In Millers Bay/Mariners Bay/Bonita Cove

In my last post I left my route from Oxnard to San Diego up in the air, waiting to see what I felt like doing once I got out on the water.  In the end, I sailed through the night and arrived where I am now, at anchor in Bonita Cove.  This place seems to have three names, if you know the area you should recognize one of them.

The sail here was actually mostly a long motor.  There was some nice wind out of Oxnard and I was able to sail for around three hours right away.  That was sweet.  Then the wind died and the motor came on and stayed on all night until some more wind arrived in the morning.  That wind lasted for a few hours at which point it fell off and I motored the remaining 15nm into the bay where I am now.

Bonita Cove is an awesome little anchorage, 6nm north of San Diego.  Its fairly rare to be able to anchor out without any hassle, permits or fees this far into California.  I arrived here on Monday and will leave here tomorrow.  I have a spot at the public dock at Shelter Island reserved for Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  I leave Sunday for Mexico!

I have a few things to buy in San Diego, not a lot, but odds and ends that I generally know where to pick up.  I'll buy some courtesy flags for my visits to islands in the South Pacific later next year.  I can buy an external GPS receiver for my AIS unit, as well as some parts for my SSB radio, and this and that.  Nothing critical, but good things to pick up easily rather than having to scrounge for them later.

I haven't planned my trip down the coast in Mexico in any detail.  The last time down the coast I did the trip in one leg, going from Ensenada to Cabo San Lucas in one passage.  I may do that again, or stop along the way several times, or once.  I'll decide along the way.

I'm looking forward to getting into the Sea of Cortez.  I'm hoping to arrive in the area with a supply of provisions so that I don't need to head into La Paz right away to buy more food.  It would be nice to be able to head immediately into the islands and hang out at anchor in the beautiful blue warm waters again.