We left Jan's car in the parking lot, transferring his boat and equipment to my vehicle for the trip to Malaga Cove. We continued East around the Palos Verdes Peninsula then curving north to Via Corta, in the heart of the little retail center in Malaga Cove. Turn East and go down curving toward the water. Turn right at the little museum on Via Arroyo and right at the first stop sign. We parked just at the mouth of the asphalt-paved path to the beach, opposite the school field.

Hint No. 1:

Bring a kayak caddy or some kind of wheeled transportation, especially one that you can pack in your boat.

The surf was up (Jan is a surfer and said they were "chest high" breakers, perhaps 3 to 4 feet or so) and there surfers all over the beach. We launched at a spot with fewer surfers -- the condition challenged your surf launch skills. I am masochistic and love surf launches -- me against nature, punching through waves, being completely covered with water, timing the attack, etc. -- and felt exhilirated to have made it through cleanly. My boat, a heavier Necky Narpa (plastic), behaved well in the heavy surf -- it tracked well and we powered through the breakers.

Jan, because it was such a nice day, didn't use a spray skirt on his fiberglass Necky Arluk II and swamped as the waves broke over him. We stopped and I loaned him my bilge pump.

We began paddling west along the coast of PV Peninsula - all day long we saw a number of sea lions which we viewed with caution in light of the Daily Breeze article I had read the night before about two incidents of sea lions biting a surfer and a kayaker in the area. Although there was little wind, there were large rollers in frequent sets (hence the surfers' paradise). Lot's of kelp all along the North facing slope, around Palos Verdes Point to just south of Lunada Bay. Sometimes you felt like you were "crawling" along the water by pulling on the kelp. It was a little hard to navigate through the kelp beds to avoid it. There are several rocks and outcroppings which are submerged as swells pass over them and become exposed in troughs - you have to keep an eye out.

The scenery is beautiful -- though I didn't know that PV was a developed with homes as close to the cliffs as they were. Also, if you're into geology, the story of the "uplift" that PV is the result of is interesting and there are many colorful formations of sedimentary rock all along the peninsula. Before rounding PV Point, the seas were very calm and often "glassy." From PV Pt. down to Pt. Vicente, the seas were decidedly "confused" -- combination of in-bound rollers, some cross swells (reflection off the cliffs), light chop and cross winds. Sometimes you weren't sure you were making progress, but we were.

The Kelp lightened up considerably after Lunada Bay and the seas began to calm. Before reaching the Pt. Vicente lighthouse which loomed in the distance, we detoured into a couple of the little coves, coming across a huge, bloated, half eaten, rotting sea lion carcass entwined in kelp -- be careful what you seek! We next headed towards and reached Long Pt. (which is actually where Marineland was located) and Jan's car. At this pont we had been paddling exactly 2 hrs. (8:45 AM to 10:45 AM) and a distance of around 7.5 miles. We had a little extra time and we paddled on to Portuguese Pt. to see a couple of sea caves (not deep enough to paddle into). We beached on a sand beach next to the caves and snacked. We re-launched and landed back at Long Point and the take out.

Hint No. 2:

Use your plastic boat on this trip -- the surge and rocks at the take out will give glass boat owners heart attacks.

Carry your caddy with you and use it to tow your boat uphill to the parking lot.

All in all a great day. Would like to do this again, soon ... indeed a trip all the way to Cabrillo Beach shouldn't been too difficult if you start early enough and plan your trip carefully.

    Sandy Mayuga