Pacific Crossing
Seattle WA, to San Diego CA - 18th Sept, 2010
With my new found friends and delivery crew, Ron and Christina, we set off south for the non stop 1250 nm and seven day trip to San Diego.
The weather was starting to change from the consistent Northerlies to some southerly influences which would mean a bash into some head seas.
We copped this for 36 hours on the nose after rounding Cape Flattery WA, but then it then swung around to the beautiful Pacific ridge that we wanted, giving us the wind from astern and a dream run for most of the voyage to San Diego.
We stayed tight on 125 Meridian which had us about 60 nm offshore, and missed out on being close to those notorious capes heading south e.g. Mendocino & Conception.
The yanks call Cape Conception the Cape Horn of the US. Aussies and Kiwis would liken it to a billabong in Kakadu Park.
Ron, a retired Canadian Supreme Court judge, had quite a bit of experience being at sea on sail boats. It was the first time for Christina, a retired school language teacher, so her learning curve was pretty steep. But she did an exemplary job with watchkeeping, and the bonus was her Viennese Goulash.
We saw much shipping on the way down particularly the Straits of Juan de Fuca, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, but strangely only one other private pleasure boat. Trying to find a slip in Newport Beach, Dana Point, and San Diego sums up the story about why I guess.
Coming into San Diego about 0400 hrs, we had what looked like a work boat of sorts on a collision course with us, and with only about thirty seconds to go and my finger ready on the dodge button on the autopilot, I flicked on my deck lights to then fortunately see this boat make a sudden and acute heading change to pass astern of us.
We had the right of way but that means nothing when you have someone on the other boat not on watch or asleep. However we can turn 90 deg within a boat length so we weren't going to collide, but it would have been close.
My father used to say that we should treat all other drivers on the road as idiots. This is the same for the sea.
Clearing customs in San Diego was painless by courteous officers and we snugged up into the Kona Kai Marina and amongst 5 other Nordhavn's including two 55's, and met some real nice people.
Kona Kai Marina, San Diego. Image source: konakaimarina.com
The next two days were busy dealing with two firms bidding on my electronics additions and upgrades, and then to rent a car to get to Los Angeles and fly home for our son James and his daughter Chloe's farewell dinner before leaving the next day to live in England.
Marg and I hadn't seen each other for a while as she had been in England, and sadly our planes crossed in the air the day I flew out to Seattle to bring the boat south.
The fun is now about to start as I can now put my mind to planning for the Pacific crossing, or the "Coconut Milk Run" as it is known as.
Then the 16 day steam to the Marquesas in French Polynesia.
This trip is devoid of proximity of land, and is regarded as the most remote trip in the world, so if something goes wrong we are completely on our own, therefore serious planning and preparation is paramount, and taking on many spare parts is essential.
However it has been said that if you need 100 spares and only take on 99, guess which one will be needed?
When you do something like this you are reminded about how good life really is and how so interesting and exciting it is to have a challenge.
It is said that the best time in your life is when you are young, for me I cannot agree.