Thanks the small heater, we are not in a hurry; let's follow the coast down to Mexico !

In USA, this is more tourism than adventure  to follow southward the famous highway 1. Leaving Newport, we overnight at sea n arrive with as much motoring as sailing in CRESCENT HARBOUR...another fishing place.  We find a small space to anchor for the night n have some rest...it was a bit to closed to the seals'barking club;  our numerous noisy neighbours push us to leave very early in the morning, without any visit onshore. After sand dunes, the coast literally explode in many pieces around touristic TRINIDAD where we can make a day stop before sailing to HUMBOLT BAY n ALCYONE anchor late in front of EUREKA pier.

Nice tour in the pretty compact old city;  victorian district is the attraction here n  the tiny museum teach us that as in many parts of the pacific coast the early contacts between locals n new settlers result in the disparition of 90% of the first american inhabitants...

Before cape MENDOCINO most of the present coastal communities ADN of northern california remain fishing !

Easy approach of CRESCENT HARBOR after a night motor-sailing...

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..n a single short night at anchor as to closed to these noisy neighbours

One day later, ALCYONE  anchor in beautiful TRINIDAD

TRINIDAD is a place of history and now mostly a touristic spot, very quiet  in october...

...n above all a kayak paradise

A few miles further comes the "security gate"to enter HUMBOLT BAY...

ALCYONE anchored , the dinghy is checked in EUREKA municipal marin

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No doubt about it: crab is fished around here too...

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but EUREKA is mostly famous about these numerous victorian houses...

...offering a pleasant walk in he center, closed to he dock... but sometimes the style is "hybrid"...

Tide's time to leave EUREKA: With the flood, even with 25k+ and gusty NWwind, the Humbolt bar is ok...

The day will give us what we need: a real push southward...

...12h00: wind catch up to 30k, "H"marker, 4 mile west of MENDOCINO...

...35k of wind: great with the small dolphins racing around ALCYONE...

This time they stay almost 20mn with ALCYONE at full speed...

...showing they are faster with some high jumps in front of the bow...

...15h, NW is gusting 40 k+...jib is furled...with 2nd reef, the bows of ALCYONE give a strong feeling of safety...

...but its time to reduce the main too: surfs closed to 20k, this shot just before taking the 3rd reef...

...and of course, a few minutes after reefing, the wind decrease...

Just after Punta Delgada, SHELTER COVE, despite strong katabatics gusts, offer some rest after a wild sailing day.