Savoring Scenic Spots in DANA POINT | SV Ramble On

This week we drop the hook in Dana Point, a true gem on the California coastline. We explored the town as best we could with their ridiculously short time limits at the dinghy docks. We learned about the death of the Killer Dana surf break 🌊and about the "hide droghers." ⛴️ Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our time in Dana Point.
The city of Dana Point was named after Richard Henry Dana (1815-1882). He was an American lawyer, politician, and author, best known for his autobiographical work, "Two Years Before the Mast." Born on August 1, 1815, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Dana came from a prominent family. He attended Harvard College but interrupted his studies to embark on a sea voyage, which became the basis for his famous book.
In 1834, Dana set sail as a common sailor on the brig Pilgrim, traveling around Cape Horn to California and engaging in the hide trade along the California coast. His experiences during this journey formed the narrative for "Two Years Before the Mast," which was published in 1840. The book provided a detailed and vivid account of the hardships faced by sailors and the conditions aboard ships during the early 19th century.
A full-sized replica of the brig Pilgrim was operated as a living history museum by the Ocean Institute until she sank in her slip in March 2020. It was determined the Pilgrim could not be saved and was demolished. Currently, the Spirit of Dana Point, a traditionally built replica of a 1770s privateer schooner used during the American Revolution, is located in the Pilgrim's old slip and operated by the Ocean Institute.
From the 1930s to the 1960s, Dana Point was a bustling surf community with a right-handed surf break called the Killer Dana. It gained legendary status among surfers and played a significant role in the history of surfing in Southern California. The surf break was named after the nearby Killer Dana surf shop, which was established in 1950 and became a central hub for the local surf culture.
The Killer Dana surf break was renowned for its powerful and challenging waves, attracting surfers seeking an exhilarating and sometimes treacherous experience. The wave was particularly popular during the 1950s and 1960s when it became a focal point for the emerging surf culture in Southern California.
In the 1960s the local chamber of commerce lobbied for a harbor and received federal funding shortly thereafter. The creation of the harbor would kill Killer Dana. According to the website Surfline "Among the surfers there was a general sense of helplessness - a sense that the project was inevitable. Longtime local and noted surf scribe Chris Ahrens says of the spot’s demise, “It was like a sudden death that you couldn’t talk about. I couldn’t even look at it for probably 10 years, just the most painful thing you can imagine. It was a whole world, a whole history erased. I knew I’d never feel at home in Southern California again. If they can do that, they can do anything.” www.surfline.c...
Social Stuff
/ sv_rambleon
www.svrambleon...
/ svrambleon
Artlist Music:
Ocean Avenue by Paper Planes
Bossa Old by Hanjo Gabler
Clean Cut by Randy Sharp
Heartbeat by Evert Z
We Wish You A Merry Christmas by Reed Pittman
South Side Slide by Kevin Conlon
-----------------------------------
We’re Jeni and Rich. We’re really just a couple of average Joes. In a nutshell we met and married in our early 20s; I graduated from college in my late 20s; adopted two cats and a dog in the late 90s; sold a house and bought a new house in our mid 30s; then sold the new house and moved onto a sailboat in our early 40s. In between all that we had a bunch of fun like camping, scuba diving, watching hockey games (Go Red Wings!), concerts, traveling, spear fishing, restoring a 1963 Chevy II Nova; spending time with family and friends. A few years ago we decided to lay off all the fun-having to fix up this old boat. We figure if we put our noses to the grindstone for a few years, we’ll be able to travel for a few years and do all the fun things we’ve missed.

[@keeldragger]

You picked a good time for Dana Point. That anchorage is PACKED during peak season! I've gotten TIPs on my last three boats and did everything once I arrived. Pretty easy as long as there is not an existing TIP 🙂

[@svrambleon]

I can see why Dana Point is usually packed; we really liked it there.

[@mikenelson1387]

We have a lot of sailor friends in Dana Point. We have been to the anchorage and the guest docks a few times for the weekend. I didn’t know about or explored so many things you did on your stay in the harbor. It’s about an hour and half from our slip in Newport Beach to DP Harbor. I am definitely going to schedule another trip and explore more. The home boy drinking the Martini was pretty funny. I can’t say I am surprised. Thanks you for the entertaining and excellent video. It’s nice to enjoy a cup of coffee watching your video this Sunday morning before boat projects, like confirming some bonding/grounds via boat yoga. Thank you MIke N. 22:08

[@svrambleon]

That’s so nice to hear! Thank you!

[@svDUCHESS]

Very informative. Another great video. Thanks so much!

[@svrambleon]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@OurLadyDefiant]

The sheriffs keep everyone that visits on a fairly tight leash. We were going to stay 7 days (Saturday to Saturday) at one point before going up to Newport Beach, and they showed up on Wednesday essentially telling us to kindly beat it, or rent a transient slip (so that's what we did). We ignore the time limits for the dingy dock. My parents live nearby in Laguna Beach, and I'm not gonna be confined to the boat in the way they insist, especially not in such an amazingly well protected and calm anchorage. They should change their policies a bit I think, not to allow live-aboards in the anchorage or anything, but at least to allow cruisers who are passing through to have some flexibility.

[@maritimetees2315]

Love the video. Thanks for sharing.

[@svrambleon]

Thanks for watching!

[@Thesailingrunner]

Do you have a kitty episode? My partner and I have 3 on our 36ft Catalina with us. What’s the litter situation? Love sailing and hate motoring? Do you do anything to help with kitty anxiety?

[@svrambleon]

I haven’t done a kitty episode. Maybe I should I guess. Our cat came from the marina we lived in for 10 years. She was one of the marina cats and one day decided to come to our boat to live full time. I’ve been carrying a stockpile of her litter (World’s Best), but I’ve been looking at the litter situation here in Mexico and it doesn’t look promising. All I’ve found is clay or some variation of clay. It’s not ideal, but I guess it’ll have to do when I run out. She hates the motor and refuses to be inside when it’s running. She’ll sit in the cockpit for days not eating or drinking or using her box. We’ve decided that if we have to motor a long distance we’ll turn the motor off for an hour or so to give her a break so she can eat, drink, pee, etc. When we’re sailing she’s usually fine. She’ll sleep down below and if the sea state is good she’ll even sleep in the v-berth. She’s gotten sick twice so far, one in really rough conditions and once in mild conditions.