Emergency Blow Off Cape Mendocino

Rich, off west entrance to S.F. Bay.

Cape Mendocino demands respect. Every boat, regardless of how well-found or bulletproof is susceptible to the intensity of the waters that surround the Cape for hundreds of miles. If you choose a bad weather window to transit the area you get in way over your head in some nasty stuff. So, it makes sense to get your timing right.

If you start from Eureka (on the north side of the Cape) your timing must include not only getting around the Cape in one piece, but getting clear of the Humboldt Bay bar without an incident.

Anna slips out of Eureka at dawn.
(photos above and below: thanks to Scott and Ellie)

Anna passes through the Humboldt Bay bar to round Cape Mendocino.

The good news is that Eureka is a great place to start your transit. You can wait in the protection of the Bay for a good two-day weather window before continuing on to round formidable Point Reyes, and get to a safe lee anchorage just 25 nm north of San Francisco Bay.

After discussing our departure plan with the meteorologists at the NOAA weather station in Eureka (a wonderful resource that sailors can and should use to their advantage) we worked out the best day, and time of day to make our way toward the S.F. Bay Area. We had a 48-hour weather window to make Pt. Reyes; we needed 36 hours. It appeared that the conditions would be relatively tame. And they were. The forecast was accurate.

Of course a good weather forecast does not preclude other hazards to navigation around Cape Mendocino. One of those potential hazards was the report of a 58-foot sailing vessel that was abandoned and yet still floating after the Coast Guard helicopter rescue of its crew in rough waters off the Cape just a few days earlier. The last reported sighting (4 days ago) was 50 miles south of Cape Mendocino about 120 nm out. It was drifting in waters that we might be passing through (at night).

The other hazard appeared out of the blue, also on the south side of Cape Mendocino, within a few miles of the coast. We were moving along at about 5.5 knots when suddenly, without any previous indication, a humpback whale, just 40 feet off our bow performed a full breach. It was as if an attack sub performed an emergency blow and shot out of the water directly in our path of travel. It was unnerving, a stunner to say the least. We've had plenty of close encounters with whales before. In fact one gray whale brushed our hull and swam with us for a while before slowly moving away. We've also seen full breaches by multiple humpbacks and orcas 50-yards away, off the beam. But this encounter (and near collision) was in a whole other realm. We later saw the whale and what appeared to be its calf a hundred yards away blowing steam. We think the mother was taking an aggressive stance to protect the calf as Anna unknowingly came too close for their comfort.

Another unusual encounter occurred previous to this. A small yellow bird (a Wilson's warbler) hitched a ride with us to get some rest. It explored every nook and cranny on deck for a few hours before feeling comfortable enough to eventually land on Cat's head. It stayed there for a while until we finally approached land. It then flew off and continued on its migration.

About 36 hours and 200 nm after departing Eureka we arrived at Drake's Bay, on the south side of Pt. Reyes.

Schooner at anchor with riding sail set at Drake's Bay.

Conditions were benign. The rip tides off the Point were minimal and the waves were low to moderate making entry a non event (part of the plan, based on the weather forecast 36-hours out, from Eureka).

Drake's Bay bluff.

Rugged Pt. Reyes bluffs.

We were tired and decided to stay anchored out at Drake's Bay for the next couple of days before moving on to the S.F. Bay Area.

Over the next couple of days the winds picked up to about as much as 35 knots. But our anchor was well set and we were well secured. And, it helped our wind generator put out about 4-8 amps per hour, which in turn kept the batteries topped off the entire time we were anchored out off Pt. Reyes.

Anna's wind-gen cranks out energy for the battery banks.

When the winds finally moderated we headed the last 25 nm to the Bay Area. We blew past the entrance to the Golden Gate Bridge on a full flood tide.

Full flood tide rips at west entrance to Golden Gate Bridge.

The shallow waters were ripped, but no problem on the flood tide. The ebb tide would have been another story. The Golden Gate with fog at the top and blue skies below, sun shining on Alcatraz in the background, and the golden dome of the Palace of Fine Arts, glowing, to starboard, makes for one of the more dramatic approaches from sea.

View from west entrance of GG Bridge looking east, final approach.

Alcatraz Island view from west of the GG Bridge.

Fog at top of bridge and blue skies over cityscape.

S.F. Palace of Fine Arts dome lit up in gold on approach to S.F.

Passing under the GG Bridge and into the S.F. Bay.

And, of course, no trip is complete without the inevitable, requisite repairs. We are doing some engine, drive-train-related work in Sausalito,  at the moment, at the Schoonmaker Point Marina complex.

Schoonmaker Point Marina,  Sausalito.