Intriguing Morro Bay

Morro Rock and Dynegy Power Plant

Morro Rock at Sunset

Morro Harbor Behind Morro Rock

Community of Morro Bay

Avalon

Morro Bay Beach next to Morro Rock

We departed Monterey July 23rd at 6:30am with 10 foot swells spaced 10 seconds apart giving us a comfortable roller-coaster ride; the swells later subsided, relatively speaking, to 6-9 feet.  As we approached Point Sur, things got a little more exciting with 12 foot swells; but again they were spaced far enough apart that they didn’t present a problem.  Once south of Point Sur, it was easy cruising.  We passed lovely San Simeon and Hearst Castle, and after nearly 14 hours of motoring, we finally arrived at Morro Bay.  We approached the bay just in time to see Morro Rock bathed in red by the setting sun.  This 581-foot rock is a volcanic plug that was first charted in 1542 by Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who explored the Pacific Coast for Spain.  Morro rock is one in a series of volcanic plugs that stretch in a line inland called the Nine Sisters; it is thought that the landscape formed over a volcanic hot spot.  Volcanic plugs are created when magma hardens within a vent.  As we entered the bay, we could see the three tall stacks of the Dynegy Power Plant which provides electricity to the Central Coast and Central Valley of California.  The plant’s future is uncertain due to aging technology, complicated economic issues, and environmental issues plus the plant isn't currently running at full capacity.  If the plant closes, the City of Morro Bay will lose a big source of revenue.  On the bright side, Morro Bay has become a popular tourist stop for its waterfront shops, restaurants, city parks, and sandy beaches.  Just before dark, we made our way up the narrow channel behind Morro Rock and into the boat harbor, protected by low-lying sand dunes.  It’s a cute town with picturesque scenery and is well worth the stop and provides a secure harbor for boaters.  The following day, we rode our bicycles through town, stopping at some of the waterfront shops and then followed the bike path out to the beach.  On our way to the beach, we came across an unexpected treasure - the Avalon sitting in a parking lot!  The Avalon, launched in 1972, is a Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV).  It is the second of two identical submersibles built as a result of the tragic USS Thresher accident in 1963.  The loss of the nuclear submarine Thresher and all crew highlighted the need for the Navy to develop a dependable, rapid deployment rescue system for downed submarines.  A new generation rescue system based in California, the Submarine Rescue Diving and Recompression System (SRDRS) has recently replaced the deactivated DSRV system.  The time came to head back to our own ship; and after stopping for ice cream cones and a few groceries, we made ready to get under way for San Luis Obispo Bay for the night’s anchorage.  The seas were glassy calm as we departed Morro Bay encircled with beaches, backed by impressive mountains.  A short distance down the coast at Avila Beach, we passed the Diablo Canyon Power Plant.  This nuclear power plant produces 18,000 GWh (Gigawatt equal to 1 billion watt hours) of electricity supplying the electrical needs of more than 2.2 million people.  It was built directly over a geological fault line but is reported to have a safety system designed to shut it down promptly in the event of significant ground motion.  We could see that the plant did  not have a cooling tower, but instead draws cooling water from the Pacific Ocean.  Upon further research, we learned that the cooling water is used once and is not re-circulated, but rather returned to the Pacific Ocean at a minutely higher temperature.  We also saw crab pots in the area and Leonard jokingly commented that those must be the “glow in the dark crabs” ha!

Departing Morro Bay - Calm Seas, Beautiful Mountains

Diablo Nuclear Power Plant