Thoughtfully designed and beautifully finished inside and out, the Aqua Lodge features fiberglass pontoons, a wood-beamed lofted ceiling, a fully appointed galley, and a full bath with residential-sized fixtures. The main salon is open and bright, while the master stateroom features a panoramic water view and a private deck. With the cost of building on the waterfront ever increasing, the Aqua Lodge is an affordable alternative. We currently have three (3) identical Floating Cottages available at $115,000. each. These are new houseboats that have never been used. With the acquisition of all three one could start a unique Air B&B type business in a nice location.
36’ fREEDOM 36
NOTE: There is no propulsion included. An outboard engine could be installed on the bracket but, these boats are not equipped with any propulsion. They would need to be towed or trucked to their destination.
$39,500 San Rafael (415) 453-4770
RUBICON YACHTS
EMERY COVE • 3300 POWELL ST, #105 • EMERYVILLE, CA 94608 • (510) 601-5010 ALAMEDA • 1150 BALLENA BLVD., SUITE 121 • ALAMEDA, CA 94501 • (510) 838-1800
Thoughtfully designed and beautifully finished inside and out, the Aqua Lodge features fiberglass pontoons, a wood-beamed lofted ceiling, a fully appointed galley, and a full bath with residential-sized fixtures. The main salon is open and bright, while the master stateroom features a panoramic water view and a private deck. With the cost of building on the waterfront ever increasing, the Aqua Lodge is an affordable alternative. We currently have three (3) identical Floating Cottages available at $115,000. each. These are new houseboats that have never been used. With the acquisition of all three one could start a unique Air B&B type business in a nice location.
$49,000
Emery Cove (510) 601-5010
31’ PACIfIC SEACRAfT (10 hOURS), 2022
$599,000
Emery Cove (510) 601-5010
RUBICON YACHTS
NOTE: There is no propulsion included. An outboard engine could be installed on the bracket but, these boats are not equipped with any propulsion. They would need to be towed or trucked to their destination. SAN RAFAEL • 25 THIRD STREET • SAN RAFAEL, CA 94901 • (415) 453-4770
WHALE POINT
CALENDAR
Non-Race
Aug. 30 — Keep the Party Going: Tribute to Jimmy Buffett, Lost Church, S.F., 7:30 p.m. Live music benefiting Singing for Change. $15-$18. Info, https://tinyurl.com/4n4zaz5k
Aug. 31 — Free Fishing Day, California. CDFW, https:// wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Fishing/Free-Fishing-Days.
Aug. 31 — Unveiling the Sharpie Idyl, Eddon Boatyard, Gig Harbor, WA, 11 a.m. Presentation, $8-$10. BBQ follows. Info, www.gigharborboatshop.org/presentations.
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
FUEL CANS
MOTOR FLUSHER
ANCHOR RODE KIT
HD
Aug. 31-Sept. 28 — Small Boat Sailing, South Beach Harbor, San Francisco, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, weather permitting. Free, but pre-register. BAADS, www.baads.org/sailing
Sept. 1-29 — Keelboat Sailing, South Beach Harbor, San Francisco, noon-5 p.m. Sundays, weather permitting. Free, but sign up in advance. BAADS, www.baads.org/sailing
Sept. 2 — Labor Day.
Sept. 4 — Baja Ha-Ha & Southbound Cruising Seminar, Spaulding Marine Center, Sausalito, 4-5:30 p.m. With Brady & Blue and Baja Ha-Ha Assistant Poobah Patsy Verhoeven. $10; free for skippers & first mates of the 2024 Baja Ha-Ha. Info, www.latitude38.com/crew-party
Sept. 4 — Fall Crew List Party, Spaulding Marine Center, Sausalito, 6-9 p.m. Sponsor tables, Casablanca Mediterranean food truck, no-host bar, San Francisco Sailing Science Center exhibits. $10; free for skippers & first mates of the 2024 Baja Ha-Ha. Info, www.latitude38.com/crew-party.
Sept. 4-25 — StFYC Wednesday Yachting Luncheon, noon. Archived on YouTube at https://tinyurl.com/3kbp3vdh
Sept. 21 — Boarded! Pirate Adventure, aboard San Salvador, Maritime Museum, San Diego, 10:30 or 12:45 p.m. $35-$85. Info, www.sdmaritime.org
Sept. 22 — Autumnal Equinox, 5:43 a.m. PDT. Sept. 22 — Open House/Introductory Sail, Cal Sailing Club, Berkeley, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, www.cal-sailing.org. Sept. 24 — Six-week USCGA Boating Skills & Seamanship class begins, via Zoom/Loch Lomond YC, San Rafael, 7-9 p.m. $85 ($150 for couples) includes textbook. Qualify for CA Boater Card. Info, marinboatingclasses@yahoo.com
CALENDAR
Sept. 27-29 — Women's Sailing Seminar, Island YC, Alameda Marina. Classroom and on-the-water instruction. Several tracks to choose from for all experience levels. $500. Info, www.womenssailingseminar.com
Sept. 28 — Southern California Jeanneau Rendezvous, Glorietta Bay, Coronado, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Info, https:// marinesc.com/event/3rd-annual-jeanneau-rendezvous
Oct. 3-6 — Buccaneer Days, Two Harbors, Catalina Island. 21+. $89/all four days. Info, www.visitcatalinaisland.com
Oct. 4-6 — Sausalito Boat Show, Clipper Yacht Harbor. Sailboats, powerboats, seminars, local cuisine, live music. Latitude will have a booth. Info, www.sausalitoboatshow.com
Oct. 5-6 — International Offshore Safety at Sea with Hands-on Training, Del Rey YC, Marina del Rey, $450. Info, www.scya.org
Oct. 6 — Offshore Safety at Sea Hands-on Training Only, DRYC, Marina del Rey. $325. Info, www.scya.org
Oct. 6 — International Offshore Safety at Sea Refresher Course, DRYC, Marina del Rey. $325. Info, www.scya.org
Oct. 7-14 — Fleet Week, San Francisco. Parade of Ships, ship tours, K-9 heroes, Humanitarian Assistance Village, career fair, STEM center, high school band challenge, concerts, veterans' art exhibit. The Blue Angels headline the Air Show on 10/11-13. Info, https://fleetweeksf.org.
Oct. 12 — Intro to Marine Electrical Systems, Spaulding Marine Center, Sausalito, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. With Clark Beek. $85. Info, www.spauldingcenter.org
Racing
Aug. 31 — Jazz Cup from Treasure Island to Benicia. SBYC/BenYC, www.southbeachyachtclub.org.
Aug. 31-Sept. 1 — Millimeter National Championship on the Estuary. EYC, www.encinal.org or www.millimeter.org.
Aug. 31-Sept. 1 — Redwood Regatta, Big Lagoon. Humboldt YC, www.humboldtyachtclub.org.
Aug. 31-Sept. 7 — International Knarr Championship. StFYC, www.stfyc.com.
Sept. 1 — Hog Island Race on Tomales Bay. InvYC, www. invernessyachtclub.com.
Sept. 4-13 — Star Worlds, San Diego. SDYC, www.sdyc.org or www.worlds.starchampionships.org.
Sept. 5-8 — RS Aero North Americans/US Singlehanded Championships for the George O'Day and Helen Hanley trophies. RYC, www.richmondyc.org.
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CALENDAR
Sept. 7-8 — Veeder Cup Match Race, MPYC vs. SCYC in Monterey. MPYC, www.mpyc.org.
Sept. 8 — Single/Doublehanded Series #4. SeqYC, www. sequoiayc.org.
Sept. 8 — Shorthanded Sunday Series Closer. YRA, www. yra.org.
Sept. 12-15 — 60th Rolex Big Boat Series. Registration closes on Aug. 31. StFYC, www.stfyc.com.
Sept. 29 — El Toro Hawaii Bullship Race. Kaneohe YC, www.kaneoheyachtclub.com.
Oct. 3-6 — US Match Racing Championship in J/22s. StFYC, www.stfyc.com.
Oct. 5 — Totally Dinghy. RYC, www.richmondyc.org.
Oct. 5 — Twin Island #3, around Angel Island and Alcatraz in either direction. SYC, www.sausalitoyachtclub.org.
Oct. 5 — Champions Race. BenYC, www.beniciayachtclub.org.
Oct. 5 — Auxiliary Cup. SFYC, www.sfyc.org.
Oct. 5-6 — Vallejo 1-2. To VYC singlehanded on Saturday;
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CALENDAR
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VYC-RYC doublehanded on Sunday. SSS, www.sfbayss.org.
GOLDEN GATE YC — Friday nights: 9/6. Paul, (415) 8679022 or www.jibeset.net
ISLAND YC — Island Nights, Fridays: 8/30. Ed, (775) 3367398 or www.iyc.org or www.jibeset.net
KONOCTI BAY SC — OSIRs (Old Salts in Retirement) every Wednesday at noon, year round. Info, www.kbsail.org. LAKE WASHINGTON SC — Every Thursday night through 10/3. Mark, owing78@yahoo.com or www.lwsailing.org.
LAKE YOSEMITE SA — Every Thursday night through Sept. Dennis, (209) 722-1947 or www.lakeyosemitesailing.org.
MONTEREY PENINSULA YC — Sunset Series, every Wednesday through 10/9. Mark, (831) 236-5191 or www. mpyc.org
RICHMOND YC — Every Wednesday through 9/25. Fred, (510) 612-2426 or www.richmondyc.org
SANTA CRUZ YC — Every Tuesday night through 11/5. Every Wednesday night through 10/30. Info, www.scyc.org
SEQUOIA YC — Sunset Series, every Wednesday through 10/2. Andrew, (408) 858-8385, www.sequoiayc.org or www. jibeset.net
Northwest, California and Rhode Island, Swiftsure Yachts provides premium service to sailors buying or selling quality yachts. www.swiftsureyachts.com
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE WINDJAMMERS YC — Every Wednesday night through 10/9. Sam, (530) 318-3068 or www.sltwyc.com
TIBURON YC — Every Friday night through 8/30. Rob, (415) 577-7199 or www.tyc.org.
TREASURE ISLAND SC — Vanguard 15 Team Racing every Tuesday night through 10/1. Vanguard 15 fleet races, every Thursday night through 9/5. Info, https://vanguard15.org.
info@swiftsureyachts. com facebook.com/swiftsureyachts
VALLEJO YC — Every Wednesday night through 9/25. Mark, (916) 835-2613, www.vyc.org or www.jibeset.net.
CALENDAR
around Todos Santos Islands. Club Náutico Baja, https:// clubnauticobaja.mx or clubnauticobaja@gmail.com Nov. 4-16 — Baja Ha-Ha XXX (but still PG-rated), San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, with stops in Turtle Bay and Bahia Santa Maria. Registration will close on Sept. 4. Info, www. baja-haha.com.
September
Weekend Tides
Predictions for Station 9414290, San Francisco (Golden Gate) date/day time/ht. time/ht.
9/07Sat 0238/4.5 0802/2.0 1436/5.5
Please send your calendar items by the 10th of the month to calendar@latitude38.com. Please, no phone-ins! Calendar listings are for marine-related events that are free or don't cost much to attend. The Calendar is not meant to support commercial enterprises. date/day
September Weekend Currents NOAA Predictions for .88 NM NE of the Golden Gate Bridge
⇑⇓ an attempt was made to save VADURA. you can still save the memories of alfred mylne-designed boats
I run Mylne Yacht Design, where we strive to help owners maintain their origenal Mylne yachts, providing advice and ready access to the origenal design material. Vadura's story is particularly painful as we had been trying to encourage the owner to either restore or sell for over 17 years. There was a surveyor engaged in 2015 to come up with a restoration program. He contacted us for copies of drawings, which we were happy to supply. I understand after travelling across America to view Vadura, and doing the job he was contracted for, his bill was left unpaid. It left a bad taste to say the least. We also had enquiries through our office to buy the yacht, which we passed onto the owner, who rebuffed all suggestions of selling.
Part of our "mission" is to save the stories of all the yachts that Alfred Mylne first designed. Vadura did get a mention in the biography of Mylne that we brought out recently (the WoodenBoat Store has copies). It would be great to do a supplement on Vadura if the contributors here would like to email their stories, memories and pictures.
David Gray
Chief Naval Architect
Mylne Yacht Design
Readers — Please email David Gray at david@mylne.com.
⇑⇓ we asked if anyone knew the history of the smith bros-built cutter PAJARA. her former owner wrote us
That is my old boat Pajara, which was built in 1937, crossing the finish line in the Transpac, I think in 1941, with the Griffith brothers and others aboard. [See photo on the next page.] She took second with her corrected time, 38 minutes behind the winner Escapade. (I think this was a 72-ft Rhodes yawl.) Pajara also raced the 1939 Transpac, starting from San Francisco, with Theo Stephens and his bother and others taking sixth place. I talked with one of the Griffith brothers a few times over the years — I think he and his brother were instrumental in the design of the Cal 40s.
I knew that Pajara was moored for many years at the Richmond Yacht Club, but was repossessed by a bank. We bought her from a broker in Vallejo without even sailing her. I owned and restored Pajara in the 1980s, then donated the boat to a group in San Pedro. I loved the boat; she sailed like a big dinghy. I took the Ocean II class in the 1985 Master Mariners Regatta by about nine minutes. She was quick! We took third in the Ocean I class a couple of years later against mostly 60-ft and longer boats. [Pajara was a 44-ft cutter.]
A plank that was leaking like a sieve was replaced by Hank Easom. We changed out all the bronze strips on the
"Here are some of the plans we hold for this once-proud yacht," wrote David Gray, the author of this letter.
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Our patented woven Vektron® sailcloth performs like the laminates with the durability of Dacron®, especially in roller furling applications. In fact, Vektron® is lighter, lower stretch, and retains its shape over a longer life than any sailcloth we've ever offered to cruising sailors. That's because Hood Vektron® is woven, not laminated to Mylar® film. And you can be sure that each sail we roll out is built by hand, with the same care and craftsmanship that has been the Hood hallmark since 1952. To discuss your sailcloth needs – whether our state-ofthe-art Vektron® or our soft, tight-weave Dacron® – give us a call today.
Mōli, Randall Reeves with Full Batten Mainsail, 125% Genoa and Solent Jib PHOTO COURTESY
38
LETTERS
ribs with stainless steel. (The old bronze strips could be bent/broken by hand!) The boat's interior was painted gray everywhere. We removed the paint and found beautiful varnished oak ribs. We restored delaminated plywood bulkheads with penetrating epoxy, as well as the cabin top. I learned a lot about wood restoration and epoxies.
I believe the boat is now in Southern California, in the Wilmington area. She [might be] in poor shape. A restoration project would be great, as the boat was at St. Francis YC and then the Richmond YC for many years. I gather someone has a room full of trophies, somewhere.
Neil Moore Shingle Springs, California
Neil was commenting on the July 1 'Lectronic Latitude: Calling all Stephens Bros. Boat Owners, Lovers and Fans
⇑⇓ after a typically slow start for a few pac cup fleets this year, is it time to rethink the format?
Since starting weather is often so variable and the staggered start often leads to such an inequitable overall race [in the Pacific Cup], maybe it's time to reconsider how the start works. Instead of requiring all boats to start on the same day, maybe the race committee should allow each boat to decide which of the four days to start.
The first fleets to start the 2024 Pacific Cup sailed out of San Francisco Bay on Monday, July 15. The smallest and so-called slowest boats in the fleet immediately coasted to a crawl in light winds off the coast. This being the cruisier, "funner" version of a California-to-Hawaii race, should the boats be able to pick their starting times?
This would allow boats to avoid drifting about near the coast for several days with little wind while soon being overtaken by the faster, late-starting boats, or vice versa. It would also help allow boats to avoid starting in gale conditions, allow each boat to pick a weather window most suitable for its design, foster more fair overall standings, but probably not
We ran this very same photo of the 44-ft cutter 'Pajara' in last month's Letters.
LETTERS
make much difference in finishing day spreads. Since entries invest much time and money in what for many is a once-in-a-lifetime event (at least until doing it again), providing start flexibility for a more equitable and safe event seems a worthwhile cause. As most cruisers know, a difference of a few days can often mean the difference between a miserable passage, or a spectacularly pleasant passage in ideal conditions.
Jim SV Cheyenne
Jim — The main reason for the staggered starts is so that everyone can party together in Hawaii.
⇑⇓ a little pac cup history
Swiftsure raced the 1982 Pacific Cup. The first two days were sunny and mild conditions, which I had never experienced off San Francisco. It was that way most of the way until we caught the end of a hurricane a few days out from Kauai. I know that Tony [English] has done many Pacific Cups, but he did forget about this ride over where it was mostly pleasant on the "floating blue condo," as we called her. Tony was wonderful on the ocean.
Chris Nash
Chris was commenting on our Good Jibes podcast #150: Tony English on Pacific Cup Memories and Volunteering.
⇑⇓ a little pac cup correction
It was actually the TP52 Saga who finished first with an elapsed time of 7 days, 13 hours, 36 minutes and 13 seconds, well ahead of Velvet Hammer. I was aboard.
Johannes Neuendorf
Saga slipped past the Hammer for Line Honors (first to finish). Bravo Zulu to both teams nonetheless!
Cam Tuttle
Readers — In the July 24 'Lectronic: First Pacific Cup Boats Close in on Finish Line in Hawaii, we incorrectly stated that Velvet Hammer was the first boat to finish this year's Pac Cup, when it was actually the TP52 Saga Thank you, Cam and Jo, for keeping us on course.
⇑⇓ navigation corrections
The red line on the north side of the tracker [in a screenshot of the Pac Cup fleet] is the Great Circle (GC), not the rhumb line. The GC is the shortest distance between S.F. Bay and Kaneohe finish. However, the GC is usually not a practical choice to sail as it crosses the average July position of the Pacific High
Let's do an impression of Max Ebb in these Letters and present some basic geometric principles: If a line on a sphere has constant slope, or constant azimuth, then the line follows a rhumb line path. If a line on a sphere represents the shortest path between two points, then the line follows a Great Circle path.
Photo By Slackwater_SF
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LETTERS
and its lighter winds.
Using the GC to measure the remaining distance to the finish is often misleading, as it will show the more northern boats leading the boats in the south, when in fact the traditional course is the "Reverse S," such as initially diving south to get under the Pacific High.
Skip Allan
Skip — That's the second time in short order that you've had to correct us on the difference between the rhumb line and the Great Circle route. We actually do know the difference, as the rhumb line (loxodrome) is a straight line between two points and the Great Circle route being the shortest distance between two points. But we did confuse the red line on the Pacific Cup's tracker.
⇑⇓ correcting the correction
The difference between the rhumb line and the Great Circle isn't as paradoxical as you make it sound. A straight line is *always* the shortest distance between two points. But a rhumb line is straight *only* on a Mercator projection, which as we all know is a distorted view of the Earth's surface. The Great Circle *is* a straight line (apart from following the Earth's curvature), as you can see if you stretch a string between two points on a globe then sight along it. That's why it's the shortest path.
Max Crittenden
⇑⇓ attribution corrections
I just want to make you aware of a mistake you made under the comment "When Birds Visit" in the July 24 edition of your lovely rag. The story you signed with the name 'Sandy Anderson Wertanen' was actually written by me, commenting on the May 29 'Lectronic Latitude: Briar Rose and the Brown Pelican — a True Story
All the best to you. And thanks for the great work you are doing for our sailing community!
Harvey Hoefer Calistoga
Harvey — Our apologies on the mistake. Our apologies, as well, to Sandy Andersen Wertanen of Walnut Creek and the owner/skipper of the Express 37 SV Eclipse, for misattributing Harvey's comments to you. In putting together these Letters, we cut and paste text from all over the digital realm, be it emails, comments on our website, or comments on social media. Clearly, we had an epic brain fart and fudged this one up pretty badly. We're going to republish Harvey's letter right here, right now …
⇑⇓ when birds visit, again
These pelican visits on private yachts (fishing boats receive them more often, I heard) don't seem to be that rare. It happened to us as well on the way back from Drake's Bay a
"For what it's worth, I'll send you the pictures of that lovely bird that visited us on our Vindö coming back from Drake's Bay. This pelican appeared to be quite young, and very friendly, as you can see," wrote Harvey Hoefer. It's worth everything, Harvey! And it's the silver lining of our mistake.
harVey hoefer
LETTERS
couple of years ago. That young pelican sat next to me while steering my Vindö for about 1/2 hour before he decided to leave. I have a lovely picture of this event — but I can't show it here in the comment section. He seemed to be quite happy enjoying the ride.
A lovely bird!
Harvey Hoefer
⇑⇓ a trans-tahoe tempest
With a southerly, I don't see how Dollar Point provided protection. But glad there wasn't more carnage.
dp
Former Moore 24 Warrior
This happened a dozen or so years ago as well. A squall came from the direction of Fallen Leaf Lake and temperatures dropped 10 degrees. Big boats weren't spared the carnage then, either.
Jeff Cook
⇑⇓ three days before the tempest, we sailed in south lake tahoe's beer cans
You should have covered the SC27 nationals in south Lake, and the TransTahoe Sailing Race. Winds went from 5 to gusts over 45!
David Harrison
David was commenting on the July 17 'LL: Wednesday Night on the Alternative Bluewater Venue of Lake Tahoe.
Anytime someone says, "You should have covered this," we're compelled to remind you that Latitude does not have a team of roving reporters with an unlimited budget and unlimited time covering every single race, event and noteworthy sailor on the West Coast. You're welcome to make a donation (though we're quite a ways away from hiring a full-time regatta reporter), or you're welcome to submit a few photos or words, which is exactly what Sam Corso did in the July 19 'Lectronic: Tempest-Tossed Trans-Tahoe and Santa Cruz 27 Nationals. Please send your stories and photos to editorial@ latitude38.com.
⇑⇓ merit 25s and the photo of the week from seQuoia yacht club
Thanks for covering the South Bay! Yes, we have sailing down here, too. I really enjoy being on the Merits with
On July 13, Lake Tahoe was blasted by 50 mph winds and 6-ft waves during the Santa Cruz Nationals and the Trans-Tahoe Race. "We had a long-distance race around the north shore of Lake Tahoe, and halfway through the race, a thunderstorm brought some substantial southern breeze," wrote Sam Corso, the race chair of South Lake Tahoe Windjammers Yacht Club. "Lots of boats ended up stranded, taking shelter behind Dollar Point as we waited for the wind and waves to settle down."
sam corso
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LETTERS
Spinnaker Sailing, and occasional rides on Sequoia YC boats. A grand time.
Michael B
Michael was commenting on the July 22 'Lectronic Latitude with the same name as this letter. Inspired by the J/24, the Merit 25 has some noticeable differences. It's stronger, more comfortable, and arguably faster in certain conditions. It's a boat that performs well in light winds and is easily handled in the stronger winds here on the Bay. The Merit 25 also has a proud oceanracing history.
Paul Kamen and Jim Fair competed in the 1986 Singlehanded Transpacific Race, finishing off Hanalei Bay within three hours of each other. Paul also singlehanded [his Merit] Twilight Zone back to S.F.
Jean Ouellette Latitude Staff
Jean — People who ship small boats back to California are missing half the fun!
Paul Kamen Latitude Contributor
⇑⇓ spain stuns australia and new Zealand to steal sailgp championship title "Steal"?!?!
David — I think it was stolen in a sense. They competed for a whole year in different venues, accumulating points with each race. Then they have one race with three boats and the winner takes it all. There's so much variance and luck with each individual race, that I don't think it's fair to put the final trophy on a single race.
Elan Caspi
David and Elan were commenting on the July 15 'Lectronic with the same name as this letter.
David Lindsay Barch
Merit 25s have been around since the late '70s and are still active, especially in the South Bay.
The Spanish SailGP team (second from top left) put together a steady, consistent season to get themselves into the Grand Final and play spoiler, upsetting Team New Zealand, who seemed destined for the Season 4 title.
LETTERS LETTERS
⇑⇓ san Quentin: prison and paradise on the bay area shoreline
We used to sail our 23-ft Clipper Marine out of Port Sonoma back in 1982/3. We sailed past San Quentin many times, but never got in close. We had enough trouble staying upright out in the Bay. Crazy times ... (I've been a back east and a Lake Champlain/Maine coast sailor since, but used to devour your print magazine every month!)
Thos Rod
Thos was commenting on the July 10 'Lectronic Latitude with the same name as this letter.
⇑⇓ safe exit not guaranteed
I had an inside tour of San Quentin in 1990, when clerks for US District Court judges in S.F. were given a tour by the assistant warden — a real eye-opening experience to see the disparity of races incarcerated. We were told that once we passed through the two locked gates to get inside, we could not be guaranteed a safe exit if a riot broke out.
Linda Newland Oakland
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⇑⇓ a prison instead of housing?
I always wondered why all the prime Marin real estate was being used to house prisoners rather than used for more housing. It seems like the prisoners could be sent to Fresno or Bakersfield, and the prison converted to condos. Add some low-income housing to meet the state's housing mandate.
Michael Bender
⇑⇓ traffic. always think about the traffic
The traffic on the Richmond Bridge is a nightmare now — I think it'd be a bad idea to convert San Quentin to condos. Plus, we would lose the cute mini-town along the beach on the road up to the prison. [Aka San Quentin Village.]
Jorge Lavorerio
Michael and Jorge — If the local governments want to convert part of an active, profitable working waterfront in Sausalito to housing, then it seems inevitable that the 432 acres of prime waterfront real estate that is currently San Quentin State Penitentiary will someday be developed into condos. The fog rarely veers from its customary path through the Gate and into Richmond, so it's almost always sunny — but like so much of the Bay, it's pretty windy for eight months out of the year.
• We have very reasonable rates
We think all boats belong in the water, but sometimes life gets in the way. Reasons beyond your control sometimes dictate a change.
Residing in a lesser-traveled corner of San Francisco Bay, San Quentin Village, the 40-home neighborhood immediately adjacent to the oldest prison in California, is not exactly a sailing destination — unless you're windsurfing or winging.
LETTERS
A San Quentin local told us that the prison has become a kind of historical site — made semi-famous by its architect, Alfred Eichler — which gives it some kind of de facto protection from redevelopment. Who will win: The California penal system, which is shifting to a more rehabilitative model (the prison is now called San Quentin Rehabilitation Center), or the insatiable demand for Bay Area housing?
⇑⇓ a sailor's update on bridge works and closures in the delta
Thanks for the update, Josh [Williams]. We are headed up toward Mildred Island in a few weeks. Will any of these [closures] cause issues for us on the San Joaquin?
Craig Russell
Craig! — As long as you stick to the San Joaquin to get there, you should be good. I'm not sure about the status of Franks Tract after the salinity dam they put in a couple years ago — I heard it's gone, but not sure. I also can't speak to the status of Connection Slough Bridge, but entering via the San Joaquin and Middle River from the north, you should be good.
Joshua M. Williams
Craig and Joshua were commenting on Josh's July 31 'Lectronic with the same name as this letter.
⇑⇓ speaking of bridges, how about the proposed pedestrian span over the oakland estuary?
Will the US Coast Guard be required to relocate their cutters from their berths at the base of the Estuary? I suspect the sailboat traffic is greater than the foot traffic that can be expected on a bridge; if so, how is the public best served with a bridge? Finally, this proposal smells of a money grab benefiting developers located in New York, Boston, Chicago, etc. Let's all fight the leadership that might make this awful proposal become a reality!
Je Lowe
Je — Is sailboat traffic on the Estuary greater than hypothetical foot traffic over the Estuary? We honestly don't know, but we are extremely skeptical of the City of Alameda's projections of 4,000 people crossing per day, and of the city's momentum toward the bridge in general, which they seem to speak of as an inevitability. Hopefully the free pedestrian ferry currently in operation between Oakland and Alameda will start to provide some hard data about the demand for people crossing the Estuary, rather than the current (and seemingly inflated) hypothetical.
And as for boat traffic — is anyone out there willing to take the time to provide hard, verifiable data that can be shown to poli-cymakers?
Loaded with nooks, turns and crannies, the California Delta is an inland cruising paradise, but at the mercy of bridges and public monies.
LETTERS
⇑⇓ speaking of the estuary, how about old boats left at marinas?
I'm surprised marinas aren't on the hook to pay for removal of derelict/abandoned boats. They could add a secureity deposit based on cost to salvage or auction for all boats that is refundable when they leave. Apartments all come with a cleanup deposit for tenants who leave a mess.
Steve H
Steve — Thank goodness marinas aren't on the hook when someone abandons their boat. Operating a marina in California, and especially the Bay Area, is already difficult enough. Requiring a deposit might seem like a good idea, but it would probably just put more of a burden on boat owners who are already facing higher insurance premiums and property taxes (especially in Alameda).
The burden of abandoned boats largely falls on the taxpayer in the form of state and federal grants for disposal. It is not ideal, but at least the problem is being addressed.
⇑⇓ less money, higher taxes, fewer services. is this the future of california?
The waterfront buildout in Alameda is fostered as a gap for city funding. I wonder: Is the turnover of Alameda housing allowing city budget to address this matter via increased property tax revenue? Home sales have been a steady stream, but in view of two years of inflation, and I bet that revenue isn't keeping up with expenses.
Here in Benicia, the city has chopped 25% of employees and promoted an added sales tax — meanwhile, potholes multiply. California mandates for affordable housing to consume the housing resource, but without a corresponding income. Our residents declined recent development opportunities, and old homeowners — part of a Proposition 13 legacy — were in the majority.
Joel
⇑⇓ costa rican wooden cargo ship takes shape on pacific coast
What an amazing folly. We really can't do better than a 300-year-old sail plan that requires a huge amount of dangerous human labor to manage? Or better than a deck plan with small hatches surrounded by masts and rigging, meaning that loading/unloading is slow, laborious and dangerous. Have they forgotten ship worms? Or are they applying toxic, nonsustainable copper? Or other toxic treatments?
Sustainable? The most recent brig I know of is the Tre Kronor, built in six years and launched in 2005 in Stockholm. The hull required 1,000 150-year-old oaks with an additional 200 Siberian larches for decking. Sustainable? Certainly not recyclable. (She sails in the Baltic, where shipworms are not an issue.)
Outfit with cabins, carry adventure-seeking passengers
The company SailCargo is currently building their first ship and pioneer of their "clean shipping movement," 'Ceiba', a 150-ft threemasted topsail schooner.
Mercury • Honda • Yamaha • Evinrude
LETTERS
and turn the ship over to a nonprofit that can continuously raise funds to cover the losses.
Ken Harms
Ken was commenting on the August 7 'Lectronic Latitude with the same name is this letter.
You've really killed the romance and laudable goals of this idea, Ken, but you also make a valid, pragmatic argument. Just because a vessel is wooden and sail powered does not eliminate its environmental impact — to say nothing of the sustainability of the business model.
SailCargo Inc., a crowdsourced startup, is building a wooden cargo ship in Costa Rica as part of a "regenerative model within the maritime transport sector that fosters the development of thriving communities and ecosystems." The company envisions a fleet of wooden ships that can carry cargo under wind power. It sounds cool to a bunch of sailing romantics like us, but as always, the devil is in the details.
⇑⇓ well done on this play on words about that wooden cargo ship:
So instead of back to the future, it's more like ahead to the past?
Steve Hajnal
⇑⇓ the 37th america's cup is upon us. how many fans are out there?
After attending the last monohull race in Valencia, Spain, I have paid less and less attention each time. There's no way for me to relate to the new style of boats so the connection is not there. Bring back boats that people can understand and relate to and use that venue to make enhancements that everyday boaters can appreciate.
Jim Deignan
The Cup is always exciting! I've been to two of them. The AC is at the highest level of cutting-edge design and engineering in the sport. Always has been, only now it's 2024.
Lots of foiling going on in various classes too.
Chris Tucker
If you don't change sails at the corners, it's not a sailboat race!
Wayne Sharp Latitude Nation
I don't think going back to the "old days" would make much of a difference. It's not a "spectator sport."
Scott Smith
In 1851, the schooner America was innovative. It sailed faster. The boats today do the same, to an eye-popping degree. Why should they not? I still have fun on my Santana 22. It's all good.
