Flying Code Blue to Santa Cruz
We’ve visited Santa Cruz many times before by land. The beaches in town and the spots to the north are known for clean, consistent surf, and we took advantage as often as we could back when we lived in Mountain View for a couple of years. So, we were eager to arrive by sea this time, and we set out mid-morning from Pillar Point with a light NW breeze in the forecast.
Sea lion show offshore of Año Nuevo
About halfway down the coast towards Santa Cruz lies the small island of Año Nuevo. Surrounding the island is a marine conservation area that is designed to protect the breeding ground for the huge population of California sea lions. It appears that the conservation area is working – as soon as we sailed within a few miles of the island, the ocean erupted with life. For the first time, we saw schools of sea lions leaping out of the water like dolphins, and hundreds of birds swarmed around the area where a few humpback whales were bubble feeding.
Madrone at anchor off of the wharf in Santa Cruz, CA
Madrone enjoyed a peaceful downwind sail under her favorite spinnaker, and we anchored in Santa Cruz just off the pier at the boardwalk downtown. Even though a small swell periodically rolled through the anchorage, it was long enough period that it just lifted Madrone gently up and down instead of rolling her from side to side. The crew enjoyed the location and a good night’s sleep.
