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From: Strosaker <strosaker_at_cox.net> subject: [Paddlewise] Raid on the Forbidden Island Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2003 13:05:16 -0700 · This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:34 PDT

Paddlewisers,

Below is the text from my San Clemente Island Crossings trip report. If you
would like to see a map and photos with the text, you can go to
www.rollordrown.com/fi.html.

Enjoy!

Duane Strosaker
Southern California

Raid on the Forbidden Island

>From the perspective of a sea kayaker, the most unique thing about San
Clemente Island is that landing there is prohibited. Never mind that of the
eight Channel Islands in Southern California, San Clemente is forth largest,
the second farthest from the mainland, and the most southern. More important
is that the island is tightly controlled by the U.S. Navy, which uses the
north end for an airstrip and the south end for shore bombardment. Usually,
boats are not allowed within 300 yards of the island, and frequently, many
of the ocean areas for miles around the island are restricted. I have heard
many stories from fishermen and divers who went all of the way out there
only to be chased away by patrol boats.

I had already completed crossings to six of the eight Channel Islands, and I
wanted to find a way to work around the Navy to make San Clemente Island my
seventh. With the nearest mainland 43 NM away, the shortest way to approach
the island is from Catalina Island, which is 18 NM away. From Catalina the
obvious place to go to at San Clemente is Northwest Harbor. However,
information from a website I found indicated that the ocean for 1.5 NM
around this harbor was going to be restricted when I was going out there,
because Navy Seals were using the area for underwater demolition training.

The next obvious choice was Wilson Cove, which is a little farther and is
the Navy's major mooring and quartering area on the island. According to the
website, this area wasn't restricted. Just to confirm I called an
information number the Navy has for the island. The guy who answered said
that the area for 1.5 NM around Wilson Cove was restricted, but he didn't
seem to know what he was talking about. Wilson Cove became my destination.

The first step was to get to Catalina Island. Two buddies of mine, "Dublin"
Dave O'Connor and Joe "Carnivore" Kramp, and I made the 19 NM crossing by
sea kayak from San Pedro on the mainland to Two Harbors at Catalina on June
21, 2003. During the crossing we were bogged down by choppy conditions. To
avoid wear and tear on my body, I paddled slow-letting the other two paddle
ahead-and finished the crossing in seven hours.

Little Harbor is the closest place to camp and launch from Catalina to reach
San Clemente, so on the next day, I used a kayak cart to portage across the
island's isthmus, and then I paddled 3 NM to Little Harbor. After setting up
camp, I prepared for the next day's big crossings by organizing my gear,
hydrating, and studying the chart.

At 5:35 a.m. on June 23, 2003, I launched from Little Harbor at Catalina.
After following the coast for two miles to get around the island, I started
the crossing. With a round trip distance of 44 NM for the day, foremost on
my mind was the weather. The forecast was the same as the one that gave us
those choppy conditions crossing over to Catalina, and now I was going to be
even farther out and more exposed. Again, the conditions were choppy, but
they weren't too bad-yet.

This body of water, referred to on charts as the "Outer Santa Barbara
Passage," felt rather lonely. All I saw on the water that day was two cargo
ships. Unlike between the mainland and most of the other Channel Islands,
there wasn't the occasional private boater passing by. Not having another
kayaker nearby added to the solitude. I am not usually a solo paddler, but I
couldn't find anyone else interested in doing this crossing.

Due to my disdain with using a GPS for anything more than a back-up
navigational aid, the electronic device I carried remained off and I steered
into the marine haze by compass. By 9:00 a.m. I could faintly see an
outlined portion of San Clemente Island.

Slowly, the island became clearer. Fighter jets landed and took off at the
airstrip. Buildings in Wilson Cove appeared. Occasionally, trucks traveled
on roads.

As I approached the island, I expected to see the bow of a patrol boat
speeding towards me, but nothing happened. At the north end of Wilson Cove,
there were a couple of large mooring buoys, a pier and some buildings. I
headed towards the shoreline just north of the pier and on the opposite side
of a small point, which was protected by kelp. I thought that getting 300
yards from shore was going to be good enough, but when I didn't see anyone
on shore, I decide to go in closer.

I didn't land on San Clemente Island, but I did touch it. The time was 12:20
p.m. To document the accomplishment, I took some photos. I also turned the
GPS on, marked the location (N33°01.435' W118°33.953'), and turned the GPS
back off. My visit was brief, because like reaching a mountain top, the trip
was only half over.

As soon as I turned back to Catalina, the conditions became worse. The winds
never exceeded 15 knots, but the seas were confused. Even though the Kajak
Sport Millennium is a good rough water boat, I was getting bounced around in
the chop. The front two thirds of the front deck was diving under waves. I
had to brace into breaking waves that were coming abeam and washing over my
sprayskirt. Some sets of swells were so steep I turned into them. The sets
were probably only six feet high, but from my perspective, they looked more
like ten feet. So much spray was splashing in my face, I felt like I was
swimming, rather than paddling a kayak. Despite having a full neoprene
sprayskirt (whitewater style), I had two gallons of water swishing around in
the cockpit before the crossing was over.

If I would've known I was going to have these conditions, I definitely would
've waited for a calmer day. But now there was no choice in the matter. I
had to take what I was given. This commitment is what crossings are all
about.

Slugging it out in the waves was a long haul. I tried to balance paddling
hard to get out of the tiring conditions as quickly as possible with pacing
myself to have the endurance left to finish. I occasionally took my pulse to
monitor my effort. I tried to keep my heart rate at 65% of maximum, but I
usually found it around 75%. I was working my butt off.

By 5:00 p.m. the conditions began to settle, and I was able to relax and
enjoy what little remained of the crossing. I landed in Little Harbor at
Catalina Island at 6:35 p.m., completing the 44 NM day in 13 hours.

I spent the next two days relaxing at Little Harbor. Then there was a
leisurely 18 NM day around to Willow Cove, which is near Avalon. Then on
June 27, 2003, Dave, Joe, and I crossed 27 NM to Newport Beach on the
mainland in conditions that were as calm as they get.

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