The Californian prepares to depart from the pier at Jack London Square, Oakland, CA on September 8, 2003.  We had been aboard the boat before but life is so different from one's normal existance that it takes a lot of getting used to.  Someone described it as "camping without the dirt and ants".  All but one of the sixteen bunks in the main cabin are filled with passengers eager to get underway. 

The boat is on its first extended voyage under the ownership of the Maritime Museum of San Diego.  This homeward bound leg will take us through the Golden Gate and down the California coast to the Channel Islands National Park.  We will also visit Santa Barbara and Catalina before we disembark in Long Beach.

Our crew is a group of dedicated, experienced and enthusiastic sailors, many of whom are volunteers.  They are all eager to make us feel at home and to teach us the skills we need to become tallship sailors ourselves.