Catalina Trip End of July/Early August

[wiredantz]

CAMPING TRIP TO CATALINA SAT JUL 30 and Returning JUL 31.

Stinkymatt is staying until Monday Aug 1st



If you want to stay for an extra day you would have to make plans with your partner, There are no more openings for Sat .Jul 30 but they are a few more for Jul 31.

You would just have to reserve it yourself.

I ran into a few buy one get one free tickets for the Catalina Flyer at Marina Del Rey, so we will be splitting the cost of one ticket which is roughly $ 90.00. The free ticket has to pay a $4.00 tax fee.

MARINA DEL REY, CA SCHEDULE for July

DAY	DEPART MARINA DEL REY		DEPART AVALON	DEPART TWO HARBORS
MONDAY	9:00 AM		5:00 PM	4:00 PM
TUESDAY	NO SERVICE		NO SERVICE	NO SERVICE
WEDNESDAY	NO SERVICE		NO SERVICE	NO SERVICE
THURSDAY	9:00 AM		5:00 PM	4:00 PM
FRIDAY	9:00 AM		5:00 PM	4:00 PM
SATURDAY	9:00 AM		5:00 PM	4:00 PM
SUNDAY	9:00 AM		5:00 PM	4:00 PM

That means we leave Sat at 9am at Marina Del Rey, Ca and depart from two harbor at 4pm on Sunday.


The prices to transport the kayaks are as follows:

11ft and under $40.00 Roundtrip
12ft and over $60.00 Roundtrip


Roughly is going to be $ 105.00 (including a 12ft+ Kayak) per person + $16 camping site fee -($16- if we get all 12 spot filled-- Payable to me-Frank) . (Site: LH14A ) For 12 people reserved only one left

http://www.visitcatalinaisland.com/a...tle-Harbor.pdf

http://www.visitcatalinaisland.com/t...ttleHarbor.php
In total i have 6 buy one get one free tickets.
Here is the 3D Map of the area!
http://www.bing.com/maps/default.asp...0382&encType=1
Our Route:


From previous people who have done it...
"The entire stretch is scenic and very fishy. The whole route can be done (weather permitting) in about 2 hours. Since we’re fishing along the way it usually takes us about 4 hours. "

******EVERYONE WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR TRANSPORTING THEIR OWN GEAR TO THE CAMPING SITE
Since this is a buyone get one free offer, it is best that your partner up with a friend so you can split the cost of the catalina flyer fare
Once you have established your partner, please have one of your partners contact me and pay me $32.00(16.00ea for the campsite Weekend rate) and I will give you the buy one get one free coupon for the catalina flyer at Marina del rey. Payment either, Cash or paypal.
Camping site: Site: LH14A
******


Back up plan: i don't have one...


So far People who are going:

1st Buy one get one free
George aka jorluivil
Frank aka wiredantz aka Darknachos

2nd Buy one get one free
Matt aka Stinkymatt
Tim aka Tagyak

3rd Buy one get one free
Open
Erick aka Ericko

4th Buy one get one free
Open
Open


5th Buy one get one free

Open
Open


6th Buy one get one free

Open
Open

Intrested Parties:

Seascrambler from - sportkayakfishing
YAKmedic-





Looks like Andy has done this in the past.
Arriving at Two Harbos Before noon and rolling our yaks 1/2 mile and paddling out to lil harbor. So pack light


http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/s...ht=catapalooza

I will be wheeling my kayak to the other side, Pack light whoever is going!!!

Here is the plan:

1. Marina Del Rey flyer to Two Harbors,
2. Wheel your kayak or get a ride over the Isthmus (at your own expense)
3. Paddle out of Cat Harbor to the campgrounds at Little Harbor
4. Arrive at lil Harbor setup camp cooks what we caught
5. Try to sleep
6. Pack up Camp and load up the kayak
7. Paddle back to Cat. Harbor and make your way back across the Isthmus.
9. Get on the boat and go home.

[StinkyMatt]

Frank you are my Sunshine!

Talk to Iceman, I bet he knows all kinds of good info about putting this together......

I heard that surf perch all hitting at the islands!

[wiredantz]

Question:

For people who have gotten off at two harbors. How did you transport the yak to Catalina harbor to paddle to little harbor?

[jorluivil]

Originally Posted by wiredantz

Question:

For people who have gotten off at two harbors. How did you transport the yak to Catalina harbor to paddle to little harbor?

Matt's going to carry mine for me.....Thanks Matt

[StinkyMatt]

Frank the dates you set of JULY 30 and 31 work great. Already got them reserved with the wife.

George, I will carry all of your gear for you, you just have to promise to "tent" with me!

