Kayaking to Catalina Island - Part 4

"Forty kilometers in a leaky old boat
Any old thing that'll stay afloat"

           "26 Miles (Santa Catalina)"
             by Glen Larson and Bruce Belland

"All in!" someone shouts and 10 UCLA Marina Aquatic Center kayakers roll their boats over for a "wet exit" capsize recovery. It's the end of a long day of paddling. Everyone's tired. They're still out on Santa Monica Bay, with plenty of paddling ahead before they reach UCLA's Marina Aquatic Center. They've done this recovery many times. But it's part of their training. And an exercise in team-building.

Every Saturday and several Sundays this past summer, UCLA MAC kayaking instructor Brendan Nelson, other instructors and teaching assistants, and five kayaking students have met early in the morning, prepared their kayaks, and set out for a day on the ocean. Their reason? On October 1st they'll paddle from Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro to Avalon.

The Tongva Indians called Catalina Island Pimu or Pimugna. They had villages at the Isthmus as well as present-day Avalon, Shark Harbor, and Emerald Bay. On the island, they mined soapstone, which could be worked into bowls and food slabs, and traded it as far south as Baja California, as well as up the coast to the Channel Islands. The reasons for their journeys were decidedly different than those of Brendan and the UCLA kayakers. But the challenge was the same -- get across the channel safely.

Mary Drenick is one of the students participating.

"I wanted to see if I could do it," she says. "To see if I could actually kayak that distance and be on the water for that many hours."

She also loves to kayak. You can see it on her face and in her enthusiasm. "I wanted the opportunity to paddle every single Saturday from June through September with a great group of people," she says. "It's so much fun to experience the ocean in different conditions, and frolic with dolphins, sea lions, and pelicans, even whales! The training has been a blast and I'll miss it when it's all over."

A year ago, Mary underwent surgery for breast cancer.

"When I was diagnosed and had to undergo surgery," she says, "my kayaking buddies were extremely supportive. They really helped get me through it."

But, when Mary was recovering, she wondered how long it would be before she could get back on the water. Her fellow kayakers offered to give her a tow if she got tired. "My kayaking friends were a big factor in my recovery," she says. "I'll never forget that."

For Mary, it's another thing that makes the Catalina trip even more special.

When the kayakers leave the mainland behind, they'll cross the busy San Pedro Channel. Along the way, they're sure to see marine life. If they're lucky, "bait balls" of fish will attract dolphins, Pacific barracuda, and mackerel. Gulls and pelicans will dive into the melee. The feeding frenzy won't last long, but it would be one of the memories the kayakers bring home with them. Their course will probably also cross those of boaters surprised to see ten kayakers so far from land.

"It should take us about eight to ten hours with brief rest breaks," says veteran MAC kayaking instructor Bob Gurfield. Bob, like Brendan, has made the Catalina paddle before. Both ways.

Tall and lean, before retiring Bob worked in operations research and computer sciences for JPL, RAND, ISI-USC, and UCLA. A long-time MAC instructor, he also participates in the MAC's Birding by Kayak and its Sunset and Full Moon Paddle activities. He's out on the water almost every weekend. Brendan and the others are glad he's part of the team.

Allison Gunn is another participant. She's been kayaking at the MAC for a little over two years and also helps out as a teaching assistant. "I wanted to participate in the Catalina crossing because it seemed like a great way to increase my kayaking abilities and confidence," she says. "And, it would be an accomplishment I can build on."

Allison already had experience canoeing and kayaking, but it was through the MAC's kayaking program that she learned to kayak on the open ocean.

"I didn’t realize it when I committed to the crossing," says Allison, laughing. "But there was the additional benefit of allowing me to indulge in desserts and beer, since I've had such a rigorous exercise program this summer!"

Wanderley Reis is originally from Brazil, of Italian descent, with a Dutch first name, and a good example of the kind of people you meet at the MAC due to UCLA's international reputation. Tall, with a subtle sense of humor, Wan (pronounced "Van") is a doctoral student at UCLA studying Brazilian Literature, with a focus on 20th century business issues in literature. He and his wife have two children. 

"After enduring seven years of brutal winters in Ohio," says Wan, "My wife and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather in Southern California, so we moved here in 2008."

His long-time passion is running, but, not long after arriving, he enrolled in his first kayaking class as an experiment. "I fell in love with the sport," he says. "And I plan to become an instructor after our Catalina trip."

Next, the final practice session and the participants' thoughts about the impending journey. 

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