Saturday, May 4

North 28° 35.560'
West 112° 45.241'
Distance: 29 miles

Big day today - 29 miles. We are now 217 miles from Pete's Camp in a straight line. This morning we got up earlier than normal and headed east by 8:00 in the morning. I paddled about 30 strokes and caught a good sized Cabrilla. We took it ashore and gutted it, then put it in the boat near the water to keep it cool. By 8:24 we started again - this time with the precaution of not dragging a lure. We headed straight to Isla Las Animas which was about a fifteen mile crossing. When we got to the beach at about 1:00 pm we sat down to rest a little. Not for long! The little flies were everywhere. They seem to be thick on the islands because of the bird poop. We think the birds live there because of the lack of predators. We got back in the boats and paddled Southeast to look for an escape. We went through the narrow channel between Las Animas and San Lorenzo to the east side of the islands. We tried a few more landings with the same result. At about 5:15 pm we got to the end of San Lorenzo. We had determined to cover up with sheets and wait for night to chase the flies away. Luck was with us, though. As soon as we got to the rock spit on the southeast end of the island and were past the mountain we got a nice little wind which got rid of the flies. Thank God for the wind. When Jay and Kurt were here two and a half years ago they found a package of marijuana which had floated up onto the shore of the island. Maybe a couple of kilograms. They had buried a couple jars of it in an arroyo near the rock spit. Jay and I went up and found them and took a little for after dinner. In the afternoon while paddling Jay and I decided to switch boats for a little while. Jay's boat is fast! It takes almost no energy to do 4 miles per hour. It is a little tippy and not as comfortable. The lack of a rudder would take some time to get used to. While I was in the Mariner a pod of dolphins came by. They got to within 15 feet of me which is the closest I been to one in a kayak. There was an empty seagull nest near our camp with an egg in it. Large, brown, and spotted. After dinner the seagull came back to sit on it. I don't think they much liked us being there, but after almost 30 miles in a kayak I was in no mood to move. Dinner was pasta with sauce and the fish. A great end to an interesting day. In the morning we cross again to Punta Ballena and San Francisquito.