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My buddy and I are planning to go there in night time from Long Beach ramp next to Queen Mary. I've made a dozen trips in day time to Catalina but not it night time. We will be on the buddy's 26' SeaRay Sundancer and launch around 9 pm. Will it be safe to go to Catalina in night? If you have done so, please let me know how it was.
Thanks.
Get this... Two guys (both about 27 years old) that were in my Coast Guard Aux boating safety class about 5 years ago did it ALL THE TIME. They only owned thier 21' cuddy for about 2 weeks and knew nothing about boating. They were IDIOTS as far as i'm concerned and the instructors felt the same way. They couldnt even tie to a cleat correctly.
I would cross over to catalina if it was calm and clear with a buddy boater. If yer gonna try it, make sure you have someone go with you in another boat.
Assuming the weather's fair and you have reasonable navigation skills and equipment, , there are two main points to consider: what's in the water and what's on it.
Don't do it without radar and don't do it with radar if you don't know how to use it, then all you have to worry about
is what's in the water - junk from the LA river and so on - that the radar won't pick up.
Take your time, don't relax your lookout and enjoy the trip, it's always a pleasure to see LA fading into the distance.
You may want to consider launching from Davies - particularly if you're going at low tide.
We don't know of any other boater who would buddy-boat with us in night time...so this is out of option.
His '89 Sundancer does not have a radar and we can't afford to buy one as well at this time. He just got this boat about a month ago and we've been working on it together for this trip every weekend and already spent lots of $$ because the boat was not in an sea-wrothy condition. He's bought some important items already like GPS, VHF radio, 10' Zodiac, etc., but not a radar. I think his pocket is bone dry right now...
Is the Long Beach ramp always at low tide in night time? It gets quite slippery at low tides and it worries me.
Almost lost by truck at longbeach. Its steeper than SCHIT with my 2wd. I like cabrillo launch ramp a ton but hate that there are no wash down facility or a hose bib to flush your motor..
chazzy - 7/28/2006 1:22 AM He just got this boat about a month ago and we've been working on it together for this trip every weekend and already spent lots of $$ because the boat was not in an sea-wrothy condition.
Is this the 1st outing you are planning with this boat since he got it and you've made the repairs? I don't know much about the LA-Catalina run, but I do know its off shore for a good number of miles. Not a trip I'd make on a boat that hasn't been tested out, particularly at night, andalone. Why not get up early the next morning and make the run at sunrise? The nighttime trip sounds like something for an experenced sailor, with a boat/equiptment he is confident in. Conisdering the circumstances (new/previously unseaworthy boat and your tide statement) I think its a bad idea.
You can find tide info for the Los Angeles area here:
The ramp by the QM. is fine, A little slick at minus tides, but with a heavy enough tow vehical its not a problem, I doubt you are gonna pull a 26 down here with a mini van (are you?) with the vhf you have on board, and the GPS you should get your self across confidently, Check the local weather for swell conditions and give your self 2.5 to 3 hrs. to get there that boat will get there alot faster than that but that is in the daylight with good forward visibility you are gonna want to just sit back and cruise over while keeping a good eye out. theres no reason you cant do it at night. Stay alert and pop the beers after you arrive. DWS.
Hello all, I'm the original poster...
My buddy has a '06 Dodge 4WD 2500HD truck with Cummin's turbo diesel to pull the boat/trailer so I have some confidence at the ramp... but the boat/trailer weighed whopping 6500 lbs at a public scale.
We did test the boat at a lake for a full day about 2 weeks ago. It ran flawlessly without any hint of trouble - no smoking, leaking, noise, etc. We occasionally check inside the engine compartment for any trouble and all checked out ok. Before the test riding, we caught a few problems like leaking lower unit gear oil reservoir bottle, pinched/cracked cooling hose, poor contact at the ignition coil and high tension cable etc. All taken care of now. We put about 5 solid hours on the engine that day. The only trouble was at the ramp (of course, where else?!) - the engine would not start easily when cold even though we started OK at home about an hour ago. We had to spray some carb cleaner into the throat to get it started.
Yes, we might just launch early in the morning like 5 or 6 just to be safe. The D-day might be as ealry as August 12th. Sat morning, and spend a night at Two Harbors.
Chazzy,
I've made that run at night from Dana Point many times - If the weather is fair, it can be safely done at night without radar, but be damn sure it's fair and going to stay that way. You're crossing a major shipping channel, and if it fogs up on you, you will neither be able to see nor be seen by the commercial boats (or others for that matter).
