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The seas are flat, nothing but blue sky, no clouds and the temperatures are t-shirt, jams and bare feet; its paradise.

We visited a fishing shop in San Diego before we left and in addition to fishing licenses we bought new lures, 3 for tuna and only one for wahu. I got 2 new hand lines that were easier to deploy than the 300 foot line recommended to us by a little Asian woman in Kona. I deployed the first line but the lure stayed near the surface. On the second line I attached a paddle we bought on Saint Thomas in the American virgin islands that was recommended by Gale's husband Eric. It is supposed to sink the lure like a down rigger would. However, the short length of the hand line caused the paddle to skip on top of the water so I attached a 10 foot leader to give the line more length; now the paddle digs in and sinks the lure. From the fly bridge I think the lures are too close to our props to attract fish. I have to put a paddle on the first line anyway so I rig up a longer line and deploy again. After a couple of hours of sun bathing and watching the lines I quit just hopping to hear any fish hitting one of our lures. Hours latter John mentions that "I guess we will not be having sushi tonight". Soon after Terry cries from the fly bridge "FISH". It is a 15 pound Mahi that put up a desperate fight. John tries to compassionately kill with copious slugs of Tequila to the gills, now down the throat. It is not working; the Mahi fights an intoxicated battle. At one point the Mahi almost gets away from us and flips itself back into the cold Pacific; it has long since managed to rid itself of the barbed hook that snagged him. John is able to grasp its tail one step, one flip, from freedom. Since 15 pounds of fish will not fill the freezer, John returns the successful lure to the sea saying "There we still have no sushi". We presented Deborah with a tray of fresh filleted Mahi. Just as I finished washing down the deck another cry "FISH". Oh no, it is time to repeat the process. This time it is a yellow fin tuna, Ahi, or as John says "there is our sushi. Although it takes copious amounts of Tequila, I think we started with an almost full bottle, the Ahi finally falls limp in a drunken slumber. The Ahi weighs 12 pounds, enough for sushi and dinner on a salad.

It is Saturday morning and we are 180 miles from Cabo Saint Lucas. We should arrive there about 8 or 9 AM tomorrow morning if all goes well and all is very well as I compose this blog in swim trunks on the fly bridge. The seas are so flat they are glassy, a deep navy blue. We are about 30 miles off shore; you can see tops of mountains even though the shore and bottom of the mountains are not visible due to the curvature of the earth. One could imagine a huge edge of a waterfall dropping off to the mountain tops. There is a light blue cloudless sky; a light cool breeze is tickling my neck. Occasionally we pass black slick looking things floating in the water; at a distance looking maybe like garbage bags floating in the water. On closer inspection it is actually one or more sea lions floating on their backs with their whiskered noses and flippers pointed skyward in the navy blue water. When there are 2 or more they form a configuration like sky divers except face up instead of face down. On closer inspection, the seals appear to be sleeping.

One can never predict how a day on the ocean will turn out. Every day is different and the variations are infinite. I hope Donna and I can share a day like today with my kids and grandkids.

I was about to send my blog post and I decided to put out my fishing lines and grab some rays in the sun. I will post results later. Thinking of the kids again there are hundreds of dolphins playing around Bella Donna. One just jumped 10 or 15 feet in the air behind us. They are magnificently beautiful.

Tomorrow is Cabo, Super Bowl and most importantly Kevin's birthday; I can't wait to see him.

God Bless Bella Donna

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Wednesday January 28 -> Thursday January 29, 2009
It is Wednesday morning and it is cold. It is time to leave. We looked at average temperatures for Ensenada and found it is cooler here. Even in the heat of summer the temperatures are in the 70s. We hear that it is going to be 80 in Cabo today so it is time to move on. The morning is spent topping off our fuel tanks, doing some wash and sending the Tuesday blog update.

