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- John rows the dinghy out to set the stern anchor. Hubba Hubba!
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- Jennifer and Chris in the Spinnaker Lounge
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- Approaching Two Harbors
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- Birthday Aperol Spritz Selfie!
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- John made BLTs with egg for Brunch
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- These cactus grow a quarter mile from the sea
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- Cat Harbor, on the “backside” of Catalina
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- Believe it or not, this is the Isthmus Yacht Club
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- Jennifer made sure we had authentic Painkillers — Pusser’s rum and Coco Lopez!
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- Did I mention the final night of the Ta-Ta was a Rasta-themed party?! I think we did well!
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- On our sail from Two Harbors to Avalon we saw 22-knot winds become… 0 knots.
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- Approaching Avalon
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- Avalon mooring field
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- The famous Casino Way in Avalon
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- Leaving Avalon for Howland Landing
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- These slanted rocks tell a story about the geology of California
After picking up Jennifer and Chris in Oxnard, we spent the night anchored in Paradise Cove off Malibu. Then we set off for the final leg of the Ta-Ta – 37 miles to Two Harbors, Catalina.
It was a joyous day on the water — calm seas, sunny skies, and with more wind than forecast, we were able to sail the second half of the trip. Jennifer, significantly less green than the day before, found a spot on the bow we named “the spinnaker lounge” since it was, in fact, the spinnaker stuffed into the dinghy.
We picked up a mooring in Isthmus Cove for the weekend and that was about the last of any laboring for the next three days. On Sunday we said goodbye to Jennifer and Chris and watched the Packers beat the Seahawks at the bar on shore. Monday we headed to Avalon for two nights, then on to Howland Landing for a quiet last night on Catalina.
Highlights:
- My 33rd birthday! Jennifer made Aperol Spritzes on arrival in Two Harbors. We had to drink quickly, though, as Kurt and Katie invited the Ta-Ta fleet aboard their stunning Interlude for a tour and Buffalo Milk (Catalina’s signature drink).
- Nightlife! Okay, there was only one bar and one restaurant in Two Harbors, but it was fun to rendezvous with the new friends we made during the Ta-Ta.
- Snorkeling. An incredible variety of fish in clear water so close to the boat (like, once you jumped off). John was within 10 feet of a small seal during a snorkeling outing and tried to get him to come back to the boat for happy hour. He was intrigued by John and his description of the “painkiller”, but declined the offer.
- Our spa day in Avalon. Since we had never been to Catalina, we didn’t want to leave without seeing the big city. It was nice, but compared to rest of the Island, too busy for our taste. We found refuge at the Island Spa and spent most of the day there after we had massages lounging by the pool, reading (I finished my second book of the trip) and having lunch. And these talons desperately needed a mani-pedi.
- The beautiful Catalina coastline. We hope the photos speak for themselves.
We have spent nine of the last 10 nights either anchored or on a mooring. Tomorrow we really return to civilization when head to the California Yacht Club in Los Angeles for the weekend.
— MZ
