Gimme Shelter III - VIDEO DIRECTIONS added on Page 43

The latest weather synopsis - gathered from multiple sources...

Friday, ah Friday...  it starts out a bit nasty - I'll be ready to scan the conditions and go back to bed this day because I see the forecast holds significantly nicer water in the evening than in the morning...  Not to suggest you shouldn't ought to be ready for dawn patrol that day, but that's what I see right now...  Plenty of meeting, greeting, getting comfortable and down right partying will go down this day, so it's possible I may save my fishing nut until Saturday...  possible, not probable at this point!...

Because...  Saturday, oh, Baby, Saturday!  That day and Sunday too look so flat on the swell model!  OMG, I don't think I could've wished for better.  If this holds and the winds are light...  we're in for epic Cove - I'm talking EPIC... 

I'll stop.  I'm sorry.  I won't push any more...  tonight.   

Saturday will be a day for the ages.   

Drift chute and heavy metal on Friday for sure maybe Saturday also. I've seen better WX and I have fished worse.  I'll be there at dawn to take a look. If it looks bad I'll take the dog for a walk, drink beer and shore fish. Company welcome. 

scott

 CAPE MENDOCINO TO PT ARENA OUT 10 NM- 227 PM PDT TUE MAY 12 2009 
.THU...SW WIND 10 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT. RAIN LIKELY.  .THU NIGHT...NW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS. 
.FRI...N WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 4 TO 6 FT. W SWELL 6 FT. PATCHY FOG. 
.SAT...N WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 4 TO 6 FT. W SWELL 4 FT.  
.SUN...N WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 3 FT. NW SWELL 3 FT.

I'm liking those N's - NORTH wind, like I said, can blow past the Cove sometimes because of Cape Mendocino and Punta Gorda to the north.  This forecast looks very very promising, and Sunday looks to be heavenly.

Beer and shorefishing sounds fun...  AFTER slaying 'em offshore! 

 

           11          555555
        1111         55   
           11         55   
           11          555555
           11                  55
           11                  55
           11          55     55
        11111  00     55555

days to go...

CAPE MENDOCINO TO PT ARENA OUT 10 NM- 227 PM PDT TUE MAY 12 2009 
.THU...SW WIND 10 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT. RAIN LIKELY.  .THU NIGHT...NW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS. 
.FRI...N WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 4 TO 6 FT. W SWELL 6 FT. PATCHY FOG. 
.SAT...N WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 4 TO 6 FT. W SWELL 4 FT.  
.SUN...N WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 3 FT. NW SWELL 3 FT.

I gotta be honest, to my Shelter-Cove-virgin-eyes, that looks horrendous............

Should I be soothed by the relatively modest swell?

CAPE MENDOCINO TO PT ARENA OUT 10 NM- 227 PM PDT TUE MAY 12 2009 
.THU...SW WIND 10 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT. RAIN LIKELY.  .THU NIGHT...NW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS. 
.FRI...N WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 4 TO 6 FT. W SWELL 6 FT. PATCHY FOG. 
.SAT...N WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 4 TO 6 FT. W SWELL 4 FT.  
.SUN...N WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 3 FT. NW SWELL 3 FT.

I gotta be honest, to my Shelter-Cove-virgin-eyes, that looks horrendous............

Should I be soothed by the relatively modest swell?

STORM TROOPERS, UNITE!!!

Yeah, the WX forecasts for that part of the coast are always harsh. To quote my new favorite sports-interview line: “It is what it is.”

I just browsed the Hookup thread from last year’s aborted mission. And I found the NOAA forecast. Read this, and you’ll see why the current forecast is good. I repeat--this is last year's forecast.
--FRI...W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 14 TO 16 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS.
--SAT...NW WIND 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING N 20 TO 30 KT WITH GUSTS TO 40 KT LATE. WIND WAVES 2 TO 3 FT...BUILDING TO 6 TO 8 FT. W SWELL 12 TO 14 FT. ISOLATED TSTMS.
--SUN...N WIND 25 TO 35 KT WITH GUSTS TO 45 KT. WIND WAVES 8 TO 10 FT. NW SWELL 11 TO 13 FT.

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,11452.0.html

I just called the camp site to check availability.  They said they are really busy trying to finish up the store before the weekend.  They have plenty of space and confirmed that they have an area sectioned off and a bunch of firewood for us!    Told the guy on the phone to join us for some beers, cause they are doing an awesome job!!!

Yeah, the WX forecasts for that part of the coast are always harsh. To quote my new favorite sports-interview line: “It is what it is.”

I just browsed the Hookup thread from last year’s aborted mission. And I found the NOAA forecast. Read this, and you’ll see why the current forecast is good. I repeat--this is last year's forecast.
--FRI...W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 14 TO 16 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS.
--SAT...NW WIND 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING N 20 TO 30 KT WITH GUSTS TO 40 KT LATE. WIND WAVES 2 TO 3 FT...BUILDING TO 6 TO 8 FT. W SWELL 12 TO 14 FT. ISOLATED TSTMS.
--SUN...N WIND 25 TO 35 KT WITH GUSTS TO 45 KT. WIND WAVES 8 TO 10 FT. NW SWELL 11 TO 13 FT.

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,11452.0.html

Blimey, what was the forecast when you did go!?

Phil, I heard of 3 Pacific Halibut caught in the past couple days out of Eureka (small ones from from 28-43lbs haha). So I guess there's a chance.....

Phil, I heard of 3 Pacific Halibut caught in the past couple days out of Eureka (small ones from from 28-43lbs haha). So I guess there's a chance.....

If only 240' of water weren't so far out!   

As for the forecast, the 15-25 knot wind isn't the greatest news, but, like I said, it's true N as in North, and that's good.  Also, the swell doesn't look moderate for Sat and Sun - it is downright FLAT for up here.  4' is a dream that you don't want to wake up from - unless it's 2' in real life!   

I survived BAM, Delvalle, and Shelter Cove storms in the past so I'll be there unless a hurricane blow through there this weekend

I survived BAM, Delvalle, and Shelter Cove storms in the past so I'll be there unless a hurricane blow through there this weekend
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Im with ya bro! By hook or by crook!!!!!.....Andy

The (detailed) storm surf forecast is definitely a lot more encouraging than the general NOAA one.

the weekend forecast actually looks nice to me. I've berm in worst conditions fishing the central coast. The sat and sun forecast looks good. 4ft swell are nothing. I will actually paddle out Friday morning also. We will probably have a little window to fish Friday. Just paddle into the direction the wnd is coming from. Let it push you back to the cove when its time to turn in.

I will brave the worst conditions. Who with me?

You know you'll have plenty of company, Ariel.  The thing about the Cove is the winds are known to switch direction there.  At GS1 we paddled for about an hour into north wind (salmon trolling) thinking we'd just get blown back to where we came from.  Then the wind died...  for about 5 minutes.  Then the wind came up out of the south, and we paddled another hour to get back to where we were.  It's happened to me quite a few times there...

This is also something to watch closely there:  the whitecaps will start to be visible a mile or two outside, and they'll work their way inshore as the wind switches from pure North to NW - sometimes the switch is quick, and sometimes it stays nice and calm near shore and around the Bell Buoy. 

The best news is that nice fish are to be had relatively near the launch.