Sept 7: Catalina Harbour Trip

 

We were ready to start our cruise to Catalina Island at 8:30 am. The fuel tank was full, the water tanks were full, we had bait for fishing and Fran had more than enough food for the six days we would be gone. Of course we also planned to eat fresh fish.

As we were cruising to Catalina we spotted the Catalina Ferry. It was a beautiful day and the water was very blue with the mountains in the background. We estimated a 5 - 6 hour cruise. We typically would see dolphin but today we didn't spot any. I did, however, spot a blue Marlin jump clear out of the water. Also spotted a couple sea lions.

Two Harbors pics and history

In the link, one picture is taken from the north and the other the south. Cat harbor, where we moored, is on the south. In the picture on the right, south is at the top.

You'll see a small inlet leading to Cat harbor on the south. North is a larger, but not as protected opening to the Isthmus marina. There is an isthmus connecting the north and south sides. The marina on the north side is where our yacht club friends were going to moor. Activities were planned Friday and Saturday which we wanted to participate in. But we wanted to spend more time and moor in Cat Harbor. We arrived in Cat Harbor Tuesday to enjoy the island and fishing before the yacht club gathering. It was only about a 1/4 mile, very easy, walk between the two sides. You'll see in some of the pictures where we were moored. 

Our boat, Reyna II, moored in Cat Harbor.
We took the dinghy in to get to shore.
The view to the right is the open ocean.

Here are pictures of the road between the north and south sides of the island. Reminded me of Australia.

This pelican was on this buoy
most of the time we were here.
He chased the sea gulls away if they
 landed on it while he was gone.

Wednesday morning we awoke to a perfect day. I got everything ready for dinghy fishing while Fran made an almost healthy breakfast. Fruit, hard boiled eggs and croissants with jelly.

Fran in the dinghy as we headed out to the ocean

Away we went, headed for the open ocean. If you review the map above, you'll see we were able to troll east and west from our opening with some protection. As it turned out, the seas were calm and crystal clear

As soon as we exited the harbor and turned along the shore we started catching Bonito. They fight hard and I know they are good to eat. At least I think so. Fran said they don't eat them because she was told they don't taste good but was willing to try them.

 

It's difficult to describe the beauty and majesty of the south side of the island. The weather was great and we were dinghy fishing Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and a short trip Saturday.

We dinghied along the shore for several hours each day. The rock formations, clear blue water, and pristine landscapes were incredible. There were also small waves breaking against the rocks and shooting water out of blowholes. We could see 20-30 feet down to the bottom where the kelp was anchored and growing to the surface. There were a lot of bait fish and Bonito swimming among the kelp. 

I was hoping to catch a halibut. Fran said it was possible but we didn't have live bait which would work the best. Turned out I did catch my first ever halibut. It was tiny (even smaller than it looks because Fran held it way out toward the camera.) But it was still fun. 

Bonito

We caught plenty of other fish. Mostly Bonito. We caught probably 30 or so. They fight like crazy and are fun to catch, but we only needed a couple for dinner so most were catch and release.

Halfmoon blue perch

Fran caught what I think is a halfmoon blue perch. We weren't familiar with it and we had enough fish so back it went. 

Calico Bass

Also caught a few Calico Bass. 

We had Bonito and Calico bass every night for dinner. Fran did try the Bonito and agreed with me that they were delicious. I cooked the fish on the grill. You can't get fish any more fresh!

We walked to the north side of the island daily to meet with other boaters from the yacht club. Thursday we met Sondra and Sue at the restaurant/bar for cocktail hour. Sondra's husband passed away recently but she loves boating and decided she could learn to handle the boat. She and her friend Sue were doing great. Except, the water maker quit working. (A water maker filters ocean water through osmosis so it is very safe for drinking.) They were carrying little water because they had a water maker, but if you want water at the Isthmus you buy it in jugs at the General Store. So Sondra and Sue were taking the dinghy in to shore to shower, etc. I offered to take a look at it the next day but explained that I never had a water maker. 

Sondra and Sue met us at the Isthmus the next morning to take us to their boat. Our dinghy was on the other side. Sondra asked me to drive the dinghy because it had a steering issue making it difficult to turn the steering wheel. Another issue to check out. Plus the engine was not running properly. I enjoy boat projects so I jumped right in.

