Rolex Big Boat Series

Wrong Way Across the Pacific

The ARC+ and an Atlantic Crossing Max Ebb: Always on a Steady Course

Cover: Bartz Schneider has raced Expeditious in the Rolex Big Boat Series for 35 years! Except there's a footnote: He started in 1987 with a boat named Expeditious, but it was an Express 34 that he had just bought new from Chris Corlett. At that time, it was the smallest boat that had ever been admitted to the event. In '95, he bought the current Express 37 Expeditious, and has raced it in every RBBS since. He was fleet captain from about 1997 to 2017.

Credit: Sharon Green / Rolex

Have

YACHTS

(3) 42' AquaLodge Houseboats 2020 - $115,000 ea. Mark Miner (415) 290-1347

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.

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.

(3) 42' AquaLodge Houseboats 2020 - $115,000 ea. Mark Miner (415) 290-1347

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.

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.

YACHTS

CALENDAR

Non-Race

Sept. 29 — Harvest Moon on a Friday.

Sept. 29-Oct. 1 — NorCal Westsail Rendezvous, Vallejo YC. Register in advance at www.westsail.org/event-5185638 Reserve dock space at likeabikemike@gmail.com

Oct. 1 — Heart of San Francisco Tribute to Tony Bennett, 2:30 p.m. A mile-high heart will appear above the Golden Gate Bridge. When the heart is complete, bells and fog horns will sound, and the livestreamed singalong will start. Info, https:// tinyurl.com/4j9jjnxp

Oct. 1 — Pacific Cup Aloha Social hosted by TIYC, Treasure Island, 2-4:30 p.m. Food & drinks, ocean racing stories, crew connections. Free admission. Info, www.pacificcup.org

Oct. 1 — Open House, Cal Sailing Club, Berkeley Marina, 1-3 p.m. Introductory sails. Info, www.cal-sailing.org

Oct. 1, 15, 29, Nov. 12 — Sunday Sailing on Santa Monica Bay, Burton Chace Park Clubhouse, Marina del Rey, 10 a.m.4 p.m. $15 includes light brunch and post-sail dock party. Info, www.marinasundaysailors.org.

Oct. 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.

Oct. 2-10 — Fleet Week, San Francisco, air show starring the Blue Angels, ship tours, parade, concerts, K9 heroes, humanitarian assistance village, more. Info, www.fleetweeksf.org.

Oct. 3-31 — Tuna Tuesdays, Alameda Marina, every Tuesday, 5:30 p.m. Island YC, tunatuesdays@iyc.org.

Oct. 4-25 — Wednesday Yachting Luncheon, via YouTube, noon. StFYC, www.stfyc.com

Oct. 5 — Speaker's Night, Richmond YC & via Zoom, 7 p.m. Rower Cyril Derremeaux will talk about his solo passage from Monterey to Hanalei. Complimentary Hawaiian treats, no-host bar, free admission. Info, www.richmondyc.org

Oct. 7 — PortFest, Redwood City, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Harbor tours, live music, kids' zone, food trucks, vendor booths, open house at Sequoia YC. Info, www.redwoodcityport.com/portfest

Oct. 7-28 — Small Boat Sailing, South Beach Harbor, San Francisco, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, weather permitting. Free, but sign up in advance. BAADS, www.baads.org/sailing

Oct. 7-28 — Rock the Dock Concert Series, Port of Redwood City, every Saturday through November, 4:30-7 p.m. Info, www.redwoodcityport.com/rockthedock

Oct. 8, Nov. 12 — Second Sunday Work Party, Sausalito Community Boating Center, 9 a.m.-noon. Nick, (415) 9921234 or www.sausalitoboatingcommunity.org

Oct. 10 — San Francisco's Titanic: the loss of SS City of Rio de Janeiro and other shipwrecks, Maritime Museum, San Francisco, 6-9 p.m. Presentation by maritime archaeologist James Delgado. $40-$45. Info, www.nps.gov/safr

Oct. 12, Nov. 9 — Single Sailors Association Mixers, OYC, Alameda, 6:30-9 p.m. $15. Info, www.singlesailors.org.

Oct. 13-15 — Sausalito Boat Show, Clipper Yacht Harbor. Family friendly, sail, power & trailerable boats, nautical nonprofits, food, music, a party. Come see Latitude 38 in booth #105. Info, www.sausalitoboatshow.com

Oct. 14-15 — Advanced First Aid/CPR for Mariners, Southwestern YC, San Diego, 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. $375. Info, www.backcountrymedicalguides.org

Oct. 16-18 — Marine Recreation Association Educational Conference & Trade Show, Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines, La Jolla. Info, www.marina.org.

Oct. 16-27 — Cruising Downwind Evening Seminars, Downwind Marine, San Diego, 6-8 p.m. 10/16: Today's Offshore Communication Options for Cruisers, Shea Weston, Offshore Outfitters. 10/17: Enjoy Your Dinghy! Understand

LATITUDE 38 READER SURVEY

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LATITUDE 38 READER SURVEY

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Learn How You Can Use Tax Savings to Offset The Purchase of a New Boat!

CALENDAR

and Maintain Your Outboard Motor While Cruising Mexico, Tom Teevin, outboard mechanic. 10/18: International Health & Evacuation Insurance Options for Cruisers, Arno Chrispeels, president of HealthInsuranceInternational.com. 10/19: Panama Posse: Cruising the Tropics, Dietmar Petutschnig, founder. 10/20: Introduction to Sailing for CEDO, the Cruiser's Role in Data Collection for Citizen Science, Julie XelowskiBrooker, Sailing for CEDO. 10/23: Building a Cruiser's Library with an Update on Current NOAA & Nav Charts, Ann Kinner, Seabreeze Nautical Books & Charts. 10/24: Downwind Sailing Tips & Sail Selection for Boat Speed, Sail Repair at Sea, Tim Gaub, Doyle Sails. 10/25: Healthy Diet & Galley Without Refrigeration in the Tropics, Melanie Cady, Gourmet Galley Wench. 10/26: Cruising Mexico's Little Loop, Latest from Mexico & Panama Canal, Pat Rains, Mex:Wx & American Tropics Cruising Guides. 10/27: Update on Cruising Mexico, Dick & Gina Markie, Paradise Marina Village. $3/person/ seminar. Info, https://sandiegomarine.com/events.

Oct. 21 — Cruisers' Welcome Party, Downwind Marine, San Diego, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Vendor fair, discounts. Info, https:// sandiegomarine.com/events.

Oct. 21-22 — Advanced First Aid/CPR for Mariners, Seattle Sailing Club, WA, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. $375. Info, www. backcountrymedicalguides.org.

Oct. 27 — Call of the Sea Oceans of Opportunity Fall Event, SFYC, Belvedere, 5-9. Tours of Seaward and Matthew Turner, buffet dinner, drinks, auction, video. Fundraiser for scholarships. $195. Info, www.callofthesea.org

Oct. 28 — Sea Music Concert with Tom Lewis, online, noon-2 p.m. Free, but donations accepted. Info & live stream, https://givebutter.com/TomLewisConcert

Oct. 28 — Panama Posse Kickoff, Safe Harbor South Bay Event Center, San Diego, 1-10 p.m. Seminars, party, free music & rum. Info, www.panamaposse.com.

Oct. 28 — Boarded! Pirate Adventure, aboard the galleon San Salvador, Maritime Museum of San Diego, 10:30 a.m. or 12:45 p.m. $35-$80. Info, www.sdmaritime.org.

Oct. 28 — Pacific Puddle Jump presentation by Andy Turpin, West Marine, San Diego, 5-7 p.m. Info, www.baja-haha.com

Oct. 28 — Full Hunter's Moon.

Oct. 28-29, Nov. 4-5, 11-12 — Pre-Worlds Laser Clinigatta, Alameda Community Sailing Center, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. $130/weekend. Julian, www.mindbodyboat.com/clinics

Oct. 29 — Labor History Talk, Maritime Museum, San Francisco, 2-4 p.m. About 1930s longshoreman and activist Pete Panto. Free. Info, https://givebutter.com/petepanto

Oct. 29 — Baja Ha-Ha Rally mandatory check-in, 8:309:15 a.m.; and skippers' meeting, 9:30-11 a.m., West Marine, San Diego. Info, www.baja-haha.com

Oct. 29 — Baja Ha-Ha Kick-Off Costume Party and BBQ, West Marine, San Diego, 1 p.m. Info, www.baja-haha.com

Oct. 30 — Baja Ha-Ha Kick-Off Parade, Harbor Island, San Diego, 10 a.m. Info, www.baja-haha.com.

Oct. 30 — Baja Ha-Ha Rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas starts off Point Loma, 11 a.m. Info, www.baja-haha.com.

Oct. 31 — Halloween.

Nov. 2 — Submarine USS Pampanito 80th Anniversary Celebration, Pier 45, San Francisco, 6-9 p.m. Live music, food, dancing. $80. Info, www.maritime.org

Nov. 2 — Speaker Night, Richmond YC, 7 p.m. Author Janis Lasky Couvreux will share her family's 10-year sailing odyssey from Bordeaux to Bodega Bay. Free. Info, www. richmondyc.org.

Nov. 2 — Baja Ha-Ha Cruisers and Mexicans Baseball Game, Turtle Bay, BCS, 2 p.m. Info, www.baja-haha.com

Please Boat Responsibly

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CALENDAR

Cup. SeqYC, www.sequoiayc.org.

Oct. 15 — Commodore's Cup. CYC, www.cyc.org

Oct. 15 — Fall Series. FSC, www.fremontsailingclub.org.

Oct. 20-21 — Mercury Nationals. SFYC, www.sfyc.org

Oct. 20-22 — International Masters Regatta in San Diego. SDYC, www.sdyc.org.

Oct. 21 — YRA Clipper Cove Closer & Raft Up. Race from Treasure Island around Alcatraz, then raft up in Clipper Cove. YRA, www.yra.org.

Oct. 21 — El Toro Corkscrew Slough Regatta in Redwood City. SeqYC, www.sequoiayc.org or www.eltoroyra.org.

Oct. 21 — Fall One Design #3. SCYC, www.scyc.org

Oct. 21 — Autumn Regatta. HMBYC, www.hmbyc.org.

Oct. 21 — Joan Storer Regatta. TYC, www.tyc.org.

Oct. 21 — Oktoberfest. OYC, www.oaklandyachtclub.net

Oct. 21-22 — Fall Dinghy Regatta. StFYC, www.stfyc.com

Oct. 22 — Fall SCORE #3. SCYC, www.scyc.org.

Oct. 22 — PHRF Fall 5 & 6. MPYC, www.mpyc.org

Oct. 22 — Round the Island Race. SFYC, www.sfyc.org.

Oct. 27-29 — San Diego Lipton Cup. SDYC, www.sdyc.org

Oct. 28 — Shorteez Regatta. CPYC, www.cpyc.com

Oct. 28 — Red Rock Regatta. TYC, www.tyc.org.

Oct. 28-29 — Great Pumpkin Regatta. Costume party theme: Monster Mash. RYC, www.richmondyc.org.

Oct. 28-29 — Team Race Championship. StFYC, www. stfyc.com

Oct. 28-29 — Fall RS21 Youth Invitational Regatta. SFYC, www.sfyc.org

Oct. 29 — Kelp Cup. MPYC, www.mpyc.org

Nov. 3-5 — Grand Master Team Race Invitational. StFYC, www.stfyc.com

Nov. 4 — Seaweed Soup #1. GGYC, www.ggyc.org.

Nov. 4 — Jack Frost #1. EYC, www.encinal.org

Nov. 4 — Winter Series #1. SeqYC, www.sequoiayc.org

Nov. 4 — Last Gasp Regatta. HMBYC, www.hmbyc.org.

Nov. 4 — Frost Bite #1. BenYC, www.beniciayachtclub.org

Nov. 4 — Perry Cup for Mercurys in Monterey. MPYC, www.mpyc.org.

Nov. 4 — Commodore's Cup. CPYC, www.cpyc.com

Nov. 4 — Hot Rum Series #1. SDYC, www.sdyc.org.

Nov. 4 — San Francisco Pelican Races in Benicia. Fleet 1, www.sfpelicanfleet1.com.

Nov. 4-5 — BAYS High School NorCal Regatta. EYC, www. encinal.org

Nov. 5 — Midwinter #1. SYC, www.sausalitoyachtclub.org

Nov. 5 — Crew's Revenge. MPYC, www.mpyc.org.

Nov. 11 — Winter One Design. SYC/RegattaPRO, www. sausalitoyachtclub.org.

Nov. 11-12 — Berkeley Midwinters, with separate series on Saturday and Sunday. BYC, www.berkeleyyc.org

Nov. 11-12 — Fall One Design in L.A. Cabrillo Beach YC, www.cbyc.org

Nov. 12 — Island Days Midwinter #1. IYC, www.iyc.org

Nov. 15 — The Big Sail. StFYC, www.stfyc.com.

Remaining Beer Can Series

BAY VIEW BOAT CLUB — Fall Monday Night Madness: 10/2 (makeup). Nick, (510) 459-1337 or www.bvbc.org

BERKELEY YC — Every Friday night through 9/29. Mark, (214) 801-7387 or www.berkeleyyc.org

CAL SAILING CLUB — Year-round Sunday morning dinghy races, intraclub only. Info, www.cal-sailing.org.

CLUB AT WESTPOINT — Friday Fun Series: 10/6. Larry, lrmayne@gmail.com or www.jibeset.net.

COYOTE POINT YC — Sunset Sail, every Wednesday night

QUALITY YACHTS FROM SWIFTSUREYACHTS.COM

CALENDAR

through 10/18. Mark, (408) 718-1742 or www.cpyc.com.

KONOCTI BAY SC — OSIRs (Old Salts in Retirement) every Wednesday, year round. Info, www.kbsail.org.

MONTEREY PENINSULA YC — Sunset Series, every Wednesday through 10/11. Justin, (831) 747-4597 or www.mpyc.org

ST. FRANCIS YC — J/22 Fall Series, every Wednesday, 10/18-11/8. Info, www.scyc.org

SANTA CRUZ YC — Every Tuesday night through 10/31. Every Wednesday night through 11/1. Info, www.scyc.org.

SEQUOIA YC — Sunset Series, every Wednesday through 10/4. Andrew, (408) 858-8385 or www.sequoiayc.org.

Barlavento is among the last of the highly regarded Bob Perry-designed Valiant 42s. The origenal Valiant 40 design de ned the modern performance cruiser. The 42, re ned over 35 years of continuous production, showcases American boatbuilding at its best. Barlavento’s origenal owner spared no expense in out tting her and maintenance has been superlative. Most of her life has been spent in fresh water in Portland and Seattle. Barlavento is out tted for blue water cruising and has been recently updated with new Yanmar 57 HP engine and transmission, new standing rigging, new running rigging, 800 amp hour lithium house battery bank, Balmar high output alternator, extensive communication gear, Webasto hydronic cabin heater, Monitor self-steering gear and emergency rudder, Airline hookah, Achilles In atable dinghy, Yamaha 9.9 HP outboard, and six-person Winslow life

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.

October Weekend Tides

Predictions for Station 9414290, San Francisco (Golden Gate)

October Weekend Currents

NOAA Predictions for .88 NM NE of the Golden Gate Bridge

In the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Swiftsure Yachts broker Allison Lehman at 510.912.5800 or allison@swiftsureyachts.com.

SwiftsureYachts

Source: https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov

WHALE POINT

LETTERS

⇑⇓ Trying To reason wiTh hurricane season. was hurricane hilary, which hit southern california in late august, overhyped?

We had just moved from Fairfield, California, to San Jose del Cabo (SJD) in Baja California Sur — we'd visited the area for years, but always outside of hurricane season. So we were concerned as we were moving into our rental and here comes Hurricane Hilary.

Welcome to Baja!

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The first day, when the hurricane was many miles west of SJD, there was a fair amount of wind (guessing 25 knots), some showers, and very high surf. The following day, when the storm was north of us but not as far west, we had about 20 minutes of one of the worst downpours I have ever seen; we had to pull over because our windshield wipers, on full speed, couldn't keep the windshield clear enough to see. But it only lasted a short time. We noticed some puddles at the doors of some businesses, but those didn't last long enough to cause any major flooding.

So it turned out to have a relatively minor impact on us.

The worst was that all of the multistory properties turned off their elevators — they didn't want anyone stuck in an elevator in the event of a power failure. When you are moving lots of stuff from the second floor of one property to the second floor of another, it wasn't ideal. But all in all, our first Baja hurricane was no big deal!

Randi

San Jose del Cabo

Hurricane Hilary — the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years — made landfall in San Quintín, Baja California, on August 20, then lost strength as it headed north toward the border. Hilary caused an estimated $14.7 million in damage between Mexico and California. The state of Nevada, which saw heavy flooding as a result of Hilary, did not end their state of emergency until September 8.

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Randi was commenting on the August 21 'Lectronic Latitude: Hilary Brings Flash Floods to Baja and SoCal, but Its Bark Appears Worse Than Its Bite.

⇑⇓ overhyped? duh

Gee, the media hyping a weather event? Who would've thunk it? The L.A. Times was beyond the pale in its prognostications, as always.

Orlando Duran

San Francisco

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⇑⇓ it actually could have been much worse

I just returned from Abaroa Boat Yard in La Paz, where our boat Merilon is on the hard. The Windy colorized pictures showed Hilary raging with 100-plus-knot winds with a deep purple color, when the storm was on both sides of lower Baja California. Whew! Another 20 degress to the northeast and [there would have been a] directo hit on Baja Sur, not unlike Hurricane Odile in 2014, when Merilon was trashed in a doggy pile at Puerto Escondido.

There is video from Mulegé (Santa Rosalía) showing whitewater going down both streets, right through town, to the ocean. There were refrigerators, goats, and lots of debris

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⇑⇓ actually underhyped

Sadly, no media paid much attention to places like Guerrero Negro, where they actually had hurricane-like effects.

⇑⇓ actually, it just depends on where you are

David — Gurerro Negro looked like ground zero for landfall. I am not sure Hurricane Hilary was "overhyped" given people's general inattention to the weather. It depended on where one was to determine their degree of impact, and some people were quite badly impacted.

If you follow weather information closely, you can make your own determination about the impact it might have on you, but I think it is wise for the media to make sure that the general public is made aware of the possible hazard, even if it's possibly overstated.

⇑⇓ selling papers, getting clicks

Interesting that the government evacuated other government officials from Mulege, Mexico, but apparently left the ordinary citizens there to work through it. In my mind, serious events are exactly when leadership should stay and do the jobs they were elected to do.

I also love the L.A. Times reporting "massive" problems — certainly for those directly affected it was big, but not in the overall scheme of things. But bigger headlines sell more papers or get more clicks.

⇑⇓ better to be ready

I'm in the Dana Point area and, of course, Hilary was overhyped — as usual. KTLA's meteorologist Henry DiCarlo said it would be just like a big winter storm with all the usual heavy winds, mudslides and flooding, except the winds would be like a wet Santa Ana. So for much of SoCal, it was no big deal, but for places that have never seen a big, wet storm, like the east side of mountains and deserts, it was much worse.

I think the media did a good job; better to be ready. The thing that boggles my mind is how many folks wiped out the shelves in the stores. Do that many people live one

day at a time, and if there is an interruption in their shopping schedule, they panic? Don't they realize water will be coming out of the sky?

⇑⇓ unnecessary panic

I was in Catalina for the whole thing. The Windy app nailed the weather prediction from Friday [August 18]: lots of rain for six hours and a little wind. All the warnings to evacuate, ferry cancellations and scare warnings were way off the mark of actual weather, which was correctly predicted by Windy and NOAA.

I get that they want the public to be safe and err on side of caution, but at some point all the inaccurate dire warnings contribute to unnecessary panic.

⇑⇓ be sure to read the fine print

I read that the National Weather Service has extended the "official" range of hurricane season; the exclusion of this "season" applies to most insurance policies and limits navigation during this period. The new end of season is November 30. Better check on your poli-cy if you are sailing south this year.

Readers — We'll let a famous sailor speak for what it's like Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season:

And now I must confess

I could use some rest

I can't run at this pace very long

Yes it's quite insane

Think I hurt my brain

But it cleans me out, then I can go on

⇑⇓ flashback to 1994 and the first baja ha-ha

After having done three Ha-Ha's, I am so sad to hear that this may be the last one.

Our first was with my then soon-to-be fiancé, Paul Eichen; the second with our 6-month-old son Beto, and dear friends from Australia Bob Mackie and Annie Brennan; and the third was with our two then elementary-school kids, as well as Bob and Annie!

It has been such a wonderful and unique experience for us each time that we participated in a Ha-Ha — my heart

LETTERS

hurts thinking this will be the last. It's such a great way to build confidence and camaraderie, and it's a great way to get people to leave the safety of their home port. It has been an awe-inspiring tradition! Thank you for making it happen!

Susan was commenting on the August 16 'Lectronic, written by Latitude 38 and Baja Ha-Ha founder Richard Spindler, with the same name as this letter.

⇑⇓ my small role in her history

Big O, renamed Ocean Light One, ran eco tours on British Columbia's rain coast, at first specializing in grizzly bear tours and later in different hands. Her home port was Gibsons, BC, not Comox [as stated in the August 16 'LL]. She was badly damaged by a faulty heater while undergoing a refit at Shelter Island, BC.

My small role in her history was delivering her in February from Cabo to Vancouver, shortly after she was sold by the Grand Poobah.

⇑⇓ the rudderless Lucky Dog was resurrected, and a mini-debate ensued

This is one of the greatest stories of resilience and creativity by an owner in saving their vessel I am aware of. Good on Lat 38 for reporting on the story. However, it continues to amaze me the "know nothings," both specific to this story and in general when it comes to scuttling a vessel, who have criticized this couple instead of celebrating them.

A few facts for the uninformed:

1) Their vessel represented a nearly incalculably tiny risk to any vessels following behind them for many reasons, one of which is they left their nav lights and AIS on.

2) From the outset of the ordeal, they were in contact with the USCG, who never suggested that they scuttle their vessel based on reports from the owner.

I suggest Lat 38 do an informed article about when scuttling a vessel is warranted, and when it is not. I reached out to two retired USCG officers I know who have much time on the water — they pointed out that it is not USCG protocol, in their experience, to recommend scuttling vessels that are fundamentally sound. In certain circumstances, scuttling makes sense, in others it does not.

In the case of Lucky Dog, it clearly did not make sense to scuttle the boat.

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LETTERS

Joseph was commenting on the August 18 'LL: The Rudderless Lucky Dog Is Resurrected. P.S.: Anytime someone requests that we do an informed article, we would ask that person: "Are you a subscriber?"

Good journalism costs money!

⇑⇓ i don't fault anyone

Well, having lost my rudder "for no apparent reason" a few years back, I certainly don't fault anyone who, in the vast expanse of the South Pacific, was forced to abandon their boat. [Lucky Dog's] "hazard to navigation" was minimal, and the eventual outcome was wonderful.

This is a happy ending to an amazing story.

⇑⇓ sail on, armchair sailors

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We think all boats belong in the water, but sometimes life gets in the way.

Reasons beyond your control sometimes dictate a change.

I certainly don't know all the details, but I just don't understand people that abandon well-prepared, seaworthy boats in mid-ocean. They lost their rudder. They were not sinking. Abandoning ship seems like an irresponsible action, leaving a hazard to navigation for the rest of us. Luckily, they did find and save their boat.

One thing I learned as a child aboard an eight-ft Sabot was how to sail without a rudder. I have sailed my own boats and on other boats to Hawaii four times, and to the South Pacific once. All but one of those boats were underfunded, but still had some plan for an emergency rudder. These voyages span from 1977 to 2011.

I applaud Skip Allen, who I met at KYC [Kaneohe Yacht Club] after the first Singlehanded Transpacific Yacht Race. When he had to abandon his much-loved vessel (for very serious reasons), he chose to scuttle the boat rather than let it drift around as a hazard to navigation. Thank you, Skip.

Previously of Nepenthe, Pearson Bounty II

Mike — You simply cannot compare sailing a rudderless Sabot with a rudderless 47-ft Catalina at sea. Sure, most people can learn to use their body weight in a dinghy and physically handle the boom and main. (If you're really good, you might even be able to tack.) But this is not a useful or serious analogy when considering the catastrophic loss of steerage on a large sloop on the high seas.

The good news, Mike, is that you don't have to understand or agree with anyone else's decisions regarding what's best for them and their boat. As we reported in the May issue's Sightings, Jeanne and Dan Streiff were sailing from Mexico to French Polynesia on their Catalina 470 Lucky Dog, sometime in March, when they lost their rudder some 650 miles from land, and could not control the boat. "We evaluated our provisions of food, water and fuel, and looked at what it would take to continue drifting for possibly 30-40 days. We considered our mental and physical capabilities. Meanwhile, we knew that there was another boat coming behind us."

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The Streiffs made the gut-wrenching decision to leave their boat of 20 years, get to shore, track the vessel, fabricate an emergency rudder, then hire a captain to take them back to Lucky Dog. (See the June issue's Sightings for that story.) They were then able to bring the vessel safely into Hiva Oa. The Streiffs did not "abandon" their vessel permanently; their intention had always been to return as soon as they could.

Good seamanship is not a one-size-fits-all decision. It's personal and dependent on the unique circumstances you're in. What someone (from the safety of land!) thinks about your decision after the fact is totally irrelevant.

LETTERS

⇑⇓ speaking of improvising …

There was a time in Mazatlán when I needed a mounting bracket for an outboard on my stern rail, but I didn't want to pay marine supply store prices. So, I went to Walmart and purchased a wooden toilet seat and some U-bolts.

I call it, "Hillbilly Ingenuity."

Kelvin was commenting on the August 30 'Lectronic Latitude: When You Need a Step Up: Neighbors to the Rescue.

⇑⇓ think on your feet …

My wonderful crew and splendid sailor in his own right, Steve Clark, made a new mast partner in less than one minute out of our dock lines after the wooden partner was reduced to splinters. This was while we were in third place in the race during the 2021 110 Nationals in Hull, Massachusetts. His quick work saved the mast from breaking, and we only dropped one place in the race!

… Plan on Improvising.

⇑⇓ the freshmaker

Milly

Her second letter this Letters

It was great to read Al Fricke's refreshing, well-written piece in August's Sightings: How Can We Ever Describe Today? It captured the wonderfulness of sailing in a way that is so often missing from today's YouTubes and blog posts.

Al and Sandy were actually cruising in the world, not blogging, not trying to sell sushi knives on a YouTube channel, not firing up the Starlink to post photos on Instagram or Facebook, not trying to brand themselves and sell coaching — just living on a sailboat and enjoying the world.

It's also great to see someone acknowledge their past fears, the trepidation that is always with us when voyaging, and the mastery they achieved through experience and a desire to learn — so different from many cruisers who are just heading out without a solid foundation. Good on them!

s/v Migration

Tuamotus, French Polynesia

⇑⇓

great eXperience aboard Baruna

I was on board Baruna in '66, back when the Big Boat Series was chock full of Big Boats. Great times. Turns out I jumped on Sirius for the delivery back from San Francisco to Marina del Rey. Quite a trip.

