I appreciate the report. Good job.

I made a cargo net cover for my milk crate that should prevent me from losing gear during surf launches. I made it out of materials that most kayakers already have: ~30' of para cord and the elastic cord that is used for rigging kayaks. It only requires two knots: a bowline knot and many, many sheet bends.

Here are some instructions if anyone is interested in making their own.

Building the net
1) Tie a bowline knot in one end of para cord. The loop should be 4 - 4.5" when pulled tight.
2) Hang from nail and start creating more loops by tying sheet bend knots. Extend chain to 5 or 6 loops for standard milk crate.
3) Weave chain through a dowel rod and hang horizontally. Continue adding mesh to the net until it is a square.
4) The last mesh knot can be finished with another sheet bend (double wrapped and tightened).

Securing net to crate
5) Weave the elastic cord through the mesh and around the milk crate and tie it off. This crate had ridges that kept the elastic cord in place when it was stretched over them.
6) I secured the elastic cord around the crate with one last sheet bend.  Tie a figure eight knot in one end and doubled the other end before tying the sheet bend.

I don't get seasick on boats but I've felt queasy while diving and even puked once last year. I think my old wetsuit was making me sick because it was too tight around the neck. Sitting on the kayak and pulling my hood down seemed to help. Too much breakfast and swallowing saltwater might also have contributed. Turns out that oatmeal is a very effective chum.

That ban is ridiculous and it impacts a huge area. Why is NOAA calling the shots in state waters? Doesn't CA have jurisdiction over their own coastline or is that the problem. The californians making the rules think that humans have no right to coastal access if there are marine mammals or birds around? It doesn't seem to matter that so much of the coast has limited access to begin with.

Does anyone  know the kayaker who assisted in the rescue?

Hey Mooch,

Thanks for the pic. That was me on the yellow Strike. I was leaving when you showed up. It looks like you took a picture of me just as a small wave washed over the jetty. Nice timing! I think I told you that you might end up having to rescue people if you stuck around. 

I tried to make it out through the channel by mushroom rock but it was completely closed out. I have paddled through the channel during big swell a bunch of times but Saturday was unbelievable. I got swept down blackhand reef and had to paddle my ass off just to get around the jetty and back to the beach.

I spent he rest of the afternoon enjoying the sunny weather and drinking cold beer with my friends at HMBkayak. I know of 3 salty guys in touring boats who paddled around the buoys and made it to mavericks. It would have been a very long paddle in our boats.

I'll be sure to say Hi next time I see you.

-Brian

Hey Alan,

I fished Sitka in the second week of June. I thought we did ok but the other 3 guys in my party said it was the worst fishing they have ever experienced in Alaska. We also decided that our captain/charter service sucked.

Question for you... I returned home with some of those black rock fish. They look identical to the ones I have caught here in CA however mine tasted very fishy. Have you noticed this? I'm wondering if they weren't cleaned properly or the fish just taste different.

Nice report and pics. I enjoyed the "wade-fishing" pic.

Hey Bill, The Wiki is a good resource. Hopefully I will have something to add one day.

Shawn, thanks for the reminder about hook-n-line maps. I have several of their maps from the TX coast. I didn't think to check and see if they make CA maps. I just ordered one for Offshore Golden Gate - south section.