Santa Ana Conditions in Santa Catalina Island

The sun is up the sky is clear sky with the exception of a brown inversion layer against the island. The sea is flat and there is a favorable North Easterly breeze up to the last few miles from the island. The last few miles is like the doldrums with only a breath of cold air on your face. With the motor now started, one may pick up a mooring and venture into Avalon for a bite to eat and check out the bars only to find almost deserted. The dark finally comes and the breeze is only a knot or two at best. You bore quickly and decide to venture back to the boat. As the night grows so does the breeze turning into gusts of Santa Ana's about 10:00 or 11:00. You see the running lights of the harbor master asking you to grab an outside mooring, and again indicating that you may be asked to leave the harbor if the wind and waves come up any higher and they may. Does this sailor know where to go and how to get there in a treacherous midnight gale. How prepared is he? How prepared are you? Mark Pelican Cal 2-29 #618 San Pedro

Dry decks at night are a sign to always be prepared to bolt from Avalon or Two Harbor in fall and winter because the good ol Santa Ana's may come up. I've found that the swell arrives before the heaviest of wind and not to hesistate to weigh anchor and move when the waves move in. Luckily, once free of land, the dry breeze is wonderful, as are the star filled skies. Dave Cal 35 Runnin Late Coyote Pt, SF Bay (Currently in Seal Beach, Ca, in person only) --- markalan05 <ma… [at] cox.net> wrote: > > The sun is up the sky is clear sky with the > exception of a brown > inversion layer against the island. The sea is flat > and there is a > favorable North Easterly breeze up to the last few > miles from the > island. The last few miles is like the doldrums with > only a breath of > cold air on your face. With the motor now started, > one may pick up a > mooring and venture into Avalon for a bite to eat > and check out the bars > only to find almost deserted. The dark finally comes > and the breeze is > only a knot or two at best. You bore quickly and > decide to venture back > to the boat. As the night grows so does the breeze > turning into gusts of > Santa Ana's about 10:00 or 11:00. You see the > running lights of the > harbor master asking you to grab an outside mooring, > and again > indicating that you may be asked to leave the harbor > if the wind and > waves come up any higher and they may. Does this > sailor know where to go > and how to get there in a treacherous midnight gale. > How prepared is he? > How prepared are you? > > Mark > > Pelican Cal 2-29 #618 San Pedro > > Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

Happy Holidays to all, We have crossed the Atlantic, took two years to sail our Cal 46 from CA to FL, enjoyed 3 years in the Caribbean and some more adventures, but the strongest winds and scariest ride, (E Ticket), was Thanksgiving Day 1973. We had sailed our Cal 25, TORO, hull #57 from Long Beach over to the Isthmus for the long weekend. Thursday morning brought dry decks and a howling Santana, so we decided to head around to Cat Harbor. TORO only had a main with no reef points and a 150 genny - big mistake! Obviously too much sail area as the wind was already 35+. WE got our 5.5 Johnson going and headed for the west end, tied ourselves to the boat,(no harnesses), I sat on the motor to keep it in the water and we left. HOLY ____ ! Came off on big one and put the spreaders in the water. Too late to turn back, so we struggled on around the end of Catalina, WX radio said 70 knots at the west end. As we turned and ran down, hauling under bare poles, we could not make any headway back toward the lee of the island with the 5.5HP outboard. We kept as much south and easting as we could and about five miles out we got a wind shadow from Mt. Oriziba,got the main up and made it back into Cat Harbor in time for turkey. Have learned a lot since then! Cal 25's are tough. I was DUMB! Tom Vandiver --- biggs dave <im… [at] yahoo.com> wrote: > Dry decks at night are a sign to always be prepared > to > bolt from Avalon or Two Harbor in fall and winter > because the good ol Santa Ana's may come up. I've > found that the swell arrives before the heaviest of > wind and not to hesistate to weigh anchor and move > when the waves move in. Luckily, once free of land, > the dry breeze is wonderful, as are the star filled > skies. > > Dave > Cal 35 Runnin Late > Coyote Pt, SF Bay (Currently in Seal Beach, Ca, in > person only) > > > --- markalan05 <ma… [at] cox.net> wrote: > > > > > The sun is up the sky is clear sky with the > > exception of a brown > > inversion layer against the island. The sea is > flat > > and there is a > > favorable North Easterly breeze up to the last few > > miles from the > > island. The last few miles is like the doldrums > with > > only a breath of > > cold air on your face. With the motor now started, > > one may pick up a > > mooring and venture into Avalon for a bite to eat > > and check out the bars > > only to find almost deserted. The dark finally > comes > > and the breeze is > > only a knot or two at best. You bore quickly and > > decide to venture back > > to the boat. As the night grows so does the breeze > > turning into gusts of > > Santa Ana's about 10:00 or 11:00. You see the > > running lights of the > > harbor master asking you to grab an outside > mooring, > > and again > > indicating that you may be asked to leave the > harbor > > if the wind and > > waves come up any higher and they may. Does this > > sailor know where to go > > and how to get there in a treacherous midnight > gale. > > How prepared is he? > > How prepared are you? > > > > Mark > > > > Pelican Cal 2-29 #618 San Pedro > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam > protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com >