Some Surf, Some Sweat

DAY 3

SWEAT THE HEAVY ANCHORS
The sunrise is nice, then I get to work heaving the anchor. It must've been in deep water, because I could barely pull it up, so heavy was the length of chain leading to the bottom. The Pearl has a super thick 3/8 inch chain which weighs, I'm guessing, about 5 lbs per foot; in 40 feet of depth, that's 200 lbs, plus the 30 lbs anchor. I try to recruit the help of the windlass but manage to get it jammed, since I don't know how to use it properly. I'm dripping with sweat, inch by inch, my back feeling the workout, and finally we're clear and motoring away.


SOLO SMALL SURFING
At Marmetta, the waves are small, waist to chest high, but as usual it's a lot more fun that it looks. Plus there's nobody else out here, so I take my pick of the longer, fast rights, and occasionally the punchy, bowl-shaped lefts. The wave is very similar to Lower Trestles, fun for anyone from expert to beginner. I'm in my boardshorts for the first session, but the water is much colder than I expected, probably 63 degrees, whereas this time last year it was over 70, so I'm paddle back to the boat for a full suit and a snack.


After a second session, I call it a day and venture over to Albert's, where I'm hoping to find some smooth water to relax for the evening. The incessant rolling aboard the boat is frying my nerves, which is bizarre because I've been living on anchor all summer in Santa Barbara without too much worry. The East Beach anchorage is rougher, in fact, but the swell comes consistently from the south-west; such that a bow and stern anchor keep the boat pitching, which is much more comfortable than rolling. Out here, the lumpy seas and surge seem to throw the boat around despite the 2 anchors.

From Yellow Banks to Blue Banks

DAY 2

Yellow Banks anchorage

In the morning I wake up and the first thing I notice is how much we're rolling. The conditions are calm, but the lumpy ocean sends the boat into a harmonic motion. I squeeze some fresh orange juice and by 10 am "hit the road", sailing out of the anchorage with the light north wind.

I set the big genoa and shake out the reef in the oversized mainsail, which brings the canvas to a maximum. We're moving well, around 5 knots with a light wind, going around the south of the island, beating upwind. The aim is to reach Albert's anchorage to spend the night.

The mainsail (left) and genoa, aka the headsail (right)

SEMI-AUTO PILOT
The autopilot is back in action but it's "rusty", sometimes moving very slowly, not keeping up with the boat's motion. Maybe it's kaput. Still, under these mellow conditions it is steering proper, which is a tremendous luxury - I can go up on the foredeck and say hi to the spider which has taken residence in the bow. I haven't actually seen the insect itself, but every morning there's a beautiful new spiderweb between the forestay and the windlass, which is a prime spot indeed.

The autopilot clips on to the tiller, and occasionally works.

FRUSTRATIONS
I'm a few miles offshore, planning to tack soon, when the wind suddenly dies. Kicking the engine into gear, we motor for several hours; though I'm still a half hour away from Albert's, I decide to investigate another anchorage, Blue Banks, which is closer to the surf spot I plan to go the following day or two. It is deceptively beautiful, but the constant surge or slush of water makes it feel like a "toilet bowl".

Blue Banks anchorage

By this time - 7 pm - I'm so tired that I don't want to go elsewhere. I drop the 2 hooks, make a quick Indian food "heat and eat" dinner and go to sleep, looking forward to the surf tomorrow, which is close by.

Heavy Channel Crossing

DAY 1DEPARTURE
I've sailed solo a few times, but this is the first time on the Black Pearl. I'm going from Santa Barbara to the Channel Islands, for 10 days.

Leaving the harbor around 12:30pm, the horizon is rough like a saw's teeth: a sure sign of heavy winds and seas. I decide to sail conservatively, with a reefed main and a working jib - a small duo of canvas. Nevertheless, within 20 minutes the Pearl is cruising at 6+ knots, according to the brand new handheld GPS. Not bad for a poorly cleaned hull - and she's handling nicely.



DETERIORATING CONDITIONS
The sky above is clear, but in the distance a fog bank is shifting about, which aren't the best conditions to cross the shipping lanes. The windswell increases, the boat heels over and bounces around, the sea spray flying in bursts into the cockpit drenching me. The tiller autopilot is malfunctioning, so I scramble into the cabin to grab my foul weather gear, and return to the helm before the boat gets off course. It's tough to put on the pants with the boat heeling at 20 degrees and one hand on the tiller.





The clouds darken and the grey turbulence is a bit wild; as the boat gets tossed about, I brace myself with my feet and arms, and we stay on course at 160 degrees, aiming for the east end of Santa Cruz Island. After about three hours of hard work, with just 5 miles to go, it appears the worst of it has passed; I get comfortable and bring the cushions back into the cockpit, not imagining what is about to come.


ROGUE WAVES WASHES ABOARD
Just then a rogue wave overtakes our stern quarter and heels us way over, knocking off my lifesling and 2 cushions, while donating a few gallons of salt water to the cockpit. I try to pull the lifesling back aboard, but the pathetic line snaps. Good thing the lifesling wasn't being used for real. I turn around and attempt a "man-overboard" drill under sail to recover the lost items but the vessel is overpowered; dealing solo with the jib and mainsail is more than I can handle, and I fail after 4 tries.

