Actually my wife just checked and the Mill Casino in North Bend does have table games. We didn't go to it. You're as close to it as you are to Coos Bay if you're in the Charleston marina.
Victoria, BC to the Sea of Cortez
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Actually my wife just checked and the Mill Casino in North Bend does have table games. We didn't go to it. You're as close to it as you are to Coos Bay if you're in the Charleston marina.
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VicTrawler
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We've been waiting out a gale in Coos Bay. We depart for Crescent City tomorrow at 5am. ETA 11pm. California here we come!
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VicTrawler
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Update time!
After 38 days on the Oregon and Washington coasts, we finally had our weather window to push for California. It was going to be a very long day to get to Crescent City, but we studied the entrance carefully and were confident we could do it at night. We left Coos Bay, OR at 0500, expecting to hit Crescent City by 2200.
About halfway into the trip, First Made Eden suggested that, since we were only going as far as Eureka the next day, we might as well pull into Brookings instead of Crescent City and evenly divide the two legs. That made perfect sense to me so I called up the marina in Brookings and made a reservation - $22 for the night.
Shortly afterwards I checked the latest forecast from NOAA and saw we would have calm seas for at least the next 48 hours. Even though our only previous overnighter had been extremely uncomfortable, I saw this as an opportunity to get around both Cape Blanco and Cape Mendocino in one shot. The First Mate was all about it and we made the decision then and there - our destination was to be Fort Bragg, CA!
I called Brookings back and cancelled the reservation. We took in the beautiful sunset over the rolling, glossy ocean - not a breath of wind to be seen - and settled into our watches.
I should note that I had to stop the engine to top up the oil around 12 hours into the cruise. Oil pressure had been slowly dropping. I checked the tupperware container that I was using to capture the dripping oil, but only found about 1/5 of a quart. Evidently the rest of the oil was being burnt - more on this later. I added 3/4 of a quart and restarted the engine. The oil pressure quickly came back up to just under 60 psi and we carried on.
I was on from 2300 to 0200 and was definitely kept entertained by mother nature. We had a near full moon lighting up the surface of the ocean and were absolutely surrounded by whales and porpoises. Twice I throttled back to ensure I didn't run into a pod of whales. One even breeched about 30 feet away from the boat - it scared the bejeezus out of me!
Eden took the next watch at 0200 and I tried my best to sleep but found it quite difficult. I got about an hour of solid sleep that night. Fortunately for the First Mate, she sleeps just fine on her off-watch.
I was back on at 0500 and had the pleasure of watching the sun come up over the California coast - we were just off of Eureka. The sea was again very calm, 4 foot swells and glassy. By early afternoon we had rounded Cape Mendocino and Punta Gorda. Progress had been a bit slower than expected as we were only making good about 6.5 kts instead of the anticipated 7.0 - either due to ocean currents or the fact that I had topped up the fresh water tanks (200 gallons) before leaving Coos Bay and we were dragging ass! Navionics showed us arriving at Fort Bragg around 2300, which raised a red flag. It's a very tight bar crossing, obviously unfamiliar to us, and I did not want to attempt it in darkness.
I brought up the Active Captain app (fortunately I had downloaded all the data before we left because there was no connectivity where we were) and found Shelter Cove was a suitable anchorage, only four hours away. By 1700 we arrived at the anchorage and found it only lived up to its same in the wind sense, and was not a shelter from the NW swells. Regardless, we dropped anchor in 20 feet of sand and the bruce set in no time flat. I let out 5:1 scope and finally shut down the oil-guzzling Lehman after 36 straight hours. We had a great BBQ and a couple of beers each, but were completely exhausted. We were in bed by 1930 and were quickly rocked to sleep by the rolling swells.
I only woke up a couple of times during the night. Around 0100, knowing our friends on S/V TENACITY (we met them in Newport and again in Coos Bay) would be passing us at some point, I flashed up the laptop and checked the AIS contacts. Sure enough, there was TENACITY, just passing the anchorage but about 14nm out. I hailed them on VHF and had a brief conversation about their passage thus far. They had experienced some bumpier seas around the Cape but got around it just fine - they were also on their way to Fort Bragg and would get there just before we did.