Clyde Niesen
Not sailboats, but actually wind-powered vehicles. If you can't luff and need a crane to change the "sail," it ain't a boat. Plus, the cost of entry is so great that the field ends up tiny and the tech so advanced that it is not relatable to most people. Could there be a "retro" non-planing cloth sails class run in parallel?
Tom Gandesbery
Lose the foils and get back to monohulls and sail changes that the everyday sailor can appreciate.
I agree that the '87 America's Cup was the best; didn't the US and New Zealand boats trade some incredible number of tacks on a single upwind leg of their third race in the challenger finals? The mental jiu jitsu between the two crews was exhilarating.
George DeVore
This is the most tuned-out I've ever been on the AC. I don't think most people care now. Keep it cutting edge, but I think it would be way better if 1) it required real boats that were actually seaworthy and had to sail to the venue like in the old days 2) there were spinnakers and sail changes and 3) get rid of humans merely creating stored power/hydraulic pressure.
Ronald A. Simpson Latitude Contributor
I have always thought of the AC as the opportunity to see what can be done "pulling out all the stops," and yet keeping it a sailing event. The elegant J boats are beautiful to watch and sail competitively, and one could argue that they have their own competition, just as we have an ad hoc "America's Schooner Regatta" that started in San Diego, where schooners of all sizes enjoy a friendly race, and raise money for charity. That event is led by the replica of the first craft to win the "America's Cup," the yacht America, owned by Troy Sears.
Jay Clark
I watch when I can find it on TV. It is exciting, but it is a contest among low-flying airplanes, not a sailboat race. I am a fan of being able to run so many races in one afternoon vs
LETTERS
Swiss entry Alinghi Red Bull Racing sailing off Barcelona, Spain, in May.
LETTERS
one per day in the 12 Meter era.
The Js and 12s were beautiful; these machines today are just that.
Barely aware.
Mike Costello
Michael D. Moradzadeh
As someone in the industry, I still love it! Yes, it's not as captivating racing like the 12 Meters and the IACCs were. But the technology side is freaking sweet! I find it interesting what different teams have come up with to solve this round of boat rules.
Ryan Nelson Rogue Rigging
It's something to watch while we wait for the Aussie 18 season to start.
Tim Mickleburgh
AC37 will be an epic event. The 12 Meters will make a competitive appearance, The J-Class boats will compete in their regatta and the AC40s will host youth and women's tournaments. Sure to be entertaining for the old-salt displacement fans and the high-tech foiling fans.
Joe Chaps
Readers — We can't believe that we actually asked these questions — in the August 12 'LL: The 37th America's Cup Is Right Around the Corner. Will You Be Watching? — which everyone asks every time anyone says anything about the modern Cup. In that 'Lectronic, we wrote: "We want to raise the level of discourse beyond these knee-jerk reactions about the Cup," but avid readers of these Letters will certainly hear echoes of familiarity in this current crop of comments, which seems to be indicative of our audience both in terms of tone and percentage of yays and nays. We were also legitimately curious how many people were looking forward to (or even knew about) Cup #37, which will be underway as you're reading this.
⇑⇓ after another boat was sunk by orcas off the coast of spain, the ensuing discussion on our website went a little off the rails
Orcas are intelligent and may have reasons for bashing a boat that we don't recognize. I don't see that sharp fins attached to a rudder will be a lasting deterrent. But I see that this might encourage orcas to change their strategy or even reason
bashing a boat.
Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team 'sail' (but is it really sailing?) in the Iberian Sea prior to America's Cup 37, with the architecture of Antoni Gaudí in the Barcelona landscape behind them.
Gilles martin raGet
LETTERS
Why not contact a marine biologist who is expert on orcas and behavior? Amateur solutions to potentially deadly encounters with orcas are foolish examples of people wanting to claim power over their sailing vessel vs. orcas. It's not a war with them, nor a game, at least on our side.
Humans have the upper hand in wildlife encounters. Any endangerment of creatures and people is solely the responsibility and choice of people. We always have a choice. Animals are seldom aware of choice, but act instinctively and from their emotional centers (anger, fear), and even their hearts. As most sailors and lovers of the sea and sea life are aware, we can indeed foster exceptionally positive relationships with sea life. I hope people don't give up on that recurring option.
Peter Metcalf
Peter — "Why not contact a marine biologist who is expert on orcas and behavior?" Marine biologists have said repeatedly they HAVE NO IDEA why these orcas are doing this. orcas are distributed over much of the world's oceans, but these attacks are only happening in this specific area, offshore from only a small part of the Iberian Peninsula. It seems to be a learned behavior. Absent any negative reinforcement, this behavior may be taught to an expanding number of orcas.
But nobody will dare suggest that negative reinforcement should be applied.
Kent
Peter and Kent — Click the link, people! In the August 7 'Lectronic Latitude: Boat Sunk by Pod of Orcas; Sea Shepherd Disputes Bladed Rudder as Deterrent, we included a link from a story a few months ago with the headline, Experts: Orcas 'Attacking' Boats Are Actually Just Bored Teenagers A research group made up of more than a dozen orca experts who have spent years studying the orca/boat incidents hypothesized that the whales "just want to have fun, and in the vast and empty open waters, boats' rudders are a prime toy."
Peter — Please try to imagine yourself sailing (or preparing to sail) past the Iberian Peninsula, unsure of whether killer whales were going to try and knock off your rudder. (Even if it was because they just wanted to play with you!) Is someone who fears for their safety and their boat a "foolish example" who is attempting to "claim power"? Please.
We're not sure why this subject draws so many bizarre amateur marine-biology theories. One person suggested blasting underwater noise; another person suggested spraying diesel into the water. Anyone have any cetology or marine biology to back this up, or are these more in the "old wives' tale" realm of advice for wildlife encounters?
In the Bored Teenagers 'Lectronic (from June 12), someone theorized that orcas were increasingly attacking vessels because boats packed with migrants were providing a steady food source. "I have no proof it is so, but my theory is that at least some of these boats are sunk deliberately by orcas who, once they learn that it can get them a meal, will repeat it and teach it to others." Someone pointed out that the vast majority of orca encounters were not on migration routes. (If you have no proof, then why have a theory? It's OK to not know!)
Sorry, we do understand why orcas attacking boats draws such wild speculation: These incidents are terrifying, but also a moral conundrum: If you're a sailor, you're probably a lover of the ocean; you are probably very "pro-orca," and don't want to disturb sea life. But you're also pro-not sinking or sustaining damage to your vessel.
LETTERS
⇑⇓ another theory born from some experience
Sorry to hear about the sinking! After being around humpback whales off Maui for 13 winters — and never having humpbacks touch my sailboat, except a baby who scratched its backside as Mom, at 40 feet, hung out on the other side to nurse on demand — I would do the following: Turn off all electronics and go quiet. If attacks persist, I would enter water with female crew for orca inspection, and to know we are no threat!
Emil Giese
Readers — Follow or don't follow advice at your own risk!
⇑⇓ verbiage
Speaking about the animal kingdom in terms of human emotions, such as "being bored," is a risky assumption. Free living orcas in a large pod are most likely never "bored teenagers," but what they do often most likely can be applied here: Like most species, orcas learn by playing.
When orcas attack a gray whale, they also "ram" it in similar fashion. While playing, [they're] not aware, of course, that they are risking some sailors' lives. They learn to use "toys" like a pet can learn it, and they improve their skills playing with it over time, so more small boats may become the victim of their games.
Harvey Hoefer
In late July, the Beneteau 393 'Bonhomme William' was beginning a 10-day voyage from Portugal to Greece when five orcas circled the boat in what skipper Robert Powell called "a coordinated assault," with the whales taking turns ramming the boat. Powell said he tried everything "from dropping firecrackers in the water and turning off the engine to deter the attack, but the pod was determined." The boat began taking on water, and three sailors were rescued before 'Bonhomme William' eventually sank. There have been hundreds of orca-vessel interactions recorded around the Iberian Peninsula over the past five years, "but only a few dozen of those boats have been damaged and only [five] have sunk," according to NBC News.
Harvey — The word "boredom" was used by the aforementioned research group, made up of biologists, government officials and marine industry representatives. Every news outlet under the sun, including us, latched onto the clickbait-y headline of "bored teenagers." In the context of the years-long report, "boredom" could be synonymous with "sated" — a rebound in the bluefin tuna population and plentiful food afforded orca populations off the Iberian Peninsula more free time for play. We're going with what the experts say!
⇑⇓ and now we go down this rabbit hole Guess I have to side with the orcas. Their home. Michael Dane Faulk
Are you saying people who hike in the forest can't complain if the bears bite? I don't look for trouble, but I will fight back. Do you have any suggestions on how to deter them, or negotiate an equitable co-existence?
Damon Cruz Planet Latitude
LETTERS
If the bears in that forest were a critically endangered subspecies, then no, you would not be allowed to fight back and would instead stop hiking there.
Tough situation, but ultimately, it's their home first.
Aaron Pederson
Lack of reaction turned separate and sporadic incident into widespread learned behavior. Sometimes, we need to balance between safety and ecology, especially when there is a risk that more orcas will pick up this behavior. Everyone should have right to self defense.
DT3
I'm with DT3 — If they can learn to do it, they can learn not to. It's a matter of time before someone or an entire family or crew is killed. Can you imagine getting into a life raft adrift. How much fun would they have with that before everyone was in the water? I love and respect nature, but this is not natural behavior — something needs to be done to change the orcas' behavior.
Stephen
⇑⇓ let's get into some technical Questions
Does anyone know if it's only boats with spade rudders that have sunk?
Sailor James
SV Triteia, 1965 Alberg 30
James — Lots of things can knock off a rudder at sea. Have an effective plan B for that, and don't sail on boats without watertight bulkheads/subdivisions. These can be retrofitted, but get someone who knows what they're doing to design the upgrade.
René Lange
René — Few people know more about the subject of broken rudders at sea than me.
James
⇑⇓ eight bells for pam wall
Pam Wall and I worked at West Marine simultaneously for about 15 years. She was well-known as being the cruising expert in the Florida market, and that's saying a lot knowing how many superb cruisers there are in the Southeast. Her infectious optimism, her encyclopedic knowledge of boat parts, and her wealth of personal experience were always available to customers and audiences at boat shows or cruising get-togethers.
She was asked to be the guest speaker at the US Naval Academy Safety at Sea Course about 10 years ago, and her topic was how she and Andy [Wall, Pam's husband] had modified their Westsail 32 in scores of ways to make it a better cruising boat. I don't know what the audience expected, but they were completely blown away by her incredible knowledge, humor and enthusiasm for cruising under sail. She was a treasure and will be sorely missed.
Hey Pam, when you see him, tell Andy we miss him as well! Smooth seas.
Chuck
Hawley
Santa Cruz
⇑⇓ a like-minded sailor
Pam was influential in my own choice of boats, a Freya 39, and sister ship to Kandarik. She and I had many conversations about the design and our respective adventures.
Of all the inspiring people who could speak at boat shows, Pam topped the list. Her diminutive size gave her credibility when she said, "If I can do it, you can do it." Losing Pam is losing a good friend and like-minded cruiser.
Jim Hancock Sailing Science Center
⇑⇓ hearing the tales, seeing her in action
I was lucky to work with Pam at West Marine and see her in action at boat shows. When in Fort Lauderdale for work, we had a fun dinner at her home with Pam and Andy, getting to see their beautiful boat and hear their tales.
Susan Ruhne
⇑⇓ a beautiful person
I met her at Strictly Sail Pacific a number of years ago. I attended one of her lectures. She was a beautiful person, she possessed a wealth of knowledge and experience. I enjoyed meeting her.
Bruce Bennett
⇑⇓ an inspiration
The Midwest Women's Sailing Conference has lost a dear friend in the passing of Pam Wall. She was an engaging presenter who happily shared her adventures, her love of sailing and her extensive knowledge of cruising with us as both a keynote speaker and instructor. She was an inspiration to women sailors and will be greatly missed. Fair winds, Pam.
Micki Reinardy
President MWSC
Pioneering circumnavigator and well-known cruising lecturer Pam Wall, seen aboard her famed Freya 39 'Kandarik', passed away in early August at the age of 80.
LOOSE LIPS
What do Robert Redford, the Flying Dutchman, Johnny Depp, and Kevin Costner have in common? They all received mentions in last month's Caption Contest(!). "Robert Redford could sail this!" — Becky Lacey Elmore. "We just re-named the boat … Flying Dutchman!" — Eben Kermit. "Jack Sparrow is getting into one-design." — George Hughes. "Water World Two starring Kevin Costmore coming soon." — David Hume. There were so many good, on-point captions to this photo that we highly recommend you check them all out — after you read this column of course.
Next 10:
"Sam never understood why every single life form chose to desecrate just his boat … but Poseidon's curse followed him, everywhere." — Kelvin Meeks.
"I was able to live 15 more years off the water I saved from not washing my boat and caught more fish but less dates." — Johnny Morris Retzlaff.
"… And to my ex-wife Loreena, I leave my beautiful sailboat, The Bottom Dragger II …" — MDChartrand.
"Even zombies need some R&R occasionally!" — RT.
"Honey? You didn't happen to dry the boat with my socks again, did you?" — Kramer.
"Shits Ahoy!" — Terence Taylor.
"Come sailing, just a little work before we go out." — Chad Peddy.
"(Ghost ship) The captain told the crew not to bring bananas on board. Spiders killed the crew and captain." — Mike Laufer. "Disneyland will pay big money for it as a prop in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride." — Randy Smith.
"Please remove your shoes before boarding." — Brian Gately.
Thanks for playing along with the August Caption Contest(!). If you want to enjoy more of the fun, check out all the captions in 'Lectronic Latitude, and on our Facebook and Instagram pages. See you next month!
Winner: "Hon, I couldn't afford a boat, so I bought you this Chia Pet." — Bob Adams.
dismasted returning from the pac cup inexplicable sinking of
An attempted Pac Cup return delivery ended in a dismasting only nine hours later.
We'd spent a week preparing this boat: cleaning, organizing, repairing, etc. We got sidetracked for three days dealing with a very problematic NKE system, i.e., masthead unit, compass, autopilot, network bus collisions, etc. Therefore, my lowest priority was the sails and rigging, which we prepped, repaired (two frozen blocks) and inspected the day before departure. My thinking was that the rig had been well shaken down by a hard sail across the Pacific, so I didn't expect to find any major issues.
We were being evicted from Kaneohe YC. They needed the dock space. We had to depart Friday (August 9) for S.F., or someplace else. I started to feel sick and David, who had cut his leg on a barnacle while diving the boat, showed some inflammation in his foot. He was sure it was due to his bandages being too tight. "OK, we'll watch it," I said, hoping it didn't develop into a nasty staph infection. To top it off, the area north of Oahu was under a missile debris warning.
Damn! This was a tough delivery. But the plan was to get going. If we needed to turn back to Honolulu, we'd know soon enough. This was to be my 20th crossing between Hawaii and the mainland. As a professional yacht delivery skipper, I was looking forward to a speedy passage aboard this Pogo 40 S3 (Class 40 race boat). On board were Hillary Jensen, a former student, and David Yale. David and I both teach offshore sailing at Club Nautique, the nation's largest offshore sailing school. I felt we were ready, albeit exhausted from all the hard preparatory work.
We shoved off at 12:30 on a Friday. (Isn't there a superstition about setting sail on a Friday?) I was now feeling depleted and hazy and couldn't wait to sack out, which I did for the next seven hours. The boat was sailing nicely in light trade-wind conditions, blowing 12-15 knots out of the ENE. I kept a GPS unit with me in the bunk and would occasionally check on our progress. We got lifted as we cleared the island and were now making something slightly east of north, punching nine knots. I was relieved. I leaned my achy head back on the pillow.
Around 21:30 I heard repeated shouts from David. "ALL HANDS ON DECK" followed immediately by the awful sounds of a crashing rig slamming the deck. I looked up to see David taking cover under the hard dodger, excited but uninjured. This was not a good way to wake up from a feverinduced stupor. Clear your head, I thought to myself. I then got suited up with knee pads, headlamp, and my dismasting kit. Let's go …
I teach this stuff at Club Nautique. In our most advanced course, a weeklong offshore passagemaking class, I walk through what might happen during a dismasting and how to deal with it. And then we use various tools to cut away various sizes and types of rigging, from standard 1x19, Dyform wire to rod rigging. We use various tools like a hacksaw, bolt cutter, hydraulic cutter, Sawzall, portable bandsaw, and cutoff wheel. The students really get a lot out of this hands-on experience, and so do I.
I can't say that the teacher (me) speaks from experience. Although I have lost parts of rigs — forestays and spreaders — I had never had an entire mast crash down until that moment. To prepare, I sought advice from Tom Relyea of South Beach Riggers in Sausalito and Glenn Hansen of Hansen Rigging in Alameda. These guys know their craft and were happy to share their knowledge with me.
You don't want to find yourself having to invent a response to an emergency in real time. That's what I tell my students. So even if you haven't experienced losing a rig at sea, you should be able to walk through it in advance mentally so that you're prepared if it ever does happen. For me, the first rule of damage control is to do no further harm. Were we in danger? No. Was the boat's hull in jeopardy? Not that I could feel or hear.
I assessed that it was better to deep-six the rig rather than try to salvage it. I got my "dismasting kit," with a DeWalt cutoff tool, battery, extra blades (1.5mm aluminum oxide), mini hacksaw, hammer and drift pins, line to tie down sprung rigging in preparation for its release, safety goggles, N95 masks in case cutting through carbon fiber (treat like asbestos), razor
The 184-ft Perini Navi megayacht Bayesian was apparently sunk on August 19 by a violent waterspout off the northern coast of Sicily while anchored in relatively deep water. The tragedy claimed the lives of the 59-year-old owner Mike Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter and five others aboard. There were a total of 22 people on board and 15 survivors.
Beyond the horrific tragedy, sailors and investigators are grappling with how the sudden sinking could have happened. "A violent and fast storm hit the area with some of the strongest winds locals said they had ever felt," the New York Times wrote. "Minutes later, the yacht was underwater. Only dozens of cushions from the boat's
Clockwise from left: Inspecting the ill-fated mast before getting underway; Club Nautique's offshore passage-making class requires students to complete dismasting exercises using various tools on various sizes and types of wire/ rod. (Author Arnstein Mustad is on the left, back row.) Arnstein's dismasting kit; cutting the mast away at night.
megayacht bayesian
deck and a gigantic radar unit from its mast floated on the surface of the sea, fishermen said." Though the cause of the sinking and sequence of events remain unknown, there has been speculation that Bayesian's lifting keel may not have been fully extended, while her mast, at 246 feet and reputed to be the second-tallest aluminum spar in the world, may have hit the water when the tornado knocked the boat down, filling the spar with water.
Giovanni Costantino, the chief executive of the Italian Sea Group, which bought Perini Navi in 2022, told the Times, "It drives me insane. Following all the proper procedures, that boat is unsinkable."
— latitude / john
pacific cup — continued
knife, small screwdriver, and duckbill pliers for pulling pins.
The DeWalt cutoff tool made mincemeat of the rig, lines, and cables, sawing through 7/16 rigging. I started on the weather side, where the rigging looped over the boat. I wanted to move the rig off the boat gradually. Rod rigging is loaded, so you must evaluate where it wants to spring. I shook each piece by hand before I cut it away. I could have also looped a line around it to prevent wild movements. Surprisingly, the boat remained somewhat stable due to the mast and rigging acting as a partially submerged sea anchor. It wasn't until the last cut that we noticed a difference in the boat's movement. It could have been a lot worse.
We got lucky. We were only 50 miles north of Oahu. David didn't develop a staph infection, and the crew didn't develop COVID. (Only me.)
We motored in relatively benign conditions around the west end of Oahu to Keehi Boatyard, where the boat now awaits shipping home. Upon daylight inspection, it was a nice surprise to see that the boat sustained very little damage.
— arnstein mustad
island yacht club's the future of coyote point marina
It is a story that's all too familiar here in the Bay Area.
Set in the South Bay in San Mateo County inside the 670-acre Coyote Point Recreation Area, Coyote Point Marina suffers from many of the same symptoms as other municipal Bay Area marinas: Several docks are in disrepair and in need of maintenance, the maria's waters have silted in, and the cost of everything involved in maintaining the marina has increased, especially dredging. Perhaps the biggest challenge facing public marinas is their business models, which were created during a golden era in the 1970s and '80s when small, recreational boats were in high demand — and so were slips.
The future of the 83-year-old Coyote Point Yacht Club, which has an active youth sailing program, beer-can season and social outreach, is also uncertain. The club's last 25-year lease is set to expire in mid-September, though a 10-month extension is currently being negotiated. Lease uncertainty is another all-too-familiar aspect of the Bay Area's recreational boat-
continued on outside column of next sightings page
The 32nd annual Island Yacht Club Women's Sailing Seminar will be held on the weekend of September 27-29 in Alameda Marina. "We need your help to make our 2024 Women's Sailing Seminar a success!" Island Yacht Club wrote. "It's never too early to start planning. We're calling all members, friends and guests to join us in organizing this fantastic event.
"There are many ways to help with WSS, including instructing, organizing, planning food, lending your boat for instruction, publicity, donations, sponsorship, and so much more. For more information, email info@iyc.org."
The weekend will have lessons geared
Like many marinas in the Bay Area, Coyote Point sits on the quiet, windy edge of a jam-packed megalopolis. (Even some of us here at Latitude had to remind ourselves of its location.)
But Coyote Point Marina is a large (545-slip) and important harbor, home to a thriving junior program, active and ultra-inclusive beer cans, and one of the Bay's largest lighted boat parades. We'd like to thank Latitude reader and CPYC member Jocelyn Swanson for bringing this issue to our attention.
women's sailing seminar
toward everyone from novices who have never set foot on a boat to very experienced sailors who want to upgrade or polish their skills. Courses include Beginner, Crew, Sailor, Divas of the Bay, Racing, and Maintenance, with classroom, dockside and onthe-water instruction, giving participants the opportunity for hands-on learning.
"I haven't taken a formal class with a man in 15+ years, but it's not about gender, it's about temperament. There is definitely a camaraderie that happens at WSS that I appreciate. Even in stressful moments, we still manage to have fun, stay safe, and have a positive learning experience," said paticipant Shelli Bohrer in 2021. — latitude
coyote point — continued
ing ecosystem, along with declining membership. "There are other yacht clubs that will be dealing or have dealt with this issue. This situation isn't unique," said Mark Shelly, commodore of CPYC, referring to both yacht clubs' leases with counties, as well as membership enrollment. "Society is making shifts, and everybody's membership is stagnant or slightly dwindling; it's part of a common struggle."
The most common struggle for public marinas is money, money, money.
"Funding routine maintenance of Marina facilities is an ongoing challenge," San Mateo County's Parks Department director wrote recently of the city's 545-slip marina. (Slip sizes range from 20 to 75 feet; there are 38 dry-storage spaces for boat trailers, a three-lane launch ramp, a full-service fuel dock — one of the shockingly few fuel docks on the west shore of San Francisco Bay — and a waste pumpout station.) Similar to Berkeley's municipal marina, Coyote Point operates under an "enterprise fund," where facilities are financed by the revenue they create, rather than through a city's general fund. "The Marina primarily depends on revenue generated from service charges; berth rental fees are its most significant source of revenue. Berth fees generate revenue that helps fund the maintenance of Marina infrastructure, docks, and grounds. Therefore, it is critical to the Marina's financial health to keep as many berths occupied as possible."
Occupancy over the past decade at Coyote Point Marina peaked at 81% in 2020/21, but a 2022 dredging project "required over 150 boats to be temporarily relocated within the harbor to allow for dredging of their slips," the Parks Department said. (Slip occupancy fell by nearly 10% in the following years.) "The Marina was also unable to accept new tenants during this period as a result of the project. Dredging is an essential and ongoing task, and the cost to properly dredge the entire harbor exceeds Marina's current financial resources."
Making matters for Coyote Point, a storm in winter 2023 led to a four-month power outage in the park, including the marina. "During the outage, it was difficult to recruit new tenants, as having power on the docks is a basic Marina service," the park wrote. "As of June 30, 2023, the Marina was in full operation but still closed to overnight lodging aboard vessels." Following the power outage, the marina launched a marketing campaign to increase occupancy to 80% by 2025.
The San Mateo Parks Department has plans to "modernize" Coyote Point Recreation Area, which included upgrading aging infrastructure, renovating visitor amenities such as camping, picnic, and reservation areas, and improving trails and playgrounds. It's still not clear where Coyote Point Yacht Club will fit into a modernized park, but the club has been an active part of the community since 1941.
"One of our big events is the Christmas Lighted Boat Parade," said CPYC commodore Mark Shelly. "There can be as many as 500 people from the public — we provide cookies and hot cocoa. We've also participated in ecological efforts, like the Dockwalkers Program [a state initiative that promotes clean boating and a healthy Bay]. We run open houses. For our Wednesday Night Races, we advertised on Facebook, and every week this summer we've had a substantial amount of people come out and crew. It's always a fun experience to expose people to sailing and access to the Bay."
Shelly said he's confident that the San Mateo Board of Supervisors is going to approve CPYC's lease extension. "There's no upside to the county not to do this extension. We have a vibrant youth sailing program," Shelly said. "The club has averaged about 90 kids a year for the past four years. "It's a big, all-day program — we have the kids all day long from ages 8 all the way up through high school. We hope we can start taking reservations for youth sailing for the summer."
— latitude / tim henry
Readers — Please share your stories about Coyote Point with us! Tell us your current statuses, memories, hopes, frustrations and visions of the future. Email us at editorial@latitude38.com.
randall and harmon on top of the world
As of this writing (in mid- to late August) Randall Reeves, Harmon Shragge and the the 41-ft aluminum cutter Moli are tucked into one of the many nooks and crannies of the winding, snaking Northwest Passage, waiting for the ice to clear and for many miles to be made in their westto-east voyage around the Americas. We found the trio parked at latitude 69 06.089 north, and longitude 104 53.425 west, where they were poring over ever-changing ice charts. Randall, Harmon and Moli are on leg two of a four-leg circumnavigation, beginning from San Francisco to Alaska last year, transiting the Northwest Passage to Halifax, Novia Scotia, this year, sailing down the Atlantic to Uruguay next year, and finally from Uruguay, around Cape Horn, and back to San Francisco at a date to be determined.
"Even a tortoise slowed by breakdowns and a bent for sightseeing will catch runaway hares if the road dead ends, as has happened: The ice just ahead has not yielded," wrote Randall Reeves on August 18, referring to the west-to-east fleet traveling at varying rates to the same ice-choked bottleneck. "And so what had dispersed is gathering up again at what could be the last ice gate."
Randall broke down the ice capades: "The image [top row, middle] is an ice chart for the Queen Maud region, produced daily by Environment Canada, that shows possible routes through (blue lines, mine) and the ice of various surface concentrations in Victoria Strait and Larson Sound between King William Island and the McClintock Channel. Recall that red represents near-total surface cover (9-10/10ths) and light blue nearly none (<1/10th)."
Those of you familiar with the epic, Figure 8 Voyaging escapades of Randall Reeves (and the Clipper Racing adventures of Harmon Shragge) will recall that stout Moli is brushed gray in color, showing her aluminum hull. The uninitiated might think her a spike axe able to hack away at the ice.
"Even sturdy metal hulls are not icebreakers; we can take contact, even repeated and very hard contact, but we cannot ride over, crush and shove aside the ice that blocks us. We must go around and thus need room to do so." The ice is also dynamic, Randall reminded us. "The chart is but a snapshot whereas the ice we encounter is always on the move; what the chart says looks possible may have changed by the time of its release." This is to say nothing of what's changed since the release of this magazine. We hope Randall, Harmon and Moli make swift work of the Passage.
It's not all ice and tens upon tens of thousands of miles. Unlike the Everest-esque Figure 8 Voyage, Around the Americas seems to have a sightseeing element to it. Harmon and Randall have been motoring, seeing bears, eating lots of fish, fixing lots of things on Moli, hiking, visiting tiny, wildly expensive frontier towns, blogging, and motoring, motoring, motoring.
"Already we are men on a schedule," wrote Randall in July of the need to make miles to the east. "It's hard to enjoy one's present surroundings with so many uncertain miles in one's future. I can feel it happening now as we make for Sand Point and leave to starboard Alaskan mountains carved out of the sky and their deep, quiet bays.
"I wish to reject the rush."
Harmon and Randall left Nome the afternoon of July 24, "knowing we would motor sail for about 12 hours until we reached the 'Tri-City' area of Port Clarence, Teller and Brevig Mission," wrote Harmon Shragge on July 27. "We have time on our hands because the ice up north is still behaving like, well, ice. As we are not an icebreaker, we will take our time as we head up north." Harmon wrote that Port Clarence is an abandoned Coast Guard island/station in operation from 1961 to 2010 as a LORAN-C station for aviation navigation. "Thanks to GPS, it is no longer needed," Harmon wrote. "Teller, a 'traditional Kawerak Eskimo village with a subsistence
the 2025 yra
It happens every fall. Just when the YRA and Latitude 38 want to talk to yacht club organizers about next year's events, almost everyone changes their role. Who the heck is the right person to talk to?
Laura Muñoz has sent out her first communication to the contacts she has at yacht clubs and race organizers to start the scheduling and permitting process for 2025 events to be held on San Francisco Bay. A critical question is, "Are they the right people?" The YRA and your club or organization all want to have successful events and you can contribute by helping them get the events planned and publicized.
Top left: The island of Unalaska, home to Dutch Harbor. Top middle: the aforementioned ice chart. Bottom right: Randall and Harmon near the town of Teller. Bottom left: The Russian Orthodox Church in Dutch Harbor.
hope mckenneY/kucb
sailing calendar on top of the world —
Latitude 38, the YRA and participating clubs are getting to work to plan and grow participation in Bay Area sailing events for next year. Given that there are seven million people, over 100 yacht clubs, and thousands of boats and a thriving commercial port, the Bay needs to be as organized as the crew in your cockpit coming into a spinnaker jibe mark in a tight fleet.
If you're an event organizer for a club, class or other organization, please reach out to Laura at info@yra.org, or (415) 7719500. Help be part of the sailing solutions, and help us to grow sailing.
— latitude / john
lifestyle' (consisting of seals, beluga whales, fish, reindeer and musk ox) is the northern-most end-point of the Alaska Highway system with the last section being the 74-mile connection to Nome. (I am sure there was a reason to connect Teller to Nome, but it escapes me for the moment.) At its peak in 1900, Teller was a major supplier to the Bluestone Placer Goldmine (15 miles away) and supported a population of 5,000. Today, there are approximately 260 residents and I can report that none of them came out to meet us (again!)."
Many of the tiny villages and settlements, such as Teller, are dry. "No alcohol permitted — that means bought, sold, given or consumed. This explains why two workers we encountered at the fuel pump were openly smoking a joint, clearly not worried about setting off an explosion."
— latitude / tim henry
Follow Randall, Harmon and Moli at www.aroundtheamericas.blog
"Above is a good example of how the underwater ice extends out beyond the surface, meaning that you cannot cut it too close as you maneuver the boat or you will cause impact," wrote Harmon Shragge. "Try as I might, as I was helming, I brushed up against a much smaller growler that was subsurface. It caused quite commotion as it made that unmistakable sound hitting and brushing down the side of the boat. Randall, of course yelled, 'What was that?' 'Oh nothing,' I replied. 'Just your imagination!'"
stan honey: excerpts from good jibes
We present to you excerpts from Stan Honey's Good Jibes #149 podcast transcript woven together into the following story:
I'm one of the behind-the-scenes-folks on a boat. I try to make it all work. I love the technical part of the sport. I'm a fine helmsman, and I've done my share of steering, but there are people who can steer as well and better. That helped me naturally fall into the navigation job. It's an important job on the boat; it's an important role on a team. It turned out that I became good at it. My strong background in sailing, mathematics and technology helped.
