Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Mendocino, Part 3: By Sea

I arrived at Van Damme State Park’s parking lot to see a couple of other members of our kayaking party squirming into their wetsuits. The first thing for me to figure out, besides what to leave on underneath, was which way the Farmer John “coveralls” would go on. A few minutes later, after struggling into the form-fitting, but not all that flattering outfit, I noticed the nearby outhouses and realized my suit was not designed like Dr. Denton pj’s of long ago: there was no drop seat. One of the other kayakers, Erin, commented that if you pee in your wetsuit, you’ll be sitting in it for a couple of hours. I guess that would be sort of like sitting in a huge pee-filled sponge for a couple of hours. I padded over to the outhouse.

Our leader, Craig Comen, who owns Kayak Mendocino, asked us if we had previously kayaked. All five of us had, but a couple of us (including me) indicated that we hadn’t been sea kayaking before. Craig looked out over the cove and pointed out where we were headed. He explained that we were going to be exploring a unique area with a line of off-shore rocks that served to protect us from the strong surf further out. We’d be going in and out of coves, narrow passages, and sea caves.

We pulled our kayaks to the water’s edge, shoved them out a bit, and climbed in. There were two things I liked already about the kayaks — they were very stable, and we didn’t have to use sprayskirts (sprayskirts are sort of like a skirt in that you wear them around your waist, but they also are large enough so that they extend out and also fit around the cockpit. They keep water from splashing into your boat.) Even though sprayskirts are important in some places, I have this fear that I’ll tip over and somehow get trapped under water by the sprayskirt. (I know this isn’t supposed to happen, you’re supposed to pop right out, but who said fears are rational?)

So, thrilled to be on the water, pleased with the kayak, and trusting to the fates and our leader, I paddled out into the ocean. We set out at a moderate rate and I was relieved that I could keep up. I was determined to stay upright and to follow the course that Craig set. Sometimes the paddling was leisurely, sometimes a bit of a workout, always fun! We entered a quiet cove and tasted some seaweed – according to some a great treat, judged by me an acquired taste.

Then we headed to a narrow passageway into a sea cave. Even though we were protected from breaking waves, we were not immune to wave action — ebb and flow! The approach to the opening in the rocks had to be calculated so that we entered in a relatively straight path. Chris guided us into the cave one by one; once inside, we found it was large enough for all of us.

We continued on. We came to an area with s few seals and their pups. We kept back from the rock where they were lying, but we had no control over their antics and a bit later, when I was going through a narrow passageway, one of the seals popped up in front of my kayak. There was no way of putting on the brakes. I was relieved when the seal dived under water — then dismayed when it resurfaced moments later and I ran right into it. Apparently there was no damage done because she and her pup swam off.

Occasionally I would find myself paddling like mad and going nowhere. A swell would lift my boat and I could feel the power that was beyond my puny efforts. I should have, I reasoned, felt panicky at my lack of control — what I did feel was the thrill of moving with the ocean’s raw force.

Returning to our takeout point on the beach was much easier and faster than going out had been. We’d been out for only an hour-and-a-half, at least that’s what my watch said. For me, however, it had been timeless; I could now understand the allure that surfing, kayaking, and so forth hold for its disciples.

In my next entry, you’ll explore the Mendocino area on foot as visit a unique ecological attraction on the coast — the Pygmy Forest in Jughandle State Reserve. You can read more at http://www.backpack45.blogspot.com

June 13 at 10 a.m.
Please note: The meeting is on the second Saturday this month.

Our June 13 meeting will take place at the beautiful Inn Marin in Novato—about 30 minutes north of San Francisco. Internationally known marketing expert Penny Sansevieri will share her expertise with us. After our meeting, we will enjoy a number of planned activities as well as a hosted overnight at Inn Marin, a hosted dinner and continental breakfast and much more.

BATW associate member Molly Blaisdell of Hook Line and Thinker has coordinated this wonderful press trip with Inn Marin.

Members may bring guests. But please note:
The number of rooms for journalists is limited to 20. Email Blaisdell at mocahill@aol.com no later than June 1 for reservations.

Some planned activities are limited to BATW journalists only and are based on first come basis. Email Kristi Frank at kyfrank@comcast.net no later than June 1 (no exceptions) with the activities you would like to sign up for.

Associates who want to spend the night need to email Molly.

Please see the attached flier for more details about the overnight and activities.

Our speaker:
Penny Sansevieri, founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry. She is the author of five books, including Book to Bestseller which some have called the “road map to publishing success.” Penny’s company has developed some of the most cutting-edge book marketing campaigns.

Penny says: “If you think you have your Internet marketing covered with just a website, you might be missing out on a bucket of Internet gold.” This program is packed with information for everything from understanding social media to monetizing sites like Facebook, Squidoo, and Twitter. Penny will also talk about what you should never do on your website and why a blog is a must-have part of any Internet campaign. She will also show us some of the hottest online trends as well as:

*  The secret to getting thousands of hits on your web site and then converting them into sales!

*  Top Internet promotion techniques that won’t cost you a dime!

*  The Virtual Author Tour™, how you can “tour” yourself on the net

*  How to use a site like Facebook and Squidoo to build your customer base

*  What is Twitter and how to use it to drive more sales to your web site

*  How to create a website that sells your work

*  Simple steps to blogging effectively!

*  How to maximize your online efforts without spending Hours online.

Penny hopes to have time to do her popular mini-web site evaluations, too.

Agenda
10-10:30  Meet and Greet with continental breakfast
10:30-11  Business meeting
11–12:30  Penny Sansevieri
1:00  Inn Marin Tour

Weekend activities are listing on attached flier

Location: Inn Marin. 250 Entrada Drive, Novato, California
Phone: 415-883-5952 | Fax: 415-883-5058
Reservations only: 800-652-6565

Directions:
Maps are provied on the Inn Marin website.

From San Francisco
Google maps says it takes about 33 minutes
Head north on US-101
Take the exit toward Ignacio Blvd/Bel Marin Keys Blvd
Turn left at Nave Dr
Turn left at Ignacio Blvd
Turn right at Enfrente Rd
Turn right at Entrada Dr

From 880
Take the exit onto I-580 W/I-80 E toward Sacramento/San Rafael
Stay on I-580 W/John T Knox Fwy which will take you over the Richmond San Rafael Bridge (toll).
Take the exit onto US-101 N
Take the exit toward Ignacio Blvd/Bel Marin Keys Blvd
Turn left at Nave Dr
Turn left at Ignacio Blvd
Turn right at Enfrente Rd
Turn right at Entrada Dr

Please RSVP by June 1, USING OUR ONLINE RSVP SYSTEM.

Go to www.BATW.org, click on “Member Log-in.” When the next window comes up, click on login. Use your username and password there. Then click on EVENT LIST, then click on the June 13 event. Finally, scroll to the bottom of the page and click where it says Register for this event: “June 2009 RSVP.”

For overnight stay and activity sign up, see directions at the beginning of this email or on attached flier.

– Sandy Sims
BATW Program Chair