Cojo Anchorage, CA
 |
| Sunset in the Cojo Anchorage, looking at Point Conception |
We're anchored along the south shore of Point Conception in the Cojo Anchorage. This anchorage is where boats wait for a weather window for rounding the point, which the Coastal Pilot says is called "the Cape Horn of California". A bit of an exaggeration, I think, but rounding this point does require caution and planning. The anchorage provides shelter from waves but not from wind, which is blowing around 15 knots from the NW now, at 9:30pm. Winds are forecast to begin calming around midnight and to be very light tomorrow morning. We'll shoot for raising anchor around 7am.
We left Channel Island Harbor this morning at 7:30am after topping off the diesel tanks at the fuel dock. Diesel cost only $4.40/gallon, less than half what we paid Enrique in Turtle Bay, and about $1.50/gallon less than the average price in Mexico. A welcome relief to my wallet. It was overcast, foggy and bleak until around 2pm when the sun came out and then it was very pleasant, though cool out in the wind. As we drew closer to Point Conception the wind and seas increased, building to Bashing Level 2 for about an hour. We had to dodge kelp forests as we entered the anchorage and dropped anchor in 45 feet of water to stay out of the weed.
The highlight of yesterday's passage from Redondo Beach to Channel Island Harbor were the large flocks of shearwaters, pelicans and seagulls together with pods of dolphins enjoying a feast of some type of sea critter. Hundreds of birds floating on the surface, pelicans diving from the air, seagulls harassing, stealing and scavenging food bits, and dozens of dolphins churning the water, all have tons of fun it seemed.
We tied to a public dock in Channel Island Harbor yesterday evening and walked to a seafood restaurant where we had a feast of our own, oysters, fish and chips, salad.
 |
| Intermezzo at public dock in Channel Islands Harbor |
Assuming our weather window opens tomorrow morning for rounding the point, we'll be in San Louis Obispo Harbor by late afternoon. Luther will be leaving Intermezzo the next morning, leaving me to finish the journey to San Francisco on my own.
