November 4, 1997
Isla Vista, California, USA

I’ve been able to retain my title. As of yet, I haven’t had to pay once for a place to stay for the night. I guess the campground gate-keeper just didn’t want to deal with me, and figured it was easier to pretend I wasn’t there. I slept beside my boat on the beach, then got up and left first thing this morning. It was another day of perfect conditions: no wind and no chop.

In the middle of the morning, while I was crossing a small bay, an old fisherman in a small Zodiac pulled up next to me and we had a conversation that carried on for about fifteen minutes. The man’s name was Richard, which was quite a coincidence since the other two fishermen I met on this trip were also Richards. They were totally cool, as was this Salt Dog. Just as we were about to part, I asked him if he’d mind towing me to Refugio Beach. It was only a mile or two away, and I knew he would, since he was going there anyway. It was fun, but it really didn’t save me that much time. His boat only went a little bit faster than I could paddle.

The rest of the afternoon was a breeze, and around 4pm, I pulled into Isla Vista, the area where the UC Santa Barbara campus is located. It was a poor place to land, being a very public beach, and I felt I was at risk of having something stolen. As I was pulling my boat up, a surfer walked by and I asked him where the university dorms are located. He gave me directions, then asked what I was up to. I explained that I was looking for a place to get my email and maybe a shower. "I don’t think it would be a good idea to leave your stuff alone on the beach." he remarked, "If you want... you can stay at my place. It’s just a couple hundred yards down the beach." I was astonished! Things couldn’t have turned out better!

Sam is a university student living in an apartment with four girls. After a shower, and a bite to eat, I called Bob, a guy I had met on the Internet. Bob said that I was only a few miles from his house, and that he could pick me up at Sam’s place in the morning. I spent most of the evening hanging out with Sam and his girlfriend.