It is a great day to sail, the sky is clear, the sea is blue and the wind is fair. We clear the Marina del Rey south entrance, and set the sails on a close reach with a heading for Cherry Cove on Catalina Island, just a short 30 miles ahead of us.

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Once we clear Santa Monica Bay, and enter the clear and deep Pacific Ocean, it suddenly comes alive with dolphins by the hundreds all around us, riding the bow wake, dashing across the bow as if to run into it, and as quickly as they came, they are gone. But not before doing the most inspiring thing! I go forward to get some photos of the dolphins, I am laying on the deck on the leeward side with my hand over the side of the boat, splashing in the bow wake, and two large dolphins come up from under my hand and bump into it. One dolphin comes up, keeping pace with the boat, and lifts my hand as if to say: it does not get any better than this! 

About half way across the channel, we have to alter course to give a large container ship the right of way. We do not want to cross under his bow, so we give way with something called Tonnage with Respect.

On the other side of the shipping channel, we pick up a visual bearing on the gorgeous island of Catalina, and adjust our course for Cherry Cove, just west of the Isthmus. The sun is starting to go down for this is winter, one of the best times to visit Catalina Island. The crowds are gone and the bar is still open.

With the sun starting to fade, we clear with the Harbor Patrol into Cherry Cove and head over to pick up our second favorite mooring F-2 (F-1 is the best), it’s like being moored in an aquarium. The orange Garibaldis swim around the boat; we are just 50 feet behind the reef, with great snorkeling all around whenever we are in the mood.

The sun is now setting over the western hills. We are tucked in close to the cliff, the water is flat and has turned to glass, the sails are stowed, the wine is in the glasses, the chicken is in the oven, and we are sitting on deck admiring the world around us and wondering WHY we don’t do this more often. 

Chris Raffetto

BLUE PACIFIC is offering this spring TWO unique opportunities to obtain your certifications for:

Home study materials for ASA 105 Navigation standard will be shipped directly to you once you have signed up for the class. We suggest you book well in advance to allow plenty of time for study before arriving at the boat.

The textbook for Advanced Coastal Cruising (ASA 106) is The Annapolis Book of Seamanship by John Rousmaniere. It can be purchased on-line or at almost any book or marine store. You will need to study the book thoroughly, well in advance of the class.

Each of these classes offer exceptional opportunities to participate in more complex and challenging sailing adventures which will open the door to broader Sailing Horizons. 

If you are younger than 62, the Ensenada Race was being sailed before you were born. Blue Pacific has been sailing in the Ensenada Race for 25 years of the races 63 year history. 

You can participate whichever way you wish: either charter one of our boats and do your own race entry, or join one of our skippered boats for this one of a kind event. Call us for details - $398 will get you there for the trophy presentation on Sunday.

If you wish to charter and enter a boat yourself, we will be happy give you the benefit of our years of experience and assist you with the details to get you pointed in the right direction for a successful race. You can participate in the race at any level you desire within the Cruising Classes. It so much more than just a yacht race, it’s a mobile sailing celebration.

This classic West Coast downwind race is one of the highlights of the Southern California sailing season, and is recognized as the largest International Yacht race in the world with four to five hundred boats taking part. 

The Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club in Newport Beach throws a great party on the eve of the race. This is a fun event and the best time to join your boat, meet and get to know your fellow crew members.

The club serves a buffet breakfast on Friday morning to get you charged up before heading out to the starting line at about 9.30am.

Details at WWW.NOSA.ORG

We just experienced all three in the last 7 days, so what do they actually mean, other than boats are best off in their slips?

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY: wind speeds of 21 to 33 knots are expected to produce hazardous wave conditions. Inexperienced mariners (that includes most of us) should avoid navigating in these conditions. 

GALE WARNING: winds 34 to 47 knots are forecast for the area. 

STORM WARNING: winds 48 knots and above, no matter how high the speed, are forecast for the area. 

SPECIAL MARINE WARNING: issued whenever a severe local storm or strong wind of brief duration is imminent and is not covered by existing warnings or advisories. No visual displays are used in connection with the Special Marine 

Warning Bulletin; boaters are able to receive these special warnings by keeping tuned to a NOAA Weather Radio station or to Coast Guard and commercial radio stations that transmit marine weather information.

Jessica is now past Cape Horn, well into the South Atlantic and the half way point of her voyage, while Abby is expected to depart Marina del Rey on Jan 23rd. 

Have you looked at the very different boats Jessica and Abby are sailing? 

Jessica Watson is aboard a Sparkman Stephens 34, a tried and true design from one of the premier yacht design firms in the world. Since the 70’s, the S&S 34 has earned an enviable reputation and competed with distinction in some of the world’s most famous yacht races including the Sydney Hobart and the Fastnet Race. xxxxxxxxxxx
 
Jessica's Ella’s Pink Lady, although a bit dated by modern standards, is a moderate displacement hull, displacing 12000 lbs, with ballast of 5450 lbs, a draft of 6’3” and an optimistic hull speed around 8 knots. Ella’s Pink Lady’s proven sea keeping ability and rugged construction give Jessica a safe and predictable boat that has proven its worth in short handed sailing in the heavy seas and gale force winds of the Southern Ocean. The S&S 34 has numerous circumnavigations to its credit, a number of them single handed by way of the great capes.

By comparison, Abby’s vessel Wild Eyes, an Australian designed and built Open 40, is a high tech, light weight, single handed racing machine optimized for Southern Ocean conditions. Wild Eyes displaces a miserly 7407 lbs, and has ballast of only 2904 lbs, with a draft around 8 feet. She is easily capable of speeds in excess of 20 knots. Previously named BTC Velocity, Abby’s boat also has a very respectable record having successfully competed in the 2002 Around Alone, finishing 2nd, and the 2005 and 2007 Bermuda 1-2 Finishing 2nd in 2007.

Since Wild Eyes is quite capable of reeling off 400 + miles a day, as opposed to Jessica’s relatively sedate 190 miles a day, it is quite possible that Abby and Jessica may find themselves very close to each other at some point in the next few months.

Whatever the final outcome, it is clear that the voyage will have a lasting impact on both Abby and Jessica. Their courage and determination are an inspiration to us all, young and old alike. If you would like to follow their adventures, click on the links to their websites below.