As mentioned above, what's IN the water can be just as hazardous as what's on it. Keep your speed down - 10-12 knots at the most. Even a stupid sunfish can take out your outdrive if you nail one while running fast. I've seen all kinds of stuff in the channel that would rip the entire bottom out of the boat if you hit it, even at moderate speeds.
Having Radar is of course a huge plus.
__________________ Rich
"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"
Jefe,
The other big tip for slippery ramps is get yourself a Tide Table from a boating supply store = They're free and usually by the register. Use that to determine when low tide is, and don't plan to launch then.
I would echo the above - I wouldn't do this as my first crossing. Even if all is well with the boat, entering a harbor at night can be confusing, particularly if you aren't familiar with it from that perspective.
__________________ Rich
"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"
put the boat in the water the night before, tie up, wake up at 5am and then go... 1st trip/test run shouldn't be at night. Get familiar w/ the boat and Twin Harbors before trying a night time run... Just my 2cents...
Don't forget to file a FLOAT PLAN with the harbor master, gate guards, wife , somebody.
__________________ F350 4x4/ Dodge 2500HD 5.9L Cummins
Leaving the Picture of the Ford cuz I miss it
Pacific 2325 cc
Honda bf225
aluminumalloyboats.com
I run out Mission Bay, near San Diego, and it has less boat traffic than you do, except for the Navy stuff. If you leave Long Beach's break water in the dark WITHOUT RADAR you need your head examined. While your ride may run great in the daylight, the engine may pur like a cat, but you don't have nine lives. Don't put yourself in danger, nor other people with a bad call. Stay dock side till ole sole comes over the hill.
__________________ Capt. Mike Fisher
Stock Reduction Sale Ongoing
I cant even count all the trips to Catalina I've made and a good portion of them at night. Tabs down speed at the lowest planning you can and never look away from the water. Keep a handheld VHF in your pocket and use common sense. Those big Matson container ships are hard to see at night. Whats on the water is your biggest problem so go slow and have a great trip.
Worse still are the long tows - Tug a mile ahead of the barge - Now your Navigation lights and day shapes so you recognize one of these for what it is, otherwise you could easily rip the bottom out of your boat....or your head off.
__________________ Rich
"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"
I carry a fold up radar reflector on my boat. I run out of Dana Point and fog is not uncommon. I put it out during fog or at night. It gives me a little piece of mind, I sure hope others can see me...
I've also spun a prop in the shipping lane during heavy fog, not a good feeling... You can contact LA/LongBeach Vessel Traffic Service on channel 14 and let them know your position and problem. Hopefully they will steer the ships around your position.
Someone told me there is a nicer boat ramp in HB area which I am not familiar with. It costs something like $20 but has nicer wash down areas and better security (for over night cruisers). Does anyone know about this ramp? How do I get there from L.A.?
Thanks.
You're probably asking about the Sunset Aquatic Park ramp in Huntington Harbor.
If so: The launch is into Anaheim Bay and exit to the ocean is via the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station - an interesting ride if Homeland Security's nervous.
About 1.5nm West of the ocean end of the jetty you'll find bait barges and half the boating population of LA and N. Orange Counties just inside the LB Breakwall. Bedlam.
Driving south on the 405 take Valley View/Bolsa Chica south. About 1mile down turn right on Edinger - the ramp's at the very end of Edinger. I don't know much about the facilities there but if you call Pacific Edge tackle store @ Bolsa Chica/Edinger I'm sure they'll give you the details. Sorry, don't know their #.
I run to Catalina at night several times a year, leaving from the Huntington Harbor launch ramp. Before you try this you should make the trip several times during the day to be sure that you understand all that is involved and verify that you are prepared to handle the sea conditions. You should also use your radar and gps during the day when visibility is good so that you can verify for yourself that you understand how to use your navigation equipment. Typically the worse seas of the day occur in the afternoon when the prevailing westerlies are the worst. By dusk the winds die down and the night time journey is often more calm than the journey in the afternoon. Once you know your boat and electronics well running at night can be enjoyable but you need to keep your speed down and be very alert. No matter how smart you are you can never completely outsmart the sea, you can never completely account for invisible flotsam, and you can never outsmart the idiots who have enough money to buy boats but insufficient brains to run them.
Going to Catalina in Night 
