First Catalina Trip - Dana Point to Avalon Harbor

On Thursday, we decided that we could make it over to Avalon and back before the storm came in, so after much discussion and breakfast, we left around 10:30 a.m. Once again, the seas were calm and almost glassy all the way as we motored the 35 miles or so to Catalina. On the way we saw quite a few dolphin, perhaps 50 or so in one school with several swimming upto and under the boat. Click HERE to see a movie of some of the dolphins we saw!

We pulled into the Avalon Harbor around 3:00 where we hooked up with the Harbor Patrol and they assigned us a mooring. We had never hooked up to a mooring before, but it was fairly easy, and soon we were safely esconced in a snug spot. There were very few boats there by comparison with what we've heard about the summer crowds, so we were pleased with the calm and peace about the place. We got the dinghy ready and went into shore and had a really nice dinner of stuffed Swordfish in a restaurant overlooking the harbor and Mandala.

We spent most of the day on the island. We took the dinghy ashore to the Casino and checked it out, then motored across the harbor to the other side got out and rented one of the golf carts for a quick tour of the roads surrounding the town. After some lunch, we took a ride on the Nautilus, a mock-submarine with windows below the water to see the fish swimming around. A cruise ship had anchored outside the harbor and shuttled people in to shore, so the town suddenly got busy. We brought the dinghy back to the boat and had a barb-b-que and sipped on beers as the beautiful full moon shined over Avalon Harbor.