SailingKnitter

So, what exactly do folks do to amuse themselves while hanging out at the two harbors of Catalina Island (I mean besides eating, sleeping, and knitting)?
Fishing: We heard that the halibut were biting, so we geared up and fished. Here's a pic of our son, Brett, and the catch. We were so excited!!! But what kind of fish is it? Who knew?

We got out the fish identification book and discovered that it was a lowly California mackerel - dark meat & oily - not good for eating. Drat! So we thought we would chop him up for bait - that's what the book says to do.

Well, have you ever cut up a fresh-caught fish? It is disguesting! Gross! Blood everywhere - guts - we were totally grossed out! Why don't they look like those nice, clean filets from the store?

Anyway, we chummed the water with the cut up fish and created a mackerel feeding frenzy! They were everywhere - hundreds of the swarming beasts - not good-eating fish, but lousy mackerels! Go Away! They hid under the boat and dashed out to steal our bait, we were under mackerel attack.

Brett got an idea - if we couldn't fish for food, then he would fish for fun (no killing) and get back at those monster mackerels. He baited the line with an anchovy - but no hook, just tied the little sucker to the line. Then he dipped the anchovy in the water. When he saw the mackerels swarm up from under the boat he would snatch up the anchovy out of the water! Ha! Gottcha! No anchovy for you!

Hiking: We got out the land shoes and went walking in the dirt. Brett climbed up to the top of the nearest mountain and took this picture of the two harbors. The little bit of land between the harbors is called an isthmus. We moored in Catalina Harbor(lower left side of photo) because it is quieter there. These spectacular views were his reward for a strenuous hike.

Jones and I took off from the Isthmus Harbor side of the island and hiked to 4th of July Cove and Cherry Cove - two smaller coves where boats can moor or anchor.

Wildlife Viewing: (the feather & fur type - I'll talk about the Baja Ha-Ha party later). Right there beside our boat and along the cliff was the fishing grounds for a pair of BALD EAGLES! Each evening we would watch them swoop over the water and pick up a fish with their talons - it looked so effortless! The seagulls would go crazy, following the eagle in the hopes of snatching its dinner. Here's a pic of Jones waiting for the day's eagle show. See? Right there between our boat and the rocks is where they would fish.

We also saw a CALIFORNIA SEA OTTER floating in the kelp at this same spot. After the eagle got his dinner, he would fly up to a high rocky outcropping at the head of the harbor on "Lobster Point".

Other wildlife we saw: Deer, California Sea Lions, Crabs, and many types of fish and kelp/seaweed.

Snorkeling: Catalina is well-known as a great diving and snorkeling location. Brett braved the cold waters to check out the amazing flora & fauna of the sea. I got my legs wet, and then put on a mask and stuck my face in the water to see the life all around me as I stood on a rock.









Dinghy Driving: Is this a sport? Yep, when you are a 22 year-old, single male, cruising around the harbor checking out the females who are wearing minimal attaire and are sunbathing on neighboring boats. For the rest of us folks, it was transportation to shore.

Cooking: =Not sport. But I managed to prepare all of our meals in my own galley - no snackbar/restaurant food for us. Niki Wiki has what is called "galley down" because the kitchen area is below the salon seating area. Actually, it is a very comfortable cooking arangement - better than I had in most of my land-based houses!

Baja Ha-Ha Party: Saturday night we ventured over to the Isthmus Harbor and had a Potluck Bar-B-Que event with fellow Baja Ha-Ha 2006 registrants and wanna-be participants. There was plenty of laughter, food, rum, and free gifts for all. As darkness fell, we watched a slideshow of past Baja Ha-Ha trips and Richard (the Grand Poobah) talked about the people of the two little villages we will be invading, what they do for us, and what we can do for them. We staggered back to the boat excited to set off this October for the 13th running of the Ha-Ha. And yes, we brought along our designated dinghy driver, Brett, for the ride out to the boat.

Knitting: the staff of life. My "Land & Sea" sweater grew during the trip - the back is done and the front only needs a couple of inches. Then it is on to the sleeves. The design is twisted cables (sea) and pine trees (land). I'll get a better picture up when it is finished.

And finally, a picture of our Baja Ha-Ha burgee (flag) flying high on our flag halyard (rope). Whoo hooooooo!