Successful launch from Crescent City
The Great Pacific Challenge started from the Whaler Island public boat ramp in Crescent City on Tuesday June 22nd at 19:30 PST.
I was originally planning to launch at 11.00 but observing the cold onshore breeze toward hotter land, I decided to postpone my departure closer to sunset to let the land effects subside. The combination of cold ocean and warm land does not help an ocean rower — I decided there was no need to beat myself up into a headwind.
Our friend, Tom Lynch, who has been a trusted ally of many ocean rowers, introduced Nancy and me to his local friend, Rory McDonald, who not only gave us his backyard cottage for accommodations, but also a garage where I could prepare my boat before towing it to the boat ramp. Tom and his wife, Sveta came up from Guerneville, CA to spend some time with us, treating us to my last supper on land,
It was Rory who untied my rowboat, together with “Dan from Vaughn.” Dan drove all the way down from the Key Peninsula in WA State after reading the article about my planned row in our local community newspaper. And we made another new friend, Mike Cuthbertson, who captured the departure by drone. How can I thank them enough?
Nancy was busy recording a YouTube Live session of my launch, and the motions of departure had me so pre-occupied that we never hugged or kissed goodbye, nor did I shake hands with Rory or Dan. All I could think of was to wave and call out “thank you.” I called Nancy before I got out of cellular range to ask for forgiveness. She was gracious. We will both look forward to a long hug on arrival at mainland Asia. Before that, maybe we will get to see each other once more and wave air kisses to each other as I row by Waikiki at the end of this summer.
There was a light southerly breeze after my launch and a seal kept me company outside the harbor in moon light fishing in my wake, jumping out of the water 3-4 feet each time. I never figured out whether it was going after the swirls of bioluminescence that my oar blades left as I moved, but I could see the circular sparkling paths that it swooshed in the water around my rowboat. I slowly progressed west then slept at around 2 am with one hour wake up checks until 07:30.
The next day, Wednesday 23 June, it was effortless rowing initially but the onshore winds built in the afternoon and required me to keep rowing so as not to lose ground toward land. With little sleep during preparations, and now the relentless shore effects, I felt properly challenged. Two Humpback Whales flopped their fins and breached to wish me farewell. Around 16.00 at about 16 nm away, I could still see the light tan color of the triangular granite outcrop of Whaler Island before it was consumed by haze and fog.
I was able to stop rowing just before midnight. A full moon had lit up the skies overcast by low lying fog and clouds. I could operate without a headlight. By then the wind settled to NNW. With the boat tracking SSW, I could relax somewhat, comforted in the knowledge that I would clear Cape Mendocino by a wide margin.
Today I got started with energy bars and a couple of hard boiled eggs that Dan had given me. Knox, a reporter who was there most of the day for the launch, gifted me a dark blue, wide brimmed hat which also worked well.
Next to my skin, I am wearing an XOSkin long sleeve shirt with an advanced fabric which prevents chafing, moves moisture away from my skin and with its integrated copper mesh, the fabric does not retain odor. Their running shorts and tights prevent chafing and socks work well also to avoid blisters.
An albatross kept me company doing fly by’s, surprising me from different directions that I could never quite capture on camera. Shearwaters and Storm Petrels are also around.
Monday was the longest day of the year. Sunset today is at 20:55. I stopped rowing around 17.00 to write this quick update as the rowboat carries on at over two knots average speed due SSW to clear Cape Mendocino by about 25 nautical miles. I will soon be in the trade winds and am probably already benefiting from the California Current.
So far so good.
Erden