Meanwhile the jib sheets keep catching on deck hardware, especially the shroud fittings, which forces me to go to the foredeck in precarious conditions, and eventually it snags and rips off the brand new $40 ventilator I installed 2 days prior. At this stage I decide to cut my losses and move on before more damage is done.

THE EAST END OF SANTA CRUZ ISLAND
The Pearl reaches the east end of the island 4.5 hours after leaving the harbor, 23 nautical miles as the seagull flies, but our erratic meandering course was more similar to a snake's. I'm haggard and tired but as soon as we round the point it's hot and glassy, which rejuvenates me. The outboard motor is put in gear and we soon reach Yellowbanks anchorage. I clean up the crushed bananas, and I'm asleep before it's even dark.

Note: When I returned to Santa Barbara at the end of the trip my friends were worried because of the "huge thunderstorm" the day that I left. I didn't hear any thunder but the wind sure was strong...

Solo trip to the Channel Islands

Heading out on my yearly pilgrimage to the Islands today, August 29th, until September 8th or 9th. I'll head to the east side of Santa Cruz Island, by Yellowbanks anchorage, and then around to the south side by Alberts anchorage.

I'll be situated mainly at Marmetta reef to surf, fish, and relax. Three south swells are coming to hit the SoCal coastline. The Wetsand.com forecast for this week:

Long Range Synopsis

* SW small to moderate through Thursday...
* SW swell fills in by week's end...
* Weekend has more SW swell...
* Series of SW swells next week...


Rock climbing harness used to keep myself tethered to the boat, since I'm sailing solo and can't afford to fall overboard.


Fruit sack with goodies for the week. The ice chest in the boat isn't working too well so I'm limited in terms of cold foods.



The Black Pearl is fairly well organized for the trip. Two main things that need improvement, and which I hope to do during the trip, are:

1. The ship VHF has not been working consistently, I believe there's a faulty connection. Until it's fixed, I'll be using the handheld VHF, which I think can also be plugged into the main antenna.

2. The automatic bilge pump is not plugged in properly, requires wiring every time to operate. I hope to connect this in the next day or two with the help of my book "Sailboat Electric Simplified". However I'd still feel much better having a high-capacity manual bilge pump.

I've already postponed the trip over 4 days and the window of opportunity before school starts is diminishing quickly. A sinus infection, projects around the boat, and life obligations that continually arise made leaving on this trip a challenge. But it's time to go on the maiden voyage with this sailboat.

New rowing dinghy

After 2 months searching around Santa Barbara for a good rowing dinghy, I had to start looking far and wide - they are hard to come by! I finally found a Watertender 9.4 in Marina del Rey for $250, so I drove the red Aerostar van 2 hours south. The Aerostar measured exactly the beam of the dinghy (55 inches) so I figured it would be a tight squeeze!

Happily, the dinghy slid in nicely, though I had to keep the trunk open. The owners were kind enough to give me a discount for being a friendly student, so the dinghy only cost $200, and it's in perfect condition. A new model costs $600.




I wanted a fiberglass dinghy because I like to row, and I'd rather not rely on outboard engines. I've been out at the Channel Islands and watched people struggle with their outboards, the dad working at it while the family is stranded on the sailboat. This is because an inflatable is very difficult to row, especially with more than one people. Meanwhile, we cast the skiff in minutes and were immediately enjoying ourselves.

Plus, who really wants to turn on a noisy, smelly outboard once they arrive in the peaceful islands? Living out on the anchorage, I enjoy the daily routine of rowing. It keeps me fit, taking no longer than 15 minutes each way, and I have some quiet time to reflect and watch the stars and clouds. The key is to have a good set of oars and a stiff dinghy. I get passed by the hawaiian outrigger canoe club rowing their fast boats. It's nice to include exercise in the daily task of commuting home.

Putting the friends to work, rowing to the wharf

However, when winter comes and the anchorage moves farther away, I may have to invest in a small outboard, particularly since stormy weather will make rowing very challenging. I'm looking into getting an electric outboard, but a decent one (equivalent 2HP) costs over $1200. Meanwhile a nice outboard with 4HP may cost as little as $500. If I take that route, I'll definitely go for a 4 stroke, not a 2 stroke, since 2 strokes are incredibly polluting.

Zaca Fire in the distance

Everyday ash has rained on the boat leaving a dirty soot everywhere. Every so often I take a bucket and scoop up seawater to wash off the decks. This inconvenience is trivial compared to the work of firefighting and the stress of residents evacuating their homes. Thankfully all homes and buildings have been spared; the wilderness continues to burn though, destroying a lot of habitat.

From the ocean, the plume of smoke and rising hot air comes above the mountains like the mushroom cloud of a nuclear bomb. While I ride my bicycle around town, particularly at night after the wind drops, ash stings my eyes. Imagine what it's doing to people's respiratory system.

Thanks to the thousands of firefighters working through the summer heat.

Weekend with Dylan

The bros with smoke from the Zaca fire
Originally uploaded by krikrigoiaba

The Zaca fire burned in the backcountry blowing smoke and ash into the Santa Barbara afternoons. Still, the visit by my brother Dylan, wife and baby was a good time for all. They spent the night crowded in the v-berth of the Black Pearl, which was docked in Marina 1 - true family bonding.

In the morning we went sailing, Maya loved seeing the sea lions on the buoys offshore. It's fun to have the family to share the boat with.