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Living full-time on board and going South (part 3)

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zeil
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
1314 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/20/2006 : 22:26:44

Living full-time on board and going South (part 3);

It is 8:30 pm on Wednesday, November 15th, and we are just now finished for today... snug in a RV park at Marina Dunes RV on Monterey Bay in California... what a day it has been. We are tuckered from the long and exhausting road trip from Laytonville, CA via 101 through San Francisco to our stop at the RV park having covered some 400 plus miles.

RV Park Trinidad, Ca

But let me back up just a tat. Traveling the Oregon coast from North to South puts one on the sea side of the road and provides scenery's so spectacular that at every turn, corner and look-out one is tempted to stop to soak it all in spite of the high winds and unrelenting weather we encountered. Following the suggestions made by Clambeach (big thank you) were amply rewarded. One stop at Devils Churn ( the kids will remember a previous visit years and years ago) made us again realize the incomprehensible energy released when 20 ft waves driven by 30-50 knot winds hit the coast smack on the nose.

Coastal impressions

Our overnight stops were at Beverly Beach State park close to New Port, OR under the red woods, which is not a good idea when is rains. The next stop was at Coos Bay, OR at the Lucky Loggers RV located right in town. We fell in love with the place located about half way down the Oregon Coast and stayed four marvelous days in spite of the steady rain and cold temperatures. Through attending church we met lots of locals and had a hard time leaving them and the town behind.

The next stop (and again thank you Clambeach for your outline), we stayed at The Emerald Forest in Trinidad, Oregon and spent time exploring, climbing to look-outs and having a delightful lunch at Seascape which is located next to a natural harbor and the only boat launch with a railway type of track device for launching fishing vessels... Yes of course we were tempted to just give Someday Lady a wet bottom again but 15 to 20 ft swells crashing on the other side of the bluff wisely refrained us.

Boat Launching by lift and track, Trinidad, Ca

From there we drove through some of the most beautiful country including the Avenue Of The Giants redwoods forests to Laytonville. Some trees are approximately 2000 years old 350 ft tall and span over 15 ft in diameter. Overnighting in, because we were tired and it was getting dark, in Laytonville's only RV park, perhaps less than standard, made us feel insecure and gave us a sleepless night.

Avenue of the giants

Having to travel the following day a substantial distance and going through San Fransisco with our 50 ft truck and boat trailer rig required concentration. Our goal was to stop in Santa Cruise for the night but somehow missed the RV sign and so with little choice we continued to a State Park in Wadsonville but that side only provided firewood and we still needed electricity for heat and light during the long and 10 degrees evening.

San Francisco, Golden Gate in the distance

19th avenue in San Francisco

On we went to a brand new high end RV park located just before entering the Moss landing harbor. The RV park attendant, can you believe it, told us since we had a boat as camper/trailer/coach or whatever you call it, we could not overnight even though the site was nearly empty and we were willing to pay the outrageous fee of $65.00 per night. Of course I carefully outlined that we did not want to rent the entire RV park but only needed one site... Well... keeping our cool we drove just around the corner to the harbor master's office to see if they could accommodate us. No luck either... boats on trailers do not fit any category and should be banned!!

However, the harbor master's receptionist invited us to park in front of her house. Thank you, kind of you but... not ideal either. keeping in mind that we did not have a good night's sleep and were on the road all day, we drove on to a place called Marina Dunes RV park were we “bought” a site at the outrageous price of $70.00 per night even though we brought our own equipment. At this rate we need the bank manager along... The next morning we negotiated the price down to a more reasonable rate of $45.00 per night persuading us to stay one more night in order to do maintenance work and check gear.

Maintenance and frying out... again

We stayed 5 nights in Marina on Monterey Bay and explored the dunes, beach and surrounding area including Monterey fisherman wharf and harbour. Yes... we noticed another C250 moored in the harbor by the name of “Lorene”. On one of the docks we watched with great interest the lifting out by electric winch of about 6 boats in a matter of 30 minutes all done by the owners and so they told us at a cost of $1.75 per lift... Wish we had a similar lift at home...

