To Edith and Beyond
It seems no one was paddling today, 6/11/05, and I felt energetic. I decided to paddle to Edith and beyond to Eureka. I got one of those early morning starts 5:30 AM. I had my GPS, deck compass, two mini back-up compasses and a marked up chart I was ready for a navigation experience in the overcast haze that was sure to obscure any destination. I headed directly out of the jetty and established my compass heading to Edith 8.5 NM distant. No need for the GPS until I started wandering and wanted to be more efficient. There was a light on the horizon right on line so I fixed on it. I figured it was a boat and I would chase it as long as it stayed on heading. Well there must be a Motel 6 on Edith because good old Tom Bodett left the light on for me, so much for navigation.

At the end of the first hour I started sucking on my Camelback of 50:50 Gatorade and water and popped a bite size Snickers. I started getting a dry mouth so I sucked on the hose and stroked away. Five miles out I passed just in front of an anchored oil tanker. At the end of the second hour I was burping and feeling queasy. I need to watch the late night Chinese food. I sucked some more and had another one-bite Snickers.

The row of oil well platforms was showing well now but so were two large Navy ships and a helicopter. One ship was stationary in front of the Siamese two middle platforms and the other, with a helicopter on its fan deck, was doing figure-8's around the platforms. Another copper was buzzing back and forth around the platforms. I figured what harm could they imagine one lone kayak could do. So on I paddled. I was maybe a mile from Edit and the chopper buzzed over me. Then the ship u-turned and went between me Edit to continue its figure-8s. I waited for it to go by just to stay way clear. Knowing it would take a while to get to Eureka to turn around I paddled on heading for the side of Edith away from Ellen and Elly, the twins. I got where the platforms were lining up and my chopper buddy flew by turning around me with its side door open. I figured that was my second warning next time by he would be shooting. Now I really did want to visit Eureka but Admiral Loop de!

Loop was doing a good job being in the way and his parked compatriot was also a bit of an obstacle. So I turned back toward the mainland and fixed on Platform Emmy and took off a stroking and sucking.

Now I was really starting to get queasy. My chopper buddy, seeing I was turning green behind the gills, was kind enough to check up on me a couple times during the first half of the trip to Emmy. By the time I got to Emmy I was trashed. I was resting every 10 minutes, my stomach was turning, the boat was bouncing every which way, staying balanced was much more deliberate, my mouth was dry and the colored sugar/salt water just did not help. I stopped 100 yards off Emmy on the mainland side. The Navy just did not care about Emmy or her neighbor Eva. Go figure. I dug out a quart of clear water to see if a few sips would wet my mouth. I laid back on the deck while sculling on one side to rest my back. Wow did that put a new spin on things. Then back to paddling I only had 8 NM to the car.

With some paddling and water sipping my stomach settled and I was much better, tired but much better. Heck 2 hours later I was back at the car. It was not even noon and I had 25 NM behind me. From now on Gatorache stays on the store shelf. It is not for me.

There was lots of red tide against the land. I did see three separate sea lions miles out.

Dave H

Submitted on June 11, 2005