While chatting with TENACITY, I also noticed that another boat had anchored near us, about 50 yards away - it was a catamaran that I didn't recognize - and they were obviously "enjoying" the rolling anchorage as much as we were!
We were up at 0600 and we got ready to raise the anchor and make our way to Fort Bragg. Just as the sky started to brighten, I fired up the windlass and the anchor came up without issue. The fog was thick so we took turns as lookout on the bow while the helmsman monitored radar. By 1100, the fog finally started to burn off and we could secure the lookout and the radar and start driving from the fly bridge.
Around this time I got a hold of S/V TENACITY by cell phone - they had just arrived in Fort Bragg and were able to arrange moorage for us, just on the other side of the finger they were tied up against - one less thing for me to worry about!
At 1230 I gave Coast Guard Station Noyo River a shout on VHF 16 and they gave me the latest bar report - 2-4 foot swells and calm - good to go! At 1300 we lined ourselves up with the first entrance buoy and made our approach. Though it was a very tight entrance, there were no other boats to contend with and it was uneventful. I should note that we made this bar crossing on max ebb which is usually a no-no, but we had scoped it out before making the approach, and confirmed that the conditions were as advertised by the Coast Guard. As a rule, a bar should always be crossed on slack tide or during a flood... but it's not impossible to cross on an ebb, just make sure you know what you're getting yourself into. I wouldn't have done it on the Columbia River, that's for sure!
The transition from ocean to river at Fort Bragg is abrupt to say the least. One minute you're rolling around in the swell, and the next you're cruising down a lazy river, surrounded by restaurant patios sitting on cliffs and patrons staring down at you as you navigate the narrow river to the marina. Quite the experience!!
We pulled into our end-tie just inside the entrance of the Noyo Mooring Basin and finally stepped onto land. It was the longest we had spent on the boat without getting off, and we were extremely proud of the progress we made - 270 miles!
Tomorrow, the wind and seas are expected to pick up. We're looking at a Tuesday departure for Bodega Bay and will hopefully find ourselves in San Francisco by the end of the week.
As for the engine, evidently my major problem isn't that I'm leaking oil, but that I'm burning it - three quarts in 270 miles! I'm glad I didn't get the rear main seal done as it wouldn't have addressed my major issue. Now the question is if and when I get the head re-built... and where! Anyone know and good Lehman mechanics in San Diego?
After 38 days on the Oregon and Washington coasts, we finally had our weather window to push for California. It was going to be a very long day to get to Crescent City, but we studied the entrance carefully and were confident we could do it at night. We left Coos Bay, OR at 0500, expecting to hit Crescent City by 2200.
About halfway into the trip, First Made Eden suggested that, since we were only going as far as Eureka the next day, we might as well pull into Brookings instead of Crescent City and evenly divide the two legs. That made perfect sense to me so I called up the marina in Brookings and made a reservation - $22 for the night.
Shortly afterwards I checked the latest forecast from NOAA and saw we would have calm seas for at least the next 48 hours. Even though our only previous overnighter had been extremely uncomfortable, I saw this as an opportunity to get around both Cape Blanco and Cape Mendocino in one shot. The First Mate was all about it and we made the decision then and there - our destination was to be Fort Bragg, CA!
I called Brookings back and cancelled the reservation. We took in the beautiful sunset over the rolling, glossy ocean - not a breath of wind to be seen - and settled into our watches.
I should note that I had to stop the engine to top up the oil around 12 hours into the cruise. Oil pressure had been slowly dropping. I checked the tupperware container that I was using to capture the dripping oil, but only found about 1/5 of a quart. Evidently the rest of the oil was being burnt - more on this later. I added 3/4 of a quart and restarted the engine. The oil pressure quickly came back up to just under 60 psi and we carried on.
I was on from 2300 to 0200 and was definitely kept entertained by mother nature. We had a near full moon lighting up the surface of the ocean and were absolutely surrounded by whales and porpoises. Twice I throttled back to ensure I didn't run into a pod of whales. One even breeched about 30 feet away from the boat - it scared the bejeezus out of me!