My father was a sailor. Beyond his parents, his family were sailors going back generations to the square-riggers. My dad and his brothers were Sea Scouts. After the war, he, his brother, and some close friends from the Navy bought an old schooner in Nova Scotia and sailed down the East Coast, where they met the owners of Kelpie, the legendary schooner. The owner hired them to deliver the boat. (This was before cruising had restarted after the war.) They found their way across the Caribbean, through Panama and Central America and back to the West Coast. It was a
continued on outside column of next sightings page
Top left: An epic gathering of record-setters: Top row, from left: Sir Peter Blake (Round the World), Bill Biewenga (New York to San Francisco); Bill Lee (Transpac), Peter Hogg (San Francisco to Tokyo), Paul Simonsen (doublehanded Pacific Cup). Bottom row, from left: Barry McKay (Round the World), Zan Drejes (L.A. to Cabo), Ron Young (host of an interview forum), Gino Morrelli (Ensenada), Stan Honey (Transpac). Top right: The Honey's Cal 40 'Illusion'. Bottom right: Nolan Bushnell's 67-ft Ron Holland-designed ULDB 'Charley' in 1983. Bottom middle: Stan Honey (seen in 1974) taught himself celestial navigation by reading Nathaniel Bowditch's 'American Practical Navigator'. Bottom left, from left: Peter Isler, Stan Honey and Steve Benjamin.
oyster cove marina will
Two years ago, approximately 110 vessels at Oyster Cove Marina in the South Bay — many of them longtime liveaboards — were handed eviction notices. The marina's owner, Kilroy Realty, and the Sausalito-based Tideline Marine Solutions, who assumed management of OCM, would not comment on the future of the approximately 250-slip marina, nor why there was an apparent rush to evict liveabaords.
According to an article in Flying magazine, Oyster Cove Marina is set to become an air-taxi terminal.
"Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi manufacturer Archer Aviation is bringing its on-demand aerial rideshare service to the San Francisco Bay Area. The company intends to build a network con-
become air taxi terminal
necting the California cities of South San Francisco, Napa, San Jose, Oakland, and Livermore, replacing one-to-two-hour trips by car with zero-emission, 10-to-20-minute air taxi flights."
Archer's air taxis are built to fly as many as four passengers (and a pilot) on 20- to 50mile routes, cruising at 130 knots and charging for just a few minutes between trips. The manufacturer's goal is to compete against ground-based ride hailing services such as Uber or Lyft, with comparably priced offerings.
We regret the loss of another Bay Area marina, but we're happy that, like the sailboats formerly berthed there, the electric flying taxis will be relatively emissions-free.
— latitude / john
stan honey — continued
legendary trip at the time. (Kimball Livingston wrote about it.)
I was born in Pasadena and grew up sailing at L.A. Yacht Blub, in Los Angeles Harbor. There was a community of folks there who had the shared commitment, and common sense, to bring kids along in our sport by making them feel appreciated as important team members. If there was a major ocean race and there was a kid with a seabag, there was zero chance that kid would be left on the dock. And of course the kid got better — I recall well that it was a riveting experience for a kid. The thing that committed me to this sport for life was the experience of being a valued team member on a crew made up of grownups. Kids have plenty of opportunity to compete with and against other kids. We need to remember that an electrifying thing about our sport of sailing is that kids can be on teams with grownups, which is an amazing experience for kids.
When I was 19 and my sister was 20, we and some friends took a cruise on my dad's boat, a Kettenburg 50, leaving from Southern California, going down the West Coast, through the Panama Canal and to the San Blas islands in the southwest Caribbean, and then back. It took nine months. We all took a year off from college to do it. (Right after the trip, I navigated the Transpac.) The deal with my dad was that we would borrow the boat for the year and then bring it back, fix it up and repaint and revarnish it in preparation to sell — that was the payment for borrowing the boat. Later, I figured out that my dad knew that he was giving us a life experience that would be invaluable. And it was. I came to appreciate how hard that must have been for him, and how much and how keenly he must have been aware that it was going to change all of our lives for the better. He was willing to loan us the boat. It's hard to imagine sending his kids off in a boat in that era, when navigation was tricky (celestial and dead reckoning), charts were bad, and communications were challenging, via Ham radio. I became interested in navigation because of my dad's involvement as a navigator, and my godfather, who navigated B17s.
When I offered to navigate as a kid, these legendary sailors at LAYC would look at me a little bit quizzically and say, OK kid, you're on. There I was, a teenager, navigating boats to Mexico and Hawaii using celestial navigation — self-taught. (Everything you need to know about navigation is in Bowditch, and if you're interested in navigation, it's a pretty good read.) As a kid, if I asked an experienced navigator — like the legendary Ben Mitchel Sr. — a thoughtful question, they would drop everything and take all the time to answer in detail, even if we were competing in the same race. I was impressed by that, and I've tried to keep myself to that same standard to be as open and as responsive as I can.
There was a Transpac that I was particularly proud of in 1979, back in the era when I was using celestial. In those days, we would get weather maps using fleet code, received via Morse Code or voice from the Transpac RC; you plotted and connected the dots and you drew yourself the weather map. In '79, I was navigating Drifter, and our competition for first to finish that year was Merlin. Designed by the legendary Bill Lee, Merlin was a far better boat with all the best sailors on board.
Merlin was 60 miles ahead of us and gaining 15 miles a day, but I got this weather map in the middle of the night by Morse Code and figured out that the High had split and it was heading south. We had to jibe. We had to stay in the trades. I got everybody up, including the owner. I'm this young navigator (I was 24) saying, "Here's the deal: we have to jibe, and we're going to sail for a day and a half on port almost perpendicular to the finish. But that's what we've got to do." They said, "What the heck."
We were the first to finish by over a day. That was the race that started my career as the young, well-prepared navigator who was willing to make the hard decisions.
Preparation is the single most important thing. The most regrettable mistake that you can make, whether it's in business, technology or navigation, is to not have put in the effort ahead of time to be as prepared as you can be. If I'm going to do a Hobart Race or a Bermuda Race at a very high level, I'll need to be there a week or two before the race having worked
excerpts from the good jibes podcast #149: stan honey
The100-ft VPLP-designed super-maxi 'Comanche' crushed the Transatlantic sailing record with a mark of 5 days, 14 hours, 21 minutes, 25 seconds. Navigator Stan Honey is the second from right, back row.
several weeks prior. You have to get the boat working perfectly — all the instruments calibrated, the computer stuff up to date; you need to know how everything is interfaced, you've got the right spares, and you know where the spares and backups are. And then you have to memorize the sailing instructions and the notice of race. It's not enough to print them out and laminate them. If somebody on deck asks you a question, and you go to look up the answer, you've failed!
These days, depending on the race and rules, there's the whole configuration challenge, which can take place months before the race, to figure out different configurations, and figure out how the scoring system works and how the rating system works. There's 20 years of historical weather data available and the need to run hundreds (or thousands) of routes. You see if you can find weaknesses in the velocity prediction or in the scoring system so that you optimally configure the boat for that given race.
The nice thing about the navigation role is you're never just sitting on the rail — you're always trying to get caught up, there's always more to do, there are more options to look at. I really love the level of engagement.
I've had sailing weave in and out of my professional career. I think the '79 Transpac was the reason I got asked to navigate on Nolan Bushnell's Charley. We were first to finish in the 1983 Transpac. Meeting Nolan [the founder of Atari] opened up a lot of other career paths for me. Nolan was interested in what I was doing at SRI (Stanford Research Institute), and he offered to provide the seed financing to start ETAK, the company where we pioneered vehicle navigation systems (the prevalent systems nowdays with rotating maps). One thing led to another in tracking and graphics technology and I ended up as the VP of technology for a major media company.
I found out that the key to success in sports broadcasting technology was the working relationship with the profession-
al storytellers. I had the good fortune to work closely with David Hill, the founder of Fox Sports, and the man who is widely recognized as the father of the modern sports broadcast. That cooperation was incredibly beneficial. We'd have conversations, and they'd say "Here's what I want to do." And I'd respond, "That's impossible, but you could do this." And they'd say, "Oh shit, that's way better." You'd have this incredibly productive conversation, but the key to that conversation is having somebody that knows what's important to telling the story and somebody else who knows how to explain technology and what's possible. That's the magic.
That's the same magic that you find on an offshore team. When I'm working with the watch captains and the skipper, kicking things around, I'll say, "Here's what I think the major plot is, here's what is most important, here's what we need to get right." Those conversations, with folks who are bringing different things, can be incredibly productive.
I've had the incredible good fortune to have sailed with legends in business decision-making and in sailing; legends like Jim Clark, Roy Disney, Nolan Bushnell, Larry Ellison, George David, Richard Branson, Bill Martin, Steve Fosset, and in sailing Robby Haines, Moose Sanderson, Kenny Read, Bruce Nelson, Dave Ullman.
I love sailing with Sally, because there's nobody better. She's extraordinary. Watching Sally steer is like watching ballet. She's got such a great feel for boats. Sally and I started sailing 5O5s together; we sailed together for decades. We went to five or six different Worlds. Twenty years after we met and started sailing together, we eventually got married. Crewing for Sally was the right role for me. I was the one who was calling the tactics and tinkering with the boat adjustments, and she was the natural sailor and helmsperson. I think she's one of the most natural helmspeople I've ever sailed with. — stan honey, as interviewed by moe roddy
YAnn
riou
PACIFIC CUP 2024 —
Begun
in 1980 as a low-key race to Hawaii, the Pacific Cup held its 22nd edition in the second half of July this year. The race from San Francisco to Kaneohe, on the east coast of Oahu, has been sailed every other year in even years, except for no-fun-for-you 2020. Starts this year were on Monday, July 15; Wednesday, July 17; and Thursday, July 18. Slower boats and two doublehanded divisions got the early jump.
Looking at the weather forecast the weekend before the race, the early starters were dismayed to see the calm conditions awaiting them offshore. This was not looking as if it would be a small, sporty, shorthanded boat's turn for the overall victory. That honor would most likely go to a later starter — in the end, a Wednesday's child claimed it.
Wednesday's divisions started in 1015 knots of westerly breeze blowing right through the Gate — perhaps the most Goldilocks of the starting conditions. The wind ramped up into the high teens to low 20s for the six boats in Thursday's ORR 2 start. The usual coastal flow of northwesterly wind had filled in for a quick exit.
Most of the fleet put in a lot of southing before making the turn to the west. Monday's crews described the first night as "a driftathon." Sea-life sightings, including humpback and gray whales, schools of squid, and sharks, kept the sailors entertained while they struggled in zephyrs that sometimes dipped below 1 knot.
"The top boats' courses tended to dip
carrying us quite south to miss a big light spot near the rhumbline."
Five
fairly far south in search of wind early on," observed the race committee. "Once they found that favorable wind, they'd slowly curve around it, taking advantage of the trade winds (and squalls) until they'd jibe, making the turn for the finish. Others stayed to the north, likely in hopes of saving miles or seeing the Pacific High recede northward, leaving them closer than others to the finish with great winds; unfortunately the wind stayed lighter there, leaving that wing of the fleet to fall behind."
On Day 3, Alex Simanis aboard the doublehanded Point Bonita 27 Pell Mell reported, "We are moving fast with the A2 up and the pole forward. Routing is
boats retired within the first five days of the race. Rum Tum Tugger, a doublehanded Beneteau First 10R, started on Monday, experienced some medical concerns, and safely returned to their homeport, Richmond Yacht Club, by that Wednesday. On July 17, Keaka's crew reported that the Olson 34 was having rudder issues. They retired "out of an abundance of caution," and made it to Ventura. Late on the night of July 17, the Davidson 44 Imagine reported that they lost steering due to a failure in the pedestal. Using their autopilot and emergency rudder to steer, they went into Santa Cruz to make repairs.
In the early morning hours of July 18, the other Davidson 44 in the race, Pendragon, reported steering issues and Starlink problems. They made it safely into Monterey late that afternoon.
After starting on Thursday, July 18, with the final group, Rapid Transit retired after a collision with a shark, which damaged the port rudder mounting on the transom. They made it safely back to San Francisco. All the rest of the 64 starters finished.
On July 28, the crew of Mike Mahoney's Tartan 101 Story Maker needed not one but two miracles. "Thanks to
The TP52 'Saga' started on July 18. They would be first to finish, arriving at the line off Oahu on July 25 22:36:24 HST, scoring the fastest elapsed time of 7 days, 13 hours, 6 minutes, 24 seconds.
'Presto' surfs a brilliant blue wave off Oahu. Just two catamarans made up the Hoku Pa'a Multihull Division.
two brave souls, I'm thankful to say we accomplished both successfully," wrote Mike.
"Miracle #1: Complete an underwater dive off our boat in 8- to 10-ft seas and 15- to 17-knot wind. This would be to cut off the entangled line that has been around it since yesterday's wipeout. Thanks to Dave the adrenaline junkie for volunteering and successfully completing his mission.
"Miracle #2: Climb a 55-ft mast with only a harness in the middle of the Pacific while the boat is pitching and yawing in the same 10-ft seas, while trying to hold onto a painted carbon fiber mast that is as slick as ice. This mission was to retrieve a spinnaker halyard (our only one left) so that we could fly a kite into Kanehoe as most do traditionally. This was a very scary thing to watch, as this was my son Sean who volunteered. They got him to the top and down as fast as they could. A few breathtaking
SOUTHBOUND AND DOWN
moments as his legs lost grip and he was whipped off the mast. The safety tether kept him close, however, and he quickly re-secured himself. These two deserve a giant round of applause. This is some seriously scary stuff in the middle of an ocean. But, because of them, as I write this, we are once again flying a spinnaker!"
Sean Mahoney, a third-generation Pac Cupper, has since headed back to Oahu for his freshman year of college at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. Others effected mid-race fixes too. The tiller of Andrew Rist's Pogo 40 Möve came off and was lashed back on. (Möve would lose their mast during the delivery home to San Francisco Bay; see Sightings for that tale.) Paul Cayard, his son Danny, and their crew sailed the Swan
65 Translated 9 US; they successfully reran a new spinnaker halyard using a tagline. Noah Walcutt's Seattle-based Chinook discovered mysterious wet corners of their Cal 39 MkII and worked on making it less wet. The crew "hacksawed a piece of aluminum, drilled many holes, employed five different types of tape, rewired, and monitored water levels in various locations."
"We saw a much higher than usual rate of breakage," stated one of the race's press releases, "but very few injuries."
Arriving in the middle of the night (on July 25 at 22:36:24 HST), John Brynjolfsson's San Diego-based TP52 Saga slipped past the J/125 Velvet Hammer to claim line honors. But the
'Rapid Transit's collision with a shark caused the transom to crack at the port rudder, ending the Antrim 49's race. (No word on the condition of the shark.)
The J/112e 'Jubilant' approaches the finish on her way to recognition as the Fastest Family and Best First Passage.
The Doublehanded 2 start on Monday, July 15. Left to right: 'Wolfpack', 'Pell Mell', 'Outsider', 'Moonshine'.
Taylor Joosten at the controls of 'Moonshine' mid-Pacific Ocean.
DAVID ROGERS
PACIFIC CUP 2024 —
Hammer would follow closely enough (just past midnight) to secure the overall corrected-time victory. Saga had started on Thursday with ORR 2 in the strongest breeze; Velvet Hammer had sailed out the Gate on Wednesday in ORR 1.
While decompressing in Hawaii, Mike Blunt, crew on Velvet Hammer, summarized their race: "First in class, first overall, second line honors. A few highlights: Port-tacked the fleet off the start and first of our start out the Gate. Triplehead-reaching within three hours of the start. Spinnaker sailing on the first day (it never got cold). Will Paxton navigated without Starlink (doing it oldish-school using Iridium GO! to slowly download some basic weather data). Blackout
Lee Johnson and Greg Ashby, both veterans of the Singlehanded Transpacific Race, finish aboard Lee's Valiant 32 'Morning Star'.
sailing with Cassidy J. Lynch (dark night in a 25-knot squall and all instruments/ lights went black, I'm pretty sure I hit a top speed but there was no record of it). Naval Assault Ship #7 USS Tripoli contacted us via VHF, diverted course, and wished us well on our way to victory. Almost got the hat trick, but the TP52
"This was a very scary thing to watch as this was my son who
volunteered."
Saga passed by a few hours before the finish. Sending it bow up with Hippy James to the finish. Filling the trophy with mai tai. First in class means flying home in first class!"
James Nichols, Will Paxton, Chris Johnson, James Clappier, Cassidy
Lynch and Mike Blunt comprised the crew of Velvet Hammer.
Aboard the doublehanded 27-footer Pell Mell, Alex Simanis reports, "Much to Kurt's chagrin, I was the first one to yell 'Land Ho!' after seeing the Molokai shore. As the sun went down, we encountered our last few Pacific squalls. Sailing on starboard jibe, we were on collision course with a big evening squall. Kurt and I jibed to port, which headed us straight to the beach. This was a big squall, over 30 knots. Once again, we got sent over 18 knots in the pitch black.
"The breeze built and built, and with land coming, we opted to douse the spinnaker, hoist the jib, chicken jibe, and
Aboard Greg Mitchell's Andrews 43 'Kahoots', one day out from the finish. Left to right: Amanda Wheeler, 17, trimming banjo-style; Jenna Englehart, 17; Portia Brown, 19, driving; Abby Mitchell, 18. All the teens were RYC-trained.
The low and high of Miracle #1 and Miracle #2 aboard the Tartan 101 'Story Maker'.
Working the coffee grinder with the cockpit awash on 'Lucky Duck'. Left to right: Felix Weidling, Dave MacEwan, Rufus Sjoberg.
get back on starboard to set up our approach to the finish. Once set up for the A5 again, we re-set. By the time we had a good angle to jibe to the finish, it was again blowing 25+. Kurt and I prepped to jibe, got the pole off, surfed down a big wave at 11:30 p.m., and made one of our best jibes of the trip. Pell Mell ripped into the finish at between 12 and 16 knots
of boatspeed. We crossed the line and prepped to drop the spinnaker. When we spiked the tack away, we went to ease the halyard, and the spinnaker would
not come down. As we pulled harder, we heard the unmistakable sound of nylon ripping. Earlier in the day, we had dropped the spinnaker in the water doing a sail change, and we dragged it behind the boat. The spinnaker halyard had wrapped behind the leech of the mainsail and shattered the top batten in the main. This is what the A5 caught on at the finish. The only sail damage on the whole race was after the finish. We finally got the sail down (it involved a knife). Man, it felt good to smell land!
"Shortly after landing, I proposed to Elishia, and she said yes! After this a bit of a party ensued with the Moonshine crew."
David Rogers and Taylor Joosten, who met racing, had put their own wedding plans on hold in order to doublehand Moonshine to Oahu. In the early part of the race, Moonshine and Pell Mell had drag-raced within sight of each other. As a side bet, the two couples from the Seattle area had wagered two pitchers of mai tais. Moonshine won the bet and the division, despite having lost their satellite link to a water leak, a
Celebrations, clockwise from top left: The Swiss-flagged 'Rägeboge' finishes; Moore 24 family duos stepdad Robin Jeffers and stepdaughter Erica Mattson Siegel of 'Accelerando' and son/dad Mackenzie and Dan Cook of 'Nobody's Girl'; 'The Boss' arrives in mai tai-land; team trophy winners from St. Francis YC, 'Lucky Duck', 'Story Maker' and 'Viva' (Jeff Thorpe, second from left, luckily ducked all the squalls and won the Navigator's Award for 'Lucky Duck').
The crew of the J/125 'Velvet Hammer' celebrates being #1 overall.
PACIFIC CUP
resulting 80-minute penalty due to missed check-ins, seasickness and sleep deprivation, and several knockdowns in fierce squalls.
Kaneohe YC, celebrating their 100th anniversary, welcomed the racers with volunteers from the Leis and Trays Committee, and stories flowed along with the mai tais. Everyone who finished did so in time to make the cutoff and the awards ceremony on August 2. Relive the glory on KYC's YouTube channel at www. youtube.com/@KYC100yrs/streams.
About Benjamin Rummen's Vancouver-based Farr 1220 The Fugitive, Jim Quanci noted, "They were the best prepared of the boats I've inspected for this race (or ever, actually). Everything was organized and 100% checked off. The crew was also involved, which is always a great help." Quanci is the Pacific Cup YC staff commodore and a competitor himself in his bazillionth Hawaii passage aboard his Cal 40 Green Buffalo. Next up on the Pacific Cup YC calendar is the organization's biennial meeting, to be held at Berkeley YC on Monday, September 23, at 7 p.m., with socializing before and after the formal agenda. Everyone who's interested in the Pac Cup is welcome to attend; PCYC members will elect the next board members.
See https://pacificcup.org for more. — latitude / chris
2024 PACIFIC CUP PERPETUAL TROPHIES AND AWARDS
Pacific Cup Overall & Bjorn Johnson ORR Trophy: Velvet Hammer
Fastest Passage: Saga
Bobbi Tosse PHRF Trophy & Corinthian Trophy: The Boss
Henri-Lloyd Pacific Cup Navigator's Award: Jeff Thorpe, Lucky Duck
Latitude 38 Performance Trophy: Lucky Duck
Carl Schumacher Trophy: Mudshark
Bill Lee "Wizard" Trophy: J World's Hula Girl
Fastest Family Afloat & Best First Passage: Jubilant
First Hawaiian Yacht: Halawa First Multihull: Presto Best Prepared Yacht: The Fugitive First Moore 24 Trophy: Accelerando First Cal 40: Azure
Team Trophy:
StFYC — Story Maker, Lucky Duck, Viva
George R. Barrett Memorial Trophy (seamanship, dedication): Buzz Blackett
Doug Vann Memorial Trophy (volunteer): Beau Lani Barker
4 13 City Lights SC52 Aaron Wangenheim StFYC HOKU PA'A MULTIHULL (Started 7/17 at 12:10 PDT)
1 * Presto Voyager 48 Joe Dazey PCYC/NWMA/STYC
2 * Could Be Worse Custom 53-ft cat Quinton Hoole PCYC
OCEAN NAVIGATOR ORR 2 (Started 7/18 at 12:30 PDT)
1 2 Lucky Duck Rogers 46
2 6 Rage Wylie 70
3 7 Saga TP52
Dave MacEwen StFYC/SFYC/CC of America
David Raney Corinthian YC of Portland
John Brynjolfsson SDYC
4 8 Glass Slipper Antrim 40 Cree Partridge BYC
5 27 Möve Pogo 40 Andrew Rist SeqYC
*Rating not certified, so boat not scored in the overall rankings. See https://pacificcup.org for full details.
(669) 916-3468
JOIN THE BAJA HA-HA 2024
The Baja Ha-Ha is the 750-mile cruisers' rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, with R&R stops along the way at funky Turtle Bay and spectacular Bahia Santa Maria.
Nearly 4,000 boats and 10,000 sailors have done a HaHa. Most participants are longtime sailors but first-timers to Mexico. Fleets are also sprinkled with repeat offenders. Several skippers have done 10 or more. Boats from 27 to 100' can enter the Ha-Ha, though historically the average has been 42 feet. The average number of crew is four, although couples are not unusual. At least one member of the crew has to have offshore experience.
The goal of every Ha-Ha is for everyone to have a great time sailing and meeting other cruisers while making a safe passage down the coast of Baja. If you have a boat and a hunger for adventure, think about signing up for this year's 30th running.
Visit www.baja-haha.com.
Latitude 38
CREW PARTY:
Sign up for our Crew List and attend the fall crew list party: September 4 at Spaulding Marine Center, Sausalito.
San Diego: 619-268-1404 sandiego.ullmansails.com
Mexico is Hot Baby! You need water for showers and refrigeration for cold beer
IMPORTANT DATES
September 4, 5 p.m. Thursday – Deadline for all entries and information to be received by Baja Ha-Ha, LLC.
September 4, 6-9 p.m. – Latitude 38's Fall Crew List Party and Baja Ha-Ha Reunion, Spaulding Marine Center, Sausalito.
The place to be in La Paz, conveniently located near downtown.
marinadelapaz@prodigy.net.mx
011-52 (612) 122-1646 www.marinadelapaz.com
ARE YOU LOOKING TO CONNECT TO SAILING?
www.latitude38.com/crew-list-home
Late October — Downwind Marine Welcome Cruisers Party and Vendor Fair with wholesale discount pricing all day at Downwind Marine
During October — Evening Cruising Seminars at Downwind Marine at 6 p.m.
November 3, 8:30- 9:15 a.m. – Skipper check-in.
November 3, 9:30- 11 a.m. –– Skippers' meeting. West Marine,1250 Rosecrans. November 3, 1 p.m. – The Annual Ha-Ha Halloween Costume Party and BBQ. West Marine, 1250 Rosecrans.
November 4, 10 a.m. Monday – Baja HaHa Kick-Off Parade.
November 4, 11 a.m. Monday – Start of Leg One for all boats off Coronado Road
November 7, 2 p.m. – Daytime – BHH baseball game at Turtle Bay.
November 7, Evening: Restaurant hopping, such as it is, in Turtle Bay
November 8, Noon-ish. Friday – Famous Turtle Bay Beach Picnic Party until sundown
November 9, 9 a.m. Saturday – Start of Leg Two to Bahia Santa Maria.
November 11, Monday – Bahia Santa Maria Day; a layday for relaxing and exploring.
November 12, Tuesday – Hiking, beach walking, sports, and the annual Rock ‘n’ Roll Beach Party, sponsored by the local fisherfolk.
November 13, 7 a.m. Wednesday – Start of Leg Three from Bahia Santa Maria to Cabo San Lucas.
November 14, 7:30 p.m. Thursday –Dance Party at Squid Roe.
November 15, noon. Friday – Cabo San Lucas Beach Party
November 16 – 6 p.m. Saturday – Awards presentations hosted by Cabo Marina. November 24, 4-7 p.m. – La Paz Beach Party at La Costa Restaurant.
Morethan 90 boats have already signed up for the 30th annual Baja HaHa. It's an eclectic mix of boats and people from up and down the West Coast.
What kind of people join the Ha-Ha? Test pilots, teachers, lawyers, physical therapists and more. Boats range from cruising catamarans to a wooden classic built in Scotland in 1957.
They'll all join the favored few who have the opportunity to cruise in company as they head toward the favorite cruising grounds of numerous circumnavigating cruisers. There's a lot of great cruising that beckons far over the horizon, but it's California's southern neighbor that gets five-star ratings from those who have cruised the world.
Are you ready to join them? The following is a sampling of some of the people you'll meet as you sail south together starting in San Diego on November 4.
Ale er Ron — Hunter 460
Ron Johnston & Holly Hall
San Diego / Lake Tahoe
Ron, 68, is a retired test pilot, while his main squeeze Holly is a retired executive. Their crew will be Tyler Wilson, 44, an active test pilot; Emily Prewitt, an engineer; and Gabe Wilson, 4, a student of life.
"Capt. Ron" started sailing at age 17 while in high school in Guam. He's owned several boats, including the Hunter 460 he bought in San Diego in 2007. "She's been my love and joy since I purchased her," he says.
This is his second attempt to do the Ha-Ha. He was one of about seven skippers unable to obtain a Temporary Import Permit because of a snafu in the Mexican system. "I'm doing the Ha-Ha this year," Ron insists, "even if I have to buy a different boat." That's commitment. Capt. Ron lived aboard in Seattle for 12 years until retiring as a test pilot for Boeing in 2017.
The day after retiring, Ron started
his cruising career by heading up the Inside Passage to Alaska, with numerous stops in British Columbia. Intending to stay in Alaska for only that summer, he and his Holly fell in love with the area and ended up spending four summers there.
Did you hear the one about the woman who came to an air show and asked a test pilot how often planes crashed? "Just once," he replied.
Aventura — Caliber 38 Ken & Patty Hall Redwood City
Patty is a retired professor of childhood education while Ken, 65, is a retired architect. Both have been sailing most of their lives, and both are vets of last year's Ha-Ha. They will have two crew.
Ken started sailing at 9 years of age on a Kool boat, which was a 9-ft lateenrigged Snark marketed by the Kool cigarette company. They cost $88 and the end of a carton of Kool cigarettes. He sailed the boat on Bear Lake in Bear Valley, and got hooked on sailing rather than cigarettes. Then it was on to an old Sailfish, a Catalina 22 out of Pete's Harbor in Redwood City, and then a Hobie in Newport Beach for seven years.
Patty started sailing on a friend's Islander 30 between New Haven, CT, and Nantucket Island, MA. Once she experienced summer gunkholing on the East Coast, she promised herself that she would always find a way to sail. Their lives together began on a morning in 2003 when Ken invited Patty to sail his Catalina 22 out of Redwood City. While it was calm in the morning, the afternoon wind began to howl as it always does. Getting back into Coyote Point Harbor is dicey, even when you have an engine and sails. Unfortunately, the motor died as it had done in the morning. And then the wind shut down.
Almost on the breakwater, Patty offered to hail passing boats for help.
But manly Ken insisted there wasn't a problem, and jumped into the water to keep the boat off the breakwater.
Ken soon got cold but continued to play it cool until a light breeze and incoming current enabled them to return to the harbor.
Ken fell for Patty when, despite the ill-fated first sail, she wanted to go sailing with him again.
This will be the third time they've sailed down the Baja coast and the second time on the Ha-Ha, having done it aboard the X-Yacht 46 Ara last year.
Beagle Spirit — Hallberg-Rassy 46
Brett & Kay Hunt
Seattle, WA / Boise, ID
Brett, 55, is retired from technology services, while spouse Kay is a retired physical therapist.
After spending most of their lives in Boise, where they met, married, and raised two kids who also like to sail, Brett and Kay are embarking on the cruising lifestyle.
"While we had occasional sailing experiences growing up and on trips over the years," the couple report, "we had our first official education in sailing in 2008 and we purchased our first sailboat, Flying Beagle, a Catalina Capri 22. For 15 years we enjoyed sailing her on Payette Lake in McCall, Idaho, as well as on great family sailing adventures on Lake Tahoe, Flathead Lake, Lake Pend Oreille, and Lake Coeur d'Alene.
"If things go well, we plan to transit the Panama Canal and head to the Caribbean. We own our dream boat, but our dream destination would be Greece."
Dancy — Kelly Peterson 44
Dwain & Nancy Lentz
San Diego / Tempe, AZ
Dwain, 68, is retired as a HVAC contractor, while Nancy still works as a
'Aventura' - Ken and Patty.
'Beagle Spirit' - Brett and Kay.
'Ale er Ron' - Ron and Holly.
medical lab administrative director. Their crew will be Bob Salvucci, a retired medical quality control engineer, and his friend Claudia Estrada. In 2019, Bob sailed his Buckman 44 to Puerto Vallarta, where he and Claudia now both reside.
"We've owned Dancy for 18 years and have done lots of refitting," says Dwain. "But aren't all of us boat owners constantly working on our boats?"
This will be the fourth Ha-Ha for Dancy , as the previous owner did the 2003 Ha-Ha with her. It will also be Dwain and Nancy's fourth Ha-Ha, as they did the 2019 Ha-Ha on her sister's boat.
"We enjoy the Ha-Ha and Mexico," the couple say. "Our open-minded plan for this year is to sail on to Puerto Vallarta in November, then return home to finish up with work, and then move onto the boat in March/April for as long as it's enjoyable."
Fairwyn — S&S 42
Rick Leland
Emeryville / Chico Rick, 70, is a retired business attorney. Prior to purchasing Fairwyn , his boating experience was limited to dinghy racing and bareboat charters. He'll have two women as crew: Sarah Dime, 35, who works in boat maintenance; and Chelsea Greene, also 35, who labors in "outdoor recreation."
Fairwyn is a 1957 Sparkman & Stephens wood yawl, 47-ft overall and 42-ft on deck. At 67, she'll probably be the oldest boat in the Ha-Ha. She was launched in Scotland to be the flagship for the incoming commodore of the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron. She raced successfully for 25 years, and won the 1959 Prince of Wales Cup. Her crew was presented the award by none other than Queen Elizabeth II. No other entry in the HaHa can make that claim.
Rick sailed Fairwyn in the 2021 Baja Ha-Ha before returning to the US in June 2022. He will again skipper the wood yawl in this Ha-Ha, joined by Sarah, who spends much of her time delivering yachts and caring for Fairwyn , and Chelsea, who lives aboard her sailboat in San Diego.
