Mission aborted

Eureka, California, USA

OK, that didn't work!

The sea states got worse as yesterday evening arrived, even though this morning it didn't look too bad and the bar was passable.  We were prepared to leave but when we checked the forecast, it seems that the latest low pressure wave is going to be here earlier than previously predicted - as soon as this afternoon.  It looks as if we would be facing possible 25 knot south winds and some 5 to 7 foot wind-waves for most of the passage, on top of moderate swells.  These are the conditions that are sure to make my crew sick.  Talking to the local fishermen, they do not seem to be eager to leave the harbour.  So, once again, we will go back to waiting for a better weather window.

We would like to see at least 48 hours of predicted good conditions before we leave this bay.  The problem is that the only possible stop that we could get to in under a day, is an anchorage (Shelter Cove), totally exposed to the south winds, making it a non-option for us at this time.  Looking at the long-range forecasts, we cannot see any such breaks in the near future.  When the winds are light, the seas are huge, and when the seas subside, the next strong low pressure front is just moving in, with the associated strong south winds.  What we really need is a good, stable high pressure region to park itself off the coast, and I'm not sure that is very likely at this time of year.

I guess the lesson learned here is that, if you are going to harbour-hop down this coast, leave a month earlier than we did, or be prepared to do a lot of waiting in safe harbours along the way.  If we had just gone out 100 miles and headed straight for San Diego, we would have been there before now.  Having said that however, the few boats that we have met in the harbours along the way were all boats that were trying that approach and had subsequently headed for shelter when the conditions got to be too much for them, usually with some accompanying equipment failures.  Again, it is just too late in the season for that approach as well.  The couple of boats that we met that did, as far as we know, make the one or two hop trip down the coast, all had crews of 4 or more people, with a lot more experience that we have in that type of passage.  I still think this was the best option for us.  We just have to continue to take our time.  We will get there eventually.

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