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| Goodbye Alameda! |
We were ready for our maiden voyage on Malo on June 16, 2016. Many were surprised we were sailing her north, as once you leave the protected waters of San Francisco Bay, sailing can be challenging. The winds and currents primarily go in a southerly direction. So we have to "beat" into the winds, waves and currents. It means a choppier ride and a good deal of tacking. Malo performed well as she headed into the winds and we learned a lot as we traveled the 500 nautical miles as the crow flies, but covered 900 nautical miles because of the tacking.
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| Bev at the helm on Malo's maiden voyage! |
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| We passed huge container ships in Oakland, California |
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| Captain Dan takes the helm. |
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| Terminals that unload the container ships. Pretty amazing. |
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| San Francisco and Golden Gate Bridge |
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| We're sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge. |
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Passing by Alcatraz Island
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| The winds died so we motored to get out of the bay. |
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| The ocean was calm when we started. |
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| We were glad to finally be out on the ocean. |
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| Bev takes the helm again. |
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Captain Dan takes a nap while Bev is at the helm.
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On the sail north we encountered many different conditions. At times, the winds blew steadily and close to 30 knots. I was unable to take take pictures on those occasions. Other times, it was a pleasant sail, although we still had to sail close hauled so as to make our way north. During most of the 6 day, non stop passage we sailed 20 to 40 nautical miles off the coast line.
During the night watches, we shared a relaxed schedule of about 2-3 hours watch and then the person that was sleeping got woken up to replace the watcher. We did pretty well with this however I must admit it does wear you down a bit. Dan explains to me, that while on the water, one needs to take naps when they can throughout the day, so it gives them a reserve for the night watches. He was very good at this. I was actually thankful that he often took his naps on the deck, so if there were any questions or issues, he could easily be awoken. It was encouraging for me to know that I absolutely should wake him, if I even wondered if I should wake him.
I enjoyed taking the helm, as it gave me something to do, I could feel the boat and waves more and have a better sense for what was happening. It is also good practice for me, as I learn to read and understand the chart plotter. It makes me feel like I am really a sailor. So much to learn........
As you can see, our foul weather gear was essential. My hands got cold and I went through whatever gloves I had. I will look for a better pair or two before we depart for Mexico. We always wore our lifejackets while on deck. Thank goodness, there is a new style now that is considerably smaller, less bulky and work with an oxygen canister upon being activated manually or automatically. The blue strap seen hanging down, is my harness. This is another safety feature I got used to using and was glad to have. There were times we were at such an angle on the boat, it was difficult to move around safely without being tied in. Dan assured me that this type of sailing is difficult and very different than what we will mostly be doing when we sail with the trade winds.
Here is Captain Dan, sailing with lots of wind and blew skies. We experienced some rain, clouds, sun, beautiful moon shines on the water during our night sails, calm, wind and everything in between.
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| Looks like it's time for another nap. |
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| It must be another day! And I am at the helm again. |
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| Looks like another nap! Another day! |
It is difficult to be a captain. Dan must get rest when he can, as he never knows when the second mate, a novice sailor (me) - who might tire or freak out over tough conditions. Good thing he has this skill perfected.
Notice, there is not much eating on this voyage. It was pretty much grab a granola bar, some nuts, crackers and water. I did not fare well going below deck for very long without feeling nauseas. I did much better staying outside on deck. Hopefully as I spend more time sailing, my sea-stomach will develop. I did wear a battery powered relief-band on my wrist and that sent a ping to a pressure point on my wrist. Thus, I never did get really sick on this trip.
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| A freighter between Malo and the coast of Northern California. |
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| Sailing by the Lost Coast Trail |
We passed along the Lost Coast Trail in The King Range National Conservation Area in Northern California. It is a 24.6 mile stretch that was so rugged, the coastal road could not pass through. Instead a wonderful backpacking trip exists along the beach. Two friends from Connecticut, Diane Nelson and Emily Huntington and I backpacked this 3 day hike in August 2014. Following are a few photos of that wonderful trip and the varied terrain there.
And we sailed on, into the sunsets, darkness, and beautiful moon lite skies.
It looks like the winds picked up again. Time to hook into our safety harnesses!
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| And the water was splashing in! |
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| Captain Dan and First Mate Beverly |
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Captain Dan was very happy to be back on the water!
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As we sail closer to Newport, Oregon and have already spent 5 nights at sea, the winds picked up enough that the Newport Harbor Bar was closed. This meant a continued sail and night watches through the night. Even if we could get into the harbor, Dan is a firm believer in avoiding going into harbors late in the day and at night.
This buoy was a welcome sight, and the bar was cleared, so we could enter the harbor.
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| Malo motors under The Newport Bridge. |
Because the draft of our keel is 7ft 4inches, we wanted to enter our slip during high tide. This required hanging out in the Yaquina Bay as we started to dry our belongings and ourselves.
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And then I used our neat sail step, to jump off the boat onto the dock at South Beach Marina.
This is where Malo has moored for the next year, as we continued to make additional upgrades on her.
South Beach Marina
Newport, Oregon
