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)

Dana Point



Dana Point Community of Homes

Statue of Richard Dana Jr.

Ocean Institute and the Pilgrim

Ocean Institute and Education Center

We found the community of Dana Point to be one of the loveliest in Southern California.  Steep hillsides caress beautiful homes overlooking the harbor and the ocean beyond.  We enjoyed its relaxing atmosphere and found the beaches less crowded than the better known tourist towns.  The community is named in honor of Richard Henry Dana Jr., the author of the famous book “Two Years Before the Mast” (1840).  In 1835 Dana arrived on board the Pilgrim, a two-masted sailing ship out of Boston.  Dana had left his studies at Harvard to join the crew on Pilgrim at the age of 19 and later wrote his famous book in which he described his life on a ship and on shore.  Dana was so impressed with the beauty of the area, including neighboring San Juan Capistrano that he referred to the cove as “the only romantic spot” on the coast.  He eventually returned to Massachusetts to complete his law degree at Harvard and became a distinguished attorney in maritime and international law; his experience aboard a ship on the high seas no doubt provided valuable insights.  In 1884 Dana Point was named to honor his memory and in gratitude for his enthusiastic description of this beautiful place.  A replica of the Pilgrim is anchored in the harbor in front of the Ocean Institute and is used as a floating classroom.  She sets sail every summer on a tour of Southern California with a volunteer crew and has appeared in several films, including “Amistad” directed by Steven Spielberg.  The Pilgrim is owned by the Ocean Institute, a non-profit marine science and maritime history education center that holds classes for school age students.  We walked the grounds of the Center, admiring the interesting architecture and landscaping, stopping to relax on a bench overlooking the sea.

The Pilgrim

Natural Landscaping behind the Ocean Institute

Dana Point

Got d' Fever at Dana Point Marina

A New Look

The New Look - Dana Point Marina

The California Look, No Canvass

 



Approaching Dana Point

Dolphins Come to Visit

A New Shine

Before departing Huntington Harbor, we completed several miscellaneous maintenance items including changing the engine zincs, cleaning out the sea-strainers, and inspected the impellers for the raw water pumps, which allow sea water through the heat exchangers.  Leonard also did some painting in the engine room and I polished the stainless steel cleats, rails, and other metal fittings to a new shine.  We left Huntington Harbor shortly after noon and throughout the cruise checked for weeping from the new fuel injection pump that had been installed earlier – yahoo, no reported fuel leaks.  But Got d’ Fever still wanted our attention.  While under way we noticed that the throttle controls were not in alignment with each other so Leonard adjusted the throttle control linkage to work in unison – accomplished by adjusting the set screws for the throttles at the helm station and adjusting the related cable located in the engine room.  While Leonard was in and out of the pilot house and engine room, a pod of dolphins were swarming nearby, several of the dolphins came over briefly to ride along our bow – lots of action for only a three hour cruise!  After arriving at Dana Point, CA around 3pm, we found ourselves in the mood for another project.  We decided it was time to take down the isinglass/canvas that encloses the cockpit area – no need for an enclosed sun porch in southern California!  The challenge was finding a storage place on the boat for these large pieces.  Leonard came up with the clever idea of using a bungee-cord cargo net to suspend the canvas/isinglass pieces in the cavity space under our bed.  The pieces lay flat and are out of the way.  Now we can enjoy those evening breezes and not worry about the isinglass and canvas deteriorating in the hot sun.  And Got d’ Fever is happy with her new look, sporting her Californian backless dress.

Set Screw Throttle Adjustment

Cable Throttle Adjustment - Engine Room

Entering Harbor - Dana Point in background

Family Bonding



Riding the Tram - Questioning Look from Porter

Happy Faces - Disneyland Tickets in hand

The Queen Mary

Steam Stacks and Life Boats on the Queen Mary

Pilot House - Queen Mary

Control Panel in Engine Room

While at Huntington Harbour, our son Duane and grandson Porter came for an extended weekend visit.  Duane and Porter used the time for a father-son bonding trip and we also celebrated Duane’s birthday, an opportunity for parent bonding.  Playing mini golf is one of Porter’s favorite activities so that was on the itinerary plus Duane had planned a surprise trip to Disneyland for Porter.  We told Porter we were going to use the rental car for a trip to Home Depot which would take the entire day, ugh.  Porter wasn’t too happy about the idea but went along with it anyway, what a sweet boy.  As we got closer to Disneyland, Porter saw signage that made him question our true destination, “oh that must be advertising for Disneyland” we told him.  “What a big parking structure, wow; we need to wait in line to find a place to park!”  As we rode the tram into Disneyland, he was beginning to figure it out and was so happy when he saw the word “Disneyland” on his entrance ticket.  What a great time we had!  Favorite rides included Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Space Mountain, Star Tours, and the Big Thunder coaster ride.  We equally enjoyed the evening fireworks, parade, and the “fantasmic” show.  Our weekend itinerary also included a visit to The Queen Mary located at Long Beach.  The RMS Queen Mary was considered the grandest ocean liner ever built when she left on her maiden voyage in 1936.  She sailed primarily in the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967 for the Cunard Line and was built in Clydebank, Scotland along with her sister ship, the RMS Queen Elizabeth.  Traveling by steamship from Europe to New York City was considered the most regal mode of travel of that bygone era.  During WWII the Queen Mary served as a troopship, transporting over 800,000 troops and traveling more than 600,000 miles, filling a significant role in the war effort.  Today she serves as a luxury hotel and entertainment venue, open to the public for self-guided tours.  We walked through the ship, touring the pilothouse, engine room, officer’s quarters, and sun decks.  We also went on a guided tour called the “haunted tour.”  This group tour took us further below decks where we saw the swimming pool used by notable guests of the cruise liner and then deeper yet (below the water line) where the boilers that powered the ship once stood.  It was damp and dark, accompanied with stories about unfortunate accidents and ghostly figures that haunt the ship.  A water breach in the hull was simulated with the use of a water pump – it was so realistic that anyone who didn’t know better might be scared to death.  We were impressed with the enormous inner workings of the ship – the massive size of mechanical components and the custom engineering required.  The engine room for example is several stories tall, and what appeared to be a large pipe was actually one of three prop shafts.  The gear boxes were huge as were the condensers that condensed the exhausted steam (by cooling with sea water) back into fresh water.  It was all very fascinating.  We spent the following day relaxing after breakfast and did a little souvenir shopping.  The toughest part of our weekend visit was saying goodbye; we sure miss being with our family but we’re also grateful to know our sons are doing well in their careers and keeping busy.

