 |
| Don Macdonald kayaking down the face of a huge rolling wave crashing down on Doug McConnell |
It's a few months since escorting Doug McConnell (A Long Swim)
across the Molokai Channel, better known as the Ka’iwi Channel (or
Channel of Bones) separating the islands of Molokai and Oahu.
Stretching 26 miles (42 kilometers) and plunging to
a depth of 2,300 feet (701 meters), the Ka’iwi Channel has the reputation as
one of the world’s most treacherous bodies of water.
Leaving at midnight in pitch black inky warm, with
not even a house light from shore, we shoved off from shore Doug's red and
green safety lights blinking away as the only visual contact between us, stars
shining so bright I felt like Christopher Columbus knowing ahead
there was an island yet to reveal itself after 18 hours of sun drenched
paddling.
I knew that each human powered race across the
Channel of Bones is regarded worldwide as the crowning achievement of the sport
and it doesn’t give up easily.
Some 16 hours later, after calm seas and great
swimming, mother nature unleashed strong winds following behind a tropical
depression driving the seas to 12 foot.
The escort boat with a fly bridge would
dip down in the trough ahead of us and disappear completely.
As evening fell, it became apparent mother nature
had won this day. I leaned over to Doug and said ‘you have to let it go’, your
sister and dad will understand and prefer you come home safe. I find in these
swims when every ounce of energy is depleted and you are mentally destroyed,
you must help swimmers (who are in a depressed state) to make these decisions
with little coaching comments and suggestions to allow them to come to the
right (and safest) decision. We abandoned the swim within a 1/2 mile of shore
but facing jagged black rock walls, 10-foot surf to come ashore and darkness
once again.
Before we left, I reflected on some recent history
which left an impression and one that would live up to its reputation. The tragic
loss of Hawaiian big-wave rider and waterman Eddie Aikau in the Ka’iwi Channel
during the 1978 Polynesian voyage of the Hokule’a sailing canoe added to the
mystique and revered power of the channel. After gale force winds and 30-foot
swells disabled the Hokule’a, Aikau left the ship on his rescue paddle board to
seek help for his stranded crew mates. His body and board were never found. Paddling
has been a part of Hawaiian heritage since early Polynesians navigated
thousands of miles of open ocean guided by nothing more than currents, wind and
stars. Double-hulled sailing canoes were used to cover longer distances and
single-hull outrigger canoes covered shorter, inter-island distances.
I am sure we will be back and if mother nature
allows, we will be standing on the Oahu shore.
