WEB LOG OF OUR TRIP
SAN FRANCISCO TO SAN DIEGO

SAN SIMEON - HEARST CASTLE

Day 17-18

2009

Chart

Dinner never tastes so good as on a rolling ship

Sep 28-29

 Sail from Monterey to San Simeon Bay. 

Brian Rogers, our good friend and very experienced ocean sailor, rode back to Monterey with us.  Brian and Craig fueled the boat while Sue took the car out to Asilomar and rode her bike back to the marina.

Everything shipshape, we left Monterey Harbor for points south in a light breeze.  After we rounded the mark 6 south, we were able to fly the main and the jib on a beam reach.  This is how southward ocean sailing should be, fair winds and following seas. 

Sue fixed dinner for the first time with the oven swinging free on it's gimbals. Despite the constant rocking, it was gourmet Italian all the way. She started with prosciutto e melone, then served a light mixed baby green salad with baby Portobello mushrooms and Italian dressing, baked manicotti with red sauce and ended with almond biscotti. No wine though, since we were underway.

During the night, it became apparent that we were making so much better time than we expected that we were going to get into San Simeon Bay before dawn.  So, we extended the track further to seaward and rolled up the jib.  (Craig finally decided to visit the NOAA Environmental Data Buoy, EB46028 at mark 8; appropriate as Craig helped build EB16 at the NOAA Data Buoy Office in the 70's.

We arrived in San Simeon just after sunrise and are on the hook with Bruce anchor and 125 feet of chain in 25 feet of water.  San Simeon is the home of the Randolph Hearst Castle which we can see high on the hill from the boat, and plan to visit, weather permitting.


Seasilk in San Simeon Bay

Are wetbacks allowed at the Hearst Castle?

Sep 29

After taking morning naps to get over the night time shift watches, we had brunch and inflated the dinghy. Brian stayed onboard and did some light work via phone and Blackberry.  Sue and Craig went ashore in the dinghy, with some last minute advice from Brian to wear shorts and bring pants to change into. We motored to the beach and unfortunately, the last wave caught us and although it pushed us up on the beach, it also swamped the boat and us with it. [Sorry, no pictures...but you wish!]  We locked the dinghy to the pier at the state park and changed in the bathrooms. Craig had not brought a second shirt, so he took his wet one off and slung it across his back as we walked up the road to the  Hearst Castle visitor center.  [There are pics of this, sorry.]  We went on the introductory tour which hit the main gardens, one of the guest houses, the main house and both the indoor and outdoor pool. We had exceptional views in all directions due to an extremely clear sky. We were able to see down to San Simeon Bay and our boat anchored in the lee of the point. 

We repeated the "boat swamping" as we headed back out from the beach over the 2 foot waves back to the boat. The wind had picked up considerably, and we were glad that we were staying overnight. For dinner that night Sue made a spinach salad with fresh pear and goat cheese and raspberry vinaigrette. Craig BBQed thick steaks off the stern grill and Sue served it with Mediterranean couscous and merlot wine. Dessert was dark chocolate recently imported from Switzerland. We were soon asleep with the rocking boat, but not before two other boats anchored in the bay for the night alongside us.