Little Fisherman

While anchored at Little Fisherman Cove at the Isthmus at Catalina, I had yet another lesson on cruising.  After a couple of months without topping up my water supply, I ran out of fresh water in my water tanks.  It wasn’t any big deal though as water is available at the dock and also at the camp grounds located just behind and above the cove.  I simply rowed ashore with my solar water heater and brought back 5 gallons each trip.  While ashore on one these mini adventures, I ran across a couple, one of whom had just returned from spear fishing with four nice looking Calico Bass and a lobster.  I wandered over to admire the catch and chat with Dave and Vanessa about fishing with the spear gun versus my pole spear.  After a lengthy chat about that, among other things, these very friendly folks who have been stateside from Hawaii for only a year now offered me one of their fine catch, saying they had a bunch more in their freezer at home.  Well, how could I refuse?  They added their left over tortillas, cheese and diced onions to the gift claiming I would be doing them a favor so they wouldn’t have to take it back home with them as they were leaving on the Cat Express back to the mainland in just an hour or so.  They offered Dave’s services as a spear fisherman when I get to the Sea of Cortez and of course I invited them to join us whenever they wished.  I sure do enjoy this life and am looking forward to a marvelous fish dinner tonight!

It’s beginning to get cool out here as winter is starting to creep upon us.  I’m waiting for my anchor windlass electric motor to be rebuilt once again after which we’ll begin heading south toward San Diego.  We’ll be stopping in Newport Beach for 5 days to pick up more supplies and to meet up with an old friend who has promised me lots of books!  They go quickly these days it seems and these will be very welcome!  My new wind vane should arrive in San Diego near the second week of November so I’ll be there by then to pick up and install before heading further south.

Fair winds to us all!

Pirates

The weekend started early on Thursday, warm and sunny on calm waters, as all manner of boats began making their way into Two Harbors, a small seaport town nestled into the Isthmus of Catalina Island, twenty some miles south by southwest of Long Beach California.  Despite the fact that many of these ships were flying the dreaded skull and crossbones, everyone appeared to be friendly and spent the day settling in.  The day wore on as more ships found their way into the bay and moored.

By mid-morning of Friday you could smell the trouble in the air, literally.   That’s when the cannon fire began.  It was sporadic at first and seemed insincere, but throughout the day, still more pirate ships arrived to add their cannons to the skirmish.  By afternoon a pitched battle was being waged with enormous booms echoing throughout the harbor and smoke billowing in the breeze, though who was fighting who was anybody’s guess.  As darkness fell and the loud crashing subsided, suddenly all of the ship’s crews rowed ashore and invaded the town.  The day’s battle seemed to have aroused an unquenchable thirst for everyone because the rum started flowing and didn’t stop.  When a few fellows picked up some musical instruments, those who could, and even some who couldn’t, began gyrating to the music with reckless abandon.  The revelry lasted most of the night, but as the new day dawned on Saturday, the battles began again, in earnest, and still, even more pirates entered the harbor to join the raging action.  The cannon fire was fierce.  Ships were boarded and booty taken, but still the cannons roared.  As the afternoon progressed, the smoke and loud reports from the guns intensified beyond comprehension.  During the brief lulls of fire, frightening screams and raucous laughter could be heard all around.  Large troop ships had been arriving throughout the weekend delivering so many fresh companies of scoundrels and wenches that the hills were covered with their tents.  And still the cannons roared.  But again as darkness fell, the echoes of explosions were replaced by music and, pirates being pirates, all went ashore to guzzle rum and gloat over their dastardly deeds of the day’s fracas.  Soon everyone was swaying with rum and song.

Apparently some sort of victory was reached and truce declared, for Sunday began slowly and, with a few farewell blasts of cannon and hoarse laughter, ships and their weary crews set sail toward the horizon.  By evening the harbor was emptied.  And so, another of the infamous “Buccaneer Days” at Two Harbors is history.

Argh.