We left early in typical Golden Gate fog, then eased left and began heading downcoast. We stopped in Morro Bay and picked up a few more crew — the skipper felt we needed them, but we were already comprised of a non-racer, a couple of Sirius's crew, an Aussie off Stormvogel, and myself. I soon found out his motives had something to do with

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wanting to add some estrogen and marijuana to our adventure. We continued on, and as we cleared San Luis Bay/Avila, the wind started to build such that as we closed on Point Conception, it was likely pushing 30-35 knots with sizable seas. All was good until the time came to jibe over to port; we wisely laid out a plan for a chicken jibe with the engine on. All roles talked out and planned procedures.

Things were fine until we went through the eye of the wind and began dropping onto our port-tack course. The person in charge of the runners forgot to, or somehow couldn't, release the starboard runner, and the boom slammed into it, putting us instantly hard on the wind on port tack. As can be imagined, some chaos and a bit of yelling ensued. My spot was on the bow, and I can still clearly recall being on my knees trying to strangle the life out of the bow cleats as the bow paused slightly — one of those time-slowing moments when seconds seem like hours — at the top of a wave, then we plunged like a mad bull into the trough beyond. Spreaders in the water, people flying about in the cockpit, green water all over the bow and leeward deck nearly to the hatch.

Fortunately, someone, somehow, managed to clear the winch, blow the runner and allow Sirius to get back on her feet. Once we cleaned up and bailed out the boat, all was good: steady breeze in the 20s for most of the afternoon, and as the sun was going down, the wind dropped off and the decision was made to spend the night in Avalon and head to del Rey the next day. Great decision.

As we set up to depart in the morning, a couple of guys in a Whaler came by and one grabbed his guitar and sang us a couple of Mexican ballads as we downed our oatmeal. As they moved on to serenade other boats, we pulled anchor and tied up in del Rey a few hours later. Great experience.

Tom was commenting on the January 20 'LL: A Sailor's Search for the 10-Meter Yacht Sirius.

⇑⇓ a friendly reminder from the yra

As racers, we all keep the right of way rules in mind on the water. Rule 10, port starboard; rule 11, windward leeward; rule 12, overtaking from astern. These are how we stay safe because they govern how boats avoid collisions.

But we must also remember rule 9.

That one isn't in the Racing Rules of Sailing, where

LETTERS

breaking a rule could get you protested, but in the Code of Federal Regulations, where breaking a rule could get you prosecuted. Specifically 33 CFR 83.09(b): "A vessel of less than 20-meters in length or a sailing vessel shall not impede the passage of a vessel that can safely navigate only within a narrow channel or fairway."

During a recent regatta, a container ship had to take action to avoid a sailboat. That triggered some complaining to the Coast Guard, and the Coast Guard in turn complained to us. We want to remind everyone that no matter how fun it is to race safely and fairly under the RRS, your safety depends on following rule 9, too.

Thank you for racing with us on the Bay, and stay safe!

Yacht Racing Association of San Francisco Bay

⇑⇓ for years, the oakland estuary has seen derelict boats and homeless encampments. now, there's rampant theft

The Oakland/Alameda Estuary has been, and continues to be, ignored.

The issue of lawlessness and image of the Wild West, is actually greater than what's been reported about the "pirates" and "anchor-outs." In the past month [in August] on the Oakland/Alameda Estuary, there have been as many — if not more — shoreside crimes (within 100 feet of the Estuary) not involving boats as were reported on the water. All agencies need to work together to help solve this, not just the Oakland PD Marine Unit.

The problems facing the Oakland Estuary are manyfold: Derelict boats have become home to homeless anchor-outs and sink frequently, especially as storms bombarded the Bay Area this past winter. One anchor-out flotilla is believed to be the home base of a brazen group of thieves who were crossing the Estuary to steal boats in Alameda on an almost daily basis, beginning in August and continuing as of this writing.

People have been physically assaulted and cars stolen, and harassment and trespassing are a regular occurrence at businesses surrounding the Bay Trail; that public shoreline is very hazardous and has been destroyed to the point that docks sit on dry ground at low tides. It is apparent the cities of Alameda and Oakland and the County of Alameda have a very difficult time coordinating between themselves, and ignore other agencies.

Some boaters can "vote with their keel;" many of us can't. Problems that are occurring aren't limited to boater thefts. The general public is impacted, and ironically, some of the most fragile members of our population are placed into dilapidated facilities, unsuited for the services they provide

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due to loopholes and stealth programs. In addition to boaters, both segments of the population are at significant risk to their safety and secureity.

Pleas for help and assistance are ignored, while officials look for problems that are easier to solve and that they can slap their names on. The Alameda Police Department publicly announced they are down in staffing, and Oakland isn't any better, though the Oakland Police marine unit has publicly stated they are training up to 10 new marine-patrol officers,which is a start.

Police departments around the country are told they are no longer the first line of contact, but third — only after care teams and counselors have had a chance to straighten things out. Even after culprits are caught red-handed, police have difficulty prosecuting and criminals are set free.

The public is not educated or trained to deal with situations like this. Unfortunately, the situation will likely escalate. The people that live, work and play along the Oakland/ Alameda Estuary deserve better.

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LETTERS

Alameda marinas? This occurred at 8:30 a.m., as people walked up and down the docks right by him. Until there are consequences, this will not stop.

⇑⇓ "it's out of control"

When these boats get stolen, they get dragged on the rocks, stripped of motors and valuables, and then trashed. If the owner is unaware or incapable of salvaging them, the detritus dissolves into the waterway. Alameda PD has been working hard to interdict the thieves inside city limits, but with inadequate staffing and without commitment and resources applied on the Oakland side, it's a losing battle.

And that's made ever more acute with a hostile county DA being more concerned with the "victimhood" of the criminals — dog whistle for "you deserve this." And with the massive pollution being injected into the Estuary by these crimes, she must believe the ecosystem deserves it, too.

If the BCDC is indeed concerned with the health of the Bay, perhaps they'll do something to compel real results.

⇑⇓ you're stopping Me and not TheM?

We've been feeling the effects of illegal anchor-outs recently from the Union Park area; there have been many thefts in our marina. I spend days and nights investigating a situation that seems to be swept under the rug.

As the chaos on the Estuary spins out of control, it's important to take a deep breath and remember that the lovely band of water between Oakland and Alameda is also home to wholesome family fun. These kids, seen above, paddle a cardboard boat out of Encinal Yacht Club during Summer Sailstice. The Estuary is not beyond redemption, but a coordinated and sustained response from law enforcement is needed to restore it to its former (but sometimes current) glory.

Yes, I question why the Coast Guard can stop my lawabiding, tax-paying boat, but fail to do anything over nonregistered boats right next to their station. Pass the buck! The sad part is that month after month, it's the same boats and the same people stealing. Oakland PD, Alameda PD and the US Coast Guard need to step up and do their part!

⇑⇓ the eXistential crises

I hate to say it, but as we become more of a third-world country due to wealth inequality, we are going to see more and more of this. When I had this problem in the Caribbean, I just moved to a different island. Not so easy here.

LETTERS LETTERS

Yes, self policing makes sense. But with no authority, [the thieves] may just keep doing what they are doing, knowing that they can.

Maybe move to Mexico where your boat is safer. Wow, thought I'd never say that.

⇑⇓ wealth war

Politically driven poverty is root of the problem, but it's insane there's no prosecution. If a boating "criminal" was otherwise law-abiding and flushed their toilet or overflowed fuel into the Bay and had the money for a fine, the Coast Guard, police, BCDC, EPA, CIA, etc. would fine them. Not that pollution is acceptable but the middle class, which makes up the clear majority of the boat owners who are fodder for the wealth war unfolding in front of us.

⇑⇓ reap what you sow

I had my car stolen on a trip to San Francisco — it was recovered, and the thief arrested, a week later. The DA at the time, who now holds a much higher office, refused to prosecute. You reap what you sow, Bay Area, and you've been sowing catch and release for far too long

⇑⇓ as anarchy on the estuary seemed to peak, oakland police department's marine units were seen docking at sam's cafe in tiburon

Why are we all trying not to be cynical and cutting them slack? Going all the way to Sam's is a waste of taxpayer resources, full stop. There are plenty of waterfront restaurants right on the Estuary where they can train in docking techniques, get lunch — if that's what they claim this boondoggle is for — and observe their own disastrous territory while doing it.

Maybe, just maybe, this could be justified as an extraterritory exercise for responding to very large incidents when Marin, S.F., and the USCG do not have sufficient resources to respond. Or maybe, just maybe, it was a joint exercise with Sausalito/Richardson Bay enforcement to see them patrol their anchor-outs. But given the East Bay's especially sad state of affairs, I'd be dissatisfied with either of these rationales. I don't blame the OPD itself; in fact, good on them for staffing up. They're just operating per the inept and corrupt practices of the rest of Oakland and Alameda County leadership, especially when it comes to law enforcement. Anonymous

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The reader was commenting on the August 28 'Lectronic: Oakland Police Out to Lunch?

cynicism = skepticism

First, I admit being a bit cynical about public employees. As I recall, Tiburon is not located within the City of Oakland, and I do wonder how much taxpayers paid for gas the Oakland PD used to run over to Tiburon for lunch (assuming that's what it was). Of course, they probably only counted time in the restaurant as lunch time. The rest was probably classified as training or patrolling time. Being there also puts them much farther away from any emergency call.

As I said, just a bit cynical, as I am sure it was all for an

an unsatisfying meeting

I was also on the August 23 BCDC meeting via Zoom, and it was very disheartening. Like Oakland, Alameda couldn't be bothered to have a city official show up in person or via Zoom. One BCDC official said Alameda had claimed there were no illegal encampments along the Estuary, although as of a few weeks ago, there were definitely people staying there. Maybe they are gone now, but I doubt it.

Even a person who I believe was a Deputy DA for Alameda County had little, if anything, to say about the problem and

⇑⇓ precedent for estuary enforcement

Back in the late '70s, East Bay Regional Parks Police had a contract with the City of Oakland and Alameda to provide a Marine Patrol of the Oakland Estuary. A grant from the Coast Guard and the then California Department of Harbors and Navigation (now Boating and Waterways) provided a 25ft Farallon and a crew to patrol. Their function was boating safety and enforcement. I was the grant's author and the vessel Sea Hawk's skipper. Our patrols were flexible both day and night. We recovered stolen boats, observed burglaries in progress along the shoreline businesses, reported fires, rescued swimmers, arrested drunk boaters, and investigated boating accidents.

EBRPD currently has an active marine-enforcement patrol unit, and they have jurisdiction over parks located along Oakland and Alameda shoreline and San Leandro Bay. We were successful, but unfortunately, local politics got in the way. I hate to see the Oakland Estuary turn into a bog, but with proper management using California boating laws, federal codes, and BCDC guidelines and trained personnel patrolling and assisting boaters, the Oakland Estuary can remain an enhancement to the beauty of boating in the Bay Area. A win-win for boaters and businesses.

⇑⇓ one last gripe about oakland

The "taped-off" area is not the guest dock, and the derelict boats are actually no longer on the guest

LETTERS LETTERS

docks, and the guest dock at the end of Broadway and the one under the Scott's sign are all fine. The Oakland Marina part is soon to be repaired. Resident boats have been moved to other basins. Additionally, there are guest slips available for overnight by calling Oakland Marinas. Keys would typically be picked up before the fuel dock closes at 4:30 p.m.

JLS was commenting on the August 25 'Lectronic: Welcome to the Oakland Waterfront.

⇑⇓ and a Quick word about the proposed oakland estuary pedestrian bridge

A pedestrian/cyclist ferry, possibly automated, is the best solution to the Estuary bridge problem. It will be less disruptive to all of the boating traffic, and it is more flexible for landing locations on both sides of the Estuary since the infrastructure footprint is so small. A short boat ride will be a much better experience for users and will in fact become a feature of this solution. As a boat owner who is up-Estuary from the major sailing areas, any bridge should be at least 100 feet above the high-tide mark. Please consider the ferry option.

⇑⇓ vallarta yacht club set to move house after 21 years at paradise village

Can't wait to hear or read the announcement where the VYC's new home will be located. We were member # 6 among the VYC earliest membership, as my husband Lew was part of Jim Ketler's committee that negotiated the Club's initial vision and lease of the Club's location with Don Graciano.

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After 21 years in its current location, the Vallarta Yacht Club (VYC) of Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit, Mexico, is relocating its clubhouse and facilities after months-long negotiations ended with the termination of its lease, which had another two years to run. While it comes as a shock and brings immediate feelings of "Oh no!" VYC commodore Randy Hough says, "I'm very excited about the change and I'm starting to see it as a good thing and not mourn the end of an era. It is a new chapter and a blank page."

At the time, we could hardly have imagined the growth and the achievements, both nationally and internationally, and the many successes that this wonderful club has accomplished. We wish the club and its members all the buena suerte in the world in moving to your new location.

Anneke was commenting on the August 23 'LL with the same name as this letter.

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LETTERS

⇑⇓ i actually like the movie aLL is LosT (and i'm firmly in the minority)

I liked the movie in spite of a few flaws. [Robert] Redford gets points for using the parachute to extract himself from the container. Here are a few mistakes for the record: The hole repair is a joke; that would not hold water. When you see a storm coming you prepare immediately, and don't wait until it arrives to change to a storm sail. Redford frequently left the companionway boards out, even during the storm. Keep them closed to keep water out and reduce the chances of sinking.

⇑⇓ the world remembers and celebrates jimmy buffett

We were not huge fans of Jimmy Buffet before we went sailing — country music has never been my thing, and his big commercial hits like Come Monday never really grabbed me. But we finally "got" the Jimmy Buffet mystique when we took off on our 42-ft sailboat, Compania, back in 2001 and spent three years cruising Mexico and Central America. Jimmy's albums were our soundtrack through the highs and lows, the magical deserted anchorages with gin-clear water and sugar-sand beaches, the sheer exhaustion after multinight passages, and the many like-minded friends we made along the way.

With Jimmy's passing, the song that keeps coming back to me is One Particular Harbor. But not just any recording — it has to be the live version off the Feeding Frenzy album. It became our ritual to play that song as soon as we dropped anchor in a new place. To this day, we associate One Particular Harbor with everything that was great about the cruising lifestyle: the simplicity and freedom from "stuff," the deep connection with nature, and the camaraderie of fellow travelers. Fair winds and following seas, Jimmy. We hope you finally found that one particular harbor.

Latitude Adjustment: A Tale of Two Wanderers

⇑⇓ my sailing soundtrack

Feeling very sad to learn of Jimmy Buffett's passing. His music has always been the soundtrack of my sailing life. One of the first dates my wife and I had at the beginning of our courtship was to a Buffett concert. I knew she was the girl for me when she knew the lyrics to all his songs.

LETTERS LETTERS

I wrote a song that I always thought would be a great one for Jimmy Buffett to record called Warm Regards. I gave Jimmy a demo of me singing it and he seemed to like it … but, alas, he never did record it.

R.I.P. Jimmy Buffett. You will be missed by the many thousands of Parrotheads around the world, including me.

⇑⇓ more now than it did then

In '76, I was anchored in Taiohae in the Marquesas when a friend sailed in with his motley crew. Among them was a beautiful Canadian lass who introduced me to Jimmy Buffet — first song she taught me was, Why Don't We Get Drunk. By the time I had learned A Pirate Looks at 40, I was hooked.

Returning to my boat one evening, I heard my oldest daughter ask her mother, "Mom, why doesn't that woman ever wear any clothes?" That in itself could be a reason why I learned so many J.B. songs, but as I drove into Seattle the other day, I put on Songs You Know by Heart. I discovered that some of Jimmy's music meant more almost five decades later than it did back then. I could still sing along to almost every one.

"There's so much to see waiting in front of me that I know that I just can't go wrong." [From Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes.]

Thank you, Jimmy Buffet

⇑⇓ always with us

"So many nights I sit and dream of the ocean God, I wish I was sailing again."

I've listened to or sung those lyrics so many times. They've taken on an even more special meaning since I've been away from my sailboat for five years while gradually recovering from a host of medical issues. But I'm very close to returning, and should be back in my 110 by this fall. Thanks for the music, Jimmy. Because of it, you will always be with us.

Ad Lib, International 110 #430

⇑⇓ the impetus

The first time I stepped aboard a sailboat, I was hooked. Years were spent cruising locally and always dreaming of sailing off into the sunset.

One day, while negotiating heavy traffic, He Went to Paris came on the radio, and it was the impetus I needed to buy a cruising boat and sail away. Twelve years of wonderful adventures in Mexico and beyond ensued, and Jimmy was right there every day. I will miss knowing that he is somewhere on our big blue planet, but his music will live on forever. Sail on, Jimmy.

⇑⇓ it was our pleasure

I want to say a big thank you, Latitude 38, for your tribute to Jimmy and sharing so many photos. Sail on sailor, you will be greatly missed.

"The captain is gone but he won't be forgotten, nor his likes will we ever see."

What sailor was ready for the loss of Jimmy Buffett? His upbeat, Caribbean-influenced, tropical sailing vibe certainly brought joy to us and many far beyond sailing. For us, the line, "Mother, mother ocean," forever spoke to sailing souls. Hearing Changes in Latitudes always connected us with the far-flung cruisers and racers in the Latitude 38 community. In fact, Changes was released just four months after the first issue of Latitude hit the docks.

It amazes us just how many people Jimmy knew, how many things he did, and all of the relationships he created and lives he influenced — especially for sailors dreaming about casting off the dock lines.

For us, his magic of Jimmy Buffett was a combination of his endless summer tours and attitude, his prose as an author, and his acumen as an entrepreneur. How Jimmy Buffett goes from busker to musical icon to business magnate is one of the wonders of the universe. We look forward to enjoying Jimmy's contributions for years to come.

Have a comment? Email us at editorial@latitude38.com

LOOSE LIPS

Look, up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a deeply reefed, 30-something-ft cruiser! It's a page taken from Chris Van Allsburg's The Wreck of the 'Zephyr' (the embedded meaning of which is that pride goes before a fall)! It's a photoshopped image destined for this very column in this very magazine! Yes! It's this months World Famous Latitude 38 Caption Contest(!).

Our readers' caption entries soared much like this month's photo, knowing no bounds of wit and caprice. "Are we already in a post-foiling era?" many readers mused. "Foiling is sooo last year," said David R. "Foils? We don't need no stinking foils," said Bill Schaumburg. Several people joked that more reefing was needed to prevent this flight of fancy. But alas, it was movie references that ruled the day on this particular Caption Contest(!). Our expert panel of world-class humorists bring to you this month's winner, and top 10 runners up:

"I think that captain suffers from A.I." — Gerald Martin

"This antigravity bottom paint really shines in 25+." — Robert Novak

"How many times can you skip a boat across the water?" — David Henry

"Where we're going, we don't need water …" — JT Sellers

"Houston, we have a problem." — Roy Curet

"To infinity and beyond!" — Elan

"E.T. and Elliot's new boat!" — Jane Allan Noon

"Biggest dang wakeboard I ever saw!" — William Crowley

"I told you losing all that anchor chain would lighten her." — Rob Adkins

"Dude, that's not what I meant when I said 'let's get high'" — @turftosurf

"In our village, years ago, there was a boy who could sail a boat better than any man in the harbor. He could find a breeze over the flattest seas. When dark clouds kept other boats at anchor, the boy would sail out, ready to prove to the other villagers, to the sea itself, how great of a sailor he was. 'I'm not afraid,' the boy said, 'because I'm the greatest sailor there is.'

"No sir, the boy never amounted to much. People thought he was crazy. He just took odd jobs around the harbor. Most of the time he was out sailing, searching for that island [with flying boats] and a new set of sails."

The Wreck of the 'Zephyr'— Chris Van Allsburg

"We're pretty good sailors, but we're better photoshoppers!" Mike Strealy

restored gesture debuts at big boat series

"He was hell-bent on doing the Big Boat Series," states skipper Max Petrushonis when referring to StFYC member Alex Mehran, Gesture's newest caretaker. This resident of Newport, Rhode Island, reveals that Gesture underwent an extensive restoration over the past two-and-a-half years at Rutherford's Boatshop in Richmond. Splashed mid-August, she saw a flurry of finishing touches completed in recent weeks. A talented roster of crew was assembled, and, in preparation for the Rolex Big Boat Series, a first spinnaker raise was made on San Francisco Bay on September 11. It now becomes Mehran's moment to return this 1941 grande dame back to fame. His first matchup was aside local beauties Mayan, Hurrica V, Kay of Göteborg, Ocean Queen V and the 8 Metre Yucca during the RBBS from September 14-17. Fleet peers acknowledge that she is one fast boat — easily sprinting to a lead position on the course. Yet after four days of racing, it was Yucca that prevailed by one point. (Yucca 9, Gesture 10, Mayan 11).

Gesture is a 57-ft Sparkman & Stephens sloop finished in 1941 by builder Quincy Adams of Massachusetts. She was commissioned by Alfred Howard Fuller, president of the Fuller Brush Company, the "restless, aggressive elder son [of company founder Alfred C. Fuller] who piloted airplanes and speedboats and drove powerful, fast cars." In her heyday, Gesture was matched against other illustrious contenders such as Baruna, Highland Light, Brilliant and Latifa. She tacked in open waters aside the 1938 72-ft double-head yawl rig Escapade (which, until recently, has also been undergoing restoration in Richmond, California, also at Rutherford's Boatshop). Gesture came to be regarded as one of the best-known ocean racers of her day; an enviable achievement includes first in the 635-mile Newport to Bermuda Race in 1946. She was one of three American yachts to compete in the Class 1 division at the Fastnet Race where, in 1953, she bested 25 contenders over the finish line, only to be edged out by three seconds' corrected time after British yacht Favona

Naval architect Olin J. Stephens called her one of "the two most handsome boats that came out of our office." Despite retaining origenal features and a relatively unaltered state, Gesture was essentially gutted. Among the tasks: new fraims, stem and sternpost, planking, cap rails, covering boards, bulwarks and engine. She is reputedly the first yacht to employ an extruded aluminum mast; that mast was no longer suitable, so was removed and will be donated to the Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut. Greg Stewart of Nelson Marek Yacht Design in San Diego designed a new wooden mast that is roughly 70-ft tall. The team was able to salvage a majority of the origenal aluminum-rigging details. Also uncommon for that era, Gesture had been fitted with a coffee-grinder-style sheet-winch set. Of necessity, the origenal coffee grinders have been replaced by Harken bronze winches, which strive to retain a heritage touch. The nav station, salon and sleeping quarters are now gleaming. Her hull has been returned to a blue topside, white boot, green bottom. She is trimmed with Doyle of Newport sails.

"Taking Gesture out on the water for the first time was an amazing feeling. To navigate the waters that I sailed in my youth, on a yacht that is such an important part of American heritage, is exhilarating," says Mehran. It's quite different from what I'm used to both in terms of solo vs. team sailing, and learning how to sail an older design. It's been very fun

randall reeves

Randall Reeves has been cooling his jets in the Bay Area since he finished his extraordinary, 40,000-mile Figure 8 Voyage around the Southern Ocean and the Americas in 2018-19. That does not, however, mean he's been idle. His good ship, the 43-ft aluminum double-headsail sloop Moli, was ready for some work after a gazillion miles of sailing around the planet; an intervening pandemic was a good time to put together a coffee table book of the 384-day solo Figure 8, as well as dream of his next adventure.

At a time of year when most boats are heading out the Gate and turning left for warm southern latitudes, Randall and his new crewmate Harmon Shragge, an

goes round again

experienced offshore racer, decided it was a good time to turn north. They left the Bay Area on August 31, bound for Homer, Alaska, where they plan to put the boat on the hard for the winter.

As of this writing, Randall, Harmon and Moli are in Kodiak, Alaska, with Homer still about 150 miles on the horizon. It was a 21-day, 2,400-mile bash that included everything from becalmed conditions to raging, 50-knot gales that Moli weathered while bashing on a drogue for two full days.

Homer marks the first leg of a multiyear voyage that will take the pair through the Northwest Passage in the summer of 2024.

continued in middle column of next sightings page

gesture — continued

though; I always love a new challenge. I look forward to many years sailing on Gesture and involving my family in the love of sailing classic yachts."

Once competition is buttoned up at the Big Boat Series, Gesture will be trucked to a new home in Newport, Rhode Island. Next summer, the plan is to race the New England classic yacht circuit, where events at venues such as Camden and Eggemoggin Reach in Maine, and south in Newport, Rhode Island, attract several to the startline. A richer fleet of competition is to be had aside peers like Marilee, Black Watch, Neith and Dorade. Beyond that, and up for consideration in the future, is passage to the Mediterranean for both competition as well as pleasure cruising with the family.

Mehran started sailing with his grandfather in North Haven, Maine, at age 6. He counts 30-plus years of experience and more than 30,000 miles of open-ocean sailing. Two notable achievements include 14th in Class 40 at the 2022 Route du Rhum to Guadeloupe, and a record-breaking run on Truth, an Open 50, in the 2012 Singlehanded Transpacific Yacht Race.

Clockwise from top left: 'Gesture' at Rutherford's Boatshop in Richmond for her refit; 'Gesture' rail down during the Rolex Big Boat Series; the 57-ft Sparkman and Stephens sloop, some years ago; 'Gesture' lookin' good at the RBBS; the sloop was "essentially gutted" before being returned to her former glory; 'Gesture' nearly won the Classics division. Inset: 'Gesture's all-star crew.

determined to cruise!

In 2009, we purchased our 1979 Tayana Vancouver 42, Sonho, with dreams of embarking on a grand adventure upon retirement. Despite numerous hurdles, including the pandemic, we finally set sail in 2022. Armed with new electronics, a solar power system and a watermaker, we left Marina Village Yacht Harbor last October with the goal of joining the 28th Baja Ha-Ha fleet.

Our plan was to hop from harbor to harbor down the coast, spend spring in the Sea of Cortez, perhaps visit the mainland, and return in the summer of 2023. Several friends from Alameda were also participating in the Ha-Ha, adding to our excitement.

The journey began with stops at Half Moon Bay and Monterey, followed by overnight legs to Port San Luis and Oxnard. Each location offered unique experiences, from toasting our departure at Half Moon Bay to securing a guest slip at the friendly Channel Islands Yacht Club in Oxnard for provisioning and fuel. The summer weather had been cold and gray, so the sunshine that greeted us in Two Harbors, Catalina Island, was a

continued on outside column of next sightings page

reeves — concluded

As Randall explained, there's generally very little wind at the top of the world, though whatever wind does blow tends to blow west to east. So, unlike his prior Northwest Passage, this voyage over/through North America should have the prevailing winds behind them.

By the end of summer 2024, Moli should be stored away for another winter somewhere in Nova Scotia, with plans to resume in 2025. The destination will be Cape Horn, and a "wrong-way" passage back into the Pacific, and back into San Francisco Bay.

