This post includes multiple destinations on Santa Catalina Island:
Leg 7a: SB Island to Catalina Island (Emerald Cove then Isthmus Cove)
Leg 7b: Isthmus Cove, Two Harbors to Avalon (resort city)
Tuesday November 16, 2021
Departure from Landing Cove, Santa Barbara Island enroute to Santa Catalina Island
At 2:36pm PST, Lawrence texted:
Circumnavigated SB island. Departing for Santa Catalina now. 1430
soooo....
Leg 7a
Bluewater is underway again.
Tuesday November 16, 2021
Departure from: Landing Cove, Santa Barbara Island
2:30 pm PST departure
2 souls aboard:
Lawrence KerverGloria Vilchez
Destination: Santa Catalina Island
Estimated Distance: 20-30nm (my guess)
Sometime around 4pm PST, received this text:
I'm gonna anchor at Emerald cove or just grab a mooring ball somewhere
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| View of Santa Catalina Island Ahead with anchored ships to the left of it |
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| Mooring Map of Santa Catalina Island |
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| Gloria in the salon and a big ship anchored ahead |
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| 1st Mate Gloria sent this photo of Cptn Lawrence reviewing navigation charts using red light (to preserve night vision) |
Gloria reported Bluewater's arrival around 7:30pm PST. The crew (Lawrence & Gloria) are safe & sound in Emerald Bay, Santa Catalina Island. I assume they are on a mooring ball but we'll find out tomorrow after the crew gets some well deserved sleep! Congrats to Bluewater & Crew on another successful Leg on your journey!!!
Wednesday November 17, 2021
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| 4:21am Emerald Bay |
Around 5am Lawrence emailed:
Hola 👋
It’s hard to grasp how interesting this trip has been so far. The moon just set below a thick cloud bank and above the island casting a long yellow glow across the cove. There are 2 other vessels anchored beside us. The waves are distinct crashing on the little island in the center of Emerald Cove. After the moon set it became very dark. There is a glow from our various instruments charging and the many cargo ships and tankers anchored off. What a trip! We are still alive 😉
Lots of effort involved in staying alive and his siblings (all 8 of us!) want him to keep doing it!
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| 7:23am Bluewater is on a mooring ball in Emerald Bay The little island ahead is Indian Rock in the center of the cove |
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| 7:25am Gorgeous spot! Emerald Cove, Santa Catalina Island And proof they're on a mooring ball! |
Departure from Emerald Bay to Two Harbors, Santa Catalina Island
Got a text from Lawrence this morning around 7:30am that they were motoring from Emerald Bay toward Two Harbors. It appears they left their Emerald Bay mooring ball, stopped to refuel at a dock, and are now moored in Two Harbors, Santa Catalina Island. They are going hiking shortly which I assume means a dinghy ride to shore.
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| Bluewater motoring from Emerald Bay to Two Harbors, Santa Catalina Island |
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| 8:10am Approaching Two Harbors via Isthmus Cove |
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| 8:33am Bluewater docked at Two Harbors |
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| Refueling |
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| 8:30am Gloria below, port side |
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| Around 10am, Gloria on Bluewater with breakfast/brunch on the grill Moored in Isthmus Cove, Two Harbors, Santa Catalina Island |
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| Grillmaster Lawrence |
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| Good food is coming off that grill! |
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| Around 2pm, Bluewater in the Isthmus Cove mooring field, Two Harbors, Catalina Island |
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| Gloria in the dinghy Bluewater in distance |
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| Lawrence adding fuel to the dinghy motor |
And since I'm jealous and wasn't specifically told not to repeat this:
"I ran out of gas in the dinghy 3X now 😂"
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| They dinghy'd to shore Two Harbors, Santa Catalina Island |
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| Lawrence at Two Harbors General Store Santa Catalina Island |
