On New Year’s Day, we finally had a small window of good weather, so we set sail from Monterey to Morro Bay. The trip was over 100 miles so we left in the early afternoon and traveled overnight.
On the way out of the harbor, we passed the breakwater to the harbor, which was covered with sea lions and harbor seals.
We headed out of Monterey Bay, rounded Point Pinos, sailed out to the three-mile mark, and turned south. During the day, we had partly cloudy skies, calm seas with a gentle westerly swell, and mild winds, so we motored with the mainsail up as a stabilizer. We enjoyed a beautiful sunset as we travelled down past Point Sur and the rugged Big Sur coast.
After sunset, it was a clear, cold night without a moon with very few urban lights, so the stars were spectacular! The stars kept us company until the sunrise slowly filled the sky with light, obscuring the stars. It was a delightful and chilly passage! We bundled up in all our clothes with hats and warm gloves and took turns taking three hour watches.
We were rewarded with a beautiful sunrise as we crossed Estero Bay and approached Morro Bay. The wind was fairly light until dawn, when it increased to 16-17 knots, so when the wind picked up, we motor sailed briskly towards the harbor of Morro Bay.
The entrance to the harbor of Morro Bay is marked by a beautiful volcanic rock formation known as Morro Rock.
On the morning of January 2, we motored past Morro Rock, and entered the harbor. We stayed at the Morro Bay Yacht Club guest dock. After our chilly night, we loved the hot showers at the yacht club!
