Cute California towns

After a fair bit of motoring, we tucked into Pillar Point Harbour, a protected little bay on our way south. We quickly dubbed it “Pelican Poop Point” as the pelican’s on the breakwater were astounding in number. More astounding was the eye-watering, mouth covering smell of bird droppings combined with sea lion musk plus a light dose of low-tide smell. It was something else, and it wafted up to us like a bad dream. 

We rushed up to the fuel dock (as it was much cheaper here than in SF) and tried to fuel up as quickly as possible and get to the anchorage and away from the smell.

Lucky for us, it was a really calm and protected anchorage with a few really cute amenities on shore. Still drenched in fog, we adventured into town to check out what was there. It was a cute little surf town with a ton of potential, but reached it on a sleepy day. Lucky for us, the Mexican/Peruvian food truck was open and we loaded up on Fritos Locos - fries loaded with cheese sauce, guacamole, salsa and pickled jalapeños. It was so good and totally made up for the smell of the anchorage.

Before too long, we were on our way agin, off towards Santa Cruz. This passage was notable because it was as if were trying to sail through a humpback whale highway. They followed us all day (or we followed them?), sometimes breaching right beside and in front of the boat - very frightening and amazing all at the same time. Every time we were sailing for longer than 30 minutes, a whale would spout near us and we would quickly turn the motor on just to make some noise, then turn it off after a few minutes. Our watch during this day passage was very vigilant, and we were so grateful that it was a mostly clear day with a bit of sun, because those whales were everywhere.

Santa Cruz anchorage turned out to be pretty exposed, but the town was also really pretty. This felt and looked a little more like what we imagined California to look like. The kids were excited to see the fair rides right next to the beach: all kinds of rollercoasters and games along the 100 year old Santa Cruz Boardwalk. It didn’t open until Saturday, so we knew we had Friday to explore the town before checking out the fair properly on the weekend. 

We had a really sunny Friday exploring Santa Cruz inland, got good and sweaty but it really was a cute town we enjoyed. We even got a chance to swim in the water at the beach and it was so refreshing. The anchorage was really rolly and was hard to enjoy, but we just had to stay for the rides the next day.

Luckily the rides did not disappoint and much fun was had. We loaded a card with 50 points ($50) and set off. It was a really great way to try out some rides and fair food without breaking the bank, and we felt like we got our monies worth. I think Digory would have ridden all of the rides all day, but the crowds really did pick up after 1pm so it was a perfect time to head out for a walk around town. Usually we might simply head back to the boat to relax, but in this situation, we really did have to burn time on land and only head back to the boat to eat and then sleep. Not our fave, but it’s doable.

We were eager to set off to a new location with hopes of a calm anchorage, especially because our journey across Monterey Bay to the city of Monterey was really “washing machine” rolly the whole way. The marina there was super affordable so we took a slip for two nights to recharge and explore Monterey. It was so lovely to relax and spend time on the boat like we’re used to again.

Monterey is a really lovely spot and we all enjoyed it. It has just enough touristy feels and just enough history to make anyone happy. The Mexican vibes were finally showing up, with lots of old historic buildings and plenty of Adobe-style structures, and so much sand coloured everything. Matt and I even snuck away for a date night as it’s really easy to get back to the boat in the dark when you’re at a dock in a well lit city.

Before we knew it, it was time to move on again, this time for an overnight passage to Morro Bay. This passage was relatively event-free and it was a clear and smooth night, though only a few hours of sailing during the 20 hour passage. Matt even woke everyone up at 3am to the sight of dolphins swimming along the boat totally illuminated by bioluminescence. It was so cool to see the bullets of light shooting towards the boat from afar, and as they neared, you could see every feature of the dolphin lit up in green glow as they swam next to the boat. You could even see their little smile. We’re still not over the magic of these creatures, and they sure make a long night passage worth it.