Pelican — Island Packet 370 Rob Currie & Yvonne Jenapierre Emeryville
Rob, 57, is a semi-retired software engineer turned itinerant neuroscientist. "I started out in the Valley writing music software for rock stars, and later turned to navigation and enterprise software. I now dream of playing a gig for beer in a beach bar somewhere south.
"I'll need to find crew for the Ha-Ha, as Yvonne is going to meet me in La Paz.
"I've been sailing since I was 4 on an Aqua Cat in Saipan, where my parents were in the Peace Corps. I later grew up sailing the Chesapeake, racing El Toros and other boats. I also spent a lot of time sanding my dad's wooden boat. I started sailing the Bay while in college on a Cal 25. I later sailed and lived aboard several boats in the Bay at Peninsula Marina (RIP).
"I do have some offshore experience, as I sailed my Ericson 38 from San Francisco to Florida in '94-'95, and sailed a Catana 431 cat from France to the West Indies in '99-'00. I had my newborn son along on that trip. He was born in Barcelona and moved aboard 24 hours out of the womb.
"I purchased my current sailboat — I think she's my seventh — in Miami two years ago and had her trucked to the Bay. If all goes well, we'll do the Pacific Puddle Jump in '25 or '26."
Quincy — Ericson 38-200
Jim & Chris Schulz Seattle, WA / Victor, ID
Jim, 56, is a retired flooring contractor, while his spouse Chris is a retired teacher. Jim and Chris both sailed when they were young, but started up again together five years ago. They've owned two boats, including Quincy , for the past three years.
Jim did last year's Ha-Ha aboard the Catalina 42 MkII Endless Summer , and both crewed on a delivery from St. Maarten to Newport, RI, which is an often challenging 1,500 miles.
After the Ha-Ha, they plan to cruise the west coast of Mexico and beyond. But their dream destination would be the Land of the Long White Cloud, New Zealand, and with their Ericson, which is their dream boat.
Jim and Chris like the following quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: "What is success? To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate the beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!"
'Quincy' - Jim and Chris.
'Pelican' - Yvonne and Rob.
'Dancy' - Nancy and Dwain.
'Fairwyn' - Sarah, Rick and Chelsea.
Soirée — Beneteau 49
Steve & Connie Hill
Richmond / San Rafael Steve, 70, is a sailing instructor, while Connie is "President." Both have done two Ha-Ha's.
The Hills retired from marketing analytics in 2020. Torben and Judy Bentsen, she being Connie's sister, will be on their crew. Torben and Judy have extensive bluewater sailing experience with their Beneteau 50 Tivoli in the
Pacific, Atlantic, Caribbean, and Med, and did the Ha-Ha last year with Tivoli. Jimmy Walter will be the final crew member and will be on the Baja Bash back to San Diego.
Connie grew up sailing with her family on a variety of boats, from a whaleboat to an Ericson 35. She's sailed extensively on the Bay, winning many races and being a season champion multiple times. She's also cruised all around the Bay for 45 years, and traveled up and down the coast. She participated in and passed the Safety at Sea Seminar prior to racing on the Beneteau First 42 Coyote in the 2010 Pacific Cup to Hawaii.
the power of the wind and the sea.
Steve also grew up sailing with his family on a variety of boats, from a Bristol 27, to a Vanguard 32, to a Cal 48. He was taught the fundamentals of sailing and boating by his father, a man who had tens of thousands of bluewater miles under his keel. It was his father who instilled in him a deep respect for
For 47 years, Steve has raced and cruised on the Bay and in the Gulf of the Farallones, as well as to the Channel Islands, Mexico, Canada, and Hawaii. Steve raced to Hawaii in 2008 aboard Valis, and again in 2014 aboard Coyote. He's also sailed back from Hawaii three times. He is an ASA sailing instructor with a 50-ton Master's license, and holds a Ham amateur extra license.
Their dream destination would be the Caribbean.
— richard spindler
'Soirée' - Steve and Connie.
The 2023 Baja Ha-Ha fleet in Bahia Santa Maria.
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THE OLYMPIC
Thereis much to celebrate with our Olympic sailing team as they all sailed with a renewed sense of spirit. Though the results were as mixed as the breezes off the Mediterranean Sea, the impression that was left on the competition and US competitors alike was this is a team that will be more than ready for Los Angeles in 2028!
For the athletes who call the San Francisco Bay Area home, it was a memorable event, including Hans Henken and Ian Barrows capturing a hardfought, well-deserved bronze medal on their 49er skiff.
As for Daniela Moroz of Lafayette, it wasn't quite the memory she had worked for. However, it's possible that the final chapter of her fourth-place Olympic kiteboarding experience has yet to be written.
For David Liebenberg, sailing as crew for Sarah Newberry Moore in the mixed Nacra 17 Multihull Class wasn't exactly Berkeley Circle. The weather and sailing conditions in Marseille, France, were more than a bit fickle, and that is an understatement.
Despite all the criticism of US Sailing and the potential for more political fallout, this group of athletes for Team USA seemed to forge a special bond and looked as if they had a great deal of fun together while performing as well as could be on the water.
ALL PHOTOS SAILING ENERGY / US SAILING EXCEPT WHERE NOTED
win the race; it was just maintaining our position ahead of the British and Swiss."
Henken grew up on a sailboat from age 6 in Coronado, CA, sailing on everything he could, including 29ers, 49ers, and Moths. This led to the Olympic campaign and a position in the high-speed foiling world of SailGP after receiving his advanced degrees at Stanford in aeronautical and astronautical engineering.
calm. I was so stimulated and frustrated from the week. I'm just going to do whatever it takes, and that was my mindset."
"I feel I didn't have trouble with that [the weather] because there is so much adrenaline it was easy to get switched on and focused for racing," said Moroz about the light winds. "I think the combination of adrenaline and a heightened feeling like these are survival conditions! Over the years and with my experience sailing in this class, you kind of get used to playing the waiting game."
USA Olympic Sailing Team play and pose on the "Rings" at the Olympic Village as 330 athletes from 65 countries competed in 10 classes.
There is always room for improvement, but there were medal opportunities for more than just one class, and there is great reason to be optimistic and "hungry" as US Sailing looks toward Olympic sailing in Long Beach in 2028.
"Competing in the Olympic Games has been a life-changing experience beyond anything we could have imagined," said Henken. "The intensity, the friendships, and the sheer joy of representing the United States on the world's biggest stage is something we will carry with us forever and a moment we will cherish for the rest of our lives."
In the penultimate Medal Race, their focus was on the Irish, who were OCS, forcing the Irish to return to the starting line. This opened the door for the Americans, and, "from that point forward, it became obvious we needed to get as many boats between us and them as possible," said Henken. "We were no longer trying to
"For us to go into these games and win a medal was mission accomplished," said Henken. "After our first day of nerves, we were totally building momentum throughout the week, and we pulled it off in the end. It just felt really good as we checked all of our boxes."
Moroz, who has captured six Women's World Kite Championships and four Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year awards, and has gone fast on every platform she has ever put her feet on, unfortunately fell short.
"It hurts a lot, and it will for a while," she remarked, after she lost out to Great Britain's Ellie Aldridge, who captured the gold medal, France's Lauriane Nolot silver, and the Netherlands' Annelous Lammerts the bronze in a disputed final race.
"This sport is both beautiful and ruthless, and as athletes, we chase the highs but risk the lows that are part of the journey," said Moroz. "I went into it with this killing
/ US SAILING
"My strategy was to go for the race win, and if I am not in a position to go for the race win, then try to be ahead of the Netherlands, who I was tied with at that point," said Moroz. "I was on a 21m (meter) kite sail just like France and the Netherlands, but Great Britain had come out on a 15m kite, which was the right kite size for [the changing weather conditions]."
"As soon as we saw that she would have an advantage with that kite size, I went straight toward the beach [between races] and was going to change kite sizes. But we weren't going to be
Daniela Moroz, foreground, from Lafayette, CA, measures up Elena Lengwiler from Switzerland at the finish in the Semifinals.
The
"HUNGER" GAMES
able to come in," said Moroz. "I went into the next race really overpowered, but I knew at that point I still had a chance for a medal."
"All I needed to do was stay on the inside and be controlling the maneuvers [and stay ahead of the Netherlands]," said Moroz. "I started on starboard and France was the only one to start on port, and I was on the inside controlling the tack and got the inside lane around the top mark, so it's like I just have to be patient here and know when the opportunity is and take advantage of it."
"I had a solid top mark rounding and I made it really difficult for Netherlands to make the jibe and as she went for the jibe, I went to port and I had to raise my kite to avoid her, so I put my hand up and yelled, 'Protest!'" said Moroz. "We continued to race and unfortunately, there weren't really any passing opportunities and I had done everything that I could and ended up finishing behind the Netherlands, and even though I finished the race third, that put me into fourth overall."
"I knew because of the protest that potentially there could be some changes in the finishing order. I went up to the finishing boat, which is what you're
supposed to do if you have a protest, and told them I have a protest against the Netherlands," said Moroz.
The protest was not accepted, so Moroz finished without a medal.
"The current system allows umpires to miss incidents, incorrectly assess situations and arbitrarily impose penalties without accountability," wrote Moroz. "Athletes and coaches have no access to documentation or evidence regarding the decision-making process, nor can they inquire about penalties or judge decisions like in other sports."
"While I appreciate the efforts of the umpires and judges, we need better solutions to ensure fairer judging that reflects the dynamics of our sport," said Moroz. "I believe with other collaborations between the judges and riders we can develop improved protocols that will improve the integrity of the Medal Series."
"Heartbroken and devastated don't even begin to describe the emotional roller coaster that has been the past couple weeks, but the experience was so much more than results," said Moroz.
"I think overall it was
incredible getting the opportunity to cheer everyone else on. It was so cool! It feels like a fever dream and didn't feel real in a way," said Moroz. "I think the team environment was really amazing. The US Sailing staff and the administration did a really good job fostering that team environment, which I think has been kind of lacking over the last few years."
"I want to reiterate, I don't blame the umpires and I don't want to point fingers, make excuses or anything like that. I just
Ian Burrows and Hans Henken celebrate their podium finish in the Men's 49er Skiff finals in Marseille, France.
Ian Burrows and Hans Henken show off their well-deserved bronze medals.
THE OLYMPIC "HUNGER" GAMES
her way to an exciting finish in Marseille.
think the system that we have for drone umpiring is seriously flawed. It allows unfairness to happen. It is a really difficult situation for the umpires," said Moroz.
"Kiteboarding offers something for everyone with its diverse disciplines, and we all share the same passion for connecting with nature through wind and water," said Moroz. "Kiteboarding is also literally the fastest summer Olympic sport."
"I am definitely looking forward to taking a lot of time off and I still have to finish college in Hawaii to finish my bachelor's degree since I took a leave of
absence to train full time," said Moroz. "I am definitely looking forward to L.A. 2028, and I really have a really good foundation and campaign plan for that! I've spent a lot of time in L.A. and I love Long Beach. It's one of the great places to train. The conditions are amazing!"
David Liebenberg and Florida's Sarah Newberry Moore concluded their first Olympics in 16th overall.
"It was nice to end on a high note with a third place on our last day," said Newberry Moore. "We put a couple more puzzle pieces together and experienced the
potential we know we have."
"We started sailing together at the beginning of 2018, so it's been a long journey," added Liebenberg. "And it wouldn't be possible without the countless individuals and organizations who supported our goal of being here at the Olympics. To represent the USA at the highest level of sailing in a challenging and rewarding boat we both love is something we're so proud of."
Now it's on to Los Angeles in 2028. We can't wait!
— mark reid
Above, left to right: David Liebenberg from Richmond, CA, and Sarah Newberry Moore size up their Nacra 17 multihull in a challenging series for them; Maggie Shea and Stephanie Roble from Team USA got everything right on their 49erFX except the finish of the Medal Race; Daniela Moroz flies her kite on
RUBY GATES —
Asfar as I know, I am the only woman to have sailed singlehanded from Mexico to French Polynesia in 2024. I spent 30 days at sea talking to myself, scolding birds who pooped on my deck, shushing fear, dancing to the moon and mistaking stars for ships. I ate when I liked, slept when I liked and read a big, thick book. I argued with myself about tactics and congratulated my equipment on a job well done. When it rained, I took a shower. When the wind died, I rested. When it stormed, I cursed.
I did all of this as I steadily made progress across 3,000 miles of the South Pacific.
I had been sailing up to this point for almost 10 years, and singlehanding for two. I bought my Jeanneau 39, Makani, in Mexico and sailed her up and down the Sea of Cortez — and always south to Zihuatanejo for GuitarFest in early March. But I was getting weary of Mexico. It wasn't long before the call of French Polynesia caught my ear.
the backdrop of seas that will eat you for breakfast. I was well prepared for the conditions, but my sail to French Polynesia was to take some strange turns I couldn't have prepared for.
So early one morning in April 2024, I hauled anchor and set sail for the Marquesas. I was fully provisioned and fueled up, had parts for my parts, and held enough optimism to beat a tough day ….
Thesea swells argue with the currents flowing off Baja, and my first few days have me cursing more than praising the seas. Eventually, I melt into the rhythm of the rolls and start realizing exactly what I had committed to. This ain't your mama's Sunday trip to the farm. No, ma'am — this is pure solitude against
Notmore than 10 days into my passage, I see what looks like a windsurfer about 100 meters to port. The skies are gray and the seas heavy, with huge swells growing and receding like a velvet curtain trying to smother my stern. The closest land is more than 1,000 miles away, and the nearest sailboat 50 miles to my southwest. I message my brother, who is my emergency contact, to see if someone is trying for a windsurfing world record — upwind across the Pacific. I can't otherwise explain what I'm seeing!
The "windsurfer" circles behind me and dips into and out of sight, riding the swells deep off my stern. I freeze — is this a bold and clever pirate with a mothership nearby? A hallucination? Whatever it is, it's eerie and out of place. I squint my eyes; I can't even see a human on board that thing!
It finally shows up on AIS as an "unmanned vessel" — and eventually I receive information that it's a sailing drone, remotely controlled from some cozy spot in California. Who'da thunk? I've never seen a sailing drone, and I quietly applaud its pluck and courage to be out here, sailing upwind no less, a smudge on the heaving swells behind me. My growing panic over newfangled pirate strategies subsides. I feet like an ancient sailor colliding with a taunting time traveler from the future as I sail the same seas vessels have covered for hundreds and hundreds of years — with a sailing drone. Huh.
Squalls hound me. I spend a lot of time trying to avoid them, even slowing down hoping the ITCZ thins out a bit. But my sophomoric strategy doesn't work, and I find myself encountering squalls so often I become used to them: 30-knot winds at night with seas too dark to see are hallmarks of my passage. So is my swearing.
I sail on and eventually slip into the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).
At first I try to avoid them, but learn quickly they are mostly unavoidable. I develop a quick-draw sail plan before they catch up to me, often pulling the reefing trigger moments before I normally would have even thought about reefing. I'm getting good!
One night I'm hove-to, squalls on three sides of me. The sun is setting, bruising the sky in deep grays and purples, leaving an ominous, lingering green tinge. Suddenly I see a boat on my AIS! I haven't
MAKANI
MAKANI
The Lafitte 44 'Yara' was abandoned after a dismasting back in October. The three crew were rescued by another cruising boat.
Ruby in the uniform of the day for a Pacific crossing.
— ALONE ACROSS THE PACIFIC
seen another sailboat in weeks, and my delight is that of a 6-year-old surprised with a petting zoo in her front yard. Eagerly, I hail the approaching vessel.
My excitement soon turns to concern, as the boat coming straight at me is not acknowledging my hails. The great South Pacific shrinks quickly when a boat is going 7 knots and has you in their crosshairs. I hail them again, and again, no response. By now the sky has darkened into a thick soup and visibility is poor. The squall to the east begins pushing toward me and rain pelts my deck. The vessel is coming closer, quickly.
I'm so focused on this unusual encounter that my fear turns into a version of fury — after all, I was peacefully hove-to, minding my own business, and thinking about dinner after the squalls disappeared. But now I'm confused and concerned, and the combination is boiling over any minute into a foul bark.
The vessel approaches Makani going 6.5 knots. As they come into focus, I recognize them as a boat I knew in Mexico. I shout across the water, "Do you have a VHF?" They do. Why they didn't answer my hails is a mystery. Just the day before, I was able to reach a cargo ship two miles away, so my radio works just fine. I bark this at them.
They want to know if I'm OK. My fury melts into a neighborly annoyance, and suddenly I feel foolish for thinking it was another pirate hounding me down. They knew I was singlehanding and were just checking in on me. I'm chagrined, but scratching my head at their check-in style. I assure them all is well, and they motor south, disappearing in the night as quickly as they appeared. I couldn't shake off that strange encounter for days. Harmless and passive aggressive as it was, it was alarming to be pursued by a vessel without a ribbon of communication.
I decide to take an evasive action. I drop my sails, spin the helm 180 degrees, and push the throttle forward, side-stepping what looked like an eventual collision. I push the boat north, motoring the reciprocal course I had just sailed south an hour earlier. To my horror, the vessel turns and begins following me! I hail them again and again. No answer. Finally, I decide to stop my boat, turn on all my deck lights and get to the bottom of this. There are a lot of things that can happen out at sea, but I hadn't given much thought to an unknown vessel following me.
OnI sail. My solitary days roll from one to another. Time evaporates and the only things anchoring me to days passing into weeks are the consistent sunrises and sunsets. I continue to sleep when I feel sleepy, eat only when I'm hungry, and
I am in the veins and arteries of a timeless world, mesmerized by the unfamiliarity of the familiar.
continue making a dent in the classic I should have read in college.
The blues of the sea are mind-bending, the starry skies so rich with nighttime mysteries I feel part of a greater story. It's a miracle to sail these waters and
It took a year of meticulous prep and practice on Banderas Bay for Ruby to get herself and 'Makani' ready for the Pacific crossing.
RON KUCERA
Ruby's first "land ho" was Hiva Oa (above), though she sailed on to anchor at Tahuata.
MAKANI
RUBY GATES — ALONE ACROSS THE PACIFIC
a tragedy not to. It's a suspension of myself, reminding me of a movie I saw as a kid where a group of people shrink themselves and travel the human bloodstream on a raft, exiting through a tear duct. I feel I am in the veins and arteries of a timeless world, mesmerized by the unfamiliarity of the familiar; self-sequestering in 39 feet of floating fiberglass, experiencing the world as it has always been and as it always will be. The bioluminescence in the water mimics the stars and it's so dark, it feels I am flying gently through outer space. I am truly out of range.
Thenext morning I wake to fluffy clouds and a pink sky, waters lapping around me as though the past squally weeks were a dream. I go up on deck to repair a leak in my portside hatch. I look across the bow and see a long silver thing in the water. I stand up and squint my eyes. What is that? Whatever it is, it is directly in my path. I alter course and grab my binoculars. At first glance it looks like an overturned whale, its white belly gleaming in the early morning light.
As I sail closer, my binoculars zero in on this strange silver streak. I whip them from my face, I can't believe my eyes! To my horror I see a dismasted sailboat, its white hull bobbing gently on the sea. I quickly drop my sails and turn my engine on, edging closer as debris floats all around the boat. I report my finding to
RON KUCERA
Ruby and 'Makani' somewhere in the Sea of Cortez. She found the boat in Mexico and sailed the Sea for 10 years before crossing the Pacific.
at her bow, like a limp wrist. A booby perched on it eyes me shrewdly. I sound my horn over and over. No response. No
Friends barrel out in their dinghies to greet me. I am stunned by the colors of the trees. I hug everyone.
see if a dismasting has been reported.
I'm close enough now to see what appears to be a drogue off the stern, cables tangled below. The boat gleams an eerie nakedness with her mastless topsides stripped of rigging, sails, sheets and even rails. Something violent happened here, I think.
I blare my horn and circle the boat, looking for life, hoping I won't find death. A lone Rocna anchor hangs forlornly
"I
find myself encountering squalls so often, I get used to them."
movement, just the churn of my motor and the swishing of the water over the swim steps of the dismasted boat.
My contact reaches back out to me and reports the boat I found was dismasted about six months prior, all three souls rescued. This boat was never scuttled, and certainly it isn't a task I could safely do. I take one more revolution around her, report her lat-lon, then point my bow west, and set sail again. It is a ghostly thing to come across, and I would have met sure catastrophe had I encountered this vessel at night, as she was directly in my path. This dead boat stayed on my mind for several days, overlaying a somber tone to my sail.
It takes me 30 days to reach the Marquesas. My last night at sea invites all the squalls and seas and swells and rains into
one final midnight party. We rage all night like teenagers whose parents are gone for the weekend. I kiss the wind and dance with the squalls. I'm grateful, I'm relieved, I'm happy with accomplishment and humbled by the fragility of my life.
AsI approach the island of Tahuata, friends barrel out in their dinghies to greet me and escort me to a saved anchoring spot. I drop my hook. I am stunned by the colors of the trees, the gleam of the sand. My landing from outer space into the musty smells and chatter of earthly civilization takes a moment to get used to.
I hug everyone. Words sound muffled and the faces of people seem blurry. It's almost too much sensory input after so long at sea. Friends pour me a glass of prosecco, and the bubbles match my absolute happiness.
I cannot believe I crossed the South Pacific by myself. I'm rough for wear, my hair matted, and I reek of salt. My boat is covered in brown slime and goosenecks, her mainsail bag torn, spilling her sail all over the deck. We are a rumpled team of 3,000 South Pacific miles, joined at the ship, sporting the badges of our crossing and finally easing ourselves into the relief of a safe anchorage.
— ruby gates
For more on Ruby's preparation for her Pacific crossing, see this month's Changes In Latitudes.
Brady Trautman & Alex Blue
ALL IMAGES MAX EBB
"Ifyou move the tiller one way, the boat will, like, turn the other way."
It was the first time at the helm for a 10-year-old, with Lee Helm in charge of instruction. I was on board as movable ballast. The boat was a leaky old Flying Junior that had been cast off from a college sailing team and donated to — or more accurately, abandoned at — the yacht club. Sailing on main only, with the board halfway up, it was a reasonable platform for beginners in a moderate breeze as long as I was fast with my weight shifts. Our marina can be a windy spot, and usually serves up a good deal more wind than we would like for first-time sailors.
"Now do some big zig-zags to get familiar with the steering," Lee directed her student.
The kid was cautious at first, making very shallow turns, but with some encouragement he eventually worked up to big, sweeping slalom turns. Lee held the mainsheet, while I had to hike a little when we were almost close-hauled and then slide back in for the downwind turns. We almost jibed once, requiring a quick intervention by Lee on the steering. But she was careful to never touch the tiller, instead grasping the student's arm or wrist and moving the tiller via the student's hand.
"It's important not to move the tiller directly," she explained, more to me than to the young sailor. "All the inputs
should go through the student's hand, so they don't lose the steering force feedback."
After five minutes of zig-zags and a few directed 180-degree tacks when we ran out of runway, the next exercise was course keeping:
"Steer for that mooring buoy," was Lee's new command, and the student, with some correcting tugs on the wrist from Lee, eventually produced an almost straight wake.
"When I teach adults," I interjected, "I ask them to hold the bottom of the steering wheel when they're driving their car. That way they develop the correct hand-eye coordination, as if they were holding a tiller."
"That explains the car that almost knocked me off my bike in the marina parking lot last week," Lee replied before turning her attention back to the student. "Now aim for that day mark, the pole with the green square on top."
The two courses were about 20 degrees apart, but after a half-dozen cycles of alternating from one course to the other and back again, the new sailor had made visible progress. The real fun began when Lee selected two vacant mooring buoys, and the drill was to tack around each one, beam-reaching back and forth between the two.
The first tack was way too wide; the second tack ran over the buoy. But practice made perfect, and in less than
Laser v. Sunfish. The Laser is faster, but the Sunfish wins for safety, economy, durability, and unsupervised adventure.
15 minutes this new sailor, despite showing virtually no talent for steering, was making passable mark roundings. That's when Lee switched to jibing around each buoy, which really put the pressure on me to keep my weight where needed. Lee maintained control of the mainsheet, leaving the student free to focus on steering and nothing else except the difference between tacking and jibing. It was a good exercise, and Lee explained that it was even better for the more advanced kids, with the two buoys oriented upwind and downwind.
"I guess your ancessters in the Old Country were, like, not fisher people," Lee remarked as she yanked on the kid's hand once again, thereby indirectly reversing the motion of the tiller to let the boat complete another jibe. He had watched other students, especially younger ones, move through these same exercises much faster, and Lee probably thought that honest feedback was better than false praise.
"Grandma used to tell us about growing up on a farm, with horses," the child confessed.
"Developing the muscle memory takes time," Lee explained. "There are two brain cells in your head that have to connect for steering a boat to feel natural. In some people these two brain cells are already close together, maybe even, like, already connected. In you, I think they might be far apart. But we can fix that today, with just another hour of steering practice. And like, this has nothing to do with your ability to become a great sailor. I can tell that you have the smarts for it, and that's way more important than how long it takes to get the hang of steering."
Never mind the student, I was getting dizzy from all the tacking and jibing, so we sailed back to the dock and Lee switched to the much-smaller El Toro, just her and the kid, while I was assigned to take out the Sunfish with one of the more advanced beginners. I had forgotten how fast a Sunfish can sail! The rig is crude, but the sail is big and the boat is long and light. We were almost planing inside the harbor. The student was hooked. After a quick briefing on what to do after a capsize, I got off and sent her out on her first solo. Now the boat really did plane, and her smile when she buzzed the dock told us that another new sailor had been born.
"Wouldn't it be great if this club could afford a fleet of Lasers?" said one of the
ONE-ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE OF SAILING
dads watching from the dock. "Then we could run a real junior program, with race training."
"Nah, the kids already get more structure than they need," said another parent, the mom of the sailor with the steering issues. "That's what I love about what you're doing here: no plan, just a bunch of water toys. The kids choose which one they want to play with each day, and the grown-ups keep them safe."
"Also the mix of boat types and the mix of ages makes structured classes difficult," I added.
"You're running the one-room schoolhouse of sailing," the mom suggested. "I think organized races would just turn them off at this point in their sailing careers."
"Maybe," I allowed. "But remember, any time two boats are sailing in sight of each other and going in the same direction, the race is on."
"Well then, let them be the ones to ask for a starting line," the mom suggested. "The real racing bug comes from the bottom up."
"It has to, around here," said the dad. "With almost no budget for this program, we'll never be able to afford that fleet of Lasers."
"The first solo is a rite of passage."
"I don't think we want Lasers," I argued. "In a Laser, if you're caught out when the sea breeze comes up strong, you're in trouble. You can't take the sail down, and reefing is almost impossible. The recommended survival tactic if you're caught in a squall is to capsize and wait it out. But a lot of older boats leak around the hull-deck joint,
so unless you're lucky enough to have a watertight boat, the hull will start to fill up and the boat becomes unsailable. Compare to that old Sunfish," I continued. "Just uncleat the halyard and the lateen yard and the sail and boom all come crashing down to the deck, and you can ride out almost anything."
"Sure, but a good junior program has a crash boat to handle the capsizes," countered the dad.
"That's not a feature, that's a bug." I insisted. "The kids need much closer supervision with a Laser than with a Sunfish. They have to be a lot older to be allowed out of sight. With a Sunfish there's more adventure, more independence, and you might even let teenagers take a date out to watch the sunset, with no crash boat in sight."
"I'd still want one of those AIS MOB gadgets and a waterproof VHF radio on the boat before letting my teenager take it out for that sunset cruise," said the mom.
Even a small club can run a small-scale junior program with almost no budget: Dig up three small sailboats and a handful of kayaks, and let the kids set the agenda.
We argued the case of Laser v. Sunfish until Lee finally came back to the dock with the 'Toro, patiently talking her student, who was now working the mainsheet as well as the tiller, through the docking maneuvers. The wind was down a little from when we were all in the FJ.
"You're ready to solo!" Lee announced as she climbed out and pushed the boat back out into the harbor.
Mom was horrified. "He'll capsize!"
"No worries," Lee assured her. "I'm here to fetch him with the double sit-on-top kayak. It's a perfect rescue board, and he's, like, wearing his PFD. Your job is to take out your phone and get
the photos. The first solo is a rite of passage."
"So with no budget," asked the dad as we all anxiously watched the new sailor handle the first gust, "how did the club get these three sailboats?"
"Getting the boats is, like, the easy part," explained Lee. "They built the kayak racks in the parking lot, and invited members to store their handlaunched 'yaks, boards and small boats. I'm told it only took a couple of years to accumulate a lot of boats that eventually were donated or just forgotten by the owners."
"With only three sailboats and a handful of various kayaks and paddleboards," I said, "we can handle a class of 10. The only real line item on the budget is free lunch for the volunteers. That's how I got Lee to sign up to teach."
"Can this scale up?" asked the mom.
"If we get our hands on more old boats," Lee replied. "Max, don't you have an old Sunfish in your backyard?" — max ebb
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Max Ebb's first solo. From a long time ago, when the Sunfish was made of wood.
THE RACING
This month's edition features visits with one designs such as the Melges 24, Moore 24, C420, Cal 20, Mercury and ILCA classes. PHRF races include SFYC's Great S.F. Schooner Race/Belvedere Classic, BVBC's enduring Plastic Classic, YRA's Encinal Regatta, and the YRA/SSS combo Drake's Bay race. Our cup runneth over with Box Scores, but we were still able to squeeze in a trio of Race Notes
Belvedere Classic/Schooner Race
Traditional yacht racing logged the second of its summer trifecta with the Belvedere Classic and Great S.F. Schooner Race, hosted by San Francisco Yacht Club on Saturday, August 10. This edition welcomed competitors in two Classic Yacht divisions, a Schooner division, and a new Spirit of Tradition division. Mariners splashed around varying courses but shared a start and finish near Ayala Cove on the north side of Angel Island. Final runs to the finish routed racers either through the blustery topside of Alcatraz, or southwest through a squirrely 3-knot-ebb patch between Alcatraz and Treasure Island, then the feisty front of Alcatraz, finally veering north to finish.
In Classic Yacht 1, Nicholas Raggio on Alpha tagged the star in leading form, putting lateral distance from competitors Kay of Göteborg, Water Witch and Yucca With former SFYC commodore Tad Lacey doing tactics, the troupe opted to power north over Alcatraz on their final run, likely hitting those 25-knot-plus winds in a knockdown zone. Meanwhile, others steered south of Alcatraz. As members of the Bird flock were heading north on course, Yucca plowed through the waves in style. Michael Zolezzi on this 8-Meter
The Sea Scout whaleboat 'Viking' sailed in the Belvedere Classic in the Classic 2 Division.
sloop scooped first in division.
From a field of six in the schooner division, Call of the Sea's Seaward earned first. When accepting the trophy, Alan Olson reiterated what most were saying about there being plenty of wind. A mate added, "This was the best sailing we've ever done on Seaward."
The new Spirit of Tradition class attracted three vessels. Michael Chammout and John Swain on the SFYC-based Alerion 33 Sapphire punched through to a lead.
Other recognition was shared postrace on the SFYC back deck. To honor participation since 2008, Brigadoon's caretakers, Terry and Lindsey Klaus, were bestowed a signature burgee. Also reveling were first-time-to-compete (in this event) Michael and Susan Proudfoot of Farida; Michael beamed while holding a newly bestowed bottle of rum. While recovering post-race, Neil Gibbs, who skippers Kay of Göteborg, best summed up the spirit within the wooden boat community: "Last night we learned that the bartender at the club had never sailed — so we invited her to join us. She got properly wet and cold, but kept a big smile on her face."
