Underway at first light, we rode the slack tide out of Morro Bay. We were, by no means, the first boat out Sunday morning. There was a steady stream of sport fishing boats underway long before we departed. Hardy souls – those fishermen.

Morro Rock is a major landmark on the coast. A few years ago we had the opportunity to walk along the rock. We met a couple avid bird watchers, watching their favorite girl – Judy – a peregrine falcon. I wonder if she is still there and her buddies are watching out for her.

This is what our day looked like. We seemed surrounded by a light fog, but not in the fog. The seas were even better than the day before, and we had no complaints with the previous leg of our voyage. Pretty isn’t it?

This is the Piedras Blancas Point light house and Harlech Castle Rock.

Close up of Point Piedras Blancas Light House

Close up of Harlech Castle Rock. The birds spend a lot of time on that rock! Hold your nose as you go by.

The seals know a good sun day, when they see one. The water is perfect. No wind, no waves, and long low swell – perfect conditions.

We had a little wind after dark, but it subsided. We averaged more than 8 knots all day, sometimes tipped into 9 knots. It was still a very long ride.

We pulled into the outer anchorage in Pillar Point Harbor, outside Half Moon Bay, and near the town of Half Moon Bay around 0215. We could see a fog rolling our way, but we beat the fog and were anchored and secured before it rolled in, engulfing everything in its path. Lights were out at 0305.

When we got up this morning we couldn’t see the bow of the boat. The fog seemed to ebb and flow all morning, but the sun finally burned through and it is a beautiful day – here in Half Moon Bay.  We launched the little dinghy and went ashore to the Half Moon Bay Brewery.  We always get great chow there.

We are both happy to be here. The voyage was accomplished in two very long legs. It could easily have been an overnight, straight through passage, but it was nice to rest up between legs, something the weather allowed this time.

We will rest up here for a day, and Tuesday we will make our way – the final 24 miles on the Pacific Ocean, into San Francisco Bay. This is as far north as the season will allow us to go. We will wait here until spring comes and brings new weather windows – when we will continue – back to the Pacific Northwest.

Blog Notes:  I hope you noticed some recent changes in the blog.  Each word that is highlighted in the blog, has a link that will give you additional information. Click on those words and check them out.  Let me know what you think!  I also have access to free photos that I used a couple times.  Times when I had no photos, or theirs was better.  All sorts of new tools to make the blog more interesting – I hope!

And on another note, I have a new camera.  We aren’t friends – yet.  Photos come from my dear friend Mr. Panasonic Lumix, Mr Nikon D3100, and my cell phone.  Hm…I know I took a photo.  Which camera is it in???  The phone camera is easy as I can upload the photo to Facebook or the blog with a few clicks.  Not so simple with the other two cameras, but it all comes together at the end.  This blog has photos from both the Lumix and the Nikon.  Can you tell the difference?