MBK 5/4/13 Continued...

Continued from http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=46227.0

It was such a nice day out there and almost no wind to speak of to carry me out to the  so I pedaled the AI out to the fishing grounds.  After catching a bunch of fish we were getting reports from the salmon boaters that there was some brutal conditions out there on the water.  Many boats were starting to head in.  Andy was first to call it quits and head in which was a good decision on his part.  There were still a few of us out at the Red Can lingering for another fish or two but most of the group was headding back.

Having brought the AI I wanted to be lazy and sail the boat back in, rather than pedal along with the rest of the group.  There still wasn't much wind, but even crawling around at 1-1.5 mph was a pleasent cruise, although a bit slow.  Seeing the other yakers leave me in the dust wasn't a big deal since I could kick back and enjoy the ride.

Then I finally got a decent sort of breeze, but still wasn't making much headway.  I had forgotten my stringer was still in the water and the fish were apparently dragging like a drift anchor. Once pulled up I was sailing a bit faster, and no longer pulling to the right.  Gotta remember to stow the fish before headding in next time!

I was now about half way back to the rockwall when Jeff/IRoeLikeThat caught up to me.  The wind kicked up from about 5-6mph to 20-25 in almost no time flat, maybe more at times.  It was also coming directly off the shoreline where we launched, something I've never experienced at MBK before.  The wind waves were really kicking up and I was having issues keeping gear from washing overboard as the AI started punching through waves.  I was constantly trying to adjust the sail lines, control the rudder, and all the while trying to tack back towards the safety of the harbor.

I started to feel like I wasn't making any real progress.  I was going places, and pretty fast at times, but nowhere that I wanted to go.  The bow was punching through waves, and there was quite a bit of wash coming over the bow and hitting me in the chest.  At one point I was simply amazed that my leeward AMA was completely submerged as I was charging forward at 6-7mph, even with most of my sail reefed.

Before I knew it, I was at the Yellow can and trying to tack back towards the harbor.  On this tack it was slow going, as I was trying to not over shoot the rockwall and end up having to tack all the way back to the condos.  I end up barely spotting the patches of kelp that I'm headding for and narrowly avoid getting stuck in a large cluster.  Had to let the wind push me backwards then pedal with all my might to get around it.  Back on the sail, I can tell that I'm going to overshoot the rockwall, and probably end up in the path of the boats that are headding in.  Reluctantly I switch tacks, and start headding back towards the beach. 

My sail starts to make a loud noise and as I look up I see that one of the battens is coming loose.  I consider trying to stand up and deal with it, but decide against it and then see the batten just fly out of the sail a minute later.  Although it was very noisy, the sail was still working so I pressed on.   

I feel like the kayak is ridding a bit lower in the water than normal, so I decide to check the hatch.  Inside I see a LOT of water, and I'm guessing that it looks about 1/4 full!  I pull out the gear bucket and grab my pump and start trying to pump it out.  Only the hatch sits so low in the kayak that water is constantly pouring inside as I try and pump it out.  I've been having issues getting the hatch to close properly, and try as I might I can't get it fully closed out there on the water.

I decide that the safety of the harbor is going to be my only choice.  I attempted to just pedal in, but I couldn't make any headway and was being blown outward.  Realizing now that the daggerboard might help make my course straighten out I deploy it.  I make my tack aiming for a large vessel moored just inside the breakwall, and this time I'm pedaling with all my might and trying to controll the rudder and sail at the same time.  But I can honestly say that I was putting most of my trust in the sail to get me back, as I couldn't have pedaled in under those conditions with as much wind as there was.  I considered trying to take down the sail and see if that would cut the resistance, but I decided it would be dangerous, and possibly worsen the situation by cutting my options to get back in.

I finally get close to the harbor and though I'm so close, there are other boats that are closing in faster than me.  I have to avoid a sailboat and a PB coming in, but am able to sneak past the next boat and get inside the wall.  The wind still was strong here, and though I was trying to peddle away from the wall I wasn't making any progress.  Exhausted I called out to another power boat for help and threw them my throw rope.  They towed me in until I was able to be sheltered from the wind. 

I tied off to a dock after thanking them for helping me out and caught my breath.  Grabbed the pump and in a few mins I had emptied the hull.  Taking a look at my gear I seem to have lost only a couple of items; my hawg trough and the Gaff that EWB had made for me when I lost all of my gear at GS3.  I know that It's floating out there somewhere and has NCKA written on it, so maybe one day it will turn up!

Even the "fastest" of plastic yaks, with redundant modes of propulsion, need assistance.  Glad all was well in the end.

Bill

wow Al  thanks for writing that.
Really had my heart going with the description of the conditions, sounds like things were right on the edge for some time, yikes!
SO glad you were able to make it in without serious problems.

Al ! now i know why you looked at me the way you did when you seen me walking on the bike trail from the Coast Guard Pier. The sign of relief of being back on land. That wind was just not good for kayak fishing Glad we all made it back.

It was just a 30min tour....

Wow!  That must have been intense.  Glad you made it back ok and didn't lose too much gear.

Josh

A sail boat that doesn't sail.

I'm just glad you are OK dude!!!

 

Sincerely,

Jim

I learned something today: a "batten" IS a thing! I thought it was a verb.
Sounds like that wind really kicked ass last wknd. Glad nobody got hurt. Maybe next time I'll give the wind forecast more respect.

glad you are OK Al.  Once in a while that wind rips over the hill from Carmel and blows from MBK to Moss.  Not sure what causes it, but damn scary when it does

Glad you got back safe Al.  Good move not to take down that sail.  That wind would have pushed you back easily to the yellow can.  When I saw you inland, I knew you had a heck of time coming back.  I'm just glad it blew before I even launch.  So, I did not even get to go.

Rey

glad you are OK Al.  Once in a while that wind rips over the hill from Carmel and blows from MBK to Moss.  Not sure what causes it, but damn scary when it does

Santa Ana is what they call them in SoCal, someone told me here they are called Devil wind, Viento del Diablo?
they are wicked for mariners & firefighters

Batten down those hatches.  I did i did batten them down.  Well batten them down again, we will teach those hatches.

Informative post, Al. Took courage and perseverance to get through that ordeal. Thanks for writing it up.

Thanks for sharing your ordeal Al glad you and all others made it in safely. I know what you mean about pedaling that beast in the wind, Last year crabbing out of Half Moon Bay the wind was blowing out of the harbor like a mad dog to narrow to tack in so I had to pedal that beast in did not think I was going to make it, I can not remember the last time I was so wiped .

PatR

Al my daughter and I took my AI out the GG from Sausalito 2 weeks ago in 15-18kt winds and it was HAIRY!!!. Bottom line is that you need to reef the sail and peddle like crazy with the dagger board down when beating to windward in big air. The weather helm on the AI is really bad and only reefing the sail will correct the problem.

scott