San Diego Arrival



San Diego Skyline

San Diego Waterfront

Waterfront Park & Convention Center (right)

San Diego-Coronado Bridge

San Diego-Coronado Bridge

We departed Dana Point on August 30^th at 8am bound for San Diego and once again encountered a pod of Dolphins off the coast.  This time they approached from the opposite direction, speeding past us like bullets or shrapnel from a torpedo.  A second pod appeared shortly thereafter repeating the same scenario with a few lagging behind to briefly play with Got d’ Fever.  After eight hours of motoring in flat calm seas, we reached San Diego Bay.  As we cruised into the Bay, the city skyline came into view and reminded us of our beloved Seattle.  Similar to Seattle, the skyline of San Diego has numerous unique and interesting buildings like the Emerald Plaza buildings, the California Tower, and the Convention Center just to name a few.  We continued into the Bay beyond downtown and cruised under the San Diego-Coronado Bridge built of pre-stressed concrete/steel girder construction.  The bridge ascends from the Coronado Peninsula at nearly 5 percent grade before curving 80 degrees toward San Diego reaching a maximum height of 200 feet.  The height allows ships from the “Naval Station San Diego” on the south side of the bridge to pass underneath.  We were amazed by the number of Navy war ships of all types and sizes amassed along the shoreline stretching for miles, complete with security patrol boats.  The North Island Naval Air Station is also located in San Diego Bay on the north end of the Coronado Peninsula and is the home port of several aircraft carriers.  As we neared the south end of the Bay, we followed a marked channel into the California Yacht Marina near the community of Chula Vista, arriving around 6pm.  It was time to celebrate another major mile stone on our journey southward - a journey of 1, 565 nautical miles from Seattle to San Diego.  Chula Vista will be our home for nearly a month while preparing to cross the border into Mexican waters.






A few of the many war ships - Naval Station San Diego

San Diego Bay

Coronado Peninsula, Bridge, and San Diego (background)