Flutterby™! : 3 months at sea 2002-09-25 18:00:27+00

3 months at sea

2002-09-25 18:00:27+00 by Dan Lyke 8 comments

When I moved out to the left coast I was a fairly accomplished whitewater kayaker and I investigated taking up sea kayaking as a replacement. Then I read some statistics and some accident reports and realized that the ocean isn't to be trifled with in the same way that one might dance in class V water and soar off 25 foot waterfalls. An example: Man sets out to sail 25 miles from Long Beach to Santa Catalina island, spends 3 months adrift.

Dano--is that whitewater photo of you soaring at near 90 degrees negative vertical online somewhere to share?

As to the story of the drifting man...is there anybody else who thinks there's more to the story?

Don't know. I've no idea why you'd head for Santa Catalina island with a storm coming in. Charlene's got a friend who's an insurance inspector, and I've seen pictures of some pretty heinous boat damage that allegedly happened between here and San Diego on some boats that got out in weather they shouldn't have. One in particular where the whole wheelhouse above the cabin on a big (over 50') cabin cruiser had been raised about four inches, which, of course, removed all the upper supports to the windows in the cabin section, shattered all of those, and... well... bet the crew had to go wash out their trousers.

The whole "lost a mast, the outboard died, and the two way radio didn't work" speaks of someone who wasn't paying as much attention to their backup systems as perhaps they should. But I don't think any of us will ever have enough information to know if there were, say, a rendeszvous with a boat offshore and ensuing disagreement with the crew over the price to be paid for cargo, or a stop in a more southern country that perhaps meant he wasn't immediately interested in alerting the U.S. authorities to his presence, or whatever.

If you read the whole article, it's pretty clear that the guy wasn't exactly all there before this ordeal.

K, I wasn't going to weigh in on this because it's pretty impressive to live on no supplies for 3 1/2 months but this guys an IDIOT. The long beach Catalina run is about as easy as it gets. I've done it countless times, I even did it at age 11 with two other 11 years olds while running away from home, and it's in a very busy channel. If he was actually trying for Catalina I think the storm pushed him out to sea is a load of dingo's kidneys because 99% any storm comming through the channel islands would eiher out right sink him or push him into santa monica bay. If he missed the island in fog he should of caught a clue after 5-6 hours as the trip is only 26 miles. I think I am curious/annoyed/amazed at this person. Here is a map for people not familiar with the area. The star is Avalon the only city on Catalina and Long Beach is between Huntington Beach and Laguna Niguel. If anyone catches the coastgaurd investigation report please post it or link it or something.

Long Beach is actually north of both Huntington Beach and Laguna Niguel (it's in LA County, not Orange County). On that map, it's west or south-west of Carson. When I worked in Carson I rented an apartment in Long Beach, as that was the closest beach.

Turns out the guy has been arrested several times for various offenses, though he claims not to remember any of it...