One of Three Prop Shafts

Porter standing over an Anchor Chain

Boat Repairs



New Fuel Injection Pump

Special Mechanic's Tool to pull shaft/gear, which drives the Pump

As mentioned in an earlier blog, a repair issue had come to our attention while docked in Santa Barbara.  Leonard had noticed a small amount of diesel fuel weeping from the port-side fuel injection pump and called a mechanic in nearby Ventura, California.  The mechanic came out to the boat and re-tightened the plug on the fuel injection pump, adding new sealant with the thought that this may take care of the problem.  In the meantime, Leonard had ordered a new fuel injection pump from MER in Seattle, who determined that the pump would need to be replaced or rebuilt based on Leonard’s description of the symptoms.  After leaving Santa Barbara and cruising to the Channel Islands we discovered that the slow weeping of diesel fuel had returned as before.  We would have to address the issue again when back on the mainland near Los Angeles.  After our stay in the Channel Islands, Leonard phoned MER and discovered that the new fuel pump was still at their shop so he asked that it be shipped to our next destination, Peter’s Landing Marina in Huntington Harbour near LA.  The package arrived on a Wednesday and Edward, a local mechanic, showed up on Thursday to install the new pump.  The installation of the fuel injection pump requires a boat mechanic with special tools.  One such tool is used to extract the gear from the shaft which drives the fuel injection pump.  Another tool is used to advance or turn the engine to position the cylinder for correct timing.  The installation went well - no report of leaks during the test with port engine running.  Final confirmation and peace of mind however will come after we cruise several hours to our next destination, making visual checks along the way. 

New Fuel Injection Pump Installed

Huntington Harbour



Huntington Harbour

Huntington Harbor and Sunset Beach

Approaching Peter's Landing Marina

We Made It Under The Bridge!

We departed Catalina Island on August 13^th and motored northeast across San Pedro Channel to Peter’s Landing Marina tucked inside Huntington Harbor, accessed via Anaheim Bay.  To enter Huntington Harbour, boaters pass by the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station and under a Coast Highway bridge with a vertical clearance between 22 feet and 28 feet, depending on the tide.  We lowered the antennas on our pilot house and made it under the bridge with 1-2 feet to spare.  Huntington Harbour consists of five manmade islands with a residential development along its waterways.  We’ve been told that a boat parade takes place during December through the waterways, and tour boats also cruise through the canals viewing decorated homes as a fundraiser.  Huntington Harbour was formed in the 1960s on the former site of the historic Sunset Bay Estuary wetland’s, thankfully, birds still frequent the harbor and two wetlands border the area - the Anaheim Bay National Wildlife Refuge to the north and the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve to the south.  In addition to the interesting waterways, beautiful Sunset Beach is just across the highway from the marina.  Sunset Beach lies north of the more famous Huntington Beach and Newport Beach - taken together these beaches offer miles of seemly endless sandy coastline.  Cafes, coffee shops, and marine supplies are also within easy walking distance of Peter’s Landing Marina, making it a nice choice for boaters.  The marina mainly provides permanent moorage with only a few transient guest spaces so we’re glad we called ahead to reserve a space.  Peter’s Landing will be our home-base while we tour the area and take care of some maintenance issues as noted in a previous blog.

Peter's Landing Marina

Homes along the Canal

Homes along Sunset Beach

Sunset Beach

Water Tower Beach-House Rental

The Catalina Casino

Catalina Casino



Promenade to Catalina Casino

Casino Theatre and Ballroom at Avalon

Grand Architecture

During our stay at Avalon, we toured the historic Catalina Casino.  When William Wrigley Jr. (the chewing-gum magnate and owner of the Chicago Cubs) purchased the majority of Catalina, he built not only a ranch for himself but built the Sugarloaf Casino which served as a ballroom and Avalon’s first high-school.  It quickly proved to be too small for the Island's growing population so he had the old building raised to be replaced with a grander structure.  The new Catalina Casino, completed in 1929, is of the Art Deco and Mediterranean Revival style and was the first to be designed specifically for movies with sound.  The circular structure is surrounded by sea on three sides and is the equivalent of 12 stories.  The theatre has one screen and a seating capacity of 1,154 patrons with a circular domed ceiling known for its remarkable acoustics.  The theatre is so well insulated that patrons cannot hear a band playing above or thousands of dancers on the ballroom floor.  Our tour included the beautiful foyer and theatre on the ground level, then a walk up the circular ramp to the enormous dancehall.  It is the world’s largest circular ballroom with a 180-foot diameter dance floor that can hold over 6,000 people.  French doors encircle the room and the balcony views over the bay are spectacular.  The Casino is still used as a theatre for the latest movies and as a dancehall for private functions and special events.  The original 4-manuel, 16 rank pipe organ remains in the theatre.  We also visited the Casino Museum located in the basement, highlighting the life and times of William Wrigley Jr.

Art Deco Style

Balcony Walk-About

Mediterranean Architecture

Art Deco Theatre