Early this morning, I pulled out the Mainsail only to find it still would not unfurl completely. I loosened the halyard to get some slack in the Luff and was able to detach the sail Tack from the furling hook. After pulling down hard on the sail a few times, I head a click and the sail finally unfurled. I then adjusted the halyard to provide good tension before furling the sail.
Later, a friend and I took Hilbre out for a sail and on the way to the Angels Gate, the Mainsail unfurled normally. After sailing about the bay we returned through Angels Gate under full sail hitting 8.3 knots, at least that’s what I saw once on the GPS. Mostly we were above 7.5 knots as we took a run up the main channel until the wind died. After furling both sails we headed back to the Marina after a great day of sailing.
We were a little disappointed as the new Mainsail would not completely unfurl. The last 3/4 of a turn was stuck and even trying a number of solutions it still remained stuck. We decided to furl the sail and check it out at the dock early in the morning when there would be no wind.
We installed our new IMF Ullman Mainsail this evening as the old one was old and becoming difficult to furl and unfurl in the mast. We will take Hilbre out tomorrow to see how she performs under the new main.
The boat had collected a lot of dust and needed a thorough washing. It was not as bad as our last visit when, following the fires, I had to physically get down on my hands & knees and scrub the deck. Once the boat wash washed we prepped her for a day sail out into the LA Bay.
Normally, we do not record all day sails in the BLOG however we decided to add this one. We left just before 1:00 p.m. and motored out to Angels Gate and then put up the Genoa as the wind was light and the Genoa drives the boat more than just the mainsail. We drifted out about 4 miles offshore before turning around to head back.
There were a lot of container and other ships anchored in the bay. We did some motoring back just to give the engine a good workout powering up to 2,000 RPM, more than the usual 1,800 RPM we normally use. The water temperature never budged which tells me the heat exchanger is working well.
We were back in our slip by 4:30 p.m. The day had been cool but sunny and the sea had only a small swell.
Today we took Phil & Sue Ingram out for a day sail into the LA Basin. The weather was clear and sunny and even a little warm for February. This was their first trip with us and all went well. There was a slight swell and some decent wind for sailing.
Afterward, we all went out for a late Sunday Brunch at the 23rd Street Landing in San Pedro.
We got underway at 7:15 a.m. and were clear of the harbor by 8:00 am. The sea was dead calm so we were once again motoring at a steady 6 knots. By 11:00 am we had covered just under 23 nm under cloudy skies. At noon, Anita took over the watch at 34 NM with San Pedro in sight in the distance.
We got underway at 7:15 a.m. and were clear of the harbor by 8:00 am. The sea was dead calm so we were once again motoring at a steady 6 knots. By 11:00 am we had covered just under 23 nm under cloudy skies. At noon, Anita took over the watch at 34 NM with San Pedro in sight in the distance. By 2:20 p.m. we were back in our slip at the Cabrillo Marina. Our trip to Ensenada was over but now Hilbre sported a nice clean bottom and a polished hull. We had managed just six hours of sailing during the whole trip.
By 2:20 p.m. we were back in our slip at the Cabrillo Marina. Our trip to Ensenada was over but now Hilbre sported a nice clean bottom and a polished hull. We had managed just six hours of sailing during the whole trip.
We headed to the fuel dock to top off our diesel supply. This was done early in the morning to avoid the rush and so we would be ready to head back to San Pedro. There are lots of small slips in the marina and as it is the weekend, there are lots of Paddle Boarders and kayaks floating around the harbor.
The marina lies at the foot of a tall bluff. We needed to replenish some of our our supplies and there was little shopping available in the Marina area.
We decided to set up an account with Uber and use them to get to a supermarket inland of the marina. We made the call and within a short time our car showed up. The store was not far and we were soon shopping for supplies. We did the same process to get back to the boat and found the process quite covenient.
We got back early enough to make our way to the Harbor Grill restaurant and quickly found a table before the crowds showed up. Afterward, we strolled around the harbor area before returning to Hilbre.
