7:20 PM - Tuesday, November 29, 2011

If anyone is reading this, please help. I’m stuck on a boat with a crazy person. That is all I have to report today. That, and we didn’t leave for Morro Bay until this morning. We ended up lounging around in San Simeone Bay for the remainder of the day yesterday. After a late start, we decided exercise might be beneficial to our mental states, so we threw on our running clothes, hopped into the kayak, and headed for shore. Due to our lack of finesse in the dismount, we ended up getting tossed over by a wave and soaked….which was um, a little unexpected and chilling to say the least. After wringing ourselves dry, we continued on our way…running a nice little 4 miler up Highway 1 –highlight – gigantic elephant seal in a heavy slumber on the beach.  Saw some cute little sandpipers, as well as your usual tidepool dwellers – sea anenomes and hermit crabs. Andy led the run back, speeding the pace up quite a bit and leaving me in the dust – but, what’s new? Sigh. The kayak back was a little more successful, and I took my first saltwater bath of the trip when we returned. Also chilling, but better than being covered in sweat and sand.

Got into Morro Bay around 3 pm today after a nice 5 hour sail. 

Desperately seeking a hot shower.  Pretty happy about our current anchorage though. Morro Bay Harbor is extremely protected here so no rockin and rollin tonight, thank goodness. Really looking forward to not spilling my breakfast. Also really looking forward to not tossing my lunch across the boat and desperately searching for it. As for the Captain, he spills his coffee at least once a day regardless of the movement of the boat.

We may hang out here until Friday due to heavy winds in the local forecast.  Hopefully we can get some more running in, because like I mentioned before, I’m stuck on a boat with a crazy person and he would probably the say the same if he were writing this. Please note that I did offer the blog entry for today to Andy, but he politely refused, so I will have to speak for the both of us. The sea lions are barking outside and Andy keeps saying they’ve followed him from Pier 39. I know he secretly loves them though…he just can’t get enough of those guys…

That's the news for tonight. Keep you posted in the next couple of days. Oh, one more thing - Happy birthday, Kristen :)

9:30 AM - Monday, November 28, 2011

Current location: San Simeone Bay. Estimated time of arrival: 4:00 AM this morning. Estimated time of departure from Monterey Bay: 11:00 AM yesterday. Miles traveled: 90. Hours spent actually sailing: 3 at most. Estimated speed of the Red Star during that time: 3.5 knots.  Hours spent actually sleeping: 4 at most. Hours spent shrouded in fog listening to Led Zeppelin: undetermined – a lot. Current location of coffee: to my right, and spilling down the front of my fleece. Current location of the Captain: sleeping in the cabin down below. Current location of persimmon pudding: in my belly – I was hungry when I went to sleep, and hungry as soon as I awoke! Thank you kindly to Maria and Oswaldo for the abundance of persimmons currently on the Red Star. A persimmon a day keeps the doctor away! And if anyone wants to make the trip down to Morro Bay, we still have a whole other persimmon pudding in the frig. Estimated distance to Morro Bay: 23 miles. Estimated time of arrival: 5 hours. Estimated time of departure: Undetermined – whenever the Captain awakes from his slumber.

7:46 PM - Saturday, November 26, 2011

Got into Monterey Bay last night and celebrated a late Thanksgiving with a nice feast of yams, pork, broccoli (courtesy of the Captain), and persimmon pudding from the Greens cookbook. Not the greatest idea to make a persimmon pudding in a hot water bath in a rockin and rollin anchorage! After a sleepless night we opted for splurging and paying $20 for a slip here in Monterey.  What a relief to step onto shore and take a nice hot shower.  We spent the day using our legs (also really nice), treating ourselves to breakfast at a cute little organic café downtown called the Plum Bakery & Café, and walking along the coastal recreational trail through Monterey and Pacific Grove.

It was a beautiful day and really nice to get off the boat and walk for a change.

Saw sealions, dolphins, pelicans, egrets, and cute little sea otters too!

Stopped at a great used bookstore on the way back…I bought a conversational Spanish book, and Andy picked up a couple books on fishing and a seafood cookbook.  I have high hopes for conversing in Spanish, and Andy – hopes to catch some fish and eat it too.  Splurged again and opted for dining out at a burger joint downtown. Gotta get the burgers, fries, & milkshakes in while we can! Picked up some fresh veggies & meat at the grocery store, and threw in a load of laundry. Tomorrow morning we leave early…destination undetermined…Morro Bay if we’re ambitious. We shall see.

8:30 AM - Friday, November 25, 2011

Day 4 of our fantastic voyage, and day 3 without showering.  Opted for leaving Half Moon Bay yesterday morning when the forecast anticipated rain didn’t happen, and the winds did!

Sailed for 12 hours and arrived late last night in Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk harbor.

Passed out after my second dose of Dramamine. Thank goodness for Captains.

Thanksgiving dinner consisted for Campbell’s chicken noodle soup. Hot soup from a can never tasted so good! Woke up to barking seals. Today we will make a quick trip to Monterey where we will celebrate a late Thanksgiving with a feast on the Red Star. Coffee supply = going quickly! The Captain goes through coffee like there is no tomorrow. At this rate we’ll be out of coffee and out of almond milk by San Diego. I must admit, a cup of hot coffee/tea/chocolate/soup sure is nice when it’s freezing outside.

11:31 AM - Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Day 2 of our voyage to Mexico. Got a later start than expected yesterday due to last minute preparations/returns to Best Buy/filling up of water bottles/rig inspections/ etc.

After turning in our key cards, we said goodbye to Richardson Bay Marina, Sausalito – my home for the last three months. I will certainly miss that shower, but the best thing about living and cruising on the Red Star is that your home is always with you!

Departed around noon…and even got an official send off wave from Jean who raced over to Clipper Harbor and waved to us as we motored out of the channel.

Sailed for a few hours, but ended up motoring over to Half Moon Bay where we are currently anchored in a snug little protected harbor.  First breakfast at sea – cornmeal cakes (i.e. hoe cakes) from the Greens cookbook.

Got a mini lesson in navigation and chart reading from Andy this morning.  Planning on hanging out here until the rain passes and the wind becomes more favorable.