Eden took the next watch at 0200 and I tried my best to sleep but found it quite difficult. I got about an hour of solid sleep that night. Fortunately for the First Mate, she sleeps just fine on her off-watch.
I was back on at 0500 and had the pleasure of watching the sun come up over the California coast - we were just off of Eureka. The sea was again very calm, 4 foot swells and glassy. By early afternoon we had rounded Cape Mendocino and Punta Gorda. Progress had been a bit slower than expected as we were only making good about 6.5 kts instead of the anticipated 7.0 - either due to ocean currents or the fact that I had topped up the fresh water tanks (200 gallons) before leaving Coos Bay and we were dragging ass! Navionics showed us arriving at Fort Bragg around 2300, which raised a red flag. It's a very tight bar crossing, obviously unfamiliar to us, and I did not want to attempt it in darkness.
I brought up the Active Captain app (fortunately I had downloaded all the data before we left because there was no connectivity where we were) and found Shelter Cove was a suitable anchorage, only four hours away. By 1700 we arrived at the anchorage and found it only lived up to its same in the wind sense, and was not a shelter from the NW swells. Regardless, we dropped anchor in 20 feet of sand and the bruce set in no time flat. I let out 5:1 scope and finally shut down the oil-guzzling Lehman after 36 straight hours. We had a great BBQ and a couple of beers each, but were completely exhausted. We were in bed by 1930 and were quickly rocked to sleep by the rolling swells.
I only woke up a couple of times during the night. Around 0100, knowing our friends on S/V TENACITY (we met them in Newport and again in Coos Bay) would be passing us at some point, I flashed up the laptop and checked the AIS contacts. Sure enough, there was TENACITY, just passing the anchorage but about 14nm out. I hailed them on VHF and had a brief conversation about their passage thus far. They had experienced some bumpier seas around the Cape but got around it just fine - they were also on their way to Fort Bragg and would get there just before we did.
While chatting with TENACITY, I also noticed that another boat had anchored near us, about 50 yards away - it was a catamaran that I didn't recognize - and they were obviously "enjoying" the rolling anchorage as much as we were!
We were up at 0600 and we got ready to raise the anchor and make our way to Fort Bragg. Just as the sky started to brighten, I fired up the windlass and the anchor came up without issue. The fog was thick so we took turns as lookout on the bow while the helmsman monitored radar. By 1100, the fog finally started to burn off and we could secure the lookout and the radar and start driving from the fly bridge.
Around this time I got a hold of S/V TENACITY by cell phone - they had just arrived in Fort Bragg and were able to arrange moorage for us, just on the other side of the finger they were tied up against - one less thing for me to worry about!
At 1230 I gave Coast Guard Station Noyo River a shout on VHF 16 and they gave me the latest bar report - 2-4 foot swells and calm - good to go! At 1300 we lined ourselves up with the first entrance buoy and made our approach. Though it was a very tight entrance, there were no other boats to contend with and it was uneventful. I should note that we made this bar crossing on max ebb which is usually a no-no, but we had scoped it out before making the approach, and confirmed that the conditions were as advertised by the Coast Guard. As a rule, a bar should always be crossed on slack tide or during a flood... but it's not impossible to cross on an ebb, just make sure you know what you're getting yourself into. I wouldn't have done it on the Columbia River, that's for sure!
The transition from ocean to river at Fort Bragg is abrupt to say the least. One minute you're rolling around in the swell, and the next you're cruising down a lazy river, surrounded by restaurant patios sitting on cliffs and patrons staring down at you as you navigate the narrow river to the marina. Quite the experience!!
We pulled into our end-tie just inside the entrance of the Noyo Mooring Basin and finally stepped onto land. It was the longest we had spent on the boat without getting off, and we were extremely proud of the progress we made - 270 miles!
Tomorrow, the wind and seas are expected to pick up. We're looking at a Tuesday departure for Bodega Bay and will hopefully find ourselves in San Francisco by the end of the week.
As for the engine, evidently my major problem isn't that I'm leaking oil, but that I'm burning it - three quarts in 270 miles! I'm glad I didn't get the rear main seal done as it wouldn't have addressed my major issue. Now the question is if and when I get the head re-built... and where! Anyone know and good Lehman mechanics in San Diego?
