Mosaic Family Voyage: Cruising the California Coast

It was a difficult passage for us, rounding Cape Mendocino to arrive in Half Moon Bay. There were times that I felt extremely guilty for subjecting our children to those uncomfortable conditions. After all, there was a reason that we initially intended not to bring the kids back aboard the boat until after we’d gotten past Mendocino. But a sailor’s life is guided by the weather, and we just didn’t have a choice.

All in all, the kids rolled with the punches, and we all felt a great sense of accomplishment when we pulled into the harbor in Half Moon Bay. And the quaint coastal town did not disappoint.

As we walked along the beach, we noticed a marked change in the environment. The plants were no longer the familiar evergreens and ferns of the Pacific Northwest, but instead had turned to palms and succulents. Bald eagles had been replaced by large pelicans. And the beaches were no longer the rocky pebbles of the Northwest, but fine soft sand. It was clear that we had really reached California.

So, we celebrated our accomplishment while simultaneously licking our wounds. The weather windows eased a bit, and opened up more frequently, but would continue the trend we’d seen down the coast: often times being too much wind, or nothing.

For the next six weeks, we hopped down the California coastline: Half Moon Bay to Morro Bay, Morro Bay to Oxnard, Oxnard to Redondo Beach and then to Dana Point. Each passage getting us closer and closer to our goal.

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