We get underway around 2 PM giving us daylight for a while which will become important later. Just like San Diego there is a peninsula pointing out into the Pacific south that we must sail around. Just like San Diego the sea is bumpy and confused; the wind is right on our nose. However, as we round the point and head south the sea calms and the wind dies; we will motor about a mile off shore. It is warm in the sun but still cold in the shade. As sunset approaches the temperature drops to just above bone chilling. About an hour before sunset we spot what at first looks like a boat towing a barge dead ahead of us about 8 miles out. After a while it is noted that the towing boat has not moved meaning we are on a collision course. Is there a possibility it could be land? We ask the chart plotter to give us all detail of the area we are looking. It is just water hundreds of feet deep, no land. As we get even closer it sure looks like land. We refer to our paper charts that we carry to resolve navigational issues; they show no land there, just deep water. We try to make land look like some strange boat until the bow wave turns out to be sea swells breaking on rocky land. As the sun sets we turn out to sea; we will sail further out, 30 miles, in the dark. Had it been dark the last hour we would may have collided with the unmarked land unless we were looking closely at radar for the faint echo. Thus it being a good reason we left at 2 PM from Ensenada.

My iPhone alarm goes off at 5:15 AM, my next watch starts at 6 AM. Lots of warm clothing on, I reach the fly bridge as first light precedes the sunrise that occurred a little after 6:30. The days are getting longer as we make our way south. The radar is our now new best friend; we refer to it often. Just before sunrise we notice a long echo that looks like a large ship on a course parallel to ours 8 miles on our starboard beam. Headed south the echo turns and heads north. Next it does something that look threatening to us; it turns and heads on an intercept course to Bella Donna. We wake up John. Soon the white ship closes to less than a mile; still no VHF radio contact on channel 16. We can't make out its markings, is it US Coast Guard, Mexican Coast Guard or something else? It is a relief when the radio cracks to life and the unknown ship announces it is the US Coast Guard and wants to talk to Bella Donna's captain. John has to answer questions concerning our ID, people on board, registry and previous and future land falls. Seaming satisfied the Guard says "Be careful out there" and terminates the conversation. Is there some situation we should worry about? We hail the Guard and pose the question. "No situation exists, have a good day".

Slowly but surely it is getting warmer. There is not one cloud in the sky. I am down to t-shirt and almost shorts. We plan to be in Cabo for Kevin's birthday as well as being Super Bowl Sunday. We were going to stop for a day or so but the idea of being in Cabo for Super Bowl sounds good. Kevin I am sure you have plans, but if you want to come to Cabo it is on me. I have no way to send you a text message. I have shown "No Carrier" for a good while now. We have a reservation on the dock but it costs $400 per night so we will not hang long. We will probably go to La Paz on the 2nd or 3rd.

God Bless Bella Donna

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Tuesday January 27, 2009

The order of business this morning is to check in with customs and integration. Since we came into Mexico aboard Bella Donna and not on a commercial carrier, the process is complicated and long; it will take all morning and cost some money. To make it a little easier on us we get a local agent. He drives all of us to a downtown official building in his large van. We pass the port where The Black Perl, Jack Sprat's pirate ship, from The Pirates of the Caribbean movie is on the hard. The studio found shooting the second movie easier and cheaper in Mexico rather in the Caribbean.

We are lead to chairs in the center of a central open area of the official Immigration Building which is surrounded by small offices of all the government parts you have to interact with. Oh, there is also a bank so you can easily get any cash required to enter the country; they are trying to make it easy. We sit while the agent walks our papers around having us fill out forms and sign. At the end of the process the agent tells John to walk up and press a button predominately displayed. The button activates a traffic light looking thing. A green light and you are allowed into Mexico; red, you are refused. We get the green light. It is nearly noon and we still have to return to the Marina and go through customs. While the rest of us return for lunch poor John has to complete the process.

We are ready to venture out and do some shopping. Already I can tell Ensenada has grown from the one main dusty street I remember when I was here Labor Day 1969. The population here is 500,000, the size of Reno. Cabo Saint Lucas is 60,000, La Paz is 200,000 and Tijuana is 3,000,000. Ensenada is a quiet family oriented town. We take a taxi ride with Carlos to Costco. However, just a couple of blocks short of Costco there is a super WalMart, Home Depo and McDonalds. Stop the taxi.

