It seems that everyone from California has been saying, “Get around Point Conception earlier rather than later,” in an ominous tone. Well, Sampaguita has done it.

In true Flicka 20 style, she rounded it in the dark last night. (The sound of the invisible surf can be ominous.) I say true style because she’s perpetually two hours late. It’s not her fault. Her legs are short, and can only expect to average about 3 knots, which is slower than a healthy adult walks.

She can only get there when she gets there. It’s not awesome, because it might mean anchoring at night in an unfamiliar harbor, or staying out to sea all night until it’s light, or fighting a tidal current, which means it takes even longer, but in true 2023 wordage, “it is what it is.” She has to plan for that contingency. We can’t all live the fat life.

Thanks to the fishing vessel Excalibur, who unbeknownst to them provided an abundance of light in the anchorage(fishing vessels run the brightest, most blinding lights seemingly all the time,) I was able to anchor at night in Cojo Anchorage at 22:30 and avoid the kelp beds(mostly) and buoys.

All this said, it was an incredible day of sailing. 58NM from San Luis Obispo Bay, with an average speed of 3.7 knots, well above the norm. Luck, I guess, because there was no refuge in between. Cojo Anchorage is a stones throw around Point Conception.

A California observation: If you are close enough to shore, after a sunset(and often in the morning too) when the land breeze picks up, the most incredible, pungent smell of sage displaces the smell of the sea. I can’t say that I mind. I could only hope to imagine a time before the nuclear power plants(Cape Buchon), the oil platforms(Point Arguello), and the other signs of “progress and civilization” were here. Sigh.