Needed a CG Rescue Yesterday at Doran Beach

Paddled out to the first (south) buoy with Shasta, a longtime guest from our Northern Baja trips. There was a 6 foot swell and just a breeze until we rounded the buoy when the wind started to pick up.  I declined to take another spin around the buoy and suggested we pull back to the harbor.  The wind felt like 20mph with stronger sustained gusts.  I had a Robsen paddle I'm demoing from Germany, it doesn't feather and for a carbon paddle, weighs more than any I've seen.  Shasta is a strong paddler but his boat just couldn't handle the conditions.  I layed back a few times to keep him close but whenthe wind started hard and I dipped my paddle for the breakwall.  Moving along at 300 strokes for every hundred yards or so, it became clear that Shasta was having trouble with the wind so I turned on my radio and made the call for 2 kayaks underway in worsening conditions.  CG San Fran picked it up and handed off to BBCG.  The CG kept me on channel 22 and made sure we were onboard, had floatation, determined the kayak colors and position.  She (the coastie) kept telling me she was deploying "the 47' cutter" like we were getting the deluxe boat.  She kept checking up on us and everytime I had to respond, I lost ground.

Shasta had his paddle working the whole time but said he'd a been blown to Tomales without a pick-up.  Once I saw the tower on the cutter coming out the harbor mouth, I dug my paddle in.  The CG had already put out a call to the private boaters and a few guys had their eyes on us.  One asked me if I needed a ride and I said I was just fine.  The gusts were easily up to 30 and there were a few times I was lucky to keep moving.  The boater came back and said "I know you don't need a rescue, I'm just offering you a ride".  We both laughed and I kept paddling.  The cutter approached me and I sent them on to pick up the yellow kayak.  They said the wind was at 25 and it got stronger before I hit the beach.

Another great job by the USCG who was pretty busy when I called.  Beyond daily excercise (keep your rotator cuff strong), the only reason I made it back to shore was a hull design that dug into the water and a boat that was total uncompromised by stronger wind and waves slapping it broadside.  I don't know of another fishing kayak OTW that could have.  I ran the Abaco 4.20.  Shasta ran one of the best kayaks ever made for fishing, the Necky Dolphin.
No bites on the salmon and just a few bait marks past the buoy.

Glad all ended well; nice to know that they are out there keeping us safe!

Glad everyone is safe.

Sounds like I need to demo the Abaco 420 cause I know I will be getting myself in those kind of situations.

Yikes!!!

  Good Call to get some help...

 Glad all is well...

see ya soon   

Thanks for the report Spike good call I was out there yesterday also, if I would have seen you guys out there I might have gave it a shot glad I didn't. It blew hard all night and it was too confusing for me solo I turned around just past the head.

HOLY SHIT!!  good call Spike and thanks for posting what could have been a sadder story.

Glad you guys came out of it safe!
Always good to hear that!
Have a question. When you get rescued by the CG do you have to pay fees of any kind?

Happy to hear that you two made it out there safe. Were you battling a offshore NE wind? Great instincts on your part to decide to head back in when you did. Loved the reply from the private boater who offered you a ride, not a rescue. Good reminder to all of us to use our heads and not our egos. Thanks for the report Spike.
Don

Sorry to include this shameless plug for my boats, I'm just so incredibly impressed by their performance and I'm still learning about them.

BUT... I gotta retract "I don't know any other fishing kayak OTW that could have" made it.  That isn't accurate.  I've seen the same conditions (without the distance) in the K Largo and the old Scuppers we started with, plus a few of the less popular fishing models on the market could have made it too.  Forget about those big belly boat hulls in the ocean though, IMO.    I also need to note that my airborne paddle blade never got blown back on me and it's almost as big as a tennis racket.  It woulda been a MUCH easier paddle with feathered blades.  I also kept my hat.  We've been in stronger wind.
 
I pretty much consider a few things when I make a non-emergency rescue call like  exhaustion, heart attacks and worsening conditions that could put us in the water.  I thought a lot about this when I was taking people to Mexico.  G-d bless the USCG and all our tax dollars.

Thanks All.
The winds came from the NE and NW and wrapped around Bodega Head.  It was blowing sand off the beach at Doran, in my face, when I landed.

Rescue fees-not in this case.  I don't know what policy is for CG but I've initiated rescues among many different agencies in California and never saw a victim charged by any of them.

Great call Spike.  Glad all is OK! Thanks for sharing the experience.

Hey Spike.  Glad all turned out well.

Any lessons learned you'd like to share with us?  How would you have avoided getting in this situation in the first place?

-Allen

Glad you guys made it safely.
That's the beauty of the Hobie right there. You can call the CG and never lose ground.
But then, a Hobie handles the wind like no other. In fact, it's probably a non-call with one in those conditions.

I sure want to get on one of the RTM's, Dennis.  I'm glad you guys made out OK.

[quote author= I thought a lot about this when I was taking people to Mexico.  Indeed being blow out to the Sea of Cortez is a real scary thing in when paddling in Baja. Several folks have gone to glory because they couldn't paddle against the strong winds.  At Bodega you could always make land somewhere down by Dillon. I have made that paddle with the wind several times. I used to launch a Doran and let the wind take me to the Estero Americano then go up the estero all the way to Valley Ford.
[/quote]