Red skies and mare’s tails means high winds and lowered sails.

This design was inspired by a midnight crossing to the Channel Islands.

There was a storm building in the north that made its presence known at about 1:00 am mid-channel.

Strong winds were blowing scattered clouds into wispy streaks called Mare’s Tails that raced across the night sky past a full moon.

The crossing ended at Scorpion Bay in the lee of Santa Cruz Island where we dragged an anchor that finally grabbed and held just shy of where the waves were breaking against the cliffs.

After scuba diving in murky conditions a return crossing was made between storm fronts.

We returned under power because both the main and head sails had been blown to tatters.

Outside Santa Barbara harbor there were eighteen boats of various sizes that had slipped their moorings and lay wrecked on the beach.