Trapped

Eureka, California, USA

Eureka does not want to let us go.

The conditions out at sea sounded perfect, but the swell over the bar would not let up.  It remained "hazardous" for the entire day yesterday; 10 to 12 foot rolling waves at the entrance, turning into 6 to 8 foot breaking waves in the middle of the channel.  The coast guard does not say that you cannot transit the bar, just that you had better let them know when you are going to attempt it, so they can be ready.  Does that instill confidence?

So back to the waiting game again.  I think, any day that we can safely get over the bar in the morning hours, we will probably go for it, as long as there is less than a "Gale" warning on the other side.  We want to leave in the morning in order for the timing to work out for arriving at Bodega bay in the daylight.  Right now, most of the morning hours are during an "ebb" current over the bar, and everybody agrees that that is not when you want to go across.  But, by tomorrow, there is a high slack at around 7:50 AM which might work out.   Each day, for the next few days, the slack water will be later and later, which is good, but the swells are supposed to build up again, which is bad.  We will take it one day at a time.

{GMST}40|48.4302|N|124|9.7438|W|Eureka, California|Eureka, California{GEND}