Day 9 – Crew of Four

From Malibu we trucked down the Santa Monica Bay and landed anchor 100 yards off the beach at Redondo, then 300 yards off the beach at Redondo after a visit from the lifeguards. It was our final surf session with Tripp and Andrew about as we kicked them off the boat so they could catch flights and drive back early. I paddled in with my pirate hat and mustache on and caught some waves too, it served me well.

We pulled up anchor and sailed south out of the bay with our sights set on Long Beach’s harbor police dock. Just outside of the harbor enterance we came off a wing on wing run (it’s a sailing thing) and I got the Genoa furled around it’s self creating a mess of a sail up front. Unable to do anything about it, we brought down the Main and peered at the Genoa, perplexed. Erica noted that if it got wraped because we turned one way, why don’t we just turn the other way to unwrap it. Following the KISS thought pattern I wasn’t going to argue so we proceeded to do a series of 5 doughnuts in the bay, in front of returning 35-45 foot racing boats that simply scoffed at our amateur antics, BUT the sail unfurled it’s self because of them and we were able to motor between the red and green and into the harbor.

Arriving at about 7:45 PM we motored about the harbor waiting for the dock to look sufficiently closed and for Pat and Erica to finish cooking dinner. At 9:15 PM we tied off and I walked up to see if anyone was about. A fellow turned off the lights and was locking the door to the office when I got up the ramp ‘on my way to the drinking fountains.’ A subtle greeting and little victory dance as it was clear we were off Scott free for the Night! We slept like angel puppies in a really comfy bed.