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| Gloria hiking above Cat Harbor; opposite side of the island (They crossed the narrow stretch of land between Isthmus Cove and Catalina Harbor and continued hiking along and above Cat Harbor) |
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| Gloria at Isthmus Yacht Club |
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| Dinghy ride back to Bluewater |
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| Gloria and Bluewater Isthmus Cove |
Thursday November 18, 2021
Enjoying Two Harbors, Santa Catalina Island
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| Gloria in the dinghy heading ashore Bluewater on a mooring ball Isthmus Cove |
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| Nice looking dinghy! Gotta love the wheels |
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| Dinghy on the beach |
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| Two Harbors, Gear Haul (?) Bluewater is just visible in the distance, moored in Isthmus Cove Catalina Island |
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| Lawrence above Isthmus Cove mooring field Bluewater is not in view in this photo (moored further to the right) |
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| Lawrence around 11:30am And THERE's Bluewater! |
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| Gloria in the laundromat Lawrence titled this "Real Life" |
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| Sunset dinghy ride just before 5pm Bluewater in distance Catalina Island |
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| Bluewater's view of the moon around 5:33pm prior to the partial lunar eclipse!! |
Lawrence subsequently reported:
And....we had cloud cover all night. of course. lo
Unfortunately, none of us on the West Coast saw the partial lunar eclipse. We were prepared for viewing (but also exhausted). Mark viewed the sky late in the night from Belmont and we also had cloud cover. We did NOT set our alarms since it seemed like a remote chance of seeing anything.
Sister Marilyn reported from Houston, Texas:
We watched the lunar eclipse. Powerful scene.
Friday November 19, 2021
Lo/Glo still enjoying Two Harbors Santa Catalina Island
Called Lawrence today to see what they're up to. Lots of time in the dinghy and hiking around. Small number of boats moored nearby. Minimum number of residents around. Not very many businesses on this portion of the island but it is off season so pretty quiet everywhere. Friendly staff/boaters/people. Many hikers/backpackers/campers along trails and at various campgrounds.
Mark told Lawrence to go to "Doug's Bar." Mark is dating himself. It was called Doug's Bar back in 1988 when we (Liz/Mark) met on a trip to Catalina over Memorial Day Weekend (Storm of 1988 recognized and remembered as one of the most severe storms in the history of Catalina Island; called 'A Hundred-Year Storm' - yeah THAT weekend). I can't really figure out when the Doug's Bar name change occurred but it is now called Harbor Reef Restaurant & Bar. Same place. I should have told them to get a "Buffalo Milk", created by a bartender at Doug's Bar described in a blog on visitcatalinaisland.com as "a White Russian gone crazy."
When Lawrence and I were discussing Doug's Bar and mooring v anchoring, we looked back to our previous Bluewater cruise in 2015. I sent him this 2015 photo and asked for current photos from the bar. Always a marvel to note the transition to mooring ball fields (previously anchorages) on Catalina. Seeing the old photos of packed anchorages is kinda shocking.
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| This is a Bluewater blog photo from 2015, Mark and Amanda |
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| Gloria with superb dinghy skills! Isthmus Cove, Catalina Bird Rock is in the distance to the left |
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| Lo/Glo in Doug's Bar |
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| Lo/Glo with old photo on wall behind them |
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| Gloria and dessert! |
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| Close-up of a photo on the wall in Doug's Bar (I mean Harbor Reef Restaurant & Bar) That is one tightly packed anchorage! |
Saturday November 20, 2021
Leg 7b: Departure from Two Harbors enroute to Avalon, Catalina Island
Bluewater and Crew are on the Roll again….
They (Lawrence & Gloria) departed Two Harbors this morning at 0745 enroute to Avalon. Gloria’s friend Laura from the Bay Area is taking a flight to SoCal and then a Ferry to Santa Catalina Island where they will all meet in Avalon.
Soooooooo…….
