Channel Islands to San Diego

San Miguel Island!

 I arrived here after a long and beautiful day from San Luis Obispo. As I was sitting in the dark, (probably having a rum n coke) I could here this prehistoric sort of croaking and growling coming from the shore. The wind was absolutely howling through the anchorage and coupled with the strange sounds from shore, added to the feeling of "being a long way from Kansas Dorothy!"

I woke up the next day and went to see where all the noise was coming from and met a whole group of very cool Elephant Seals.....

 Hi there.....

This was my first "tropical" island. Sand, sun, and a palm frond! So friggin' cool...

After the rough and fog filled north coast, it feels like I've finally arrived in paradise!

 San Miguel Island is known as the "Queen Charlotte" of the Channel Islands as it's the most isolated and gets the worst weather. You can see the fog to the north and it's finally behind me! Yeah!!!

I left San Miguel Island and headed to Santa Cruz Island, 25 miles south.
I had a perfect 15 knots of wind and sailed on a broad reach the whole way! Awesome!

I ended up in Forney's Cove. A small little nook of paradise at the northwest tip of the island. A rough, lonely, and gorgeous place.

Just before the sunset, an abalone fisherman came into the anchorage and dropped 4 huge mesh bags that were full of his live catch, overboard for the night.

That night I got treated to a fantastic sunset... So the Pelicans and I just hung out and absorbed the beauty of it....

I left Santa Cruz Island in the dark and got this shot of the rising sun.... You can't see them, but I was surrounded by dolphins all the way to Santa Catalina Island.... Awesome!

These are two whales I almost hit!
I saw these two and got this quick shot of them. The next time they surfaced, they were only 30 feet from the bow and heading at right angles to the boat! I thought for sure I'd hit them so I braced my back against the cockpit and waited for the hit. They must have just missed my keel and I was both surprised and relieved to have missed them.....
After a long slow day, that shot of adrenaline woke me right up! haha!

It was a long day.... not enough wind to fill a sail...
Coming into Catalina Island just as the sun is setting.... beautiful....

Coming into the busy center of Avalon Harbor, Catalina Island. It was quite a shock to the system after all the lonely places I'd just been. But cool. I walked around all the shops, then just kept walking! Glad to be able to move again!

I "slipped my mooring" (sailor speak!) the next morning a 4:30 to be able to get into San Diego with some daylight. I spent the day dodging tugs, freighters, and Navel war ships!

The end of my first BIG sailing trip! Yeah!!!!
Point Loma, with San Diego in the background!