Day 8 – Return to the Main Land

We went right past the surf on our way out. As we move away we saw the other boats starting their morning off right and moving in, we knew what the day would look like for them today and everyone on board was a little jealous that we had a timeline that they didn’t. We cut north between Santa Cruz Island and Anacapa Island and were quickly outside 3 miles of them. Another holding tank dump into the ocean and a visit from some dolphins got us to Snipers.

With little surf and a police officer standing at the shore line watching us we sailed right by and made anchor back at Malibu in the dark. We could all feel the approaching end to our adventure and it kind of took some of the adventure away from our remaining days.

Day 7 – Sudden Stop

Up early and makin’ pace for the break. Who would be in the water when we got there? We pulled into the cove, the surf was just starting to work. I put Will at the wheel and moved up to the bow with Tripp to look for a better anchorage than yesterday, something a little closer to the break. Again, we got distracted and should have been watching the charts, looking at depths, being smart about surf breaks and where they occur. Off the bow I watched kelp beneath the boat move in the surge, then we passed by some that had less vigor than the rest and my mind raced through possible reasons arriving at ROCK! About a quarter of a second before the boat came to a grinding halt with the horrid kathunk! Of keel on reef. We’d successfully done it again and this time was no different when presented to my heart and capillary responses. Tripp and I raced back to the cockpit where will was saying the depth was reading 60 feet atop the rock. Tripp took the helm and cranked the engine levers to full reverse, but the boat didn’t respond, to neutral to perhaps move off with the swell. Kicking me into the dinghy I started it’s 8 hp motor and swung it about to try and pull with it. Between swell, surge, and two different props, the boat eased off the reef and swung around and away from known danger. Stress was high and we put ourselves back to yesterday’s anchorage and before anchor was down, Will was heartily harassed by Andrew and then Pat, Tripp, Erica, quite the turn around from my reef incident.

Soon after anchor touched down we had folks in the water all over. Will and Andrew paddled out, Erica and Pat went spear fishing, I (after Pat) checked out the keel and then paddled over for some surf with Tripp. It was a rough start, but was on it’s way up and the rest of the day all we did was play. Andrew and Will had some good stories about being ashore, while the rest of us just enjoyed no movement. Night came and Pat, Will, and Erica got in a evening glass off and we didn’t have the time to make it farther east to the next anchorage so we just drove back to the previous night’s still water.

Day 6 – Finally Some Surf

We pulled up anchor early, earlier than bright and early, as was customary on this trip. Within 5 minutes of waking the engine was on and we were rolling. We brought the boat around the South Eastern tip of the island and examined yesterday’s surf break. Bleak, we turned East and ate oat meal. The boat made a steady cross to Santa Cruz Island in no time, but it took time. To keep our selves busy while we didn’t have sails up we looked at things through binoculars, macerated the holding tank into the ocean and watched the brown muck pour out the back of the boat, and stared at the tip of the fishing rod as it bounced up and down with the swell, waiting for the click-click-click of the reel meaning “FISH!” The day started up 2 hours after we were moving and the sun began to warm up the deck and our backs. Soon we were wide awake and becoming more and more energetic glued to the coast’s every intricacy trying to find indications of a peeling break. Passing through one small channel between the big island of Santa Cruz and it’s companion island about the size of a small pond our depth sounder read an alarming 6 feet and for about 10 minutes we were on edge and looking for any sign of reef, but none was found and none was run aground. We put up sails and made an attempt to move with the wind to try and ease our boredom and rid the space of engine noise and the boat came to a stand still and progress across the island was nil. We moved so slowly that Erica jumped off the boat and we all quickly learned that regardless of land speed, current can move at a quite rapid rate. She floated past the boat so fast no one really understood what was happening and by the time we did, our rescue line compared nothing to the distance she had between us. Encouraging her to swim, then to swim harder, we finally put the kayak into the water and pat made the rescue paddle and picked her up and followed it up with an amazing paddle up current to catch up with the boat. All members back onboard safely, we only had one more overboard incident the remainder of the trip. We were passing another cruising sail boat with boards along side their hull and I, in pirate garb, leaped from the bow toward their boat in an attempt to intimidate them out of the location of secret surf spots. It was to no avail and I was easily able to get to the back of the boat before it left me for the sharks in the sea. Half an hour later we arrived at the only consistent surf break the entire trip.

We made anchor and the whole crew was suited up within 5 minutes and at the break within 10. A small and short ride was enough to evoke hoots and smiles all around. The water had to turn cold and the night soon approaching before we would even consider leaving the break for an Anchorage. Tomorrow we’d return in hopes of more/better surf. Our anchorage was tight and the anchor line very lose, I became paranoid of our positioning, but after an hour still I was comfortable and let it go. The night gave us the best stars of the whole trip and a meteor shower made the chilled sea air that much more bearable. Our anchorage was almost still water and sleep was solid.

Day 5 – To the Islands

- Awake early so we could get a head start on the crossing. 4:30 AM allowed us to see the sun rise on our way across the ocean. The wind picked up and a fish took to Pat’s line and gave a fight. This time the fish took the prize and got awayut the Second fish wasn’t so lucky, and we enjoyed Cuda Steaks later that night and fish beer for the next 3 days.

We were to Santa Cruz Island by mid-morning searching for the elusive Painted Cave on a coast-line full of caves around every bend. After an hour and some we gave up and moved to sail across the channel between Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa. The wind swell was larger in the channel and gusts would bat at our sails. We moved across with a slow steady consistency. We turned down wind at Santa Rosa and the boat took even more wind into it’s sails, trying to move on a reach, the wind kept at us and the boat heeled over out of my comfort level. Tripp took the helm and the boat kicked out of the water at 35 degrees. Tripp dropped off and it was clear we’d exited his comfort level at that point. We dropped sail and motored through the cove and found a tiny protected anchorage where we tucked the boat in less than two fathoms of water on a double anchor and took a breather. It was time for some surf.

………… Death March

Day 4 – Crew Change

- In Santa Barbara our slip neighbors were on a beat up and sustaining tri-meran, complete with tomato plants and solar panels. They had spend the last year on Catalina Island and left because there wasn’t enough surf. As promising as our trip was, it wasn’t looking promising. We pushed out of the harbor and motored west to Campus point to pick up the new Crew. We dinghed into shore and Nathan stepped onto land to depart us. Tripp, Andrew, and Erica were soon aboard and after loading all their gear, some more food, ice, and beer, and a dive under the boat to check the keel we pulled up anchor and cruised back to Santa Barbara Harbor where we made Anchorage for the night.