Leg 7b
Departure Time: 7:45am PST Saturday November 20, 2021
Departure from: Isthmus Cove, Two Harbors, Catalina Island
2 souls aboard
Lawrence Kerver
Gloria Vilchez
Destination: Avalon, Catalina Island
Estimated Distance: 12nm
Conditions: Calm, glassy; much warmer today
Arrival: 10am PST
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| I asked Mark to estimate the distance from Two Harbors to Avalon He did a google maps calculation and determined it to be approx 13.42 mi Nautical miles are slightly longer than land miles; The rule of thumb is that roughly 7nm equals 8 statute miles or Statute miles divided by 1.15 mi/nm = nautical miles or Statute miles x .87 nm/mi = nautical miles so 13.42mi / 1.15 mi/nm = 11.67nm and/or 13.42mi x .87 nm/mi = 11.68nm A nautical mile is based on longtitude and latitude 1nm = 1 minute (1/60 of a degree) of latitude (12nm approximately, haha) |
We departed 0745 Two Harbors. Destination Avalon. Keeping our fingers crossed for a mooring ball. Our friend Laura coming to visit from Burlingame this AM after flight, ferry. Wild one!Okeedokee!!! Thanks for the departure info!!!Calm, glassy conditions. Much warmer todayI hope everyone is properly jealous. I don’t put this much effort into just a little jealousyJust gorgeous!! Haha, you know it! Everyone is insanely jealous and yet they defer to the wee baby of the family and his indulgences!!Life can be stressful sometimes. I almost ran out of milk once.
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| Around 8am View looking back off Bluewater's stern toward Isthmus Cove Bird Rock visible to right of photo |
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| Around 8am View looking forward and right from Bluewater's starboard side Bluewater cruising along Catalina Island |
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| Around 8am View looking forward through front windows across Bluewater's bow |
9:13am Text:
Small craft advisory in effect until 1500 from port of Long Beach. We are under the most tame conditions possible
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| View out the front windows Navigational map of Catalina Island on table |
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| 9:16am Bluewater in Avalon Bay |
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| 9:51am Lawrence & Gloria, Avalon Bay |
And Lawrence's feet are always injured!
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| Lawrence's bruised toenail and bloody pinky toe |
Got a text from Lawrence around 11am:
We did arrive. Laura is here. Picked her up at the ferry dock
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| Lawrence, Gloria, Laura Brunch on Bluewater - I haven't seen a bad meal yet! |
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| Gloria and Laura in Avalon, Catalina Island |
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| Laura and Gloria in Avalon with Sailor's Delight Ice Cream! |
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| Gloria and Laura in Avalon Bluewater is moored in the distance to the left in Avalon Bay, Catalina Island |
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| Sunset at Avalon from above |
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| Lawrence and Gloria |
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| A smoocher |
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| Lawrence's CRUISING Log Sounds like they enjoyed Avalon, Catalina Island! |
Sunday November 21, 2021
Avalon, Catalina Island
Lawrence texted this morning:
Good morning. There was no Santa Ana’s at all. Maybe 5kts. Laura is really fun. We are having a total blast Ya’ll should be down here!
And then:
We just snorkeled with Garibaldi among other great fish and abalone. Saw Bison today on the safari tour. Tough to beat!
Hope everyone is doing great
lo
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| Bison! on Safari Tour |
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| Bison close-up view |
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| Gorgeous view of Avalon Bay from a different vantage point |
Monday November 22, 2021
Avalon, Catalina Island
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| Gloria and Laura in the dinghy with Catalina Casino and Bluewater in the distance Avalon Bay, Catalina Island |
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| Gloria & Wrigley Memorial |
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| Gloria in the Botanic Garden |
It looks like they were at Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden And in case you're wondering, YES, Wrigley like the Gum!
From Lawrence:
Hola!
We have so many great photos it's hard to whittle them down to a few but we've been enjoying some of the most incredible sights and meeting interesting people. Hiked up to the Wrigley memorial today and the cool cactus garden. So much fun!!!
Take care
lo
Monday 11/22/2021
Friend Laura Departed Catalina Island!
She was a lot of fun.
She took a ferry from Avalon to the mainland to catch a flight home.
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| Around 8pm Nighttime on Bluewater Avalon Bay, Catalina Island |
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| Neighbors |
Tuesday November 23, 2021
Avalon, Catalina Island
Departure Day! New post coming soon(er or later)...
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