favor!

After total darkness had fallen Poseidon set us a reassurance as the boat cut thru the water and the seas began to light up a bright, sparkling green. We were traveling thru phosphorescence. A wonderful treat that would not have been possible if we hadn't been brave enough to travel thru the night. 

This leg of the journey was generally uneventful as we took 2 hour shifts throughout the night and arrived at Morro Bay by mid-morning the following day. 

Shortly after sunset Keegan's stomach did a few loops and his dinner found its way onto the deck. Luckily, he felt much better and was good for the rest of the trip.

We were grateful to approach Morro Bay during the daylight as it is one of the most dangerous entryways along the coast. The huge volcanic plug marked the entrance.  If you ever come this way do not try and make the harbor at night!!

Morro Bay offers free anchorages for five nights. The anchorage was GREAT! Calm and comfortable the whole time with pelicans and otters and sea lions all over!

Not much to report in the actual town of Morro Bay, but this should definitely be a stop on the way south. The perfect place to stop and rest up!

**We got our first chance to inflate our dinghy and set up a pulley system to lower the outboard engine. We had great fun escaping the boat, although it was very strange to leave Malabar at anchor!

Volcanic plug from inside the bay

Mooring field behind anchorage

The town of Morro Bay

Bye Malabar!