Stillwater Mtry 6/9/06

SC was socked in low when I left at 5, patches of light on way to Stillwater, but overcast there.  Launched very alone at 7, out past Pescadero Pt, things looked like Randy's photo the other day, I couldn't see the shore, but hugged the kelp.  The first 3 drops in about 100 ft brought up med blues, then the fog came down thick, and with the almost-breaking waves, thought I better get back up against the kelp. A pretty bouncy ride, and I had my drift chute out. Got another 4 blues, and missed boating my 3rd consecutive, in two trips,  probable keeper ling.   At 10 the wind came up some, and by 1030 it was going strong, and I was getting off the water.   Mtry looked like a stewpot when I drove by at 1230. Got out from under the fog near Wtsville, sunny and nice in SC (69. It's what we pay for. It's 104 in Stockton, I'm surprised the road wasn't clogged with C.Valley folks - maybe they were all at the beach.).  Again, L&L were sweet.

 Pat: I was wearing my farmer john wetsuit, foam waders, rain pants and felt-soled wader boots - my feet were warm until near the end, when  perspiration soaked by socks. I'll have to try Ban on my feet. Those boots must wiegh 4 lbs apiece when wet, but I knew I wasn't going to paddle far, and they lower the center of gravity.

Heh Tom,

I am going to try good ol' rubber boots over the seal skinz.  A little less pricey than the boots listed on the footwear thread.  Do your wader boots fit in the footwells?

My size 13's fit, to my surprise, and I was able to operate the rudder pedals.

Cool.  Whem I find a pair of rubber boots, they should fit just fine then.

I forgot to mention that the nite before this trip, I looked at the NOAA Marine forecast for MTRY Bay and it had a SE wind, maybe 5-10, which I saw none of it anywhere, all NW.  I think it was a typo, but I've had my doubts about their forecasts before.
 
 Pat, maybe you could get some of those cheap after-ski boots that seem to be plastic covered foam, with the foot part harder plastic, lower-calf length.  Easy to wash the fish smells from them.  Put some strong bungee "rubber bands" around the top to keep most of the water out and so you wouldn't lose them on launches and landings. I think some come with drawstrings at the top.  By the time they are in the stores again, you're going to really need them. They'd be a lot lighter than my leather/cloth/felt wader boots, which, if you wore regular socks and no waders, are most likely size 16s for a nomimal size 13.