The largest WalMart I have ever seen is very crowded with locals. The prices are all in Pesos and after the Dollar conversion the prices are just slightly lower than in the US. I really think anything you can buy in the US WalMart you can buy here. The exceptions are things obtained locally like produce and bakery items. These items are much less. We browse the large bakery where items like donuts, scones and muffins are 10 for 14 Pesos, 1 US Dollar. We bought 3 of the more premium to have with our McDonalds coffee. With shopping bags in hand, we are on to Costco for a few items. The Costco looks exactly like in the US; they are all the same aren't they. Nothing is missing; it has everything at the same price as in the US just marked in Pesos. There are fewer locals shopping here. There are fewer local items on the shelf. The red wines are more likely they come from South America than US and Australia. We buy a couple of bottles for $6 to try.

We call Carlos and return to Bella Donna. The day is done and it is cold. We hear it is 80 degrees in Cabo; lets go.

God Bless Bella Donna.

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Saturday January 24, 2009 -> Monday January 26, 2009

 

We are docked in San Diego at a new marina, The Wharf. It is in an area used by the America's Cup race when it was last held here. Even though they are 90% full the facilities are still under construction. We get an end tie as usual right next to The Munay, a smaller catamaran that John and Deborah knew well when it was chartered in the Caribbean. It is now owned by a young couple that wish to cruise, but are still working in a high tech computer job; sounds familiar. The name Munay is a Peruvian tribal word meaning unconditional love. After coming to tour Bella Donna they leave a numbered bottle of the wife's favorite California Russian River Pinot Noir. The other yachts around us are mostly all large power yachts, stink pots as we say; they refer to us as a rag picker. These large boats have rotating wires with little red flags on their ends to discourage birds from sitting on and pooping on their decks. A testament to just how smart these birds are, one very large lethargic sea gull stands just outside the revolving red flags and drops his deposit on the cabin.

 

San Diego is our last stop before sailing into Mexico. We stop and by our fishing licenses and I update our gear. I buy two new hand lines, 3 tuna lures and, a little to Deborah's objection, a new wahoo lure. We caught 100s of pounds of whahoo in the South Pacific last year; we just got a little tired of a good thing, a freezer full of fresh fish.

 

Sunday morning we have our breakfast out at Denny's. In the afternoon all 5 of us split up and headed in different directions. Terry leaves to visit Mission Beach, a place in her past. Don leaves to explore the city via mass transit. I need to find a Radio Shack. I find one 2.2 miles away so I decide to walk as I am not sure how easy it will be to bike there. John and Deborah have various errands to run. There is no rental car this time. We can use the exercise before we leave tomorrow.

 

On the way back from Radio Shack I see two familiar people waving a 100 yards ahead; it is John and Deborah. We celebrate with some ice cream. John continues on his way to The Sports Chalet to buy a scuba diving hood; the winter Pacific waters are cold enough to give headaches after even a brief  exposure. John has a wet suit but he needs a hood.  Deborah and I drop by Von's to pick up just a few things. We remember so many thing we need and discover too good to not take deals we end up with several shopping bags, but we are almost 2 miles from Bella Donna. Lets go to Starbucks and think about this. Deborah and I looked real good walking through the door with our full Von's chopping cart. While having our coffee we get a call from John, The Sports Chalet is a lot further than he was told; he was told 2 miles and it is more like 3.5. The short of it is the 2 of us should take the groceries back to Bella Donna. Can we do it; you bet! One more mile and  we will get a cab. We barely make it. Hallelujah.

 

Today, Monday, we rise up early. We let go the dock lines at exactly 7:30 AM. The wind is blowing 20 knots out of the west, a very cold wind. The sweat suit just does not do the trick; you could seriously freeze to death. More layers are required. The sea is seriously bouncy, so much so that a trip across the deck guarantees at least one tangle footed stumble. Sea sickness is looking in the wings. The sea calms some as we progress and about 3 PM we arrive in Ensenada Mexico. It is still very cold.