Chip, another yacht club member who also never had a water maker, and I spent some time investigating and eventually figured out how to get it going. Sondra and Sue were extremely grateful and invited us to cocktails and dinner on their boat Friday night. 

Sondra demonstrated her new water pistol. It shoots water pellets used to chase away seagulls, sealions on the dock etc. The water pellets don't hurt them, but they don't like it enough to stay around. 

Sondra is an excellent cook and the dinner was great. Shrimp, Italian sausage, spinach, bow tie pasta and stewed tomatoes. Chip and his wife brought a wonderful cheesecake for dessert! 

I suggested Sondra get some gasoline additive the next morning to eliminate moisture that might be causing the outboard problem. Sondra told me Chip had already greased the steering cables but that didn't help the steering. We put the fuel additive in and took a dinghy tour around the north side of the island. The engine ran a little better but not cured. But, it continued running so we kept going even though the steering was getting more difficult. Of course we were mostly going straight.

White cliffs of Catalina

The tour was wonderful. The water, cliffs and landscape are different from the south side. Fran pointed out what she called the White Cliffs of Catalina. Fran is definitely into geology and explained these white cliffs have the same makeup of the White Cliffs of Dover. Basically years of limestone built up from sea invertebrates.

View from the aft deck of Sondra's boat. Campground on the hill.

We had a very enjoyable barbecue dinner in a park picnic area. Everyone brought their own BBQ item and a side dish or dessert. It was a feast. Unfortunately, I neglected to take pictures. At the BBQ I talked with Glen, and he was familiar with Sondra's steering issue. The cables need to be replaced. No way to repair them. So at least now Sondra knows. 

We stayed until after dark. Fortunately there are no lights on the path going back to Cat Harbor. The stars were amazing. The Milky Way was out in full glory. Fran is also an astronomer so I learned several new constellations. Riding back to the boat in the dark was very peaceful and beautiful. Because it is a mooring field, anchor lights are not needed. So the lights from the few boats did not diminish the stars.

Fran suggested we cruise around the west side of the island to return home. It would take about an hour longer but she knew I would enjoy the geology. The weather from the west could be a problem but it sounded like favorable winds. Turned out the wind gods were with us. It was perfect. The geology again was different. 

The picture on the left shows clearly how the  tectonic plate pushed the crust up to form the island. 

 (The small state of California insert on the map below shows the general north/south location. Note the little red star.) I'd been to Avalon before, which is on the north side of the island. It has several marinas, housing, restaurants, glass bottom boats, etc. Fun but very touristy. We were on the South side, Cat Harbor. Fran told me the south side, and in particular, "Cat Harbor," was much more remote and unchanged for thousands of years. She promised a quiet mooring, beautiful scenery and great dinghy fishing.

This map has rock names I have never heard of but I looked them up. What's interesting is that the rocks that were exposed came up at an angle so there are many different levels exposed right there on Catalina Island. The lawsonite-blueschist with tectonic blocks are quite blue. Hard to show in a picture. It was definitely worth going around the west end. 

Fran explained that the island was formed by subduction. 

The definition of subduction is the process that occurs when two tectonic plates meet at convergent boundaries, and one of the plates moves under the other one due to gravity and differences in density. The boundary area where this occurs is the subduction zone. We could see where the tectonic plate pushed the crust up at an angle causing the formation of the island.

How was Catalina Island formed

More detailed How Catalina Island was formed

We had wonderful weather for the cruise home. It was a great trip. It takes a while to get the dinghy off the bow, pack everything up and clean up, so by the time we were finished it was time to head home. It was a great trip.

 

August 28th: Adjusting to California life vs. Canada

It is 98 degrees outside today! Very unusual. I decided it was a good day to catch up on the blog. Fortunately, it will be back in the high 70s tomorrow.

 I returned to California at the beginning of August. I felt like I should still be in Canada but that just didn't work out. So I set out to adjust to my new place in Laguna Niguel. One of the first things I did was to change the kitchen lighting. The lights were very sterile white. It felt like a hospital operating room! The solution was pretty simple. I swapped out the bulbs and was very happy with the result. Seems like a small thing, but every time I turned the light on it was annoying. If you look at the pictures you'll notice the "After" is much warmer colors.

