San Luis Obispo Pier doesn’t have much for ammenities other than two large fishing piers. The actual town is 10 miles away. CalPoly is using the harbor for marine research but there wasn’t much activity today other than a barge anchored in the middle of the harbor. Pismo Beach was close by with beautiful beaches, wineries and it’s where the Monarch butterflies migrate in the cooler months but we decided not to get off the boat today. We knew we wouldn’t be here long and it’s a process to lift the dinghy off the forward deck into the water even with the use of a halyard. After looking at the winds and wave height we decided it would be safe to cross Point Conception but we would need to get an early start.
We got up at 3 am this morning and left San Luis Obisbo Bay. Needless to say, it was very dark since the moon and stars were behind the low clouds. We found our way by a fog horn, blinking lights on the buoys and jetties, and our trusty radar. We hung a red light in the cockpit so we could see our way around the boat and it would not interfere with our night vision. We saw the first sign of daylight about 6:30 am. The days are definitely getting shorter. Starting out the seas were big rollers and it was hard to judge their intensity and when you will hit them since its so dark.
Along our 56 mile journey we saw the usual whales, sea lions and dolphins but this time we dodged oil platforms in the ocean. We also passed Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant and traveled through Vandenberg Air Force Base Missile Test Site. The steep waves and 27 knot winds made us rock-n-roll all the way here. Some waves would literally pick us up and shove us forward. These are the steepest waves we’ve been in without a crew but we managed to get here safely. For safety, we attach one end of our tether to our safety vest and the other end to safety lines on the boat and hang on!
We are at Cojo anchorage at Government Point. It is just a stop over for tonight. The conditions are not ideal because of the wave action but its fine for one night since the next anchorage or harbor is 25 miles down the coast. We are the only boat anchored here. We are surrounded by a light house, a few sea lions sharing a coast guard float, sand dunes, warm winds, and the sound of waves tumbling onto the beach. The Amtrack train just came by so now we don’t feel so alone.
We will leave this anchorage at 6 am tomorrow and sail about 23 NM to the Channel Islands, an eight-island archipelago out in the Pacific. It requires crossing Santa Barbara Channel which is open water and can be rough but we are hoping for fair winds and foll
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