The waiting game

Eureka, California, USA

Why, you might ask, are we still in Eureka?

Well, I guess we are just fair-weather cruisers.  If the conditions are not just right, we don't go.  Right now there are a series of low-pressure zones approaching the west coast of North America, one every other day or so.  Although they tend to turn north before they hit us here in northern California, the circulation is still stirring up some big south winds.  We don't like south winds - we want north winds so we can just relax and go with the flow.  The real problem right now is that these storms are also creating some big swells, which persist even after the winds have gone.

Up till now, the biggest seas we have seen have been in the 8 to 10 foot range with 3 or 4 feet of wind-waves on top of that.  That tosses us around plenty.  Now, by the end of this weekend, the forecasts are calling for 20+ foot swells with higher wind-waves as well.  We have little interest in finding out how well we will cope with that.  So here we sit, waiting for a better outlook for at least a 2-day passage.  There is no good spot to pull into for about another 190 miles south once we leave Humboldt harbour.

Looking at the chart conveniently hereto affixed, notice that the small island we are on (Woodley island, near the top of the chart) is quite a distance from the open ocean.  The result is that we cannot see what the actual conditions are out there until we cross the Humboldt bay entrance (nearer the bottom-left of the chart).  And quite often we can see some dense fog between us and that entrance, which does not entice us at all.

Meanwhile, we are enjoying our stay here.  Lots of birds and seals to keep us amused, as well as our DVD collection, and just going for walks when the sun occasionally shines.  Sometimes it seem as if the birds are having some kind of convention in the channel.

Here are some patient gulls lining up for dinner.  They love it when the fishing boats come in and clean out their unused bait.  Not quite so nice when the boat next door to us was doing it though - very noisy and messy.

Downtown Eureka - an impressive paint job on their performing arts building.

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