Surviving at Sea (Drifting at Sea for 3 Days and 4 Nights)

Last time I went from Monterey Bay to Avila Beach, so this time I plan to travel from Avila Beach all the way to Los Angeles, covering a distance of 210 nautical miles over three days and four nights, compared to the 120 nautical miles I covered over three days and two nights last time.

Ever since my last three-day, two-night trip, I have known that I don't need to sleep on shore or anchor close to the shore. I can break up my sleep into short periods of a few seconds or tens of seconds, waking up immediately in necessary to check the surroundings and then going back to sleep if it's safe to do so. This cycle ensures that I have enough sleep while also allowing me to maintain control of the kayak.

Only by solving the sleep problem can I continue to sail alone without stopping for days and nights without feeling tired.

Sometimes I don't even really fall asleep, just resting my eyes. I listen to the sound of the waves around me and let my body sink into a state of half-sleep. Occasionally, I open one eye and scan the surroundings with my peripheral vision before sinking back into this half-sleep state to conserve energy. At that moment, I'm like an old monk in meditation on the kayak.

Having mastered this skill, I'm more confident in solo drifting on ocean.

Before setting off, I did my homework and knew the limits of my abilities. This type of sea condition should not be a problem. The following picture shows the infamous Conception Point, where many accidents have occurred. I paid special attention to the weather forecast here before departing.

There are also a few other sea conditions that I believe I can handle. Sailing with the medium wind and small waves would be ideal.

I arrived at Avila Beach at around 8 o'clock in the evening.

I had a lot of stuff to pack, so when I was ready to sail, it was already after 9 o'clock at night. The people of Avila Beach are very friendly, and this gentleman helped me push the kayak into the sea.

Under the moonlight, I slowly headed towards Los Angeles, swaying gently in the waves.

I woke up in a daze, and it was already morning with calm winds and waves.

For breakfast, I had instant noodles with pickled vegetables, which shows that I have a typical Chinese stomach.

This was the first time I saw these things, and they were all over the sea. I thought they were feathers from seabirds, but a closer look revealed that they were not.

What I caught looked like this

Under the scorching sun, the water surface felt like a steamer. It was so hot that I took off my safety jacket and drysuit. In this kind of sea, there was no risk of capsizing, so I didn't need to wear them.

I still felt hot, so I took off my sweater and underwear. I sat bare-chested in the kayak, letting the sea breeze cool me down. I couldn't sweat to let my clothes get wet with sweat, or I would be freezing at night.

Drifting bare-chested on the sea, far away from the crowds, I listened to this kind of song quietly, deeply touched and immersed in the moment. What more could one ask for in life?

This level of power usage could be a problem, so I charged my devices when sunshine. Everything else was optional, but I had to make sure my phone had enough power for the GPS to work. Without GPS, I'd be blind, and that would be extremely dangerous.

I'm very impressed with your adventures!!

The wind picked up, and this kind of wind and sea condition was the ideal state for sailing with a sail. It was safe, comfortable, and relaxing.