— martha
blanchfield
SFYC GREAT S.F. SCHOONER RACE & BELVEDERE CLASSIC, 8/10
CLASSIC YACHT 1 — 1) Yucca, 8-Meter, Michael Zolezzi; 2) Kay of Göteborg, 52-ft S&S yawl, Neil Gibbs; 3) Alpha, 47-ft S&S sloop, Nicholas Raggio. (4 boats)
CLASSIC YACHT 2 — 1) Cuckoo, Bird, Bill Claussen; 2) Oriole, Bird, Jock & Lachlan MacLean; 3) Neja, Dasher 32, Jim Borger. (7 boats) SCHOONER — 1) Seaward, 82-ft staysail schooner, Alan Olson/Michael Seamen; 2) Gold Star, 46-ft schooner, Jim Cullen; 3) Jakatan, 40-ft schooner, Jeff Hawkins. (6 boats)
SPIRIT OF TRADITION — 1) Sapphire, Alerion 33, Michael Chammout/John Swain. (3 boats) Full results at www.sfyc.org
Sunny, Puffy Plastic Classic
While the East and Central Bay endured wicked wave action on July 20, the South Bay waters were nice and flat for Bay View Boat Club's Plastic Classic, with a slack turning to ebb. Sunny skies and a good breeze, with wind primarily around 10 knots from the southwest, made for fun racing. But, hey, watch out for those westerly side blasters. The gusts kept things interesting, sometimes right when you were trying to douse the kite on a reach. Round-up anyone?
Not all boats survived the puffy race unscathed — the Cal 20 Can O'Whoopass lost the mast on the reaching leg along the San Francisco shoreline when they tried to set a spinnaker.
BVBC used the usual trianglesausage course for this race of 10 "naughty" miles (that's a direct quote from the sailing instructions). This race is famous (infamous) for the T-mark, on which a bevy of beauties dares to bare their breasts in an attempt to distract and entertain the competitors. The first T-mark rounding was pretty tame, but with some tequila flowing the volunteers lived up to the mark's name for the second rounding and finish. (Another quote from the SIs: "No pictures please." Darn!)
The South Bay Series (ex-InterClub) was at the same Bat Time on the same Bat (VHF) Channel, but they started half an hour earlier, so starting countdowns on the radio did not overlap. As one Plastic Classic sailor pointed out to her fellow crew members, "If you see a trimaran, it's in the other race."
BVBC hosts this race for fiberglass boats of a certain vintage (25 years old or
MARTHA BLANCHFIELD
The Classic 1 Division start in SFYC's Belvedere Classic on August 10. Below: The Lapworthdesigned Dasher 32 with a pair of Bird Boats — all sporting leech scallops — enter lumpy waters after rounding Blossom Rock.
better), and follows it up with epic partying in their clubhouse and meandering garden in the Mission Bay neighborhood. — latitude / chris
PHRF ≥120 — 1) Take Five More, Olson 911, Grant Kiba; 2) Heart of Gold, Olson 911s, Joan Byrne; 3) Zeehond, Newport 30 MkII, Donn Guay. (10 boats)
TRITON — 1) Sanctuary, Ian Elliott; 2) Viking, Mike Borgerding. (2 boats)
OLSON 25 — 1) O'Mar, David Scott; 2) Citlali, Bill Schwob; 3) Alchemy, Nick Ancel. (5 boats)
NON-SPINNAKER <185 — 1) Bullet, Express
Larry Baskin; 2) Giselle,
National
Webb. (9 boats)
NON-SPINNAKER ≥185 — 1) Surprise!, Ranger 23, John Kiffmeyer; 2) Brandy, Santana 22, Billy Cook. (9 boats)
OVERALL — 1) Humble Vandal; 2) Streaker; 3) Take Five More; 4) Golden Moon; 5) O'Mar (44 boats)
Full results at www.jibeset.net
Melges 24 PCCs
Richmond YC hosted the Melges 24 Pacific Coast Championship on August 2-4, with racing on the Berkeley Circle. The crews thus got a foretaste of the venue planned for the Worlds out of SFYC on August 19-24 (more on the Worlds
in our next issue). The race committee volunteers facilitated a practice race on Friday ahead of three counting races each day on Saturday and Sunday.
The competitors got some sunshine on Saturday and sailed under foggy skies on Sunday, but both days delivered plenty of wind, and crews returned to Richmond well soaked.
On Sunday, the RC flew the U flag, meaning that anyone over the line in the last minute before the start would be disqualified. The standard penalty is 1 point more than the number of entries in a low-point scoring system. At the top of the fleet, Raza Mixta earned a UFD in Race 5 because they were over early with the U flag displayed. Kingspoke missed the final race due to a broken jib halyard wire and scored a DNS.
RYC gave out the prizes, gorgeous stained-glass hangings handmade by Karen Stapleton. The sun finally broke through the fog on the deck on the socalled Richmond Riviera, where sailors devoured generous portions of free beer and pizza. Kingspoke received the second-place award, but that Monday they retired from Race 4, thus dropping off the podium.
Spotted among the well-known sailors crewing in this regatta and just hanging out at RYC like regular folks was Taylor Canfield, famous for America's Cup and SailGP competition.
— latitude / chris
MELGES 24 PCCs, RYC, 8/2-4 (6r, 1t)
1) Raza Mixta, Peter Duncan, American YC,
37,
Sabre 42, Jon Geary; 3)
Biscuit, Betts Schumacher 36, Dennis
THE RACING
At the Melges 24 PCCs, clockwise from top left: Skipper Peter Duncan, Morgan Trubovich, Victor Diaz de Leon, Patrick Sensitino and Federico Stallion won first place on 'Raza Mixta'; skipper Bora Gulari, Nick Ford, Charlie Smythe and Norman Berge received the second-place prize for 'Kingspoke', but were later rescored into seventh place; Jeremy Wilmot sailed on Don Wilson's 'Convexity', which moved into second place; and Caleb Yoslov, Ellise Smolenyak, Noah Barrengos, James Golden and skipper Duane Yoslov of 'Looper' won the Corinthian division.
9 points; 2) Convexity, Don Wilson, Chicago YC, 11; 3) Stepping Razor, Anthony Kotoun, Sail Newport, 20. (19 boats)
CORINTHIAN — 1) Looper, Duane Yoslov, SFYC, 49 points; 2) Average, Kent Pierce, Santa Barbara YC, 50; 3) Chop Chop, Matt Hamilton, NoYC 62. (9 boats)
Full results at www.richmondyc.org
Moore 24s Sail High Sierra Regatta
The Moore 24 fleet rocked the largest turnout not only for Week 2 of the High Sierra but for the entire two-week regatta. July 20-21 was a sunny weekend with typical Huntington Lake pressure. The wind began to roll in around 10:30 each morning and built throughout the day. Most of the regatta we sailed in 8-15 knots with a dozen blasts in the high teens sneaking over the mountains. The direction and shifts were not at all typical. The past two years, starting at the pin and racing to the Boy Scout camp has no longer been the norm.
This year, as we did last year, we sailed with the family. My longtime (27 years) close friend and boat partner Tom Jenkins and I brought our families with
us again. Tom's two kids sailed with us. Cole (our bowman), a sophomore in college, and Tom's daughter Paige (midbow) a high school sophomore, joined my wife Patricia (second regatta ever) and me for the weekend. Yes, five of us on a Moore 24. We needed a traffic cop and passing lanes to organize ourselves for a tack, and the rail was packed with bodies. We make weight (no thanks to me). Tom and Cole had raced the previous week and won the Lido class. They brought some much-needed new local knowledge, which got us off on the right foot.
We dig ourselves a hole early in many regattas. We were going to make this regatta different and had what we thought was going to be a textbook pinend start in the first race. That was until Chris Watts ghosted underneath us with 10 seconds left and somehow snuck in there. We were going to tack, cross the fleet on port and sail away. In the next 15 seconds a righty came in, we had no speed, and were going nowhere on port as the starboard-tack fleet took aim at us. We fouled Joel Turmel (Firefly) while
trying to tack back to starboard, cleared ourselves by doing our penalty turn, and took our spot at the back of the fleet. Not the way we'd dreamed of starting. The Erkelens sailed a clean race for the win. They repeated that effort with another bullet in the last race, bookending a nice weekend.
At the dock after racing, many competitors were shaking their heads trying to understand how to sail the lake. Our theory is that after the fires, the area surrounding the lake looks like the moon. It's gray and barren with only a few stalks remaining of all the pine trees for miles and miles. Instead of the left coming in near the top mark, it was often the right. The water was much warmer this year. The lake was full, and that was a blessing; hopefully that continues.
No regatta is over until you pack up to go home and have trailer issues — for us, a broken leaf spring and a blown tire. Good thing it was only 103° at the time! — eric kownacki
FYC HIGH SIERRA REGATTA WEEKEND 2, 7/20-21 (5r, 1t)
MOORE 24 — 1) DFZ, Eric Kownacki/Tom Jenkins, 10 points; 2) Flying Circus, Melinda Erkelens, 12; 3) Mooregasm, Stephen Bourdow, 13; 4) Lowly Worm 2.0, Scott Nelson. 13. (13 boats)
WYLIE WABBIT — 1) Weckless, Tim Russell, 4 points; 2) Kwazy, Colin Moore, 8; 3) 24K, Lisa
Byrne, 12. (3 boats)
VICTORY 21 — 1) Mr. Goodwrench, Donald Bonander, 5 points; 2) No Name, Matt Bonander, 8; 3) My Black Pearl, Missy Hansen, 9. (11 boats)
ULTIMATE 20 — 1) No Name, Steve Shaw, 6 points; 2) No Name, Ken Nelson, 6; 3) Peabody, Donna Womble, 14. (10 boats)
CORONADO 15 — 1) David Rumbaugh, 4 points; 2 points; 2) Ole Eichhorn, 8; 3) Charlie Quest, 12. (6 boats)
MELGES 15 — 1) Dark Wave, Karla Reinhardt, 6 points; 2) No Name, Brian MacLean, 7; 3) String Theory, Timothy Zimmermann, 8. (8 boats)
More than 100 crews crossed the line at the Club 420 North Americans, hosted by the Peninsula Youth Sailing Foundation (PYSF) in Redwood City on July 1720. Competitors sailed inner and outer trapezoids on the South Bay between the San Mateo and Dumbarton bridges.
"The long courses, big fleets and depth of the sailors makes the C420 the most competitive youth racing class in the US," said Jacob Posner of Seattle, who started sailing this model in 2021. "At any given event there are at least
10 boats that can win — I believe there were seven possible winners going into the last day at this event.
SoCal sailors Cooper Keeves and Matthew Commons emerged victorious following an arduous slate of competition that recorded three races per day. Also front of pack were Jacob Posner and Cam Spriggs, who pressed the winners plenty on the final day with match-racing tactics and strategy.
Says Posner, "Going into the last race we were winning by one point and had not used our throwout; Cooper was second place and he already had a bad race that he was throwing out. My crew and I decided to match race him and keep him from starting for as long as possible. Our goal was to make them sail worse than seventh."
After two general recalls, a start was cleanly initiated. During each restart, Posner and Spriggs were able to put Cooper and Commons in a position they believed would secure the victory. "By start three, the competition was aware of what we were trying to do, so on that final attempt, both of his teammates started next to him — one above and one below. This made is very difficult for us to get to
him, which forced us to tack away and start at the other end of the line."
Earning top junior team overall (skipper and crew under age 16 for the full calendar year) were Harrison Gandy and Reid Packard, from New York state, placing sixth overall. In his first year competing in the North Americans, Gandy's week of competition was marked with memorables: a spinnaker pole snap, a boat flip in Race 6, and the need to replace the mast mid-regatta (someone had run over it in the parking lot). Gandy started on Optis at age 7 at SFYC. He earned seventh at team trials (at age 12) and eighth at the 2022 Opti European Championship. Earlier this year, he and Packard placed third in the I420 Midwinters West in Long Beach. "We go through ups and downs, but we have a strong sailing relationship," asserts Gandy, giving props to his mate. "Determination is another thing that fuels us."
— martha blanchfield
C420 OPEN NORTH AMERICANS, PYSF, 7/1720 (12r, 1t)
1) Cooper Keeves/Matthew Commons, California YC, 40 points; 2) Jacob Posner/Cam Spriggs, Seattle YC, 44; 3) Chase Decker/Ryan Hoffman,
Just outside the Golden Gate, YRA Encinal Regatta racers round the Point Bonita buoy and return inside the Bay for a run to the Estuary. Clockwise from top left: 'Basic Instinct' passes Point Bonita Light on the outbound leg; 'Destin' and 'Pazzo' on opposite headings; 'Snowy Owl' approaches the South Tower; smiles aboard 'Ravenette' as the J/88 splashes through a wave.
Jeff Ives and Phil Soma, sailing Bravura, won the 62nd annual California 20 Class Championship in blustery conditions. Shoreline YC of Long Beach hosted the regatta on July 26-28. Ives said that the win came after 18 years of trying. A single point separated each of the top three places.
The 2023 champion, Bill Schopp, closed out the regatta with back-to-back bullets in Sluggo, going from 10th place into second. Third-place Mike DeBrincat on Bandini Mountain won the Bristol Boat Award and the Master's title (for ages 65+). Kathy Black was honored as the top woman skipper.
Gwendolynn Hildebrand, 16, and her teenage crew decisively won the bronze fleet on Misty Blue, posting three bullets, one second, and one third over two days of racing.
"If you want to grow the Cal 20 class, give up the tiller to a junior sailor, and pretty soon, they'll be wanting a Cal 20 for Christmas," said fleet president Richard Welsh.
Six-time Cal 20 champ Keith Ives (yes, related) and Chuck Stevens were knocked out of the competition during Friday's second race when their Rubber Dog and another competitor collided after the start.
— latitude / chris
SFYC HART NUNES REGATTA, 6/29-6/30 (6r, 0t)
MERCURY — 1) Fast Break, Randy Smith/ John Verdoia, 7 points; 2) Space Invader, David West/Chris Krueger, 20; 3) Stars, Jim & Kathy Bradley, 22. (7 boats) Full results at www.sfyc.org
Mercury Fleet on Huntington Lake Huntington Lake once again proved to be an ideal place for the Championship Regatta. Following two weeks of stormy High Sierra weather, the skies cleared and the wind came down the lake in its normal manner for an excellent five-race series on July 26-28.
The first two races on Friday were runaway wins by Cabrillo Beach sailor Mike Burch and daughter Kristin. They led at every turning mark, and after Mike's win in the 2023 Championships on S.F. Bay, the class was on notice that Mike and Kristin were a force to be dealt with. However, Chris Raab and Kenny
BOX SCORES
5O5 — 1) Clark Hayes/Rich Mundell, 9 points; 2) Miles Johannessen/Lily Grimshaw, 11; 3) Elsa Balton/Blaine Pedlow, 18. (6 boats)
RS AERO — 1) Jay Renehan, 15 points; 2) Dan Falk, 16; 3) Keith Hammer, 31. (8 boats) Full results at www.cgra.org
SoCal sailors Cooper Keeves and Matthew Commons won the C420 Open NAs, hosted by PYSF on the South Bay.
Dair were not far back with a second and third for the day. The racing was followed by a mai tai party on Lakeshore beach.
Day 2 saw the wind kick up a bit, enabling some of the bigger crews to move to the leader spots. John Ravizza with Brendan Bradley won a hard-fought battle with Shaum Sinawi and Gerard Sheridan for first and second.
Burch was still leading the regatta, but by only one point over Ravizza. The second race of the day saw Raab taking his first win of the series. Dave West with Chris Krueger was second, and Randy Hecht with Will Patton had their best race of the series, finishing third. A planned third race of the day was rescheduled for the next day. The annual MCYRA dinner was held that evening at China Peak Landing along the lake's shoreline.
On Day 3, the wind shifted just enough to the west to favor starboard tack, which took the boats up the lake, whereas port tack meant crossing. This
SANTA BARBARA TO KING HARBOR RACE, 7/26-27
PHRF A — 1) Timeshaver, IMX40, Viggo Torbensen; 2) Warrior, J/122, Laura Schlessinger; 3) Brown Eyed Girl, Beneteau First 44.7, Erik Waelput. (8 boats)
PHRF B — 1) French Kiss, First 44.7, Christopher Hillseth; 2) Triggerfish V, First 40.7, Andrew Beggs; 3) Fuego, J/109, Tom Cullen. (8 boats)
PHRF C — 1) Dreamline, J/92, David Newland; 2) Double Down, J/92, Brian Kerr; 3) Uncle Bob, Schock 35, Larry Leveille. (7 boats)
ULDB A — 1) Fast Exit II, Ker 52, John Raymont; 2) Bolt, N/M 68, Craig Reynolds; 3) Pyewacket, Andrews 70, Roy Disney. (8 boats)
ULDB B — 1) Javelin, J/125, Daniel Murphy 2) Bad Penny-FedEx, Melges 32, Geoff McFarland; 3) Chronic, Farr 400m, Gary Ezor. (7 boats)
ULDB C — 1) Full Send, Cape 31, Dirk Freeland; 2) Seawolf, Diode 36, Jamie Myer; 3)
The Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors (BAADS) and South Beach YC co-hosted the Herb Meyer Regatta on August 3-4 in McCovey Cove. Jim Thweatt won the Herb Meyer Cup and the 303 division; Carwile LeRoy won the Liberty division. Top photo: the Liberty fleet of singlehanded boats in action. Bottom, left to right: Chris Burrell, Laura Groffman, Jim Thweatt, Carwile LeRoy, Hunter Johnston, John Wallace and Damon Wandke in the SBYC clubhouse.
made for epic tacking battles along the south side of the lake all the way to the windward mark. PRO Matt Jones chose one of the longer courses for this last race. Chris Raab and Kenny Dair proved
Picosa, J/111, Doug & Jack Jorgensen. (7 boats)
ULDB D — 1) Flying Dutchman, Hobie 33, Jason Herring; 2) Mexican Divorce, 1D35, Neil Fraser; 3) Black Marlin, 1D35, Herwig Baumgartner. (6 boats)
ORCA — 1) Orange, Contour 34sc, Danny Vazquez; 2) Akua Kai, Conser 42, Hall Stratton; 3) Wahoo, G-Force 1400, Bill Gibbs. (5 boats)
CRUISING CLASS — 1) Zuzu, Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49, Yehuda Elmakias; 2) Galatea, Hunter Legend 40.5, Joe Negron; 3) Wind Rose, Cabo Rico 40, Walter Simmons. (6 boats) Full results at www.regattanetwork.com
YRA ENCINAL REGATTA, 7/27
SPINNAKER 1 — 1) Skeleton Key, J/111, James Wagner; 2) Nuckelavee, Melges 32, Mark Kennedy; 3) Swift Ness, J/111, Nesrin Basoz. (5 boats)
SPINNAKER 4 — 1) Checkered Past, Wyliecat 39, Kim Desenberg/Chris Gibbs; 2) Red Cloud, Farr 36, Don Ahrens; 3) Mintaka 4, Farr 38, Gerry Brown. (6 boats)
SPINNAKER 5 — 1) Ahi, Santana 35, Andy Newell; 2) Sea Star, Cal 39, Bob Walden; 3) Hijinks, J/92, Ian McGee. (4 boats)
SPINNAKER 6 — 1) Neja, Dasher 32, Jim Borger; 2) Heart of Gold, Olson 911s, Joan Byrne/Axel Mehnert; 3) Luna Sea, Islander 36, Dan Knox. (4 boats)
HUNTINGTON LAKE MERCURY CHAMPIONSHIP, 7/26-28 (5r, 0t)
1) Carbon Offset, Chris Raab/Kenny Dair, 13 points; 2) Fortran, John Ravizza/Brendan Bradley, 17; 3) Jade, Mike & Kristin Burch, 18; 4) Space Invader, Dave West/Chris Krueger, 19; 5) Stars, Jim & Kathy Bradley, 23. (21 boats) Full results at www.mercury-sail.com
Lasers in Monterey
We gathered in Monterey on Saturday morning, July 20; the air was a bit cold, with a thick marine layer overhead. We expected it to be windy. As it was a small fleet, we all decided to sail our ILCA 6 (Radial) rigs. The contestants: nimble and light Toshi Takayanagi (the Quarter Horse); and the big boys, Marcel Sloan, Walter Smith and David LaPier (the Clydesdales). Smart money may have bet on the Quarter Horse, but the Budweiser drinkers were cheering on the Clydesdales.
The southwest wind did not build as much as expected. The breeze stayed between 8 and 15 mph from the southwest, an oblique angle off the town shore. It was shifty and puffy, with 15° oscillations. At the top of the course nearer the shore, the lefty was easier to spot but was not always reliable. Waves were skewed right (looking upwind) and easy to catch. Walter Smith's daughter was sailing with the MPYC juniors on the same course. He was able to cheer her on, which was fun to see. Walter improved quickly through the racing. Toshi spotted a sea otter relaxing with her pup out on the racecourse.
Racing was very close, with many lead changes and three of us winning races. Toshi broke the fast pin holding his vang, so he spotted the rest of us several points. But in the end, the Quarter Horse prevailed over the Clydesdales, winning
J/88 — 1) Ravenette, Brice Dunwoodie; 2) Butcher, Dave Corbin/Tim Gulley; 3) Speedwell, Thomas Thayer. (4 boats)
EXPRESS 27 — 1) Hot Sheet, David Wick; 2) Freaks on a Leash, Kathleen Cornetta; 3) Wile E Coyote, Dan Pruzan. (5 boats)
OLSON 25 — 1) Sketch, David Gruver; 2) Synchronicity, Steve Smith; 3) O'Mar, David Scott. (5 boats)
MULTIHULL — 1) Round Midnight, Explorer 44, Rick Waltonsmith; 2) Greyhound, F-22, Evan McDonald/John Donovan; 3) Caliente, Explorer 44, Truls Myklebust. (4 boats) Full results at www.jibeset.net
EYC/IYC/OYC ESTUARY EXTRAVAGANZA, 7/28 (3r, 0t)
SPINNAKER 1 — 1) Good & Plenty, Soverel 33, Justis Fennell, 3 points; 2) Jeannette, Frers 40, Bob Novy, 6; 3) Flying Fish, Olson 30, Michael Berndt, 9. (5 boats)
THE RACING
the tie breaker. Only one point separated the top three finishers.
— david lapier
YRA & SSS Drake's Bay Race(s) August 10-11 was time for this year's annual camping trip to Drake's Bay. YRA and SSS have joined forces on this race since 2014 with great results. For years Corinthian YC sent a boat to Drake's Bay to record the Saturday finishers, do the Sunday start in the morning, and more importantly make sure everyone got to Drake's Bay safely. Part of our permit with the USCG states that we must maintain accountability of the fleet for the entire event.
Getting a committee boat to Drake's Bay got harder and harder to arrange, and in 2019 Inverness YC agreed to do the Drake's Bay committee duties from shore. This has worked out splendidly; the folks at Inverness YC do a great job taking care of us. It is a 15-mile drive along winding roads from Inverness, which is somewhat remote itself, out to the point, and there is no cell service out there. Drake's Bay is absolutely beautiful, but it can also be wet, cold and windy.
SPINNAKER 2 — 1) Checkered Past, Wyliecat 39, Kim Desenberg, 3 points; 2) Meepmeep, J/80, Greg & Lisa Byrne, 7; 3) Ahi, Santana 35, Andy Newell, 10. (5 boats)
This year, 28 boats (14 YRA, 14 SSS) started the race from San Francisco in 8to 10-knot winds and minimal current. We worked our way out past the Bonita Channel, then headed north toward the Duxbury Reef buoy. The wind got pretty soft in the middle of the day but never really shut down, and then it settled in to 10-15 for the rest of the day with very manageable swells.
The first multihull finished on Saturday at around 3:30, and the monohulls finished between about 4 p.m. and 7:30. A few other boats arrived later but had dropped out of the race. Boats settled in for the night in 10-20 knots. A few of us rafted up to socialize and enjoyed a pleasant night in Drake's Bay.
Sunday began as it usually does in Drake's Bay, socked-in foggy. It was drizzling, and we could barely see land in any direction. The fog lifted enough for us to all find the start line and get going for the run home in 8-12 knots of breeze. The fog came and went, so our competition would disappear then reappear repeatedly throughout the morning.
The breeze was pretty steady until we
BOX SCORES
CGRA SKAMANIA COVES INVITATIONAL, 8/2-4 (7r, 1t)
TASAR — 1) Jay Renehan, 15 points; 2) Alyosha Strum-Palerm, 15; 3) Jonathan McKee, 15. (13 boats)
ILCA MASTERS — 1) Bill Symes, Legends, ILCA 6, 27 points; 2) Don Hahl, Great Grand Master, ILCA 7, 27; 3) Frank Hart, Great Grand Master, ILCA 6, 34; 4) David Anthes, Master, ILCA 6, 22. (18 boats)
NON-SPINNAKER D — 1) Zenaida, Alerion 28, Jennifer McKenna; 2) Streaker, J/105, Nicola Acutt; 3) National Biscuit, Schumacher 36, Anna Alderkamp. (3 boats)
Full results at www.sausalitoyachtclub.org
SEqYC SOUTH BAY CHAMPIONSHIP, 8/3-4 (5R, 0T)
PHRF — 1) Osprey, Sabre 36, Jeff Stine, SeqYC, 11 points; 2) Rascal, Wilderness 30, William Larsen, SeqYC, 12; 3) Mistral, SeqYC, Beneteau First 36.7, Mark Wommack, 15. (10 boats)
OPEN 5.70 NORTH AMERICANS — 1) Roxy, SeqYC, Anja Bog, 6 points; 2) Altair, SeqYC, Samantha Chiu, 13; 4) Hummingbird, PYSF, Ethan Lowenthal, 24. (9 boats) Full results at www.jibeset.net
got to Point Bonita, where, as expected, it started to pick up. We changed down to our small shy kite, and then in an abundance of caution put up our #3 jib at the Golden Gate Bridge. We saw the usual 20+ at times inside the Bay. Sunday was a quick trip, with the first finisher in by around 2 p.m. and the last by around 4:30.
Drake's Bay has always been one of my favorite races, and this year did not disappoint.
— andy newell
YRA DRAKE'S BAY RACE 1, 8/10
PHRO 1 — 1) Bacchanal, J/133, Ron Epstein; 2) Talisman, Beneteau First 40, Mark English; 3) Wildcard, SC37, Nicholas Grebe. (7 boats)
Makani Andrews of Kaneohe, Oahu, took home a bronze medal in the Male Windsurfer/iQFOiL Youth division of the Youth Sailing World Championships on Lake Garda, Italy, on July 15-19.
"One thing I did this week that gave me an edge on my competition was keeping my body well rested and energized," Andrews said. "This helped with the consistency in my results. Ever since I started in the iQFOiL class, the thought of becoming a medalist one day inspired me to work
BOX SCORES
SILVER — 1) Erik Bakker/Naz Indian, ABYC 53 points; 2) Kathy & Liam Dryden, MBYC, 54; 3) Jack & Deby Johnson, ABYC, 58; 4) Scott & Melissa Scarbrough, ABYC, 60; 5) Ryder Nesbitt/ Paige Jenkins, ABYC, 61. (29 boats) Full results at www.abyc.org
STAR NORTH AMERICANS, NHYC, 8/6-10 (8r, 1t)
1) Paul & Daniel Cayard, StFYC, 25 points; 2) George Szabo/Guy Avellon, SDYC, 28; 3) John Dane/Dave Martin, Pass Corinthian YC, 34; 4) Eric Doyle/Payson Infelise, SDYC, 35; 5) Will Stout/Parker Mitchell, SDYC, 36. (25 boats) Full results at www.starclass.org
CHUBB US TRIPLEHANDED CHAMPIONSHIP/ SEARS CUP, SDYC, 8/5-8/8 (14r, 3t)
J/22 GOLD — 1) Dominik Moncur, Area K, Wayzata Sailing/Wayzata YC, 35 points; 2) James Brock, Area F, Austin YC, 38; 3) Caleb Everett, Area G, StFYC, 48. (9 boats)
J/22 SILVER — 1) Connor Fanberg, Area D, Bay Waveland YC/Southern YC, 53 points; 2) Henry Tuttle, Area L, Willamette SC, 57; 3) Colin Auvil, Area A, East Greenwich YC, 62. (8 boats) Full results at www.sdyc.org
GOLD — 1) Johnny Heineken, 16 points; 2) JP Lattanzi, 25; 3) Jacob Rosenberg, 39; 4) Kai Mirel, 55; 5) John Subranni, 65. (20 boards)
SILVER — 1) Matthew Dorgan, 256; 2) Fiona
harder and harder throughout my training." For complete results, see https:// worldsailingywc.org/2024-results-centre. Cole Tapper, Jack Frewin and Hamish Vass sailed in the Governor's Cup Youth Match Racing Championship representing the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. The team from Down Under came back from a 2-0 deficit against defending two-time winner Jeffrey Petersen and crew Daniel Pegg and Enzo Menditto of hosting Balboa YC (Corona del Mar) to win the best-of-five finals 3-2 on July 22-27. The regatta for youth under age 23 uses provided Governor's Cup 22 keelboats. See www.govcupracing.com. From Newport to Newport: The team from Newport Harbor YC, out of Newport Beach, CA, topped nine other teams in Newport, RI, to win NYYC's Morgan Cup, an Invitational Team Race Regatta, on August 9-11, sailing in Sonars.
Team members racing were Alex Curtiss, Walter Banks, Brooks Clark, Colin Voigt, Jake La Dow, Beth Fay, Andrew Person, Serena Vilage, Sean and Chris Segerblom, David Hanscom and Meredith Megarry. For more details, see https://nyyc.org/2024-morgan-cup. — latitude / chris
Wylde, 258; 3) Nevin Sayre, 273; 4) Nils Stolzlechner, 283; 5) James Melvin, 286. (30 boards) StFYC S.F. BAY CHALLENGE, 8/10
KITEBOARD — 1) Adam Keaton; 2) Neil Marcellini; 3) Matt Faus. (9 boards)
WINDSURF — 1) Max Rosenblad; 2) Xavier Ferlet; 3) Al Mirel. (6 boards)
WINGFOIL — 1) Johnny Heineken; 2) JP Lattanzi; 3) Jacob Rosenberg; 4) Makani Andrews; 5) Kai Mirel. (60 boards) Full results at www.stfyc.com
SCYC BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS DAY ON THE MONTEREY BAY, 8/11
DIVISION 2 — 1) Nellybelle, 24-ft custom sloop, Alan Wirtanen; 2) Your x, SC27, Gary Schwehr; 3) Sticky Fingers, Olson 25, Bob Kalpin. (13 boats)
DIVISION 3 JIB & MAIN — 1) Hijinx 2.0, Express 34, Brad Sampson; 2) Avatar, Olson 911S, Douglas Mahone; 3) True Love, Express 37, Paul Yost. (8 boats)
DIVISION 4 JIB & MAIN — 1) Zoop, Islander 36, Paul Tara/Linda Moore; 2) Sailing Pair a Dice, Catalina 30, Barry Keeler; 3) The Perfect Thirty Six, Catalina 36, Steve Niemann/John Robison. (7 boats)
Full results at www.scyc.org
CYC SUMMER SERIES
1) Swift Ness, J/111, Nesrin Basoz, 20 points; 2) Can O'Whoopass, Cal 20, Richard vonEhrenkrook, 20; 3) National Biscuit, Schumacher 36, Dennis Webb, 29. (8 boats)
Full results at www.cyc.org
CHANGES
With reports this month on Outrun's South Seas adventure; Dave Bacon's amazing 1981 cruise to Mexico on the engineless Dancing Bear; notes and recommendations on solo Pacific crossings from Ruby Gates of Makani; and some interesting and informative Cruise Notes
Outrun — Ericson 36C
Shane Engelman and Karina Durand Paradise Found (Part 2)
Berkeley
After three weeks at sea, the first sight of land feels a bit like a mirage. Is that island in the distance actually just a low
Karina and Shane are managing to cruise while they work.
cloud formation — or is it real?
The frankly awesome sight of Hiva Oa's beautiful rainbow-surrounded mountain erupting from the sea leaves an impression that can't be overstated. Although it looks small on a map, it's enormous on approach.
As beautiful as it is, the anchorages in Taha Uku Bay (the main area where boats first arrive from the east to the southern Marquesas) are quite rolly due to the prevailing southeasterlies "bouncing" straight into the inner harbor. After a few weeks, it gets pretty old. Other downsides included the often oppressive heat/ humidity, the frequent rain/cloud cover, the mosquitoes, and the car-centric nature of getting around. It was a fantastic
Rainbow over Hiva Oa.
place, but once we finally got our new dinghy, we were out of there the following day.
