Moving us and our food to the sailboat
The day we packed all our bags and provisionings for move in day to the sailboat. I kept laughing over how we packed the compact car completely full of stuff, including ourselves!
Sailing Sea Casa with friends
Weekend Day Sail with SV Sea Casa
Connor Jackson is a friend of a friend crossed the South Pacific on a 31′ Hunter named Sea Casa. Our mutual friend Michele, who used to live here in American Samoa and worked with Ian at the National Park, told us he was coming in and we were stoked to hang out with him and a few friends this weekend for a day sail on the southern Tutuila coast.
It was dumping rain most of the morning but we motored out of the harbor anyway and our good attitudes were rewarded with a little wind and a lot of sun for a glorious arvo.
Needless to say, I got seasick and prepared myself for this with a thumb of ginger I bought just before we hopped on the boat. I was just gnawing away at it and burped a bunch, and then puked my perfect bacon and egg open sammich breakfast not once but thrice in the 5 hours we were out. It was still a blast!
Connor and Ian had the good sense to jump off the boat when we got over the shallow part of the Taema banks, and we all quickly followed in. It felt so so so good to get off the rocking boat for a bit. It was a super calm day and the water was the perfect temperature. I wish I felt well enough to take more photos, but no complaints because Ian took most of these pics and it turned out to be an awesome day!
Sailing again and getting seasick
Round 2 of sailing adventures in California thanks to Rick!
A sunny Tuesday in Los Angeles. Drove out to Redondo Beach King Harbor Marina and boarded the SV Gitana where Ian and Rick moved quickly – and before I knew it, we were past the breakwater with Rick at the helm and Ian on the lines. He unfurled the sail and then the jib, and we went flying. The wind was pleasantly strong for the first hour.
It was so fun to get behind the wheel with the wind in the sail; I was laughing hysterical and nervous because I was holding myself up sideways and kept thinking I was going to heel us over and tip. Ian and Rick assured me that was hard to do.
From 15 knots down to 2 knots, the wind died in the second hour and we ate lunch. I downed 3 cans of ginger ale because I get seasick and was hoping it would help. I just looked it up and it looks like ginger itself helps with nausea but but ginger ale has too much sugar to have the same effect. Yup, learned that the hard way because I did eventually end up getting seasick and it wasn’t pretty. Although I think it was really because I had to go below to pee (from drinking 3 cans of ginger ale), and being in that tight little bathroom oh man my head felt like it was a lava lamp.
Ian and Rick tacked several more times within the hour to find the wind but it was a bust and they took us back to the Marina where I immediately felt better.
It was still so much fun, and I will definitely be taking a whole ginger with me the next time!
Sailing in Oxnard, California
Last week was some of my most relaxed days over the last year. We were in the cozy town of Oxnard, California for Ian’s family reunion. We would sleep in, walk barefoot to Silver Strand beach barely a block away, and lounged all day until the big family dinner every night, followed by game night. Such bliss.
This particular day strayed just a bit from the routine though.
Rick chartered a 34-foot Hunter style sailboat called the SV Emmanuel. We were all so pumped! We started at the Channel Islands Harbor marina and took two trips – a short one for the kids just to the breakwater, and another longer trip with the adults for several hours. Rick and Ian took the helms and Chris helped open the sail and jib as we sailed out of the marina. Then I got to steer us into deeper waters for the next few hours! Uncle Bob and Ian helped me learn how to recognize the wind and then use the compass to keep a specific direction. Once I got the hang of it, it made so much sense. We sailed pretty far but had to head back by evening for dinner and I tried to park the boat in the marina but let Rick take over after my first failed attempt. Looks like I’ll need some extra practice… so we’re going sailing again tomorrow! This time in Redondo Beach!
Until next time
xo, Relly
