After a beautifully sunny and warm, albeit fumey ride down the coast mostly under motor, we arrived in Santa Cruz just after sundown. Even a town one knows well holds a new fascination when approached by sea, as if seeing it through new eyes. After a rough beach landing in the dinghy in which Boz kindly took the proverbial bullet for me by blocking a wave with his backside, we hung out under the wharf, drinking beer in the shadows with Halachee Steve and his friend Dave, and guarding the dinghy like true scofflaws. A couple of college girls came laughing and prancing along the shoreline towards the wharf but stopped dead in their tracks upon spying us lurking amidst the pilings, and slowly backed away cautiously. It's good to see common sense is still en vogue - after all, what kind of person comes all the way to Santa Cruz just to hang out under the wharf, seriously?
Halachee Steve off the Santa Cruz WharfA couple of sunny days at anchor off SC and we set out to Moss Landing on a fresh 15 knot NW breeze. Moss is Cadence's home port, and when family issues threatened to deprive us of our shipmate Steve, we opted to keep the sailing local so that he might stay on for a bit. 9 days later, we've partied in Big Sur, on the dock, partied with a racing boat crew in Santa Cruz, and have been inducted as honorary crew members of the pirate schooner Moonstone.
Micah Big Sur and Brother Boz
If you're ever in Moss Landing, just ask for Boston and tell'im Dane sent ya. It's been a crazy week, I'm all partied-out, and it's time to move along south. Boz will be sitting this one out because his back is bugging him, so I'll be going it alone while he recouperates, and he'll join me later in Southern California.
Micah's Big Sur Backyard (Click for larger panorama)
By the time you read this, I'll be on my way south to warmer waters. A couple of 24 hour passages should drop me on Santa Cruz Island, renown for it's perforation with seacaves, some big enough to sail a tallship into. More on that next time.
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