Dolphins!

When I was young, I was never a dolphin lover. Didn't say I wanted to be a marine biologist when I grew up, thinking it was the way to be able to play and swim with dolphins all day (What tedious research?). Many kids do, probably influenced by some movie or show or quite possibly, a first hand experience. Not me. I was firmly attached to the ground. Literally, I liked rocks. I'd pick them up everywhere.

Looking forward to this trip, I've been really excited about all the life in the ocean to see. Whether from the surface or below it, it's great fun to look at animals that live in a completely different world - one of fluid grace and mystery. And so far we've been rewarded with a lot of amazing sightings; whales, tiny psychedelic-looking nudibranchs, eels, sharks and lots of fish. But the ones that have most inspired a whacked-out giddiness and utter awe are the dolphins.

We can spot them from pretty far off, by the white wakes and soft plumes of their exhalations. Often they look like advancing armies, lined up to take our flank. And when we're lucky, they do surround us, swimming around our boat like moths around a porchlight. They'll align themselves just off the bow, swerving and diving and jumping in front of Liberte as she cuts through the water. It's awesome, in the true sense of the word. They squeak a little. They are so fast, one giant propulsive muscle. They play for a while, and then dart off to find what else is interesting in the water. It is nearly impossible not to anthropomorphize them. I look forward to seeing them every time, and am a little sad when they go.

So much to relay, where do I begin?

I am like a little kid coming home from the first day of school, breathless to tell of the many wonders that have been encountered. Cubbies! Giant pink erasers! My name printed on my desk before I even got there!

Only mine would go a little like this - Moonlight sailing! Dolphin armies! Little island foxes! Friends so amazing and generous that I can't believe they are actually mine! And so forth.

But, as is starting to seem like the usual, we are on the way to do more! I need to start writing when we're underway, and I actually have time. So that's a new goal.

Quick update, though: we are in San Diego, after a two-week Catalina Island hop. We have many errands to do before they will let us into Mexico. It's like taking off all over again, except nobody here will be sad when we leave. Chris's parents will be here tomorrow for a visit and we shall all be tourists (an important distinction from cruiser, I'm sure. Somehow.) for a week. I'm definitely gonna get a trashy novel and park myself on the beach for at least a couple of hours. Maybe with a coozie and a beer.

Chris writing here - A little note about Robert Ray LaClair, who is a caring, kind and somewhat stoic father, when we last spoke about this trip he commented "I never really have much fun on vacation." Hmmmmm...well, what shall we do then? I guess riding the mechanical bull is out of the question. A funnel cake and some putt-putt, no way. On my parents first trip out west to visit, while brainstorming things to do in San Francisco I mentioned a comedy club, my father's response..."I don't really like to laugh." We all laughed so hard there was no need for a night with Carrot Top.

My only question: is there ever a need for night with Carrot Top? I say no. Forgive us the meandering post, will be back to clear, concise and readable prose asap.

In the meantime, here's some photos of the last few weeks...

10 Things We've Learned About Cruising in a Month

1. I need to put more sunscreen on my nose, like four times a day.

2. Videotaping whales from a rocking boat is difficult. You need to find a steady spot and lay off the zoom.

3. Smaller scallops taste better than bigger ones.

4. There's always room onboard for another can of black beans. Prior to this trip we never had enough groceries for a week onboard. The only hard part now is remembering where we stowed everything.

5. Waking up, having coffee and then riding the dinghy to a deserted point break for a surf is really, really good.

6. Don't hold a fish over the rail so DFG can measure it.

7. Kelp flies are indestructible and one of the only insect nuisances we've found in California.

8. Our water tanks taste a little bit like carrots.

9. We're only using a third of a gallon of diesel an hour.

10. "There is nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats."