Relatively Speaking

We left Santa Barbara on May 24^th at 10:30am and headed for Cojo Anchorage located south of Point Conception, a six-hour cruise.  We planned to round Point Conception early the following morning, hopefully avoiding the worst of the weather.  



Natural Oil Seep

As we headed north from Santa Barbara and neared an oil rig, we smelled the strong order of oil and saw a large oil slick on the surface of the water.  “We should call that in, perhaps the old rig is leaking,” said Leonard.  “Or maybe the oil is a natural seepage from the ocean floor, I replied.”  I had read that oil seeps are common in the Santa Barbara area and this phenomenon has occurred for thousands of years.  The Indians spoke of oil in the region and later the Spanish made note of the abundance of oil as well.  

Seeping from Subterranean Oil Reserve

We called the Santa Barbara Coast Guard to report our sighting; and sure enough, we were told that it was a natural seepage.  Petroleum seeps are quite common in various areas around the world.  Because of the movement of the San Andreas and other faults around Santa Barbara, rupturing in the earth allows oil and gas from subterranean reservoirs to seep up from the sea floor.  Lighter than seawater, the oil floats to the surface; some 20-25 tons of oil are emitted each day near Santa Barbara.  Microbes consume most of it, but not all of the compounds.  Research has shown that nature works well acting on oil but somehow the microbes stop eating at a certain point and it’s not yet understood why.  Perhaps oil rigs aren't so bad after all, especially in areas with natural seepage.  As we continued further north past the oil rigs, the wind and waves began to pick up.  We experienced 18-30 knot winds with gusts between 35-42 knots and sea swells up to 8 feet at 8 seconds apart, rougher than expected.  Dolphins were surfing the waves throughout most of our journey; they charged the boat head on, appearing like torpedoes streaking through the water.  A little later we were startled by a whale that surfaced near the boat, then dove to avoid his very close call.  

Cojo Anchorage south of Point Conception

Cojo Anchorage

The winds continued to howl as we reached our anchorage and set the hook.  Located along the beach were the skeletons of two sailboats which sadly met their end; perhaps their anchor slipped and they were washed ashore, another solemn reminder of the perils of the sea.  

Sailboats Washed Ashore at Cojo Anchorage

Fortunately, the winds settled down for the night but our sleep was short lived, we had an early 4:30am departure the following morning.  The seas appeared calm in the bay, but we knew they would quickly become lumpy, especially when rounding the Point.  We were hopeful to meet reasonable seas, but “reasonable” is a relative term when compared to the 18-20 foot seas that occurred earlier in the week while we waited in Santa Barbara.  

Surf Near Point Conception

As it turned out, we only experienced 8-11 foot seas!  The winds kept up all day ranging from 18-42 knots, not exactly our idea of fun.  We had expected the seas to get better after we passed Point Conception but there was no relief in sight.  We still had three hours to go before reaching Morro Bay; and once there, we would have to cross the bar.  

Port San Luis

Anchored Among the Fishing Boats

Since the seas were growing ever larger, we decided to duck into nearby Port San Luis, which is protected from northwest winds, and anchor for the night. Our legs were tired from standing and our arms sore from turning the helm and holding on like a cowboy riding a prize bull.  It was time to rest!  But first we had to find a spot to set the anchor among the many boats who had arrived to escape the fury of the sea.  We found space among the fishing boats and settled in for the evening.   A cute sea otter also decided it was time to relax, riding on some kelp next to our boat.

Boats at Anchor in Port San Luis

 



A Cute Sea Otter Relaxes among the Kelp