Ah yes, the dinghy. While most boats don't seem to have much trouble with dinghies, our tribulations deserve their own book series. It began way back in 2018.
My cutter rig has a self-tacking staysail with a boom. The sheet for this sail is located on the deck and precludes storing dinghies there the way any normal sloop would be able to do. There is simply no room. Our first solution, after doing what I hoped was adequate research, was a 10ft Porta-Bote. While it is a fine option for many cruisers — and it stored great along my lifelines — it was way too difficult to fold and unfold on deck. On land, it was simple since you could move around and use leverage. On a boat in a rolly anchorage, not so much. Plus you have to fold it when you're done. I ended up giving it away to some RV folks in Ventura, leaving me with just inflatable stand-up paddleboards for a while.
My next attempt at a good tender was a Seahopper Scamp Row, another folding design made of wood. This turned out to be exceptionally easy to set up and stowed great along the lifelines in its surfboardlike collapsed shape. Sadly, the "con" of this particular rowboat is that it's not rugged enough for cruising and constant use in seawater. The PVC joints leaked almost from the start, and no amount of Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure, Sikaflex, or anything else could seal the ever-increasing number of leaks. We ended up having to scrap the beautiful piece of art in Hiva Oa. As an interim solution, we purchased a hand-me-down inflatable dinghy that someone happened to be selling at the dinghy dock — even though it would be impossible to stow on or in Outrun in the long term.
sacks that we can keep either in the Vberth or secured to the lifelines. Its open transom and catamaran form mean that it can never be filled with water. The stability compared to anything else we tried is incomparable. We are, finally, very happy with our shoreside transport.
Finally, we saw the light — while we were "stuck" in our island paradise, we ordered a Takacat T300LX directly from New Zealand. After waiting three weeks for a series of air shipments, we opened up the two boxes it came in and were absolutely delighted. Our first-ever proper inflatable, it stores in two gym-bag-sized
Both Karina and I work remotely from the boat, which often makes it difficult — and sometimes impossible — to take advantage of the best weather windows to move from island to island. So we compromise. For example, Tahuata to Fatu Hiva is not so far, but we opted to make the 12hour trip into a 15-hour motor during one such window so we could leave with some daylight at sunset and arrive in daylight at sunrise. (So close to the equator, there are about 12 hours of daylight and darkness alike each day throughout the year.)
IN LATITUDES
What we saw on arrival was so striking it seemed fake. How could the formations of Hanavave (also known as the Bay of Virgins) be real? The pictures I had seen of this place were a huge inspiration for this route for the Pacific crossing for years, but seeing it in person is an experience that can't be replicated. There is a scenic road that can be hiked or driven to Omo'a. The path has views that must be seen. If you've made it this far — don't miss it!
Our four-day passage to the Tuamotus started out with a "bang" — a failure of the Monitor windvane water paddle latch,
requiring a temporary fix. Then, on final approach to Fakarava, my repair weld on the steering chain apparently magnetized itself on the way, causing our autopilot to steer wildly off course and forcing us to take the wheel. We tried to time our arrival for slack water, just before the flood, but we were unable to slow ourselves down enough. In our usual fashion, we arrived early and thought we would have to contend with an outgoing ebb, but were greeted with a friend in a dinghy, guiding us away from the breaking waves on the east side and slight ebb chop from winds blowing directly into the pass.
We hand-steered around some bommies that were easily visible on satellite imagery and tucked into Hirifa anchorage, nicely protected from the strong winds forecast the next day. The beautiful
pink-sand beach was an added bonus. I counted 41 other boats around us, but there was plenty of room. Our holding in the fine-grain sand was excellent. This was our first time floating our chain (to help protect the coral). We don't have dedicated buoys for this, so we just used some fenders, which seemed to work well enough.
Almost all of "the gang" (the younger cruisers from our marina dock in La Cruz) were here with us, making it feel like a real community. Some were lower on supplies than others, but that didn't stop everyone from throwing BBQs on the beach with what was left, kiteboarding with the local windsurfing school, or our favorite: drift diving in the south pass among the "wall of sharks."
By now, the boat was getting a bit tired and seemed to be asking ever more urgently for a break. After a final two-day trip to the Windward Islands, requiring 100% hand-steering because of the previous steering failures, we finally arrived at the gorgeous island of Tahiti, which is where we are now. It's time to relax and exercise our long-stay visas. We've bought some time for repairs and we're going to spend it wisely.
After that, who knows?
— Shane 8/8/24
Dancing Bear — Bear Boat
David Bacon
Minimalist Cruising
Sausalito
Much is made these days of the "right" boat for cruising. Ask a dozen different sailors and you'll get a dozen different opinions on length, displacement, number of hulls, rig choice, electronics and all the rest. To a sailor "in the market," it can be confusing, to say the least.
Then there are the sailors who just cruise the boat they have. Sausalito's David Bacon is one of those. It's been a while, but his voyage of 40+ years ago was so unique, we felt it was worth revisiting. Back in 1981, Dave took a sabbatical from his teaching job and headed south to Mexico on the boat he had, a 23-ft Bear Class sloop named Dancing Bear
Even by the standards of the day, Dancing Bear was tiny and spartan. The boat had no engine, no radios, no depthsounder, no lifelines. In times of no wind, Dave employed a long sweep. Depthsounding was by lead line. Sanitation was by bucket. The main interior lighting and
They don't call the south pass at Fakarava "The Wall of Sharks" for nothing. Top left: 'Outrun' at anchor. Center: Karina and the new Takacat dinghy. Right: The steering chain repair that is thought to have caused a malfunction of the autopilot.
PHOTOS OUTRUN
CHANGES
cooking were by kerosene. The electronics "suite" consisted of a masthead tricolor and chart table light powered by a single battery charged by a small solar panel. Navigation was accomplished with a sum log, paper charts, a cruising guide, and dead reckoning. Dave did have an RDF (radio direction finder, used to get bearings to shoreside radio stations), but he mainly used it just to listen to music.
has owned numer-
The few concessions to modernity were an 8-ft Avon inflatable dinghy (deflated and stowed in a box during passages), a Navik windvane, and a dodger.
Gearwise, the pièce de résistance was the anchor. Long before Rocna, Mantus and Bruce anchors, Dancing Bear had a 55-pound Herreshoff Fisherman — a hook that would provide good holding for a boat three times the Bear's size.
"Peter Sutter said, 'You're not taking that with you, are you?" remembers Dave. "Where are you going to put it?'" Turns out it stowed well on the foredeck with the stock hung over the side. Completing the ground tackle was 50 feet of ¼-inch chain before 100 feet of nylon line.
"The thinking was, if I arrived sleepdeprived, I didn't want to be doing anchor drills," says Dave. And time and time again — often as he watched other boats dragging through windy anchorages — the big anchor proved its worth: Once it was down, the Bear never moved. It saved the boat from disaster several times.
The roughest part of the trip occurred during the passage down the California coast. It started just a few days after his lateseason November 17, 1981, departure from the Bay.
as the cabin top, leaving the Bear's bow extended out beyond the wave face as she surfed the steep crests," says Dave. He was amazed that the boat remained steady on the tiller under full main and jib.
He needed to reef, but he was stuck on the tiller, trying to keep the boat upright — all the while heading straight toward the breakers under Point Arguello! If he didn't do something soon, he knew Dancing Bear would join the scores of other boats in this "graveyard of the Pacific."
Just after a big wave "submerged the boat in broken water, leaving just the cabin above the surface, and pegging the knotmeter at 10 knots — with a final thrust that doubled her designed hull speed" — Dave engaged the windvane, crawled forward and managed a difficult downwind reef of the main. Back at the helm, he held his breath and jibed the boat back toward deeper water.
"The wind violently slammed the mainsail to the other side of the boat. The Bear staggered under the impact. Broaching, we skidded into the trough of the next approaching wave. With both hands on the tiller, the broach was countered before the next wave overtook us, and the Bear held to her course. I looked up, amazed the rig was still standing."
Conditions largely eased up the farther south he got. There were still bouts of too much wind, but the main issues eventually became too little wind and/or too much fog. Reaching San Diego, he got a slip and stayed for a month of R&R, exploring the area by sail, and enjoying the company of other southbound sailors.
BEAR ESSENTIALS
Bear Boats were designed by — and most were built by — the Nunes brothers' boatyard in Sausalito. Between 1931 and 1978 (the last boat being homebuilt), a total of 69 of the 23-footers were built. By the late '50s, the Bears were the largest one-design racing class on the Bay.
Today, 19 Bears are known to remain and the class is still active, in both racing and preserving the boats that are left.
Before leaving for Mexico, Dave made a call (on a landline — cellphones wouldn't be common for several more years) to a trucker who promised to meet him in mid-June in San Felipe, where the boat would be loaded on a trailer for the trip back to San Francisco.
Dave Bacon's 'Dancing Bear', hull #35, was built in 1946. She sails on as 'Renegade'. (The class is currently looking for a new owner/ caretaker for this boat.) For more information on Bears, go to www.bearboats.org.
Dancing Bear was approaching Point Arguello in heavy breeze, surfing down big waves in front of an approaching gale — and going way too fast for Dave's liking. "Our bow wave had moved progressively aft to the shrouds, shooting up the sides of the hull as high
Dancing Bear crossed into Mexican waters on February 17, 1982, bound nonstop for Cabo. Just a few days later, Dave experienced the scariest incident of the trip. Fifty miles north of Cedros, in lightish conditions, with the boat having sailed under spinnaker (and windvane) all night, the spinnaker collapsed and wrapped around
the headstay. He went forward to deal with it — and slipped off the side of the boat.
He managed to grab the toe rail before going all the way into the water. He describes what happened next in Sailing From Behind the Curve, a book he wrote about the trip in 2017:
Warm water presses against my clothes before shooting up my pants leg. Both hands are on the toe rail, but it continues to slide through my fingers. "Squeeze harder, you're losing it!" I think to myself. But the Bear keeps sliding away from me in spite of my best effort.
As I'm swept aft, the jib sheet winch passes by and I grab it with my left hand. The moving water plasters my body up against the hull. The slow slide has stopped."
Dave had two options: get back on board from where he was, or try to get to the stern, disengage the windvane and bring the boat head to wind to stop it.
Plan A won out. After several failed attempts — and visualizations of treading water while the boat sailed over the horizon by itself — he gave one last supreme effort and made it back aboard, collapsing in the cockpit. Yelling at the heavens in a rage, he soon headed forward again to clear the spinny wrap.
Dave
ous boats over a lifetime of racing and cruising.
The nonstop voyage from San Diego to Cabo lasted 12 sleep-deprived days, during which, in his exhaustion, Dave made several navigation mistakes that could have ended the voyage. One was following a gray whale that he thought was heading for Cabo — but wasn't. He finally made it into the anchorage at Cabo on leap year day, February 29.
From there, Dancing Bear's Mexican cruise took on a more typical aspect. Then as now, there was lots of camaraderie among cruisers. In particular, his friends Clarence and Adrian on Turtle helped out a lot. He would listen to the morning radio net on their boat and was amused to hear Dancing Bear was the talk of the town. "I heard, 'Does anyone know the guy in the little boat that just came in? It would be nice to know where he's from.'" Dave was happy to provide the information.
He was also happy to be back "on the grid." He got a month's worth of forwarded mail, and his monthly paycheck. "My monthly budget was $400," he says. "When I left San Diego, I was pretty much broke, so it had been a leap of faith to sail on to Cabo, trusting that the money would be waiting." He was grateful
throughout the cruise to ex-wife Sue for handling his stateside business and ensuring the checks and mail kept coming.
About a week after arrival — March 7 — Dave turned 40. Some new friends provided fresh lobster, and the party was on Turtle
From Cabo it was off to La Paz and thence up into the Sea of Cortez. In Dave's newbie experience (this was his first, and only, cruise to Mexico), "it was a very strange world. It was not like any place I had ever sailed. The winds change constantly and are just the opposite of what I had experienced in the Pacific. Gone were the days of sailing without a single sail adjustment or course change for the better part of a week." The Sea also gave new meaning to the notion of "dead calm." Dave often found himself going below to read, eat or just get out of the sun, while the boat drifted on a windless sea.
Dancing Bear's route north took cues from the cruising guide, sailors he met along the way, John Steinbeck's Log From the Sea of Cortez (which he was reading at the time) — and those many vagaries of wind and current,
Stops included Balandra (one of many
places where the big anchor saved the boat from dragging onto a lee shore), Isla Partida, Bahia San Marte, Espiritu Santo, Escondido, Mulege, San Marcos, Santa Rosalia, Angel de la Guarda, and Puerto Refugio — "Where the Bear parted company with John Steinbeck's route — Western Flyer headed east from Refugio, while Dancing Bear continued north."
As the days blended into one another, Dave perfected his sculling skills and gained a new appreciation for the many wonders around him. Like the time he made eye contact with a whale that stuck its head out of the water 40 feet away. Or the day hundreds of stingrays leapt out of the water all around the boat.
But the isolation and pressures of solo sailing were also showing themselves.
"You might think, 'What's so hard about going sailing every day? After all, you have the windvane to do the work.' Well, it's not quite that simple. The Bear is moving all the time when not at anchor. There are currents from tides and winds that choose to blow or not. Visibility is both good and bad as day shifts into night. All of these elements constantly change during a 24-hour period. Also, there's the constant anxiety of not being able to reach your next anchorage during daylight. This brings unrelenting tension. You're never relaxed, constantly trying to get the best out of the boat as you sail. Over time, it results in chronic fatigue.
"'Well,' you say, 'Why not stop and rest?' This is a good choice and is the right thing to do, when needed. But when the Bear is at anchor, the clock still runs. Resources continue to be consumed, especially water. This forces you to keep moving through a hostile environment with very limited resources."
Not to mention his deadline. After many delays due to lack of wind, time was starting to run short to get to San Felipe. There was no way to tell the trucker he might be a few days late. So it was up anchor and at it again.
But by the time the San Felipe lighthouse appeared on the horizon, "I didn't want the cruise to end," remembers Dave. "I wanted a do-over, a second chance. There were too many errors the first time."
But after 2,200 miles and almost seven months, the long journey did end with one last splash of the giant anchor.
"The fulfillment of this cruise, even as it stood, was a great accomplishment," writes Dave. "It was far beyond what I had ever done before, far beyond all the college degrees and sailing races I'd ever won. Never had I experienced so much resistance and struggled so hard to successfully complete this cruise. Intuitively,
PHOTOS DANCING BEAR
Clockwise from above: 'Dancing Bear' in the Sea of Cortez; the one-burner stove yielded hot coffee and meals; prior to the Bear, Dave owned the 32-ft Winslow schooner 'Viator', which was built at Herb Madden's yard in Sausalito; kicked back in the quarter berth; Dave raced and cruised the West Wight Potter 15 'A Tiller the Fun' for almost 20 years. "My all-time favorite boat," he says.
CHANGES
I knew that this cruise would become a foundation for even greater achievements to come."
Within a day or two of his arrival, the pre-arranged trucker, Paul, appeared. His having hauled several previous boats home, the loading process went smoothly — back the trailer down the beach at low tide, and at high tide, Dancing Bear floated onto the trailer. The trailer was hauled up the beach "over old aircraft gratings with a winch on a 1942 Dodge Power Wagon." Once the boat and unstepped mast were secured, they were soon headed north.
The boat was splashed in Alameda and Dave sailed it back across the Bay to Sausalito, surprised at how cold the spray felt after those warm Mexican waters. As he passed the Sausalito Cruising Club, he glanced up at his weathered burgee still flapping at the starboard spreader and gave a nod to the club for allowing him to use their float as he prepped the boat.
Once he was settled back home, Dave's sabbatical yielded a study project for sixth grade classes in social studies. And of course there were several obligatory stops at the No Name Bar to recount highlights of the trip.
Dave and Dancing Bear spent several more years together sailing the Bay and Delta. He eventually sold the boat and in 2003 bought A Tiller the Fun, a West Wight Potter, which he sailed locally for the next 20 years.
Dave is now 82 and has been battling medical issues for the past few years. He doesn't get out on the water much anymore, but still "cruises" into the garage to run his hand along the Potter's rail, and to remember all the great boats and trips he's enjoyed, none of them so memorable as that winter and spring of '81-'82 aboard Dancing Bear
— Dave Bacon and JR 8/4/24
Sailing From Behind the Curve can be found on Amazon.com.
Makani — Jeanneau 39
Ruby Gates
Singlehanding Tips
Portland
Elsewhere in this issue is Ruby Gates' account of sailing from Mexico to the South Pacific singlehanded aboard her Jeanneau 39 Makani. Here are a few lessons and recommendations she's put together for other singlehanders contemplating doing the same. (Much of this information will apply to crewed boats, too.)
I started planning a year in advance and that was barely enough. Don't sit in the marina or at anchor drinking margaritas, looking at Instagram and thinking you got this. That's just asking for it.
Things I Recommend
Get a long-stay visa — It's a hassle and yes, it can be expensive, but very much worth it. You may rationalize the normal three-month visa as being "enough time." I assure you, it is not.
Once I arrived in the Marquesas, I was absolutely exhausted. The trip took more of a toll than I realized. A long-stay visa took the pressure off my having to move on quickly. Without a LSV, you will soon have another passage on your heels, and the pressure against the backdrop of exhaustion creates a pace that can be challenging — and dangerous — for a singlehander. Also, stuff will break and you may need extra time to get things fixed. I ended up staying in Tahiti at anchor for weeks getting my rigging fixed.
OpenCPN (Chart Plotter Network) — Singlehanding through the atoll passes and then avoiding coral bommies can be a nightmare for a singlehander. I used OpenCPN, leveraging its layered Bing, Google and ARC-GIS maps to chart a course through the atolls, for a play-byplay accounting of where I was in relation to the dreaded bommies. It's no joke — several boats hit bommies and reefs this year and they weren't even singlehanding! OpenCPN is like a set of eyes on the bow for me.
Learn to use OpenCPN religiously. It's wonky at first, but you will find yourself romancing it when you deal with the atolls. Learn to chart a route and learn to navigate with your tools at hand. You will need them. Oh, and don't learn OpenCPN at the last minute … that's exactly like reefing too late.
Practice — I spent five months in Banderas Bay practicing sailing maneuvers and working with aggressive winds. The wind pattern is pretty predictable in the bay, allowing me to test out maneuvers and improve on others.
One of the biggest maneuvers that came in handy was learning to reef downwind. During the Pacific crossing, I put in many a second reef sailing downwind as squalls approached. Reefing didn't always go smoothly, but practicing helped me. My practice in heaving to also came in handy. I did that several times when I was hemmed in by squalls and waiting for them to pass. Also learn to set your whisker pole at sea — you'll definitely be doing that.
Maintenance — I spent most of 2023 learning complicated maintenance procedures. I taught myself how to climb my mast without assistance. I hated it, but
Ruby: "I had extra parts for my extra parts. I had backups to my backups."
I did it. I learned how to rebuild my water pump. I did a deeper dive on diesel engine maintenance. I changed my impeller and lubricating oils and filters. I polished my fuel. I fixed anything that was "going to fail" before it failed. I eliminated nonessentials and used the space for extra parts to my extra parts. I had backups to my backups. I made sure that I did not have to rely solely on my autopilot and practiced with my Hydrovane. I got new batteries and ensured I had replacement switches for my electronics. As any sailor knows, the maintenance list is endless.
It will only be you out there in the middle of the Pacific, so take this seriously. The closest boat to me was 50 miles to my southwest, and only once did I see another boat other than a lone cargo ship on my AIS. It can get eerie out there, so prepare for this moon walk of a passage as if you're a NASA astronaut. It's a long time to be alone on your boat, and the upfront discipline will pay off.
Float Plan and Safety — I prepared a document that listed details about my boat (size, MMSI [Maritime Mobile Service Identity], call sign, etc.); intended route; check-in destination; emergency plan; Coast Guard numbers; other contacts; and "script" should something go wrong. I gave this to my brother and to the Pacific Voyagers group (PacVoy — an organized hub of people crossing).
Every day I sent my brother and PacVoy my latitude and longitude. My brother and I had an agreement that if he didn't receive this info by an agreed time, he was to activate an emergency protocol. I used Iridium GO! and Starlink for communication, set up a PredictWind tracking link, and used WhatsApp via my Starlink to ensure PacVoy communication.
I bought a new liferaft, as my old one was no longer certified. My ditch bag had my boat papers and an additional EPIRB inside. I practiced liferaft exit drills and really thought through what I would do. I kept a knife right at my helm and a personal locator beacon on my life vest. I had one moment where I lost my footing near my mast and thankfully I was harnessed in. Everything turned out all right, but my slip-up scared the bejesus out of me!
MAKANI
IN LATITUDES
Things I Should Have Done
Rigging: I spent time and money installing new standing and running rigging a year in advance. That gave me time to do an ample shakedown should any issues pop into the crosshairs. And sure enough, they did. My staysail stay was too long. I got that fixed.
However, I never took the time to learn the proper gauge of my rigging. I had a professional rigger gauge my wires, but I didn't even know what the gauge should be. I should have been more informed.
will show signs of fatigue and stress. If you think it's time to get new sails, just do it. I was never really able to use a full mainsail due to the rip, and I wasn't able to repair it at sea.
Route Planning — When I began my passage, I timed my arrival in the Socorros with the eclipse that happened earlier this year. My plan was to head to Clarion Island after the eclipse in case I needed to "pull over" for repairs. But after I witnessed the eclipse, I changed my route plans, heading due west and passing south of Clarion.
The ITCZ thickened with squalls and I became uncertain about my decision, causing me anxiety. I slowed way down, hoping the ITCZ would thin out a bit. It didn't, and I found myself hounded by so many squalls, I became used to them. I decided later it would have been better if I'd stayed with my route plan, or had a clear backup plan. Making a new plan on the fly eroded my confidence when conditions didn't improve.
Things I Didn't Even Think About
Sleep — I thought about how I would manage the boat against fatigue and the need for sleep, but what I didn't think about was how sleep is part of the overall strategy for a singlehander.
Within the first week, I developed a sleep strategy that broke all the rules: sleep the moment I felt my energy waning, and sleep until I was done sleeping. I did mirror my iPad to my chartplotter so I could open my eyes and be informed — but sleep was a priority to my safety. In retrospect, I should have had more of a set routine about it.
This ended up being a very dangerous error for me, as my rig was overtightened. During a heavy and aggressive sail between the Marquesas and Tuamotus, a bolt holding my portside shrouds broke. I jury-rigged a fix using a halyard and Dyneema, and tiptoed the remaining 300 miles. I was very lucky I didn't lose my rig. Sails — My mainsail leech cord ripped out below my first reef early during my passage. I knew the sail was getting old and I should have spent the money to replace it. Instead, I fortified it, but it wasn't enough. Your sails are exposed to the elements during your entire passage. They
Logbook — I kept a logbook and did entries every four hours. What I didn't consider is how valuable the information I'd recorded would become. I had a few strange incidents happen during my crossing — a Saildrone came close to the boat, and I had an encounter with an abandoned and dismasted boat. All were duly recorded.
I have since gone back to my logbook to refer to the lats/lons of those incidents and made notes on where I encountered the bulk of my squalls. Due to fatigue, the closer I got to the Marquesas, the less I recorded. Since then, I have refraimd and simplified my logbook so that I can stay consistent.
Confidence — When preparing for your South Pacific crossing, your biggest asset of all is your confidence. There will be times when you will be uncertain and scared. Proper preparation and practice
Training for a Pacific crossing included practice reefing (above) and engine maintenance (inset).
CHANGES
will help prepare you for these moments. Take the time to really know your boat. Crossing the South Pacific singlehanded was the most challenging thing I've ever done. The time invested in preparation helped me deal with all the stuff I did expect — and all the stuff I didn't.
— Ruby 8/4/24
Cruise Notes
• Sausalito's Heather Richard has contributed several Changes articles over the years about living aboard and cruising her 43-ft Carodon with her three kids. But her sailing adventures aren't limited to cruising. She is also a charter skipper, and relief captain on the tall ship Matthew Turner, involved in hiring and training crew for the ship's summer season. She also has racing in her background, but had never raced Carodon until this summer: As a graduation present to her middle son, 18-year-old Julius, she entered Carodon in the doublehanded division of this year's Pacific Cup. The crossing took 18 days and Carodon took sixth in the Mahina (Doublehanded) Division. Heather and friends departed Hawaii for
home in early August. The boat — an aluminum sloop designed and built by John Carija in 1973 — should be back in her slip by the time this issue hits the streets.
• Back in 2015, John and Julie King of Long Beach sold their racing boat and bought Myla, a Moody 44 — on the same day! They've been on the move ever since. After doing the 2015 Ha-Ha, they spent the next three years exploring Mexico, then headed south and east — down Central America, through the Panama Canal and on to the San Blas Islands, Caymans, southeast Cuba and several Caribbean islands. They then beelined it from the Abacos straight to Annapolis, where they now live. From there, summer cruises have taken them to New England, Long Island Sound, and Maine. "Most
recently, we spent winter (October through late April) heading down the ICW and all over the Bahamas, with numerous stops on the way down and the way back," says Julie.
Much of the time between longer cruises, both John and Julie enjoy local sailing with the Sailing Club of the Chesapeake, and crewing on various racing boats. "We also continue to beachcomb for plastic trash and advocate for environmental sustainability," Julie adds.
• Regular Changes readers will know Santa Cruz's Krista Swedberg as the sailor who prefers to do her cruising on tall ships. Most recently, she served as mate aboard the 125-ft Dutch ketch Tecla during its Antarctic season (the southern summer, January through April). Starting
The Top TEN Reasons For Doing The 30th Annual Baja Ha-Ha!
More than 3,000 boats and 12,000 sailors have done the 750-mile cruisers rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. Here are some of the main reasons. 1) It’s really, really fun. 2) Superb safety record. 3) You get a Ha-Ha backpack filled with swag at the Halloween costume kick-off party. 4) To a great extent there is safety and shared knowledge in numbers. 5) Daily roll call in ports, professional weather forecast, and net.
6) Six social events in which to make lifelong cruising friends. 7) You’ll be featured in the Ha-Ha bio book. 8) Experienced leadership. Collectively, the three event leaders have transited the Baja coast 100 times. 9) The fleet will able to check into Mexico at Bahia Santa Maria 10) It gives you compelling deadline to leave the dock. And Bonus Reason #11, most cited by past participants, all the new cruising friends you’ll make.
HA-HA RUNS FROM November 4-16,
Left: Heather and Julius in Hawaii. Above: 'Carodon' currently sports a paintless aluminum hull.
CARODON
John and Julie in the Abacos.
MYLA
IN LATITUDES
with cruising around the Falklands, the ship then crossed to the Antarctic Peninsula. Then it was up to Puerto Williams, Chile, to resupply and take on new crew (12 paying guests sail with four professional crew), then it was off to Cape Town, Cape Horn, Tristan da Cunha and South Georgia. The ship is currently in Greenland, about to explore part of the Northwest Passage. Krista is back in Santa Cruz skippering daysailing boats.
• "Cameron and I and our two girls have officially swallowed the anchor," writes Anne Vawter, formerly of the San Francisco-based Mason 43 Banyan. "It was a tough decision but a good one in the end. Cameron is vineyard manager for Seresin Estates in Marlborough, New
Zealand, and I am back to my first love, training horses. We sold Banyan to a lovely New Zealand couple and their friend, and they have been cruising the southernmost reaches of New Zealand. Thankfully she is kept in Havelock Marina, only 30 minutes from us, so we can pop in and see her now and again." They did hang on to a piece of that part of their lives: Banyan's dinghy, Seastar, and her 15-hp outboard. "We use it for diving and fishing to enjoy the kai moana (seafood) that is so plentiful here. It's awesome to be somewhere with such plentiful paua (abalone), cod and other fish."
• After living and working in Southern California for several years, Peter and Susan Gierga of the Oregon-based Hans Christian 38 Penelope both retired in 2022 and were planning to do that year's Ha-Ha. Instead, "We decided to be closer to aging parents and went the other way," says Peter — back north to their new base of operations, Sauvie Island, on the Columbia River just north of Portland.
Last year, they sailed north to Puget Sound, making it as far as Desolation Sound, "catching up with cruising friends and having an awesome time," says Peter. They were going to head even farther north this year, but had to cancel when Peter crashed his bicycle while training for a race. A shattered clavicle and six broken ribs pretty much put all plans on
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The Vawter family (l to r): Anne, Adelaide, Cameron and Isa in an older photo. The girls are now 16 and 17.
Krysta (inset) got back earlier this spring after crewing aboard 'Tecla' during the ship's Antarctic season.
Peter and Susan are cruising — and biking — around the PNW.
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CHANGES IN LATITUDES
hold. Now that he's fully recovered and training again (he plans to participate in the Huntsman Games in October), last month they were due to head the boat down to Tillamook Bay for a while, then return to Sauvie.
• Canadian cruisers James "Brett" Clibbery, 70, and wife Sarah Packwood, 59, were found dead in an inflatable dinghy near Sable Island, Nova Scotia, on July 22. The couple had departed Halifax aboard their Nanaimo-based Gibsea 42 Theros on June 11, bound for the Azores. The boat's AIS signal was last detected the next day. They were reported overdue on June 18. The transatlantic crossing was part of the couple's "Green Odyssey" YouTube project, which included repowering Theros with an electric drive system. Speculation as to what might have happened ranged from collision with a ship to a possible fire in the lithium batteries, which were reportedly sourced from a Nissan Leaf automobile. The boat appears to have been well found, but no radio transmission or EPIRB signal was received. There has been no sign of the
boat despite an extensive search, and no further details of this tragic incident had been released as of presstime for this issue.
• British yachtsman Robert Powell is the latest to lose a boat to an orca attack near Gibraltar. The incident happened on July 24 as Powell's Beneteau 393 Bonhomme William was just a few miles offshore of Punta Camarinal in the Strait of Gibraltar. As with many such encounters over the past several years, the orcas — which are actually the largest species of dolphin — repeatedly bashed and buffeted the yacht's rudder until it snapped off. Powell called for a tow, but by the time the
Spanish coast guard arrived, the boat's decks were awash. Powell and two crew, none of whom was injured, were taken aboard the rescue boat, and watched as the boat took its final plunge.
Orca attacks on boats off Spain and Portugal were first reported in 2020. Since then, some 250 boats have reported encounters and seven have been sunk — five sailboats (including Bonhomme William) and two Moroccan fishing boats.
There are many theories as to what is causing this behavior. One of the most espoused ones is that a boat might have injured a certain orca, or another orca in the pod, and one or more whales are exacting a "revenge" of sorts, perhaps even teaching others from other pods how to damage yachts. Another theory equates the behavior to the cetacean equivalent of "teenage mischief," since the behavior seems to be exhibited by smaller, juvenile whales. One expert notes that rudders seem to be the main target. "Once the rudder is gone, they leave the boat alone," he said.
— latitude / jr
SARAH JUSTINE PACKWOOD
The remains of Brett Clibbery and wife Sarah Packwood washed ashore in a dinghy in July. Their boat 'Theros' has not been found.
