China Camp Trip

We tried out a new Yakking area with our friends yesterday, due to the harsh weather reports from our intended destination, where cold temps and strong winds were forecast for the day. The location we pedaled/paddled out toward is called China Camp, an old shrimp fishing village from the mid 1800's, which is located within the confines of San Francisco Bay. The weather here was perfect, in the mid to upper 70's and the tide was at our backs all the way out from McInnis Park in Marin County. Unfortunately the tea stained water made it impossible to see the bottom and I eventually broke a turbo mast on some unseen underwater object, during the return trip and we were still a long 3 plus miles from the landing dock.
The tenacious Mrs Kep then pedaled our tandem all the way back in under her own power and also used the paddle frequently to check the water depth ,while I just sat and steered the boat with the carcass of my dead drive in the well at my feet. It was pretty shallow at low tide and we did not want to break our remaining mirage drive and get stuck in the mud so we were relieved to finally make it back to port If anyone knows where I can buy one single turbo mast replacement and maybe a new sprocket just in case please let us know..........

Starting point dock where the mighty Mrs Kepnutz awaits

Let's go already. Mt Tamalpias in background

Heading out to the Bay down Galinas creek

Marshland chickens.. ..ok Herons then

Friends under sail and just about overpowered by increasingly stronger winds

Destination China Camp

Both Tandem's Beached

View to the North

View South toward San Francisco

View toward the West from the China Camp fishing dock

Our lunch bunch with PBJ's n Chips

McNears Beach and our turn around point

Sail rolled up for now due to strong winds

Heading back on the long pedal to port located to the lower right in the distant background hilly area, taken just minutes before breaking my turbo fin mast

Only the one Mirage Drive left and just one "Seeing-Eye Mud-Dipped Paddle" being constantly used to check the water depth (note right bank .) Water is only 3-1/2 feet or less and we are trying desperately not to get stuck in the deep bay mud at low tide

More marsh Pigeons

More of the mudflat locals and we are still hoping we can make it back home on this narrow ribbon of water within a large sea of mud

Getting ever closer , all thanks to the hard working Mrs Kepnutz, with Mt Tam in the background

Hooray, we should make it back now, only one hundred more yards to go to the bend and the landing dock

All in all it was a pretty fun and senic trip, yet it was impossible to see just how deep the muddy water was and even at high tide we almost ran aground several times. Our friends did find themselves grounded on the way back and were a good 40 minutes behind us getting back. We could not assist and had to keep going lest our remaining drive broke on another submerged something which would then leave us with just a solitary paddle to return to port on . If it wasnt for the mighty Mrs Kep doing it all to get us back, we could have been out all night waiting for the tide to rise (max high tide @ 8.50pm) or worse yet not making it back at all..whew...close call there. There were few area's to beach on the way out and back, as it was several plus miles of mud banks in both directions, yet the water was just deep enough to make it through at low tide if one could only manage to stay in the right channel. If we had dwaddled a bit longer at China Camp. perhaps we would have had higher tides and maybe fewer problems on our way back in, so make a note to check the tides if planning to do this trip
Kepnutz

The Turbo Spare parts kit would have been a good item to have on this trip! #80013201 (mast, Turbo fin, sprocket, chain and a few other small fittings in a zippered pouch) Also available for the standard drive.

Masts and all parts are readily available through a dealer.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Hey Matt
Thanks for the part number on that turbo spare parts kit. I just picked up two masts and a sprocket this arvo from our LBS. The masts have the two notched flat spots on one end and a hole on the other end for cotter pin, old school type? Anyway the masts I picked up today are at least 1/4" shorter than the existing broken turbo mast ,so is this still the correct part even though its a little shorter..? (13-15/16") The other odd thing was the fact that the mast broke just above the sprocket receptacle and did not break the sprocket itself. With all the split sprockets being reported from using the turbo fins I expected the sprocket to be split but it was fine. I now have to replace it though because the broken mast stub was stuck fast in the sprocket hole and while trying to drill that out, I damaged the sprocket when the drill bit spun off the mast stub and into the sprocket material.. As for doing a repair on this trip there was no good place to stop at the time it broke that was not neck deep marsh mud so the Boss lady got us back on the one drive no worries..
Thanks for the 411
kepnutz

Congrats to Mrs. Kep and the Kepmeister! Good to see ole Mt. Tam once again. But yer right--being stuck in S.F. Bay mud would not be a fun activity on a yaking trip! Once again, thanks for the great pics and report. I can see that China Camp was not exactly being overrun with tourists, so that at least is a good thing (except if you need a tow!).
Best,
Dick

_________________

Hi Ya Latch-Patch-Kid
Glad you enjoyed the photo-log. The Bay was pretty nice that day we just did not pedal out ( or hang out ) long enough for the tide to come back up. Low tide of 0.7 ft was at 2.00pm, thats when the last several photos were taken, and high tide was at 850 pm . We should have been way out by Paradise Cove (10 miles South) at 2.00pm and then turning around to ride a flood tide back in to port..oh-well We did make it back at any rate and what a relief it was. We will be crossing Racoon Straits to go around Angel Island this fall so we better have that tide/current/wind thing sorted out by then Good to hear from you again hope all is well up your way..take care..have fun.. but bring a few spare parts just in case
Kepnutz

Kep (and others who might experience this problem)

With the set screw key you could have removed the damaged mast and fin.

As long as the chain was still OK on the spocket you could have pedalled with the one fin.

_________________

Thanks for the tip Aloha..
That would have been somewhat better than just sitting and steering. Duh.. I wish I had known that the drive could work with just one fin. I would have unscrewed my dangling turbo fin , put it in the hull and just kept going.
My cadence did go up super fast when the mast snapped, so with only one fin I would have a jackhammer like pace but a least it would move the boat. Thanks again
Kepnutz
PS. Did anyone else read the "Hobie Kayak" review in Outside Magazine?