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Thanksgiving trip planning

This year we decided to complete a longer trip for Thanksgiving. The goal will be to visit:

  • San Pedro
  • Newport Beach
  • Avalon
  • and back to Marina Del Rey!
Wednesday night: Cabrillo Way Marina – Long Beach

Left Marina Del Rey around 9AM, started to sail but the wind died pretty fast. I had a hope to get more sailing during this solo sail, but I had to arrive pretty early at Cabrillo Way, so I started the engine as soon as I saw Palos Verdes.

Cabrillo Way Marina requires a boat survey when you visit them for the first time. The survey is pretty straight forward the dock master:

  • check the size of the boat
  • make sure the documents are accurate
  • check your bilge pump & your fire extinguisher

As soon as we passed successfully the survey. We got a slip assignment.

Nice marina, would love to go back for few more days. The cost was $1/ft so $36 a night. The only concern was the survey since it was the first time Hotel Catalina was coming there. I had to arrive before 3PM to pass it.

Thursday & Friday night: 

Next day Sandrine and Héloïse joined me for the sail from Long Beach to Newport Beach, very fast downwind sail. The wind never went lower than 15 knots. Did the trip with the mainsail only.

Newport Beach marina is a nice destination, pretty far from the harbor entrance, but nice amenities and a great breakfast place next to the slip. The price is a bit high, $60 a night.

Last location for this Thanksgiving trip, Catalina. Few more friends joined us for this passage from Newport Beach to Catalina.

Close hauled trip with ~15knots of wind, not the most confortable with 2 babies aboard.

The mooring picking was easy, first time at Avalon for us, we definitely need to come back.

Next day trip to Marina Del Rey, almost beam reach all day with ~10knots of wind.