 

God Bless Bella Donna

 

 

 

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Wednesday January 21, 2009 -> Friday January 23, 2009

Wednesday morning we awoke to changing weather; it is after all January. The wind has picked up and coming from the east so a low pressure has replaced the Pacific high that so far has brought us good weather. There is a slight chill in the air so the long pants and sweatshirt stays on. The east winds are due to increase latter in the day; Bella Donna is still tugging and straining the buoy lines meant for a mono hull. When are nautical people going to realize that catamarans rule. We decide to prepare to leave for Long Beach or Newport.

We manage to get away around noon when we secure a slip in a Long Beach harbor, Alamitos Bay Marina. By the time we leave the wind has definitely increased. John has to reposition the buoy lines as the means to execute his departure plan. When ready he asks the harbor patrol which have small boats that are outfitted like a tug to standby as the rocks of the breakwater are close by downwind. Engines warmed up the buoy lines are released and Bella Donna temporarily drifts downwind till the port and starboard propellers guided by John's heart surgeon like skill Shepard Bella Donna around and through the field of large buoys almost too close together for her size.

We raise the Mainsail and the Genoa. With the wind able to provide 8 to 9 knots of boat speed, we back of the engines to idle at 1500 RPM; the sea is flat which pleases Bella Donna. It is about 26 miles to Long Beach. About half the way there the wind starts to change, lighter and more easterly; the air temperature is warmer too. By the time we dock it feels almost like summer again. I take off my t-shirt having long since shed my sweatshirt and lay on the sun pad in the fly bridge exposing my pale skin to the soft winter sun. It does not take me long to realize it is getting cooler. The window of opportunity to get warm sun rays on your skin is short in the short days of winter.

Thursday morning we entertained friends from Orange County - Ric, Margo, Bob, Gerry and Jim. In the afternoon we rented a car and made our Costco provision shopping run. Actually we helped the Southern California economy quite a bit by depositing at several stores. The little loops securing the edges of the trampoline are made of very strong plastic. The ultra violate sun rays have weakened them to the point that several just broke when John put his weight the trampoline. John found a replacement made of stainless steel and we need several 100 of them. The bad news is stainless steel marine parts are expensive, this one $7 each. John asked for a discount and got a $3 price. When they found out how many we needed they gave John a price of $.50 each, yeah it is a good day. They are on back order to be delivered to Reno.

Today, Friday, it is cold, damp and drizzling rain; it is time to head south. We get a late morning start so we are just shooting for Oceanside. The Coast Guard has abandoned a 200 foot pier there and it is available first come, first served. We hope we get it; if not, we slow down and sail all night to San Diego. There is no wind so we just motor; the diesel we saved sailing to Amamidos Bay will come in handy today. The sea is confused as there is a swell coming from the northwest meeting swell coming from the northeast coupled with wind driven waves from the southeast. Bella Donna is pitching and rolling in all directions. Its just the thing to make you sea sick if you let it.

As we approach Oceanside the rain stops, the sun comes out and it is much warmer. Luck is with us again.

God Bless Bella Donna

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Tuesday January 20, 2009

Inauguration Day, we watch the swear in and board our dinghy to explore Catalina. The sun is bright and the sky is blue; there is a yellow cloud of smog back over the mainland. Black people are singing, partying and in general celebrating. Tuesday is the only day that a cruise ship anchors off Avalon. Many black people are in the cruise crowd, most wearing Obama T-shirts. A tall, 6.5 foot, young man dressed in an amateurishly made pirate costume brandishing a 2 foot plastic sword is greeting the tourists as they land, what is that all about?