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ksanders
Moderator Emeritus
What a fantastic adventure you are on!
This is the Pacific Coast journey that other TF members need to use as a model on how to make this very long distance voyage comfortably and safely.
You are traveling down the legendary Pacific Coast and doing it right. One harbor at a time. One day at a time. No death defying feats showing your rough water seamanship skills, just having fun!
Hurray for you!!
I admit to being a bit jealous right now, since I'm stuck in Alaska for the winter, but I (and others) are living your adventures through your posts, Excellent Job!
This is the Pacific Coast journey that other TF members need to use as a model on how to make this very long distance voyage comfortably and safely.
You are traveling down the legendary Pacific Coast and doing it right. One harbor at a time. One day at a time. No death defying feats showing your rough water seamanship skills, just having fun!
Hurray for you!!
I admit to being a bit jealous right now, since I'm stuck in Alaska for the winter, but I (and others) are living your adventures through your posts, Excellent Job!
CeeBee
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Look forward to hearing about your arrival in SF. DO NOT try the Bonita Channel, just come through the Main ship channel avoiding traffic and you'll be fine. Even if there is other company outbound there is plenty of room. Our boat is in Marina Del Rey so if you need a place to hang we have an empty slip in Alameda. Safe Travels and if you need any help with the rest of the trip Hola.
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VicTrawler
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Britannia
Wannabe
Everyone has their own experiences. I take the Bonita channel every time I coming from or going North with no problems.
Richard
caltexflanc
Guru
Yes Bonita Channel can get sloppy in a wind against tide situation, but you are doing a good job of anticipating conditions. Keeps you out of the way of the big boys for a bit. Heck the main channel is rough in those conditions too. Weather looks like it might be good .
PS: It is the so-called "South Channel" still shown on some charts you never want to take when heading south from the Gate.
PS: It is the so-called "South Channel" still shown on some charts you never want to take when heading south from the Gate.
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CeeBee
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Hey Mark, great catching up this AM.
Regarding the Bonita Channel; as you've seen from the other comments it's certainly possible (as Caltexflanc points out The South Channel not at all) Just my 2 cents on how I would want to do the first arrival through the gate. Do we take the Bonita channel sometimes ? Yep
In that it is at the end of the Potato Patch it can be extremely unpredictable even on a "flat day"and you are beam on to the prevailing swell versus having it astern when going through the extremely well marked main channel. Again just my 2 cents.
Regarding the Bonita Channel; as you've seen from the other comments it's certainly possible (as Caltexflanc points out The South Channel not at all) Just my 2 cents on how I would want to do the first arrival through the gate. Do we take the Bonita channel sometimes ? Yep
In that it is at the end of the Potato Patch it can be extremely unpredictable even on a "flat day"and you are beam on to the prevailing swell versus having it astern when going through the extremely well marked main channel. Again just my 2 cents.
CeeBee
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FYI, I'm sure you know but you can listen in on SF approach Traffic on VHF channel 12. If we are transiting in between heavy traffic we will check in and let them know our plan as a courtesy. Which we have received a lot of thanks considering some of the idiots out on the water the big boys deal with.
markpierce
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VicTrawler
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Thanks for the tips. I'm thinking main channel as I have experience operating in traffic lanes.
Looks like we're going to have to go Bodega Bay then Drakes Bay so we can time the bar and currents properly. If I go straight from Bodega Bay we'll get to the SF bar too late in the day.
Looking like maybe Friday or Saturday will be our entrance under the Golden Gate. Very excited!
Looks like we're going to have to go Bodega Bay then Drakes Bay so we can time the bar and currents properly. If I go straight from Bodega Bay we'll get to the SF bar too late in the day.
Looking like maybe Friday or Saturday will be our entrance under the Golden Gate. Very excited!
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VicTrawler
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Cool! They left Fort Bragg today in 30kts of wind and will be in San Fran tomorrow I believe. We're waiting for something a little more benign.
markpierce
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Vic, as you've planned, slow and easy sounds like the best way.
nmuir
Senior Member
I posted this out a while back but it was from earlier in your trip & don't know if you had a chance to see it. Some good info on the San Fran Bar & Bonita Passage.
