Bodega Bay

We arrived in Bodega Bay yesterday and anchored off the Doran Beach. We sailed from Eureka on Saturday overnight to Fort Bragg - a small fishing port with a truly tiny entrance (100 feet wide at the most) under a road bridge. We had thought of going straight to San Francisco but our autopilot belt separated and we got tired of hand steering. We stayed at the marina in Fort Bragg for 2 days and got a few jobs done (rebedding the traveller and fixing the belt...). We also met some friendly fisherman who recommended some snug anchorages on the way to San Francisco.

We then day sailed to one of the recommended anchorages - a small cove (Fish Rocks) that is 12 miles south of Point Arena. Yesterday we day sailed to Bodega. Rani is relieved to reduce the night sailing which often proves interesting due to sail changes, etc.

Bodega Bay is a beautiful crescent shaped bay surrounded by golden hills. We hiked through the town to Salmon Creek State Beach and Bodega Dunes. The fog lifted as we walked along the nearly-empty beach listening to the thundering surf and watching shore birds feeding at the water's edge. Rani met a Punjabi woman, working in her son's grocery store, who is from a village near where Rani grew up in India. She got a lovely hug and enjoyed speaking in her native language.

We hope to leave for San Francisco tomorrow, sailing under the Golden Gate. We will probably spend a week or so there. Pictures to follow eventually!