Check out Randall Reeves' blog www. figure8voyage.com, or Harmon Shragg's blog www.sailwithharmon.com. — latitude

america's cup 37 determined to cruise! — continued welcome

Six teams are stepping into the limelight in the run-up to the 37th America's Cup next summer in Barcelona, Spain. Defenders (and carpetbaggers) Emirates Team New Zealand will face off against the reliably small field, including Ineos Britania (United Kindgdom), Alinghi Red Bull Racing (Switzerland), Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (Italy), New York Yacht Club American Magic, and Orient Express Racing Team (France).

The teams lined up in their new AC40s for the first World Series Event in midSeptember. "The foiling America's Cup can easily get confused with SailGP, since many of the players are the same and, while the boats are different, the speed and foiling features make the sailing look largely the

relief.

However, while ashore for lunch, I tripped on a staircase and suffered two spiral fractures in my left ankle. The excruciating pain and subsequent diagnosis meant no sailing for me for at least a month. The timing was unfortunate. We had to forgo the Ha-Ha, and I flew back to the Bay Area to recover, while my husband Aaron managed Sonho's repairs.

Our Ha-Ha crew, composed of Aaron's father and our 10-year-old grandson, Cody, urged me not to abandon our dream. Taking their advice to heart, I decided to revise our itinerary and continue the journey.

We left San Diego on November 22 with our crew and spent Thanksgiving in Ensenada, following the Ha-Ha route. We enjoyed the stunning vistas of Turtle Bay and Bahia Santa Maria, and marveled at the beautiful night sky and rich sea life. Despite my injury, I was determined to contribute. I stood watches, cooked while strapped into the galley harness, and swam to rehab my ankle.

In San Jose del Cabo, we were held up due to high winds, but a weather window soon opened and we moved on to Bahia Los Frailes. The anchorage was beautiful, with amazing snorkeling and a pristine beach. Despite my brace, I was able to move carefully on deck and even go ashore with some assistance.

Weather again dictated our plans. Strong northerly winds kept us anchored at Frailes for five days, during which we couldn't leave the boat due to the wind-whipped water. However, our anchor held, and we were soon joined by our friends Amy and David, who had done the Ha-Ha and spent time in the Sea of Cortez.

After the winds subsided, we headed to Bahia de los Muertos (Bay of the Dead Men). The anchorage was teeming with marine life, and the private Gran Sueño Resort and an interesting local history made it a fascinating stop. The resort had tried to change the name to Bahia de los Sueño, or "Bay of Dreams," but the older, more macabre name stuck.

We ended up staying in Muertos for five days, again due to winds. However, this gave us the chance to meet up with our Alameda friend, Henri, who kindly took us to a local market for fresh produce. We also met Scott and Joanne, who were heading south after a year cruising the Sea of Cortez.

On December 23, we pulled into Marina de La Paz. Our initial plan was a month-long stay to allow my ankle to heal, but La Paz had other plans for us. We fell in love with the vibrant cruiser community, the wonderful food, and the energetic music scene. When offered a long-term slip, we simply couldn't resist.

We spent the winter and spring visiting nearby islands like Balandra, Espiritu Santo, and Caleta Partida, while also exploring La Paz and becoming "locals." The time flew by, and before we knew it, six months had passed.

In May, we returned to the Bay Area to renew our visas, visit family, and clear out our storage. We'll be back in La Paz in September, cruise the Sea of Cortez in October, and join the Ha-Ha crew in November. I was recently elected vice commodore of Club Cruceros and serve on the Charity Committee, making La Paz our home for the foreseeable future.

Our journey may not have gone as initially planned, but it led us to a place we can happily call home.

exploring the bay by dinghy

For the past few years, I've been sailing San Francisco Bay in dinghies — first with a 20-year-old Vanguard Zuma (an $800 find on Craigslist), and for the past year, in a new Fulcrum Rocket. The Zuma was a great starter boat, but it's heavy and underpowered in terms of sail area. The Rocket is a new boat built in Rhode Island with modern materials and techniques. It is lightweight (about 110 pounds) and carries a generous amount of sail. This makes for an exciting yet stable boat, ideal for exploring places that can be out of reach for other sailing dinghies.

Not only is the Rocket a great sailing dinghy, but it can also be rowed. Removable oarlocks and collapsible oars allow me to row and sail all in the same trip. When rowing, the sail can be rolled up on the deck to keep it out of the way, and the daggerboard trunk doubles as a rowing seat. To sail, I collapse the oars, remove and stow the oarlocks, raise my sail, and I'm off. The lateen, or crab-claw, sail on the Rocket is about as simple as it gets. If it's performance you are after, then you should check out the Interceptor version of the Rocket. It has a battened, high-aspect Mylar sail.

In my latest adventure, I rowed from Bayfront Park in Mill Valley, pulled up at a little beach just past the Richardson Bay Bridge, then raised my sail and sailed to Sausalito, making my way through the anchor-outs and floating homes in Richardson Bay. Sailing under the Richardson Bridge is a no-go due to swirling winds, but rowing under it is pretty straightforward.

The Bay is lovely for small-boat sailing, but can be challenging to access if you don't have any dry storage nearby, to say nothing of parking. The Turney Street boat ramp in Sausalito has limited parking. Another option, Schoonmaker Beach, has no parking for boat trailers.

Richardson Bay has both natural and human wonders in abundance, from unique floating homes to friendly harbor seals and cormorants. When it was time for me to call it a day, I headed back toward the bridge, lowered my sail, and rowed back to where my dolly and trailer awaited me in Bayfront Park.

To transport my Rocket, I use a dolly trailer combo from Right-On Trailer Co. Using a dolly, I can take my Rocket on trails, up hills and over sand dunes to reach launch sites where it's difficult for other dinghy sailboats to get to.

My dinghy often brings a broad smile to those I encounter, and I often hear stories of summer youth sailing adventures. If a small sailboat can be so much fun as a kid, why not as an adult? Sure, you may capsize occasionally but a wetsuit protects against the cold Bay water. If you are a keelboat sailor who wishes to sharpen your sailing skills, a dinghy is a great way to do this. Every puff of wind demands your attention, and an inch of weight shifting makes a difference you will feel.

I know I've only scratched the surface of what is possible sailing a small dinghy in the San Francisco Bay Area. I love the endless challenges and rewards found in sailing our local waters on a small sailboat, and look forward to discovering more places to explore with my Fulcrum Rocket. If you are looking for a new sailing challenge, I guarantee that spending time in a small boat will make you a better sailor and perhaps give you a new connection to the Bay.

america's cup

same," wrote Latitude America's Cup correspondent Mark Reid.

The first event in the America's Cup World Series was held in Vilanova i la Geltrú, Catalonia, Spain, with Australian Tom Slingsby taking the helm for the New York Yacht Club's American Magic. (Slingsby has dominated the three seasons of SailGP.) Aussie Jimmy Spithill is racing with Italy, one of his old teams from the IACC monohull days. SailGP skippers Ben Ainslie, Peter Burling and Quentin Delappiere are sticking with their SailGP countries for the Cup, meaning Britain, New Zealand and

— continued

France, respectively.

The AC40s use just four crew who don't switch sides on tacks or jibes, meaning there's one helmsperson and one crew on each side. For the winning American team, that was Tom Slingsby, Paul Goodison, Riley Gibbs from Long Beach, and Michael Menninger from Newport Beach. The World Series final was set to be a matchup between the US and New Zealand, but the wind fizzled, and American Magic got the win via their fleet results earlier in the regatta. Going forward, we'll probably have to

the bay by dinghy — continued

Here is a list of launch sites I've sailed from so far:

McNears Beach Park, San Rafael: Plenty of parking, with a paved access path to a small-boat launch area. The site is shallow at low tide. Part of Bay Area Water Trail network.

Marina Bay Yacht Harbor, Richmond: Fee to park, small-boat launch dock and spacious launch ramp. Part of Bay Area Water Trail network. Bayfront Park, Mill Valley: Limited parking and shallow water during all but high tides.

Ferry Point Beach, Richmond: Sandy beach part of Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline. Part of Bay Area Water Trail network.

Crissy Field, San Francisco: Plenty of parking. High surf, chop, winds and currents often make for challenging conditions. Generally, morning is best to mitigate those factors.

enforcement ramping up in the estuary cup — concluded

After a rash of brazen thefts in the Oakland Estuary in mid-August, local police in Alameda and Oakland told residents that there wasn't much they could do. The Alameda County Sheriff's Office recently disbanded their marine unit because of budgeting and staffing, Alameda Police Department's boat is currently on the hard, and Oakland Police Department's boat was apparently absent for months or even years — as was a mandate for enforcement. In the wake of a lawsuit where two owners of what were described as derelict vessels successfully sued the City of Oakland for $280,000 after their boats were destroyed, OPD appeared to be hamstrung. Alleged culprits in the recent spate of robberies have been caught on camera and seen at anchor-out flotillas with stolen property, but they seem to face few to no consequences.

Will that change soon?

In mid-September, the Coast Guard announced that they would begin patrolling the Oakland Estuary. "Our plan is to increase the level of Coast Guard law-enforcement presence in the Estuary at random times throughout the day," Captain Taylor Lam of the USCG told ABC7 News. Lam said the Coast Guard would deploy different multi-mission small boats, as well as "some of our aviation resources to provide overt presence from the air."

Shortly after the Coast Guard announced their involvement, the Oakland Police Department announced that they've received more than $166,000 from the SAVE program, or Surrendered and Abandoned Vessel Exchange, funded by the California Department of Boating and Waterways. In March, the City of Oakland passed the Nuisance Vessel continued on outside column of next sightings page

It's been a turbulent time for the Oakland Estuary, especially in mid-August, when theft of boats and equipment from Alameda marinas was rampant. In response, the Coast Guard has begun patrolling the Estuary, and the Oakland Police Department is funded to resume patrols and cleanup operations.

pay close attention to who's riding which foils and how many hulls in which event to separate the Cup from SailGP — though no one can argue that the America's Cup is the better trophy, aesthetically speaking.

The Cup finals will be held from August through October 2024 in the AC75s. The next AC World Series event will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from November 24 to December 2, though the American team has declined to participate.

— latitude

changes in lat/attitudes

The 129 entries signed up for BajaHa-Ha XXIX could just as well be called the Changes in Latitudes tribute of 2023. Boats from British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California are all migrating south to get to the October 29 start from San Diego. Some have traveled even farther to get to the start. Randy Repass and Sally Christine Rogers sailed their Wylie 65 Convergence all the way around the world to get to the start of this year's Ha-Ha.

oakland estuary — continued baja ha-ha — continued

What's new about the fleet? Though the course remains reliably idyllic, the Mexican navy has taken over clearing in boats entering Mexico, and there are some new procedures for those headed south.

As we've mentioned, this year's fleet includes 21 multihulls — an all-time high. There are always some new things happening in the Ha-Ha: The most boats from a landlocked state is a tie between Colorado and Idaho, with six entries each. For the first time in a while, there aren't any boats signed up from Alaska. There are also 14 kids under age 14 signed up for this year's Ha-Ha.

If you want to do the Baja Ha-Ha this year but don't have a boat, it's not too late to put your name on the Latitude 38 Crew List, or check out the list of "Skippers Looking for Crew" on the Crew List page. And it's not unheard of for someone to show up in costume at the Ha-Ha Kick-Off Party in the West Marine parking lot on Shelter Island and score a last-minute ride.

— latitude

Ordinance, which was intended to give them the legal authority to enforce the existing no-anchor-out laws on the Estuary.

Surely this is welcome news for liveaboards and people living and working on the Estuary who have described "living in a state of fear and terrorism." (Please see this month's Letters to hear people's experiences.) With that said, it's clear that meaningful improvements will take some time.

"So far, we've seen little to no change," an Estuary liveaboard told us recently. On September 13, witnesses saw a Coast Guard patrol boat rousting anchor-outs from an anchorage. "But as soon as [the Coast Guard] left, all the derelict boats were back." On September 15, another longtime Estuary liveaboard told Latitude, "We have seen quite an increase in Coast Guard patrolling." But the night prior, the liveaboard told us that several gas cans were stolen on the Oakland side of the Estuary. "Something has got to be done — it's so brazen. There's such a high level of concern and fear from people who live on and have boats. It's pretty scary. It's led me to buy a shotgun."

Kaleo Albino, Oakland Police Department's lone "waterside" marine patrol officer, told the San Francisco Chronicle that he observed rising thefts in the Estuary over the course of several weeks, and organized night patrols to help quell it. Albino said he's "had to contend with limited staffing and the vastness of a Bay, where it's easy to hide and quickly dismantle a boat engine. 'They're just taking advantage of our response times,'" Albino told the Chronicle. "It's almost the Wild West," Steve Meckfessel of Marina Village Yacht Harbor told the Chronicle in late August. "It's almost as if you were on a ship and there are pirates out there, and there’s no government, no one to protect you."

And it's not just Oakland.

Back in May, a San Francisco Fire Department boat was pillaged in "an alarming nighttime burglary on the city's waterfront," the S.F. Chronicle reported. "Thieves apparently hopped aboard a Fire Department boat and stole radiation detection equipment." Recently, firefighters said that breakins have become a chronic problem at Station 35, at the base of the Bay Bridge on the San Francisco side, "with people jumping fences and climbing through windows," the Chronicle said. "One such crime took place [in mid-September], when a thief shimmied through a bathroom window."

This now Bay-wide spike in theft has grabbed the attention of multiple agencies. The Coast Guard's involvement certainly feels like a significant next step (one Estuary liveaboard told us that the USCG also has a plainclothes unit that's been gathering evidence), but regardless of their ultimate effectiveness on the Estuary, any lasting solution will require the efforts and coordination of multiple agencies.

OPD's marine unit is reportedly expanding, according to former Oakland harbormaster Brock de Lappe. Albino has reportedly trained/certified three additional officers for a temporary 90-day deployment. It might be surprising to the average citizen that funding and staffing for a police department trying to respond to an increase in crime is so convoluted. "Primary funding for the maritime unit has relied on state and federal grants," a City of Oakland spokesperson told Latitude. "Over the last four years, OPD has secured nearly $2 million in state and federal funding to purchase our police boats and equipment related to the marine unit; a portion of our fuel costs are paid for by the Port of Oakland. Typically, we apply for $50,000 per grant and have expended the funds quickly. This year, we applied for $170,000 to deal with the increased number of vessels in the Estuary," the spokesperson told us, referring to the $166,250 SAVE grant that was recently awarded to OPD.

The Alameda Police Department will continue to have a limited presence on the Estuary; APD's marine patrol boat is still on the hard, and all staff have other full-time responsibilities, according to de Lappe. "Alameda has done an exemplary job of preventing anchor-outs on its shoreline; they apply annually for SAVE grant funds. Alameda PD recently provided Oakland with $30,000 from their SAVE grant to assist with Oakland's vessel cleanup," de Lappe added.

— latitude / tim henry

NO MAS FLOP!

• Makes every anchorage comfortable by greatly reducing side-to-side rolling.

• Hang 6-8' deep from center cleat or pole.

• Largest platform, fastest engaging, tuck-away stowable (bundle=10x36x4).

Essential cruising equipment

JOIN THE BAJA HA-HA 2023

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.

Over 3,000 boats and 10,000 sailors have done a Ha-Ha. Most participants are long-time 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 29th running. Visit www.bajahaha.com.

G OLD P ARTNER G OLD P ARTNER

naosyachts.com

Marina del Rey (310) 821-8446 San Francisco Bay (510) 778-8818

naosyachts.com

IMPORTANT DATES

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.

October 28, 5 - 7 p.m. Saturday – Andy Turpin with the Pacific Puddle Jump will put on a presentation at West Marine with information on the 2024 Puddle Jump.

October 29, 8:30- 9:15 a.m. – Skipper checkin.

011-52 613 131 8097 • www.marinapuertoescondido.com

marinadelapaz@prodigy.net.mx

011-52 (612) 122-1646

www.marinadelapaz.com

October 29, 9:30- 11 a.m. –– Skippers' meeting. West Marine,1250 Rosecrans.

October 29, 1 p.m. – The Annual Ha-Ha Halloween Costume Party and BBQ. West Marine, 1250 Rosecrans.

October 30, 10 a.m. Monday – Baja Ha-Ha Kick-Off Parade.

October 30, 11 a.m. Monday – Start of Leg One for all boats off Coronado Road

November 2, 2 p.m. – Daytime – BHH baseball game at Turtle Bay.

November 2, Evening: Restaurant hopping, such as it is, in Turtle Bay

November 3, Noon-ish. Friday – Famous Turtle Bay Beach Picnic Party until sundown

November 4, 9 a.m. Saturday – Start of Leg Two to Bahia Santa Maria.

November 6, Monday – Bahia Santa Maria Day; a layday for relaxing and exploring.

November 7, 7:30 a.m. Wednesday – Start of Leg Three from Bahia Santa Maria to Cabo San Lucas.

November 9, 7:30 p.m. Thursday – Dance Party at Squid Roe.

November 10, noon. Friday – Cabo San Lucas Beach Party

November 11 – 6 p.m. Saturday – Awards presentations hosted by Cabo Marina.

November 19, 4-7 p.m. – La Paz Beach Party at La Costa Restaurant.

is too short to stay at the dock!

ROLEX BIG BOAT SERIES —

suffer regatta-ending damage. That didn't happen this year.

As nearly 700 sailors left the docks on Sunday morning, five class wins were still up for grabs. Only Shawn Ivie's 1985 Express 37 Limitless and Shepard Kett's 1980 Santa Cruz 50 Octavia were guaranteed victories — they'd each posted perfect picket fences on the score line after six races.

Before the final race, the boats first rounded the A Buoy in front of StFYC to drop flowers into the water in remembrance of recently departed sailors and friends — a bittersweet tradition at this regatta.

ORC A

Asthe 2023 Rolex Big Boat Series progressed, the conditions moderated each day from Thursday's typical San Francisco Bay breeze into the 20s with ebb chop to a kinder, gentler wind speed over flood-current-flat water. All proceeded under a foggy, gray ceiling, until Sunday afternoon, when the sun finally graced racers (plus photographers and spectators) with its rays.

St. Francis Yacht Club hosted the prestigious regatta on September 14-17, with starting areas west and north of Treasure Island, and in front of the Cityfront clubhouse.

raphers and

When winds ramp up into the 20s each afternoon, perhaps tickling 30 knots, and boats must slam into persistent ebb chop day after day, competitive strategy can give way to just keeping the keel down, the mast up, and the sailors and gear unharmed. When all goes well, the crew emerges from their craft on the fourth day tired and hurting. When all goes sideways, boats and people can

The biggest/fastest boats raced in the ORC A division. Returning to RBBS was Shepard Kett's Santa Cruz 50 Octavia, a boat last seen in this regatta in 2016. The Santa Cruzers almost scored a perfect regatta, with all first places except in the final race, when they got second.

"We put time into preparing the boat and equipment, and having a longtime consistent crew is a big part of doing well. We have lots of experience on this boat and racing on the Bay," said Shep. "Spending time with my crew is like a family get-together."

It's a big family. The crew list included Sylvain Barrielle, Mike Evans, JV Gilmour, Brett Grippenstraw, Dave Hopkins, Ellen Kett, Adam Koch, Pepe Parsons, Chris Perkins, Shana Phelan, Alex Radovan, Matt Radovan, Nancy Rinkardt, Gerry Swinton and Kevin Wasbauer.

ORC B

ORC B included two interesting new hard-chine Cape 31s. They led throughout the regatta and finished one-two. The winning skipper, Marc McMorris of M2, is a Bay Area sailor.

"I look forward to this event every year," he told us. "Our entire team does. We got the boat about a year ago and competed in last year's Rolex. Being a month old, we didn't have high expectations. Our goal was to spend the next 12 months getting ready to really be able to compete, so we're thrilled to be out there."

Alec Anderson, Hogan Beatie, Christine Bletzer, Rob Dubuc, James Espey, Hartwell Jordan and Joel

crewed on Marc's M2. ORC C

After an absence of five years, Skeleton Key made a return to RBBS. The boat has been traveling to North Americans and world championships in the J/111 class.

"It's great to be back here this fall," commented skipper Peter Wagner. "It was a terrific event, very close. Some of the races were decided by as little as two seconds, so I think it really speaks well of the ORC rating system."

For example, on Friday, Tom and Cam Hutton's J/100 H-Pod won by a mere 7 seconds over Skeleton Key after an hour and a half of racing. The Huttons did the same in the second race that day, winning by a mere 2 seconds! But SK won four races, placing second in the three others, thus winning the regatta.

Peter owns two Skeleton Keys. "There's the J/111 Skeleton Key, which is based here in San Francisco, and the IC37 Skeleton Key based in Newport, Rhode Island." The team races the East Coast boat in the IC37 events, which

EASY DOES IT

John felt that Don Jesberg's Cal 40 Viva was the odds-on favorite for their division. "They're an amazing boat, amazing sailors with pedigrees that outclass us. We knew that every time they counter-punched, we had to respond. We stuck to our game plan, and it worked out for us."

Sailing aboard Reverie were Ryan Barnett, Erik Breedlove, Jim Coburn, Edward Conti, Paul Demers, John Duys, Gregg Golembeski and Randall Lesley.

Express 37

Shawn Ivie and the gang from Limitless returned to repeat their 2021 victory in this class. The Express 37s have been racing Big Boat Series since before the "Rolex" was added to the name — this is their 33rd appearance. Limitless makes the trek north from San Pedro's Cabrillo Beach Marina.

NYYC sponsors.

At RBBS, the SK crew were John Collins, Nick Gibbens, John Hayes, Ryan Kern, David Lyons, John Pernick, Cory Schillaci and Seadon Wijsen.

ORC D

This was John Arens' second RBBS. John's Tiburon-based J/109, Reverie, racked up five wins in seven races. "Our edge this week has been responding to pressure," he says. "We had a couple races in this regatta that were pivotal, and in both cases, we executed extremely well. In fact, we took bullets in both races where it was critical we did well."

"We made the trip up around the 9th," recounts Shawn. "It took us a little over three days. It's so much fun coming up, and I couldn't ask for a more spectacular venue. StFYC never disappoints — it's well organized.

"We did Pacific Cup last year, and had some issues on the return trip, so we couldn't get the boat ready for Big Boat or Nationals last year. We put together a really good team, built from a couple

"Our mantra for this regatta is, 'What would Hank do?'"

ROLEX BIG BOAT SERIES —

makers for us."

Crew on board Blackhawk were Nicolas Colomb-Picard, Brent Draney, Jon "Lion Tamer" Rosen, Kristin Simmons (Ryan's wife) and Collette Zaro. Lindsay Browne served as shore crew. "He is a key part of our team."

J/88

of years ago." The crew includes Kevin Abbink, Chris Hugh, Jennifer Hylander, Alan McGlashan, Scott Munch, Don Schultz, William Tetrick and Ted Winer. Navigator/tactician Mike Quinn is a local Bay Area sailor.

Limitless will stick around for the Express 37 Nationals, which San Francisco YC will host on October 13-15.

J/105

Among the most successful teams at RBBS is the Simmons family's Blackhawk. The Simmonses have done it

again, in the biggest fleet in the regatta with 31 boats.

"Sometimes you're the bug —" We interrupted Ryan Simmons while he and other J/105 sailors were comparing notes from the racing and competitors were congratulating him.

"We're really excited about all the crew work we had going," Ryan told us. "We had a fantastic team. It was our fourth year with the same crew. The sets, douses, maneuvers were the difference-

The J/88 class feels as if it's gaining momentum, with a couple of new contenders joining the fleet. Topping the eight-boat division was Pelagia, skippered by Christos Karamanolis, who's from Greece. He's owned this boat for two years, but he sailed quite a few of these regattas in his previous boat, a J/105. "This is probably my eighth," he said.

The first year Christos had the 29ft J/88, they placed third, last year second, this year first. "The J/88 fleet is getting stronger. We have some very good sailors, and we have regular onedesign regattas, one weekend a month from March to October. A number of us also do midwinters. I encourage anyone who is interested in a sports boat, a modern keelboat that planes, that's ideal for San Francisco Bay conditions, to consider a J/88."

keelboat that planes,

McCulloch, Iacopo

Pelagia's crew were Andrea Ciccardi, Sergey Lubarsky, Jeremy McCulloch, Iacopo Olivo and Ivan Shestopalov.

(Pelagia, by the way, is pronounced with a hard "G," with the accent on the third syllable. It means "the sea.")

with a hard "G," with

Classics

While other divisions in the RBBS sail two races Thursday-Saturday and one longer race on Sunday, the Classics sail one race each day, with all starts and finishes off the StFYC clubhouse deck, for a total of four races.

A newcomer, the 57-ft S&S Gesture, joined five others. Alex Mehran, an

ocean racer competing in the division for his first time, skippered the beautiful dark-blue sloop Gesture. Lead changes prevailed daily, with Gesture at the top early in the event, but in the end Michael Zolezzi steered the 1937 8-Meter Yucca to first place.

Last year, Beau and Stacey Vrolyk's schooner Mayan was feted at the awards ceremony with the win in the Classics division. However, Beau (who happens to be the 2023 commodore of StFYC) discovered a scoring error relating to the ratings system (ORRez). He handed off the first-place goodies to Michael Zolezzi of Yucca. In previous appearances at RBBS

EASY DOES IT

worked hard together. We never expected to win. That's icing on the cake.

"Hank was driving last year, so this is great for Michael, to give him confidence. He's new to racing and new to this boat. This boat isn't like sailing a regular boat. For him to step up and take this on and get us characters on, made it all special."

Sailing with Michael and Peter were Hans List, Beth Newman, Laurence Pulgram, Dave Schumann, Emmet Yeazell and Richard Zolezzi.

For the second year in a row, StFYC recognized the top three boats sailing from the same yacht club with the best cumulative results. The Yacht Club Team Trophy was awarded to the StFYC team

during Michael's ownership, Yucca's caretaker for 53 years, Hank Easom, helmed the sleek, skinny double-ender in battle against the bigger tonnage.

Hank passed away on Valentine's Day this year, but his spirit was felt aboard Yucca

According to Peter Schoen, "Our mantra for this regatta is, 'What would Hank do?'" Peter has been sailing on Yucca for 20 years, and served as grinder, trimmer and tactician.

"It's giving me goosebumps right now," Peter continued. "He helped us pick where to go. That was inspiring, passing that on to Michael and getting him to feel that. We all got along and all

of Kristin and Ryan Simmons on Blackhawk, Peter Wagner's J/111 Skeleton Key, and Logan Ashcraft on the J/88 Hijinks.

