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Old 07-04-2016, 11:23 AM   #14
growingupninja
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Los Angeles
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Re: Catalina crossing on 8 hp 2 stroke dinghy?

Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthBayDive View Post
Thank you for all your responses! Will defiantly take a compass and a radio, which I could call coast guard, or my grandpas live-aboard. Excited for summer to start! Yellows should start coming closer to shore, and the vis should eventually rebound from this years el nino.
2 guys and 8HP, you are looking at 4+ hours each way, assuming all goes well. Those little single cylinder engines love to start throwing fits mid-channel; you may end up limping home at 3 knots.

Besides compass and radio, you would want a GPS, flares, flashlight, and mirror. You would almost certainly be returning after dark and day or night if you need to get picked up you need to be able to give the rescue boat coordinates so they can find you. There tends to be lots of friendly traffic in the channel but not so much after dark. A little wind and little current means you could drift out of traffic lanes before anyone gets to you. Even during the day a little boat is not a big target, so flares and mirror...

Check your batteries, too, and only bring a GOOD friend. Sitting in a swamped inflatable, mid-channel, as the wind whips waves over the bow, fish spoiling since you needed the cooler to bail, clutching a dead radio hoping that somebody sees you... yep, good times....

Crossing in a yak is cool (with proper support). I never did any of the races but I was kayak support/feeder once for my buddy who was swimming the channel. We had a big support boat though. I would love to kayak it properly.
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