[C38] Attn. West Coast sailors

[Les]

I'll second the close to shore approach.  There is a patch outside long
beach called the potato patch, where on the calmest days you can hit
30kts of wind and confused seas with sharp edged chop that will cast
foam and get you chilled.  Further on, you get to Point Dume which is
west of Malibu, and the anchorage is about a mile offshore just outside
some kelp, where it can be really nice if the wind is from the north, or
a real ride if the wind is from the WSW or farther south.

Oh, I almost forgot, check the charts and notice to mariners.  Sometimes
the oil fields just north of Point Arguillo bubble up some of that
coarse crude (crud is more like it), and it is a mess on your boat, and
flamable, sometimes with raw natural gasoline in it.

At this website you can get NON_NAVIGATION looks at the charts of the
Pacific:
http://www.charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/PacificCoastViewerTable.shtml


North from there, you go on up to Ventura, and still farther to Santa
Barbara.  The winds here are the coastal winds, funneled in shore by the
Channel Islands.  It can be really nice or pure evil.  15knots is
typical, and a lot higher on several days a month.

That is about as far North as Nancy and I have gone.  As you go past
this area, the harbors tend to spread out as the mountains run down to
the sea.  The harbors that are there tend to have sand bars outside or
large rocky upheavals, so make sure your charts are up to date and that
you ask and listen to the locals.  It is BEAUTIFUL though, and I love
driving the northern coast along Pacific Coast Highway (PCH as it is
called.)

Check Latitude 38 frequently also as they often have articles about the
various ports.  Also check the various harbors websites to see if they
have Links to the local edition of the LOG which is a series of
newspapers that discuss local conditions and issues.

Enjoy your trip.  This stuff only means its good sailors don't like
land.

Regards,
Les H

On Mon, 2010-03-01 at 18:37 -0800, Joseph Launie wrote:
> Steve,
>     I would talk to several professional skippers. One who I have
> discussed this with says to keep one foot on the beach - go up close
> to shore because it gets a lot worse further out.  I would harbor hop
> up with a lot more stops than you have mentioned. Joe Launie/Macavity
> 
> ssorton at sbcglobal.net wrote: 
> > This summer during July/August I'm contemplating sailing our boat
> > from Southern California North to Puget Sound- some 1450 miles.  The
> > distance actually traveled could be twice the point to point
> > distance due head winds.  My question to the Cat 38 group is, does
> > anybody have experience making this trip?  Do you follow the coast
> > putting into 3 or 4 ports, or sail westerly and make a right return?
> >  
> > Thank you for any advice,  Steve Orton (Santa Susanna- # 304)
> > 
> > ____________________________________________________________________
> > 
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