Crazy Challenger 210 Adventure!

[Shane0524]

Two summers ago we took our 210 Challenger across the ocean passage from Newport Beach CA to Avalon Catalina Island CA. About 30 miles of open ocean. Easy trip over, a bit tougher trip back as the water became dangerously rough for the 210. Just though I would share some pictures.

check out some videoshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTlkdGibArx1ThVcPABlBnvd-lhcovWmK

 

[rcguy]

My understanding was that, " Santa Catalina Island was 26 miles across the sea", according to the old song by The Four Preps (1958). Only kidding. Your braver then I am. The bow shape on the Challengers are not designed for rough seas and will take on water over the bow if not careful. Had a few frighten moments in the Gulf of Mexico with water coming over the bow on my Challenger 180 but never did I venture out 30 miles. I guess you can get in serious trouble ten miles off shore just as well as 30 miles off shore. Bye the way, great pictures, nice boat and I'm extremely jealous.

 

[timeman]

Nice pictures, brought back fond memories, but I gotta say, that Challenger looks pretty small in Avalon harbor, We used to sail from Harbor Island,(SD) to Avalon every October for the jazz festival, great party town. Sailing & motoring it took us the better part of 12 hrs to get there(80+ miles). I remember several times when swells were in the 6 to 8 ft height, no big deal in a 41 ft, 20,000 lb. sailboat, but that would've freaked me out in a challenger. Couple questions, Did you take a dinghy? or just use the water taxi to get to shore? Did the harbor master greet you and ask to inspect your heads / holding tanks? Presuming you got a hotel on shore?

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

I always wanted to make that trip by boat but at the time (decades ago) there weren't many people doing it. Would you do it again?

 

[Shane0524]

Yes I would! But it would be absolutly essential to be out very early and return before 12:00 PM. That is wheN it starts getting rough out there.

 

[Shane0524]

We just stayed for the day and came back. I have also done a San Diego to avalon trip many times on a 38 ft Searay Sundancer only about 3.5 hours at 25-27 kts. It definitely got sketchy on the return trip in the challenger later in the afternoon we should have left before 12 pm to have calmer water. If ever doNE again I would make sure to return before 12 pm. Harbor masters didn't give us any trouble and yes we used the water taxi.

 

[cheappc]

We just stayed for the day and came back. I have also done a San Diego to avalon trip many times on a 38 ft Searay Sundancer only about 3.5 hours at 25-27 kts. It definitely got sketchy on the return trip in the challenger later in the afternoon we should have left before 12 pm to have calmer water. If ever doNE again I would make sure to return before 12 pm. Harbor masters didn't give us any trouble and yes we used the water taxi.

Wow thanks for sharing I always wanted to do that with my Speedster 150 but if you had problems with the 210 I can't even begin to imagine how rough it would be on a Speedster..

Love the pictures by the way and your boat.