Enjoying the Wait

Kayak Trip up the Noyo River

Deer along the banks of the Noyo River

We spent a week at Fort Bragg waiting for favorable wind and wave conditions to continue our next leg down the West Coast to Bodega Bay, a 12-hour journey. Reports of gale-force winds and 13-foot seas kept us in port. We used the time in Fort Bragg to work on some boat projects, including varnishing the cap rails, and waxing the boat inside and out! Whew! Yes, we took some days off and checked out the cute shops and intriguing fish processing operations that make up old Fort Bragg. We also took a short kayak trip up the Noyo River and found it to be very picturesque with a mix of evergreen trees and stands of beautiful old eucalyptus trees. The variety of wildlife in the area proved to be a real treat. We saw deer, Eagles, and Great Blue Heron. Three Sea Lions came to visit each day and stood guard on a neighboring dock near our boat. They would frequently bark and were so loud that Java had to join the chorus. We also saw Brown Pelicans, who put on quite a show while we were having lunch with our friends Pat and Lisa aboard their sailboat, a 42ft. Hunter named Always & Forever. We watched a Brown Pelican swallow a large fish while Sea Gulls tried to pull the fish from the Pelican’s beak. We humans were somewhat more dignified when it came to eating our fresh crab and fruit salad.