Today, Monday, November 20th, we drove about 250 km from Marina to Buellton, just North of Santa Barbara along the unforgettable California Highway 1 coast averaging about 40 km per hour due to the many stops and windy road.

View view

By the way, on this trip I learned to sing/whistle vibrato on the many wash board road sections, sounds actually quite nice, but it is hard on the boat equipment and it was at one point so severe that the mast jumped the stern support holder and was hanging only by the spreaders tied to the life lines. Now I appreciate that boat/trailer straps are not luxury in California and perhaps in other states to come.

101 in California and going South

Observations:
1) RV Park fees range from $15.00 to a quoted $110.00 (We prefer and look for sites around $25.00 to $45.00)
2) Roads are generally older and in need of repair with new sections added here and there. The road surface ranges from 6.5 on the Richter scale to very good. There are lots of mild to severe washboard sections... watch out!!!
3) To date average day temperature which ranges in the 18 to 20 degrees with average night temperatures range from 6 to 10 degrees. We encountered yesterday highs of 20 degrees.... finally!!
4)You may have noticed the boom, sail and sail cover picture bungeed and suspended from the mast. Not happy with this arrangement from the start we took it down for inspection and came to the conclusion that chafe holes were worn right through the sail cover in about a dozen places in spite of the fact that we tied it down solidly. Fortunately it did not chafe through to the sail. Yes we hurriedly took the sail off the boom, dried the sail all day and are storing it now in the backseat of the truck together with the jib. Now a bare boom is suspended from the mast again Lesson... DO NOT leave the mainsail on the boom while traveling...

Chafing holes in the sail cover... fortunately not in the sail itself
5)Lots and lots of people show keen interest and or surprise in our boat and truck combination in RV parks and whenever we stop. Almost without fail people have never seen or thought of this before. Some call it a 5th wheel combination. We listen to lots of sail stories as we explain that this is our home for the next while. We are forced to keep the interior neat and tidy at all times since so many unexpected visitors want to have a peek and explanation inside the boat.
6)Dampness/sweating/moisture/condensation inside the boat is still our biggest enemy... no... we have not given up but don't have an exciting solution either. We're still drying the boat out every day. We did remove all but the essentials from the aft berth since the ceiling is dripping wet every morning no matter how we ventilate or control temperature. This is unpleasant and bother some
7)We still love living on the boat and traveling with it.... but... would like to find a nice and wet place for a week or two for a splash down session!! Suggestions are most welcome
8)The bikes suspended from a bike rack mounted on the front of the truck are taking a real beating and wonder if it was wise to bring them along in the first place... spent time oiling rusty parts but doubt if it will do much good.
9)I fit is not nailed down solidly it will shake loose... had to re-fasten several connections and replaced lost nut/bolts... The equipment, truck, trailer and boat are performing well and am not as uptight about something going wrong...

Ocean view at Trinidad, Ca

Johanna in the next installment will provide some insight on “one pot wonders” and provide the recipes

See you all... in the meantime please don't hesitate to provide us your advice, suggestions, routes, point of interest and places to go...

Henk for Johanna too

Henk & Johanna
"Floating", a few off your "barnacles".
"Someday Lady" '95 C250WB #151 ('03 - 2016)
"Sea ya" 30ft Bayliner (04-2018 - 09-2018)
"Mariah" '96 C250WB #191 (05-2019 - 15-05-2023)
"Lady J" '00 C250WK #499 (05-2021 - 09-2022)

Edited by - on

Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1768 Posts

Response Posted - 11/21/2006 : 07:56:43

WOW!

Thanks, Henk ... I know it is a lot of work for you to chronicle your travels, and to post all the photos. Rest assured, there are MANY of us who are really enjoying your travel log!

'Hope things continue to go well for y'all, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 11/21/2006 : 09:22:39

Monterey? you probably won't have to worry about this forecast again!

"..WINDS INCREASING TO 30 TO 45 WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 60 MPH
AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT..."