[jorluivil]

Originally Posted by StinkyMatt

Frank the dates you set of JULY 30 and 31 work great. Already got them reserved with the wife.

What kind of departure time are we looking at?

Originally Posted by StinkyMatt

George, I will carry all of your gear for you, you just have to promise to "tent" with me!

Let me check with the wife, need to make sure she's OK with it first. I'll make sure I tell her you have the WSB secret spot coordinates.

[bubblehide]

Originally Posted by wiredantz

Question:

For people who have gotten off at two harbors. How did you transport the yak to Catalina harbor to paddle to little harbor?

Frank, if your going to camp a Little Harbor, you should take the ferry that drops you at Two Harbor; from there you can paddle to Little Harbor, and or have everything transported if you arrange transportation. If I were you, I'd talk with Andy prior to making arrangements with Cat Isl. The last time I went, we simply had everything (including our yaks) transported from Two Harbors to the campground, set up camp, and enjoyed the week.

Sounds like a nice time of the year, should be a nice trip.

[wiredantz]

Originally Posted by bubblehide

Frank, if your going to camp a Little Harbor, you should take the ferry that drops you at Two Harbor; from there you can paddle to Little Harbor, and or have everything transported if you arrange transportation. If I were you, I'd talk with Andy prior to making arrangements with Cat Isl. The last time I went, we simply had everything (including our yaks) transported from Two Harbors to the campground, set up camp, and enjoyed the week.

Sounds like a nice time of the year, should be a nice trip.

I was planning to bring my kayak wheels and drag it from 2 harbors to the the other harbor, it looks about half a mile about a 15min walk or maybe more depends on how good your wheels are. then paddle out to little harbor.

I don't know the other way to do it. PACK LIGHT!!!


maybe there is a gear service or something... but each one is responsble for their own gear transportation

We just let Matt carry everything

[jorluivil]

Originally Posted by wiredantz

I don't know the other way to do it. PACK LIGHT!!!

The last two time we helped carry your kayak your yak nearly split in half from all the weight. What do you carry in that thing?

[mtnbykr2]

Frank pm sent

[YakMedic]

I'm in sent you a pm.

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by wiredantz

"The entire stretch is scenic and very fishy. The whole route can be done (weather permitting) in about 2 hours. Since we’re fishing along the way it usually takes us about 4 hours. "

I'll be straight up here. I've fished Catalina a ton, and the trip your planning is completely dependent on conditions. If the conditions are not good you could easily end up in lot of trouble. You need to plan ahead for bad weather and have a backup plan if things go wrong.

Essentially you'll fishing the backside or weather side of Catalina Island. It's not always a nice place to fish and at times it's downright dangerous.

I know of more boats lost on the backside of Catalina and of more boating related deaths there then anywhere else in California. Private boater guys fish it all the time and I have a bunch of trips back there but the deal is we usually fish it mornings, watch the forecast and leave before the wind comes up. Boats can power out of there when things get bad kayaks can't, but we still try to play our cards right, always be on top of the situation and definitely know when to cut our losses when it comes to dealing with the backside..

Think of the island as the top of a mountain surrounded by water thousands of feet deep. On the backside you have the whole Pacific on one side, and the other side cliffs something like a thousand feet tall. The swells barrel in from the open ocean smash against the cliffs and are reflected back out making a washing machine effect close to shore. The wind in the afternoons is almost always blowing towards the shore and it's intensified by the islands shape making a mildly windy day for anywhere else into a very windy day on the backside Catalina. It can be downright dangerous in the afternoon when the wind comes up, plan for it, and if and when it does come up you need to be off the water as quickly as possible.

Your radio will be almost useless once you leave Cat harbor due to the cliffs so if you get in trouble it will be impossible to call for help unless someone just happens to be out in front of you away from the island somewhere between Catalina and Clemente. So essentually you guys will be on your own. Depending on your experience level and skills that may or may not be a problem. I would strongly suggest you find a private boater with experience that will be in the same area the same day, to run support, or at the very least relay radio calls for you guys on your trip in case you get in trouble.

Lots of doom and gloom....huh....

Well I'm just trying to warn you that things can go bad back there really quick. For example.... let's take today. Say you took the boat over and walked your gear across the isthmus and now were just launching on the other side.


Forecast calls for:

9:00am 12 knots
12:00pm 15 knots
3:00pm 15knots
6:00pm 12kinots

With all the wind out of the west.

A pretty normal day for Catalina.

