We Made it to San Diego!



San Diego skyline...looking suspiciously like Seattle with the cloud cover

 

 

It’s raining today, so Julie is getting around to writing the blogpost

 

Our trip down the coast was amazing, beautiful, and exciting beyond what we had hoped for or imagined. 

After departing Friday Harbor the afternoon of September 1st, we arrived in San Diego on the morning of the 13th. 
 

   

 

 

 

The infamous Strait of Juan de Fuca was completely calm. We motored the entire afternoon and evening over flat water, enjoying the sunset over the Olympic mountains. 

 

Our first night passage involved only a minimum amount of shipping lane traffic dodging.  Manna's fearless crew member and Coho Ho Ho Cruising Rally founder, Doug Lombard, taught Julie how to make a radio call in the middle of the night to alert a freighter targeted on AIS that we were planning to cross it’s bow across the shipping lanes. When the freighter ignored our call, Seattle Vessel Traffic was immediately on the radio contacting the ship on our behalf.  That was pretty interesting, and fortunately the only time we had to make radio contact with a commercial vessel.

Soon we were making "The Big Left Turn,” heading south off the coast of Washington.  The majestic Olympics, now to the east, were beautiful during the pink and orange sunrise. 

 

 

 

 

The water became a striking shade of aquamarine blue, and Curtis began his much-anticipated tuna fishing. 

 

After giving up on the recommended cedar plugs for bait and sacrificing 2 swim baits, a tuna finally stayed on the line long enough to be pulled into the boat.  A perfectly sized albacore, about 20 lbs.  It was the only fish we caught, but it kept us fed the rest of the trip.