Edited by - on

sweetcraft
Admiral

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USA
816 Posts

Response Posted - 11/21/2006 : 10:33:43

Great coverage. Enjoy how you handle all the situations. We come up the other way on Interstate 5 but miss the ocean views. We visit Abbotsford with the folks so maybe we can connect one of these cruise trips. Keep us up on your travels. We have camped with the boat on the trailer too and it does cause rethinking for the resorts.

Edited by - on

Sloop Smitten
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1181 Posts

Response Posted - 11/21/2006 : 11:45:34

Henk,
I would recommend you come on down to San Diego and get a slip in Mission Bay. Call Ineke at Marina Village (619)224-3125) and she should be able to set you up with a slip for about $30 a night, parking included. That includes slip power and showers. Mission Bay is central to San Diego and all of its tourist attractions. Seaworld is right across the highway. There are several boat ramps you can launch your C250 from as well. Daytime temps are around 70F right now and overnight temps around 50F. Fleet 7 is on the L dock and you should be able to hook up with some of them. Jim Baungart practically lives down there. You can sail, kayak, fish and just about anything else water related right there in Mission Bay. There is even a dog park if you brought your dog. I live about 30 miles north and we sail down there every year for a visit. Best place to visit on the So. Cal coast (IMHO)if you sail any C25 variation. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

http://www.sandiego.gov/lifeguards/beaches/mbay.shtml

Marina Village
1936 Quivira Way
San Diego, CA 92109

Edited by - Sloop Smitten on 11/21/2006 15:24:11

glivs
Admiral

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USA
836 Posts

Response Posted - 11/21/2006 : 18:19:12

Thanks for the updates....what an adventure! If you have some down time would like to see photos of some of your mods and info on storage

Edited by - on

zeil
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
1314 Posts

Response Posted - 11/21/2006 : 19:24:30

Joe:
Thank you sooo much for the invitation, marina details and phone number... We will galdly take you up on your offer, phone Ineke to arrange a slip and spend a week or so cruising where it is warm... We are thrilled to perhaps also meet some of you guys!! After my conference call, (still have to do a little contract work) tomorrow morning from the boat from the computer via Skype (at no cost... gotto be a Dutchie to do this)we will leave for San Diego and should arrive in the next few days. One thing we do wish to do is visit Catalina in LA and hopefully tour the plant.. Again a big thanks for the help, tip and invitation

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 11/22/2006 : 12:12:00

make sure to tell Inneke you want to be on L dock where Catalina 25/250 Fleet 7 is. There is available parking for your truck and trailer. L dock on Marina Village would be a nice place to stay for a few days or weeks. There is a West Marine, shopping, dining and more nearby, plus great sailing. If you are here for Dec. 9 please join us for the Mission Bay holiday boat parade of lights and Fleet 7 raft up.

Also, I would suggest Chula Vista marina and RV park. It is in San Diego bay. They have a resort with pool, hot tub, club house and so on. It would be a nice change of pace to go to San Diego bay for a while, too.

Edited by - on

zeil
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
1314 Posts

Response Posted - 11/22/2006 : 12:54:44

Joe and Jim:
Thank you for the information!! Just phoned Ineke and made arrangements (in Dutch) to arrive sometime this or beginning next week... Ineke has reserved a slip on L dock and will have room to store the trailer and truck... This is exiting!! Again thank you guys for the invite and directions. We very much look forward to having water under Someday Lady again.

Edited by - on

tmhansen
Captain

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USA
397 Posts

Response Posted - 11/23/2006 : 02:11:15

Henk, I knew you were headed south but somehow I got it in my head that you were starting in the midwest not the northwest. I'm sorry I missed you as you drove right through San Luis Obispo.

We used our boat on its trailer as a camper at a music festival this past year. We heard "Now I have seen everything" or "I have been doing these festivals for years and I never saw this before" many times. But in the mob of campers we were in our own little cocoon each night in our comfy beds
.

