After arranging for a slip in Long Beach (closer to home) this morning I dropped my jeep off in Long Beach and Hugh (the broker who sold me the boat) drove me up to Redondo Beach and to my new (old) sailboat. I have to admit that I was apprehensive because today I would solo sail/motor my boat from Redondo Beach to Long Beach. It had been very foggy in the mornings and afternoons along the coast and this morning was no exception. I decided to just take one step at a time and after getting the sails on and the anchor (just in case) mounted, I cranked up the diesel engine and headed to the fuel dock. The fuel gauge read empty and I wanted a few gallons just in case I had to motor. Wind was light. It only took a bit more than seven gallons before the 27 gallon tank was full.
This boat has a tiller (which I am excited about) and my last boat (Ericson 29) had a wheel. As I awkwardly backed out of the fuel dock, I realized that I needed practice on the tiller. No mishaps though and I was soon headed to sea. I had purchased and set up a Garmin 740S GPS and I set my first waypoint out beyond the headlands headed south. I immediately liked the Garmin as the fog was a bit thick. Immediately after leaving the Redondo Beach Harbor, a small pod of dolphin greeted me and began leaping and frolicking all around my boat. All of my worries vanished and I knew that I was once again home on the ocean.
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| L.A. Harbor Entrance |
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