Bluewater Coastal Cruising: Leg 5: Santa Barbara to Lady's Harbor, Santa Cruz Island

This post includes 2 destinations on Santa Cruz Island:

Leg 5a: Santa Barbara (mainland) to Lady's Harbor

Leg 5b: Lady's Harbor to Forney Cove

Saturday November 6, 2021

Lo/Glo traveled by Amtrak Train from Santa Barbara to San Jose

Lawrence and Gloria took the Amtrak superliner train from Santa Barbara north to San Jose to meet people, tie up loose ends and acquire boat parts. It's a GREAT train ride!

Gloria enjoying nice views by train!

Gloria & Lawrence are always
welcome in Belmont!

YAY! Bluewater's new trampoline's (I mean nets)
arrived! The old one's started to rip on the last leg and
Barracouta Sails based out of Austrailia now refers
to them as "nets" to discourage jumping on them (?)

Wednesday November 10, 2021

After spending a few days in the Bay Area, Lo/Glo finished up business and boarded the train and returned to Bluewater in Santa Barbara.

Pre-departure, San Jose

Liz waving goodbye at San Jose Diridon Station

And they're off...

Looks like a great meal on board the Amtrak train with lots of ambiance!

Great views!

View of the sunset along the coast from the train

Thursday November 11, 2021

Happy Veterans Day!!

A day to honor our military veterans.

Lawrence in Santa Barbara

Veterans Day Flags on the Beach in Santa Barbara

Happy Veterans Day to all who served / are serving

According to Lawrence, this was another very busy day preparing to depart tomorrow morning. Today he worked to install his new trampolines (aka 'nets') on Bluewater's bow after the old one's started to rip on the last leg. Mark thought the interim project (one on, one off) looked like a good fishing hole but luckily Lawrence finished installing both and evened out the tension - Lot of work for one person and very difficult to tension them.

Trampoline (net) - one on, one off

New Trampolines (nets): Lookin' good!

Bluewater's new Trampolines (nets) make a great lounging area for watching dolphins

Friday November 12, 2021

Leg 5a: Santa Barbara to Lady's Harbor, Santa Cruz Island

Bluewater is underway again....Departure from Santa Barbara to the Channel Islands

First Destination: N Santa Cruz Island, Lady's Harbor

Future destinations: Santa Barbara Island and then on to Santa Catalina Island

Friday November 12, 2021

8:25am departure

2 souls aboard:

Lawrence Kerver
Gloria Vilchez

Departure from: Santa Barbara

Destination: N Santa Cruz Island

Weather: Looks amazing!

From Lawrence:

Departure 8:25 from the fuel dock, Santa Barbara harbor. 2 souls aboard. 44 gal fuel, 90 gal water, 3 bottles of NyQuil, DayQuil, approx 16 beers. Calm seas, blue skies, light n variable wind. 2 rods, 2 boat lines in. We’ll see how long we can last out here. ✌️6-6.5 kts with the full main, one motor

Santa Cruz Island ahead (view from Bluewater's bow)!

Adios Santa Barbara (view from Bluewater's stern)!

Arrival reported via text from Lawrence at 12:32pm:

Arrived safe n sound. Anchors fore and aft. Hot, gorgeous conditions. @12:15

Beautiful spot in Lady's Harbor, Santa Cruz Island

Bluewater approaching Santa Cruz Island

Satellite view of Santa Cruz Island

Satellite close-up view of Lady's Harbor, Santa Cruz Island

Photo from Gloria at 3:38pm
Response from Mark: Nice Calico! Those are really tasty.
From Liz: I looked them up and they're Calico Bass (also known as kelp bass)
They live in kelp forests primarily in Southern California and Baja.
From Lawrence: Yum! Just a little bigger than Ron’s ocean whitefish 😂
From Ron: That’s a nice calico, but it looks a bit “smaller “ than my whitefish 😂

Photo from Lawrence around 4:40pm
Lawrence reports: Ya’all should be here! It’s crazy good, calm and warm. Unbelievable conditions.
Water is crystal clear

Cruising Log
Reading the log reminds me that Lawrence said his AIS (Automated Info System) alarm was
sounding repeatedly enroute, meaning another boat is either nearby or on a collision course. He
soon realized that the other boat was on a semi-parallel course likely headed to his (ideally 1 boat) anchorage spot. Luckily, Bluewater won the competition to Lady's (destination) and the other boat
turned toward another anchorage location.

Saturday November 13, 2021

A day spent anchored in Lady's Cove, Santa Cruz Island

At 8:40am Lawrence reported: Good morning. Got great sleep and some close anchoring neighbors 😱

A boat anchored close by

Neighbors!
Lady's Harbor, Santa Cruz Island

Sunday November 14, 2021

Leg 5b: Lady's Harbor enroute to Forney Cove, Santa Cruz Island

Bluewater is underway again.

Sunday November 14, 2021

8:30am departure

2 souls aboard:

Lawrence Kerver
Gloria Vilchez

Departure from: Lady's Harbor, Santa Cruz Island

Destination: Forney Cove, Santa Cruz Island (arrival 10:45am)

Weather: Calm clear gorgeous conditions

Lawrence reported at 8:39am: Departed Lady’s 0830. Calm clear gorgeous conditions. Destination Forney cove for hiking possibilities.

Another sailboat and sailor waving

Bluewater's bow, heading West along Santa Cruz Island

Bluewater's stern looking back toward Lady's Harbor

And here is another text received around 9:30am: 0920 Abeam Painted Cave waving to our new friend Martine

Gloria abeam Painted Cave waving to new friend Martine

...and another text: May lose service. Heading to Forney for hiking and possible overnight. May forge on to Morse Pt or even Willows for an early start to Santa Barbara Island ✌️

Sunday November 14, 2021
Bluewater departed Lady's Harbor 8:30am enroute to Forney's Cove

Bluewater and Crew (2 souls, Lawrence and Gloria) checked in Safe & Sound in Forney’s Cove at 10:45am 11-14-2021

Text from Lawrence received 11:49am:

We arrived at Forney Cove 1045. Gorgeous, calm, blue skies. Hiking, snorkeling soon then heading out early to Santa Barbara Island

Sometime around noon (just got off the phone with Lawrence):

He said they are anchored in Forney Cove and the day is just perfect. Beautiful sunny skies and warm. There are a few other boats anchored in Forney’s. There are rolling waves and a sandy bottom and kelp forests. The dinghy (with landing wheels!) is working great. Soon they’re going to go swimming, dive down, check the anchors and then dinghy to the island (Santa Cruz Island) for hiking.

Lawrence and I are adjusting to our new communication system. Mostly he texts me but he lost service rounding the west end of Santa Cruz Island, as he predicted. I did receive his arrival text be he did not receive my reply - it could be just a delay, unknown. He called me through his Iridium Go Satellite connection.

They are tentatively planning to depart tomorrow, possibly 4 or 5am HOWEVER, they might sleep in! Then again, they might stay a week.

Santa Barbara Island is approx 60-70nm away so it will be a long sail whenever they choose to go.

Liz