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Saturday 3/23/02   

Marine Land launch east ~6NM

(Pictures from previous trips)

Richard wrote:

We left the Marine Land landing about 10:00 a.m. Weather was cool, sunny with waves under 2 feet. The launch from this rocky spot is a bit dicey due to the steep angle of the rocky beach and the ever-present backwash. An assisted launch (actually a timely shove) is quite helpful. The party proceed leisurely south stopping for rock gardening at intermittent points. Those who had enclosed boats were able to go up to the mouths of nearby caves and experience the rush of water to and fro in the narrow channels. There was also some action for those who simply relish being shoved up against protruding rocks, feeling the spray pulsating around them (stop reading here if you are getting too excited......)

After the rocks there was some reasonably good surf for short sprints toward the shore. Then a lunch stop at Portuguese bend. Afterwards most of the party headed south for further adventures , but I decided to head back early. I also decided not to attempt a landing at the Marine land departure point because, given the increasing size and power of the mid-afternoon waves, I was slightly concerned about the possibility of being dashed all over the rocks (thus spoiling the natural beauty of this spot). Instead I made an emergency landing at Abalone Cove and then ran back to Marine land, thus getting a double workout that day. A lesson: might want to bring your running shoes along in case it is a longer jaunt the next time. Overall, an outstanding day with a great group of fellow paddlers. Thank you all.

Anneli Wrote:

Somehow when I paddle with Steve I usually get basic safety lessons hammered into me - in general while I'm hammering Steve. Good thing he wears body armor and is too polite to hit girls. Lesson One, learned a few months ago, was One At A Time Through Tunnels. This is so Paddler A doesn't get surfed into Paddler S if she happens to pick a big swell to go through on. Lesson Two, learned Saturday at Abalone Cove, is Launch One At A Time. I know this, but I guess it looked easy, plus it's been awhile since I wiped out on an entry. I think this is called hubris. Anyway, the waves were only about 3 feet but dumping hard right on the sand. I took off from way too close to Steve and punched through kind of a bigger one. I would have made it, but I was slammed back against my seat, my spray skirt got knocked off, and the boat swamped. Steve said I was almost pitch poled and surfed backward into him. I was going to keep going and pump out later, but couldn't get any speed up before the next one came. I jumped out, meaning to grab my boat, but didn't get it before it turned into a missile heading straight for Steve! He tucked and rolled and luckily came through OK, but it was very scary for both of us.

Steve Wrote:

Swell was a little more southerly than usual and that, combined with the very low tide, made things a little interesting. None of us actually went into any caves. There was water breaking in the entrance of any that had enough water in to enter. The challenge of the day was who could get closest before "chickening" out. 

I want to elaborate on Richard's assessment of launch conditions at Marine Land. The tide was very low. With a higher tide the water just surges up and down the steep rocks which are small (6" dia) to large (2' dia) smooth boulders. Today the outbound surge was sometimes exposing relatively flat sand bottom out past the rocks, and occasionally waves would break in a 3' to 4' curling breaker in perfect position for dashing you into the rocks. Usually we make good fun of this spot. Today we just launched, carefully.

As Richard said, we got a little surfing in Abalone Cove, the little cove between the points (what the heck is the name of that thing?), and along Portuguese bend. Surfing at Portuguese bend was unnerving because you had to paddle like mad to catch the wave, then just about the time you slid down the face the wave would suddenly break and side surf you violently toward shore. On the way home I noticed from the road that the waves were nice spilling ones just a little farther south from where we stopped. We'll check those out next time.

Anyway, we gave up on it after a few minutes and raced to catch up with Anneli who was practicing her roll in that little cove. We joined her for some rolling practice, which soon morphed into rescue practice. I had a bet with Jack that you couldn't get someone into a dry boat after capsize in less than 60 seconds. Jack and Hugh promptly proved me wrong, so I'm down one dinner for Jack.

Actually, we were all able to do it. The key seems to be dumping the boat very well so that no pumping is required. Also, spray skirt attachment is an issue. Some skirts are more clumsy than others to put on (+ some people are more clumsy than others). Hugh and I practiced some bumper boat in which Hugh sprinted to run me over and I flipped away from him so he could go over the top. This is great fun and has practical application (see below)

On the way back we made a stop at Abalone cove which is where Anneli and I had some boat melding. I was well aware of the fact that we were lining up at the same time. Most of the waves were pretty manageable so I figured she would have no problem punching through. I decided to hang back in the soup zone while she went through. 

Naturally, this was the perfect time for a big one. Actually the wave was only about 4', but it rose up and broke suddenly on the submerged reef which is just off shore at that spot. It was curling, and I was sure she was going to back loop. She managed to stay smooth side down and for  moment I thought she had punched through so I actually started to move forward. That was a big mistake because she was soon back surfing toward me at a high rate of speed. 

I rolled shoreward, released the paddle, and grabbed the bottom with both hands. Impact force was very minor. I thought about bailing out, but since my hands were on the bottom, I just pushed myself up. Her spray skirt had blown and she was becoming separated form her boat. Somehow both our boats separated, then the next wave sent her boat hurdling at me stern first. I went for the same roll toward shore motion, but this time the water was too shallow to get upside down. I was laying on my side with my head shoreward when the boats hit. This time very hard. I'm glad I had rolled toward the shore.

I think Anneli clearly identified the lessons learned. One additional option is that it actually would have been safer for me to proceed at the same time as her, in parallel, one or two boat lengths away. Although collision is still possible, differential velocity is so small that injury is unlikely. We use this side by side technique in rock gardens all the time. Still, one at a time is preferable in surf.

I was uninjured except that my left ear filled with rocks and sand (no, it wasn't the rocks leaking out of my head). It got painful to the point that I thought I might need a trip to the ER. In the end I used a syringe (squeeze bulb) to irrigate my ear with some force and get them out. Once they were out I was pain free, and slightly wiser (fewer rocks in the head?).

I think most of the error was mine, but that didn't stop me from teasing Anneli about going after me the second time, because the first time didn't finish me off.

Back at Marine land it was even more ugly than at launch. I picked a large one and slid well up into the rocks, but I had chosen my spot poorly (too steep) and just as quickly got washed back down. I won't go into details of the three stooges antics that followed, but once all that was over Anneli went in and landed with perfect form. We all followed. None went as badly as my first try, but none went as well as hers. We were all uninjured, but unanimously decided not to do it again today.