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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=234065916-08072008>7/4/08-7/6/08</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=234065916-08072008>Wave-Ra</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">On
the eve of my first kayak crossing and camping trip to Catalina, I thought it
best to call on divine intervention to aid me on my trek and called on the Tiki
God Wave-Ra to watch over us. Who's to say he wasn't at least partly responsible
for our excellent adventure!</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">It
was 4:45am when I pulled up in line behind Duane Strosaker at our launch site at
Cabrillo Beach and the adventure started quickly. Behind me, Steve Wilson and
Bob McMurray completed our group, or did they! The gate was to be opened late to
allow for LAPD to be on hand to check for contraband on this Independence Day
launch. As we waited a young man, named Peter I believe, came up and asked me
where we were headed. I told him Catalina was our goal and he went on to ask me
if I knew of this guy named Duane Strosaker! He'd been reading about his
Catalina adventures and was planning to head there as well! We introduced he who
needs no introduction and he waylaid a passerby to get a photo of himself and
Duane and deigned to let us in on group shot. Not the first time I seemed to
have lucked into Duane's fame!</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><SPAN
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style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">We
were about to launch and it turned out that Peter and his friend had their SOTs
ready to go as well. I think they were hoping to tag along with us, but I think
Duane explained we were somewhat of a closed group. He told them they were
welcome to follow us, but they'd be on their own. We made a quick launch and as
we slipped into the misty horizon, I'm afraid we saw Peter's group having a bit
of trouble in the surf and we hoped them well on their
journey</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">This was my first paddle in a
loaded kayak and despite my nerves, my stomach was nice enough to give me the
morning off!. Heading out through the waves through what was at best a three
footer, it was interesting how the bow plowed right through. Once underway my
newbie overloaded boat didn't really seem too hard to keep up to speed and I was
glad to be under way. Conditions were great and Duane's crossing procedures
seemed to make the crossing go quickly and at about an hour out from Catalina,
Duane let me lead the group on in to Lava Rock Beach.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> <?xml:namespace prefix = o
ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">We had some boat campers at the
site who were taking up most of the beach, but they gladly rearranged things to
give us some room above the tide line. Free spirit that I am, I chose a small,
secluded patch of sand for my tent away from the others. Heck, I borrowed the
tent, who cares about high tide lines! We had landed at 12:15 for a 5 hour and
45 minute crossing and we were in for the night, so we hunkered in by the slight
shade of the cliff to rest an eat and chat about the crossing.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">With the giant cliffs, it seemed
natural to think we'd get some shade, but the sun gave us no quarter, so we
searched for shade where we could find it and alternately resorted to the cool
ocean water for the ultimate cool down.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">We were happy for the sunset and
the chance to sit through the cool evening. Our boating neighbors left for some
evening fishing, but expressed concern before they left about my tent site being
below the waterline, but Duane felt I was safe and besides, it wasn't his tent
either! We all slept well, although I woke to the neighbors shooting off a
couple Aerial fireworks from their boat and notice the larger waves crashing on
the sand and the water making its way up to my tent. On top of a six inch air
mattress, I was safe, but the sand all around my tent was wet in the morning and
I was glad I'd tied my kayak up!</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">In the morning, we all launched
separately for the paddle to Twin Harbors carrying our used WagBags on our poop
decks. I took my time enjoying my first exposure to the Catalina coastline. The
crystal waters clearly showed the alternate world beneath my kayak and there
were plenty of rocks to play around and scrape more gelcoat off my hull. Three
of us met up inside a cave where Steve had stopped to rest in the shade and we
all traversed a narrow tunnel out, glad for the calm sea state. We met up with
Duane and continued on to town.<p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">A nice surprise at Two Harbors
was to be greeted at the cantina by Dave Houser. He supped with us an treated us
to a tour of his hoity toity Yacht club where if your blood is the right shade
of aquamarine, after about a ten year wait list you can join and stay in a nifty
little room in the converted civil war barracks house. He invited us to a
evening rib-roast, but it was too late for us so we hung out for a while
enjoying the local bikini clad fauna. Trying to conserve my energy for the next
day's crossing, I paddled home alone while the other three hugged the coast
looking for more excitement.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">For our final night, we enjoyed a
much cooler evening. The daemon rum nearly had Steve washed up on a rocky shoal,
but he managed to survive long enough to down most of three MREs. Apparently
alcohol makes them very tasty! Most enjoyed a second dinner when our neighbors
offered us some of their dinner and Duane said he really enjoyed the ribs and
something that was either a potato or corn on the cob! Yeah, alcohol will do
that to you! We had a beautiful sunset and another fire works show from Two
Harbors way.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Wave-Ra came to my assistance
once more by weakening Duane's resolve for a 6am launch, making him cave in to
the request for an extra hour. Once again I wondered about the crossing and how
my two night bivouac would affect my paddling. But by my second hour on the
water, things seemed fine and we settled into a nice pace. We stopped for a
while to watch some dolphins and birds feasting on something in the water, but
all we could see were floating fish scales. While I was in the lead, I spotted a
shark that seemed to be following us, that Duane guessed was probably a 6 foot
Blue shark. No man eater, but my first shark sighting at sea. We looked for blue
whales, but despite the excellent conditions, came up empty. We paddled home
under a dense cloud cover over a dead calm sea and hit the beach at Cabrillo in
5 hours and 15 minutes.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">It was a great trip and full of
firsts for me. The conditions we enjoyed and the times we crossed in seemed
great for a first timer. Some may chalk it up to luck, but it seems no
coincidence that everywhere I went, Wave-Ra was leading on my bow. I think we
owe him an offering, but sacrificial virgins aren't easy to come by these
days!</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> <o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Mark Sanders</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="http://www.sandmarks.net/WaveRa.html">http://www.sandmarks.net/WaveRa.html</A></FONT></P>
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