Destination: Home

Well...I'm back and no I didn't make it to Cabo. For anyone
following my blog or this thread, you know that things
didn't go as planned.

I've read through all the posts and to the naysayers, all I can
say is this was MY trip, not yours. How I chose to go about
it was my decision. To supporters, thanks.

That being said, there were definitely some errors
in my planning. Kayak weight was a key factor.
Couple that with unfortunate timing and
things can come unraveled quickly.

Here's the gist of what went down:

From the start, I knew that I would have no ground
support. I knew that would be a crucial factor in this trip.
I spoke to several people who have done
similar type trips and they all advised against going
without ground support. The reasons are obvious (less
gear to carry, easily resupplied, medical emergencies, etc.).
I put the word out, but I couldn't find any
friends who were able to commit to the support
required for a trip like this. I'm not one to rely on others,
so I tried to figure out what I CAN do without a support team.
I knew that certain conditions would have to prevail if
I was going to succeed.

Additionally, I made a commitment to myself about what
I would do if things went wrong or if I found that I
was on a path to destruction. Being a pilot, I've been
taught that its not one thing that went wrong, but a
culmination of many mistakes that leads to most tragic
accidents. 99% of the time, its pilot error and can
be avoided. As Matt F. said in one post, I've proved
Darwin wrong many times...I did not want this trip
to be a Darwinian experiement.

The second problem was weight. My kayak was extremely
heavy, but well within the limits of the kayak.
Unfortunately, being so heavy, it was extremely
difficult for me to move on land. Each heave-ho would
only move the kayak a few inches. I'm estimated I
had about 300lbs of gear, food, and water.

Another major problem is where to land each night. The
first night was extremely difficult and I thought
about that for many months. I thought
about paddling to the Coronados and trying to hook up
with a boat, but figured that was too risky. I decided to
paddle straight to Rosarito, which I did, but since I
launched late (around noon), I didn't get there until
3:30am.

Each evening, I contemplated where I would land. Though
I did my research with maps and charts, I wasn't moving
as fast as I had hoped. My average speed was 2.2 mph.
Typically, its 3.5mph with all my fishing gear. As I
approached my initial landing candidate, I was met
with obstacles out of my control. Incorrect tides, surf,
and other factors made it so my first choice usually
didn't work out. In most cases, I searched for 3-4 hours
for a landing spot.

After arriving in La Bufadora (paddling around Punta Banda
was a trip), I realized that I was only covering half
the miles each day that I needed to in order to complete
this trip in the time I had alloted. Add to that reports
of even larger surf on the way and I began to realize
that I could end up in an uncomfortable situation.

A kayak guide (Eddy), told me that there were surf
warnings for the next several days. He is a certified
expedition kayak guide and knows the Baja coastline
very well. He and another certified guide suggested
that I wait for several days before moving on
from La Bufadora.

I knew that waiting 5 days would make my chances of
reaching Cabo even slimmer. He then suggested the Cortez
side and I thought about that. Unfortunately, though
I knew it would be warmer, I never anticipated the
heat that I experienced there. Temps were easily
over 100 degrees on the water.

Adaptation is Evolution

As with any expedition, one must adapt to whatever situations arrive. To that extent, my trip has evolved in many ways.

Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful at paddling the entire Pacific Baja peninsula. Too much gear, big surf and other factors lead me to try the Cortez side. Literally out of the frying pan and into the fire. The surf won't kill me, but the heat certainly will.

So, while this certainly isn't the expedition I originally planned, it's still quite a trip. I'm moving by vehicles to choice spots in Baja to concentrate more on fishing than paddling.

Tons of large Calicos this morning at Asuncion, but water temp is 58, so the game I'm after isn't here. Heading south. Next stop: Abreojos.

Saluté

Island grouper

Found these guys on a rocky point after spending the night in a volcano a few nights ago. Some great starry nights and some great fishing.

Everything is fine, Great fishing

Internet is sporadic, so updates have been as well. Fishing has been good. Been laying low. Fresh batteries in the SPOT. Look for new locations coming soon. 

Loaded down Yak

Here's a shot of my kayak loaded down. The kayak has over 100lbs just in food and water, plus fishing gear, solar panels, surfboard, miscellaneous gear, and 3 (8) Amp Hour batteries.

Loaded down with over 300lbs of gear inside and out.

Change of Plans

This is the first update I've been able to make. As you can see, I've changed course somewhat. This was due to high surf and an extremely heavy kayak. After several reductions in equipment and supplies, I was still very heavy. Much too heavy to deal with surf. Unfortunately, the Sea of Cortez side has some extreme heat and its own challenges. Currently catching lots of grouper in Punta Buffeo.

