Approaching Point Loma
14 July 2014
I motorsailed, mostly against the wind, out of the San Diego Bay and towards and then around Point Loma. I was worried about reported 5 foot swells, but that didn't turn out to be the problem as a Catalina 25 Wing Keel sailboat can handle 5 foot swells easily. It was the kelp beds and floating detached kelp. There was a ton of it, probably many hundreds or thousands of tons actually. Though I headed out to and past buoy #3 as recommended, there was still a lot of kelp growing and floating in the water around Point Loma. It kept getting caught in the prop of the new engine and around the rudder sticking down from the stern. I used the forespar extendable boat hook to pull it off several times, which pretty much always worked. I learned the kelp grows in around 60-100 feet of sea water and floaters extend to around 120 feet of water. The only reliable method of avoiding it is to go to the 10 fathom line or deeper water. The deeper the water, the calmer and safer the conditions. Instinctively I was drawn closer to shore to feel safe, but what I learned on this trip along the Pacific coast is that waves build up closer to shore and kelp grows there. Beyond 120 feet of depth, and farther out, the ocean calms down, the water is a beautiful deep blue, kelp is essentially absent, and there is plenty of sea room to deal with whatever comes up. Now I understand why experienced sailors like to get offshore. That is also where the wind blows more steadily.
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