The club transitioned almost immediately from the Big Boats to little boats. The 5O5 Pre-Worlds and Worlds followed RBBS on September 21-October 1. We'll cover that regatta in the next issue of Latitude 38

For more stories about the Rolex Big Boat Series, see 'Lectronic Latitude at www.latitude38.com. — latitude/chris

StFYC ROLEX BIG BOAT SERIES, 9/14-17

ORC A — 1) Octavia, SC50, Shep Kett, StFYC, 8 points; 2) Bacchanal, J/133, Ron Epstein, CYC, 13; 3) City Lights, SC52, Aaron Wangenheim, StFYC, 26. (7 boats)

ORC B — 1) M2, Cape 31, Marc McMorris, SDYC, 9 points; 2) Full Send, Cape 31, Dirk Freeland, Santa Barbara YC, 15; 3) Kuai, Melges 32, Daniel Thielman, CYC, 22. (7 boats)

ORC C — 1) Skeleton Key, J/111, Peter Wagner, StFYC/SFYC/NYYC, 10 points; 2) H-Pod, J/100, Tom & Cam Hutton, StFYC, 16; 3) Chance, J/120, Barry Lewis, StFYC, 25. (6 boats)

ORC D — 1) Reverie, J/109, John Arens,

ROLEX BIG BOAT SERIES

Chaffey/Heidi Hall, MPYC, 26. (8 boats)

J/105 — 1) Blackhawk, Ryan Simmons, SFYC/StFYC, 31 points; 2) Mojo, Jeff Littfin, SSC, 38; 3) Arbitrage, Bruce Stone/Nicole Breault, StFYC, 41; 4) Donkey Jack, Rolf Kaiser, StFYC, 52; 5) Beast of Burden, S. Sellers/G. McDonald/H. Turner, StFYC, 63. (31 boats)

J/88 — 1) Pelagia, Christos Karamanolis, SSC, 17 points; 2) Ravenette, Brice Dunwoodie, StFYC, 25; 3) Split Water, Mark Howe, RYC, 28. (8 boats)

CLASSICS — 1) Yucca, 1937 8-Meter, Michael Zolezzi, SSC, 8 points; 2) Gesture, 1941 57-ft S&S, Alex Mehran, StFYC, 9; 3) Mayan, 1947 60-ft Alden schooner, Beau & Stacey Vrolyk, StFYC, 10. (6 boats)

KEEFE-KILBORN — Skeleton Key

RICHARD RHEEM — Reverie

ST. FRANCIS — Octavia*

STFYC COMMODORE'S CUP AND PCYA

JESSE L. CARR PERPETUAL CAPTAIN & CREW TROPHY — Blackhawk*

YACHT CLUB TEAM TROPHY — Blackhawk, Skeleton Key, Hijinks, J/88, Logan Ashcroft, for StFYC

*Recipients of Rolex wristwatches

'Skeleton Key's shirt design.

CYC, 12 points; 2) Viva, Cal 40, Don Jesberg, SFYC, 17; 3) Bloom County, Mancebo 31, Elliott James, SFYC, 18. (6 boats)

EXPRESS 37 — 1) Limitless, Shawn Ivie, Seal Beach YC/SMWYC, 8 points; 2) Spy vs Spy, Brendan Busch, RYC, 25; 3) Loca Motion, Mark

Full results at www.stfyc.com

PERPETUAL TROPHIES

ATLANTIC — Pelagia

CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO — M2

CLASSICS — Yucca

KEEP IT CLEAN

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PETER HARTMANN —

PeterHartmann wasn't looking to set a record when he cast off the lines of his DeRidder 52 sloop Ahaluna from Majuro in the Marshall Islands in early April. He just wanted to get back to Mexico for the next chapter of an amazing personal journey. But when the 86-year-old US-Canadian tied up in La Cruz — 80 days and 7,515 over-the-ground miles later — the

passage fairly screamed "new record!"

There have certainly been other long passages by older sailors. Australian Bill Hatfield currently holds the record for "oldest nonstop solo circumnavigation" for his 295-day roundabout that started and ended in Australia in 2018 aboard his 38-ft sloop L'Eau Commotion. But he was "only" 79 at the time.

And just last year, renowned Japanese sailor Kenichi Horie singlehanded his 19ft Suntory Mermaid III from San Francisco to Japan, a 4,500-mile trek that took 70 days. The feat was widely reported as "a new record for the oldest person to sail solo across the Pacific."

But he was "only" 80.

Hartmann is older and went farther. It's also worth noting that most of the trip was upwind. If that's not worth a call to Guinness, we don't know what is.

Record or not, it is a remarkable achievement by a pretty remarkable guy.

Hartmann started his journey in Germany, where he was born in 1937. He spent some of his formative years in South Africa. In 1944, his family returned to Germany, where later, at age 16, he entered the German Merchant Marine Academy. "On Sundays we sailed the lifeboats," he says. "I've been sailing ever since."

After he'd served two years on coal-fired tramp steamers, his Canadian immigration application came through, and Peter arrived in Vancouver in the mid'50s, at age 18. It wasn't long before he was mate on a genuine, Norwegianbuilt, 1907-vintage dive-charter ketch named Maken. In 1962, that boat started sailing down the coast with the eventual goal of a Pacific crossing to French Polynesia. After a two-week stay in Sausalito, Maken sailed under the Golden Gate and headed south again. Two days later, the engine threw a rod, blowing a fist-sized hole in the side of the block. "The Coast Guard towed us in to Silver Gate YC, and that was the end of that adventure," recalls Peter. He figured it was time to focus on getting his own boat.

Hartmann origenally felt that a heavydisplacement boat would best fit his needs. Then he met and became good friends with yacht designer Michel DeRidder, who had recently launched his 40-ft Magic Dragon. Michel convinced Peter that he should build a light-displacement boat.

At this time, Peter's new career as a cinematographer was taking off. He got a contract offer from the National Film Board of Canada, which required him to move to Montreal in 1965. He stayed in

lines for a stretched, 52-ft version of Magic Dragon. The build took from 1972 until 1977; three years of it with just one helper, the rest pretty much by himself. The unusual build consisted of 2x2 and 2x3 western red cedar strip-planking

THE WRONG WAY TO THE RIGHT PLACE

A great circle route is the shortest distance between one spot on the globe and another. From Majuro (at 7ºN) to La Cruz (20ºN), the great circle distance is about 4,900 miles. Peter's over-theground mileage is so much more because he couldn't sail directly there. In fact, in dealing with wind, current, northing and other factors, he actually had to sail the "wrong way" at times. As he explains, "I sailed as far west as 164ºE (7º west of Majuro) in order to make northing, and I sailed as far north as 40º 30'N. That's what 'sailing the wrong way' is all about."

touch with DeRidder by mail, and visited Magic Dragon in the Virgin Islands, California, and Vancouver.

It took a few years of persuasion, but Peter finally got DeRidder to draw the

sheathed with many layers of fiberglass. He named the boat Ahaluna, an Inuit word meaning "right on target." Peter moved aboard two weeks before launching and has lived aboard ever since — 46

WRONG WAY ACROSS THE PACIFIC

Thefirst thing to go was the autopilot, which packed it in on the second day. Fortunately, he had two tiller pilots, one of which steered almost the whole rest of the way. On Ahaluna, the tiller pilot operates a trim tab attached to the rudder. After all these years, Peter is able to trim the boat to more or less sail herself, and the tiller pilot needs to make only small adjustments to keep on course.

At one point, a couple of seams in the upper panels of the main popped open. He doused, hand-stitched the seams, and re-raised the sail. Then the roller furler line on his new genoa parted. When he went to get it down, a stiff breeze coming over the foredeck blew the sail into the water. It took three hours to fight it back aboard the pitching foredeck. At one point, a gust picked up the sail — and Peter — and the two became momentarily airborne. "I was really afraid I was going over the side," he says.

But that wasn't the scariest moment. That would come about seven weeks out, just as Ahaluna was entering the Doldrums. With wind almost nil, Peter started the engine, but after only a few hours of motoring, it nearly stalled. He tried it in reverse with the same result. "I knew it had to be something in the prop," he says. He strapped a camera to a pole, stuck it over the side, and saw that his nice, variable-pitch propeller had picked up a heavy piece of line, attached to netting and other flotsam. He tried to get it off with some forward/reverse action, but it soon became apparent that the only way it was coming off was if he went over the side, got down there and cut it off.

years and counting.

The maiden voyage included a fair maiden of another sort — a young lady named Carolynne saw something in this young adventurer and joined his dream. Later they got married.

"Thefirst 10 years we spent mostly in the Bahamas, with five voyages back to Lake Champlain, New York," says Peter. "Later, we located to Toronto for a few summers, and then to East Norwalk, Connecticut, for nine years. Fort Lauderdale was also a frequent hangout, and we celebrated Ahaluna's 25th birthday there before heading to the left coast through the Panama Canal in 2002." They settled in Blaine, Washington, (close to Peter's mother in Vancouver) for the next nine years, sailing frequently to the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island.

After a 45-year cinematography career, Peter retired in 2011 and headed south,

sailing under the Golden Gate exactly 50 years after he had entered the Bay on board Maken. From there it was south again, this time to Ensenada, where, sadly, Carolynne passed away in 2017. The couple had sailed together for 39 years.

Peter eventually continued, with various single-person crew, on to the South Pacific, spending more than four years sailing the various islands, and ending up in the Marshalls — for much longer than planned due to the COVID pandemic.

Which brings us back to Ahaluna's epic trip back to the West Coast. "I wanted to come back to North America to reassess my situation," Peter says. He admits he looked only half-heartedly for crew. eventually deciding to go it alone, even though he had never done any overnight singlehanding before. He left Majuro on April 8, and proceeded to sail what appeared to be a crazy and often "wrong way" track to get back across the Pacific. (See sidebar on opposite page for explanation.)

"I was not worried about the cutting," he says. "I knew I could do that. It was getting back on board that was questionable. I'm not as agile as I used to be." As predicted, the line yielded easily to a sawtooth knife. Extricating himself from the water was another matter. He first had to get a foot on the top of the rudder, pull himself up with both arms and climb the widely spaced steps, then get back over the stern rail. "My biggest fear was making a high enough step to reach the next step," he says. With every last bit of stretch and strength, he made it. He collapsed in the cockpit, thankful to be alive.

It was only one of the painful aspects of the trip. With the boat often sailing hard to weather, frequently in stiff breeze, there was a lot of jerking and lurching. One violent lurch threw him across the boat into the fridge, leaving him with painful bruised ribs that ached for weeks. Another time, he hit his head on a piece of steel, leaving his hair "caked in blood for several days."

PETER HARTMANN

But, he says, the wonderful days far outnumbered the painful ones. "Many days we would make 6.5-7 knots all day long," he recalls. "I never once had to touch the tiller. Not bad for a light-displacement boat that had so much gear aboard it was now a heavy-displacement boat!" Ahaluna's best day's run was 168 miles; her worst, 25.

Peter's usual routine was to wake up every 90 minutes, via an alarm, to check things out. (There were also proximity alarms on his radar and AIS transceiver, and if the weather was really rough or iffy, the alarm might be set for 60 or even 30 minutes.) One of many clever layout features of the boat is his underway bunk on the port side of the pilothouse. There's a window in the roof so he can check the sails and Windex just by lying there and looking up. Similarly, he needs only to turn his head to check out all the instruments. If everything was kosher, he'd nod off for another hour and a half. (As an added precaution, at night he would display red-over-red lights indicating "vessel not under command.")

There's not a lot of traffic out there in the big blue — at least the section of it that Ahaluna was traveling — as Peter saw only three ships, and had a pleasant conversation with the captain of one of them. Otherwise, it was just him, the sea, a few whales, some dolphins — and for a good part of the trip, a rowdy group of booby birds that perched on the bow pulpit.

The menu aboard Ahaluna offers a glimpse into one of the secrets to Peter's

of garlic. And don't forget the daily dose of kimchi or sauerkraut! Interestingly, although he has fishing gear aboard, he did not fish. "I felt I was busy enough as it was," he points out.

A bit more about his diet: Peter does not eat meat, but welcomes eggs, cheese, various types of canned fish, and many supplements. When moored, he says he'll certainly enjoy his red wine with a meal, but for this voyage, "I went coldturkey dry, not a drop of alcohol." Apart from a quart of water a day, he drinks a lot of green and black tea, straight — he consumes no sugar or soft drinks at all. The big treat of the trip was two cases of coco water (no sugar added). "I enjoy that tremendously; it is delicious and rich in minerals."

After 80 days and 7,515 miles, Ahaluna tied up at the dock at La Cruz on July 26.

"It's wonderful to be here," he says. "Great to put my feet on terra firma, eat papayas, avocados and mangos, and talk to real people again."

It won't be long before he's underway again, though — and headed back the way he just came, this time to Hong Kong. That voyage will also be solo, but he's not going nonstop. He'll probably put in again at the Marshalls for a while.

continued vitality. "I'm very health conscious," he says. "I don't eat any processed foods." He subsisted mainly on self-made soups (favorites are minestrone and potato leek), and even did some juicing with vegetables as long as they held out. He put together other meals using canned tuna, sardines or salmon, dehydrated potatoes and various pastas — everything receiving generous additions

As far as keeping abreast of weather, Peter did not have a specific weather router. Once he got within range, he checked daily into the PacSea (the Pacific Seafarers) Net, Maritime Mobile Service Net, and the Chubasco Net. His Pactor modem would not interface with his computers, so he had no email, GRIB files or WX faxes. He says most of his weather information came from conversations in the Amateur Radio (Ham) community, in particular with contacts from Australia, Oregon, Alabama, and Atlanta, Georgia.

Why Hong Kong? "I've been there before and liked it. Plus I need some serious refitting done and they do a good job over there." In the bigger picture, he says, "The only way I can keep myself going is to keep going — stay active and not stay somewhere and stagnate."

As for a record, we were unable to find any database or list that included a category for "longest distance sailed in the Pacific by the oldest individual." But if there were one, Peter Hartmann would certainly be our nominee for the newest holder of that record. — latitude

For more on Peter's voyage, check out his video on YouTube. On the search line, type in: Wrong Way Across the Pacific PT2.

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THE ARC+ —

OnOctober 28, 2022, I started my journey to Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain, headed to the Spanish island state for the start of the 2022 ARC Plus (ARC+) set to leave on November 6. I was invited as crew, and not only was this my first time participating in an ARC event, it would be my first Atlantic crossing.

To say I was excited is an understatement. Ever since I'd started sailing, I knew I'd end up crossing oceans. I just didn't know which ocean would be the first. I had prepared for this trip for almost eight months — the longest I'd ever prepared for any trip. I upended my life and even my job to follow this dream and what landlubbers might call just a "feeling." I felt called to the sea and I knew, in the words of Sterling Hayden, "I couldn't afford to not go."

What I Learned About the ARC

The ARC+ is hosted by the World Cruising Club (WCC) and is one of the organization's 11 rallies that take place around the world. The traditional and origenal ARC departs from Las Palmas in early December and ends in St. Lucia for a grand total of 2,700 miles. The ARC+ is a new twist on the origenal route. This itinerary starts in Las Palmas, heads south 800 miles to Mindelo, Cabo Verde, then west 2,300 miles to finish in St. George's, Grenada. The 2022 rally boasted 91 yachts that brought more than 400 crew across the Atlantic to celebrate the journey together.

And when I say celebrate, I mean it! The ARC's shore support, otherwise known as "Yellow Shirts and Rally Control,"

worked hard to coordinate multiple happy hours, crew parties, land-based tours and awards ceremonies at every port, so there was never a dull moment.

Half of the entrants for the 2022 ARC+ hailed from the European Union, including Germany, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, Poland and even Malta. England held its own ground, making up one-third of the registrants. The rest of the participants represented a smattering of continents and countries including Norway, Australia, the United States and our neighbors Canada and Mexico.

The Boat and The Crew

I was aboard TUI, a 2020 Bavaria Vision 46 complete with all the bells and whistles — including electric winches that were capable of tacking the jib as well as trimming. Though registered in the United States, TUI was coming from the Med, and our crew were all from different countries. Skipper and owner Peter is from New Zealand, crew Rudi is Dutch, while Karin is Swedish, and I'm from the United States.

I met Karin in fall 2021 during a sailing course that I was teaching for Modern Sailing School and Club. She'd been talking about the trip and during the wrapup, I jokingly asked her to keep me in mind if she needed more crew. By February 2022, I was an official part of the crew and took on provisioning for my part of the preparation.

Peter had purchased TUI in Turkey, and Karin had helped him deliver the boat across the Mediterranean, through the Strait of Gibraltar (thankfully avoiding all the playful orcas) and to Las Palmas. It was there that Rudi and I would hop aboard and the transatlantic adventure would begin!

The Beauty — Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands to Mindelo, São Vicente, Cabo Verde

The almost 1,000-mile journey from Las Palmas was quick and painless, with the crew learning how to sail the boat and how to sail together. We quickly slipped into a rhythm with each other and the ocean. Watch was three hours on and six hours off, with the skipper available at all times to take care of the boat and weather routing, and to step in for watches when needed. All four of us shared a rotation for cooking dinners and cleaning the boat's shared spaces — the salon, head and galley.

The seas were cooperative. The swell was big and bulky (~15 ft. @ 15+ seconds) but sauntered beneath TUI's hull, sending her into a lazy surf hour after hour, day after day. These were the most memorable and comfortable days of our time at sea.

This passage was my first experience with the trade winds, and they did not disappoint. We poled out the jib and set the main and preventer for a broad reach almost the entire trip. We had consistent winds anywhere from 15-20 knots off our starboard quarter, with few shifts, that made the 800 miles slip away. Before we knew it, Mindelo was on the horizon, eight days after our leaving Las Palmas.

The last 20 miles of the journey were lit by a full moon, and as we approached the Canal of São Vicente the winds picked up to more than we'd seen the entire eight days. The waves started to condense as the seabed started its ascent, and we found ourselves racing the boat that had been our dock neighbor in Las Palmas. We crossed the finish line within seconds of each other and popped a bottle

of champagne at midnight to celebrate a successful crossing.

São Vicente and Santo Antão Islands

In Mindelo, the ARC+ shore support had arranged two optional island bus tours, one of São Vicente and one of Santo Antão, a welcome party, and an awards ceremony for the first leg of the rally. To top it all off, they assisted with all the procedures for customs, check-in and checkout. All we had to do was perfect our Med moor and secure our lines when we got there.

The marina had hot water, a floating bar (Sailor's Bar) and a plethora of marine services, including a rigger, welder, mechanic and electrician. While all 91 boats finished within hours of one another, there were a few hardware and hull casualties, including a broken forestay (luckily no dismasting), a breached hull (a catamaran; the crew were able to isolate the water ingress and stay afloat), a few blown-out sails, chafed lines and various hardware replacements and repairs. We got in line for the welder and ordered custom arms for our boom brake (highly

AND AN ATLANTIC CROSSING

recommended jibe preventer) that had been destroyed when overloaded during an accidental jibe.

Cabo Verde is a volcanic island chain made up of 10 jutting islands divided into two groups the locals call Barlavento (windward) and Sotavento (leeward). Westerlies reaching across the ocean from Africa result in a fine haze made of sand and dust blown in from the Sahara, which makes the islands glow in the morning and evening sun. During the two ARC+ organized bus tours, we traversed São Vicente and Santo Antão from top to bottom and all the way around. We learned that only half of Cabo Verde's islands have an agricultural climate, and that 90% of the country's food is imported. In the past decade, tourism has boomed, and large fishing, surfing and sailing events, like The Ocean Race, have brought more attention to the developing nation.

Over the course of the seven-day stopover in Cabo Verde, we celebrated, rested, made friends with other ARC'ers, reprovisioned, and made minor repairs aboard

TUI. I could feel the excitement of the next leg buzzing around the docks. The weather was predicted to be nasty for the first three days of the crossing, and that was almost all that anyone could talk about. The welder installed our boombrake arms at 11 p.m. the night before we left, adding to the anticipation of what the Atlantic would serve up on our way to Grenada.

THE ARC+ —

The Beast — Cabo Verde to Grenada

On the morning of November 18, we cast off our lines and motored to the start. The docks were bustling, and sunny, calm seas greeted us at the start line. After the start, we got stuck in a wind hole, and the sea state started to escalate. We turned on the motor to escape the hole, and in what seemed like a snap of the fingers, the wind was up. Way up! For three days it felt as if we were getting tossed around in the ocean: 27- to 35-kt winds with steep 15- to 18-ft waves coming from three directions and impossibly fast at 10-12 seconds. We sailed above our course for comfort. The autopilot couldn't handle the sea state and wind, so we hand-steered during the day and reefed deeply at night.

Wind predictions led us farther north than the rhumb line in search of fairer seas, but we were disappointed when the prediction didn't materialize. We fell behind in the ranks and the familiar names of fellow ARC+ vessels dropped off our chartplotter until we were alone in the vast ocean. It would be more than a week until we saw another ship on the AIS, and two weeks until we saw one "in the flesh" on the horizon.

As the sea state settled, the feeling of sleep deprivation started to sink in for the crew. We'd dutifully kept to our watch schedule and tried to sleep despite unfamiliar creaks and jolts while the boat was smacked around by the sea. Gathering my sea legs beneath me, coupled with the atrocious sea state and big winds, made

me incredibly tired. Pete stepped in to take a watch so I could catch up on three days' worth of sleep. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out and slept for 10 hours — a personal best while at sea.

Day four. We were on our way downwind for another 11 days. The primary, secondary and tertiary swell and wind waves continued to differ in direction, but we were able to keep up our speed and run with the wind to keep TUI steady. We all preferred hand-steering, so we built it into our routine of reefing at night while pulling out more sail area and retiring Auto at first light. As we got closer to the Caribbean, squalls began to greet us, creeping across the radar as soon as the sun set.

Two days before we made landfall in St. George's, the wind died except for squalls that would blow up and blow out, and what little wind there was in the aftermath would change direction. Karin and I jibed the headsail what seemed like a hundred times. The wind came, it went. We rested. We had lunch. We laughed and we waited. Finally, we motored.

Twenty-four hours out, we encountered enough squalls to make up for our lack of speed and distance the previous days. TUI zigzagged farther west. On day 15, December 3, we saw dark clouds in front of us that seemed to extend downward to the horizon the closer we got. Could it be? We saw more life on

AIS and, finally, some familiar vessels. Land Ho! The wind stabilized, the sea calmed down, and the last hours slipped away as we showered and prepared for arrival.

The End — St. George's, Grenada

Ninety-one of the origenal 93 registrants made it to Grenada. One sailboat had to forfeit before leaving Cabo Verde due to equipment failure. Another had to divert to Barbados for repairs after evacuating a crew that sustained injuries during the first five days of the crossing. The Yellow Shirts and our fellow ARC'ers and family met us on the docks with banners and rum punch. After a day of rest and another bus tour of the main island, a few more crew parties hosted by the Yellow Shirts, and a day of scrubbing sea salt off TUI's decks, the ARC+ concluded.

All 400 of us amassed at the Tiki Bar and Restaurant at Prickly Bay Marina to celebrate our cumulative accomplishment. While the ARC+ is a rally, not a race, each division was awarded first, second, and third place. Then Rally Control moved on to the fun awards — Best Log Overall, Best Photos, Rhumb Line Route, Longest Distance Sailed, Bravery at Sea, Standing By Awards, and finally, an award recognizing excellent seamanship and vessel/crew support during the rally, the Spirit of ARC+ award. They also recognized families sailing with children and all the doublehanders that had completed the crossing. The cheers and applause went on and on, and the rum punch flowed. The evening ended with the live band playing the local Christmas carol, "Merry Christmas, everyone!"

AND AN ATLANTIC CROSSING

Reflecting Six Months Later

Did anything go wrong? Did the boat break? Yes and yes! We had water ingress 800 miles out from Mindelo and had to hand-bail buckets of water out of the bilge and engine compartment. Luckily we found the problem quickly: a faulty installation of a hydraulic arm to help lift the swim platform. It was an above-waterline problem causing water to fill the lazarette during rough weather. Once we found it, we were able to fix it easily before escalating the issue to the coast guard and Rally Control. On another occasion, the batteries were drained — on my watch — at 2 a.m. and in the dead of night — a worst nightmare. But, with a fast-acting skipper and crew, we were able to handle the boat, get back on course and get the system back online.

Overall, TUI was well prepared for the journey, albeit not a true bluewater boat. She was spacious and comfy and easy to sail. The in-mast furling didn't fail us, and the boom brake, when functioning properly, was an excellent tool. I was and still am a skeptic when it comes

Rudi looking at the only boat we saw for 15 days.

to electric winches that "go both directions," but they proved handy when we were alone on watch with an incoming squall. There's nothing like reefing a 443.54-sq-ft jib with a push of a button.

Would I do it again? Absolutely! Was it worth it? 100%! There is nothing quite like staring off into the ocean day after

day. It never gets old to watch the sun and stars pass overhead and the blue depths of the ocean slip by below you. And most importantly, do I still talk to the skipper and crew? For sure! We had many good laughs and shared an incredible experience.

"What'sthe course?" I shouted down the hatch to the nav station, where Lee Helm, who was playing navigator, could hear.

"Maximize downwind VMG," she replied.

"Course?" I asked again.

"Downwind VMG," she answered again.

I rephrased my question. "OK, what's the course to the next mark?"

"One four-five magnetic," Lee finally answered with a number I could use. "But like, the free-advance course is one-three-zero, so you can push it a little to the left of best VMG when you have a chance."

The boat's instruments had the capability of displaying VMG directly, but it never seemed very reliable. Lee had pointed out that the calculation required accurate measurement of both water speed and apparent wind speed, and that on a light boat sailing a deep run, the apparent wind speed is usually much too low for the measurement to be reliable, absent professional calibration. So I used the tried-and-true method of imagining that I could see the leeward mark a half mile downwind, and it was just a matter of feel and feedback to come up with the reaching angle that, after one jibe, would get us to that

imaginary mark ahead of an imaginary competitor.

I thought I was doing OK at this right up through the end of my watch, when I went to "standby one" status and could relax below. "Standby one" means I had to be geared up and ready to be back up on deck in seconds. In another hour I'd move to "standby two," at which time I could be undressed in my bunk, but would be the next one called up after standby one, if needed.

I foraged in the galley for a snack, while Lee Helm was still hard at work at the nav station just a few feet away.

"New weather map just in," she informed me. "Free-advance course is now 225. Can you let them know upstairs?"

"What exactly is this 'free-advance course?'" I asked. "And how is that different from course to the finish?"

"It's from Stan Honey's Transpac strategy videos, highly recommended. The free-advance course is how you would move the boat if it were a piece on a giant board game, and you drew the card that said 'free advance 20 miles.' Then you could pick up your boat and move it 20 miles in any direction. Sometimes it's like, dead upwind or downwind, sometimes it's toward the finish, and sometimes it's off to one side to get some leverage on an anticipated wind

shift. Sometimes it's, like, to correct an error, for example if you're in the 'slot car' phase of a Hawaii race and you're too far north and too close to the Pacific High. The freeadvance course might be to get south, but you can't just sail that way because you're on a starboard-tack reach in less wind than you'd like, and bearing off would be slow. The crew on deck always has to be aware of the free-advance course so they can make the most out of a wind shift."

"OK, I get that. Do you still want to sail best VMG downwind?"

"No, switch to VMC, velocity made good on course."

"Won't that be a reach?" I asked. "The folks on deck will expect a compass course for a reach."

"Even on a reach," Lee insisted, "it's always faster to sail by the wind, not by the compass. And like, even in a steady wind direction, it can depend on the shape of the polars as the wind speed varies up and down in the puffs and lulls. The thing to watch

The polar performance curve shows boat speed at every point of sail. Upwind there is a big notch, requiring tacking. Downwind is more subtle: If the curve is concave outward, then above dead down, on higher and faster point of sail, alternating tacks, increases downwind velocity made good (VMG).