Add the island effect caused by the cliffs back there and you can figure plus three to five knots to all those numbers. So if you were there today you'd be launching into around 18 to 20 mile and hour winds, into whitecaps and a washing machine conditions, and then you have to paddle all the way to little harbor, and then still set up your campsite once you get there. Could I do that personally..Yeah I probably could. Would I want to? Nope! Not really.

The next morning you'd have to break camp load your gear and hopefully get back to Cat Harbor before noon because according to the forecast it's going to be even windier tomorrow at noon and going back you'll be paddling against the wind and whitecaps when it comes up. so you don't want to be paddling back in that direction after the wind comes up.

If you get a really good weather day you'll have a great trip, get a bad weather day and it'll be almost unfishable. On short trip an average days like today and tomorrow plan on mostly paddling and work with a little fishing in the morning.

Might be a blast and at any rate it will be an adventure.

Good luck, Jim

[wiredantz]

Originally Posted by Jim Day

Might be a blast and at any rate it will be an adventure.

Good luck, Jim

This trip is weather permitting!

Back up plan # 1
If weather is bad we are not going
Back up plan # 2
Lock up all the kayaks and take the safari bus to camp
Back up plan # 3
Go to the Sierras and fish

[Iceman]

Frank, back up plan #1 should be Parson's Landing on the front side. Instead of crossing the penninsula, you just load em up and paddle to the left a few miles. (the site says 7 miles, but Google Earth shows 4.75, the same as Little Harbor)The only thing it does not have that Little Harbor has is running water. Two Harbors it self may be an option if there is anything available.

I have always wanted to camp here.

http://www.visitcatalinaisland.com/t...onsLanding.php

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by Iceman

I have always wanted to camp here.

http://www.visitcatalinaisland.com/t...onsLanding.php

You and me both Andy.

I always anchor and overnight just around the corner on the other side of arrowhead point. Very calm and quite at night. Must of spent over fifty nights there on the hook over the years. Definitely my favorite place to drop an anchor at Cat.

Caught a ton of fish there too, sometimes right in the anchorage. Some huge Calicos in the kelp around there. Hands down the best Yellowtail bite I ever saw was right there, where you could dangle a dead sardine right on the surface and hookup literally two feet from the skiff. Fishing can be great all the way from Crystal coven to the west end.

We should do a trip. I could take my skiff for bait and support, even haul the kayaks over with it.

Jim

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by wiredantz

This trip is weather permitting!
Back up plan # 1
If weather is bad we are not going
Back up plan # 2
Lock up all the kayaks and take the safari bus to camp..

Sounds good... The bottom line is just use your head.

Even if the wind comes up the frontside is fishable because it's blocked off from the wind to an extent and gets no swell. Just stay tight to the island and fish close. If it's too windy when you arrive I'd say just fish the frontside and catch the bus to little harbor to camp. The drag is the return bus is at noon so you would not get much fishing time in either day but it beats paddling through really really bad conditions, or not fishing at all.

If I was going and the forecast was iffy: I'd maybe take a backpack that could hold all my gear, pack lite, then if it's windy fish the frontside, lock the yak to something leaving things that no-one would steal like waders inside it, go to little harbor, camp, sleep there, break camp at first light, hike back and fish untill I'd have to catch Flyer. It's less then five miles on the TC trail. Depending on your health it might be tough, but I'd do it for the added fishing time.

Additionally I know that at times in the past they have allowed overflow camping at two harbors when conditions were too rough for boats. So if push came to shove they might even allow you to camp somewhere around the harbor. The deal is that will not tell you that because they want to discourage it except for emergencies.

Jim

[wiredantz]

Originally Posted by Jim Day

If I was going and the forecast was iffy: I'd maybe take a backpack that could hold all my gear, pack lite, then if it's windy fish the frontside, lock the yak to something leaving things that no-one would steal like waders inside it, go to little harbor, camp, sleep there, break camp at first light, hike back and fish untill I'd have to catch Flyer. It's less then five miles on the TC trail. Depending on your health it might be tough, but I'd do it for the added fishing time.

I love this is a back up plan. Thank you.

@ Andy

I wanted to stay at two harbors, but both two harbors and parson landing are booked Solid.

[RedSledTeam]

There are also other spots on the frontside like Goat Harbor and Rippers Cove.

[tagyak]

Originally Posted by wiredantz

I wanted to stay at two harbors, but both two harbors and parson landing are booked Solid.

parsons landing has july 15,16,17 open, but i will be in vancover that weekend. fyi

[jorluivil]

Originally Posted by wiredantz

This trip is weather permitting!

Back up plan # 1
If weather is bad we are not going
Back up plan # 2
Lock up all the kayaks and take the safari bus to camp
Back up plan # 3
Go to the Sierras and fish

Back up plan #4
strip club