Yes, we did make the final leg from Santa Barbara to Long Beach without a hitch. Well, except for the two hours drifting northwest from the harbor with sails limp as fresh tortillas, waiting for the daily, “predictable” onshore or offshore breezes. Nada. After a valiant try which netted us -2 NM off our log, we again started up the motor.

We skirted Santa Monica Bay offshore in the darkness, the brittle, illuminated sprawl of Los Angeles County unmistakably marking where the land met the soft black sea. Drifting just outside the center shipping lane entrance to Los Angeles Harbor, we played a waiting game with a huge barge and a container ship before we finally announced our intentions to pass, and slipped through, riding the wake of a twinkling Carnival Cruiseliner. The colorful oil islands are easy to spot in San Pedro Bay, and we tucked into the lee of Island White to anchor for the weekend while we awaited slip assignment in Shoreline Marina.

That was early Friday morning on October 11, a month to the day from leaving Port Angeles. We spent fifteen of those days at harbor, waiting for big seas to quiet. Of the 15 days on the move, we had about six days of sailing, and the rest of the time we motored. About three of those motoring days were into stiff winds with beam seas of six to eight feet. Coming into Grey’s Harbor was nerve-wracking, and approaching the Humboldt Bar in thick fog and drizzle with beam seas of ten to twelve feet made us question our judgement. We stood in awe on the Bodega Bay headland, uplifted by the raw power and infinite energy of the ocean world, and very grateful not be upon it at that moment in time. Neptune’s children visited us night and day, and the simple rise and fall of the ocean’s breath when it was at rest gave us time to savor our endeavor. How fortunate we are to be on this journey!

Anchored at Island White on a full moon the morning of our arrival in Long Beach.