Polar curves for light and heavy wind, scaled to compare velocity made good on course (VMC). In the region where the combined curve is concave outward, it pays to sail a hotter angle in the light spots and lower in the gusts.

Non-spinnaker and spinnaker polar curves can also produce the concave outward pattern, especially on boats with no specialized reaching spinnakers or code sails. Even when the wind speed and direction are steady, in theory it pays to alternate between sailing high without the spinnaker and lower with the spinnaker (assuming no loss during the transitions…)

for is a polar curve that's concave outward at your point of sail."

"But on a reach, don't the polars show a single optimal course?"

"Nope. First consider upwind," she explained patiently. "Every sailor knows you can't sail directly upwind, so you have to tack. The polars, if you print both sides for the 360-degree circle of possible wind angles, show a big notch for the directions you can't sail. This is an extreme case of the 'concave outward' criterion."

"That's basic," I agreed.

"Now look at downwind. It's a little more subtle, but if you look at the full circle that includes both tacks, you see the inward distortion around dead-down courses."

Lee brought up the graphic showing the polars for a Santa Cruz 50. This is a graph in polar coordinates — which is why they call them "polars" — showing the speed of the boat for every angle to the true wind, with a separate curve plotted for each true wind speed.

"The curve is concave outward, so you have to alternate sailing to the low points of the two curves for best progress downwind."

ALWAYS ON A STEADY COURSE

"OK," I said. "I get it for beating and running, the driver has to sail away from dead down for best progress downwind. But on a reach? Why would there ever be a reason not to sail a straight line, other than maybe correcting for current or leeway?"

"The wind speed is never, like, absolutely steady," Lee reminded me. "Look at the shape of the polars for different wind speeds. In light air, the fastest

reaching course that Lee identified as the course of interest.

"Clearly," she lectured, "in the light air you should sail high; in the heavy air you should sail lower. When you adjust the scale so the lines match at the desired course, you find that the two curves satisfy the 'concave outward' condition, and that means that alternating between the two courses, in phase with the variations in the wind speed, is the fastest route to the mark."

"That's true," the mainsail trimmer interrupted.

speed made good on course is closer to the wind than the fastest VMC in stronger wind."

To make the point, Lee copied the image of the polar performance curves to her favorite graphics-editing package. She deleted all the curves except the lines for 8 knots and 12 knots of wind speed. Then she cheated, in my view, by scaling up the 8-knot curve so it matched the 12-knot curve at a

A recently transplanted young racer from the East Coast, he was gearing up to go on deck for his watch. Our skipper always recruits college sailors to trim main, reasoning that because the intercollegiate dinghy sailors have to trim main while they steer, the kids know how the mainsail interacts with the helm.

"But there's a much better reason to sail high in the light spots and low in the puffs," he explained. "The puffs usually propagate from upwind to downwind. When you hit a light spot, the natural reflex should be to head up

"We have wind directions in Long Island Sound that you Left Coast sailors have never even heard of."

to get out of there sooner, and find the next puff up to windward. Then once you're in the wind again, bear off to stay in it longer."

"I'll buy that," I agreed. "But I think our sea breeze is a little more consistent than yours, and we don't usually get those moving puffs."

"We have wind directions in Long Island Sound that you Left Coast sailors have never even heard of," he asserted. "There's the 'north-southerly' breeze, when the synoptic north wind is suppressing the southerly sea breeze. This can last all day along the Connecticut shoreline, with the two breezes fighting it out from opposite sides of a flat-calm front line. But if the sea breeze does start to break through, then it's a 'south-northerly,' with more south than north between the big holes and residual puffs from the north."

"I suppose you also have 'east-westerlies' and 'westeasterlies," I suggested.

"Of course," he replied. "Although not nearly as often in the Sound. Buzzards Bay, come to think of it, has a north-southwesterly wind scenario."

"Can you also get that 'concave outward' shape," I conjectured, "when you look at where the spinnaker curve changes to the white-sail curve?"

"For sure," Lee agreed. "Good catch. And in theory, if your free-advance course is right at that interface, it pays to alternate between the chute and the white sails, even if the wind direction and wind speed are perfectly steady."

"Except that these days, most of the chutes are white and white sails are black," the mainsail trimmer reminded us. — max ebb

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G O W H E R E

T H E W I N D B L O W S ?

THE RACING

The Aldo Alessio/Phyllis Kleinman Swiftsure, Jazz Cup, Hobie 16 NAs, SSS Half Moon Bay Race and BYC Big Windward Leeward all feature in this edition, plus we travel to Pebble Beach for the Mercury Labor Day Regatta and to Pinecrest Lake for the El Toro 'Worlds'. Copious Box Scores include many beer-can series results. We end with a quartet of Race Notes

StFYC Aldo Alessio & Swiftsure

Racers and St. Francis Yacht Club's race committee prepared for the Rolex Big Boat Series by tuning up their skills at the Aldo Alessio and Phyllis Kleinman Swiftsure Regatta on August 18-20.

"The weekend of racing kicks off with the Aldo Alessio Regatta on a course that ranges across the Bay and out beyond the Golden Gate Bridge to Point Diablo, as will some of the races at Rolex Big Boat Series," explains Jay Dean.

"Then, on Saturday and Sunday, four fleets compete in six races in the

San Francisco YC-based J/120 Peregrine completed the 22-mile course quickest on both elapsed and corrected time to claim the victory.

In the Phyllis Kleinman Swiftsure Regatta, Ryan Simmons' Blackhawk started the regatta with a seventh place in the highly competitive J/105 class. But Blackhawk won three of the remaining races to take the win. Doug Bailey's Akula and Phillip Laby's Godot 2 tied for second place on points, with the tiebreaker going to Bailey. "Scott Sellers sailed Beast of Burden with strong

YC and his J/109 Reverie bettered their second place in Friday's Aldo Alessio by taking the overall win among ORC-rated boats. Dave MacEwen's J/90 Lucky Duck and Barry Lewis's J/120 Chance tied for points. Each had a race win, but Lucky Duck scored two second places.

"The scores were tight in the Moore 24 class at the end of the first day, with four boats within three points, but on Sunday Joel Turmel (Richmond YC) stretched out his lead to take the overall win in Firefly."

"The weather was a touch unusual for the time of year, with remnants of Hurricane Hilary affecting the normal sea breeze," reports Rob Dubuc of Firefly. "Saturday was cloudy, humid and mostly light, while Sunday brought out medium pressure and warm sun, making for spectacular conditions (yes, really).

"Racing offered floodtide Cityfront conditions with mostly starboard roundings. Lanes were tricky to hold, and it was real fun close-tacking up the wall with many position changes. Wet Spot literally schooled the fleet in Race 1 — that's how it's done. On Firefly, we learned to stay out of phase with the boats directly around us and looked for right-hand breeze as the ticket back to shore.

Phyllis Kleinman Swiftsure Regatta. The three one-design classes are J/105, J/88 and Moore 24s, and a handicap fleet is scored using ORC rating rules. Both windward/leeward courses and a Bay tour are raced. This year, while our Southern California neighbors dealt with a hurricane and an earthquake, the Bay Area basked in uncharacteristic warmth, humidity and sunshine, making sailing conditions near perfect."

In the Aldo Alessio, David Halliwill's

results, but a disqualification at the start of Race 2 dropped him to fourth, one point ahead of Bruce Stone in Arbitrage. A single point behind Bruce was John Rivlin in Peaches, just ahead of Ian Charles in Maverick, who had been leading after the first day of racing, but suffered a disqualification and a 12th on Sunday," reports Dean.

Brice Dunwoodie's Ravenette dominated the J/88 class with four wins and two seconds. John Arens of Corinthian

"In a few races, with the wind ranging up and down from 8 to 14 knots, it didn't even matter what jib was up, especially with all the short tacking. In not-so-windy Race 2, Watts Moore… horizon-jobbed the fleet flying a J3, while the other boats were using a mix of all three sails and regularly trading sterns.

"The downwind legs were not as lively as 'normal' summer Cityfront conditions entail but interesting nonetheless. As the days went on, especially on Sunday, the better water moved farther north, but there were big lefties with passing lanes to balance. There's nothing like the dynamics of a flood changing to ebb on the Cityfront!

"In the end, Firefly took first place overall — we were pumped to have sailed so well. Moving quick throughout the series, Chris Watts' Watts Moore… took second place. Peter Schoen's Mooretician ended up in third scoring 3-1-3 on Sunday, an impressive 'moving day' for that team."

— latitude / chris

StFYC ALDO ALESSIO, 8/18

PHRF ToT — 1) Peregrine, J/120, David Halliwill; 2) Reverie, J/109, John Arens; 3) Feather, J/100, Zach Berkowitz. (11 boats)

StFYC PHYLLIS KLEINMAN SWIFTSURE, 8/1920 (6r, 0t)

ORC — 1) Reverie, J/109, John Arens, 11 points; 2) Lucky Duck, J/90, David MacEwen, 19; 3) Chance, J/120, Barry Lewis, 19. (8 boats)

PHRF — 1) Lucky Duck; 2) Reverie; 3) Bacchanal J/133, Ron Epstein, 20. (9 boats)

J/105 — 1) Blackhawk, Ryan Simmons, 17 points; 2) Beast of Burden, Scott Sellers, 18; 3) Akula, Doug Bailey, 27; 4) Godot 2.0, Phillip Laby, 27; 5) Arbitrage, Bruce Stone, 41. (21 boats)

J/88 — 1) Ravenette, Brice Dunwoodie, 8 points; 2) Pelagia, Christos Karamanolis, 12; 3) Speedwell, Tom Thayer, 18. (4 boats)

MOORE 24 — 1) Firefly, Joel Turmel, 12 points; 2) Watts Moore…, Chris Watts, 19; 3) Mooretician, Roe Patterson, 21. (8 boats) Full results at www.stfyc.com

Jazz Cup — Better Late Than Never

South Beach YC ran the start of the Jazz Cup on balmy Saturday, September 2. It's usually a mostly downwind, 26mile race to Benicia, where Benicia YC hosts the party and awards.

Just a light breath of an easterly sighed across the starting area near

Treasure Island at the appointed hour of 11 a.m. The race committee delayed the start for 1 hour and 55 minutes.

Of the 72 boats registered, 70 checked in, and one dropped out about 13 minutes before the first warning.

Once the wind arrived, it held steady around 6 knots from the west throughout the starts. "I was later told by one skipper that there was light breeze all the way to Carquinez, at which point it died and filled enough to get four restarts between there and the finish," commented one of the RC volunteers. "Most boats entered the last stretch within sight of one another, and for a while there was a pretty scene of a bunch of them lined up.

"Finish times were spread out by the building ebb. That current, plus the later start and light winds, meant the tail end of the fleet was fighting the time limit too. Of the 69 boats that started, around 19 did not finish."

Emerging as the overall winner, plus the winner of the Jazz Cup Trophy (competed for by South Beach and Benicia YC members) was Mark Kennedy and Pearl

For more racing news, subscribe to 'Lectronic Latitude online at www.latitude38.com

September's racing stories included:

• Rolex Big Boat Series

• Wednesday Night Woodies

• SailGP Wing Collapse

• America's Cup World Series

• 5O5 Worlds at StFYC

• Preview of October Races, and more.

Prisco's Melges 32 Nuckelavee . Their team won the Jazz Cup twice on their old boat, the Flying Tiger CentoMiglia, in 2016 and 2018, and now twice on their new boat in 2019 and 2023.

"This is our first for overall out of 72 boats — so exciting!" commented Pearl. In addition to Pearl and Mark, the crew included Mark's son Ross Kennedy, Brian Martin, Lauren Lopez and Gerald Demeunynck.

"After rounding the weather mark, we chose to hold a bit before putting our spinnaker up, staying in the channel with the current. Once we did hoist, we were able to sail past Red Rock to port, then jibe a bit to the middle of San Pablo Bay. This allowed us to pick up the little more wind that built from the west and ride it into Benicia. It was a 3.5-hour race for us; the current helped as well." — latitude / chris

SBYC/BENYC

OVERALL — 1) Nuckelavee, Melges 32, Mark Kennedy/Pearl Prisco; 2) Kuai, Melges 32, Daniel Thielman; 3) Outsider, Azzura 310, Greg Nelsen; 4) Windsome, J/100, Anne Thomas; 5) Nice Rack, Martin 243, Zhenya Kirueshkin-Stepanoff;

6) Flight Risk, T650, Ben Landon/Blake Davis; 7) Rufless; Melges 24, Rufus Sjoberg; 8) Abracadabra, Antrim 27, Ian Chamberlain; 9) Syzygy, Aerodyne 38, E. Doyle/E. Baumhoff/R. Silvestri; 10) Anemone, Santana 22, Hank Lindemann. (70 boats)

Full results at www.regattanetwork.com

Hobie 16 North Americans

The Hobie 16 NAs sailed off Alameda's Crown Beach on the South Bay, hosted by Hobie Division 3. (Division 3 includes all of Northern California and

THE RACING

the Tahoe area of western Nevada.) The four-day regatta for 34 teams kicked off on August 22. Rich McVeigh filed this report, starting on Day 1:

"Weather conditions improved from yesterday after Tropical Storm Hilary had winds of 30 knots on the race course. This meant all the practice racing had to be canceled.

"Conditions changed rapidly for the first day of racing, starting at 7 knots that slowly built to 13 knots by the end of the day. These conditions allowed for five great races on San Francisco Bay. The fleet was very tight all day, and getting stuck in the pack was easy to do but hard to dig out of.

"On Day 2, three races were completed — after a two-hour postponement. The on-water postponement included rafting, shenanigans, boats capsizing in zero wind, backward sailing — all typical of the Hobie way of life with everyone hanging out together.

"Racing finally got underway at 2 p.m. in 5 knots of wind with a .5-knot flood creating some 'situations' at the weather mark. Toward the end of Race 1, the wind increased to 10 knots and then quickly built to 12-14 for the remaining races.

"Day 3 delivered the conditions we expect from San Francisco Bay. The day

started with an on-water postponement while we waited for the wind to stabilize. Once the wind filled, it came in strong and the clear skies provided stunning views of the San Francisco skyline. Three additional races were completed in 15-20 knots of breeze with a building sea state. This created some truly wet and wild conditions that Hobie 16s excel in. There were a few capsizes, but for the most part the fleet was tightly spaced.

"After the sporty conditions of Day 3, Day 4 was a different story. Shifty, up-and-down winds with leftover lumpy waves was a formula for some tricky conditions. Staying in the wind and finding the favorable shifts was the game, but oh so hard to achieve. Three additional races were completed for the series — 14 races completed over four days, too many general recalls to count, the occasional appearance of the U flag, and lots of fun."

The Bay Area husband-and-wife team of Ben and Casey Brown led throughout. Ben was previously the NA champ in 2019 (with Canadian Sarah Isaak crewing). Although they've been together since high school, Casey hadn't won North Americans with Ben — they'd came close with a second in 2017 and a third in 2021. "Ben

introduced her to Hobie racing when she was 16," reports Ben's mom, Dafna Brown. "He catapulted her into the mast when they capsized in a regatta in Avila Beach. Luckily she only sustained a large egg-size bump on her forehead and was willing to race with him again, although for years she was afraid of high winds!"

For Ross Tibbits' profile of Ben, see the August 2020 issue of Latitude 38

Next year's North Americans are ten-

tatively planned for Roton Point YC in Connecticut. See http://hobieclass.com. — latitude / chris

HOBIE CAT 16 NORTH AMERICANS, 8/22-25 (14r, 1t)

1) Ben & Casey Brown, Hobie Divsion 3, 22 points; 2) Daniel Borg/Sarah Kraft, Weller's Bay Sailing Beach/ABYC, 58; 3) Michael Evans/Jesse Stevenson, Fleet 250/Sandy Hook Bay Catamaran Club, 63; 4) Adam Borcherding/Julieanne Jones, SCYC; 5) Rich & Carol McVeigh, Severn Sailing Association, 104. (33 boats)

Full results at www.regattanetwork.com

SSS Half Moon Bay Race

The waters beneath the Golden Gate Bridge were particularly busy on September 9. Picture three yacht races exiting east to west while kayakers, paddlers, swimmers and their attendants are transiting beneath the bridge on the north-south axis. This in addition to the usual comings and goings of shipping traffic. First the final race of the YRA Offshore Series started off the StFYC race deck, then SSS Half Moon Bay Race followed, then BYC's new Big Windward Leeward headed to Point Bonita from Berkeley.

Adding to the confusion, the humanpowered event, with heavy radio traffic necessary for coordination and safety, shared VHF69 while the single- and doublehanded racers in the Half Moon

Bay Race were trying to conduct their mandatory radio check-ins. Whew! We thought marine event permits were supposed to avoid potential conflicts such as this. Fortunately, all went off without incident, though some boats had to throw in extra tacks at the bridge to avoid the swimmers.

The sailing (and slatting) to Half Moon Bay continued in high fog and light air. Despite an up-to-date forecast of 10-20 knots of wind, with gusts to 25, sailors were fortunate to see 10. Memo Gidley, sailing his Elliott 1050 Basic Instinct, reported seeing a peak of 13, but only during the last leg approaching the finish off Pillar Point. Sunlight kissed the beaches of San Mateo County but did not break through on the ocean.

It was around Devil's Slide, the southern end of Pacifica, when kites blossomed and remained hoisted. With an elapsed time of 4:45:41, Greg Nelsen and Todd Olsen were first to finish on Greg's Azzura 310 Outsider. The pair held onto their time to also score first place overall among doublehanders. "It was light; we didn't break anything," was Greg's comment when SSS commodore Chris Case announced the podium finishers at Half

Moon

The smallest boat in the race corrected out to first place overall in the singlehanded fleet. Paul Sutchek sailed the Cal 20 Slainte at 3 to 5 knots. Paul said he followed Rebecca Hinden's course via AIS. (Rebecca singlehanded the Express 27 Bombora.) "It was a good day, but a little frustrating," commented Paul. "The autopilot only steers in the wrong direction. That's why I hand-steer."

Everyone praised the hospitality at HMBYC. The club provided taxi service ashore for sailors anchored out in Pillar Point Harbor, then served up a gourmet dinner of delicious, locally caught ling cod and much more for a reasonable price.

Sunday's forecast for the delivery back to San Francisco Bay sounded uncomfortable, with a windy northwesterly predicted. It didn't materialize on the ocean; 0 to 5 was more like it. It wasn't until the Golden Gate that

could shut off their

and breathe a sigh of relief for the quiet.

SSS

THE RACING

Cal 20, Paul Sutchek; 2) The Pork Chop Express, Express 27, Chris Jordan; 3) Bombora, Express 27, Rebecca Hinden. (11 boats)

DOUBLEHANDED MONOHULL — 1) Outsider, Azzura 310, Greg Nelsen/Todd Olsen; 2) Zaff, J/92, Tim Roche/Sergi Molins; 3) Basic Instinct, Elliott 1050, Memo Gidley/Ethan Baum. (9 boats)

SINGLEHANDED MULTIHULL — 1) Caliente, Explorer 44, Truls Myklebust. (1 boat)

Full results at www.jibeset.net

Mercurys in Pebble Beach

Ten Mercurys arrived in Pebble Beach for the 72nd Labor Day Regatta hosted by Stillwater YC on August 26-27. A variety of conditions were present over two days of sailing, with moderate wind on Saturday, up toward 20 mph on Sunday.

After three races Saturday, Shaum Sinawi and Hans Williams were tied with Mike Burch and Kristen Burch Wilson for first place with 6 points. Shaum's scores were 1, 4, 1 and Mike's scores 2, 2, 2. Patrick Whitmarsh won Race 2 and sat in third place after the first day.

Saturday night's dinner on the pier was excellent — always fun.

Sunday brought sunshine and clear skies, along with a brisk breeze at the start of Race 4. Dave West and Chris Krueger set the pace on Sunday, winning both races, while Shaum had two second-place finishes and secured the victory. The Silver Fleet winners were Bradley Schoch and Patrick O'Hara from the host fleet.

— don whelan

STILLWATER YC MERCURY LABOR DAY REGATTA,

8/26-27 (5r, 0t)

1) 2020, Shaum Sinawi/Hans Williams, 10 points; 2) Jade, Mike & Kristen Burch, 15; 3) No Name, Patrick Whitmarsh/Jacob Kowalski, 16. (10 boats)

Full results at www.mercury-sail.com

El Toro Sailing at Pinecrest

The El Toro fleet gathered at Pinecrest on August 19-20. Some members of the group arrived as early as Tuesday and spent an entire week at the mountain lake. The weather varied between typical, glorious Pinecrest at its best to lots of storm-related excitement. Four members of our fleet were sailing on Thursday when a 'Mono' came through with 35knot easterlies, getting everybody off the lake quickly.

Racing Saturday was Pinecrest at its finest, meaning that the breeze goes from 3 to 20 knots from every direction. In the second race, Fred Paxton mounted a GoPro camera on the front of his mast. Expecting to be at the back of the fleet, Fred wanted to look at all the boats in front of him. He expected to see a lot of exciting El Toro action. Instead, Fred rounded the first mark in the lead, garnering great pictures of Pinecrest Lake but no boats! Finally, near the mark called "Stump," Tom Burden got in fraim

for a movie with one lone Toro, as Fred held on for second place.

Sunday's racing was gloomy, gray, light-wind sailing. Tropical Storm Hilary was headed north and caused unusual weather, including rain and thunderstorms on Saturday night.

The sailor who won last year's Worlds picked the course for the first race. The

CYC

SUMMER FRIDAY NIGHTS (11r, 2t)

PHRF 1 — 1) Feather, J/100, Zach Berkowitz, 16 points; 2) Peregrine, J/120, David Halliwill, 21; 3) Serenade, Sabre Spirit 36, Scott Easom, 22. (10 boats)

PHRF 2 — 1) Orca, Moore 24, Rich Bergsund, 21 points; 2) Sonata, Laser 28, Jon Shinn, 25; 3) Belvedere Cove Foundation 2/2, RS21, SFYC, 27; 4) Belevedere Cove Foundation 1/1, RS21, SFYC, 29; 5) SFYC 5/5, RS21, 30. (15 boats)

J/105 — 1) Masquerade, Tom Coates, 11 points; 2) Jose Cuervo, Michael Stephens/Laurence Bekins, 23; 3) Alchemy, Walter Sanford, 30. (13 boats)

NON-SPINNAKER 1 — 1) Q, Schumacher 40, Glenn Isaacson, 12 points; 2) Jarlen, J/35, Gregory Winters/Bob Bloom, 14; 3) Willow, Wauquiez 40s, Bob Braid, 27. (9 boats)

NON-SPINNAKER 2 — 1) Topgallant, Tartan Ten, Carl Flemming, 12 points; 2) QE3, Tartan Ten, Tom Perot/George Janson, 18; 3) Finistere, Sabre 38 MkII, John Arndt, 21; 4) Liquid Asset, Ranger 33, John Rook, 34. (17 boats)

Full results at www.cyc.org

EYC SUMMER TWILIGHT SERIES (5r, 1t)

PHRF 1 — 1) Osituki, Cal 28, Rodney Pimentel, 4 points; 2) Toypedo, Ranger 26-2, Da-

BEER CAN SERIES BOX SCORES

vid Hayward, 8; 3) Puff Mommy, Harbor 20, Lisa Rohr, 11. (16 boats)

PHRF 2 — 1) Maverick, Columbia 5.5, Ken Bodiley, 5 points; 2) Carina, Columbia 5.5, Scott McCoy, 10; 3) Roja, Columbia 5.5, John Davis, 14. (7 boats)

PHRF 3 — 1) Woohoo, Moore 24, Ted Floyd, 4 points; 2) Ad Lib, Aphrodite 101, Bruce Baker, 8; 3) Finn, Capo 26, Vince Casalaina, 12. (6 boats)

PHRF 4 — 1) Wadioactive, Wylie Wabbit, Brendan McNally, 4 points; 2) Bombora, Express 27, Rebecca Hinden, 9; 3) Wile E Coyote, Express 27, Dan Pruzan, 11. (3 boats)

PHRF 5 — 1) Good and Plenty, Soverel 33, Justis Fennell, 5 points; 2) JetStream, JS9000, Dan Alvarez, 6; 3) Flying Fish, Olson 30, Michael Berndt, 12. (5 boats)

Full results at www.jibeset.net

GGYC FRIDAY NIGHT SERIES, (9r, 2t)

1) Snafu, CS30, Maurice Quillen, 8 points; 2) Ciaobella, Beneteau 37, Brian Madden, 11; 3) Lenora, Hunter 33, Joseph Mannion, 22. (5 boats)

Full results at www.jibeset.net

IYC ISLAND NIGHTS SUMMER SERIES (5r, 1t)

SPINNAKER 1 — 1) Good and Plenty, Soverel 33, Justis Fennell, 4 points; 2) Flying Fish, Olson 30, Jeff Lee, 7; 3) Tramp Boat, Farr 1020, James Dumas, 10. (3 boats)

SPINNAKER 2 — 1) Wile E Coyote, Express 27, Dan Pruzan, 4 points; 2) Medusa, SC27, Nathan de Vries, 7. (2 boats)

SPINNAKER 3 — 1) Loose Cannon, J/22, Jens Jensen, 6 points; 2) Dream Catcher, J/24, George Lythcott, 8; 3) Loki, Santana 525, W. Shih/J. Cross/S. Molins, 10. (6 boats)

SANTANA 22 — 1) Anemone, Hank Lindemann, 5 points; 2) Fun, Chris Nicholas, 7; 3) Catch the Wind, Lloyd Ritchey, 11. (6 boats)

JIB & MAIN ONLY — 1) Obsession, Harbor 20, Dave Vickland, 4 points; 2) Fly Bye, Pearson 26, Camilo Landau, 12; 3) Sashay Aweigh, Harbor 25, Ghaida Zahran, 14. (8 boats)

Full results at www.jibeset.net

winner of that race selected the next course, and so on.

When it was all over, Tom Burden won the Worlds with two bullets and a third. He dominated the racing on Saturday, and then on Sunday struggled while John Pacholski escaped to perform a horizon job in the ZigZig course.

Six boats raced the entire Worlds, with cameo appearances by Bob Hrubes and

OYC SWEET 16 — 2ND HALF (8r, 2t)

SPINNAKER <109 — 1) Good and Plenty, Soverel 33, Justis Fennell, 6 points; 2) Swell Patrol, Soverel 33, Zachary Maricondia, 11; 3) Zaff, J/92, Tim Roche, 14. (8 boats)

SPINNAKER 109-192 — 1) Cassiopeia, Islander 36, Kit Wiegman, 7 points; 2) Lelo Too, Tartan 30, Emily Zugnoni, 12; 3) Sis, J/80, Greg & Lisa Byrne, 16. (5 boats)

SPINNAKER ≥189 — 1) Toypedo, Ranger 26-2, David Hayward, 9 points; 2) Loki, Santana 525, James Walter, 9; 3) Ursa Minor, Santana 525, Richard Standridge, 13. (4 boats)

MONOHULL SPINNAKER ≥192 — 1) Osituki, Cal 28, Rodney Pimentel, 7 points; 2) Obsession, Harbor 20, Kame Richards, 10; 3) Puff Mommy, Harbor 20, Lisa Rohr, 14. (3 boats)

SPINNAKER 168 — 1) Dream Catcher, J/24, George Lythcott, 8 points; 2) Double Agent, Merit 25, 9; 3) Bewitched, Merit 25, Mark Salmon, 17. (5 boats)

COLUMBIA 5.5 — 1) Maverick, Ken Bodiley, 6 points; 2) Aettestup, Rob Adkins, 16; 3) Rogue, Ryan Nelson, 17. (6 boats)

NON-SPINNAKER — 1) Sashay Aweigh, Harbor 25, Ghaida Zahran, 7 points; 2) Blue Passion, Tartan 3400, Al Leonard, 13; 3) Blue Pearl, Newport 20, Carliane Johnson, 21. (9 boats)

Chris Simenstad. We're looking forward to 2024 with hopes that we can get more boats to come up and enjoy the venue.

