Things have been somewhat stressful lately so I decided I needed a relaxing day sailing; you know a few hours looking at the waves, stars, dolphins. Old man and the sea stuff. I needed it now and the chart showed a private buoy 14 miles NW. Just an upwind tack or two, clear skies, 6 or 7 hours just thing, hope there is enough wind.

Quality Time slips lines at 1 PM. Tack at the bell buoy. Course: north, north, west. Wind a bit more than predicted, pointing high and making 5+ knots. A bit later; heeling and lapping some water on the lee rail. Ease the traveler. Good, tiller balances, she stands up and 5.5+ on the beat. A bit later, heeling and shipping spray from stem to stern. Time to reef. Hove to and furl the jib 50%.

Back on course, comfortable. Hmmm, I do believe those are real white caps. Pull out the wind meter, gusting to 19, and NOAA had said 10. Better take a tuck in the main and get all the foulies on. Too late, pants soaked. Amazing how quiet things are when hoved to.

Reef and off we, QT and I, go, 5.8 kts. Ah, dolphins on mission. No time to stop and play, too bad. Only 1.5 nm to the buoy. It is a yellow 4 second flash buoy, be pretty in dark. Tack. Tack again. Wind seems stronger, waves bigger, checked the wind meter – 24 kts. Twice the prediction.

Wack, wack, wack, crashing through waves, dropping off their tops, better change course. Below deck is a shambles. A tool chest explodes, tools everywhere. Tack again. Damn, can’t find it, that buoy is a myth.

QT hove to and lying still, we’re disappointed and need to rest. There’s Catalina, might as well sail towards it. Now on a reach making at 6.3 then 6.5 kts despite the steeper waves. I’m being lured onwards. Just 30 nm to Santa Barbara Island. The sunset is beautiful, time to turn back, well maybe just an hour more. Port is a downhill ride, surfing, touching 7 kts, and staying above 6 kts. Foulies aren’t keeping the cold wind out. Wind is dropping. GPS keeps saying 1 more hour – the wind must be dropping as I get closer. Man, I’m cold and really tired. Been on watch for 9 hours. Down to 3 kts, time to diesel in. Won’t start, hydro-locked, heeled so much for so long water got in the engine. Gotta sail to the slip. Hope the wind drops a bit. Finally in the harbor. Wind is way down, hope there is enough to get to the slip. Just barely, but we make it.