We left San Diego on an Ebb tide at 4:00 a.m. As usual we hugged the edge of the channel to avoid any large vessels either entering or leaving. In our case there was a tug with a large tow entering the harbor, but we were well clear of this. By 8:15 a.m. we had put 23 Nautical miles behind us as we steadily motored north on a very calm sea with no wind.
At 6 miles offshore most coastlines are boring unless there are some decent hills and sailing north along the southern California coast is no exception. We did pass a couple of sailboats heading south and they had the benefit of some northeasterly wind; they were under sail.
San Diego to Dana Point
Dana Point
Just after 1:00 p.m. we had covered almost 53 nm and could see the point that is Dana Point. Because of our wind angle we managed to get a couple of hours under full sail but only at about 4 knots. It still took us a few hours before we were settled into our gust slip (#19) in Dana Point. We had covered 63.77 nm since leaving San Diego, it was now 3:55 p.m. As you enter the harbor, there are many Paddle Boards, who do not always pay attention to their surroundings. You must be on alert, the often paddle boards make sudden changes in direction. The guest slips here are expensive, we paid over $90 per night with no internet, just water and power.
We were at the end of the Shelter Island Peninsular so we hiked all the way to the Ketch Grill & Taps for lunch. The peninsular has a series of Marinas and hotels in front of which are a number of rental bicycle and scooter stands.
We managed to get a table overlooking one of the marinas that had a number or large power yachts. Afterwards, we strolled back along the waterfront path which provides a nice view of the harbor and the City.
At 00:05 we started the engine for our trip north to San Diego and by 00:20 a.m. we were underway heading out to the harbor at Ensenada. It was a quiet and calm night as we continued north about 6 miles off the coast. By 4:00 a.m. with Anita on watch, we had covered almost 22 nautical miles. A couple of fishing boats had passed us during the night. One had come up astern and passed us inside of the land.
The day turned out to be cloudy, but the sea stayed calm; with no wind, we continued under the engine. It was now 6:50 a.m. and we had covered just over 35 nautical miles since leaving Ensenada. At 9:10 a.m., we added diesel. The clouds and broken up and we now had some sun.
Ensenada to San Diego
San Diego
By 11:00 a.m. we were closing in on San Diego, crossing the border back into US waters. We had one large ship which was heading 90 degrees to us and heading for the shore. After passing us astern he dropped his anchor. There were many sailboats enjoying the day out and after turning into the channel leading into San Diego, we were passed by an idiot driving large a powerboat and leaving a big wake which washed over our decks. I guess he was showing off to his guests.
At 1:40 p.m. we arrived at the ‘Q’ dock and tied up. It is here that you call customs and immigration from the Phone provided just up the walkway from the dock. Already on the dock was another sailboat that we had seen leaving the Marina Seca yard in Ensenada. They had been staying at the Hotel Coral Marina which is just up the coast from Ensenada proper.
We waited on the Q-Dock for the wind to die down. There was a strong wind blowing 90 degrees to all the guest docks which are behind the Q-Dock. These docks are managed by the police and have limited short-stay options. As we had been assigned an up-wind berth (#6- even numbers are up-wind docks). We finally moved later in the afternoon (#7) which had a nasty nail sticking out of it which I hammered in.
The boat next to us had also been in Marina Sec having the bottom done and had seen our boat there when they had been launched. The guy on board was a single hander.
The US has a nice way of helping you check in. If you have a valid CBP decal you can use their app to call ahead once you are in range of a receiving station. They will either clear you in using the app or ask you to go to a Q-Dock to be manually checked in. In our case, the annual decal had not arrived, so we went to the Q-Dock. We gave the officers doing the check in our paperwork and confirmation receipt, so we did not have to pay a single-entry fee for check in. We were waiting for our Decal number. The very next day, we received an email with the decal number which is what we needed.
Today we surrendered our temporary import permit (TIP) and then cleared us and the boat out of Mexico. It was surprisingly easy to surrender the TIP and we were helped by staff from the yard. Hilbre’s TIP will expire in 2020 and we needed to clear this from hanging over our head. Luting a TIP expire becomes a major problem and makes getting a renewal difficult.
Cancelled TIP
The Marina walked us though the process which took very little time to complete. We then spent the afternoon shopping for souvenirs and topping up our supplies for the trip north. We frequently pre-cook meals that can be reheated while we are sailing.
One of our other tricks is to make some hard-boiled eggs as snacks for when we are on watch.
We will leave shortly after midnight on 9 July for San Diego.
Today we organized everything so we could go ashore and spend a full day in Ensenada. This included stocking up on groceries and souvenirs. As it is a Sunday, the Malecon is very busy with everyone relaxing and enjoying the sun. There is a small carnival area close to the marina and we did some shopping there for souvenirs.
Early this afternoon, we launched Hilbre back into the water. We are always worried when Hilbre is hanging in the slings and relieved when she is floating once again. We watched carefully as she was maneuvered to the dock where she was lowered into the water. After a careful check of everything and a check to make sure there was no water filling the bilge, we started the engine and motored to our assigned slip.
This was to be our main outing while in Ensenada and we had arranged through the Marina for someone to take us northeast to the Guadalupe valley which is where most of the Wineries are located. The Santo Tomas Winery is the only one located about 45 miles south of Ensenada. Our driver spoke good English and knew the wineries well but was not used to individuals who were looking to taste the better wines in the valley. He took us first to three small wineries, all of which were setup for the mainly for mass tourism. They were interesting but not what we were looking for. We stopped for lunch at the Finca Altozano, were we waited for more than an hour for a table. Their menu prices are in Peso and their wine list is worth browsing through as it has some of the better local wineries on their list. http://fincaltozano.com
We had overlooked the fact it was July 4th week and many places including Finca Altozano were overrun with Americans who had driven south of the border to visit the wineries. Next time we will pick better dates for the visit. After lunch, we managed to get to some better wineries before heading back to Ensenada. The wine tour with tip was $150, lunch being an extra $110.
In the evening we went back to our favorite Churro stand.
The staff were ready to clean the hull before putting on the first coat of bottom paint.
We need to get our laundry done and fill our diesel jugs. We took a taxi to get the diesel and drop-off the laundry. Diesel is only sold at a few stations in Ensenada and for a boat, you must go to Marina Coral to fill-up. The laundry was a small shop several blocks inland from the Malecon. After dropping off our laundry we wandered back into town and had a coffee at a small coffee shop where we could sit outside and tease cruise passengers, in Spanish, trying to hustle them have a coffee.
Hilbre In the Yard
A few hours later, we walked back to the laundry and then walked get back to the marina. In the evening, we had a July 4th. dinner at a nice Chicken restaurant.
After a couple of boats were put back in the water, it was our turn to be hauled-out and moved into the yard. This all went very smoothly and within a short time we were in the yard and properly propped up with a nice set of steps all the way up to the stern of Hilbre.
Baja Naval allow you to stay on your boat while it is in the yard and with full water tanks and a power connection, we were quite comfortable on Hilbre. There are restrooms and showers for the guests, and we were one of about eight boats in the yard. Baja Naval keel the yard exceptionally clean which was a different experience than the US yards we have used. Everything is well organized, and the staff were immensely helpful, answering our questions and letting us know the schedule for the hull washing and painting. They helped us prepare arrangements for our wine tour into the Guadalupe valley, northeast of Ensenada.
This morning we wandered around the Malecon and took pictures of the Mexican heroes of the fight for independence. We also went to the Bank to get more Pesos. Afterward, we went to the fish market and had a nice fish lunch. The people at the table next to us, who were off a cruise boat asked us to recommend a dish which we did. The fish market in Ensenada is well worth the visit especially early in the morning. We have shopped here for fish many times during past visits to Ensenada.
Across from the Malecon is a nice massage parlor and as I had booked a time earlier in the day, I enjoyed a nice massage after lunch.
The evening was spent on the waterfront enjoying ice creams and some Churros.
While still out in the Ensenada Bay we added 10 Gallons of diesel to our tank from the ‘Jerry’ jugs we have on board. We usually use Jerry Jugs to fill the diesel tank as this allows up to pass the diesel through a Baja filter which traps and water or sediments in the fuel. Passing the breakwater and entering the harbor area, we looked for the Baja-Naval Marina. We had rolled-in the mainsail and after motoring a short distance, we saw the Marina where we were directed to berth A3, an area to tie up close to their Travel-lift. By now it was 8:15 a.m. and we had covered 153.8 nautical miles in 25 hours, 20 minutes. We had used the engine for almost 21 hours.
