Location and Moorage: Two Harbors, Cherry Cove (33 27 075N, 118 30 138W); three nights on mooring
What started out as a lovely sail from Santa Cruz Island eventually turned into a motor sail to Catalina. The first 5 hours were lovely, quiet, super comfy seas and decent breeze; then the calm set in and the wind died. We overnighted through lake-like conditions and an inky, jet-black sky. And, of course, we were wearing beanies. We arrived Catalina a bit early, so we slowed the engines way down and inched our way down the coast, turned back toward the mainland for a bit, then eventually called ahead to the harbor master at Cherry Cove at a few minutes after 0600.
Once on the mooring, we conked out for a few hours, only to awaken to Flo (Ryan, Karin, and The Swedes — Manne, Martina, and Smilla) picking up the ball right next to us and chiding us to come out and play. She’s No Lady (Thad and Kristin) had arrived as well, but Mary ‘Ell (Simon and Erin, plus Adam, Molly, and Mariah) was still down in Avalon for another day, but would be here shortly. It was on: A Summer Camp reunion! (Summer Camp is what we call our little group of friends who live/d at the Bay Club Marina in San Diego because when we’re all together, it’s like a bunch of kids at a summer camp), plus Pacifico, our other neighbor from Bay Club, was on a mooring right in front of us. It was as if we’d never left home!
It was all water play, SUPing (see SUP story under Miscellany), dinghy races, working and drinking ashore at Harbor Reef, hiking, hiking, and more hiking, napping, a little bit of sailing, and of course, eating (ice cream)/potlucking. If there’s one thing Summer Camp is good at, it’s eating and eating well. So fun to be together with all our summer campers AND the Swedes. Priceless. After three nights in Cherry Cove, we decided to head down island for a night with Flo and the Swedes. She’s No Lady and Mary ‘Ell were staying put in the Isthmus.
