Departure Day!!! Dec 2005

December 14th, 2005: Departure Day has finally arrived. Two departure dates have come and gone. Now it was really time to cut the lines and head south. Juan and Tea were both on the boat finishing last minute additions. Emma was still tucking away a few last-minute essentials, while Phoebe and Drake were blissfully unaware of just how much their world was about to change. The air felt electric, equal parts anticipation and fear as the reality of departure settled in.

At 1300, we cast off. Lines slipped free, the mainsail filled, and just like that, we were gliding out of our homeport at King Harbor. A chorus of horns echoed across the water as friends followed alongside, their boats forming an impromptu escort. It was impossible not to feel the weight of the moment. This wasn’t just a day sail, was the beginning.

We pointed toward the channel, hearts pounding, eyes fixed ahead. Behind us, everything familiar. Ahead, everything unknown. Below deck, Phoebe began to understand. The excitement gave way to emotion as it hit her, we were really leaving. Tears came fast and hard, until exhaustion finally took over. Curled up with Drake, the two of them drifted off to sleep, rocked gently by the steady rhythm of the engine.

Out on the water, s/v Jane'O surged up alongside us, her decks packed with neighbors, dear friends, and even Josh and Sean from the The Redondo Beach Daily Breeze. Laughter, cheers, and camera flashes carried across the waves as they chased us out, stretching the goodbye just a little longer.

The Jane'O stayed with us until we reached the R-10 buoy, where the escort finally peeled away. One last wave, one last look and then it was just us: Blue Sky, the open ocean, and the journey ahead.

On board, it was our little crew. The four of us and our crew Peterdog, taking it all in. Back on shore, Monica Siverts and her kids, Claire, Hanson, and Malia, sent us off with the sound of a conch shell, a timeless wish for safe passage.

And just like that, the lines between goodbye and adventure blurred. The world opened up, and we sailed into it.

December 15: Motor sailing overnight we arrived in Ensenada. Ensenada has a "one stop" check in and out which was easy and we purchased a fishing license for Mexico. The new system is only available in a few cities, so we took full advantage of immigration, fishing, banking and checking Blue Sky into Mexico and out of Ensenada. Taking about an hour to accomplish all the paperwork. In the past this could have taken multiple days to complete.

Fueling in Turtle Bay

December 16

With the last-minute tasks finally behind us, we readied Blue Sky for our first true stretch of open ocean, one full week offshore. At 1900, we slipped away from Ensenada, bound for Turtle Bay.

The departure demanded focus. The southern exit from Ensenada is no casual sail, rocks push out from the point, and an island sits watch to the north, narrowing the margin for error. We relied on every tool at our disposal, from charts to instruments, and even put the night vision scope to work. No one went below; all eyes stayed on deck as we carefully picked our way out into the dark.

Once we were clear of the hazards and the coastline faded behind us, the rhythm of passage-making began. We settled into a watch schedule that would carry us through the days and nights ahead:

• 1900–2300: Emma

• 2300–0300: Jim

• 0300–0700: Peterdog

• 0700–1100: Emma

• 1100–1500: Jim

• 1500–1900: Peterdog

Emma is up when the children are to make meals for the crew.

December 18th

Threaded our way inside Isla Benitos and seaward to Cedros Island. Entered Turtle Bay at 13:30. In Turtle Bay we added 200 liters of diesel for our push to Cabo San Lucas. By 1500 we were back outside the bay heading south. The wind really picked up overnight, with confused following, quartering and occasionally beam seas. The Raymarine chain driven autopilot exceeded my expectations. It held its course without oversteering and allowed us not to become exhausted. We reefed the main and brought in the staysyl and mizzen. This caused us to head more South than East as I wanted as much sea room as possible with these conditions.

December 21st

Phoebe catches her first fish. The beautiful dorado was hauled in just north of Cabo Falso in the late afternoon. The fish was caught using a silver feather and our homeschooling lesson was to look up the Dorado in our fishing guide. The Stouffers lasagna went back into the freezer, and we all had fresh dodo a few hours later. Cabo came into view around 2000, where we dropped anchor in the bay. Emma and Peterdog went in to check on the fuel dock info and to replenish a couple of supplies for our next jump to the mainland. Our traveling companion, the gnome is pictured next to Cabo San Lucas famous rock formation.