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maspacifico
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Wilderone...just read the article in LA Times. Sounds like he was pretty lucky even though he knew what he was doing. Makes following the Baja
coastline seem almost tame. I used to windsurf off Maui a lot. I can't imagine being in the open ocean on a kayak with 30 knot tradewinds and nothing
to hide behind. For 2000 miles.....amazing!
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wilderone
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" ... following the Baja coastline seem almost tame"
I agree. On our 150-mi. trip (Loreto-LaPaz) it would have been tame had we followed the Gulf coast. But we island-hopped, racked up some long days -
22 miles one day, and were put behind schedule by strong winds blowing up 2 ft. troughs. We were on Isla San Francisquito and needed to get back to
the coast, as it was too rough to get to Espiritu Santos islands as we had planned. I was pretty scared as we launched out into the white caps, but
soon learned that the swell and force was consistent. After you're in it for a bit, you've learned how to handle it, and then you time a landing
between surf breaks. We were all "solo" and unaided - essentially had each other for companionship, but needed to rely on our own skills, gear,
strength etc. Ed knew the risks and called the shots, listened to the weather radio - but nobody can paddle for you. If you're alone, you better
know the risks and how to handle them, but certainly doable.
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BajaNomad
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| Quote: | Originally posted by wilderone
"... a guy that kayaked from San Francisco to Hawaii."
Yes - Ed Gillette. |
Ed Gillet. Monterey to Maui. 64 days. He and wife Katie owned Southwest Kayak in
San Diego for some time and led tours in Baja. Presently an English teacher at Eastlake H.S. in Chula Vista.
L.A. Times article:
http://articles.latimes.com/1987-08-28/local/me-2830_1
Gillet's account of the trip:
http://www.quintanna.com/mtnsports/seakayaker/articles_1.htm...
When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.
– Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
We know we must go back if we live, and we don`t know why.
– John Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez
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oxxo
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| Quote: | Originally posted by BajaNomad
Monterey to Maui. 64 days. |
That sounds about right, approx. 32 miles per day. So if he averaged 3mph, that would be a 11 hour day, with 13 hours of rest. Interesting to note
that many sailboats and power boats only average of 5 to 6mph on this route. I am planning a Cabo to Oahu trip in my 40 foot boat in the next year
and hope to average 6.5 to 7mph, 175 mile days.
Just shows how far off our intrepid Baja kayaker was off in his calculations.
[Edited on 8-31-2010 by oxxo]
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wilderone
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Per-day, and mph calculations can only be a very rough guide. Ed got caught in a more than one storm that blew him off course; he got very little rest
over the whole trip. He was planning on the trip taking about 50 days and had food for that amout of time. When he finally reached Hawaii, of course
he was ill-kept and bedgraggled looking, and because his legs were so weak from sitting in the kayak for 2 months, he staggered into a convenience
store for food and drink. They thought he was a drunken bum - he had an armful of candy bars, milk, etc. - dumped them on the counter and pulled out
a wad of cash.
"Cabo to Oahu trip in my 40 foot boat in the next year and hope to average 6.5 to 7mph, 175 mile days." Good luck.
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oxxo
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| Quote: | Originally posted by wilderone
He was planning on the trip taking about 50 days and had food for that amout of time. |
That would mean he expected to average 44 miles a day, paddling a kayak, for 50 days. I think that is unrealistic and he was lucky to survive the
voyage as well as he did. There is no way he should have expected to average 4mph over the ground (11 hour days) for 50 days. I think he did very
well to complete the voyage in 64 days.
I would think that rather than let his legs atrophy over 64 days, he would have gotten out of the kayak and swim, pulling the kayak for maybe an hour
a day. He was obviously in great physical condition.
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BajaNomad
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| Quote: | Originally posted by oxxo
| Quote: | Originally posted by wilderone
He was planning on the trip taking about 50 days and had food for that amout of time. |
That would mean he expected to average 44 miles a day, paddling a kayak, for 50 days. I think that is unrealistic and he was lucky to survive the
voyage as well as he did. There is no way he should have expected to average 4mph over the ground (11 hour days) for 50 days. I think he did very
well to complete the voyage in 64 days.
I would think that rather than let his legs atrophy over 64 days, he would have gotten out of the kayak and swim, pulling the kayak for maybe an hour
a day. He was obviously in great physical condition. |
Wilderone's had personal contact with Ed and may know the details better through first-hand conversations. According to the articles I linked to, it
mentions he planned for the trip to take 40 days, and packed enough food for 60 days. He went the last 4 days without food. At least that's what's
been written.
When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.
– Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
We know we must go back if we live, and we don`t know why.
– John Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez
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AndyP
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Gillet used a kite when he had good winds, and managed some 80 mile days.
http://www.canoekayak.com/features/stories/gillet/
I remember reading an article years ago where he wrote that it was the unusually calm trade winds that really put him behind schedule. Honestly I
think questioning the decisions (maybe other than the decision to the trip at all!) of a kayaker of his skill and experience is a bit like giving
Michael Jordan advice on his dribbling.
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oxxo
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So, for one third of the trip he used a kite to propel himself? That is a lttle different than paddling the whole way. People have made the West
Coast/Hawaii trip in a sailboat smaller than his kayak. I have a woman friend who went solo from Seattle to New Zealand in a sailboat not much larger
than his kayak. She had to scull on days when there was no wind. Ths was in the 1980's also. Years ago, one guy rowed all the way across the
Atlantic in an 8 foot boat.
Our intrepid Baja kayaker could have learned a few things from this guy. A parafoil kite would certainly make this trip more feasibile. I think it
is possible to paddle all the way from San Diego to Cabo without pulling in at night or paddling all the way from Monterey to Hawaii without a sail.
It just takes better planning and a lot of luck.
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