[Note: I wrote this in 1977.]
The how, where and when of landing illegal booze along the Pescadero coast was not something the locals openly talked about–but there were plenty of whispers about an isolated ranch house which reportedly served as local headquarters–the “where” where the booze was unloaded.
During one raid, the liquor police netted a dozen “alleged” smugglers, including higher-ups employed by a Canadian rumrunning company (which claimed a business of $12 million a year.)
Those who knew the landing point described it as elaborately fortified with a sophisticated system of signal lights that could transmit messages between the Canadian rum fleet and landing boats. A machine gun mounted on the beach warned possible hijackers to stay away.