Just to clarify.. Monday was spent in the S. Channel Islands - but not the ones in the English Channel ... not Guernsey, Jersey, etc... but south of Los Angeles, California. Maybe named after the Santa Barbara Channel to their north?
What a lovely surprise I had on coming in to dock next door to friend Steve's boat 'Westerly' Monday night... not only was he there to help take my lines - but good friends LaDonna and Rob as well - I'd totally forgotten that they have been based here for some time. Big hugs all round and then I welcomed them on board to catch up on news.
I'd had a difficult time before that, trying to get onto the fuel dock on arrival here Monday evening. The fuel dock was occupied by a jet-skier right in its centre who was clearly having a problem refuelling. Clearly didn't occur to him that he culd have but moved over to make room. And then I heard they were closed... or maybe not...? "We're open for you but not the other boat" ... pointing to another yacht that was now circling around near me. And as I got close to the dock, "We're closed... and there's an overtime fee...." "What...?" "You can come in..." By which time I'd started reversing and had to go around for the fourth, or was it the fifth, time? What confusion...! .... But he kindly waived the $50 overtime fee - and eventually even gave me a hint of a smile.
Tuesday was relaxing - catching up on some emails and looking at weather charts using LaDonna & Rob's good Internet access, some provisioning using Steve's truck (would have been a long walk otherwise - the marina area is v. big and the shops a good distance away), some chatting - a radio friend, Tim AA6GP, came to visit from Ventura, ...a lovely long shower (!)... and some cooking - ratatouille - for our evening meal, together with Rob's lovely garlic shrimps, on 'Gazelle', their boat nearby. All very pleasant but the overcast ('marine layer') hung around all day long so only a brief glimpse of the sun.