Santa Cruz Harbor Bums No More

When we brought the boat down the coast we had high hopes that we'd be able to find a sublet in Santa Cruz Harbor - we were super lucky last year to score a slip for a few months and it made life so easy for us.  This year our contacts at the harbor pretty quickly squashed that idea.  I guess they are still undergoing major renovations from the tsunami that hit the harbor last year and there just aren't any spots available.  So Keith and I started to assess plan 'B'.  Our options were either anchoring off the Boardwalk which is free, a pretty convenient location and the wharf and Boardwalk are fun for the boys OR heading down to Capitola and picking up a mooring which is is a bit of money out of pocket (~135 a week) but we sit on a secure mooring and Capitola has some great food and beaches.

The harbor came by early Saturday to nudge us out of the harbor having already overstayed our welcome by staying on end tie for a few days and using O'Neill's vacant dock while they were out of town (the benefits of Keith working for them).  We filled up the water tanks, dashed to the store for last minute items like more milk (never enough with three growing boys) and headed out to set anchor by the Boardwalk for at least the day while Keith taught lessons.  I have to say Keith and I have gotten pretty damn good at setting anchor - mainly due to improved communication - so we were quickly settled.  I have to admit that I wasn't too thrilled with Keith leaving us out there.  He had to work and the wind was expecting to build to 30 knots and though protected by the wharf we would still get some residual.  Keith's parting words were "if it gets too windy let out some scope".  Hmmmm.  I really hate parting words like that.

The little guys and I hung out and played cards and read or played Lego's while the teenager slept and slept and slept.  Finally at noon I gave up and woke Mason up so we could venture over to the wharf which was hosting Woodies on the Wharf and more importantly has a Marini's Candy...yum!  By the time the teen woke up and was cognoscente the wind had really built up and I was nervous about leaving the boat.  I did let out more scope as instructed but I just can't get use to sitting on anchor when it's bumpy like that.  Mason was cute, he says "What's the worst that could happen Mom?"...um...like our house going on the beach???  I have to give him credit for trying to calm his nervous Mom!

After another hour of bumping all over I finally just decided we needed to get off the boat so we paddled to the wharf and enjoyed a trip to the candy shop and doing some people watching.  We hooked up later with family and Keith and did dinner then paddled our way back to the boat to decide on our next steps.  I finally convinced Keith that I truly was not comfortable on anchor with 30 knots blowing so when it settled down at sunset we headed south to pick up a mooring in Capitola...which is a whole other adventure...

---

Waiting for a teenager to wake up can be very, very boring. Loren kills time by paddling around (while attached to the big boat) and Elliot tries his hand at the acoustic guitar.