1st Annual Anacapa Classic Canoe Race

I'm sorry there has been such a delay in postings it has taken me some time to collect all the pictures and get the inside story from Captain Mark and Paul. This event happened last weekend on August 14th. Captain Mark was asked to skipper the Redemption as an escort boat for the 1st Annual Anacapa Classic Canoe Race, paddling to Anacapa Island and across the face of the island to the West end and back to Channel Island Harbor. I was unable to go because of plans to be with the Grand kids so Mark called his buddy Paul Weakliem a fellow diver and a friend that is familiar with handling our boat and an all around good guy.

They were assigned the paddlers of the KAHAKAI out of Long Beach, California. Here is a picture of the guys heading toward the start line.

The guys of the KAHAKAI were the first to paddle for thirty minutes and then the switch was made and it was the girls turn to paddle switching every half hour for the duration of the race. Paul tells me that this picture of the first switch looks far more organized that what he remembers it being. Mark refrained from telling them that the water temperature is 59 degrees before they to the change.

Mark and Paul tell me they might be slow learners and were just starting to get down what they were supposed to be doing on the boat. So now that they almost got the "wet change" figured out it was time to learn a new method. The "dry change"! Again, this picture looks so organized, but they remember it being semi-controlled chaos!



Paul took this picture of a pod of Dolphins escorting them and the paddlers on their long race.



The paddlers arrive at Anacapa Island Arch. Isn't it beautiful? I'm sure it looked good to the tired paddlers but they still need to do the face of the island and return to Channel Islands Harbor. Captain Mark and Paul are dying here; nice and flat on the front side of Anacapa Island, and not able to stop for lunch or beer break. They debate whether the team would notice if they sneaked around the backside for a while as they make the turn back toward Channel Island Harbor.



Catching up: Mark and Paul gave a pep talk to the team. Explaining to the team that they might have talked some smack with Keith of the Cora Sea who was skippering his boat as an escort also, so they told the team they didn't care how they did so long as they beat the team Keith was supporting! Here are the men trying to make them proud!





Paul took this picture of a pod of Dolphins escorting them and the paddlers on their long race.





The women on a bee line back to CI Harbor. Oil rig in the way? Doesn't matter, they're on a mission!




The men take it into the finish. Paul and Captain Mark are exhausted. The racers were a jovial group of paddlers and are now new friends. It was a great learning experience for Captain Mark and Paul and next year they will be ready to escort another group of paddlers. I will be on board next time also it looked like a great day.

Thank you Paul for helping out and for sharing your side of the story and taking such great pictures with my little camera. I think Captain Mark owes you big time, haha!