This was my Catalina experience from San Diego. This trip was to Avalon in April of this year, my next will be to Two Harbors...
I departed NTC Marina San Diego Bay single hand motor sailing under a mainsail @ 0400 on Wednesday morning enroute Avalon Harbor, Catalina Island. Visibility was clear under a 1000ft overcast. Winds were from the south at 6-8kts. By the time I passed buoys 9 and 10 making 6 knots I was taking spray over the bow in a 2-4ft wind swell. I remember thinking 20 minutes into the trip in the pitch black darkness “what the Hell am I getting myself into”. As with flying, on this trip I always made sure I had an “out”, I had a GPS, a fixed and a handheld radio and my dinghy secured onboard. Orion is a solid and reasonably well maintained 1973 Catalina 27. Rounding buoy 3 and falling off to west for a mile or so to round the kelp bed eased the ride. 0520 when I set my heading to Northwest the sea and weather settled in nicely on the port quarter, shortly afterwards my engine quit. This is a known problem with the mighty Atomic 4 engine. Enjoying the silence and solitude of an early morning quartering breeze I realized this would be a really long trip without the engine. After about 20 minutes, a restart was successful. I was always told the best fuel to speed setting for this engine was 1800RPM. I however found out on this trip that 1800 will overheat the engine and kept the power back to 1600RPM which solved the problem, a difference of less than half a knot.
As the sun was coming up I noticed the bail connecting the main sheet assembly to the boom was literally hanging on by a thread. The bolt had sheered off and the bail had bent straight. I headed up into the wind and replaced the bottom bail with the one used for the topping lift and secured it with parts from my anchor bracket. 20 minutes later, back in business, I set the jib and steady as she goes.
About an hour later I noticed a sailboat drifting with the mast down lying on the deck. I thought, if it was me, and I had lost a mast, I would definitely want somebody to at least make a “flyby” to see if I were still alive. As I approached all I could think about was the movie “Dead Calm”, Pirates, being held-up by illegal’s at gunpoint or worse, evil, blood thirsty zombies. The boat was abandoned (thank God…), gutted and adrift about 10 miles off Point Loma. I called the Coast Guard, reported it and was once again on my way. What next??? 4 hours into the trip and already the learning curve was very steep. In the immortal words of Capt. Ron, “If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen out there…”
The next few hours were pleasant. The sky cleared, the winds shifted around to WNW and under full sail life was good. Dolphins and little yellow furry hitchhiking birds checked in on me from time to time to make sure everything was O.K. About 4 hours out of Avalon I noticed an overcast layer developing again and the wind starting to pick-up. I shortened sail to main only. Within an hour the weather peaked at winds 20 gusts to 30 and the best way I can describe the seas is very CHOPPY, 4-6 feet, close intervals and very steep and all dead on the bow. I fell off to Starboard to use the wind as an advantage instead of beating directly into it. For about 3 hours I was single reefed, closed in below, occasionally peeking out and over checking for traffic, heeled over 15-20degs, hanging on, hoping the rigging would hold and loving every second of it. As soon as I got to lee of Catalina, the weather eased significantly and I was able to motor the last hour directly into Avalon Bay. I assume the weather was result of a venturi effect between Clemente and Catalina Islands?
I arrived in Avalon Harbor @ 1900. Pulling into Avalon was very easy. The Harbor Patrol was right where everybody said they would be, they were very friendly, patient and accommodating. Even single handing onto a mooring was uneventful, which was fortunate because I was in the “Rock Star” first row parking right up front in front of restaurants and walkways full of Spring Breakers watching and critiquing if I can pull it off in grand style. HA!!! Nicely done… AN EXTRA RATION OF GROG FOR THE CREW!!! A shot of Mt. Gay’s finest for the skipper was well deserved…
I slept well that night on the boat with a few learning points. Keep the pick-up buoy on the boat lest ye be wakened all night by a gentle “tap, tap, tap” on the bow pulpit. Additionally, in a 30ft mooring in a 27ft boat, tie off aft about 6 ft. down the sand-line. During the very high tide all the slack played out and I was “sling shotted” around quite a bit on a tight mooring.
The family came out on the Newport Beach ferry Thursday for a great day on the island. Landlubbers...
I departed Avalon on Friday @ 0430. Skies clear, moon at 75% and seas calm. The wind stayed from the south longer than I anticipated. It lazily shifted around noon and it was a sleigh ride home from there. The last 4 hours I was making 7+ knot hour legs under full sail. I must have shaken everything lose on the way over. The trip home was uneventful, other than the absolute thrill of some BITCHIN sailing… I arrived @ 1800. Another shot of Mt. Gay’s finest for the skipper was again well deserved…
Weather is still pretty benign, tho you are entering the period when it can start cutting up a bit. Keep your VHF on 16, maintain GOOD lookouts -- the shipping lanes can make you feel like a turtle crossing an interstate -- and have a blast. We took a 1500 lb, 21-footer out there in July with no real motor, so it isn't exactly rounding the Horn, tho there are still interesting ways to die en route.
