Kayaking to Catalina Island - Part 5

Twenty-six miles across the sea
Santa Catalina is a-waitin' for me

            "26 Miles (Santa Catalina)"
             by Glen Larson and Bruce Belland 

The horizon beyond the breakwater looks like charcoal ash and everything is wet to the touch. UCLA's men's and women's rowing teams carry single and double rowing shells down to the water. It's early on a Saturday morning in mid-September at UCLA's Marina Aquatic Center. 

If you were around here this early a hundred years ago, you might be tramping through the Ballona marshes, accompanied by your best retrievers and carrying a fowling piece, duck hunting. Not today. 

In the MAC's side yard, five kayakers who plan to paddle from Cabrillo Beach to Avalon on October 1st prepare for the final practice session. After the boats are rigged, lead instructor Brendan Nelson reviews the trip's logistics. Sitting with him around the fire-pit are Wanderley Reis, Mary Drenick, David Salper, and Sung Byun. Five are absent today. One has a rotten cold. The others have family obligations. Children. Parents. Life. 

Brendan isn't concerned. "By this point, I have confidence in everyone's ability and readiness," he says.

They've been practicing for the crossing every weekend since June. Each has fulfilled their training commitment. 

The kayakers talk about the trip home on the motor-yacht they chartered. Will there be refreshments? Brendan laughs. "Trust me," he says. "The most popular 'refreshment' will be sleep." 

Evelyn Nguyen: "The Catalina crossing was something I'd heard about. Like some kind of myth. For me, kayaking has always been a relaxing sport. I do it for fun. But when Brendan told me about the crossing this fall, I signed up!"

David Salper: "When Brendan mentioned what I now call 'Paddle-ina,' I jumped at the chance. I liked the idea of having a goal that would make kayaking a regular part of my summer."

Wanderley Reis: "I'm also preparing for another of my dreams -- to run a marathon next year -- so showing up at a quarter to seven on Saturdays means waking up at four a.m. to run beforehand. But it's paying off. Kayaking is an amazing upper body exercise."

For such a lengthy journey, the students will carry a lunch, water (naturally), snacks, a paddle float, a cockpit pump, additional clothing in case it gets chilly, and dry clothes for the return home. They'll also take wet-suits. Most will have a water-resistant jacket ready. Hats, gloves, and sunglasses are a given.

The instructors carry a bit more gear: spare paddles, extra tow-lines, Marine radios, GPS devices, maps and compasses, the ubiquitous cell-phone, an emergency signal kit, an advanced first-aid kit, a kayak repair kit, extra rations and water. Everyone will bring head lamps due to the early start and the chance of a late arrival at Avalon. They'll all be wearing a personal flotation device, or PFD. What we used to call life vests.

Brendan's personal flotation device is the Swiss army knife of PFD's. It seems to have a pocket for everything, from energy bars to LED flashlight to extra tow-line. It also has a built-in towing strap if another kayaker needs a lift. 

Everyone's eager to go. John De Rago and his wife, Traci, have lost three of their four parents to cancer. They plan to start a foundation to assist cancer patients with basic services. "That's a challenge that's far more daunting than a marathon or a channel crossing," he says.

"Think about it," says Mary Drenick. "Last October 1st, I was in the hospital recovering from breast cancer surgery. This October 1st, I'll be kayaking to Catalina. Love it!"

Each established a goal for the summer. In a pastime that can be so solitary, they worked together to reach those goals. Each says that the results will last a lifetime. 

In the final pre-voyage installment, preparations and reflections by the kayakers. 

(Previous installments: , , , )