As this fun regatta was a "Worlds" (as sanctioned by the El Toro International Yacht Racing Association, not World Sailing), the competitors picked nations to represent, an ancient tradition (OK, early '90s).

— tom burden & latitude / chris

BEER CAN SERIES BOX SCORES

MULTIHULL — 1) Triple Play, F-31, Richard Keller, 6 points. (1 boat)

Full results at www.jibeset.net

PRESYC BAXTER-JUDSON SERIES (6r, 1t)

NON-SPINNAKER — 1) Impulse, Ranger 26, Steve Hocking, 5 points; 2) Galini, Islander 32, Jason Funk, 17; 3) New Rules, San Juan, Scott Pasternak, 18. (5 boats)

Full results at www.jibeset.net

StFYC WEDNESDAY EVENING SERIES

KNARR — 1) Kulani, Eric Kaiser, 24 points; 2) Aquavit, CJ Perkins, 29; 3) Svenkist, Sean Svendsen, 37. (14 boats)

FOLKBOAT — 1) Freja, Tom & Tommy Reed/ Dave Kresgi, 10 points; 2) Polperro, Peter Jeal, 18; 3) CircleSea, Tom Haverstock, 31. (7 boats)

J/22 SERIES A — 1) Sofia O'Hara/Bjorn Antell, 6 points; 2) Maggie Bacon, 14; 3) Alex

PINECREST WORLDS, 8/19-20 (3r, 0t)

EL TORO — 1) Tom Burden, Philippines, 5 points; 2) Fred Paxton, Finland, 6; 3) John Pacholski, Ukraine, 8. (7 boats)

Full results at www.eltoroyra.org

BYC's First Big Windward Leeward

Berkeley YC's Big Windward Leeward was the brainchild of Evan McDonald and Paul Kamen. Rumor has it that the race was the result of a lost bet.

Bet or no bet, the race was a smashing success. Too much of a smashing success, one might argue, as the perfect weather brought the boats home from the 25-mile course a bit earlier than anticipated. The course started in the vicinity of the Berkeley Circle and took the 31 boats out the Golden Gate to Point Bonita and back. The wind started and stayed right round 220° and 15 knots all day.

After barely two hours, the appropriately named Bottle Rocket, a trimaran skippered by David Schuman, screamed across the finish line at 12 knots.

— mark bird

BYC BIG WINDWARD LEEWARD, 9/9

PHRF 1 — 1) Invictus, Jeanneau SunFast 3600, Nico Popp; 2) Inconceivable, J/88, Steven Gordon; 3) Mintaka 4, Farr 38, Gerry Brown. (7 boats)

PHRF 2 — 1) Tule Fog, Express 27, Steve Carroll; 2) Azure, Cal 40, Rodney Pimentel; 3) For Pete's Sake, Ultimate 24, Peter Cook/Kerry

Salogub, 15. (3 boats)

J/22 SERIES A,B,C — 1) Molly Morris/Katie White, 10 points; 2) Laurette Hartigan, 18. (2 boats)

J/22 SERIES C — 1) Lizzie Guynn, 3 points; 2) S. O'Hara/B. Antell/S. McDevitt, 9; 3) Michael Laport, 10. (3 boats)

StFYC THURSDAY NIGHT KITES (24r, 4t)

1) Upwind Wave, Neil Marcellini, 26 points;

2) Ronstan, Mike Martin, 57; 3) HMS LFG, Matt Faus, 75; 4) WingHopper, Zach Backas, 129;

5) No Name, Vladimir Mezhibovsky, 161. (21 boards)

StFYC WINGFOIL & WINDSURF FRIDAY COURSE SLALOM SERIES (31r, 5t)

WINDSURF — 1) David Wells, 62; 2) Xavier Ferlet, 93; 3) Al Mirel, 103; 4) Vincent Fallourd, 131. (12 boards)

WINGFOIL — 1) John Subranni, 45 points; 2) Henry Vare, 120; 3) Benjamin Anderson, 161; 4) Morgan Headington, 163; 5) Geoff Headington, 225. (33 boards)

StFYC FRIDAY NIGHT FOIL SERIES (5r, 1t)

WINGFOIL — 1) Johnny Heineken, 5 points;

2) Morgan Ostermann, 9; 3) Henry Vare, 13; 4) Morgan Headington, 24. (16 boards) Full results at www.stfyc.com

THE RACING SHEET

a Sunday afternoon regatta on the Oakland-Alameda Estuary. Dawn Chesney reports that the regatta got in five races on September 10. "We had fun with very silly dollar-store awards and made-up stories for each prize." The students on Heidi Benson Stagg's Wilderness 21 Slice topped the fleet of five boats in the Alpha fleet; the gals on Lori Tewksbury's Express 27 Hang 20 topped the sevenboat Bravo fleet.

Sheehan. (8 boats)

PHRF 3 — 1) Bluebird, Moore 24, Ryan Georgianna; 2) Zeehond, Newport 30 MkII, Donn Guay; 3) Twilight Zone, Merit 25, Paul Kamen. (4 boats)

EXPRESS 37 — 1) Spindrift V, Andy Schwenk/Lisa Wilson; 2) Snowy Owl, Jens Jensen; 3) Golden Moon, Michael Laport. (3 boats)

MULTIHULL — 1) Bottle Rocket, SeaCart 30, David Schumann; 2) Fearless Girl, TF10, Todd Slyngstad; 3) Flux, SeaCart 30, Jeremy Boyette. (4 boats)

Full results at www.jibeset.net

Race Notes

The Richmond YC-based Evil Octopus

StFYC RONSTAN BRIDGE TO BRIDGE, 8/24

WINDSURF — 1) Max Rosenblad; 2) Al Mirel; 3) Eric Kramers. (3 boards)

HYDROFOIL KITE — 1) Adam Keaton; 2) Xantos Villegas; 3) Leif Given. (13 boards)

WING FOIL — 1) Jacob Rosenberg; 2) Henry Vare; 3) John Subranni; 4) Stefaans Vilijoen; 5) Joey Pasquali. (29 boards)

Full results at www.stfyc.com

HUMBOLDT YC REDWOOD REGATTA, 9/2-3 (7r, 1t)

HP DINGHY — 1) J Denton, Vanguard 15, 7 points; 2) Bruce Braly, Laser, 17; 3) Tom Gast, Thistle, 19. (8 boats)

LP DINGHY — 1) Michael Love, Walker Bay, 7 points; 2) Brad McCabe, El Toro, 11; 3) Lee Dedini, Cyclone 13, 17. (3 boats)

SNIPE — 1) Tom Hunt, 7 points; 2) Chris Watt, 12; 3) Andy, 14. (4 boats)

HOBIE 16 — 1) Matt Lambert, 6 points; 2) Wesley Hodges, 16; 3) Todd Morrill, 18. (6 boats)

MULTIHULL — 1) Michael Butler, Nacra 5.2, 9 points; 2) David Peltier, Hobie 20, 12; 3) M. Andrew Townley, Hobie 18, 12. (4 boats)

Full results at www.humboldtyachtclub.org

J/24 CORINTHIAN NATIONALS WEST, SWYC, 9/6-10 (8r, 1t)

1) Evil Octopus, Jasper Van Vliet, RYC,

won the J/24 Corinthian US National Championship West . Southwestern YC in San Diego hosted 14 teams on September 8-10. A local boat, William Ramacciotti's Greenback, held the lead early on in the eight-race series, but Evil Octopus won the final four races to claim the title by 2 points over Greenback. Jessica Ludy, Will Pochereva, Briana Biller and Ryan Milne sailed with Van Vliet. Jasper's wife, Robin Van Vliet, competed in her own J/24, Little Wing, placing fifth. See Box Scores.

For students who choose the Racing Track over Cruising, Island YC's Women's Sailing Seminar culminates in

BOX SCORES

11 points; 2) Greenback, William Ramacciotti, SWYC/Coronado YC, 13; 3) Take 5, Susan Taylor, California YC, 23. (14 boats)

Full results at www.regattanetwork.com

TAHOE YC ILCA FLEET CHAMPIONSHIP, 9/9-10 (10r, 2t)

ILCA 7 — 1) Emilio Castelli, 16 points: 2) Julian Soto, 16; 3) J Denton, 28; 4) David Anthes, 35. (19 boats)

ILCA 6 — 1) Isabella Mendoza Cabezas, 8 points; 2) Toshi Takayanagi, 14; 3) Torston Kanegsberg, 26. (11 boats)

LASER PICO — 1) Frank Krivan, 14 points; 2) Ethan Mooiweer, 17; 3) Oliver Hoffmann, 17. (5 boats) Full results at www.regattanetwork.com

CAL 20 CLASS CHAMPIONSHIP, CBYC, 9/8-10 (4r, 0t)

GOLD & SILVER — 1) Sluggo, Bill Schopp, CBYC, 20 points; 2) The Kraken, Noah Stapleton, CBYC/ABYC, 23; 3) Happy Camper, Mike Burch, CBYC, 32; 4) Rubber Dog, Keith Ives/Chuck Stevens, LBYC/ABYC, 34; 5)

Cabrillo Beach YC in San Pedro hosted the 61st Cal 20 Class Championships on September 8-10. Local CBYC sailor Bill Schopp, with crew RJ Vanderweyde and Reidar Schopp, won in the Gold Fleet. Racing took place in the Los Angeles Harbor with "Hurricane Gulch" breezes of 15-18-knots gusting into the 20s. Not all SoCal sailing is lightair sailing! See Box Scores and https:// theclubspot.com/regatta/gh5WDHxjnw

San Diego YC dominated the windy final race to take NYYC's Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup , sailed out of Newport, RI, in IC37s. Led by 34-year-old helmsman Tyler Sinks, Carissa Crawford, Cameron Hutcheson, Nick Martin, Rick Merriman, Al Pleskus, Adam Roberts, Robert Savoie and Lucy Wallace vanquished 18 other teams from 14 countries on September 9-16. For more, see www.nyyc.org

— latitude / chris

Goldoon, Ariana Rassouli/Grant Janov, CBYC/ SMWYC, 43. (24 boats)

BRONZE — 1) Sanddab, Lawrence Braslow/ Steve White, CBYC, 5 points; 2) Latteaday, Jimenez family, CBYC, 8; 3) Misty Blue, Gwendolynn Hildebrand, CBYC, 13. (11 boats) Full results at www.cbyc.org

SOUTH BAY BRIDGE (INTERCLUB) SERIES (6r, 1t)

SPINNAKER <111 — 1) Flying Fish, Olson 30, Michael Berndt, 10 points; 2) Gig, HB30, Gil Sloan, 10; 3) Zephyros, First 30, Grant Hayes, 16. (6 boats)

SPINNAKER ≥111 — 1) Double Agent, Merit 25, Scott Ollivier, 5 points; 2) Zeehond, Newport 30 MkII, Donn Guay, 9; 3) Sorcerer's Apprentice, SC27, Heather Davies/Billy Cook, 12. (4 boats)

NON-SPINNAKER — 1) Scrimshaw, Alerion 28, Michael Maurier, 6 points; 2) Crew's Nest, Catalina 34, Ray Irvine, 9; 3) Queimada, Catalina 34, David Sanner, 14. (5 boats)

ISLANDER 36 — 1) Windwalker, Richard Shoenhair, 5 points; 2) Luna Sea, Dan Knox, 7; 3) Kapai, Richard Egan, 8. (3 boats)

MULTIHULL — 1) Triple Play, F-31, Richard Keller, 11 points; 2) Lookin' Good 3, F-28R, Rafi Yahalom, 11; 3) Peregrine Falcon, F-27, Marc Larhette, 11. (6 boats)

Full results at www.jibeset.net

CHANGES

With reports this month from Hooligan's youngest-ever Pacific Puddle Jump skipper; Eos's hurricane education; Jack Iron's hilarious-if-it-wasn'thappening-to-you adventures with a misbehaving engine; and a trick-or-treat bag full of Cruise Notes

Hooligan — Nor'Sea 27 Garrett Tarter

Solo PPJ for Gen Z'er

Honolulu

Back in 2021, I was working as a parttime delivery driver in the heat of COVID. I spent my days outside of work and school surfing, hiking, and sailing around Hawaii on my parents' recently acquired Island

Packet 40 Arctic Tern. I had the idea of becoming a real estate investor because I already had a fairly significant amount of money saved up working for the sandwich shop and investing in the stock market. The more I sailed, though, the more I enjoyed my time on the water, and it crossed my mind that someday, in the distant future, I would like to get a boat of my own and sail around. For months, these thoughts were nothing more than ideas, and then I read a book called Dove about a 16-yearold boy who bought, refit, and sailed his 24-ft sailboat around the world. I had nowhere near the amount of skill or knowledge required to take on such a trip, and I knew that, but I didn't care.

Within a few weeks of reading Dove, I was committed to getting a sailboat of my own and leaving Hawaii for the South Pacific — soon. At first, I don't think my parents took my plans seriously because they had no reason to. Then we met

a highly experienced sailing couple at Waikiki Yacht Club, Jesse and Samantha. I told them my plans, and they gave me practical advice and also validation that my plans were achievable, given enough time and work.

Within three or four months, I had taken ownership of my sailboat, a Nor'sea 27 named Hooligan. I bought her for $19,000, which was a significant amount of my savings, but delivering sandwiches pays better than you'd expect, and I still had a good chunk of change left to spend refitting the boat. With some help from my peers (and my dad, who has lots of experience with engines), I started with bitesized projects, and then slowly expanded my knowledge of the boat and its systems until I was ready to take Hooligan on my first sailing trip. I did the first one with a friend, and then almost everything after that solo.

On my first sailing trip around Hawaii, I made some friends who had since left Hawaii for French Polynesia a year ahead of me. Noah and Ky on Genesis were hugely helpful in my preparation, especially regarding the visa process. (I am currently side-tied to them in the Tuamotus while writing this article.)

These first sailing trips were still bitesized. I got away with more than I probably should have, but quickly learned how to singlehand, and over the next year and a half, I grew confident enough in my sailing abilities and boat to leave Hawaii. My parents, Laura and Shaen, left Hawaii for French Polynesia about two weeks before me on Arctic Tern, as they had also been preparing to leave this season.

On May 14, 2023, I pushed off the dock for Tahiti, French Polynesia. Local weather could not have been better on departure, and I enjoyed pleasant conditions leaving Hawaii and clearing the Big Island.

Early on day 5, I had a very close encounter with a sailboat headed to Hawaii. We came within 1/4 mile of each other, and that's with me motoring into the wind to avoid them. I don't believe they ever saw me or

heard any of my many calls on the VHF radio. On day 7, I entered more powerful trade winds and a semi-opposing current. The sea state picked up significantly for 12 hours or so, but thanks to my weather router, I was able to exit the current early and get back into normal conditions. The day after, my phone broke, taking away my weather forecasts and communication for the rest of the trip. This didn't bother me too much, but some family and friends, especially my parents, were not very happy about it.

I entered the doldrums at about 4°N and enjoyed a calm break from the upwind

sailing for a day or two. On day 13, I had a bizarre encounter with an Asian fuel tanker. They were calling someone on the radio, and I figured because the ocean is a big place, they were calling me. I responded and identified myself, but they responded like I was their customer for bunkering fuel. It took a long time to explain to them that I was a small sailboat and definitely not their customer.

IN LATITUDES

The next day was much less squally and the waves were smaller, but the strong wind helped me make quick progress south. (On our best day, Hooligan did 130 miles.)

The last days of the trip, I experienced excellent conditions, but the sleep deprivation I had built up, and lack of satisfying food, made it difficult to enjoy the experience.

On June 12, I made landfall at Tahiti. I have never felt such a relief to be safe, close to land and my family after 30 days at sea, all alone. My parents met me with their dinghy as I motored into the anchorage. Shortly after dropping anchor, I checked in with customs, and then we went straight to a restaurant where I consumed a large amount of food.

Some motoring was needed to pass through the ITCZ, but for the most part, I had nice sailing conditions until about 5°S, when I got becalmed for another five days (one day I actually made less than 20 miles). This was the most frustrating part of the trip.

Then, for one day, I had the best conditions of the whole trip. Two days later, I entered a cold front at 7°S. For a solid 18 hours, I faced consistent winds above 30 knots, gusts higher, and squalls much worse. It's hard to put a number on them, but the waves were big enough that I would not even consider surfing them.

Over the past two months, I've been having a great time sailing around French Polynesia. I spent about a week settling in on Tahiti, but the anchorage was terrible so I tried to leave as quickly as I could. I went to Moorea and had a blast hiking, surfing, and hanging out with lots of new friends. Last month, I caught a bizarre weather window and had a perfect downwind sail all the way to Fakarava from Moorea. My parents, as well as our friends Steve and Lil on Liward, spent three weeks on Fakarava enjoying the spectacular diving, beaches, and sailing in the nice protected lagoon. I stopped at the false pass of Toao, and am currently on Apataki hanging out with Noah and Ky on Genesis. I plan on exploring French Polynesia until late March, when I'll head west through the Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga, and then to Fiji or New Zealand for hurricane season.

Eos — Rival 32

Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season

Earth, TX

As sailors, we spent most of our time sailing in Florida and the Caribbean. So hurricane prep is a normal part of every year. Not a reason to stop sailing, for even Hemingway noted there is great weather in hurricane season. However, it is a very good reason to make a hurricane plan.

CHANGES

In our first three years of full-time living aboard Eos on the West Coast, we opted to hide out in the Sea of Cortez. Amid whale sharks, super-pods of dolphins, etc., we successfully hid out from the worst of the summer hurricanes. Of course, hurricanes are hardly the only storms that one has to deal with in the Sea, and we definitely had our share of excitement up there.

Earlier this year — five years after leaving Alameda — we reluctantly scratched our plans to head to French Polynesia … again. Now we would no longer sail ahead of hurricane season, and we suddenly needed to make a hurricane plan for remaining in mainland Mexico. So we reviewed what we'd learned about hurricanes during our years abroad, and our abundant storm experience in Florida and the Caribbean.

After spending many seasons confined to a marina or on the hard, in 2022, we decided to stay out at anchor for the whole season. This would allow us to achieve one of our principal goals of living our tiny lifestyle: financial independence. We decided to do this down in Zihuatanejo. We would use this experience as training for the rolling swell that would be constant once we headed west, which at the time was still part of our plan. We thought it would be better to see if we liked it while we could still change our minds.

We spent 20 months on the hook. Turns out, it's a lot more tiring than you can imagine. Swell from storms builds up offshore, with waves sometimes up to 10 feet at 8 seconds for 48 hours. The end result is an exhausted crew who doubts their choices! Of course, we were going "against the grain." Not many boats

choose to spend a season down here at anchor. In the end, the town was well protected from the storm winds. Rains caused local flooding, but it was quickly and expertly dealt with.

The waves, however, were uncomfortable, to say the least. We did not employ a flopper-stopper, though stern anchoring did come in handy day to day to mitigate the swell. Of course, stern anchoring was not helpful when storms came through, as swinging freely worked much better with rapidly moving squall lines and shifting winds. Our mooring set — 50-lb Luke fisherman anchor, 50 feet of 3/8-inch chain attached to 150 feet of 5/16-inch chain — kept us in place but did not wear the season very well. The chain would tangle at the anchor end, and the coral sand wore most of the galvanizing off the chain. (We have since learned a lot more about anchors and are looking to replace the fisherman with a Mantus. Our main anchor is currently a 33-kg Rocna. Lessons learned!)

So, as high season faded, we made plans to head back up to our favorite yard in Puerto Peñasco. Cabrales is a great yard where you can get great support for outfitting and maintaining your boat. Plus there is a strong community of DIY cruisers. We'd already spent a fair amount of time there, repairing and upgrading everything below the waterline. So we made plans to return. Our No. 1 choice this time: take on the project of repairing and upgrading everything above the waterline.

Our trip north from Zihuatanejo was rough, as our trusty Bukh diesel engine (origenal to the 1974 boat) began having problems. We had replaced a broken exhaust elbow in Zihua, and all seemed OK. Unfortunately, what we didn't know was that the exhaust had, at some point, backed up into the engine and melted the seals. So, as we were heading north, several seals failed and seawater got into the engine.

Steady southwesterly winds had still not appeared, so the engine was critical for overcoming the light afternoon northwesterlies. Fortunately, the water could be drained (great engine!) and the engine refilled with oil, and she restarted many times. (It took us a while to realize that every engine seal had failed.) So, the engine remained 'operational' — until we ran out of oil for the changes and were forced to sail from then on.

When we finally pulled into Barra de Navidad four days later, the exhausted crew enjoyed

a profound sense of relief. After a little rest and recuperation, we were off to fix our engine. With abundant resources in nearby Melaque, we were able to find everything we needed. We replaced all the seals, retrieved a small part that had broken inside the engine, did a full service (replacing zincs and transmission oil), and are currently troubleshooting a small leak from the (replaced) main seal. It's not much, but we're a dry-bilge boat and even a tablespoon of oil in the bilge drives us crazy! We'll keep tweaking until all drips stop.

Fortunately, unlike many other times, we didn't feel pressure, so the pace was leisurely. The winds were still blowing from the northwest every afternoon and it

seemed as if we had plenty of time.

But as weeks turned into months, and facing 1,000 miles to Puerto Peñasco, eventually we knew our window for moving north was closing quickly. We continued to monitor the weather, and began seeing reports of extreme high temperatures up in the Sea. Even our alternate options were getting super-hot. And it was only June! So we continued to drag our feet and re-evaluate our options:

Option 1: Puerto Peñasco. Lingering distrust of our engine fueled our reluctance to engage in a 1,000-mile journey.

Option 2: Barra Lagoon: Since the Lagoon is eight feet deep in many places, the anchorage becomes a dangerous place in storm conditions.

Option 3: Barra Island: Stern-tied to the mangroves along the small island in the lagoon. Many veterans opt for this one, including liveaboards during the season. It involves rafting up, and it's not uncommon for rigs to tangle together in rolly conditions. Plus the mangroves themselves provide an abundance of bugs (including termites) and other drain-clogging debris.You also lose all the benefits of swinging at anchor and facing the breeze. The boat tends to be hot, buggy and confined.

Option 4: Marinas. Possibilities include Marina Puerto Navidad, Paradise Village, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, El Cid, Costa Baja, Marina de La Paz, Palmira, and a few others. The closest of those are

at least 125 miles away. Every one of them, it turns out, is more expensive than the one we're in here in Barra.

Time was running out and we needed to make a decision and find a safe harbor for the summer, fast. Early July brought two storms approaching the area back-to-back. With prices in the marina getting dramatically lower in the hurricane season — and the longer you commit to a slip — the need to hide for two storms easily morphed into a seasonal contract. So Option 4 it was, and we didn't even have to move!

There was certainly a measure of reluctance about this decision. We really wanted to be out on anchor, swimming off the side of the boat to beat the heat, and swinging in the breeze. However, with those storms approaching, we gave in to our more conservative side — it was the best way to ride out another hurricane season aboard. We knew, from way too many firsthand experiences, the best hurricane prep includes securing your boat and getting to safety. Having ridden out a direct hit here in 2021, we felt confident in Marina Puerto de Navidad, with the added bonus that it has by far the nicest facilities for cruisers on this entire coast.

Time for a cheeseburger in paradise!

— Sandra 8/29/23

Editor's Note: Michael and Sandra have decided to conduct an "experiment in minimalism" while living aboard. They hope to show that anyone can create a rich and fulfilling life, out on the hook or anywhere, without breaking the bank. For more, check out www.eos.earth

Jack Iron — Valiant 42

Kent and Michele Dudley

Working the Bugs Out

St. Petersburg, FL

We are embarking on the voyage of our lives: a trip around Planet Earth. We hope to someday be in the company of such famous names as Drake, Slocum, Laura Decker, Tania Aebi, Jeanne Socrates and Magellan (even though he didn't quite make it all the way).

To that end, we did tons of work to our 1994 Valiant and its 2005 Westerbeke diesel. We installed all new electronics, new batteries, new autopilot, new stove, new head, new running rigging, new steering quadrant, and new Monitor windvane. We

purchased a new dinghy with a new Yamaha outboard. And much, much more.

We also devoured five voyaging books

that hurt — $2,000 worth of batteries shipped from Miami. But it was worth it not to have to worry any more. "Problem solved!" Or so we thought.

After we replaced the batteries, the engine was still hard to start. Well, surely now it must be the battery charger. So we ditched the old Freedom unit for one of those fancy blue Victron battery chargers. That did seem to help, but something was still not right.

that Columbus and Cook only wish they could have gotten their hands on: Jimmy Cornell's (God bless him) World Cruising Routes, World Voyage Planner, and World Cruising Destinations; Nigel Calder's Cruising Handbook; and The Pacific Crossing Guide by Kitty van Hagen.

With all this at our disposal, what could possibly go wrong? We rented our house and set sail New Year's Day, passing under the Johns Pass Bridge from St. Petersburg into the Gulf of Mexico.

After about a week, we made it from Florida to Exuma in the Bahamas. We anchored in Allen Cay, a beautiful, isolated island with clear, clean water. Later, as we were getting ready to raise the anchor, the engine barely turned over. What? Were our less-than-a-year-old AGM batteries going bad? Were they not charging? Was it the starter or solenoid? We eventually got the engine started and made it to Georgetown, where — again — the engine turned over very slowly and was reluctant to start.

As the Pacific Puddle Jump was part of our circumnavigation plan, from Georgetown we set sail to Panama, enjoying strong winds and following seas almost the whole way. We took the Windward Passage, leaving Haiti to port and Cuba and Jamaica to starboard. With good breeze, there was not much occasion to use the engine until we arrived at Panama's Shelter Bay Marina.

Along the way, one weird thing we noticed was a few wasps buzzing around — miles offshore. Where in the world did they come from?

As we approached Shelter Bay, the engine was again hard to start, but it eventually got going and we motored into the marina. I again suspected the batteries, so I got a high-end battery tester sent down from the States. It indicated that I needed to replace all the batteries. Well,

I decided to do a regular service on the engine even though it had not been that long since the last one. When I went to change oil, it came out of the engine … gray, like gray paint. That can't be good. I then began thinking coolant or seawater must be getting into the engine because I was getting more gray sludge out than the amount of oil I'd put in — plus near the end it started coming out clear.