The San Francisco Bar | CoastsideFishingClub.com
We stayed at the Brisbane Marina for a few months. Near the airport so a ways from downtown but more affordable - and we found it more affordable than Alameda. About Brisbane Marina | City of Brisbane
The San Francisco Bar | CoastsideFishingClub.com
We stayed at the Brisbane Marina for a few months. Near the airport so a ways from downtown but more affordable - and we found it more affordable than Alameda. About Brisbane Marina | City of Brisbane
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VicTrawler
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Thanks for the link! Very informative.
How did you find commuting to downtown SF from there?
Britannia
Wannabe
I often cross the south shoal when I transit the Golden Gate. I crossed it going both ways on my trip to Half Moon Bay in July. I'm not saying anyone else should do the same thing. I don't do it on an ebb with strong winds or large swells.
Richard
Stillwater
KK54 #5
caltexflanc
Guru
The issue with the "South Channel" is that it is very prone to the creation of rogue waves.
I spent a lot of time when I was young and dumb surfing (or attempting to surf, I should say) in that area and saw some weird things, and a lot of boats getting themselves into trouble. And what do you save when going to Pillar Point? two miles maybe?
I spent a lot of time when I was young and dumb surfing (or attempting to surf, I should say) in that area and saw some weird things, and a lot of boats getting themselves into trouble. And what do you save when going to Pillar Point? two miles maybe?
Alaskan Sea-Duction
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As you already know Contact San Francisco VTS on Channel VHF 14 and let them know your intentions as you don't have AIS. They do appreciate it.
markpierce
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Bill Kimley, the builder of the Coot, in his younger years, was sailing via South Channel one night. The boat hit bottom due to the waves and broke its "back" and sank. Bill swam to shore but the other crew member never made it to safety.
caltexflanc
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Crews prepare to drag disabled boat leaking fuel ashore in San Francisco | abc7news.com
Everything seemed mellow for awhile for this guy.... up to a point,,(warning, foul language)
Everything seemed mellow for awhile for this guy.... up to a point,,(warning, foul language)
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VicTrawler
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I just want to thank everyone for posting the horror stories!
markpierce
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Alaskan Sea-Duction
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Thanks for the correction. They really do appreciate you calling them if you are in the shipping lanes
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VicTrawler
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We are now in Alameda, CA! I want to thank CeeBee for hooking us up with some excellent moorage for an amazing price. It's a very comfortable marina and only a 10 minute walk to the largest Target I've ever seen!!
So, how did things play out? The original plan was Fort Bragg -> Bodega Bay -> Drakes Bay -> San Francisco. However, the weather forecast showed (and still does) winds picking up toward the end of the week, which would have left us trapped in Bodega Bay or worse, in Drakes Bay in a windstorm. As a result, we opted to skip Bodega Bay altogether and head straight to Drakes.
We slipped Fort Bragg at first light (0630) and had an uneventful bar crossing. Those of you who follow our Facebook page (http://facebook.com/mvhalcyoni) would have seen how calm it was all the way to Drakes Bay. Our original plan also had us fuelling in Bodega Bay (no fuel dock in Fort Bragg, but you can arrange a truck if you really need to), so I had to make a call as we were passing Bodega as to whether we would have enough fuel to carry on. It was a bit difficult to tell with all the sloshing, but in the end it appeared we had about 50nm to spare (i.e. 50nm beyond San Francisco) so we carried on to Drakes Bay.
We arrived at Drakes just after midnight. This was our first time anchoring at night but with all the experience we gained in the Gulf Islands, it was a breeze. Radar came in very handy to ascertain how the other boats were spaced out, and we easily found a nice gap in about 30 feet of water. Winds were about 5 knots out of the west and the water was pretty flat. I was actually surprised at the number of boats in the bay as every picture I saw only had a single boat anchored there!
