O'Brien family Cal-20 outside Marian Del Rey
First haul-out of Yorktown 33 I built in 1972
Errant at Avalon, Catalina Island with friends
Errant at Goat Harbor, Catalina Island
Errant entering Isthmus, Catalina Island
Errant returning from Catalina Island with Bill and Nancy
Errant wing to wing
Concentration, not fear.80 knot Santana winds created mix-master waves that added into huge peaks and canceled into deep pits with normal Pacific swells, sinking over 150 boats. The winds started at 03:00, threatening to break or drag the anchor and drive us onto shore on the east side of Santa Barbara Island. There was no moon, huge kelp beds and treacherous off-shore rocks, so we had to stay far off-shore as we motored to the west side of the island for protection. The wind was so strong that an eddy over the bluff pushed us into shore to bounce on the bottom if we anchored too close and pushed us away from shore, dragging the anchor if we anchored too far from the bluff.
We rested until noon, then everyone but me voted to sail to Catalina in case the winds abated in the middle of the night and we had to flee the Pacific swells. It was a wild ride from Santa Barbara Island to Cat Harbor. When were were not sideslipping down waves (keel exposed), we had two foot walls of water coming over the bow, down the deck and into the cockpit.
Errant Santa Barbara Island, 10/77
Errant on way to Santa Barbara Island for diving trip
Errant at Santa Barbara Island, 10/77
Errant at Santa Barbara Island, 10/77
Errant Anacapa Island with Paul
Errant at Santa Cruise Island
King Harbor, Redondo Beach, California
King Harbor