We have arrived at Avalon Harbor on Catalina Island! Hot showers! Dry land! A stable deck that isn’t rolling under our feet!
We are going to hang here for a few days, and then transition to a marina on the mainland where we can manage logistics for repair.
The last 48 hours or so were almost all downwind. The struggle of 24 hours a day of hands-on steering really made me feel totally justified in deciding to head back instead of pressing on down wind to Hawai’i. Day after day of hands on the wheel would have been too much for any two person crew. Certainly I found after an hour on the wheel I was ready for a break, and my watch has three hours left to go!
It’s not that the boat is hard to steer, it’s just that it needs it. Imagine driving your car for 12 hours a day for 2 weeks. A day? Sure. Two, okay. Three gets old. A week? Two? Not me!
For now we calling Catalina our “Practice Island”. It’s not exactly like Hawai’i, but it is really a delightful location.
I’ll hopefully have some pictures to post tomorrow!
fetchinketch 
Are you on your way back out to sea yet?
Donna
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Hey lady bug, how’s the restocking going? Ready to hit the high seas again? It’s hot as heck here, we’re in a dry spell again. We had a real down pour last M9nda, boy what a mess the 405 was! I think about you all the time, wondering how you two are getting along, I hope all is well. Take care!
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I’m glad the two of you are safe, welcome back to sunny (rainy at the moment) southern California!
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I love this blog! I don’t know crap about boats or sailing but I find your posts very informative.
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Glad you enjoy it! It’s a bit of a challenge writing for both people who have a deep knowledge of sailing, yet keeping it accessible for the “layman”. Hopefully it will continue to entertain.
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Yeah, get helm help – we did 24/7 across the Atlantic and with More than 4 hands. Good plan!
The fishing sounds super !
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