Foolish Adventures

I decided to take my boat out yesterday. I haven't started the Spring semester yet and I thought I should take it out while I still have a chance. I had one of my most exciting sailing adventures.

The winds inside alamitos bay were pretty light, but they were pointed such that I made a fairly quick clear shot out the jetty to San Pedro Bay (That's the ocean area off of Long Beach and inside the breakwater. At least that's what google maps calls it.)

In just about two hours I managed to sail all the way across the open bay area to Long Beach Harbor. I pushed it a bit farther than I normally would have because I wanted to say I had crossed out of Long Beach Harbor into Los Angeles Harbor, but I didn't make it that far. I didn't know where the division was and it would have been too far anyway. I think in the future I'll avoid that area. I got honked at by two giant boats (one was pushing a barge that carried a mack truck with its own sizeable parking lot and the other was a huge (several hundred yards long) cargo ship.) I was never in eminent danger, but I did need to change course to stay out of their way.

The return trip was uneventful. It was downwind and I made great time. I always start out heading up wind so that the return will be downwind. Sailing downwind is easier and faster though it feels slower (the wind isn't on your face and the boat doesn't heel over on one side). Unfortunately, the winds were almost dead inside Alamitos Bay and since I was in a hurry to get home I finally bummed a tow through the deadest part from a kind passing motorist. Still it was the most satisfying adventure I've had in the boat so far.

Which brings me to my dilemma. My father in law is always upset at me for taking the boat out single handed. It is designed to be sailed by two people though it is fairly easy to handle by myself. But more importantly, I'm several miles off shore by myself. I don't worry too much about drowning as I always wear a life jacket and Long Beach water while not warm is not too cold. If the boat capsized and I stayed with it I could stay out of the water and get help fairly soon (or probably right it and be on my way). But what if I was hit by the boom and knocked out temporarily. I would float all right, but I'd be hard to see. Or what if I fell overboard and the sails were cleated so that the boat kept sailing. He really is right, I should have someone else with me.

On the other hand I love the adventure and the solitude and it is very difficult to find people who want to go sailing with me. OK, it's not hard to find people who want to go, but when it's Friday morning and it looks like the winds will be good in the afternoon it is hard to find someone ready and willing to go right then. To make matters worse, I like to go places. I would love some time in June (long days and good winds) to head up and make it to somewhere on the Palos Verde penninsula at least to Cabrillo Bay. (Truth be told, I'd like to sail it to Catalina, but even I'm not that dumb. Well, I am but I would want an escort boat. Hey people swim it with an escort boat.)That's a significant time commitmant and it is work sailing upwind that far in a small boat. Most of the people who want to sail with me think in terms of a couple of hours of sailing, but this could easily be 3 out and 2 back, not to mention rigging and derigging. Where would I find someone who wanted to drop everything Friday afternoon and spend 6 hours sailing off the coast of Southern California?

So the real question is how do I pursue the sport I love, as I love it, while maintaining some reasonable safety standards. (And on the other hand is my risk really that much more than commuting by motorcycle in LA traffic? Or by barely freeway legal moped as I used to do?)