If you come back up the coast I would put in at Santa Barbara for a few days. On bike you can explore the Mission, State street and the unique town that Santa Barbara is. Another place to stay for a few days on the water would be Morro Bay. Not many slips available but they can be had from time to time when the fishing fleet is out. Unfortunatly that is not much right now. You can anchor for free and its a short dingy ride to the showers and restaraunts. Also Monterey harbor is a fun place to stay. When we go there we usually stay for less than you did in the RV park and we are on the water. Usually we give the kids a land day for every day out on the water to quell any mutinous thoughts. Last trip we went out looking for whales. Everyone got seasick so my 10 year old drove us back in from about 4 miles out - with dad taking cat naps in the the cockpit and mom and sis out cold down below. Finally on my list is San Francisco Bay. We have just started exploring this area by boat. Angel Island was a family favorite - we ended up staying for three days we loved it so much. Had fun looking for geocaches with the gps on the island. This is a good place for bikes too. The island is open from sun up to sun down but the ferrys leave about 4 so the island is pretty peaceful in the evenings and mornings before the crowds arive.

Love the reports. Mission bay is on our list of places to go still, as is Catalina Island itself.

Edited by - on

Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1768 Posts

Response Posted - 11/23/2006 : 09:59:26

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by tmhansen
 
... Angel Island was a family favorite - we ended up staying for three days we loved it so much. Had fun looking for geocaches with the gps on the island.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Hi Todd,

I had no idea what a geocache is ... I thought you misspelled "geoduck" ...

So , I looked it up ... 'cool idea!

In case I'm not the only one who hasn't heard of this, here is a link that explains it: [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geocache"]Geocache[/url]

Edited by - on

gnorgan
Admiral

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USA
563 Posts

Response Posted - 11/23/2006 : 17:55:43

Fantastic!! Another 25 foot Catalina on L-Dock!
Susan and I will be looking forward to meeting both of you on L-Dock and sailing off the San Diego coastline.
I just got our C25 bottom painted and took her out Wednesday morning and early afternoon. Not much wind but still sailed. You will enjoy the sailing very much off La Jolla and south off Point Loma. Weather should be very nice as long as the fog doesn't come back.
We should be heading down again from Hemet Saturday sometime and may stay over until Sunday.
Hope to see you then.
We have an inland lake up here that is nice to sail on but you cannot stay overnight....must pull the boat out before sunset. Lots of RV places up here or you go over to Lake Perris (if the lake level is back up??)
No, just best to stay in Mission Bay at Marina Village Marina and spend a few nights at anchor in Mariner's Cove, just across the channel from M.V.Marina. Wish we didn't work during the week or we might join you.
Definitely, if you're staying longer, join Fleet 7 on Dec 9 for our Christmas Lights Parade of Boats raftup and dinner. I bring along a generator to power up some lights hoisted up the mast, etc. Loads of fun.
Where are you heading next after San Diego? East gets you to Lake Pleasant in Arizona, northwest of Phoenix a few miles. South is Baja. Good luck and hope to see you in the Southwestern corner of the country!

Edited by - on

zeil
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
1314 Posts

Response Posted - 11/23/2006 : 18:20:44

First of all a happy Thanks Giving to y'all... Neighbors at the RV park brought us turkey, others invited us for drinks and still others want to have the Catalina website so they can follow our story, and so we're are celebrating and very thankful along with you all!!

Thank you all for your encouragements to keep on with writing about our trip of our life... It takes a bit of courage but on the other hand it is fun too...

Todd: Thank you so much for the invitation. Too bad we're going to have to miss part of the scenery... We enjoyed your wonderful story (learned something new) and especially your choice of words... love the word "cocooning" which is exactly the way we experience our C250... Thanks!!

Henk for Johanna too

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 11/24/2006 : 10:40:21

Here's some more San Carlos/Sea of Cortez inspiration... IMHO: Good place to head when your 90 day Visa's run out.

http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/swan34sv/detail?.dir=ab06&.dnm=34d8.jpg&.src=ph

Edited by - on

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