Before

After

My boating friend Fran told me she was going to a Hoffy Tour to the Nixon Presidential Library near Anaheim. After the library the schedule included lunch and a visit to an art museum. Sounded good so  I signed up. 

The tour was very interesting. I learned a lot about presidential libraries. Turns out the National Archives controls what is displayed. They fact check any thing presented for accuracy. I learned a lot about many positive things Nixon contributed. Things like OSHA, the EPA and many worker protections came in under his leadership. Also, his international diplomacy efforts were significant. Unfortunately, his political choices in governing caused his down fall.

Nixon was supportive of the space program so in one room, when we looked up, there were life sized astronauts on the wall. It was a cool representation.

There was also an exact replica of the Oval Office. It was smaller than I expected. The guide got a picture of us by the desk.

There was an interesting portrait on the wall. I think it was George Washington. But the funny part is people thought he had his hand in his coat mimicking Napoleon, The story is the portrait cost less because there was only one hand to paint.

Next we went to lunch at the Packing House. A local architect is reclaiming old buildings to save the historical architecture. This warehouse he turned into a food market with restaurants. All the vendors are local. No chains. It was a fun place with a lot of good food options.

There was even an old Ford tractor on display. (I have no idea why other than it was fun.)  It is very similar to the one Linda and I used on the farm to grow sweet corn.

And of course there were many pastries and desserts!

Next we went to an art museum that was very interesting. This link shows a lot but I included this one painting I found entertaining.

Hilbert Art Museum

 

After a day on tour, I joined the Laguna Niguel YMCA and started playing pickleball. The combined Community Center and YMCA is wonderful. There are many activities and even a biological nature preserve. 

The preserve is on the side of a mountain with probably a mile of trails that are all loaded with interesting plants. One highlight is the Labyrinth. The plaque explains the history.

There are many fun paths and tunnels to hike.

Small dry creek running down the mountain side

I'm still hoping to see a rattlesnake, just as long as I don't startle it!

Next on my agenda was working on some boat projects. We were scheduled for a 6 day cruise to Catalina Harbor. Fran was camping in Mexico with her three sons' families so I took the opportunity to complete some boat projects in anticipation of several cruises we planned.

Fran's teak blinds had taken a beating over the years and she thought she'd have to replace them. Not easy and expensive. Before she left to Mexico I said, "Let me see what I can do." They aren't perfect but I removed all the broken slats and oiled and sanded the inside surfaces. They turned out pretty well. Here are a few before and after pictures.

Before pics

Mid project, finished on the right

After Pics

I included a lot of pictures because it was a labor intensive project and I like seeing the results.

I walked out on the aft deck and on the dock was a very large sealion. She was not skittish at all and did not like being disturbed!!

Craig and I wanted to check out the trails behind my place. We could see them from my balcony. The views were spectacular. Shortly after we started we climbed the mountain which overlooked my apartment complex. The arrow points to my 2nd floor apartment. You can see why I love the view from my place.

Trail along the ridge

The hike was about 4 miles with a lot of elevation. It got a little tedious on the way back but the views were worth it.

Saddleback Mountain in the distance

Saddleback Mountain range info

Spencer Day

I had come back from Canada early so I had no particular events planned. Craig, Karen and I went to the Laguna Arts Festival concert last year which was fun. Turned out, their friends who were planning to attend couldn't both attend so I got the extra ticket. The performer, Spencer Day, was very enjoyable. Also, the concert takes place with a huge art display that goes on throughout the summer. Pictures are discouraged so no pics but the art work is wonderfully creative. This site has a lot of information/pics. Festival of the Arts

I purchased a Goldfish Plant that I was told would attract hummingbirds. I put it on my balcony and the hummingbirds love. I went back and bought a second plant thinking maybe they would share. But the little guy in the pictures, I named him Hummy, is very aggressive. The other birds have to sneak in and out. Hummy sits on my railing like King of the mountain.

Hummy at the bottom of the plant

Craig met Fran and me to help put the dinghy on the bow. We would use it a lot at Catalina. We succeeded but the control for the davit which hoists it up and down was erratic. Not good. We would definitely need the dinghy. I took the controller home and inspected it. No wonder why it was erratic. The wires were frayed and corroded. Fortunately, an easy fix and we were good to go.

Next blog will report on Catalina and especially Cat Harbor. A truly amazing place!