Catalina has changed in 30 years. The original family, the Wrigley chewing gum family, who owned the island have turned it over to a conservatory in return for tax relief. There are 40 miles of paved roads; a few cars and trucks are on the island; most people get around by golf cart, bike or just walk. There are many structures on the island now. Most are clustered in 8 or less city blocks. There are many boutique hotels as well as bed and breakfast places. Many homes and cabins are for rent. There are daily ferries from several coastal California cities. You can see many people getting off the ferry with a single rolling suitcase. This Tuesday there are many single women and women with small children fitting this description; the children are rolling their own little suitcases. All the husbands stay at home working while wives escape for a change of scenery. There are an adequate number of places to dine, munch, drink and enjoy coffee. There is limited entertainment, some live performers, include a movie in the Casino theater at 7 PM daily with a second showing about 9 PM Friday and Saturday. Marley and Me is playing tonight and we plan to see it tonight.

You may expect retired folks to live here, but there are very few. Most of the permanent residents are here to serve the tourists. Many young people come here to escape whatever, meet someone and end up hanging around working in the tourist industry. If they end up staying and having children, there is 1 through 12 school available. The ferry to Long Beach is used to shop; there is major shopping near the ferry terminal in Long Beach. If you must have shopping not within walking distance, e.g. Costco, you must have access to a car. Some have a car permanently parked at the ferry terminal. Thus life is not too bad on Catalina Island.

We investigate riding our bikes on the island. It turns out the permit required to ride a bike will cost about $40. I think we will spend our money somewhere else. We find a little coffee shop, The Courtyard Coffee Shop, with free WIFI. Since our AT&T solution does not work that well we decide good coffee and free Internet is a good thing.

The movie theater in the Casino is the huge old fashioned kind with the wooden floor. Less than 25 people paid to see the movie.

God Bless Bella Donna

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Monday January 19, 2009

Yesterday was another cloudless, blue sky with bright sunshine. Sunday started much like Saturday. We walked a moderately long distance to a little breakfast place in Venice Beach, Cafe Buna. We passed one of the largest motorcycle shops I have ever seen; it occupied more than an entire city block, the world headquarters for World Gym that also occupied more than a city block and a used car dealer selling Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, Lamborghini and Pantera. All in all it was very LA.

We enjoyed the day hanging out on Bella Donna reading and catching up on work and email. Late in the day we went on a sundown bike ride; this time we went north past Venice Pier and well into Santa Monica, but short of the Santa Monica Pier with its ferris wheel. The beach and strand was packed with people with smiles from ear to ear. The experience of being part of this party crowd lifts your spirits. A little exercise, fresh air and a lot of interesting people to look at. Some try hard to entertain the others. One black man was dressed as a very convincing tree. He had stilts or something that gave him a 12 to 15 foot height. We first noticed him as he suddenly spoke to us as we rode just feet from where his roots were planted near the strand, what a shock; he was very good. There were impromptu flee markets dotted here and there along the way. The music is predominately hip hop and rap accompanied with drums and beautiful bodies dancing. There are very talented gymnasts with rock hard bodies hustling money for performance; they were also convincing comedians as they picked the pockets of the crowd.

As the sun got low in the sky it got cold; it is winter, which is easy to forget. We turn short of Santa Monica Pier and vow to save it for another day on a future trip. On the way back we stop to take a picture of a magnificent Pacific sunset. The big, I mean huge, orange ball falling almost fast enough to see it move slips beneath the navy blue ocean horizon. As the top edge of the ball nears the horizon a boiling foam of fiery light lingers for an unreal amount of time. All on the beach and most on the strand pause turn and enjoy. A spectacular end to a marvelous day.

Today, Monday, we rise early and make ready to depart for Catalina Island. This is the first morning the sky is completely overcast. However, the sunrise is as, and maybe more, spectacular as, than, the sun set last night. At its height the entire sky is painted with blood red, gold and yellow wisps, swirls and paterns ; it is truly assume.

About 9 AM we let go the last dock line. No Willie Nelson this time; the trip is just 30 something nautical miles or about 4 hours. The ocean is like a big still bathtub. We look for whales as many have been sighted in the channel; we see only one from a distance. It has been 30 years since I last sailed to Catalina. We used to race over on Saturday and race back on Sunday. As we approach the clouds disappear replaced once again by blue sky, sunshine and a light breeze. There has been a lot of development on the island over the past 3 decades.

