Glad you enjoyed it. We had a lot of fun sailing through it!
Actually, that's about as exciting as it gets. Our usual trip across the channel involves naps, reading books and dolphin watching. Sailing is usually very serene - unless the meteorologists at NOAA botch the forecast!
DISCLAIMER! DO NOT TRY THIS EVER!
WE WERE VERY LUCKY THAT WE DIDN'T SINK OR DIE DOING THIS!
Back in the late '80s, my best friend and I pooled our school loans and bought a 12' Zodiac inflatable boat with a 80hp outboard motor. We had great fun motoring to spots that most surfers couldn't get to, diving & hunting in the kelp forests, fishing and camping. We had a couple of sketchy trips, but this one really stands out:
We motored the 23 miles to the southeastern side of Santa Cruz Island to surf a spot that we knew would be uncrowded and have great surf. Waves were about double the size of my avatar's and we were having such a great time, that we stayed way too long.
About a third of the way home, while we were still crossing the shipping lanes, the sun went down, and a thick coastal fog set in. We had no compass, no GPS, no radio, no line of sight to the harbor, and just enough fuel to make it home. Having no way to figure our position, we followed the swells towards the mainland, stopping every 20-30 minutes (at least we had watches!) to listen for ships, a whistle buoy (1 mile outside of our harbor), a foghorn, or crashing surf. After an eternity of motoring through the dark, we heard the foghorn - of the wrong harbor. We had arrived about 10 miles off course. But we were nearly out of fuel, so we made our way in. We found a Harbor Patrol Officer who was kind enough to give one of us a lift to the correct harbor so that we could bring the trailer there, instead of attempting to go back out in the fog. At the end of the night, we had learned quite a few valuable lessons - our voyage could have ended MUCH differently!
What we did wrong:
No Compass (both of us still carry diver's compasses in our jackets as backups)
No GPS (was VERY expensive back then - no reason to not have one now, I have one on my phone!)
No VHF radio (<-- we left a handheld unit in the truck!! Absolutely no excuse for that!)
Incorrect boat for conditions (too small, no lights, no cabin)
No fuel overage (We now use the "Rule of Thirds" - 1/3 for going, 1/3 to come back, 1/3 just in case)
Didn't stick to our float plan (left the island too late)
No brains
What we did right (not much!)
Stayed calm (panic is never the solution)
Stopped, looked, and listened at regular intervals.
Once the boat was in a safe harbor, we found a ride to the truck instead of heading back out.
Sold the Zodiac & upgraded to a 17' Boston Whaler - that boat is still in service today!