Catalina

Catalina

This trip was just barely about Catalina for us.  As amazing as the offshore adventure was, and it was unbelievable, this was primarily an opportunity to meet some old friends.

I'm going to mention Rivermobster first.  He's such a laid back, easy going, contented, guy that he could effortlessly integrate into any situation or any group.  Because of that, I'll bet he's never been mentioned first in his life. This time, he gets the respect of being mentioned first.  It was a great pleasure for us to spend time with Joe, Lori, and their two children.  They are four outstanding people.

The Merrills are a wildly generous family.  They gave so much of themselves to us, it was a bit overwhelming to be on the receiving side.  We will always be grateful to Dave, Debbie, Kirsten, and Evan for providing one of the most spectacular adventures of our lives.  Every one of you make the world a better place.


Think about this.  When three couples and four children spend many hours in a boat together, and you enjoy the company of every other person on board, including the children, you are in some world class company.

I apologize for the length of this blog entry.  It's been cut down as much as reasonably possible.  There is too much good content to cut much further.  I've removed most of the text so it shouldn't be too bad.


The Voyage

Heading out

Dolphins....  love it!

Dolphins chasing the boat were one of many highlights of this trip.  They were jumping three abreast for a short period.  We even saw a few cork screws.

Dave indicated ocean conditions were ideal.  It was no problem for us at all and we've never been on the ocean in a private boat before.

We would have loved going over on the Catalina Express.  It would have been fantastic.  When we started calling, all but two hotels were booked and the Express was booked through most of the day, also.  We didn't realize we had to make arrangements weeks in advance.  Our whole vacation was run by the seat of our pants so we missed out on the original trip we were hoping for.

When Dave PMed on RDP with an offer to go on the ocean cat, my leaky bowel ran amok.  It seemed too good to be true.

Arriving at Avalon

The trip from Long Beach to Avalon was very exciting for us.  We've never been off shore in a private boat before.  Between not knowing what to expect and getting to know everyone we were with, it was a great part of the adventure.  The trip felt like 15 minutes.



Avalon

Coming into the harbor

Harbor patrol picked us up and assigned us a mooring

 

Evan getting the dinghy ready

Evan is awesome.  He's a fine young man.  Here, he is setting up the dinghy so we can disembark.  Evan took care of business.  One day, he is going to be a kingpin of industry.  It was a treat spending time with him, as it was with the rest of both families. 

Here we are, being less than helpful while Evan does all of the work.

At this point, we had no idea what to expect.

This is the pier on which we landed

Our first glimpse of Catalina once we arrived at the pier

The beach at Avalon

We stopped for a bite to eat

Antonio hooked us up with some great food

After lunch, we walked along the sea wall and went up the stair sidewalk to a nice vantage point.

Avalon is touristy.  It's pretty commercial.  That adds to the attraction of it, in my opinion.  We could have spent two days just at Avalon and had an amazing time.  Of course, it would not have been nearly as spectacular as the time we had with the Merrills and the Cuccios.

We walked through a couple of alleys and found some of the most intoxicating views

Really great people, right there

Garibaldi: State fish.  Gold in color

The casino has been converted into a movie theater

We didn't have time to take the tour at the casino.  I don't know how interesting it would have been but I know I don't feel like I missed out on anything.

Private beach around the corner from the casino

Apparently, the draw to the private beach is that it allows people to drink while culturing a crop of assorted carcinomas.


Snorkelling

After spending much of the afternoon at Avalon, Dave took us snorkelling in the dinghy. He found an ideal spot, a short trip from the harbour, where we observed tons of fish in crystal clear water.  It could not have been better.

Evan is an excellent diver.  He would swim down and try to grab fish.  It was cool watching him.  Fortunately, he did not get any.  I would imagine, some fish have dorsal spines that would have been uncomfortable to encounter.

It's a shame I don't have any images of the snorkelling.  It was a highlight of the trip but it was a water experience and I don't have a waterproof housing for my camera.

If I ever get an opportunity similar to this again, I will make a point of finding some sort of under water photography capability.  It's an amazing world down there.



Voyage to Isthmus

The trip to Isthmus was more choppy.  It wasn't a problem but there was the odd swell that would toss the boat around a little.  Even for unseasoned offshore boaters like Ann and I, it was no big deal.  We enjoyed the voyage.

Bird rock

Dave told us this rocky protrusion has been candy coated with a heavy layer of bird faeces.  Anyone exploring this island would be well advised to use crampons, as traction could be a problem.


Isthmus

We picked up a buoy and disembarked.  People who had to use the head were given priority.

Welcome to Isthmus

Beach

Buffalo Milk

Not to be confused with buffalo semen, Buffalo Milk is some sort of highly alcoholic beverage that is apparently both delicious and lethal.  I abstained due to conditions of my parole.

Isthmus is rustic and beautiful

This is the second of two harbours

 
We took a short walk from the mooring to the second harbour, on the back of the island.  Isthmus is under developed and rustic, in contrast to Avalon.  It is a treat to have been able to experience this part of the island.

By now, it was getting dark so we headed back to the boat

We ate the way we lived...  like kings

Dinner was amazing.  Fruit, tri-tip steak, chicken, tacos,....  all while floating in Isthmus harbour and watching fish with the under water transom lights.

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None of the images I took of the fish turned out. The auto focus on my camera is not up to the task of focusing on under water targets at full aperture in total darkness.  That's a shame because it was awesome to watch.

I was too stuffed with tri-tip and fresh fruit to have the energy to rotate the focus ring on the lens.  Consider this one phoned in or, at least, I would have phoned it in, if someone would have dialled and placed the receiver in my hand.


The Voyage Home

The trip home was just as enjoyable as the trip over but for different reasons.  We were unable to see ocean swells so, after piloting around various Catalina obstacles, Dave pointed his auto pilot toward Long Beach and ran the engines at a modest level.

Once he had things set up, I took the opportunity to get to know Dave better.  I admire the energy and wisdom he puts into parenting and I envy him his family.  He is an outstanding person, tremendously generous, and someone I am proud to consider a friend.


Ann and I have not stopped talking about the experience we had with the Merrills and the Cuccios since we returned from this vacation.  Thank you for the trip of a lifetime.  We are forever in your debt.


Your friends,

Ann and Tom