God Bless Bella Donna

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Saturday January 17, 2009

I remember now Los Angeles does not have seasons; it is summer all year long. The sun is so bright this morning you need sun glasses to get out of bed. Our original plan was to sail straight to Cabo Saint Lucas Mexico, but the weather is so good we decided to do some time in LA, Catalina, Newport Beach and San Diego. This is a very good idea; I like it.

The smell of coffee is making its way to every nook and cranny of Bella Donna. Everyone is making plans for the day. I have no control over what I am to do. I lived on the beach here from 1969 to 1974. I did not ride in a car for about 9 months at one point. My Fiat Spider sports car just sat with almost flat tires and windows covered with dust hardened with salt spray from the ocean in the apartment's underground garage. Donna and I lived on the third floor of an apartment building at 15 15th Street in Hermosa Beach. We had view south down the beach from our balcony to King Harbor Cal 224 sail boat was docked. I went everywhere on my bicycle. Work was near the airport in El Segundo on Pacific Coast Highway, Highway 1or just PCH. I would ride my bike to work about 5 AM in the morning. I left early enough in the afternoon to get home well before dark and enjoy a 5 mile jog on the beach and watch the sunset, a great way to wind down. I think everyone will agree, there is nothing like a Pacific sunset from the beach in southern California; there is nothing like a Sunday afternoon on a deck outside a brew pub on the beach listening to a favorite local rock band and looking at a fiery sunset into the dark blue Pacific. Also the sea breeze guarantees some of the freshest healthiest air in the world. I do prefer an outgoing tide though; running on hard wet sand is a lot easier than running on the soft shifting stuff that resists your stride.

John helps me prepare the bicycle as life on the sea is hard on a bike. I take off without leaving bread crumbs as finding the tallest mast out of 6,000 boats should be easy on the way back. Heading south I soon reach the strand bicycle path between beach houses and the most beautiful beach you can imagine. I think the LA beach that runs from Malibu to Palos Verdes Peninsula, 25 to 30 miles, is a real treasure. Except for under the LAX runways and the Chevron refinery the beach is dotted with lifeguard stations, remember Bay Watch, volleyball nets and restrooms; even in front of the runways and Chevron there is beautiful empty beach. Starting with Manhattan Beach (LA not NY) you have The South Bay consisting of Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach and maybe a small stretch of Torrence I think. The South Bay ends at the Hollywood Rivera at the foot of majestic Palos Verdes Peninsula. A bike path runs the length of the beach. Having bicycled up and down the west coast of the US there are many great bicycling paths, but this is far and away the longest and the best.

Continuing on south my nostalgia starts for me at the foot of Rosecrans Boulevard where the Chevron Refinery ends and Manhattan Beach begins. The beach city lifestyle is different from neighborhood to neighborhood. It has been some 31 years since I jogged and biked daily on the strand. Even though it is mid winter the crowd today is like a slow summer Saturday. Everyone of the many beach volleyball courts are in use with very athletic men and women competing. The fun games include six players on each side of the net. The serious games just two. I stop and watch a game of two women volleyball that reminded me of the Summer Olympics. A young slender tall blond on one side had a killer spike.

There are the eclectic beach houses jammed together on the strand walk where the sand ends. Each is very different from the one next to it. All have been remodeled in the last 30 years, but some remodels now look needy again. The people that live and enjoy the beach are as eclectic as the beach houses. There are a lot of young people and there seem to be more Latin Americans today than 30 years ago. However, you see all ages from babies to the elderly. There are the families and the singles. There are bicycles everywhere, most are strand cruisers with the balloon tires and single gear. Most everyone has a great big smile spread across their face.

