[Paddlewise] Night Padddling

I did my first dark paddle last night, solo, something I've been
mentally gearing up to for a few months.  I put this under the heading
"risky business", but so exquisitite an experience that I think I'll try

and fit in at least one evening a week for a night paddle.  For one
thing, I like solitude -- a rare commodity here in the southern Los
Angeles sprawl -- and night paddling seems to have it all.  For another,

I get home so late from work, that I only have an hour or so of daylight

left for a quick paddle on work nights so I just decided that I'd outfit

myself for after dark paddling and accept the risks.

Even passing under the Pacific Coast Highway bridge from Newport back
bay, I saw the headlights of hundreds of cars zooming by, but 10-15
yards below, I was insulated from the traffic noise above.  I made a
round of Newport harbor and many of the liveaboards hailed me from their

decks offering conversation and libations.  I decided that the night was

young, and headed out from the breakwater for a mile or so.  The
phosphoresence from algae from the bow wave was captivating, as well as
the
tiny string of emeralds falling from each dip of the paddle.  I was
entranced and spent the better part of 30 minutes just bobbing
around out there, gazing at the moon, drinking my thermos of hot
chocolate and nibbling on cookies.  This recalled an acquaintance of
mine many years ago who would sail out about ten miles in a cabined 12
ft. sailboat, heave to, swing a riding light, and sleep.  "That's pretty

risky; aren't you concerned of being run down by shipping traffic?"
"Hey, you don't want to live forever do you?" was his reply.  Jon died
young, of testicular cancer in his forties, and I will always remember
Jon hove to, out there in his small sailboat, reading Steinbeck
late into the night by an oil lamp,  tucked up in his bunk, on a big
ocean, with an Exxon tanker
maybe not knowing or caring if the rigging of his boat would festoon
their
bow.  "Hey, you don't want to live forever..." echoes in my brain..

Re-entering the harbor, the Harbor masters launch came out to meet me.
Was I cool?  Yep, I had PFD, spray skirt, accordingly thermal wear,
whistle, air horn, VHF, charts, BIG waterproof flashlight, hand held and

parachute flares, and many of those snap&glow chemical thingamaginnies:
One on the foredeck to illuminate the compass, one on the aft bungies,
and one on each side of the paddle loom taped on with sailmakers tape.
The official muttered something about "Christmas tree lights" which
might have been either positive or negative,  but could find no fault
with my afterdark setup  I am allowed out after dark, it seems.

-Nick






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