The Short Version, Synopsis:

 Preparation:
Most everything was anticipated and most all items were remembered.

 Timing:
Breakfast, Rigging, Departure all in sync.  Moon cycle arrogantly
ignored until the very last minute when we realized that the high tide
we were looking for would not only fall quite late in the day, 9 p.m.
well after dark, but the new moon would give no light to navigate by. 
Also, high tide would be one of the highest ever.

Going ashore, beaching the boat proved to be more than we could handle
alone due to us loosing our rollers (inflatable fenders) and the highest
tide bringing the water beyond the sand, onto the rocks.

 Wind:
A wide array of wind conditions were experienced, nary a lull.  Most of
the time during the two channel crossings, wind was moderate.  On the
windward beat toward the island, the first tack was made after 3 1/2
hours on starboard tack.  Once near the Island and during a long
following afternoon and evening of "cruising," wind was howling in
"windy lane."  Hours upon hours of 25+ knots with large seas provided
expert conditions with high challenge and intense action.

Lilly-liveredness:
 Bonine (generic: Meclizine) has once again proven to be better than
Dramamine.  Both saved the decks from any abuse.

Damage Control:
 Double safety lines on luggage proved worthy.  Double bagging for
waterproofing proved prudent.  Redundancy in navigation instruments
allowed for continued gps use when one pooped out.  

Catamaran configuration proved that two rudders are better than one. 
Allowing sterns to face waves while pausing upon beaching allowed the
surf to grab the raised rudders and slam them hard enough to destroy one
upper casting.  This canceled the remainder of the planed island
cruising for the next one to two days.  

The destruction of a digital camera from same shore waves proved spray
proof, water resistance will ultimately fail as a zipper took on enough
water to allow a camera to float in a pool of water. 

Some bottom damage on hulls, none too serious nor leaking. 

Action, Adventure, Performance:
 Top notch.  Eleven hours on the water.  I enjoyed about ten hours on
the helm with the most competent heavy weather sailor that I've ever
sailed with.  

Countless times the beauty of the surroundings or the intense level of
wind and wave combinations had us saying that there is no possible way
to capture the moment for anyone to realize its intensity.  Few pictures
were taken and even those are not expected to show representation of
actual conditions.  Most of which were in the drowned digital camera.

The most exciting portion of the whole day was a period of about five
hours of wind in excess of 20 knots where all other visible boats on the
ocean ran for shelter leaving us the only boat on the water.  Several
hours of close reaching in 25 knots with gusts to over 30.  Waves were 3
to 5 feet and often in sets of 7 to 10 waves so close together that when
launching off of one, we would land on the top of the next.

Many complete airborne launches were made with two sailors on the wire,
hooter and jib furled, mainsail depowered to the point of being as flat
as a board with some portions of the sail luffing (inverted), traveler
nearly as far out as it could go, and windward hull never landing on the
surface unless it was atop the crest of a wave.

Big waves, close together often had the coming wave striking sailors
from under the rumps and knees while the leeward hull was riding on the
bottom of the previous wave.  This proved the need for foot straps to
prevent the sailors from being thrown up, back, and away from the boat.

Both sailors exhibited exacting execution of boat handling with not one
capsize or maypole style ride on the trapeze wires.

High speed broad reaching was kept to a controlled and manageable 13 to
17.5 knots when after 9 hours of exhausting upwind boat flying we were
not about to push our tired abilities, luck, and good fortune with
downwind hull flying at hyper-speed.

 Scenery:
Combinations of clouds, green and brown glassy hillsides, sheer cliffs,
caves, waves, refection, illuminated flying birds provided visions of
such complex texture and beauty that no photograph could have ever
captured it.  

Several seals or sea lions and a few dolphin surfaced next to the boat. 
Formations of pelicans did their usual fly-by performances.  The
occasional cormorant would pop his head up for a look at our sails.  

 Humanity:
Thanks to a kayak guide named Scott who had come to the shore in the
evening to try for some cell phone reception and then offered help.  He
actually walked back to camp (a quarter mile) and returned with about 12
kayakers wearing head-lights.  After donning Bill and I with loaner
head-lights, everyone lifted the boat to safety and laid it there on the
rocks. (ouch)  This saved the boat from being bashed against the rocks
as high tide soon peaked and covered all of the sand beach.

The next morning Bill and I hurried to ready ourselves and the boat so
that we could beg for help just before the kayakers would head out for
their 9:30 trip.  They cheerfully lifted the boat back down (all the way
down to low tide) to the water and pushed us off.  

 Limping Home:
Returning early Saturday morning on a beam reach with three sails flying
in light air and calm seas we nursed the the boat home with its only
remaining good rudder.  Upon harbor approach we witnessed some of the
first starters in the Milt Ingram race.  Later that day after de-rigging
and lunch, we saw Afterburner return as the first finisher.

We went to speak with Bill Gibbs and congratulate him.  He told us that
his top speed was 17 so we told him not to feel bad since we had only
reached 17.5 the day before. ;)

Later we went to the finish line committee to witness the first beach
cat to cross the line.  It was Steve and Diana from Arizona on their
Hobie 20.  Next as a Tornado with a Doublemint gum picture on the hull. 
Next was another Hobie 20 (sorry, having brain fade on the Skipper's
name who sailed with his son), and then came Mark Corby on his Prindle
19 with WebCat Jerome as crew.

There were lots of smiles on these cat sailors that had raced in the
Milt Ingram race but I would not trade my experience with theirs.  It
should prove to be the most memorable day of sailing I have ever had to
date.

GARY