Long Beach, CA

After Oxnard I went to Paradise Cove in Malibu. This offered surprisingly good protection from a westerly blowing up to about 25 MPH. The wind was still at it the next day as I proceeded to San Pedro Bay. I had 8 to 10 foot seas at about 7 seconds. This is really steep! So I had a rowdy ride for a few hours.

San Pedro Bay is the location of both the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The breakwater is like 6 miles long. Really incredible. I anchored in the lee of an artificial island that conceals an oil pumping station. There are oil rigs, a refinery, anchorage for tankers and cargo ships, 170 cargo terminals, and marinas for maybe 6,000 boats, all inside the breakwater.

For Thanksgiving I kayaked ashore and bussed to Laguna Niguel to meet an old friend from DNR, Doretta Collins. She made a great holiday dinner and put me up for the night. The next day she showed me around nearby Dana Point and drove me back to Long Beach. Thanks Doretta!

Doretta at an overlook of DanaPoint

Replica of Richard Henry Dana's brig Pilgrim