We motored from Avalon two miles out to sea before winds were favorable, then we sailed most of the way to Isthmus cove where we anchored for the night. After our anchor drug and Jan and Chuck from Wind Watcher helped us reset it a tall ship sailed in to port, followed by S/V Coconutz.
A good morning after a rolly night in Isthmus Cove
Hamilton Bay was rolly! It was super difficult to sleep when the boat was rolling back and forth and up and down with the swell and wind waves from the Northeast. Jaime gave Natalie some ginger tablets and she took one and it really helped her seasickness. That night I put up the mizzen in a feeble attempt to reduce the rolling. It barely helped, if at all. I was drifting in and out of sleep all night. Before bed I set an anchor alarm on the chartplotter in our stateroom with a very small swing circle, should we come off the mooring. It went off that night and woke Natalie, but not me. She tried to wake mend but I would only respond with grumbling and roll over. She turned the alarm off and made sure we weren’t adrift. That night she read a nearly 400 page book because she couldn’t sleep.
In the morning we had breakfast and took a mooring in Avalon Bay. On our way to the mooring, we met up with Jan and Chuck from Wind Watcher and made plans to meet them in Two Harbors Isthmus Cove tomorrow.
Sully and I watching Natalie, Eric and Jaime snorkel
After lunch we went out with Eric and Jaime to Lovers Cove to do some snorkeling. The water was clear and cool and there were hundreds of fish. Glass bottom boats were motoring through the cove and snorkeling groups were feeding the fish.
Snorkeling Lovers Cove
After snorkeling Jaime and Eric were hungry so we walked towards town to find something to eat. Eric saw on his map of Catalina something about Buffalo Milk so we went to find some. At the ferry landing there was a sign for Buffalo Nickel so I called and asked if they had Buffalo Milk. They said they had it so we headed there for lunch. When we checked out the menu we were surprised to find that Buffalo Milk isn’t the milk of a buffalo, but a famous Catalina cocktail made with vodka, mocha creme, and banana liquor served shaken with crushed ice and topped with whipped cream. We ordered two and agreed it was tastier than real buffalo milk.
Buffalo Milk
After lunch we headed back to Coconutz and Eric and I did some snorkeling through the underwater park. It was filled with kelp and lots of different fish we didn’ see in Lovers Cove.
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Sully and Jaime playing
Today was a day that reminds me of why I’ve been doing all the boat projects, fixing leaky holding tanks and exhaust systems. It gives me the opportunity to be with my family and friends enjoying new places.
