Bound for where?
The Farallon Islands.
This will be attempt #3 to round the Farallons, to set a new record I have fondly come to refer to as The F-Record.
- March 29 – Was it even possible to row to the Farallon Islands? I set off to find out and got 2.5 miles shy of SE Farallon. This was a 3-day game of Snakes & Ladders.
- April 24 – The SF Chronicle newspaper got wind of my record attempt. The date was set, the photographer booked and then the marine layer crept in and scuppered my attempt. It was a literally a Row to Nowhere.
- June 09 – a determined last attempt on what was fast becoming the end of rowing season. Fear dogged this attempt – fear of failure, fear of washing up on the rocks – and fear had me call the USCG in the end, when in fact the tide would have just flushed me safely out to sea… Follow Your Fear.
My boat is packed. My food is prepped.
Easterlies forecast for Monday morning!
I can hardly believe it.
Monday’s outbound tide will be weak, but the inbound tide weak also – this should help me breakaway from the coast.
Monday PM, the breeze is set to pick up around 16:00 until midnight, which will hold me off the islands and may prevent me from reaching them.
Sunrise on Tuesday is at 7:29AM.
I’ll finish the row to the islands /and or go for the rounding, bearing in mind I’ll have only until 3-4PM before the NW’ly breeze returns. I should not round the islands if there’s a NW’ly wind as this will put me dangerously on a lee shore.
I may have to wait until Wednesday AM before transiting up to Fanny Shoal to round Noonday Rock.
Less than 3 miles west of the Farallons is the Continental Shelf.
I will try not to fall off the Shelf!
Wish me luck.