I found our old apartment at 15 15th street, 2 blocks from the center of Hermosa (Pier Avenue); it is now a condo. We paid about $150 a month rent when we lived there in the early 70's; it was being offered at $200,000 as a condo when we left in 1974 shortly after Kevin, our son, was born. I assume it is worth over a $1,000,000 now. The view south to King Harbor was wonderful back then because the Biltmore Hotel was removed from the beach front; the site is now a beautiful park.

There are about 30 well worn strand cruisers parked in front of the Poop Deck Bar on the strand 1/2 block from Pier. This place has not changed in 30 years. It was just a few sticks of wood then; it looks worn and weathered now. They used to sell 10 cent draft beer on Wednesday nights; it is a real fun place for the younger drinking crowd. Pier Avenue at the Hermosa Pier is virtually a walk street, no cars, on the weekends. The famous Lighthouse Jazz Bar and Cafe on Pier Avenue looks the same. I remember sitting stage side and listening to Dizzy Gillespie when we lived here. The popular Taco Bill's corner where they made the best Taco Burritos is gone. It has been replaced by a trendy bar with a small open second floor sitting area.

I rode done to Redondo Beach and King Harbor. There must be at least four times the boats there now. Every inch of available open water is filled with small power and sail boat. The old yacht club building has not changed much, but is hidden behind all the boats and condos. The Chart House Restaurant, one of our favorite places, is still there.

Four hours later my bike ride ends at the easy to find Bella Donna.

God Bless Bella Donna

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Friday January 16, 2009

On the road again! Willie Nelson's classic hit rang from Bella Donna as we left Ventura Harbor. Several other vessels in the harbor sounded their horns to bid us farewell. We are off to Mexico, Cabo Saint Lucas and La Pas. However, we plan to make some stops along the way. Our first day takes us less than 50 miles down the California Pacific Coast to Marina Del Ray which is just short of the end of LAX runway.

The nights are cold, but the middle of the short winter days are very warm, about 72 degrees. The skies are bright blue and cloudless. This morning a brown haze is blowing by a brisk Santa Ana wind out to sea. Ventura is surrounded by farmland that is constantly rotated from crop to crop. Every Monday many of the fields are plowed. I can't quite put my finger on the smell. I guess it is a strange mixture of top soil, fertilizer and chemicals. One crop we sampled last night, fresh mushrooms.

We left Ventura around 9 AM in a brisk, 20 to 30 knot wind, on our port beam. We start conservatively with just a stay sail raised on our bow; Bella Donna accelerated to 9 knots. By lunchtime the wind has disappeared and we motor in perfectly flat glassy seas just a mile off the coast of southern California; just far enough out to avoid most of the fishing pots but close enough to tour the coast. Dolphins are arching in and out of the mirror flat sea surrounding Bella Donna. Seals lay on their backs in the flat water in the warm winter sun. This is one of those special impossible moments to plan for that just happen in one's life. I think about how much I would like to share this with our grand kids.

After lunch we pass Zuma Beach and Point Dune; both of these played a part in my life in the late 60's and early 70's when I was in my 20's. I remember a scuba class on Zuma Beach where we learned to handle big surf and a sea bed covered with sea urchins at the same time. At Point Dune there is a buoy round which we sailed Sea Sea Rider, the Cal 224 I raced with Jack Tatum. It was a 2 day race; I remember rounding the buoy at sunset the first day of the race. In the foggy night that followed we could not get a fix on our position, no GPS back then, and ended up in surf near some beach. We turned quickly and sail out to sea and dropped our sails and waited for morning first light. Much to our surprise first light revealed many other vessels in the race near us. Everyone put their sails up and waited for the wind. Inch by inch and foot by foot we sailed in the southern California light winds home.

The shoreline as we progress south transitions from beach houses to more urban looking structures. We pass Malibu, the home of many movie stars. Many movie scenes are shot either on the white fenced bluff above us or the Santa Monica Peer with its ferris wheel. Venice Beach passes by. Finally we enter the long T-shaped breakwater channel leading to the 6,000 boat marina. I have not been here in almost 40 years and the neighborhood has matured. I feel like I am home to something very familiar while very different.

God Bless Bella Donna