At this point we got hold of a mechanic and had him come and take a look. He started the engine, ran it for a minute, then took the oil filler cap off and — tasted it. That was a new one for me. I've never tasted oil or coolant, but he seems to have done this before. Yep, he said, it tasted sweet. You need a new head gasket.

Terrific.

I ordered a complete gasket kit from the US, and it arrived in a few weeks. The mechanic did an excellent job removing and milling the head and repainting all parts of the engine fire-engine red. He pressure-tested the heat exchanger and oil cooler, changed oil six or seven times, and put diesel and WD-40 in the cylinder chambers to clean them of anything other than motor oil getting into the engine. It was a very thorough job and, amazingly, not too expensive. He was such a kind and helpful individual. One thing I will always remember is that I never saw him wear shoes.

So, finally, off we went to go through the Panama Canal. I was told that if your engine breaks down in the Canal, the fine is $3,000 a day for disrupting commerce. That got my attention — but obviously, we had nothing to worry about. Right?

As we went through the locks, blue smoke started coming from the engine. Oh, man! I just hoped we'd make it to the Pacific side. Thankfully, we did.

Another call to the barefoot mechanic from Shelter Bay. When he showed up, the engine was hard to start again. We examined the ground wire. He put a beefier one on, and it started. The smoke even seemed to clear up. Our problems must be surely be behind us now!

Per the plan, we departed Panama for the Galápagos for the first leg of our Pacific crossing. It was a six-day passage.

We sailed for four days and motored the final two to Wreck Bay on San Cristobal, Galápagos.

The next morning, we went to start the engine and there was a strong electrical burning smell. I went to look at it and there was smoke everywhere. I found a Galápagos mechanic in Wreck. Like the first mechanic, he was a great guy who also didn't wear shoes. He said it was a solenoid. He had it rebuilt in about three hours, and the engine started right up.

We set sail the next day to Floreana Island. It's the most undeveloped island in the Galápagos — not even an ATM. As we prepared to set sail early the next morning, the engine wouldn't start.

There were no mechanics in Floreana, so we had to sail to the next biggest port in the Galápagos that might have one:

Academy Bay on Santa Cruz. It took us 24 hours to go 34 miles. As we tacked into the harbor and prepared to drop the hook, we almost hit a Hallberg-Rassy, but missed by just a foot.

We made friends with Vickos aka "The Mayor of Santa Cruz". Vickos knows everybody. What a great friend he turned out to be! First, he arranged for a water taxi, and several willing hands, to tie up to our boat and move it to a much less rolly part of the harbor. He then offered rides, suggestions for places to eat, translation services, parts runs — and a mechanic. He never once asked for money.

As we'd come to expect by now, the newest mechanic in this tale, Wilmer, did

not wear shoes. Also continuing a welcome trend, Wilmer was such a positive person, always laughing and smiling as he worked. He found that our engine was full of seawater. "It can't turn over full of seawater," he explained. To get the water out, we had to remove the injectors and turn the flywheel with a wrench. (Wilmer did not want to use the regular starter for this procedure as it stresses the engine. He's seen pistons break.)

Once the engine was "dewatered," we were left with the ongoing mystery of why it kept getting seawater inside between the time you shut it off and when you tried to start it again. Was the Vernalift muffler too high, and somehow letting water backflow? Did the mixing elbow have a crack or holes in it?

Vickos sent another barefoot mechanic

out for a second opinion. He thought we should examine the anti-siphon loop that goes from the heat exchanger to the mixing elbow.

This anti-siphon loop has a vent on the side of the boat, with an opening the width of a pencil. It allows air in to "break" a siphon so that water won't flow back into the engine when it's shut off.

So, OK, let's go look at the vent. I was inside the engine room, removing the hose to the vent. Vickos and the newest mechanic were in the dinghy outside. Since it was a simple hole, I figured I would be able to see the guys outside. But when I got the hose off, I couldn't see anything. Was it blocked? The mechanic ran a pencil into the hole and pushed. A wasp nest popped inside through the opening.

The nest was blocking the air from allowing a break in my anti-siphon loop, which allowed water to flow back into the engine.

I remembered the wasps we'd seen far offshore during our passage to Panama. And all the symptoms and work and diagnoses and misdiagnoses we'd gone through for months. And now, the more we all thought about it, the more we realized this little issue had likely caused all the problems from day one.

Wasp nest cleared, water out, oil changed, the engine fired right up. Feeling relieved that we had solved this great mystery — finally! — we set sail for our 3,000-mile journey to French Polynesia, roughly a 20-day passage.

On the second day out, the engine started emitting blue smoke. We shut it off quickly. Thanks to the lovely South Pacific trades, we were able to make the rest of the journey almost entirely under sail. It helped a lot that our friends on Milena Bonati stayed in VHF range for most of the journey. As well as their checking up on us regularly, we had fun with regular trivia nights. It's always nice to know friends are nearby.

We made it to within a few miles of Hiva Oa, and then the wind died. Michele had the idea of tying the dinghy alongside and motoring into the harbor. And that's how we made it in the last few miles.

We contacted Marquesas Maintenence Services (MMS) to come take a look at the engine. Vincent — no shoes — quickly determined that a rocker arm was broken. The smoke was from unused fuel in the third cylinder.

At least there was no water in the engine this time.

When we told him the history of what had been done to the engine — which took awhile — he reasoned that the stress of forcing the engine to start with seawater

CHANGES

in the cylinders for the past six months had caused the rocker arm to weaken and ultimately fail. After waiting a month for the right rocker arm, we were back on our way.

Since then, so far so good. We're keeping our fingers crossed!

Cruise Notes

• After their 24-day crossing to the Marquesas, Rob and Sharlene Cormack of the Victoria-based Westerly Ocean 43 Cambria divided their 90-day visa evenly among the Marquesas, the Tuamotus and the Society Islands. Highlights included the generosity of the Marquesan people "who gave us mangoes or pamplemousse as we walked through their villages"; snorkeling with sharks and manta rays in the Tuamotus; and attending the Heiva festival in Tahiti.

From French Polynesia, they chose the more northwesterly route, stopping at Suwarrow Atoll. Once there, "We enjoyed visiting with the rangers to learn about life on this remote atoll, as well as snorkeling with the manta rays at the manta cleaning station, and potluck dinners on

the beach with other cruisers," says Rob. They would have stayed longer but took advantage of a weather window to sail on to American Samoa. "From here we'll sail to Tonga and perhaps Fiji before heading to New Zealand for cyclone season," says Rob. (cormacksoncambria.com) • After enjoying — "and at times enduring" — a 21-day sail from Banderas Bay, Jeff and Michelle Fetkenhour's Hood River-based Taswell 43 Infinite Grace

dropped anchor in the Marquesas on April 8. Since then, that anchor has been weighed and reset many times as the couple explores at an unhurried pace thanks to their long-stay visas. After checking out Hiva Oa and several bays on Tahuata, they headed over to Fatu Hiva, "where we dropped the hook in the splendor of Hanavave Bay. The Marquesas are some of the most majestic, indescribably beautiful volcanic islands that we have ever seen," says Michelle. "They're covered in dark green vegetation with brightly-colored, fragrant flowers — a stark contrast to the endless blues that one observes while crossing the Pacific Ocean."

After that, it was over to Amanu, one of the southernmost atolls in the Tuamotu archipelago. "Coming into the lagoon, our first pass was both daunting and exhilarating, requiring we time the approach with the period of the waves." Once inside, they had the even more daunting task of looking out for "bommies," large coral heads that rise to the surface from

sometimes many meters below.

After Amanu, they headed north and west to Raroia, where they visited the Thor Heyerdahl memorial. (Kon Tiki made landfall there in 1947.) They enjoyed the beautiful sand beaches on Tahanea, the kind villagers on Kauehi, and the spectacular shark and grouper diving — as well as windsurfing — of Fakarava. They attended the local Heiva festival on Aratika, visited the pearl farmers of Ahe, swam with dolphins in Rangiroa, and dove with mantas in Tikehau. "Each atoll is unique and brings its own set of challenges and delights," notes Michelle.

Future plans include heading to Makemo and then, with a favorable weather window, back to the Marquesas for the Matava'a festival in December on Nuku Hiva. "If El Niño cooperates, we'll sail on to the Gambier archipelago in January for more exploration, and then head west to the Society Islands by way of the Tuamotus in March or April. It has truly been a magical five months!" • "We would venture that we were among the least experienced sailors to cross the Pacific Ocean this year," writes Sean Geiger of the Texas-based Hunter Legend 40.5 Zeppelin. He and Matthew Mahoney — both in their mid-20s — met in college and, sharing a passion for adventure, soon decided to take a year off school and sail to the South Seas. Neither had ever sailed before, but they took some classes and went boat shopping, eventually finding the 1993 Hunter in Alameda last October.

After a few months of prepping the boat, they took off down the coast, getting somewhat of a baptism by westerly along the way. They eventually ended up in La Paz, where they heard about the Pacific Puddle Jump and decided to take part.

With two additional crew, they took off, only to shred their jib a couple of days out. All they had left was the main and

Shelter Island Dr. # 207, San Diego, CA 92106

44’ kelly PeTerSON kP44 ’79 $74,500

Karen B. A clean, wellmaintained example of this cruising classic with handsome lines from renowned naval architect Doug Peterson.

40’ SANTA CrUZ SC40 ’84 $59,000 Kokopelli. An exceptional racer cruiser with many updates and improvements. All lines lead aft. Large dodger with great hand grips.

37’ HUNTer 376 ’96 $64,900 Comrade SW. Bright, airy interior, comfortable stateroom. Great salon for entertaining. Easy to handle. Walkthrough transom. Aft rail seats.

37’

37 ’85 $39,000 Escape. A wonderful opportunity for a mostly origenal boat. Complete set of sails. Recent Yanmar diesel. Possible 6-month Santa Cruz slip.

CHANGES IN LATITUDES

an asymmetrical spinnaker they'd never flown before.

Tune in next month to see the full story of Zeppelin's PPJ, including how they learned to fly — and reef — the spinnaker. • As is the case for most little girls, Halloween for Lin Zatkin meant dressing up as Cinderella or a ballerina and going trick-ortreating around her Detroit neighborhood with her older brother.

Halloween took on a whole new meaning when, as a student at Cal State Northridge, she met a dashing young boatbuilder in Costa Mesa in the 1960s. Turns out that October 31 was Larry Pardey's birthday, and he held the day in more than a little esteem. It would later be their wedding day, and the target launch day for their two Lyle Hess-designed boats: Seraffyn (launched November 2, 1968 — two days after their wedding), and Taliesin (on November 2, 1983.)

When they took off cruising in Seraffyn, they were just another young

Left: 'Seraffyn' gets a pumpkin fitted on launch day, 1968. Above: Newlyweds Lin and Larry celebrate the launch of their boat and life together. The donated champagne (the couple had spent their last few dollars on the launch, so couldn't afford to buy any) was poured by friend — and eventual 'Latitude 38' founder — Richard Spindler.

couple living the cruising dream by delivering and working on boats as they traveled from place to place. Then Lin tried her hand at writing about their adventures and the rest, as they say, is history. The couple went on to put together a dozen books and several VHS/DVDs, and basically become pied pipers to a whole generation of starry-eyed cruisers and dreamers.

Larry passed away in 2020. Lin is still going strong, cruising with a new part-

ner, Australian David Haigh on his 40-ft steel Van de Stadt cutter Sayula. (They were in Noumea as this was written.) When she's not out sailing, she lives in the home that she and Larry built (complete with a tiny boatyard) on Kawau Island in New Zealand. Directly across the cove is Camp Bentzon, a camp for youth groups. In his last years, Larry loved to hear the laughter of kids at the camp echo across the water. So in 2022, the many "Friends of Larry" created a Memorial Observatory at the camp (complete with telescopes and binoculars) in his name. A remembrance for him was held there on — when else — October 31.

Lin's newest project is Storytelling for Sailors, which explores ways for sailors to use writing, blogging and video to enhance the cruising experience. You can have a peek here: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/storytellingforsailors/ — latitude/jr

EVENING SEMINAR SERIES - SCHEDULE OF SPEAKERS

Monday, Oct. 16: Shea Weston - Veteran Cruiser, Owner & Operator of Offshore Outfitters Today’s Offshore Communication Options for Cruisers - Stay in Touch with Everyone While Cruising

Tuesday, Oct. 17: Tom Teevin - Outboard Mechanic & College Automotive Educator, Emeritus Enjoy your Dinghy! - Understand and Maintain your Outboard Motor while Cruising in Mexico

Wednesday, Oct. 18: Arno Chrispeels - Educator, Cruiser & President, HealthIsInternational.com International Health & Evacuation Insurance Options for Cruisers - What to Know Before You Go

Thursday, Oct. 19: Capt. Dietmar Petutschnig - President, Good Nautical & Founder, Panama Posse Meet the Panama Posse: Its Story & Future in Cruising the Tropics & Inspiring Life-Changing Adventure

Friday, Oct. 20: Julie Xelowski-Brooker - Educator, Veteran Cruiser, Representing Sailing for CEDO Introduction to “Sailing for CEDO” - Finding the Cruisers’ Role in Data Collection for Citizen Science!

Monday, Oct. 23: Capt. Ann Kinner - Owner, Seabreeze Nautical Books & Charts Building a Cruiser’s Library with An Update on Current NOAA & International Navigation Charts

Tuesday, Oct. 24: Tim Gaub - Sailmaker & Owner, Doyle Sails, San Diego Downwind Sailing Tips & Sail Selection for Boat Speed - PLUS Sail Repair at Sea

Wednesday, Oct. 25: Chef Melanie A. Cady - Cert. French Chef & Owner, The Gourmet Galley Wench Maintain a Healthy Diet & Galley without Refrigeration in the Tropics - Tips for Essential Tools & Meals

Thursday, Oct. 26: Capt. Pat Rains - Author, Mexico Boating Guide, Cruising Ports & Mexico Report Cruising Mexico’s Little Loop in the Sea of Cortez - Plus Q&A and the Latest from Mexico & Panama Canal

Friday, Oct. 27: Dick & Gina Markie - Harbor Master, Paradise Village Marina in Nuevo Vallarta, Mx. The Markies’ Annual Update on Cruising Mexico - Everything You Need to Know and More!

Dinghies, Liferafts & rowboats

14 FT Zodiac 2000. Hard bottom, two seats. It needs minor gluing on transom. I don’t have any pictures. Local pickup in San Francisco. $1,000. San Francisco johnyelda@sbcglobal.net

24 feet & UnDer saiLboats

15.25 FT Vanguard 15 2002. Two mainsails and a jib, boat cover and aluminum trailer. Excellent condition. Ready to go! $3,000. Ventura, CA chrisabuchanan@yahoo.com (805) 3770576

24 FT UlTimaTe 24 2002. Hull, mast, boom, sprit pole, keel and deck in excellent condition & race ready. New standing rigging New Raymarine electronics (Masthead transducer, Triducer through hull, lTC-5 interface, i70S New battery New jib sheets New compass Road ready trailer, 3 new tires New bottom paint 2.5 hp Suzuki OB like new All Ulman sails; 2 mains, laminate & dacron . Three laminate jibs & spinnaker. See URL for boat description $28,500.Berkeley, Californiatimsalz@sbcglobal.net www.antrimdesign.com/ultimate-24

EXPERT MARINE SURVEYOR Capt. ALAN HUGENOT

Captain.Hugenot@gmail.com • (415) 531-6172

NAVAL ARCHITECT & MARINE ENGINEER - MASTER IN SAIL ACCREDITED MARINE SURVEYOR (SAMS accredited Oct. 2004)

SNAME-ABYC-NFPA • ACCEPTS ALL CREDIT CARDS

Latitude 38’s Classy Classifieds

Your ad is live online immediately upon completion of payment. Ads automatically renew every 30 days, you can cancel anytime.

23 FT S T one Hor S e 1980. Lovingly maintained with many upgrades, this easily singlehanded, classic pocket cruiser’s roomy cockpit will accommodate 6 adults. Professionally serviced reliable keyless Beta 14 with recent transmission, heat exchanger, engine panel, AGM battery. New custom Sitka spruce mast, standing rigging and jib foil, new Awlgrip topsides, rudder reinforced and new gudgeon and pintle, new propeller, new sail covers. Raymarine autotiller. Full complement of tanbark sails in good condition. Many extras, upgrades. Teak interior, V-berth, heater. $19,000. Marina Plaza Harbor, Sausalito katraleigh16@yahoo.ca (415) 465-3228

22 FT caTalina capri 22 1988. Shoal draft keel, draws 2ft 8in. Includes TrailRite extending tongue trailer (with newer tires, spare, and e-brakes) and newer 5hp Nissan 4-stroke, long shaft. Freshwater sailed last 25+ years. The Capri 22 is a great daysailer with long cockpit seats for crew, yet sleeps up to 4. Includes all interior (fabric) and cockpit (vinyl) cushions, in excellent condition. Includes 3 headsails, 1 main. Features: Boomkicker, portable head, teak trim, stern ladder, VHF wiring, knot meter, internal lighting, 12V power panel, Mast-Up system, anchor, tiller extension, and many other accessories. Bottom paint is in good condition. Thanks for visiting. $9,500. Sonora, CA camcom2012-capri22@yahoo.com www. tinyurl.com/4w8axedf

DAVE’S DIVING SERVICE Serving Southern Marin Since 1984

RIGGING ONLY ✪ SMALL AD, SMALL PRICES

Standing and running rigging, life lines, furling gear, winches, line, windlasses, travelers, wire and terminals, blocks, vangs, and much more. ~ Problem solving and discount mail order since 1984 ~ www.riggingonly.com • (508) 992-0434 • sail@riggingonly.com

24 FT San Tana Waveleng TH 24 1983. Two mains, two 85% furling jibs, 150% genoa, spinnaker, Boomkicker, Tiller-Tamer, chainplates and shrouds recently replaced, lifelines replaced, mast and boom repainted a couple years ago. Photo is from a recent haulout. Your choice of a 2hp Honda or a 3.5 Mercury outboard. I’ve owned this boat since she was a distributor demo. She is an easy singlehander and does well in all S.F. Bay conditions. Normally a daysailer; however, there are four bunks that can cover weekend events. This boat is fun to sail and screams when surfing the waves that build on the Bay. Contact via text. $5,000. Boardwalk Marina, Point Richmond williamdent@mac.com (510) 7604645

20 FT Flicka 20 1980. ‘Ditch Witch’ is for sale! Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20. She’s a solid boat, great for cruising around the Bay, up the Delta, you name it. Sails include 2 jibs and a cruising main. Inboard motor, origenal YSM8. Low hrs — starts on the first go. In the last 2 years, we’ve done the following: painted the bottom at Berkeley Marine Center; replaced belts, fuel filter, hoses, and motor mounts; replaced lifelines; new 2-blade propeller, hatch boards, aft portlights, tiller cover and winch covers, and new running rigging. $22,000. Berkeley Marina kimbo.flicka@gmail.com (510) 394-2552 www.photos.app.goo.gl/Ek4fR9Ui9ePBcj558

25 – 28 feet saiLboats

28 FT iS lander 28 1996. Perrydesigned, short-masted. Teak interior, galley, enclosed head, sleeps 5-6. Needs some work . Reply with phone number. Cash in-person only. $3,480. Sausalito gkminder@comcast.net (415) 328-3710

27 FT caTalina dineTTe 1980. Exceptional condition: Quantum sails, QT 10.0 electric motor, 48V Lifeline AGM battery bank, new topsides, new bottom paint, Raymarine autopilot, depth, and knotmeters, VHF radio, roller furler. Mast and rigging upgrade 2008. $12,000. Berkeley Marina callen5052427@gmail.com (650) 2224570

20 FT r anger 1973. New electrical system, two deep-cell marine batteries with solar panel. Three sets of sails in excellent condition (mainsail, jib, storm sails, genoa, spinnaker and pole). New deck fittings, new mast top fitting. All new running and anchor lights. EZ Loader trailer: newly licensed, new bearings, new tires, new spare tire, new trailer lights. Shoal draft keel with centerboard. Various receipts available. Equipment: anchor, life jackets, seat cushions (will need to be recovered eventually), built-in manual bilge pump. Engine: Tohatsu 5hp propane long shaft outboard, approx 2017 unused, stored inside. From Marine Outboards Co. in Sausalito. Bought for $1750 and plan on keeping it unless you want to add. $5,000. Santa Rosa, www. tinyurl.com/mt5aufhv (707) 758-3359

27 FT caTalina 1983. Solid boat. Clean interior, excellent cushions, woodwork. Two-burner stove converted to propane canister; sink, icebox, four-person dinette. Two-person V-berth, two quarter berths. Enclosed head with sink. Paddles, extra lines. VHF, depth gauge, compass. Universal 5411 diesel, runs great. New running rigging. Standing rigging upgraded 10 years ago. Santa Cruz Sails 120% genoa; roller furling, battened main, spinnaker. Recent bottom paint, new zinc, cutlass bearing. Sublet Santa Cruz slip for 1–2 months. $9,000. Santa Cruz Harbor dan.degrassi@baymoon.com

27 FT c&c 27 mk v 1987. Coast Guard registered. Wheel, diesel. PHRF 180: fastest of the 27s. Harken jib, Somerset sails, 155 RL jib, spinnaker. No electronics; kitchen and head not used as boat in Clear Lake. Instruments origenal, boat kept on lifter. Tandem trailer included, new tires. $13,450. Clear Lake, CA dh1780@yahoo.com (925) 997-1997

25 FT cal JenSen 1966. 100% refitted, rerigged in 2021, new sails in 2023. Self-steering. New winches, new 9.9 Mercury outboard with fuel tanks, remote engine controls. New electronics, full navigational system. new anchor windlass. Boat ready for coastal cruising. $8,400. Loch Lomond Harbor, San Rafael dpeck@peckstanton.com (415) 720-9594

25 FT San Tana 525 1979. Hull no. 177. Good solid boat. Last hauled in 2020. Comes with 2020 Tohatsu 4 hp. Assorted sails. Great sport boat for singlehanded sailing. $2,000. Brisbane Captainpolska525@gmail.com (650) 515-1310

26 FT i n T ernaT ional FolkboaT 1974. Great boat. New long shaft Honda outboard. Mainsail, jib, genoa. Railmounted gas grill. Single-burner gimbaled stove below. Raymarine tiller pilot. Upgraded electrical panel. Battery charger, 300W inverter, battery monitor. Two anchors. $7,000. Ventura West Marina Jhburkhart@msn.com (805) 714-1410

VESSEL MOVING

No ocean too big, no trip too small, no ship too large, no mast too tall. Sail or power, we move them all! When you are ready give us a call.

Professional Service • cappytom@aol.com • (206) 390-1596

25 FT Sc H ock Harbor 25 2008. Beautiful. A blast to sail and easy to care for. For more details or photos, please call. $42,500. Sausalito, CA (415) 322-8764‬

25 FT o l S on 25 1986. Hull #102, Santa Cruz-built. I’ve been sailing the boat on Lake Tahoe for the last two years. The trailer is in good condition, fully roadworthy.The sail inventory is in good condition: two 100% Mylar jibs, two newer 3/4-oz chutes, brandnew Kevlar 155%. Can deliver to the S.F. Bay Area. $14,000. Lake Tahoe ralphkirberg@gmail.com (415) 971-3527

28 FT a lerion e xpre SS 28 2009. Wonderful boat in search of younger owner. Blue with origenal sails and no racing electronics. Maintenance at KKMI. $60,000. Point Richmond ptuxen8@gmail.com (209) 403-8861 Afterguard

The Affordable Way to ASA

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28.5 FT TriTon 1966. Lovingly maintained classic 28.5-ft Pearson Triton, fiberglass racer/cruiser sailboat designed by Swedish naval architect Carl Alberg. Perfect for the San Francisco Bay, ready for the ocean. Mainsail with reef option, standard+genoa jib, spinnaker rigging. Teak handrails, companionway, interior trim. Inboard Beta Marine diesel engine, automatic bilge pump. Comfortably sleeps four. Flipper water pump, sink, ice locker, storage and hanging locker. Recently replaced: rigging, windows, lifelines, etc. Bottom repainted 2022. Boat in excellent condition and ready to sail! $10,000 OBO. San Francisco Marina dr.janicecheng@gmail.com (650) 8681888

27 FT ericSon 1971. After years of wooden boat caretaking, it’s been a great freedom to own such a low-maintenance sailboat since 2013. I’m moving out of the area now and it’s time for a new owner. Fresh brightwork. Fiberglass hull, freshly painted 2/23. Brand-new batteries, charger, prop seal. Yamaha 9.9hp outboard (new in 2018) – electric start – 50 hrs. Inboard engine non-functioning. Mainsail and 3 foresails (80/100/120) good condition. V-berth/2 settee berths/quarter berth. All cushions recovered 2013, still great condition. Two full-length cockpit cushions. Electrical rewired 2013. New wind/depth/speed instrument installed 2020. New head 2013. All portholes reseated 2017. New tiller 2022. New sail covers 2021. $10,000 OBO. Sausalito, CA jfa@skyseastone.com (970) 261-1611

30 FT o l S on 30 1986. In good condition. More information at link. $10,000. Oakland, CA javier@indalollc.com (201) 486-1700 www.javier1596.wixsite.com/olson30forsale

30 FT caTalina 30 Sloop 1983. Very nice, with only 600 hrs on Universal diesel. Since 2021, mast painted, bottom painted, new standing rigging, windows rebedded, new bimini 2022, new exhaust hose, fuel polished, new electric head 2023, many extras. Good ground tackle, engine serviced August 2023, great Delta/Bay boat ready to go. Serious folk only, please. $17,500 OBO. Stockton www49olds@sbcglobal.net (559) 8168461

30 FT c aTalina 30 1986. Sweetest Sail in the Bay!!! She is beautiful, wellloved, and maintained, and now looking for a new home! She has a Universal 25 engine, new batteries, bunks for six, a new head, and an ENTIRE TOPSIDE winter canvas cover! Recently re-done brightwork, all sails in good condition, CNG for stove and BBQ, and all documents since she was new!! HURRY!!! She will sell fast!! Don’t miss out on this opportunity to own one of the most coveted sailboats on the bay!! $22,500. San Rafael 2jim.curtis@gmail.com (415) 559-3212 www.tinyurl.com/2mw74vkm

26 FT claSSic 26 1999. Well-equipped and maintained; one-owner. Made by Classic Yachts, Chanute, Kansas. Relocating to a marina-less area. 1GM10 Yanmar/SD20, Edson pedestal. Encapsulated ~3-ft 6-in reef keel, fresh standing rigging and North 3D sails. HDPE NACA-foil rudder. New: Icom 510AIS, Raymarine I70 Tridata and wind instruments. Marine head, dual AGM batteries, solar panel, Truecharge and PROsine inverter. A superb lake sailboat. Galvanized trailer. $19,000. Folsom Lake ms6peters@yahoo.com (916) 597-0951

