Trip Log: Outrigger Canoe Sailing the California Channel Islands

These amazing Islands are right here off the California coast. Part national park, part privately conserved. Seen like a mirage from the mainland, they beckon you to sail there in an outrigger canoe. Kathleen Mckee and myself did just that in Oct 2009. This is the log from that trip.
A month later I went back for some more sailing. Back to the Islands.

Here we are running downwind in 30+mph winds and waves to 7ft with full sail.


Here we are running downwind with furled sail in increased wind and waves.


Beating into the wind, going to windward smoothly in a brisk wind.

Step 1 Where are the Channel Islands?

We launched from Ventura California and sailed past Anacapa Island to Santa Cruz Island.
It's 11 miles between the nearest points of Anacapa and the Mainland.
Map courtesy of [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Californian_Channel_Islands_map_en.png wikipedia]

Comments

[joe karr]

Tim, Great  story and a innovative boat, I am interested in arming my 18' grunman with a Ama, and crab claw sail, leeboards, rudder. & 2hp outb.I met you thru wolfgang, I am a blacksmith on the base, [for now,] I built a greenland skin on frame, and now I want a different project. Joe. [e-mail]

[ex_mo]

 way to listen to your dreams and intuition...

[ex_mo]

 the moon sailing and cliffs sound amazing.

[imtohver]

i love that the competent Kat has one of the guides upside down. you forgot to mention that she's adorable.

[Wade Tarzia]

Good trip log!  Impressive footage of wave surfing!  Nice to see the "Cuba canoe" back in action, and to see the person who took those great balsa raft photos.

[katmckee]

Hey thanks for the kind words and for appreciating stuff!

[Tracy]

Great story, Tim. Cool motor, too. I have one about that size for my canoe; a 1952 Elgin 2 hp that I got cheap.
I've read about people using biodiesel mixed with gasoline in 2 stroke motors. The biodiesel acts as both lubricant and fuel. Also, in some parts of the world (Sierra Leone. fr'instance) outboards run on kerosene, and the kerosene has enough lubricity to not require any lube oil premix. Wonder if that would work with straight biodiesel? The compression ratio would have to be reduced, as is the case with kerosene engines.

[marvthecarpenter]

What a great trip thanks fo sharing it with us.
Just one note. You may want to do something about the photos with the misapproproated government property in them.

[Its Giggles]

Oh thats gotta be fun!
Especially this time of the year when the weather is warmer.
Wish i could do something like that w/ my buddies, still in school tho.

(Hey, by the way, isnt that pillar point harbour?
 im from around there, haha)

-m

[canida]

Sounds like fun was had by all!  And did you include step 28 just for me? ;)

[woodyardboy]

Thanks Tim, that was great, I felt like I was there. From now on I'm going to follow the axiom, "if it ain't broke, fiddle about with it".

[Jobar007]

You can purchase the manual through http://www.outboardbooks.com/ if you are willing to spend a little cash. A short google search returned no promising leads as far as a free pdf manual was concerned.

[Goodluck]

Looks like an incredible trip! Be sure to give us an update on your trip to retrieve the boat.

[AT]

Boy Tim, the fun never stops when you are around.  :-)