First Anchorage of the Trip

From a distance there is harmony.

Nancy Griffith 

Pilgrim brig and Déjàlà

We are still in Dana Point waiting for the weather to be our ally on our way to San Diego. The weather report is calling for another storm to come through on Sunday, so the choice was a quick day sail to Oceanside, spend the night and next day waiting out the storm, or just stay put in Dana Point and make a nice sail to San Diego on Monday.
Dana Point is a very friendly place, and the scenery is nice, we’ll enjoy another couple days here. Speaking to the locals, we find out Dana Point is one of those very rare cities with a budget surplus in this slow economy.

Leaving the dock we anchor out trying our new Maxwell windlass, Rocna anchor and chain. All went without a hitch. Although not brain surgery, I always get nervous when testing out newly acquired/installed equipment. Around us are two floating pieces of history, the Pilgrim brig and the Spirit of Dana Point.

We are getting many comments on the beautiful lines and design of our Déjàlà. People kayak, paddle board or dinghy by to chat with us about her. From the picture above, you can see her next to the Pilgrim brig. It gives you a good idea of the sheer size of these older complicated vessels. We are lucky technology; trial and error and engineering have helped streamline newer designs that do not require crews of 100’s onboard.

With time to spare and better weather, Mike fixes the spreader boots and I whip some lines and attend to the general tidying up of Déjàlà.

It is Nikki’s first night at anchor. May she now be called a real sea dog?

The weather is quite cold; we are looking forward to the warmer climes of Mexico and beyond.