Ensenada
The area we tied up to was busy with boats coming and going to the Travel-lift. After cleaning up we had breakfast and then went to the office to check in. They were immensely helpful and took us to the Port Captain to register and get our visas. Everything is done at the Port Captains office in Ensenada. Afterwards, we headed to a Bank to stock up on our Peso’s for the coming days. After walking back to Hilbre, the rest of the day was spent relaxing and wandering along the Malecon.
The marina is old and somewhat rickety so moving about requires some careful attention.
his morning, we sailed for Ensenada, about 190 land miles south of San Pedro. This is an overnight sail and the purpose of the trip was to have the bottom repainted. This is done every 3-4 years as the paint eventually wears off. The other reason was to surrender our 10 year TIP (Mexican temporary Import Permit) for Hilbre which was due to expire in 2020.
We started the engine at 6:40 a.m. and were underway to Ensenada at 6:55 a.m. By 9:00 a.m. we were close to the Oil Rigs heading South and under power. There was a clear Sky with only a slight swell. By noon we had covered 31 nautical miles and we rolled out the mainsail. We mostly motored in the morning but by 10:30 the wind had increased
To Ensenada
An hour later, as the wind had increased, we rolled out the 130 Genoa and continued with some fine sailing at up to 6 Knots for just over 6 hours. However, the wind had dropped by 5: p.m. so we went back to motor-sailing. At 6:35 p.m. we had covered almost 72 nautical miles. As it grew dark, we passed San Diego taking the inside passage for the Coronado Islands and crossing into Mexican waters about 8:00 p.m.
Continuing south under power, the sky was lit up by the Oil refinery south of Tijuana eventually passing it and leaving it to our stern. Continuing through the night, Anita and I did three-hour watches until 6:15 am on July 1st and sunrise found us well into the Bay at Ensenada with Ensenada visible in the far distance. We pulled up to the dock at about 8:15 a.m and were directed to a berth.
Today we took Ken and Carol Larson sailing with their grandchildren. The weather was perfect for taking young children out for their first ride in a sailboat. We let each of them take a turn at steering the boat.
They were thrilled to be able to steer the boat although we had to prop them up so they could see over the console. There was enough wind to take out all sails and manage almost 4 knots. They were impressed with the Los Angeles Skyline for more than six miles offshore.
We returned to the dock after about four hours of sailing.
After a full day of relaxation, we dropped the mooring and headed back to San Pedro on Saturday Morning. With a south wind blowing at 12-18 Kts. we made a record time back to San pedro, frequently exceeding 7 Kts with a maximum of 7.5Kts reached a couple of time. The return took 4 hours and 10 minutes, not bad for a 36 Catalina and just a great sail back to home port.
Once again, we are headed to Two Harbors for a few days of relaxation. The trip over was overcast however the sun came out in the afternoon. Our reserved slip, B05 was convenient and the third row in from the beach. A couple of other Catalinas arrived and an older C36 was parked behind us.
It had been a little while since we were last there and there have been a number of improvements including Palapas which rent for $200 a day. The area that was once open has now been fenced off and the few open tables outside of the fenced area are located at the far end of the area.
We arrived early at the yard to find them readying Hilbre for launching. The launch was quick and after checking the bilge for water; there was none, I fired up the engine and began the journey back to San Pedro. by 10:05 a.m. I was already underway threading my way out of the harbor. This takes some time as the yard was in the upper reaches of the estuary.
While Anita drove the car back to San Pedro I continued to motor along the coast, passing the Oil Rigs about 12:00 noon. The sea was once again calm with no wind for a couple of hours however the wind did pick up and I was able to sail for the last two hours. The wind was blowing about 25 Knots as I slid through Angel’s Gate and lowered sail. By 2:50 p.m. I was already back in the slip in San Pedro having covered almost 27.5 N.Miles, two N.Miles more than the passage to Newport.
