Sunday Luau

Our tradition at the Blue Water Cruising Club is to have a Hawaii style pit cooked dinner. The process starts at 10:00 a.m. when the wood in the pit, loaded with lava rock, is set aflame, with many hoses soaking the surrounding brush, trees and canopy, to avoid setting the Island on fire. An important part of the tradition is the sacrafice to the pit of a small clay statute of George Geiger, a founder of the Club and after whom our Cove is named. Holly Scott, a lifelong member and daughter of another founder, creates the sculpture out of clay mined from her spot on the Island.

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While the fire burns down, the members prepare salads, scrub and wrap the potatoes and the pork, beef and tuna are prepared for the pit.

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Later in the day, after the food is ready, the crowd gathers on the beach for the feast.

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Saturday at the Cove

After a good night’s sleep, we woke up to sunny skies with the wind picking up a little. It looks like a good swimming day. The water should be getting about as warm as it will get all year, so now is the time to swim.

We have about 24 boats in the Cove already, with more expected. Since the kelp on the east side of the Cove has died back dramatically this year, we have boats anchored where there is usually kelp so there is a lot more room.

The pit was uncovered for the traditional pit luau pork, beef and fish roast.

Catalina Labor Day Trip

With our boat out of commission due to a DOA coolant water pump on the Volvo diesel, we bummed a ride with our friends the Hicks on their 55 Navigator power boat. Not too bad of a backup plan, as we get our own cabin with queen size bunk and the boat has all of the convinces of a small condo.

We left the San Pedro harbor about 10:00am and were at the Cove by 1:00 pm.

Busy Days

We got Patty and Brett off of the ferry and made the trip back down the coast to our Cove. After some swimming, sunning and just hanging around the boat, we went ashore. Brett attempted to fill in the cove with rocks from the shore, but made little difference. Regardless of how many rocks the kids throw in the water, the winter storms just roll them back up on the beach.

Brett played on the swing, hiked up through the trees and climbed up into a treehouse with an ocean view. After a while, we all took showers in the open air shower and went back to the boat.

We had a dinner invitation from our friends Ike and Zuzana, so we packed into the dingy and took the half mile trip down the coast to Emerald Bay where they we’re anchored. We had appetizers on the aft deck and then retired to the salon for dinner. After 10:00 pm, we bundled sleeping Brett up, climbed down into the dingy and took a very dark trip back to our Cove. I was glad that I had kayaked that stretch many times and knew where the rocks were.

Sunday morning was cool and cloudy, but by noon when we pulled the anchors the sun was out and the wind was up. Fifteen minutes under way and we had the engine off and we were sailing a broad reach for home.

We got in by 4:30 pm. It was good that we only had to motor a short distance because a small coolant drip tuned into a big one and the engine started getting hot coming down the Alamitos Bay entry channel.

I poured enough water into the system to keep her running while we furled the sails and got into the slip. I will be glad when the autopilot is repaired. Hand steering across the channel makes for a long day.

At Two Harbors

On the hook

We got in about 2:45 pm and got the anchors down without too much fuss. We pumped up the small dingy and gave Christian a quick tour of the shoreside facilities, as they are. I have figured out that without wifi, I cannot easily transfer pictures from the iPhone to the iPad. So I need to load the WordPress software on the iPhone as well so as to upload pictures.

We had steak, brown rice and broccoli for dinner, capped of with Mystic Mint Girl Scout cookies.

The moon rose; a squid fishing boat lit up the horizon (they shine bright lights down into the water to attract the squid) and we went to bed.

This morning Christian started the morning off with a 6:30 am swim. A little too early for me. Patty and Brett are coming in on the 9:00 am ferry so we have to put the engine on the big dingy to go get them.

Some Pictures

AT SEA

We left the dock at 9:45 am and headed out onto a sunny and calm sea. The light wind out of the east died about 10 miles off shore, so the diesel is chugging away. Several pods of dolphins played in the wake, giving us a break. Right now, about mid channel, the sea is glassy with a 1-2 foot confused swell rocking the boat. The few clouds are burning off, the Island is in sight, and life is good.

CATALINA ISLAND, August 3, 2012

We are heading off in the morning to Big Geiger Cove on the West end of Catalina Island for a three day weekend. The plan is to leave the harbor about 10:00 am for the five hour crossing. Our friend Christian is going with me and Patty is joining us on Saturday via the cross-channel ferry.

Since the auto pilot drive unit gave up on the last trip, and is in for repairs, I will be happy to have the help steering the boat.