Happy New Year

Where Next?
Bob Williams
Fri 1 Jan 2016 22:02
Position: 32 42.97 N 117 13.90 W
At anchor San Diego
Wind: calm
Sea: calm Swell: nil
Weather: sunny, mild
Day's run: 22 nm

We managed to get into San Diego well before sunset. In fact as we approached the wind picked up, perhaps a late sea breeze, and I was able to set sail and enjoy a brisk reach over smooth seas all the way into the harbour, only handing sail and starting the engine again 200 yards short of our destination. We tied up to the police and customs dock at the entrance to Shelter Island Yacht Basin at 15.15 and here obtained the necessary permit to continue on into the anchorage.

At 17.00 Sylph had settled to her anchor and I was ready to see in the new year. Looking around about, it all looked very residential and while we were surrounded by marinas, including the famous San Diego Yacht Club, there appeared very little in the way of facilities to support those of us at anchor. I spied a small beach at the foot of a street where it appeared some dinghies were drawn up, so I assumed that was the access point ashore. By the time I had cleaned Sylph and myself up, and had a bite to eat it was well and truly dark. Undeterred, I unlashed the dinghy, hoisted it into the water, and rowed in the general direction of where I thought the beach ought to be. We soon scrunched up onto its firm sand, and I dragged the dinghy up above the high water mark and secured its painter around a rock just to be sure. Then clambering over the small rock wall, I made my way up the dimly lit street, walked up two blocks to a street with some traffic on it and set off to the north in search of somewhere with internet access. Within a kilometre I found a bar with a sign advertising free wifi. It looked unpretentious, so I made my in. Here I settled in for a few glasses of red, and a Skype call back to Australia to celebrate the coming of the new year, despite the fact that Australia had entered 2016 some fifteen hours previous.

The bar closed right on midnight, so new year revels were short lived, which suited me fine. I returned to Sylph to have a very nice long sleep.

Happy New Year.

All is well.