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In line with the old proverb that the longest journey begins with a single step, we have taken our first step across the bay from Richmond, to Clipper Cove at the base of the new span of the Bay Bridge.  Quite the pretty bridge $6billion dollars buys!

The Oakland Bay Bridge at Dusk

Tomorrow’s plan is to get moving fairly early to top up the fuel tanks and head out into the ocean.  We’ll be heading down the coast to Monterey where we will dock, see the aquarium, and pick up a last minute part for the dinghy’s outboard.

A day or two there, and off we go… next stop Hawai’i!

5pm, we are off the dock for the last time!  Just a short hop this evening…

Last day at the dock…  our last real hot showers for a while…

Tomorrow morning the car goes into the garage, not to be seen until we get back.

For the next several weeks weather will be more of a concern to us than to most people in the modern world.  Today’s weather here was not too unusual for the summer in San Francisco Bay.  Here at the boat, the afternoon winds were screaming, at 5PM it was blowing a steady 30 knots, gusting to 35.  Just getting stuff done on the deck of the boat was a challenge. Out in the ocean, on the other hand, wind was virtually nonexistent.  The weather stanion that is 8 miles offshore was reporting 2 knots…  Just as well we didnt get out there today!  We would have sat and bobbed.

Things are running down to the wire now, even if it feels like we are running in place sometimes.

Today we did our last provisioning run and trip to the chandlery. The boat is down in the water by at least an inch with all the stuff we have brought onboard!  The dinghy’s outboard is back together and ready to run.  We have almost everything stowed away.  One last run to storage and some logistical stuff in the morning and everything will be ready enough.

So, we will likely be away from the dock tomorrow afternoon.  We’ll  stop to fill fuel and water tanks, and spend the night anchored in the bay, then catch Sunday mornings ebb tide out the gate.

Depending on the weather and our last minute decision making we might head down to Monterey, or head straight out to the open ocean…

For those of you not local to the San Francisco Bay area, the “Berkeley Bowl” is likely new to you.  It is a local supermarket with two locations in the People’s Republic of Berkeley.  Originally located in an abandoned bowling alley, it is a local institution. Famous for its amazing variety of produce (eight different kinds of kale…) it also has a great selection of dried and bulk foods.  The dried and bulk section was the reason we were shopping there for boat provisions.

One thing is obvious to anyone who shops there.  There is one magic ingredient that is required to get the locals to buy your product.  It doesn’t have to even be a food product, just throw it in for instant sales. There are a dozen varieties of “hemp” granola, which seems pretty obvious…  but this one takes the cake…

I am not even sure what “hemp milk” IS, but there are 4 different kinds…

Then there is the cheese counter.  I would not even hazard a guess how many different kinds of cheese they carry, but here is a fun one…

No, we did not buy the boat glue…