I crashed pretty hard and got about 4 hours sleep. At 0630 we weighed anchor and headed for San Francisco. Although I mentioned I was going to use the shipping lanes, with our dicey fuel situation and the very calm seas, taking the shortcut through Bonita Channel seemed like the best option. We could definitely see the seas shoaling as we entered the channel, but nothing close to a breaker and not rough at all. There was no traffic inbound as we crossed the lanes just before the bridge, and there was just one sailboat on the way out, whom we crossed behind.
Thanks to the good timing, we entered the bay on the flood and made good between 9.5 and 10 knots (about 50% faster than normal) and made it to Alameda by noon.
Mechanically, oil leakage was minimal, maybe 1/10 of a quart. Oil burn has also been greatly reduced. I did an oil/filter change in Fort Bragg and switched to Delo 400LE 15W40 diesel oil, and also added 2 quarts of "Bar's Leaks Engine Repair." I figured I was looking at having to get the head rebuilt, so might as well try a quick-fix and see what happened. I will attempt a second treatment and see how things go on the way to San Diego. Curiously, my oil pressure gauge has been fluctuating somewhat. I will check the sender and contacts and then maybe change the filter as the "Bar's Leaks" or any residue it may have cleared out may have clogged it up a bit, (just speculation). I'm also going to get a compression test done while I'm here.
The plan is one week in San Francisco before we move to Half Moon Bay.
Another successful leg!
So, how did things play out? The original plan was Fort Bragg -> Bodega Bay -> Drakes Bay -> San Francisco. However, the weather forecast showed (and still does) winds picking up toward the end of the week, which would have left us trapped in Bodega Bay or worse, in Drakes Bay in a windstorm. As a result, we opted to skip Bodega Bay altogether and head straight to Drakes.
We slipped Fort Bragg at first light (0630) and had an uneventful bar crossing. Those of you who follow our Facebook page (http://facebook.com/mvhalcyoni) would have seen how calm it was all the way to Drakes Bay. Our original plan also had us fuelling in Bodega Bay (no fuel dock in Fort Bragg, but you can arrange a truck if you really need to), so I had to make a call as we were passing Bodega as to whether we would have enough fuel to carry on. It was a bit difficult to tell with all the sloshing, but in the end it appeared we had about 50nm to spare (i.e. 50nm beyond San Francisco) so we carried on to Drakes Bay.
We arrived at Drakes just after midnight. This was our first time anchoring at night but with all the experience we gained in the Gulf Islands, it was a breeze. Radar came in very handy to ascertain how the other boats were spaced out, and we easily found a nice gap in about 30 feet of water. Winds were about 5 knots out of the west and the water was pretty flat. I was actually surprised at the number of boats in the bay as every picture I saw only had a single boat anchored there!
I crashed pretty hard and got about 4 hours sleep. At 0630 we weighed anchor and headed for San Francisco. Although I mentioned I was going to use the shipping lanes, with our dicey fuel situation and the very calm seas, taking the shortcut through Bonita Channel seemed like the best option. We could definitely see the seas shoaling as we entered the channel, but nothing close to a breaker and not rough at all. There was no traffic inbound as we crossed the lanes just before the bridge, and there was just one sailboat on the way out, whom we crossed behind.
Thanks to the good timing, we entered the bay on the flood and made good between 9.5 and 10 knots (about 50% faster than normal) and made it to Alameda by noon.
Mechanically, oil leakage was minimal, maybe 1/10 of a quart. Oil burn has also been greatly reduced. I did an oil/filter change in Fort Bragg and switched to Delo 400LE 15W40 diesel oil, and also added 2 quarts of "Bar's Leaks Engine Repair." I figured I was looking at having to get the head rebuilt, so might as well try a quick-fix and see what happened. I will attempt a second treatment and see how things go on the way to San Diego. Curiously, my oil pressure gauge has been fluctuating somewhat. I will check the sender and contacts and then maybe change the filter as the "Bar's Leaks" or any residue it may have cleared out may have clogged it up a bit, (just speculation). I'm also going to get a compression test done while I'm here.
The plan is one week in San Francisco before we move to Half Moon Bay.
Another successful leg!
rochepoint
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Well done, been following you on FaceBook and your Spot track it has been enjoyable!
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