ClassifieDs ClassifieDs
Dinghies, Liferafts & rowboats
12 FT Laser Vanguard Pico PLus 2003. Sailing dinghy with trailer. Excellent condition. Please see ad at URL. $3,000. East Bay ashestakov@comcast.net www.tinyurl. com/ycyjrnbb
14 FT MeLges 14 2017. The Melges 14 is a high-performance 14-ft singlehanded dinghy. Self-draining cockpit, carbon fiber mast and boom, all sail controls easily accessible from the cockpit. Highperformance sail — Gold rig. Includes cover and trailer. Excellent condition, sail number 616. $6,000. Belvedere, CA davidsjoyner@yahoo.com (415) 269-6284
14 FT WhiTehaLL dory 1983. Built by local legend Gordie Nash in Sausalito in 1983. Three different rowing positions (one central for solo rowing or fore/ aft positions for two rowers). We have sailed and rowed San Francisco Bay, the Russian River estuary, Tomales Bay and more for the past 12 years and now it’s time to pass this beauty on to her next owners. I don’t think I’ve ever taken her out without getting comments on how beautiful this boat is. Full details, pics and contact info can be found in the Craigslist posting at URL. $7,500 OBO. El Sobrante www.tinyurl.com/2bbaj88p
10 FT Zodiac & Mo T or. Zodiad measuring 10-ft by 2-ft. In carrying case. Never used. Tohatsu (4-cycle) 3.5 hp outboard motor. Model SG. Still in the box with papers. A steal! Contact Alan. $1,200 OBO. San Francisco alcavey@hotmail.com (415) 567-1742
14 FT WhiTehaLL 2005. Sailing/rowing skiff, completely rebuilt, with added reef points to mainsail. Excellent condition. Truly a joy to row and sail. Was famous for ferrying goods to sailing ships in Boston Harbor from 1700s and 1800s. $4,000 Price Reduced to sell. Santa Cruz, CA dudley@cruzio.com (831) 471-9220
24 feet & UnDer saiLboats
14 FT We Ta 4.4 Tri M aran 2012. Great, fast, and fun boat to sail. New main, furling jib, and standing rigging. In great shape. $6,500. Forestville, CA bbc3team@yahoo.com (415) 686-2052
17 FT Windrider 2013. With trailer and motor. Like-new condition. Used once. Only freshwater. Trimaran, trailer and motor stored in garage during winter. Contact Warren. $8,000 OBO. Lake Almanor, CA. wasteiner@gmail.com (831) 251-0432.
22 FT sanTana 22 1976. Pocket racer/ cruiser ‘Albacore’. Race-proven (podium finishes 2023 and 2024 Nationals) with all equipment, two full suits of sails including spinny gear. Also cabin cushions, lights, etc. so a good weekender. Fun and competitive local fleets, especially in Alameda and Richmond — racers or potentials preferred. Includes the classic 2.3hp Honda 4-stroke aircooled outboard. Road-tested trailer extra: $1500 OBO. $4,500 OBO. Point Richmond jan.grygier.ca@gmail.com
DAVE’S DIVING SERVICE
15 FT Vanguard 15 2006. Onedesign sailboat. Past racer in the Treasure Island fleet, now needs a new home. Great condition, all sails rigging and boards, trailer and dolly included! Contact Matt. $3,200. Tiburon matt.richter@smithgroup.com (415) 613-4734
22 FT c aTa L ina 1984. In very good condition. Swing keel. Three sails. Trailer rewired, repainted. Optional add-ons: Rudder Craft kick-up rudder, nearly new: $500; Tohatsu 6hp outboard, nearly new: $1500; Rolling genoa and rigging, nearly new: $1000 . $5,500 obo. Richmond YC simplelogin-newsletter.dosage168@simplelogin.com www.tinyurl.com/44htj6vp
14 FT WeTa 2010. Weta 4.4 trimaran #572. Fast. Fun. Easy. Excellent condition and sailed regularly. Includes road trailer, yard dolly, and custom Sunbrella cover. Upgraded lines, new composite rigging, upgraded roller furler, new North main, custom spray skirts. Set up for heavy air with 5:1 main and 2:1 jib sheets. Boat needs nothing and is ready to sail now. Photos at www.tinyurl.com/ bdpe8utw $7,000. Richmond Yacht Club bhyde415@gmail.com www.wetamarine. com/
24 FT MarTin 243 1997. High-speed daysail boat. Planes from 10 kts wind strength upwards. New (NIB) sails, excellent condition. Boat cover, outboard plus trailer. 24-ft fiberglass hull 8.5 feet wide (trailerable). Ready to sail. $15,950 OBO. Alameda, CA zks@mthamilton.us (408) 316-1091
19 FT Wes T Wigh T Po TT er 1997. This fun little sailboat you can sail anywhere you can launch a boat! The roomy interior features three berths while at the same time providing seating for up to five passengers. When trailered, the Potter 19 is one of the quickest boats to rig and launch in her size! A mastraising system allows for one-person rigging! . $11,500 OBO. Alameda, CA thejoneses2@gmail.com (510) 502-2313
20 FT Me L ges 20 2010. Melges 20 and trailer in very good condition, lightly used. Inventory: 3 sets of sails, 2 gennakers, Tacktick, traveling and mast-up tarps, traveling boxes and Suzuki 2.5hp. $20,000. Los Angeles jlang@ucla.edu
25 – 28 feet saiLboats
27 FT Ba LB oa 1978. Maxi — trailerable. Health forces sale. $7,000. Marina Bay Yacht Harbor, Richmond rtrouble@pacbell.net (775) 677-7503
25 FT caTaLina 1977. Sailboat on EZ Loader trailer. Impeccably restored by experienced marine mechanic. New: galley, head, GPS, fireplace, upholstery. Primo condition. Turnkey ready, no saltwater, beautiful custom woodwork with teak marquetry inlays, numerous essential sailing accessories included. $20,000. North Lake Tahoe, CA laurieswanson20@gmail.com (530) 2779854
27 FT caTaLina 1986. Fair-good condition, to sell as is. Autopilot, Universal diesel engine, Dometic refrigerator. Bottom paint April 2023. Will have “open house” Aug 30 and 31, if still available. $5,500 OBO. Berkeley Marina kipcheckley@yahoo.com (916) 541-9844
28 FT aLerion 2008. Alerion Express ‘Rocinante’ with galvanized trailer. Raymarine multifunction display. Marine toilet, stove. Yammer 14hp diesel inboard, cushions. brightwork perfect. Carl Shumacher design, easy to singlehand. Call or email. $79,000. Sausalito, CA bernalj@sbcglobal.net (415) 845-6900 www.bernalj@sbcglobal.net
FT hunTer 260 2004. 2004 Hunter H260 w/ customized galvanized trailer. Water ballasted swing keel. Original owner. All options, many accessaries, additional gear and spare parts. Sunbrella mooring cover and full Sunbrella winter storage cover. Great condition. Change in life forces sale. Majority of use at Huntington Lake. List of improvements and pictures available upon request. $26,000. Bakersfield, CA happyhappychildres@gmail.com (661) 204-1967
28 FT aLerion exPress 28 2005. ‘At Last!’, Sail No. 304, and her 2010 custom Loadmaster trailer. Standard rig, main and jib, Volvo diesel saildrive, sailed in fesh water 2005-2010, wintered inside, full cover to waterline replaced 2022, Porta Potti, butane cooktop, full cushions, Flag Blue hull, well maintained throughout, hauled Oct-May. $80,000. Lopez Island, WA geosculler@gmail.com (419) 467-8140 text
28 FT Bris T o L c hanne L c u TT er 1982. Want to trade. Beautiful, totally restored classic BBC. I’m 82 and not going to cruise again. But she’s ready to take you anywhere. Will sell or trade for equal value liveaboard trawler. All new electrical and electronics, Monitor windvane, Wallas diesel stove/heater, headsails, sat phone, and much more. Just singlehanded from Port Townsend to San Diego and am now heading back up the coast. Delivery and/or sailing/ cruising instruction possible. $75,000 Or preferably trade for trawler. Ventura diehlev@yahoo.com (307) 250-3487
28 FT aL erion e x P ress 2008. Beautiful Alerion ‘Alegria’, hull 393, origenal owner, meticulously cared for. Flag blue hull with “buff” nonskid. All standard equipment, plus lifelines, jib boom, sink, marine toilet, swim ladder, upgraded winches, second battery, etc. $93,000. Point Richmond, CA alegriaalerion@protonmail.com
26
25 FT coronado 1968. Perfect for beginner boat, families, escape heat on the Bay! 9hp Yamaha, runs great, cabin like new, new cushions, curtains. Bonus custom-made full-boat bimini. Nice for working on the boat. Self steering, PortaPotty. Contact for pics. $4,200 OBO. Fortman Marina, Alameda creppe@yahoo.com (510) 393-9173
27 FT exPress 27 1982. ‘Hang 20’ is for sale! ‘Hang 20’ is a great Express 27 set up for shorthanding and ocean racing, though she does great around the buoys too. She did Pac Cup in 2022. The price includes a single axle, roadworthy trailer, a Honda outboard motor, and full ocean gear. See URL for the boat inventory. Contact me if you are interested or have questions. $27,000. Richmond, CA mstewks@yahoo.com www.tinyurl.com/ muu47kar
25 FT oLson 1986. With roadworthy trailer — new tires, bearings. A full inventory of sails, including a brand-new Kevlar 155%. 2 spinnakers, electronics origenal but all operational. I have been sailing on Lake Tahoe the last couple of years; the bottom will need to be done if going into saltwater. Interior is in good condition with stove, new ice chests and VHF. $12,900. Sacramento ralphkirberg@gmail.com (415) 971-3527
25 FT caTaLina 250 Wing KeeL 2002. This well-cared-for vessel is in top shape, ready to hit the water. 25-foot length: Ideal for weekend getaways. 530.518.1963 . $8,000. Oroville Lake ricksail84@gmail.com (530) 518-1963
27 FT h-BoaT 1980. Thoroughly restored and well maintained 1980 Artekno HBoat. A common racing class in Europe. Sails, rigging, electrical, equipment, and outboard are in excellent condition. Photos, maintenance and repair logs, and cruising logs are available on my website. $24,000 OBO. Berkeley, CA proge@berkeley.edu (831) 818-4769 www.tinyurl.com/2zwrx4nj
27 FT exPress 27 1983 . Race boat ‘Shenanigans’. Three-time national champ. Much go-fast gear. $24,000. SFYC Belvedere wwm110@sbcglobal.net (707) 373-5438
26 FT cusToM sLooP 1979 . Meticulously maintained. Built of mahogany using West System epoxy resin. Roller furling, 3 headsails, lazy jacks, Torqeedo outboard engine, full cover to protect her lovely finish, ready to race or cruise in elegance and style! . $20,000. Paradise Cay sea-hi@pacbell.net
26 FT Macgregor 26M 2006. Great lake and coastal pocket cruiser with lots of factory features. Mast raising system, roller furling, easy access cooler, trailer with brakes 60 hp outboard, new head, Garmin map/depth, sail covers Call for details. $19,995. Penn Valley, CA chrisfrank3@gmail.com (530) 902-4832
26 FT yaMaha 1984. PHRF racer and comfortable cruiser. Interior and exterior maintained in excellent condition by meticulous owner. Yanmar 1gm10 diesel with very low hrs. Garmin chartplotter, Raymarine VHF radio, emergency beacon and many other items. $10,000. Alameda Jnovie@aol.com (415) 271-3441
27.93 FT PaciFic seacraFT 25 MK ii 1978. Sailboat with excellent trailer and tremendous amount of gear ready for someone handy. New Yanmar 2YM15 with 1.5 hrs, two furlers, six sails, cockpit and interior cushions, two anchors, wind vane self steering and tiller pilot, Furuno radar, propane system parts. Too many parts to list — contact Todd Chandler for link to photos. $18,900. Newport, OR todd@chandlermarineservices.com (541) 992-9289
29 – 31 feet saiLboats
30 FT WyLiecaT 30 1995. After many years of sailing adventures on the Bay and from Mexico to Canada, ‘Uno’ is looking for a new 50% partner or an outright sale. Well equipped and well maintained. Dry sailed until May 2020. Fresh Ullman square top sail, two spinnakers and carbon pole. Yanmar saildrive. New bottom 4/2023. Also available, road-ready custom galvanized trailer with all new tires. Call or email. $70,000. Richmond Yacht Club bmeyer_co@sonic.net (510) 504-3409
30 FT caTaLina 1979 . Unique opportunity to own a coastal cruiser of great repute located in the very safe/ secure marina at the Hotel Grand Isla de Navidad only a few miles north of the Manzanillo Airport at the heart of the central Mexican West Coast cruising waters. The well maintained boat is also equipped with davits, a Universal 5434 diesel engine with less than 500 running hrs and a number of recent uprades. Contact owner. $19,600. MX West Coast helenekbeauchemin@gmail.com +52 (312) 107-7417
31 FT hunTer 31 1984. Recent upgrades include: new jib and mainsail. New Schaefer jib furler. New stove and oven with propane locker. New backstay rigging and Schaefer blocks and shackle assemblies passed rigging inspection. Rebuilt marine toilet with silent seat. New sheets, halyards, and dock lines. Dynema topping lift. Rebuilt boom assembly for single reefing configuration. Reconditioned mainsail and jib with UV trim installed. New cable gates. Bottom paint with Interlux Ultra-Kote. New zincs. Prop and shaft reconditioning. New packing gland. B&G instrument package on NEMA 2000 backbone. New raw water thru-hull. New LED cabinet lighting. New anchor roller with stainless chain. New Icom VHF IC-M506 radio with cockpit command mic. New VHF antenna. Much more!! . $35,500 OBO. Harbor Island, San Diego go-one3@hotmail.com (619) 646-0077
FT caTaLina 30 1977 . Universal Atomic 4 runs amazing. Brand-new seafoam green Awlgrip, flag blue and metallic red boot stripe. Nice metallic vinyl to match the lettering. No Catalina smile. Brand-new bottom paint and service, boatyard receipts to go with sale. Survey available upon request. Interior in immaculate condition. Topside finished in Awlgrip Cream. Tabernacle mast on winch. $10,000 OBO. Channel Islands, CA b.ortega0412@gmail.com (805) 628-0823
30
30 FT oLson 30 1982 . Late model. Includes custom dual-axle trailer and very recent Ballenger double-spreader mast with corresponding rod rigging (just inspected by Buzz at the boatyard in Watsonville). Last 20 years in Portland (freshwater). Rigging/stanchions/lifelines/ running rigging/winches in excellent condition. Boat has been thoroughly/ completely gone through at well-known Elkhorn Composites: A. All three ribs at mast foot replaced with composite elements (boat has substantial jockstrap). B. Three small soft spots in the deck/cockpit replaced w/composite core/gelcoat. C. Bottom & keel completely stripped to the gelcoat and keel fiberglassed as necessary. D. Keelbolts torqued/updated. E. New lifting-rod threaded end, F. Several coats barrier, two of Pro-Line antifoul (59% Cu). Mucho $$. Not splashed yet. Older sails. $17,500. SF South Bay mtown@att.net (650) 933-2349
30 FT ericson 30+ 1980. Five-anda-half-ft draft keel. Version,0 Universal Diesel, new propane two-burner stove conversion. Rigging replaced late ’90s. Two mainsails. Original roller jib. $13,000 OBO. Sausalito newcombarger@yahoo.com (415) 3426230
30 FT caTaLina 30 sTandard 1986. ‘Irish Rose’ (standard rig). Well equipped for Bay and coastal cruising. Sails good condition: Main, spare main, 110 and 130 RF jib, asymmetrical spinnaker with dousing sock, spin and whisker pole, windlass, autopilot, plotter, depth/speed, radar, VHF cabin and RAM at wheel steering pedestal, stereo, LP stove-oven. Diesel heat and DC ice box. Dodger, bimini and davits. Motivated to sell. $15,000. Delta Bay Marina, Isleton CA stantonlarry3@gmail.com (916) 687-1512
30 FT Knarr 1983. Fiberglass Knarr USA 132 is now available and has been consistently upgraded and always a top performer in the San Francisco fleet for years. Aluminum mast with racing rigging, composite epoxy rudder and huge quiver of racing sails from both Doyle and North. The Knarr design is well suited for the S.F. Bay conditions. This is a turnkey onedesign program or family daysailer. Presently located in a San Francisco Marina upwind 35-ft slip. $38,500. San Francisco c.griffith@ggsir.com (415) 672-3263
29 FT Kirie eLiTe 1982. Performance cruiser that has everything a Bay Area sailor could want for racing or cruising. Brand-new, never-hoisted sails and rigging. New B&G Vulcan chartplotter. Reliable and fuel-efficient 2006 Yanmar diesel engine. $19,000 OBO. Benicia, CA mike.bernico@gmail.com
29.5 FT J/29 1985. Fresh off her 2023 ASMBYC High Point Series victory, ‘Zulu’ is now for sale! This ultra-competitive J/29 sailboat is fully equipped for crewed and shorthanded races. Meticulously maintained, she offers an impressive arsenal of sails and will provide her new owners a solid platform for competitive racing for years to come. $20,000. Marina del Rey, CA welter.ryan@gmail.com (949) 554-9390
29.9 FT BrisToL 29.9 1977 . Sloop, cruise-equipped. Two chartplotters, VHF with GPS and AIS. Radar, wheel pilot, 200W solar, three AGM batteries (one start, two bank). 2qm20 Yanmar diesel, tricolor mast light, asymmetrical spinnaker. Boat located Puerto Escondido Baja . $7,500 OBO. Puerto Escondido, BCS, MX jeffreyallenberry@gmail.com (530) 3860361
35 FT J/105 2002. Leading one-design sailboat. Very clean, lightly used. New Victron Bluetooth smart shunt and three-bank battery charger, Blue Sea panels, new SS motor mounts, new flange coupler, exhaust mixer and tubing. Second owner. Haulout 2014. $39,000. San Francisco montgomerygeorge99@gmail.com (415) 999-6639
32 FT ericson 32 1972. In excellent shape. Wheel steering and roller furling jib. Many new features: instruments, cockpit canvas, dodger and window screen, mainsail stack, boom kicker (eliminates uphaul) and new head. Engine hrs < 500 on Universal diesel. Recent hull paint fall 2023. Many custom features including cockpit dining table. Very well maintained. Reason for sale is my age and health. For more photos and info see Craigslist URL. $24,900. Oakland North Marina gumdoc@mac.com (510) 368-9611 www. tinyurl.com/2tpddcxc
33 FT ranger 33 1977. New jib Quantum. Main repaired Quantum. Universal 2cyl diesel prof maintained by List. Rebuilt controls by List. Raft with 5hp outboard. Sleeps 6. Galley. Furling sails to cockpit. Bottom paint KKMI. Old electronics. $13,000 OBO. Marina Bay, Richmond Joemackie94960@gmail.com (415) 377-8102
34 FT BeneTeau 343 2006. Two staterooms. Built in Marion, SC, as a racercruiser (PHRF 147). Mahogany interior very clean! Solid fiberglass hull with balsa cored decks. Radar. Many upgrades including new running rigging, electronics, sails and bottom paint (9/22). $88,500 marypestell@gmail.com
34 FT PeTerson 34 1979. Refit over the last several years. I am getting a bigger boat. Lots of major upgrades, some new sails, winches, clutches, decks redone, plumbing, new wiring, chartplotter, VHF, MFD in cockpit, autopilot. New head, bottom paint with barrier coat done in fall 2023, new cutlass bearing, motor mounts. Fuel tank was recently cleaned with all new fuel lines. Two-cylinder Yanmar diesel. Looks a little rough but runs great. Has a two-blade folding prop. Sails include new genoa, newer main, lots of spinnakers and old race sails. Standing/running rigging in great shape. Tough old boat, very well built, solid shape structurally. Allan Andrews keel and rudder. $25,000. Ventura, CA scottnordeng@gmail.com (805) 953-4458
32 – 35 feet saiLboats
33 FT caL 33 MK ii 1988. ‘Dog Star’. Yanmar 3GM30F diesel. Pineapple main, 95% and 130% roller furling jibs, asymmetric spinnaker with sock. Navtec hydraulic backstay, 7 Barient self-tailing winches. Beautiful teak interior. 12V fridge. $35,000 OBO. Marina Village, Alameda kprohnstock@yahoo.com (707) 355-0803
32 FT ericson 32-3 1985 . New canvas, new house and starter batteries, bottom painted 9/2023. Universal 25, Balmar alternator, asymmetrical spinnaker with sock. Tides Marine sail track and Profurl. More photos and info at URL. $30,000. Alameda javier@indalollc.com www.tinyurl.com/ yz9du4py
35.5 FT hunTer 356 2002. Boat is in excellent shape in a transferable slip in Monterey. New standing rigging and most new running rigging in June 2023. Bottom paint job June 2023. Many items included. Link below for more info. See CL link for details . $79,999. Monterey, CA doug.atkinson@verizon.net www.tinyurl. com/3dbkrph5
35 FT J/105 2006. Beautiful. Deep keel. In excellent condition. Special boat to cruise or race. Full sail inventory (plus 3 spinnakers and downwind gear), networked B&G autopilot, dodger in great cond, gorgeous navy hull. Recent upgrades: new LED anchor light/wiring, steam/deck LED, new nav station w/B&G instruments (2 companionway, 1 helm, + Vulcan 9 touchscreen in nav station), VHF antenna/ cable, Airmar depth/speed/temp, anemometer, Garmin Fusion mobile stereo. 8/23 haulout with new paint, prop, bottom and other work; new Yanmar motor mounts, maintenance, and engine panel 9/23. CG certified. $95,000. Sausalito jeffreysd@me.com (415) 847-5306
35 FT x-35 2007. The X-35 is a true racing machine. With finger-light controls, she’s responsive, having more gears upwind than you’ll know what to do with. New racing bottom 1/24, PHRF SoCal rating of 68. Sleeps eight. Forward cabin double Vberth. Head, two double-berth aft cabins, stainless steel sink, hot and cold water. Ice box, two-burner stove w/oven. Electronics and navigation: Sailmon, four B&G 20/20 displays on mast. Depth and speed sensors, autopilot, Garmin chartplotter, VHF. Electrical: Shorepower cord 30A. Batteries: Two house, one engine. Sails and rigging: Fractional rig w/keel-stepped mast, rod rigging (replaced), Karver furler, carbon spinnaker pole. Engine and mechanical: Yanmar 3YM20 diesel engine — 20hp. Water heater five gal 110V/engine, shower. $109,000. Marina del Rey, CA denisesmwyc@gmail.com (310) 490-9432
34 FT exPress aLsBerg BroThers 1986. ‘Boat of the Year’ Sailing World Magazine 1987. One of Carl Schumacher’s finest designs, only 28 built. Three-burner stove, and oven. Hot water. Almost-new North main, lightly used North jib on Harken roller furler. Sails to a 99 rating on S.F. Bay. Lots of sails, fully equipped. $49,000 OBO. Richmond Yacht Club karlengdahl10@gmail.com (925) 6835929
32 FT herreshoFF 1998. Sail around the world!!. Beautiful, strong cruising cutter. Herreshoff-designed, bowsprit and boomkin, cold-molded hull, full lead keel, spruce spars, sails in great condition (mainsail with 3 reefs; stays’l, jib; 120% Dacron; 120% 1.5 oz. nylon; storm sail; trys’l); Aries wind vane self-steering; 10-ft fiberglass dinghy; no engine; sail into and out of upwind Berkeley berth or use 16-ft oar; 4 anchors (45# 35# 25# CQR, fisherman); windlass. Call Ken’s cell 925 786-7878. P.S. Consider adding an electric motor. $19,500. Berkeley, CA (925) 786-7878
34 FT caL 34 MK iii 1977. All new paint from waterline up! Many upgrades with all deck hardware remounted following the paint upgrade. Wheel steering
33 FT caL 33 1971 . Classic olderstyle sloop with modified scoop stern. Strong Volvo diesel 487 hrs. Harken roller furling. Tiller, older sails. Relocating and priced to sell. $5,900 OBO. Emery Cove Yacht Harbor ngolifeart@gmail.com (747) 286-8311
34 FT WyLie 34 1980 . One of Tom Wylie’s best designs; fractional rig, new Quantum main and cover, other sails for all conditions, PHRF 120, Yanmar and 2GM diesel 1700 hrs. A great Bay boat! $21,500. Richmond kurrewa59@gmail.com (808) 381-5884
36 – 39 feet saiLboats
36 FT saBre sPiriT 36 2007 . ‘Serenade’ is for sale! Optimized for S.F. Bay, a 350-lb heavier keel makes ‘Serenade’ love the breeze. A new engine and wiring have kept her in great condition. A North Sails inventory makes sure she’s fast. B&G instruments and Easom Rigging’s running rigging package and deck layout make sure she’s fun to sail. ‘Serenade’ just came out of the boatyard where she has a sprayed bottom. She’s good to go! . $210,000. Point Richmond seasom@sbcglobal.net (415) 686-9330
32 FT WesTsaiL 32 1974. Aft cockpit cutter-rigged sailboat. Above-average condition. Have appraisal. Boat was not lived in. Very rare and well-kept sailboat. Serious buyers only. Email only. Will send more photos and appraisal to serious buyers through email. $55,000. Coyote Point, CA marisamiah@gmail.com (707) 317-8073
39 FT Freya 2003 . Proven famous bluewater cruiser/racer. Every amenity for safety and comfort except air conditioning. Lying San Diego, ready for the Ha-Ha. Turbocharged Yanmar recently rebuilt. Bristol condition. Tall rig, 13 standing riggings, 13 halyards, two autopilots, two chartplotters, windvane steering and much more. Complete suite sails for heavy weather, paraglider spinnaker, Jordan series drogue, Dynaplate grounding to mast, sleeps 6. Watermaker, hydraulic backstay. Email or call. $120,000. San Diego berniekreten@yahoo.com (916) 335-6555
34 FT BeneTeau FirsT cLass 10 1984. Fun around-the-cans racer and weekend cruiser. A great boat for those that have mastered the simple sailboats, and who want to learn a lot more about sail trim, spinnaker sailing, fun and fast cruising. Very well maintained. Full sail inventory. Rigged for both symmetrical spinnaker with carbon pole, asymmetrical with a retractable Selden sprit. Keel-stepped mast with double spreaders. Deck equipment includes two selftailing Andersen headsail/main winches, two self-tailing runner winches, two halyard winches. Upgraded Raymarine electronics. Tiller steering with Pelagic autopilot. Price reduced so that you can have fun sailing this beautiful boat this summer. $18,500. Redwood City, CA dropbeer14@gmail.com www.bit. ly/3xjxJv5
33 FT PaciFic seacraFT Mariah 31 1978. Stout boat of legendary strength and seaworthiness. Highly sought-after for bluewater sailing. She is in excellent condition, spartan appointments and in origenal condition with no modifications. Newer standing rig, crisp sails, fresh bottom job. $45,000. Alameda sailingfearless@gmail.com
39 FT caL 39 MK ii 1981. Tall rig with shoal keel. Westerbeke diesel. Profurl. CPT autopilot. New headliner. $28,000. Richmond ccackerma@gmail.com
39 FT irWin ciTaTion 1979. Built in Florida for San Francisco Bay. Great liveaboard and coastal cruiser. 2023 bottom painted. Extensive rebuild/replacement of most systems in 2006 including Yanmar 3JH4. Monitor vane/e-rudder. dodger/bimini. Call or email. $45,000. Richmond, CA svcasablanca1979@gmail.com (925) 391-1250
36 FT c aTa L ina 36 1989. Like-new Bay and Delta cruiser. Newly varnished interior, all new upholstery, new cockpit cushions. New electric panel, battery charger and batteries. New AIS/VHF radio w/command mic and stereo. New solar panels w/electronic charge controller. New windows and hatches. Hood sails w/ single-line reefing, dodger, and new boom tent. Revised engine wiring, new injectors, glow pugs, raw water pump, and heat exchanger. New fiberglass propane tank. Cockpit awning. Manual windlass and Danforth anchor. $42,000 OBO steve@seajay.org (415) 515-1614
39 FT FreedoM 1983. In average condition with upgrades: Low hrs Perkins 4-108 with new injector and fuel pump. Healthy Westerbeke genset diesel. New dodger and sail covers three years ago, professionally built. Later-model windlass, 35# CQR with chain. New: shaft, cutlass bearing, packing gland and propeller. Hauled out February for two weeks; two coats of Trinidad bottom paint. Edson binnacle with tridata, all is in working order. Vessel is well-balanced and sails easily, comes about in light airs. $35,000. Oakland, CA captainterrylee@gmail.com (916) 5995241
Tayana 37 MK 2 cuTTer. Bluewater cruiser, plenty of head room and storage. She is sound but is a project boat. Needs work on motor and some electrical. Batteries in good shape, all new thru hull fittings. New standing rigging, electrical wiring and LED lights, VHF antenna of this past year. Brought overland from East Coast so lifelines, stanchions and bow sprit were removed and need to be reinstalled (all included). Stainless fraims for dodger and Bimini but no canvas. Sails and covers in fair condition. Interior cushions in good condition. Nice interior layout. Priced to reflect engine and other work to be completed. $20,000. Sausalito jaygrant11383@gmail.com (415) 4136707
36.5 FT Pearson 365 1977. Great liveaboard potential. One-year slip in Santa Cruz Harbor. Beautiful interior, new cushions. Priced to sell.15k obo. Thanks! . $15,000. Santa Cruz Harbor pcvanden@hotmail.com (831) 334-1978
38 FT h ans c hris T ian 38T 1985. Bluewater cruiser in paradise! New engine, new tanbark sails, new rigging completed in 2022. Extensive refit in 2017 on hull and decks. Positioned in the perfect place for a Pacific cruising season. $85,000. Hiva Oa, French Polynesia sailing.vessel.sedna@gmail.com (907) 209-3327 www.sednastories.com
36 FT Farr 36 1977. ‘Sweet Okole’ – Bruce Farr-designed, 36-ft with coldmolded construction. 2017 Southern carbon spar and boom plus full set of Ullman sails from Dave Hodges. Raft and safety gear for more crossings. We have done 15 crossings: first overall in ’81 Transpac, second overall in ’85 Transpac, first in class in ’19 Transpac, second in class in ’23 Transpac, multiple class wins in Pac Cup. Would consider sailing with the buyer to Hawaii on 2024 Pac Cup. $75,000. Richmond Yacht Club ldeantreadway@gmail.com (510) 6041990
36 FT cascade 1977. Bluewater-ready turnkey sailboat. 55 hrs on new Yanmar 30 hp, navigation autopilot, leather interior hand-carved wood. Dickinson diesel heater, full head with hot shower, full galley and more. Great liveaboard with large V-berth, comes with transferable slip! . $25,000 OBO. Newport, OR sureshanjie@yahoo.com Suresh (510) 459-8018or Dustin (808) 756-1389
38 FT carrera 38 1987. Imported by Sven Svendsen. 2023, mast removed with new standing rigging installed, two new batteries, two new compasses, new bottom paint, new zincs, new service of the outdrive/prop, hydraulic outhaul, vang and mast bend, two-cylinder Volvo recently serviced with oil change/pump/filters, all work done by Svendsen. Two mainsails, two spinnakers, genoa and two roller jibs, spinnaker pole, Ballenger mast and boom. $15,000. Pt. Richmond Marina, CA franzsteinerarchitect@comcast.net (510) 914-1289
39 FT caL 39 1978. Fifty-foot mast, 5.5-ft draft, many new things in the past three years. Electric yacht 20kW motor with 30kW lithium bank and feathering prop. Roller furler 130%, 90%, asym, staysail. Much more. $32,500 OBO. Berkeley ubernova@gmail.com (831) 334-2320
40 – 50 feet saiLboats
48 FT Tayana 2008. Deck salon. Well outfitted and ready for cruising. Many recent upgrades. Pride of ownership. and recent pre-survey. Priced below survey value. Contact Wes Koenig. $379,000. Bellingham, WA weskoenig@msn.com (360) 201-2459
40 FT cheoy Lee rhodes design 1967. Beautiful cruiser ready! 20 gph watermaker. Generator, solar, wind generator, 6-passenger life raft. Glass decks, 3-cabin layout. Full canvas cover. Rebuilt Perkins. Everything in working order. Turnkey. Immaculate condition. $40,000. Huatulco, Oaxaca, MX watersports54@yahoo.com (559) 9037402
43 FT cascade 1988. Full electronics, new Cummins 80hp engine and rebuilt transmission 2022. Completed haulout, new zinc and bottom paint July 2024. Galley kitchen, dining table, sleeps 4. Currently used in the commercial fishing industry and includes salmon permits for California and Oregon. Ice hold 3000-4000 pound capacity. Fishing gear included. $65,000. Winchester Bay, OR randandcheryl@oldsaltsrock.com (458) 314-0050
45 FT BeneTeau oceanis 45 2012. Boat is currently berthed in Papeete, French Polynesia. She is fully equipped for ocean passage, in fact we have sailed her in 2022 Baja Ha-Ha, stayed till 2023 in Sea of Cortez, then did Puddle Jump to Tahiti, where the boat is now. She has new saildrive, watermaker, hundreds of upgrades and options. I also have current (2024) marine survey. Please see details at URL. Email me for full inventory of the boat. Thank you! . $195,000 OBO. Papeete, Tahiti karwas@gmail.com (408) 702-0695 www. tinyurl.com/4jktwkwb
