Monday is definitely not a day to go to sea. From our mooring in Eureka's public marina, we can see the smoke from a factory chimney on the other side of Humboldt Bay. It's horizontal. Everyone we've spoken to has said that while the northern California coast is often windy, the weather we experienced on Sunday was exceptional. Funny how that happens everywhere we go.

The boat is repaired and serviced now, with a new radio antenna, bilge pump and windscreen. The carpet is clean, and the upholstery smells almost fresh. While all the repairs are going on, there's a constant trickle of people visiting us, interested to see what it is that makes such a small boat capable of circumnavigating the world. The local newspaper has a reporter and photographer here to do another story, while fishermen and other boat owners are ready with lots of useful advice for making the best of the run down California and Mexico.

On Monday afternoon Fred Deo insists on taking us for a short sightseeing tour in the Angelina Inn stretch limo, despite the fact that he has just had surgery on one eye. Fifty miles south of Eureka is the Avenue of the Giants, a scenic drive through California's famous redwood trees. We go to Humboldt Redwoods State Park, home of the largest remaining stand of virgin redwoods in the world, and gape in awe at the Founders Tree, not much shorter than the spire of Norwich Cathedral. These trees can grow for thousands of years, a point hammered home as we see one sawn-off section of tree trunk, the rings marked at various points with great milestones in history - including the Magna Carta and Charlemagne. And we take our stretch Lincoln through the famous drive-through Shrine Tree, a huge hollow redwood with a natural opening large enough to drive through. The car makes it, but only just.

Now we're under way for San Diego, at the southern end of California. The seas are still big - at times we're doing 15 knots down waves with virtually no throttle, and we accelerate down one wave so fast, Alan has the boat in neutral.

"I was thinking about putting her into reverse," he admits as we pile into the preceding wave with a huge cascade of spray. Even so, it's not as bad as it was Sunday, and we're taking the big waves a little more gingerly to avoid a repeat performance with the windscreen.

Once again we've been bowled over by the warm welcome and the wonderful hospitality we've been shown. And once again we've found somewhere that definitely warrants a more leisurely return visit. Meantime there's just the tiny matter of eating up our last 10,000 miles or so in a little yellow boat.

Clive Tully

Copyright Clive Tully ©2002
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