[Paddlewise] Tap, Tap, a trip report

just to put something on the list. Saturday I had what turned out to be a
lesson from Jeff Laxier of Liquid Fusion  in Fort Bragg, California. It was
billed as a Coastal Tour, and I was expecting to paddle out Noyo Harbor and
along the coast with Jeff giving me hints to improve my kayaking while
thrilling us with details of the local flora and fauna. Got all than, and a
pretty detailed bit of coaching and an intro to the mysteries of rock
gardening, something that I have had little interest in. Tsunami Ranger
videos didn't convince me that it would be fun.
The disappointing part of the trip was simply how little we actually moved,
we went out and north a bit to the area he was going to use as a class room
and there we learned about kayak handling in close quarters, something my
Solstice GT failed miserably at. It was interesting to add the 4th or is it
fifth dimension to kayaking, to be looking ahead, under the water to be
certain the kayak had room to glide, and to wait for the sea to roll in and
lift us over, if necessary. He asked if we should paddling into a cave bow
or stern first. My fellow student said "I would think bow first, but since
you ask the question, it must be stern". He confirmed and explained why.
Then he took us into some crashing waves, breaking over rocks. He went in
first, then signaled us to come in, one at a time. I can tell you I was not
particularly interested in taking my boat in there and having it damaged,
but fear of being called sissy by fellow students was the more powerful
instinct, so I went in  It was relatively calm just behind the protection of
the rocks. He had me back into the adjoining cave, something the Mendocino
Coastline is famous for. So there I was, in a place i never thought I would
want to go, safely and in total awe of being there, especially hearing the
waves crash somewhere behind me causing an unearthly sound. I should have
turned the camera video on just to record that.

We all escaped just fine and went around to the beach, so small it barely
warranted the name. There was where we really had to pay attention to depth,
and I did get hung up on a sand bar, in part because of how poorly the GT
would negotiate the turns and action of wind and wave, but I made it. We
stopped and stretched our legs, picked up a shell or two while eating a bit.
The exit was interesting, actually planning it. "If you can make that turn"
said Jeff. I walked out to it and thought no way, so I looked around and
found another exit that didn't require two 900 turns in less than 15'. I
squirmed into the kayak then managed to time my exit over ever more rocks
and got through w/o touching anything.

Then we went out to buoy #5 I think, never got close enough for me to see
the number because the sea lions were all around, but going out to deep
water we were at last free of the kelp forest and the wave action. I felt
free at last. Kelp forests offer that same sort of pleasure as rollerskating
on a gravel parking lot. I've only been in the ocean a handful of times, and
never any further out than I was then, but somehow the waves, at about 3',
were very different than what I've experienced off Bolinas and Bodega,
further south and much closer to home. Somehow they seemed steeper, or maybe
it was slower moving, but I was unable to catch a ride on all but two of
them. It was just amazing to be out there, free of the coastline hazards,
floating up and over.

We headed back in to the bay, and once on the other side of the kelp forest
we did some reentry drills. I really blew my CtoC roll and almost panicked
when I couldn't find my spray skirt loop, but i pushed out, broke the seal
and came up. I was first directed to do the assisted recovery from between
the two boats, hooking a leg in, arching my back and going into the cockpit
such as an Olympic athlete might use parallel bars. Second roll failure
resulted in a more conventional T rescue, climbing over the stern. Then he
demo'd the heel hook, I think he called it, where the out side leg is hooked
under the cockpit and with a twisting motion the whole body comes over into
the cockpit. This, of course, requires someone the stabilize the empty boat.
I had never seen that technique before and look forward to trying it. I did
help the other student get back in using that technique but I did not..

Lesson over, Jeff had to leave us, we went for a paddle up the Noyo River.
Going through the breakwater at that particular time of tide was very
interesting, a narrow channel with the current sloshing all around. Not
unlike San Pablo Bay where I often paddle, but on a much smaller, more
frantic scale. My partner was rather unnerved by it. We saw a great many
birds, including several Osprey and their nests, some rather playful seals
and even one old fart of a seal who didn't like me at all. i named him Jabba
because of his blubbery resemblance to the Star Wars villain. Jabba was on a
dock in a marina, and there was no way to honor the MMPA, but he did show me
his rather impressive dental plan and his not quite operatic voice. We were
told of the river otters that should be around in the late evening, but
never did see them. We needed to go out the breakwater to get back to our
launching point, but made other plans in case it was still so sloppy, but it
was calm and we got through with no trouble at all.

Rounding the breakwater, we returned to the beach, I executed a near perfect
landing following a small wave in, got out drug the boat up the beach and
prepared to assist my partner. While holding onto the boat we got hit by a
large set, but managed to get her out OK. I picked up both paddles and
looked over for my boat, then the other way, was I confused? I looked out to
sea, and there it was, off into the twighlight. I dropped the paddles in a
panic while starting to run, tripping over them in my best Chevy Chase
impression and falling flat into the water. I scrambled back up, tripping
yet again and falling a second time just swam for it. I captured it in about
6' of water and swam with it back to the beach. It had hung on the kelp.

After 6 hours on the water, my longest day ever, I was ever so glad to see
it strapped safely on top of the van.

Sunday I rented a Necky Eskia and played on the flooding tide of the Big
River, just south of the town of Mendocino. Slack low was about 9 am, I was
on the water about 10:30 and was fighting a pretty good, yet still building,
current. I baptized my first homemade GP. I really liked it and look forward
to more practice with it and making more of them.

what a grand kayaking weekend

Mike
San Rafael
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