Just got back from a week in the woods of Humboldt and Del Norte. My family and I love it up there. We’ve gone up three years in a row. I had a couple of questions though, for anyone who lives up there.
One- what’s up with all the white rastas? I asked soemone about the school’s up there (me being a teacher) and the reply was, “Well, the kids up here are…pretty woodsy.” That became our catch phrase, “Oh look there’s a woodsy!” They were everywhere, but especially concentrated around Mendocino. There was a funny t-shirt on sale there that said, “This whole town’s high. Mendocino- elevation 47 feet.” LIke Mr. Lebowski asked Mr. Lebowski- Are they employed? Or are they all growers? Then, why aren’t they tending their crops?
Two- having worked at a boat builder and being an enthusiast and former owner, I marvelled at the absolute lack of sailboats up there. Every port and marina was filled with commercial fishing boats. I understand thatit’s a big industry, but not one single sailboat? I was thinking that maybe they have a luxury tax or something that discourages rich folk from keeping boats (and displacing fishermen) in marinas up there?
Pretty good surf in Nor Cal…but I’ll pass on the culture and the cold water and while it is beautiful countryside etc…alot of winter rain that makes it that way!
With the downturn in the housing industry, the closure of lumber mills, and increasing fish and wildlife regs, I hear it's pretty hard to earn a 'traditional' living anymore up there. To call a sailboat a luxury might be a bit of an understatement. Some of the commercial boats were likely looking in need of maintenance? Many people are barely making ends meet and many more simply aren't.
Well, I know it aint So Cal where yacht races are cancelled if it blows over 25 knots, but there are some nice days up there, aren’t there? And there must be some nutty sailors that like going out when small craft advisories are in effect, bash upwind and then surf back home? I was just suprised that I saw not a single sailboat mast in the harbors…not one.
There's not much of a pleasure fleet up there simply because the weather offshore is extremely unpredictable and often violent. Lots of big ships lost in that area. Throw in the fact the harbors are few and far between, help is usually a long way off and there you have it...
The average blow boater has no business being in that part of the Pacific. Rocky lee shore mate.
Be careful where you hike or mountain bike, especially as “harvest time” draws near. Your proximity to certain “farms”, however accidental and innocent it may be, is likely to be anything but welcomed.
“I marvelled at the absolute lack of sailboats up there.”
Go back and check the ocean conditions during the winter months: my guess is that that could have something to do with the scarcity of recreation sailors. But that’s only a guess. SF Bay, Puget Sound or even Monterey Bay certainly it ain’t.
Consider how big north swells can show even in SoCal and then think about how much closer you are to their source up there.