We arrived at Pillar Point Marina the evening of October 16th. We quickly anchored and off loaded the dinghy. We were anxious to catch the sunset. We didn’t worry about the motor and chose to row in. With Sam rowing and my navigational commands we some how made it to shore with time to spare. We were all smiles and giggles by the time we got to the break water. As we rounded the corner we saw these amazing sets of waves building and crashing around the reef. It was a sight to be hold. We watched the sunset while sharing a toast to our first leg in the Pacific. 

  We returned to Hiraya to get food and sleep. Realizing that we still had a layer of soot all over the boat we knew we were going to have to stay in Pillar Point for a couple of days while we fixed the exhaust. We also had our eyes on a storm building so we thought we would end up there for a week. We are not exactly in a hurry so we have the luxury to wait for the best windows. Later we are glad we were so flexible.

Sunday we spent cleaning Hiraya. We also took the dinghy into the harbor to check out the town. We were going to have to go to the next town over to find parts. But what is really neat is the California Coastal Trail that expands most of the California Coast. It so happens to be a very complete paved bike and pedestrian path running right past the Harbor. We would take that. It would be 9 miles round trip walking along the ocean, through a state park, and along Highway 1. 

It was quite enjoyable. You could smell the Eucalyptus trees and the different ever greens. Nice enough that it didn’t get us down when we found that none of the auto stores or mechanics in Half Moon Bay had this part and that we actually should have gone to the town in the opposite direction which was smaller than Half Moon Bay but had the part. We walked the trail back to the harbor discussing how we would get to the part store.  

We could take the bus. We could wait until the next day and walk again. Checking out google maps it didn’t appear to have many sidewalks and no trail. After being unable to load the app for the bus service we decided that we would just Uber or Lyft there. Just be done. After a 50 dollar uber ride we had our 10 dollar part that was going to fix our soot mess and allow us to not die breathing an exhaust leak. We returned to the Harbor and to Hiraya. 

That evening we checked the weather again and this storm that is coming is becoming bigger. No one seems worried about it. But the news is starting to talk about “Atmospheric River”. “Bomb Cyclone”. The jist of this is Severe Wind and an extreme amount of rain is expected to fall. We just so happen to be in one of the few protected Anchorages along the Pacific Coast. We are behind a break wall and the Harbor is behind a second break wall. Speaking with Harbor Patrol they said they would be checking on us and to hail them if needed but that we should all be fine. 

We have a 25 kg anchor. Much larger than we actually need for the size of our boat but it fit and didn’t make her bow heavy so we are so so glad we had it. It started to rain, and it rained, and it rained. The wind picked up before we headed to bed and we could fell it. It sounded so loud. We kept sticking our heads out of the hatch to see what everything looked like. It was quieter out side the boat. For some reason the wind roars through her. Through the night we could feel the wind picking up. It never felt dangerous just every once in a while there was a big gust and you could feel the anchor pull us back. It was a restless night but we did sleep some.  

When we got up in the morning it was still raining. The wind was more intense. The news reported they had evacuated a portion of the town near a burn scar from earlier in the year. It continued to rain that day and through the next night. We stayed safe, warm, and mostly dry. We found some leaks that we quickly were able to stop. It was a lot of rain. We had 8 inches of rain inside the dinghy with in 24 hours. Much of Northern California reported massive amounts of rain. We had 30 to 35 knots sustained wind with gusts maxing out at 50 knots. After that initial storm it continued to rain off and on for a few days. As the storm moved out the swell began to fall and even. 

So, we are stuck in Pillar Point. What could we do? In between the rain and sun we made trips to the grocery store. Found out that the sets of waves we were watching that first night where in deed the famous Mavericks Surf break. This storm brought it to life and it was an experience to watch the wave change and fight to get its rhythm back. Wow…it is an incredible sight. Our cameras just don’t do it justice. 

 We continued to enjoy our time. Walking every chance we could. Taking the long way around. Watching the sea lions and sea birds. Taking slow dinghy rides in our rain gear just to get out. We even did some laundry by hand then hit the Harbor Laundry for a good scrubbing of everything that might have had soot on them. We took our first “proper” shower since leaving Rio Vista. It is amazing how good hot pressurized water feels. The days went by and we were starting to get antsy. We were ready to get farther south. When will our window come? It is a strange feeling knowing we don’t have a strict time table but still having this urge to get going. After about 10 days our window was opening and we took it. 

We left Pillar Point at 3 am with 9-12 foot swells. Hiraya handled them like she was built for them. I got sick from the side to side rock and Sam motored us out safe. After passing the reef the swells started to calm we made a left and headed south through the dark. We watched the night sky for meteors and constellations. We watched the seas for obstacles. As the sun began to rise we watched for sea creatures. We sailed on through out the day to our next destination.

-Jes