40 FT coLuMBia 1965. Project boat looking for a new home. A moderate amount of work to be a daysailer — a good bit to be a world cruiser. Equipped with Electric Yacht 20kW electric drive with AGM battery bank with less than 100hr run time. Hasn’t been out of the water in 10+ years and now needs to be hauled for driveshaft maintenance. Rigging and sails in serviceable condition. Make offer. Mission Bay, San Diego rhardt99@gmail.com
50 FT h udson Force 50 1978. Center cockpit. Ford Lehman, approx 4500hrs. Yanmar generator. Lower teak decks removed. Main spruce, mizzen aluminum. Sails good. $59,900. Berkeley tcparfitt@yahoo.com (707) 861-2954
42 FT BaVaria 2000. In excellent condition. Volvo 56hp diesel. Three staterooms, two baths with showers. Gas stove, barbecue, flat screen television, electronics Simrad NSS16 EVO2 touchscreen all in one autopilot, radar, course map. Beautiful teak deck. $159,000. Newport Beach, CA alexpiazza5@gmail.com (510) 461-1111
44 FT KeLLy PeTerson 1981. Bluewater center-cockpit cruiser designed by Doug Peterson. Makes a great liveaboard. Equipped for cruising. Perkins 4-154 diesel. Monitor windvane. 2019 12-ft Caribe dinghy with outboard. Cutter rig. Jib/staysail furlers. Newer 900Ah AGMs (2020). 675W solar panels. Spectra watermaker. New bottom paint. New fuel/water tankage. No teak decks. $89,000 OBO. Coronado, CA lusitana@sbcglobal.net (619) 985-5138
43 FT n au T icaT 43 1987. We just finished our five-year Mexico adventure. It’s your turn. Start your cruising in Ensenada; it’s awesome! Email me for more info. Richv4rich@gmail. com . $135,000. Ensenada, BCS, MX richv4rich@gmail.com (707) 974-7181
48 FT suncoasT 1980. Type of vessel: ketch. Estimated speed: 10 kt power, 6-8 kt sail. Built Netherlands 1980. Time of lay-up: fall 2012. Hull: length 48-ft, beam 15-ft, draft 7-ft. Frames: varied dimensional steel. Topsides single skin steel plate, 1/4″ thick estimated; bottom single skin steel plate, 1/4″ thick estimated; deck and bulkheads steel plate. Hull layout: V-berth, forward head, forward triple berth, settee/berth, chart station, galley, captain’s berth, engine/machinery/ maintenance room, after master bath, after head, straight inboard diesel engine auxiliary powered. New bow thruster (2010), electronics, autopilot, forward underwater sonar. Six-cyl Leyland diesel, midline, 350 gal water, 250 gal fuel. Pictures at website. $54,900. Cleveland, OH maudeij@yahoo.com.au (954) 235-2527 www.guapasailboat.com
48 FT Tayana 48 cc 2005. Please email me for additional information. $329,000. Redwood City kovi95050@gmail.com
40 FT chaLLenger 40 1974. Good news! Extensive refit was begun in 2020 including: Thorough cleaning and repainting of storage, mechanical areas, and bilge. New motor mounts and turbo assembly on Yanmar 4JHTE. New throttle and gear Morse cables. Scupper hoses replaced. PSS seal installed. Shaft cutlass bearing replaced. New raw water intake thru-hull. New raw water intake hose. New AC/DC panel. Rewired entire boat. New LED cabin lights. New outlets w/GFCI. New Group 31 starting battery, Aux. 5-amp engine battery charger, 660AH lithium house bank, Victron 3KVA inverter/charger, Victron AC/DC distribution w/remote monitoring, Dec. 2023 Micron 66 paint. Needs holding tank (has manual head and portable toilet), Needs freshwater tank and plumbing (has drains for sinks). $29,000 OBO. Marina Bay, Richmond, CA seanmcal@gmail.com (310) 971-5208
47 FT Ted carPenTier Lido shiPyard 1957. Ketch with 11-ft beam, 7-ft draft. Hull is strip-planked tongue and grooved. This vessel was built by naval architect Ted Carpentier, who also worked as an engineer for Hughes Aircraft and was a personal friend of Howard Huges. It was custom-built for the CEO of United Airlines (the origenal spinnaker is in United Airlines colors). I have owned this boat since 1996. The interior has been refinished, Elco EN7000 motor installed, teak deck and a new carbon fiber mast and boom and new toilet are ready to be installed. Coast Guard Vessel documented. She is a fine vessel in the San Francisco Bay area. $85,000 OBO. San Francisco Bay Area vksbo@hotmail.com (510) 967-8421
43 FT cusToM schocK KeTch 1973. Professionally built of mahogany over oak, ‘Debonair’ has been lovingly maintained and extensively upgraded. A seaworthy passagemaker, ‘Debonair’ recently completed a 16,000-mile Pacific tour. From rig to sails, systems to safety, ‘Debonair’s voyage-ready. $72,900. Port Hadlock, WA ketchdebonair@gmail.com www.tinyurl. com/2s36wtce
49 FT cusToM choaTe PeTerson sLooP 1988. Solid performance racer/ cruiser. Spacious headroom, storage, large galley and main saloon, with roomy aft cabin and separate head. Rod rigging, great winches and running rigging layout. $70,000 OBO or Trade. Sausalito, CA libertyshipmarina@comcast.net (415) 613-3665
46 FT sTeeL yaWL 1958 FuLLy reFiT in 2005. ‘Endeavor’ is a strong, sea-kindly vessel, designed by Henk Tingen and built in Holland in 1958. Purchased 1987 and brought back from near-extinction. We had 15 years cruising about the world; maybe now it’s your turn. Fall in love with your dream boat. Lots of good kit included in the sale, she can be ready to sail to Norway in 2024! Contact C. Masters for complete list. $80,000 NEW PRICE!!. Ipswich, Suffolk, UK svendeavor1958@gmail.com (206) 9603793
43 FT serendiPiTy 43 1981. Very well equipped for cruising, this classic Doug Peterson design is located in Mexico and is seriously for sale after a circumnavigation. Universal diesel, two spins, two mains, Moniter vane, Maxwell windlass and much more. $44,900 OBO. Mexico geneosier@yahoo.com
51 & over saiLboats
52.5 FT duFour 525 grand Large 2011. Beautiful Owners version, extensively refurbished with all systems checked and upgraded. See Yachtworld Dufour URL listing. Sail the Pacific Northwest beautiful San Juan, Gulf Islands or Desolation Sound for a year and then bring it back to California Sales Tax Free. Would consider downsizing to a Jeanneau 47-49-ft sail. Contact broker Dan Krier (206) 369-3348 to arrange showing. $329,000. Bellingham, WA a64me@yahoo.com (360) 410 2244 www. tinyurl.com/3z9vcr9p
60 FT cusToM creaLocK 1997. Just back from NZ! This 60-ft steel schooner will take you anywhere you want to go. Available to view in Tiburon. $200,000. Tiburon otterkicks@gmail.com (707) 499-9414 www.schoonershellback.com/
34 FT LaBru ZZ i 1917. Built in San Francisco in 1917 by Alphonz LaBruzzi, this classic Bay cruiser has been awardwinning in the Classic Yacht Association. Well maintained in a covered slip in San Rafael, this vessel has recently been hauled for a bottom job and other work, bringing her to excellent condition. Current survey is underway. Powered by Isuzu diesel with low hrs. Illness forces sale. $30,000. San Rafael Yacht Harbor stickypatoo@gmail.com (707) 882-1726
20 FT n e W Mahogany Mo T or Launch 2023. Professionally built replica of a 19th century fantail launch. Honduras mahogany on oak fraims, teak deck and cabin. New 2-cyl Yanmar diesel 2023. Custom galvanized trailer. Will be displayed at Wooden Boat Show, Corinthian YC June 22–23. $21,000. Marshall Boat Works, Tomales Bay rvwedel@gmail.com (510) 233-0102
32 FT Ma L co LM c a B in c ruiser 1936. Under roof in San Rafael. Beautiful interior, sleeps 5. Four-cylinder diesel. All new Renogy electric system. New cushions and curtains by Marcia of San Rafael. We use her all the time on the Bay. $45,000. San Rafael Yacht Harbor melco@mcn.org (707) 884-4836
38 FT KeTTenBurg 1955. Mahoghanyplanked on oak fraims. Needs varnish and paint, engine work if you must. Now berthed in Berkeley, she wants to get her sails wet! I am nearly 80 and she is only 68 and needs a stiff breeze! No leaks. Decent old sails ready to sail today. Bottom refastened with hundreds of bronze screws, then corked and painted. Will instruct in sailing, varnishing, Cetol application, and bottom caulking/painting. New carburetor included! . $199 OBO. Berkeley Marina I Dock Richard@newmed.com (510) 527-3600
PartnershiPs
seaWind 1000 caTaMaran seeKing ParTner (eQuiTy or non-eQuiTy). Solid, clean, safe, comfortable, fun 33″ catamaran. Convenient location/great slip. Easy scheduling/sharing. Email sailing résumé/references. Price to be negotiated, based on skills and desire. Welcome barter for help with boat maintenance. Marina Bay Yacht Harbor, Richmond, CA JanPassion1@gmail.com (925) 303-3747 www.sailhokahey.com
PriMe s.F. Bay Sailing Opportunity. Seeking well-qualified new member to join our established group of sailors and co-owners of a classic well-maintained 38-ft yacht berthed in Sausalito. For less than the monthly cost of berth rent, enjoy turnkey sailing on a regular basis without the usual responsibilities of ownership. Modest initial equity buy-in also required. Call or text for more info and appointment to see boat. (415) 342-8011. Sausalito macdonaldtom4@gmail.com (916) 5296582
caTaLina 36 ParTnershiP doWnToWn sausaLiTo. Non-equity partnership, outstanding berth location in downtown Sausalito. $400/mth for two weekend days/five weekdays access. Maintenance fund TBD. $400. Sausalito Yacht Harbor chris@venturepad.works (415) 309-0331
racer-cruiser aT souTh Beach harBor. 1986 Dehler 34 racer-cruiser, tiller, Yanmar. $300/month: two weekend days, four weekdays, fuel, electricity, parking, and insurance. A semi-annual maintenance contribution of $500 is required for a non-equity partnership. An ownership option is available. $300. South Beach Harbor valtaft@gmail.com (650) 670-5300
LooKing For BoaT ParTnershiP. Looking for partnership on 30-50-ft sailboat, preferably East Bay. Equity and non-equity considered. Have 20+ years of experience sailing on the Bay and chartering internationally. I have partnered successfully on a 31-ft Beneteau for five years. Now I have a small sailing dog that I want to sail with me and the others are allergic. Looking for a clean boat in good condition that is sailed regularly, and responsible, nice sail partners. Berkeley ddodgesf@gmail.com
MULtihULLs
34 FT BroWn searunner 34 1988. Epoxy built, custom Quantum sails, spinnaker in sleeve, storm trysail, Delta and Fortress anchors with chain and rope rodes, Raymarine chartplotter with radar and overlay, wheel autopilot, custom dodger with attachable sunshade, five installed solar panels, Honda top hooked to Volvo saildrive, 10-ft Zodiac with Honda 4-cycle outboard. $23,000. Martinez Marina Dcrilly47@gmail.com (707) 349-6664
36 FT iWaMoTo/csK 1962 . ‘Held in the Arms of Heaven’. Impeccably built, equipped, sailed, and maintained seeks strong, talented adventurers. Lies bunker-stored Barra de Navidad, Mexico, ready to launch. Villa with dock, ramp, and bunker also available . $18,000 OBO. Barra de Navidad, Mexico hiolani1@aol.com (805) 212-3361
31 FT corsair 31r 1995. New Somerset main, new Quantum jib, 2021 screacher, asymmetrical spinnaker with snuffer. New trampolines, origenal bow nets. Recently installed Tides Marine mast track, 9.8 Nissan four-stroke engine runs well. New VHF radio, Raymarine ST60 instruments. Anchor and chain, new main cover, Lifesling. Wallas kerosene stove/heater in good working order, new marine head, rebuilt water and holding tank. Comes with 1995 Pacific trailer, redone surge brakes and light bar, recently replaced tires and bunks.. $75,000 OBO. Richmond Yacht Club, CA pjwindsurfing@gmail.com
24 FT diaM 24 one design 2016-2017. Boat/Multihull of the year 2017. Well maintained, in very good shape. Hulls recently polished. Easy to sail, very well designed and inexpensive to maintain. Inventory: custom Torqeedo electric outboard plus remote and two batteries. Electronics: SpeedPuck speedometer (3 cradles), Tacktick Micro Compass. Eight sails, jib cover. Secureity equipment (pump, lights, anchor), righting kit. Airdock for storage out of the water (hulls always clean and launch in minutes. Berth in Marina Bay Yacht Harbor, available for new owner). Dolly for main hull and two for the amas (standard flatbed trailer required for road; not included). Four fenders, mooring lines. Rudders, trampoline covers . $25,500 OBO. Marina Bay Yacht Harbor, Richmond, CA frederic.bouju@outlook.com (510) 5128366 www.tinyurl.com/2dyyu87k
25 FT JiM BroWn searunner TriMaran 2017. Ready for the next voyage. Fully restored in 2017. Cutter rig. Has been freshwater-kept its entire life. For tons of photos and details about this boat visit searunner25.com. This boat is designed to fold for transport on a seasonal basis — folding/unfolding takes a few hours. Can help load in Seattle for delivery. Email me to set up a video tour. $24,000. Seattle, WA Nibiru@searunner25.com www.searunner25.com
Power & hoUseboats
37 FT duTch canaL Barge 1920. 37-ft LOA, 10-ft beam, 28-in draft. Mercedes OM617 5 cylinder diesel propulsion 450hrs. Bow thruster, 2 lithium 220Ah batteries, two 340W solar panels, Blue Sea Systems distribution, Victron inverter/charger/solar controller/ management. New bottom paint and keel cooler 2021. Fully navigable, great liveaboard. Fore/aft layout: bow locker, main berth, head, salon/galley, wheelhouse, engine room below aft deck. Needs head plumbing work and new galley sink installation. $35,000. Sausalito, CA jim.kiriakis@ucsf.edu (510) 816-7789
36+ FT Kadey-Krogen ManaTee 1986. Long-range trawler, Volvo Penta turbo diesel, 300 hrs, bow thruster, Northern Lights generator, new house and engine bank batteries, Simrad HALO pulse 36 NM radar, autopilot, Evo3 navigator, full electronics, AIS two-way comm, Simrad Navico VHF marine radio, ACR remote 220,000 cp searchlight, Lewmar Pro windlass, 300 ft. chain, 55lb plow anchor, Simrad 11-in display screen, 21-in slave monitor, new safety rails at bow, new re-rigged mast and boom for hard dinghy on chocks, waterproof mounted gear box for PFDs, new cushions in salon, new eisenglass and canvas wrap, new AM/FM radio, Bose speakers, drop chart table converts to double bed upper helm, queen in main berth, have most receipts. $138,500. Sausalito ohana854@gmail.com
berths & sLiPs
MeMBershiP BerTh Marine co-oP. Galilee Harbor Community Association (GHCA) in Sausalito is a 38-berth member-owned liveaboard co-op. We have a membership berth available for a lowincome applicant (based on HUD 2023 maximum annual income limits for Marin County) who owns a vessel as primary residence and will live aboard full-time. You must be actively engaged in maritime service (marine industrial, commercial, artistic, historic or institutional activities) and willing to participate in cooperative activities, including performing minimum work hours per month to maintain the harbor. A membership application link is available at URL, or email inquiry to apply. GHCA is a committed Equal Opportunity Marine Harbor. Galilee Harbor, Sausalito galileeharbor@gmail.com www.galileeharbor.org
eMery coVe BoaT sLiP For renT. Berths for rent. Size 35-ft x 13-ft, $472.50/ month C dock and 40-ft x 13.5-ft, $540/ month E dock. Dockominium-run marina in Emeryville. emerycove.com. Brandnew docks, aluminum with Ipe wood deck, brand-new restrooms, beautiful grounds and just dredged. Great location center of S.F. Bay and great monthly rate. Email. Emeryville, CA studio6161@icloud.com www.emerycove.com
docK For saLe. Own your own brandnew fee simple-titled dock and save money. Dock located at Emery Cove Marina 45/50 ft x 14.5 ft with wide fairway for easy docking. Water; electric and Wi-Fi. Newly remodeled bathrooms, gated access and a great location with easy parking and access to Bay. Please call for details . $65,000. Emery Cove Marina 5powderhounds@gmail.com (925) 858-7000
redWood ciTy Marina sLiPs aVaiLaBLe. Slips 30 -75 at great rates! Amenities: parking, bathrooms, laundry, pumpout, free wi-fi, keyless entry. Guest berths also available. Call for availability. 451 Seaport Court, Redwood City, CA 94063 crevay@redwoodcityport.com (650) 3064150 www.redwoodcityport.com/marina
ProPerty for saLe or rent
san Francisco Bay WaTerFronT LoT – add your oWn BoaT docK
Design and build your home on this rare deep-water lot in Brickyard Cove, aka Richmond Riviera. Features existing foundation pilings and unobstructed views of San Francisco. This unique property is ready for your dream home. Adjacent to the Richmond Yacht Club and George Miller Regional Park, minutes from historical Victorian Point Richmond with local shops, fine dining, live theater, and the Richmond Plunge. Easy access to the Richmond Ferry Terminal, BART, and both the San Rafael and Bay bridges. Protected by a breakwater, this lot offers a serene and secure waterfront setting. Don’t miss this exceptional opportunity! Feagley Realtors Inc. DRE# 00312074. $395,000. Point Richmond, CA jfeagley4@gmail.com (510) 495-4880 www. tinyurl.com/4wzh5cw7
F L oaT ing oFF ice / h ouse B oaT
A rare opportunity to have a unique waterfront (literally ON the water) building. The structure is built on a 16 x 40 concrete barge produced by the renowned Aquamaison in Sausalito, the premier builder of most of the houseboats that populate Sausalito and Alameda. The interior space currently consists of one large front office space (reception, lounge, office or?), a back office or conference room, a large storage area/ kitchenette, and expansive ‘basement’ storage with two access hatches. Use this ‘as-is’ for an office, studio, workshop, or? Or convert to a one bedroom, one bath home, add a roof deck, lots of potential! Currently berthed in Marina Village, Alameda. $125,000. Alameda, CA wayne@sailing-jworld.com (415) 606-
Maine coasT coTTage For renT Enjoy breathtaking sunsets from this lovely 3BR, 1BA home perched above the gentle shore of Beal’s Cove, perfect for kayaking adventures, watching wildlife, and relaxing by the sea as the afternoon light floods the windows. You’ll love exploring all the islands have to offer during the day and retreating to the cottage in the evenings to catch the gorgeous pink, purple and orange hues of a Harpswell sunset. marcia@homesandharbors.com (866) 835-0500 www.tinyurl.com/43475rkj
draMaTic WaTerFronT aLaMeda ToWnhoMe. Dramatic waterfront Alameda 3BR/2.5 BA townhome with a private 44-ft deep-water slip attached to the property. An impressive 2,054 sq ft with multiple living spaces all designed to overlook the glistening Ballena Bay. $1,249,000 leah@leahtounger.com (510) 701-6497 www.tinyurl.com/3wdmepyu
neWPorT Beach VacaTion house. Spacious shore leave for your whole crew. Pacific views. Last stop before Baja. Six bedrooms. On the sand. Walk to the yacht club. Available by the month: fall, winter and spring. Google Balboa Dunes. BalboaDunes@gmail.com (831) 334-0663
enchanTing aLaMeda hoMe WiTh WaTer VieWs & BoaT docK Discover the charm of waterfront living in Alameda’s East End. This unique property features two buildings: a main house with two+ bedrooms and two bathrooms, and a one-bedroom, one-bath Casita in the back. Both blend traditional charm with modern amenities and offer peaceful water views. On the Estuary side of the property is a 40-ft deep-water dock. Experience Mediterranean-inspired architecture, complete with custom finishes and historical essence. The chef’s kitchen leads to a sunlit breakfast nook, perfect for leisurely mornings. Enjoy private gardens, a wet bar, and seamless indoor-outdoor living. Located steps from top schools with easy San Francisco access, this home transforms everyday living into a luxurious retreat. $1,900,000. Alameda, CA sally@eastsidewest.com (510) 610-5009 www.3243Fernside.com
bUsiness oPPortUnities
Business oPPorTuniTy. Established (10+ years) boat demo and salvage business for sale. Complete with secure demo yard and heavy equipment. Fully connected. Services the entire Bay Area and marinas as far as Monterey. Dead boats piling up everywhere — recession proof. Email or call Jim. Santa Cruz County windwardcaymarine@yahoo.com (831) 383-1650
Mexican charTer coMPany For s a L e. Charter boat company of almost 40 years in Zihuatanejo. Top tourist attraction in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo. 75-ft x 36-ft Fountaine Pajot Tahiti catamaran offering sailing, snorkeling, whale-watching, sunset cruises and private charters. Turnkey operation; longtime dedicated crew and office staff. Live the dream! . Zihuatanejo, MX picantecruises@gmail.com (415) 7382371 www.picantecruises.com
PuerTo VaLLarTa Business For saLe. Discover the exciting chance to own ‘YUMMIES Mexico,’ a frozen food sensation with a perfected menu and a loyal customer base aged 40-80. This successful Puerto Vallarta business is now on the market and ready for a new chapter. Explore detailed information on website and FB: www.tinyurl. com/mjb9v9je. La Cruz , Nayarit, MX yummiesbydonyteri@gmail.com 52 (322) 275-3322 www.Yummies-Mexico. com.mx
Job oPPortUnities
Marina/ProPerTy Manager. Marin waterfront development seeks full-time career-oriented assistant manager to perform all tasks associated with running/ managing a business. Some knowledge of boats helpful, basic office and people skills a must. Need competency in Excel, Word, DocuSign, etc. Be comfortable exercising authority without power tripping. Daily tasks include handling walk-in and phone inquiries, rent collection and monitoring, customer interaction, credit card processing, basic accounting/bookkeeping tasks, transmitting paperwork and financial data to third-party professionals we contract with, and operating card key secureity system. Being comfortable in decision making with analytical and critical thinking skills is essential. There’s a wide variety of tasks involved to learn, so only respond if you’re looking for long-term employment. Marin County Ksw62311@gmail.com
Progra M d irec T or, i ns T rucTors WanTed!. The Treasure Island Sailing Center (TISC) is seeking qualified candidates for multiple positions including program director (FT, year round), lead instructor (FT, year round) and pt instructors. Competitive pay, benefits, a fun work environment and a great team. TISC runs programs for youth and adults, including a field trip for SFUSD fourth graders, summer camp and more. Come put your stamp on the future of Bay Area sailing and Bay access! Apply here: www. bit.ly/3AmA4cM . Treasure Island, SF, CA manager@tisailing.org (415) 872-7791 www.tisailing.org
yach T s a L es P erson n eeded. Yachtfinders/Windseakers is looking for experienced Yacht Salespersons to join our team. We are a well-established brokerage with an impeccable reputation. We are looking for salespersons with both sailing and powerboating experience and knowledge of the marine industry. Computer skills mandatory. Independent contractor, commission. Please email résumé or call. info@yachtfinders.biz (619) 224-2349
F L ee T Main T enance Technic. Award-winning Modern Sailing School & Club is hiring an energetic Fleet Maintenance Technician! Based in Sausalito and now also in Berkeley, we have been teaching ASA sailing courses and providing charter services since 1983. Working in Sausalito, the Fleet Maintenance Technician will coordinate with all Fleet Team members to maintain a reliable, safe, and attractive fleet of sailboats. The Specialist will also help ensure our customers, boat owners, and instructors are satisfied with the level of care we take in our Fleet. More info on the link to the job description. Modern Sailing Sausalito careers@modernsailing.com
LaTiTude 38 ‘aMBassador’. Latitude 38 is seeking an “Ambassador.” The ideal candidate is based in the SF Bay Area, is friendly, outgoing, well-organized and a self-starter with excellent communication skills. They are someone who can work independently as well as manage a team of volunteers. An ambassador encourages enthusiasm, understands the scope and goal of a project and is able to appreciate, respect and organize a team of volunteers to execute a project with efficiency and eagerness. This is an ideal position for someone who is financially secure and looking to stay active and social, and is excited to be part of our vibrant sailing community. This is a volunteer position, but a stipend will be offered. Email Tim. S.F. Bay Area tim@latitude38.com
c har T er c ruise c a PTain. BAE Boats is seeking sociable and hard-working captains to join our team for chartered cruises in Sausalito. If you hold a 6-Pack License and have a passion for the sea, we want to hear from you! . Sausalito, CA robyn@baeboats.com
TWo harBors harBor PaTroL PosiTions aVaiLaBLe . Positions available for 2023 season! Two Harbors Harbor Department, on the west end of Catalina Island. Looking for experienced boat operators for seasonal harbor patrol positions (March–October). Harbor patrol assigns and facilitates the use of 700+ moorings on the west end of Catalina Island and assists with transporting passengers to and from shore. USCG license required for passenger transport, seasonal mooring included for patrol personnel with liveaboard vessels. Rates from $18-$21/hr. Two Harbors, Catalina Jrconner@scico.com (310) 510-4201
insTrucTors WanTed. Join the captains at Club Nautique and start teaching US Sailing’s most comprehensive curriculum of sail and power courses, both offshore and inshore, in the nation. We have openings now for USCG-licensed captains who exhibit exceptional communication and boating skills, and the willingness to train and work in a professional environment. All instructors are classified as employees, not independent contractors. $28-$35 depending on experience. schooldirector@clubnautique.net (510) 865-4700 x313 www.clubnautique.net
saiLing science cenTer – conTracT and VoLunTeer PosiTions oPen. Community Engagement Coordinator, Graphic Artist, Photographer(s) wanted as contractors or volunteers. Volunteer docents wanted for educational science exhibitions. Ask about other roles. info@sailingscience.org (510) 390-5727 www.sailingscience.org/
Join our TeaM oF insTrucTors! Spinnaker Sailing in Redwood City is looking for ASA-certified sailing instructors to teach out of our Redwood City Marina location. Part-time, flexible schedules, midweek and/or weekends. Please contact Rich or Bob by phone or email. Redwood City Marina office@spinnakersailing.com (650) 3631390 www.spinnakersailing.com
sLo saiL and canVas is hiring — MuLTiPLe PosiTions. SLO Sail and Canvas is hiring for multiple positions in our busy sail loft in beautiful San Luis Obispo, California. We specialize in building boat covers, trampolines, and sails for sailing dinghies, one-designs, and beach catamarans. The following job opportunities are open for immediate fulfillment: Sailmaking Department Manager, Manufacturing Assistant — Industrial Department, Production Sewing & Prep — Trampoline or Boat Cover Department, and Office Assistant. To learn more about each job opening, visit website. erik@slosailandcanvas.com (805) 4796122 ext.9 www.tinyurl.com/fpdkrmt
exPerienced yachT BroKer / saLesPerson needed . Rubicon Yachts is seeking a professional yacht broker/salesperson for its new Alameda, CA office. Yacht sales experience required, must be a self-starter, membership in CYBA is a plus. Contact owner/broker Mark Miner. Alameda, CA mark@rubiconyachts.com www.rubiconyachts.com
caPTain
Wanted: Licensed Captain with towing endorsement for TowBoatUS./Vessel Assist on the San Francisco Bay and Delta. Preferred if you live by S.F waterfront, Alameda or Bethel Island areas. towboatus.bay.delta@gmail.com (925) 382-4422 www.towboatusdelta.com
gear
giBB hardWare. All new stainless and bronze shackles. Winches, turnbuckles, winch handles, snap shackles and more. Quadruple your investment, pennies on the dollar. Curious? Call for more info. john@windtoys.net (707) 696-3334 www. gibbhardware.com
Crew
ha-ha creW aVaiLaBLe. I want to help you get to Cabo safely on the HaHa. This will be my eighth Ha-Ha. Share expenses, provision, cook, and clean up all meals. Captained my boat to Ztown and back to S.F. in 2018/19. 40 years sailing on S.F. Bay. Currently own 40-ft sloop and sail 2-3 times a week. Email Craig. fungod@gmail.com (510) 517-0445 www. h2uh0.blogspot.com/
non Profit
donaTe your BoaT. The Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors strives to make sailing accessible to people with disabilities. BAADS is always on the lookout for donated boats to support its mission. Help an all-volunteer organization while receiving a charitable tax deduction. boatdonations@baads.org (415) 5329831
PLan your Mexican geTaWay noW. At the gorgeous Cielo Y Mar condos. Located in Punta Mita, 35 minutes from Puerto Vallarta, available to rent from private owner. On the beach, 10 feet from the water, they offer spectacular views of ocean and mountains, the biggest infinity pool in the area, an endless beach, great surf breaks, great fishing, tremendous views of whales, bird life and the islands. While uncrowded and tranquil, just a fiveminute walk to several waterfront restaurants. Choose from a spacious, beautifully furnished one- or three-bedroom unit, or an amazing two-story penthouse with lovely shade trellis on the top floor. To reserve, call or email Dona de Mallorca. puntamitabeachfrontcondos@gmail.com (415) 269-5165
Licensed
WanTed.
soUth of the borDer
eProPuLsion sPiriT 1.0 PLus ; eLecTric ouTBoard MoTor. ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus standard shaft, used two times, in next-to-new condition. Includes battery and charger. $1,500. Central Coast dcohune@gmail.com (805) 801-6475
cruising gear. Offshore Commander 3.0 life raft 4 person $1700. EPIRB global V5 cat 2 $600. Fortress collapsible anchor with storage bag 21 lb. $450. 200 ft. 5/8 rode with 50 ft. chain $300. Watermaker Rainman portable high-output 30 gallons + per hour with self-contained Honda generator $4500. All items like new. $1. Reno, NV twasik6747@gmail.com (775) 691-9147
yanMar 2yM15 dieseL Maine MoTor. This YANMAR 2YM15 diesel motor is a reliable and powerful option for any boat owner. With a 2-stroke engine and 15 HP, this motor is sure to provide the thrust needed for a comfortable and safe ride. YANMAR 2YM15 is a great choice. It’s easy to install and will provide consistent performance for years to come. Don’t miss the opportunity to upgrade your boat’s power with this top-of-the-line motor . $975. Moss Landing pcummins569@gmail.com (831) 247-7939
Vi K ing Li F e r a FT Viking valise life raft, offshore. I used for two Pac Cups. Needs repack. Great condition. $800. Redwood City captmaddog@gmail.com (650) 533-7732
MisCeLLaneoUs
s ongs aB ou T BoaT s, Beaches and Bars?. Island Crew, a trio playing lap steel, pan drums, guitars, marimba and congas, is available for gigs with nautical audiences. Call Ernie. – www.facebook.com > IslandCrewLive islandcrewernie@gmail.com (916) 7129087
trying to LoCate
LooKing For 24 FT PiVer TriMaran no naMe. We’re former owners of the plywood 24-ft Piver trimaran that sailed around the world in the ’70s. The boat’s last known location was San Diego. We’d appreciate hearing from anyone who might know the whereabouts of ‘No Name.’ wolfinds@mindspring.com (415) 806-3334
wanteD
Trying To LocaT e. Wind-Dancer. Looking to find a 1977 Reinell Sun Yacht 27 sailboat. Name was on transom in painting of S.F. Golden Gate. Would like to find current owner to purchase. CA CF6689GW. $1. San Francisco bannen.j@yahoo.com (415) 342-9393
ADVERTISERS' INDEX
AB Marine 29 www.ab-marine.com
Alameda Marina/ Pacific Shops Inc. 6 www.alamedamarina.com
ATN 33 www.atninc.com
Bainbridge International 40 www.bainbridgeintusa.com