Small Grouper. Early on, was catching one every cast...

T- minus 10 hours

Well, the prep work is all done, now I'm just configuring my packing for the umpteenth time. Launching tomorrow morning around 5:00am from Shelter Island. Wish me luck...

Launch Date: Saturday July 17, 2010 5am

Due to some electronics problems, I've delayed my launch a day. I will be launching from Shelter Island at 5am on Saturday. I'd like to launch earlier, but it may not be practical. Check back here for the latest info on launch times and click the Current Location link (in the header) to see where I am at any particular time during my expedition.

Final Countdown

I just returned from my trip to Mammoth with the kids. Testing is complete on nearly all systems, with the exception of a couple of late arrival components. I'm trying to launch Friday at 5am, though I may push it to Saturday if I don't get everything done at a reasonable hour.

Trout Fitter in Mammoth

As part of my prep, I took the kids camping to field test all my gear. All worked great, though I need another component for my solar panel to charge the Canon cameras. Thanks to overnight shipping, I should have that tonight.

While in Mammoth I stopped at TroutFitter fly shop (http://www.thetroutfitter.com). Cog MacNeil was great with some additional gear ideas for my trip. He's also a fly guide (cog@flyfishingwithcog.com). Look him up if you need some gear while in Mammoth.

Check-in/OK message from Dave's SPOT SPOT Messenger

Dave's SPOT
Latitude:37.62975
Longitude:-119.08487
GPS location Date/Time:07/10/2010 20:32:49 PDT

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=37.62975,-119.08487&ll=37.62975,-119.08487&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Message:Daily Check-In Msg. Here's where I am.

Raising the safety factor for millions who step into the outdoors each year, SPOT notifies friends and family or an international emergency rescue coordination center with status messages based on situation and need. Ask for Help (or SPOT Assist), Alert S.O.S., Check-In/OK and Track Progress-all with the simple push of a button.
http://www.findmespot.com

Looking for a great way to share SPOT tracks and waypoints, stories and photos? Head to http://www.spotadventures.com and see how users are creating their adventures and sharing them!

SPOT test from devil's Postpile

I'm at Devil's Postpile with the kids. Going send a SPOT Messenger OK message to see how well it poststo this blog.

SPOT Messenger has arrived

I've activated my SPOT Messenger, so I'll be testing that this week. I'll be using it to post my current position throughout Baja. I've signed up for the Tracking feature, but I don't think I'll let it track me 24/7 as this would require a lot of battery power and rechargeable batteries are not recommended. I'll post a link to the tracking page once that gets set up.

Stone Brewing Company hooks me up!

Had another meeting yesterday with Stone Brewing Co. Chris hooked me up with lots of great cycling gear that will come in handy during my long paddle. The special materials are designed to wick away moisture, so it should help me stay dry and comfy. He also threw in a case of Ruination, so I'll have to be sure I pack a few bottles for the first night on the water...Thanks Chris!

Tsunamis: Wins an Emmy

I won an Emmy tonight for my work on an animation I did with a buddy of mine (Chris Neuhahn) for the County of San Diego. I'm so stoked!
If you'd like to view the animation, it can be found here:

Recycled Lint

Thinking about my fire starting options, I experimented with dryer lint. It seems to work pretty well, so I've been collecting it to bring along. I guess if it doesn't work, I can always knit a hoodie.

Talking the Talk

Went to TJ last night to get my Tourist Card for Mexico. I really need to pick up the pace on my Spanish studies. Getting the Tourist card was easy. Trying to communicate in Spanish: worthless. LOL.

My Baja Tackle Box

Here's a quick overview of my tackle for my trip. It includes over 65 lures, 120 swimbaits, and 11 spools of line. Way too much to list here. Here's a pic:

New Werner Paddle Arrives

I received a new Corryvrecken carbon fiber paddle today from Werner.
The new paddle has a redesigned ferrule (compared to my 2007 model)
and looks great. The new ferrule release button has a lower profile.
The blade shape looks identical. Will test it out on Saturday.

More Mods Necessary - 1 cam down

Worked on some modifications over the weekend, including adding cleats to the side rails. Upon further consideration of the rudder setup, I realize now that my previous rigging for my surfboard isn't going to work with a rudder attached. I've been working on ideas for a new attachment method, though nothing concrete yet. Time is running out.

Also, one of my cameras started malfunctioning on Saturday. Not quite sure what happened, but during the time lapse recording of the cleat installation, the camera locked up. No digital images, and now it won't turn off. Need to get it exchanged quickly or the new one will arrive after I leave...