Adventure 2019
I usually get a visceral and polarized response from people when I tell them I live and work on a 45’ sailboat and have been traveling up and down the Southern California coast for 3 years. They say one of two things: Wow. That’s crazy. Or…
WOW! That’s crazy! :) You are living the dream!
To be honest, I have to agree with both reactions. Liveaboard life is unpredictable, challenging, and very cold in the winter...but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Every day is unique and every day is an adventure. Every day I get to wake up with the sun surrounded by nature. Every night I fall asleep to the lullaby of the sea. The rhythm of life on the water is a magical and humbling experience. As Jacques Cousteau once said: "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." The sea is my home and the journey is underway…
Our first sailing adventure for 2019 to the Channel Islands hasn’t gone exactly as planned due to a week of heavy rain storms and a weather phenomenon called an Atmospheric River that pounds the West Coast with 30-50% of it’s annual rainfall in one monstrous storm.
On our first leg of the journey, Eddie single-handed Aria out of San Diego Bay up the coast to Oceanside while I drove the car up to meet him. We knew there was a small craft advisory that day and breaking waves just outside Oceanside Harbor. I witnessed a small sailboat disappear behind the waves as it left the Harbor and I watched nervously from shore as I saw Eddie blast out from behind the breakwall. Thankfully, he timed it perfectly and hit the sweet spot between big swell sets. I was so happy!!
We spent the night at O-Side’s salty sailor classic - The Jolly Roger and after looking at the weather forecast, decided it was best for me to drive up to San Pedro so we could have access to the car if weather conditions continued to get worse. Eddie motored 56 Nautical Miles up the coast arriving a few hours ahead of the next big rain storm while I captured a sunset time lapse from Cabrillo Way Marina awaiting his arrival.
One of the things I’ve learned after living on a sailboat is the importance of being able to adapt to change and go with the flow. The weather almost always determines our travel schedule, so we try to plan for the best sailing conditions possible and have a backup plan if conditions change. Once we made it to San Pedro and checked the weather forecast, we decided it was best to batten down the hatches and weather the storm before heading back out to sea.