We spent the morning visiting the Lyons Air Museum which is a part of the John Wayne Airport. It is unique in that all of it’ aircraft are in working order and we sometimes see the old planes flying around San Pedro.
The museum also has a number of vintage cars and the focus of the museum is WW2 Aircraft. It is possible to go inside some of the Aircraft as well as look inside the bonb bays of a B17.
We spent about three hours exploring the museum before heading to the Marina to check on Hilbre. She had already received her second coat of paint and they were just adding the third coat on the leading edges. Hilbre looked so much nicer and I was pleased with the work the yard had done.
We were advised that she would be ready for launching about 9:00 a.m. the next day, Friday.
The yard began work on cleaning and putting on the first coat of paint. All the thru-hulls mechanics are solid and ‘Hilbre’ already looks a lot better with one coat of paint. We spent the day exploring Newport Beach and the surrounding area.
It was time to haul ‘Hilbre’ and check the Bearings, thru-hulls and have the bottom painted. We were up early and I left the dock at 7:25 a.m. for the boatyard in Newport. Anita drove the car there so we would have transport.
By 8:00 a.m. I was passing Angel’s Gate and heading on a course of 103 degrees. It took until almost 11:00 a.m. to close with Newport and it’s pier and by 12:35 p.m. I was tied up at the dock where Anita met me. The trip was 25.3 N.Miles.
Newport Beach
Guest Slips at Newport
Aligning Hilbre before lifting
On the hydaulic lift
Into the yard
We went for lunch as the yard was not ready to haul Hilbre until mid-afternoon. We found a nice place overlooking the guest marina and settled in for a leisurely lunch during which we took a number of photographs.
As planned, Hilbre was hauled out and placed in the yard and given time for the hull to dry out. Once this was done we set off to our Hotel which was close to the John Wayne, Orange County Airport, a few miles inland.
It was nice to be on the water again and heading to Isthmus Cove on Catalina Island for a few days on a mooring. When checking the engine a number of weeks ago, I discovered the Heat Exchanger had once again developed cracks in the brackets holding it to the engine. This had happened once before in 2011 and we had the brackets welded. This time I decided to replace the entire Heat Exchanger with a new one. This has worked well and the engine runs a few degrees cooler than it has, which is to be expected. The trip over was quiet but we did manage to get some sailing in as we also did on our return trip. It has been a great opportunity to test all of the boats systems and everything is working beautifully.
Two Harbors -Dingy Dock
We were last in Isthmus in October 2011 just before heading to San Diego and then Cabo San Lucas and our three years of cruising in Mexico. We always enjoy being in Isthmus and took the opportunity to do some pleasant walks on the Island. Our next task is to have the bottom painted otherwise our regular service and maintenance program keeps Hilbre in perfect condition and ready for any cruising we decide upon.
Cat Harbor
On our return to San Pedro, we discovered that our friend George on Avalon Blew lll had relocated his boat back to the Shoreline Marina in Long Beach as he found the Cabrillo Marina in San Pedro too quiet. We like the quiet and flexibility of the Marina Management in San Pedro.
Thursday We were up early and headed to the Yacht Club dock only to see it empty. George and Carl must have left at the crack of dawn as nothing was visible on the horizon.
It had been decided the day before not to continue north and the new plan included a visit to Smugglers Cove for a few days. We heard later this did not happen as the auto-pilot had developed problems. They endured a boisterous rounding off Point Conception and instead went to Channel Islands Harbor. From there they decided to head back to Long Beach ending a somewhat frustrating cruise north. Going further north was not destined to be, at least not this year.
We had Breakfast and discussed our next move. It was decided we would drive north and then decide what we would do based upon how I was doing.
Wednesday Anita arrived late Wednesday morning and we used the car to ferry fuel to the boat and top off the tanks. The fuel dock in Morrow Bay was not conducive to going alongside due to the tall pilings without fender boards, which we did not have. The boat was then prepared for an early Thursday departure. Meanwhile, I moved ashore late Wednesday as the remaining crew, George and Carl planned an early start the next day on the sail south to Smugglers Cove.
Now we had transport, I paid a visit to the local supermarket and replenished the boat with bread and sandwich meats for making quick snacks.