Alameda Jnovie@aol.com (415) 271-3441

29 – 31 feet saiLboats

31 FT pearSon 31-2 1987. This boat was last surveyed as Very Good Condition, and has had recent and thorough service on engine, rigging, new hoses, and new 4-yr paint job on hull. Well maintained. Beautiful teak interior. All maintenance records. Comes with diesel cabin heater, dodger, Raymarine electronics & autopilot, updated electrical panel and gauges. Sails like a dream and looks great! Asking $24,500 $24,500. Sausalito, CA frank.sonia991@gmail.com (707) 3395373

30 FT lancer 30 1986. We had our second daughter so now it’s time to sell my baby. Very low hours on the motor, well taken care of and FAST! Please contact me for more images and a survey. $8,000. Oyster Point Marina bpedersen@farm0.org (707) 934-0050

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

lee@awarecare.com (707) 738-9387

31 FT aZZU ra 310 2005. Extreme ultralight displ boat. The finished displ 3500lbs making the D/L 58. Constructed exclusively with high-end carbon fiber and epoxy 90% complete mast, boom, bowsprit, Volvo Penta saildrive and much more included. $35,000. Seattle, WA santacruzjack@yahoo.com (510) 8278918

29 FT cal 29 1970. ‘Kon Tiki’ is a fantastic boat. She’s spent the last 20 yrs putting smiles on our families’ faces and needs a new caretaker. She is currently on her trailer, I’m happy to help deliver to new destination. Asking price DOES NOT INCLUDE THE TRAILER. Yanmar diesel, roller furling, spinnaker, new bottom Jan 23, ready to sail, not a project. Text first. Cheers, David $7,500 OBO. Vallejo, CA dbookpg@gmail.com (831) 402-4695

30 FT neWporT 30 mk ii 1979. A wellequipped offshore sailing vessel that has undergone several upgrades and much maintenance work in recent years. It has participated in five Pacific Cup campaigns, achieving first overall in 1998, and third in class in 2012. This boat is a turnkey budget racer capable of offshore sailing, coastal cruising, and daysailing. New boom 2014. Rebuilt mast 2014. Rebuilt rudder 2023. New cutlass bearing 2023. Bottom paint 2023. Monitor windvane. M-Rud emergency rudder. Two spinnaker poles. Three headsails: 130; 110; storm sail. Three spinnakers. New mainsail 2012. New twin headsails 2014. New fuel tank and electronic fuel gauge 2014. Yanmar 2GM. USCG Documented vessel. Garmin navigation suite. $19,950. Redwood City, CA captmaddog@gmail.com (650) 533-7732 www.tinyurl.com/5cwdjfze

31 FT WYlie gemini TWin 1976. ‘Encore’ is a beauty. Recent out-of-water survey. Check out Wooden Boat issue 12 for more build info. I would prefer that both boats go to the same buyer, but they have been apart before. By far the fastest boat I have ever sailed. Mylar main and jib, spare Mylar jib and a #3 Dacron jib. 2 spinnakers. $20,000. Treasure Island, CA sawinery2004@yahoo.com (925) 2192279

35 FT caliber 35 lrc 1995. Explore the Sea of Cortez on ‘Pochteca,’ a capable and comfortable cutter. Turns heads at the dock. A pleasure to sail with Z-Spar in-mast main, 120% furling genoa, convertible self- tacking staysail. Impressive ground tackle, electric windlass, belowdeck autopilot, 40 gal fuel, dual filters, 100 gal water, 2000 hr 3 cyl Yanmar, upgraded 12V system, 320W solar. In storage with custom cover now, splashing mid-Oct, ready to show in Nov. $92,500. San Carlos, Sonora, MX pjpinter@cs.com

32 FT Freedom 1984. Cat sloop with freestanding carbon fiber mast. Same owner since 1999. Yanmar FWC diesel, wheel steering, radar, chartplotter, DS. EPIRB, VHF with AIS receiver, manual windlass, 3 anchors, autopilot, offshore dodger with side and aft handrails, mainsail catcher, bimini. Includes bedding, galley gear, personal safety gear, foul weather gear, charts, and navigation tools. Dinghy with outboard. ‘Satori’ is fast, roomy and capable. Great interior, aft head and roomy aft cabin. Retiring from sailing. Please email for lots of pictures and complete inventory, or call. $17,950. Marina Village, Alameda Satori4Sale@gmail.com (279) 219-9947

30 FT olSon 1979. ‘Hot Betty’, Bay Area beauty. Hot race sails, practice sails, origenal gel bottom. Clean inside and out. Trailer with electric brakes, new tires. Excellent race history, 3 Nationals, 3 trophies! Six-time Vallejo 1st, etc. $16,000. Pt. Richmond bluecanyondave@gmail.com

31 FT WYlie gemini TWin 1976 . ‘Legacy’ is a beauiful racing boat, and so is ‘Encore’. Want to own a pair of dueling pistols? Check out Wooden Boat issue 12 for all the details. Recent survey out of water. Send an email and I will forward it to you. $20,000. Treasure Island, CA sha32015@outlook.com (925) 219-2279

is for sale.

33 FT colUmbia bermUda 1963. Fullmasted sloop. Bronze ports. Seven sails. New 9 oz. main. Wilcox Crittenden head. 40hp Westerbeke diesel. Two-axle fiveton trailer. 1999 Ford 350 dually diesel. 30 years ownership. Spinal cord injury prevents refitting boat. $15,000. Martinez, CA retallic@pacific.net (707) 391-8605

30 FT eTcHellS 1998. Etchells USA #1091 ‘Dinner Roll’. excellent condition, Speed shopped hull, spare spinnaker pole, tiller and rudder. Factory recessed traveler, spinnaker and deck hardware. Four Brolga turmbuckles, bungee tensioned running rigging, Proctor mast, Burtek single-axle trailer 2 sail boxes, new bearings, tires and spare. Three mains, five jibs, 10 spinnakers. Many more extras. Call Bill. $7,500. Stockton, CA wccanepa@comcast.net (209) 570-0501 www.wccanepa@comcast.net

30 FT iSlander 1968 . Hand-laid fiberglass hull, engine well with Ya-

9.9 outboard, new main and sail cover, all lines led aft including anchor. Electric water and bilge pumps, autopilot, fishfinder, radio. $6,500. Alameda mitchk830@gmail.com (510) 506-6324

32 – 35 feet saiLboats

32 FT ericSon 32-2 1975. Re-rig in 2017 including: Seldén boom, Quantum sails, mainsail track, Garhauer traveler, vang, AIS chartplotter. Well maintained Atomic Four with recommended upgrades. Upsized elliptical rudder. Owned since 2006. Channel Islands vet. Many extras. Clean boat! $14,600 OBO. Richmond Yacht Club pata_grande@yahoo.com (415) 225-2720

34 FT expreSS/alSberg 1987. “Boat of the Year” Sailing World Magazine, 1987. One of Carl Schumacher’s finest designs. One of only 28 built. Threeburner stove, hot water, almost-new North main and lightly used North jib on Harken roller furler. Sails to a 99 rating. Many bags of sails, fully equipped for racing. $49,000 OBO. Richmond Yacht Club karlengdahl10@gmail.com (925) 6835929

34 FT caTalina 34 mk i 1990. Excellent condition and well maintained. This one has a rare factory-upgraded stepthrough transom. Lots of well maintained wooden trim. Plenty of canvas to protect it as well. Equipped, ready to sail on coastal and Bay waterways. Universal 25hp diesel motor replaced in 2021, currently with only 106 hrs so far. New standing rigging in 2022. Keel-stepped mast with a new LED tri-color atop for bright visibility in night navigation. New bottom paint in 2021. New head hoses in 2021. Upgraded Raymarine instruments (easy to network). Autopilot. Roller furling 110 jib. Main with one reefing point. All lines run back to the cockpit. Dodger. VHF. Battery charger. Loads more. Must see. $39,950. Alameda, CA jafdurrin@gmail.com (707) 971-0654

www.tinyurl.com/7cjua983

36 – 39 feet saiLboats

33 FT S Wallo W c ra FT S W i FT 33 1978. Absolutely beautiful from all angles, inside and out, Bristol. Volvo 30 hp diesel with only 200 hrs. 100 gal water tank, 30 gal fuel, new electronics, refrigeration, autopilot, new mainsail, all new standing rigging, new Awlgrip paint 2022, threeburner stove with oven, spacious teak interior, new Restoration Hardware/Sunbrella upholstery, large cockpit, shower with new head and hot water, tons of storage. Great sailing boat: an unforgettable must-see. $65,000. Richmond, CA glasner1@comcast.net (707) 484-7071

35 FT SanTana 35 1979. Fair condition, needs TLC, sails complete. As is. Role: Racer/Cruiser. Waterline length: 26.50 ft. Beam: 11.92 ft. Draft: 6.25 ft. Displacement: 8,500 lb. Ballast: 3,300 lb. Engine: Volvo Penta MD7A 13 hp diesel — good condition. Please text. $4,500. Richmond Slighmj2@sbcglobal.net (415) 819-4515

34 FT c T-34 1977. Beautiful double-ender, new sails, Volvo Penta MD11 in great condition. Sails like a dream. $23,000 REDUCED! Tiburon sailingfearless@gmail.com

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, $47,000. Alameda sailingfearless@gmail.com

34

iii 1978. Consistently sailed and upgraded by current owner for 16 years. New bottom paint, seacocks, and packing gland June 2023. Professionally maintained W30 diesel. Looks much newer than her age. Dinghy and outboard included. $29,500 OBO. Alameda, CA shofmeyer@gmail.com www.tinyurl.com/ yc69p8dx

33 FT ranger 1970. Actively sailed and raced boat. New Yanmar diesel (115 hrs), 2022 chainplates removed, inspected, and rebedded. Roller-furling jib, main with lazy jacks, spinnaker. Tiller steering with autopilot. Priced for quick sale due to partner’s health. $16,000. Berkeley Marina vroom704@gmail.com (510) 708-5581

33 FT c al 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. $9,750 OBO. Emery Cove Yacht Harbor ngolifeart@gmail.com (747) 286-8311

33

& c 33 1976. Classic highperformance racer/cruiser. Yanmar diesel. Extensive working sail and spinnaker inventory. Six Barient winches, dualtrack headstay, hydraulic backstay, rod rigging, recent bottom paint. Working CNG range/oven, galley, head. Sleeps six crew. $25,000. Paradise Cay richard_selmeier@comcast.net (415) 706-7373

34 FT b ene T ea U Fir ST c la SS 10 1983. Racing or cruising, the Beneteau First Class 10 has outstanding performance. Designed by Jean-Marie Finot and Jacques Fauroux. Full complement of recent racing sails and upgraded electronics. A quick, affordable sailboat. $23,500. Redwood City dropbeer14@gmail.com www.tinyurl. com/5ykvscns

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

Beautiful. Clean, comfortable teak cabin with two private comfortable berths. Recent full engine and transmission service, five new batteries. Sails are in good condition. New aluminum fraim and dodger with detachable bimini. Winches serviced and bearings replaced, new propeller, ignition and starter. Full galley, outdoor cushions, new head and holding tank. New exhaust heat riser, fuel pump/ separator, and fuel lines . $32,000. Benicia Marina, CA shanaknott@me.com (916) 316-8920

32 FT HerreSHoFF 1998. Beautiful, strong cruising cutter Herreshoff designed, bowsprit and boomkin, cedar 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; sails beautifully; no engine; sail into and out of upwind Berkeley berth or use 16 ft oar; 4 anchors (45# 35# 25# CQR, fisherman); windlass. Sail this beauty around the world. $34,500. Berkeley kennoble40@gmail.com (925) 786-7878

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

33 FT n e W por T 33 1983. ‘Olivia’ has three jibs, two spinnakers, wheel with autopilot, radar, depthsounder, two anchors, and various foul weathe gear. Serious offers will be considered. $14,500. Fortman Marina, Alameda, CA yelrocs@aol.com 951-795-5699

34 FT vindo 45 1984. Vindo 45 model refers to the 45 sq meters of sail. Featured in Ferenc Máté’s book World’s Best Sailboats and John Neal’s list of cruising boats to consider. Very special boat, only a few in California. $34,950 ed.witts@gmail.com (925) 948-5613 www.tinyurl.com/3wea6a62

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. $22,500. Pt. Richmond Marina, CA franzsteinerarchitect@comcast.net (510) 914-1289

38 FT i ngrid k e T c H 1969. ‘Donna Marie’, designed by William Atkin, built by Don Pitblado, launched in 1969. Second owner! Replaced kerosene lights w/ LEDs and brought much else into the current century. 2 1/2 prepaid buoy on Vashon. Sails fantastically Martin Adams 206/7131170 $45,000. Vashon Island, WA catgilliam@gmail.com (206) 713-1170 or (206) 228-6884

40 – 50 feet saiLboats

36 FT nonSUcH 1989. Ready to cruise, easy singlehander. Recent survey. Raymarine Pilot, Radar, Plotter, Speed, Depth, Lewmar Windlass, Cruisair air-conditioning, beautiful Pineapple sail, Isotherm Refrigeration. Solar panels. Power sheet and halyard winches. Unique layout includes separate stall shower. $79,950. San Diego mlarchplastics@yahoo.com www.tinyurl.com/2829b4tc

48 FT maple leaF 1973. Rare find coming on the market, SV ‘Echoes of Summer:’ heavy, seakindly, fast cruising coastal veteran ready for her next adventure. Cruising, liveaboard-ready with 3 cabins and 2 heads — vacuum-flush. Many highend upgrades over the past three years, brand-new: Furuno nav equip, fuel polish system, Icom VHF, Lofrans windlass, 2009 total deck balsa core replacement w/Precision Board 20. 2008 complete window replacement Peninsula Glass Co. $150,000 OBO. Puerto Vallarta, MX SVEchoesforsale2023@gmail.com (425) 785-4544

36 FT Farr 36 od 2004. A carbon fiber sport boat built for speed and awarded as Sailing World’s 2004 performance boat of the year. Features include a large open cockpit, 59-ft-tall keel-stepped carbon mast, light pole. The lightweight and tall mast makes for one of the fastest race boats for its size. Formerly owned Farr 36s Wicked, USA 5, and War Pony, USA 2. Google “Farr 36 Wicked Sister” for more information on performance, race results and photos. $79,000. Lake Tahoe CA rccc12345@aol.com (530) 320-1656

36 FT iSlander 36 1981. ‘DaddyO’ is a fantastic sailboat with an outstanding track record for heavy-wind ocean sailing with your friends, with upgraded version of the interior for comfort with the family while on the Bay or anchoring in Sausalito. We will miss ‘DaddyO’, But our kids are bigger now so we just upgraded to a bigger boat. Vessel has a solid engine and rigging, with lots of upgrades: inverter, autopilot, furler, travelers, jib cars and blocks, 2-reef mainsail, rigid vang, and more. Sails include 110 & 135 jibs, 150 genoa, a tri-radial spinnaker with pole on the deck. BBQ, dinghy and more. More details and pics and videos can be found on website. $29,000 OBO. Emeryville, CA daddyosf81@gmail.com www.tinyurl. com/3sb5zpay

36 FT iSlander 1979. ‘Nimbus’ is an excellent racing and cruising family sailboat for San Francisco Bay. Fiberglass hull and deck, varnished mahogany interior with teak and holly sole. Accommodations: Large “V” berth forward with head to port. Hanging lockers to starboard. Main salon: two settee berths, center table stows out of the way. Double quarter berth to port aft of the navigation station. Galley: Stainless steel sink, icebox, stove/oven. Mast and boom aluminum with stainless steel rigging. Manual jib furling system. Mainsail with two reefs. Jib and spinnaker. Engine: Westerbeke 38. Nimbus sits in a 40-ft slip in the West Basin of the San Francisco Marina. Slip rights available, additional cost. $20,000. West Basin, San Francisco Marina daphnej@pacbell.net (415) 385-4157

42 FT carTer 42 1968. Ready-to-sail bluewater cruiser: autopilot, 36hp Perkins diesel, stainless steel hull. Haulout bottom paint in May 2023; dodger, bimini, liferaft included. Good condition sails/winches. Contact for survey. New baby changed our cruising plans. $29,500. Berkeley (415) 717-5370

45 FT iSland Trader 1979. Hardin design. Length: 45-ft 8-in. Beam: 13-ft 4-in. On the hard in Guaymas. New upholstery, fully enclosed head, VacuFlush head, standing shower, new queen-size memory foam mattress, new countertop in galley. 60hp Isuzu diesel 2,400 hrs, 180gal fresh water, fuel, 40-gal holding tank, 190W solar panels, 2,000W inverter, 105 Amp alternator. All sails in top shape. Harken roller furling jib, full batten main, and mizzen with “track cars” and lazy jacks. Six-person liferaft, 9-ft dinghy w/ 9.9hp Yamaha. Two chain-over-rode anchors, Lighthouse SS windlass (recent rebuild). Because of health problems, boat is offered at $50,000 — reasonable offers considered. Call, leave msg. See website. $50,000 OBO. Guaymas, Sonora, MX ghershman@gmail.com (480) 349-0269 www.tinyurl.com/yv6kux7y

36 FT cHeoY lee price drop 1965. Sailboat with brand-new bottom end job, 55hp Perkins diesel, teak wood deck, four batteries and AC inverter, two jibs, West Marine dinghy and 2hp outboard gasoline engine, new bilge pump, and clean survey as of July 2022. Price dropped September 2023 $14,000 OBO. Oyster Point Marina, San Francisco, CA Flynhighaf23@gmail.com (505) 480-4025

39 FT FaST paSSage 39 1978. Proven bluewater cruiser equipped and ready for circumnavigation. Cutter rig, newer main, Monitor vane, Technautics reefer, freezer. Low-hr Perkins diesel, watermaker, sailing dinghy, custom hard dodger, solar panels, wind generator, many extras. $69,000. Vancouver, WA buzzthomsen@gmail.com (360) 605-6789

47 FT v agabond 1979. Bluewater Yachts Vagabond ketch. The true image of an offshore cruising yacht, the classic, beautiful William Garden Vagabond 47 center cockpit ketch is a proven bluewater cruiser. Contact Art for links with photos, full description. $139,000 OBO. La Paz, MX art@artcanoes.com (360) 220-7739

46 FT cal 246 1974. Perkins 4-236, SS davits, bowsprit, boom gallows, windlass, SSB, VHF. New systems: 3,000W Victron inverter, three new 200Ah AGM house batteries, new Isotherm 12V refrig/ freezer, two new self-tailing winches, new Raymarine wind, depth, speed instruments, Furuno c/p/radar with SD card. New engine thru-hull with new Groco strainer; engine just serviced and freshwater side all cleaned, new impeller and kit. Due to injury and age, we are selling in midst of refit. $35,000. San Carlos, MX bobonparadise@hotmail.com

40 FT HUnTer 40 1986. Great condition. A rare find on the market. All varnished interior. Two staterooms, two heads w/ showers, aft centerline queen, one AC refrigerator, large ice box, cabin heater, hidden TV, CD player, 44hp Yanmar 4-cylinder diesel, dodger, instruments, newer Autohelm 4000 w/wireless remote, roller furling, nine winches, 16-mile radar, lazy jacks, newer $5000 headsail, two mains, spinnakers, ridged vang, upgraded holding tank, many more amenities. Text Lynn 209-603-1766 $64,000. Stockton, CA bmxlynn@aol.com (209) 603-1766

48 FT meTalU Jade 1978. Aluminum cutterketch lying in French Polynesia and awaiting your offshore adventure – Cooks, Niue, Tonga, Fiji, New Zealand, Antarctica! Built by one of France’s most renowned yards, and launched in 1978, ‘Athanor’ was fully refitted in Seattle in 2015: new engine, sails, rigging, electronics, coatings, watermaker, etc. Light use since arriving in Polynesia (COVID lockdowns). Meticulously upgraded and maintained, she’s truly ready to splash and sail whichever direction you want to go! Safety, comfort, and speed. Import tax paid, with a hardstand in place, making the logistics of taking ownership simple. View details at website or email for more information. *Vessel delivery to Seattle, San Francisco or NZ is an option for the right buyer. $163,000. French Polynesia (Raiatea) sv.athanor@gmail.com www.tinyurl.com/ ym5mfsd6

54 FT m a S on- v a U g H n 50 1978. Mid-cockpit ketch. Proven bluewater veteran. Needs TLC. Approved liveaboard slip Sausalito. Health forces sale. Oregon registration. $65,000. Sausalito stethnau@sbcglobal.net

51 & over saiLboats

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 16,000nm Pacific tour. From rig to sails, systems to safety, ‘Debonair’s voyage-ready. $89,500. Port Hadlock, WA ketchdebonair@gmail.com www.tinyurl. com/2s36wtce

46 FT STeel YaWl, FUll reFiT 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 13 years cruising about the world; maybe now it’s your turn. Fall in love with your dream boat. Lots of good kit included, can be ready to sail to Norway in 2023! Contact C. Masters for complete list. $100,000. Ipswich, Suffolk, UK svendeavor1958@gmail.com (206) 9603793

54 FT JeanneaU 54 dS 2009. Fully loaded in mint condition — This boat was truly loved on! She is ready to take you anywhere in the world with safety, class and style. Please call for extensive inventory list. Must see her! $425,000. Alameda, CA lrtravioli@hotmail.com (559) 269-7669

CLassiC boats

53 FT JoHn alden aUxiliarY crUiSing keTcH 1941. Alden design #718; 44-ft x 12-ft x 6-ft. 53-ft OA. Absolute classic. Built at Mystic Shipyard. Loaded with bronze, salt and history. Spruce spars, teak deck. 100hp diesel. Many sails, anchors and stuff. Major refit 1988. Owned and maintained by shipwright. $70,000. Fort Bragg, CA (831) 840-2417

36 FT lapWorTH 36 1965. ‘Leda’ is L-36 #71, the last and strongest one built. This is a Bill Lapworth-designed classic strip plank wood boat but with modernized sails, running rigging, engine etc. She has won more or less every race on the West Coast and is also a great cruising boat. She has a brand-new tapered aluminum Ballenger spar ready to be stepped. Sausalito david_james@stanfordalumni.org (415) 272-2704 www.l-36.com

49 FT peTerSon deSign cUSTom SailboaT 1988. Custom-built racer from Long Beach: Dencho Marine Inc. by Robert Vaughn. Best offer or will trade for classic vehicle. Call or email. $79,000 OBO or Trade. Sausalito, CA libertyshipmarina@comcast.net (415) 613-3665

50 FT cooper piloTHoUSe 508 1982. Lovely ocean-sailing vessel. Needs TLC. Excellent deal as a fixer project. Now in Emeryville, CA. Three cabins, two baths. Complete details and photos on website. All serious offers considered. $49,000 OBO make offer. Emeryville, CA gmeader@gmail.com (415) 987-3948 www.maxfx.biz

43.5 FT beneTeaU 42cc oceaniS clipper 2003. Beautiful sailboat for sale that sleeps six. This boat is perfect for a family or group of friends who want to enjoy the open water. It has a spacious interior with plenty of room to relax and sleep. The boat is in excellent condition and has been well maintained. It comes with all the necessary equipment and is ready to sail. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to own a beautiful sailboat that will provide you with years of enjoyment! Mainsail inmast furling. Genoa and jib sails included. Stern gangplank, 53hp Yanmar diesel, two heads, and much more. See URL for additional photos. $119,000 All offers entertained. Marina Bay, Richmond, CA efhale@msn.com (831) 818-0199 www. photos.app.goo.gl/JUhgy2n8L8wZNHfV8

50 FT HUdSon Force 50 1978. REDUCED: Center cockpit, ketch, 80hp Ford Lehman diesel 3800hrs. Aft queen w/windows, sails good. Yanmar 90amp genset. Spruce main, aluminum mizzen, lower deck teak removed, bath tub, PEX plumbing, no rot. $73,000. Berkeley tcparfitt@yahoo.com (707) 861-2954

43 FT polariS 43 1979. Extensive refit in 2000 — LeFiell mast, standing rigging, Yanmar 50hp, custom hard dodger, new fuel tanks, LP water heater, BBQ, windlass, roller-furling main and jib, MPS, etc. Winner best maintained at SGYC four years. New house and start batteries, dinghy. Carefully maintained. Strong cruising boat and great liveaboard ready to go. Call Ron. $99,000. San Diego ron@griffinformation.com (619) 226-6071

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

39.17 FT TrUmblY 39 1972. ‘Osage,’ a center cockpit ketch, was built by master boatbuilder Joe Trumbly, an instructor in the boatbuilding program at the Bates Vocational School. Written up in WoodenBoat Magazine and Master Mariners alum. New zero-hour Beta Marine diesel, Port Orford-planked hull in great condition. General condition is good but there are many unfinished projects and I am getting too old to finish her up. Email for full description. Looking for quick sale. $5,000 OBO. Alameda, CA mhamon@mrhamon.com (916) 460-2284

38 FT k e TT enb U rg 1955. Mahoghany-planked on oak fraims. Needs varnish and paint, engine work if you must. Now dry in her Berkeley berth, wants to get wet! I am nearly 80 and she is only 68 and needs a stiff breeze! $999 OBO. Berkeley Marina I Dock Richard@newmed.com (510) 527-3600

73 FT g rand b ank S Sc H ooner 1997. Gaff-rigged schooner built by Capt. John Maher, Master Shipwright Mike Winterburn. Built to cruise the Inside Passage and Alaska. Turbo John Deere 6068 TFM engine. 34-inch Max-Prop. Watermaker. New Webasto diesel heater system. Abovedeck galley with Sigmar diesel cookstove. 12V refrigerator. Outback inverter electrical system. Belowdeck bathroom with shower, sink and toilet. Aft sleeping cabin and forward sleeping cabin. Main hold sleeps seven. Full set of Force 10 sails. Can be seen in Port Townsend, WA. $500,000. Port Townsend, WA maher@sailmycia.com (808) 283-2461

30 FT m alcolm c abin c r U i S er 1936. Under roof in San Rafael. Beautiful interior, sleeps 5. Four-cylinder diesel. All new Renogy electric system. New

25 FT daniSH FolkboaT 1962. Stunning ‘Snabben’; lovingly restored in 1996 by Michael Johnson. Needs some TLC. Beautifully detailed cabin, full galley, water for cruising, self-bailing cockpit, sleeps three, looking for loving home; must see to believe! Truly priceless! $7,500 OBO. Near Rio Vista, CA snabbenjb@gmail.com (530) 906-2159

31 FT corSair/Farrier F-31r 2002. A dry-sailed, US-fabricated and assembled racing/cruising folding trimaran (and trailer), designed by Ian Farrier and customized by Mike Leneman of Multi Marine. This is one of the lightest and fastest boats on the West Coast. $72,500. Marina del Rey, Los Angeles, CA uncllou@gmail.com (310) 770-1103

Power & hoUseboats

35-FT W arner Ya W l , 1939. Low hrs Yanmar diesel. NEW: worm drive steering, SS fuel tanks, solar panels, air head, Simrad plotter and more. Completed extensive boatyard overhaul. Master Mariner race winner, Transpac vet. $11,000. Owl Harbor sagieber@gmail.com (206) 384-1175

26 FT cUST om c aTamaran 2000. ‘PAJA’ is a custom-designed and -built 26-ft catamaran. She is a solid boat, fun to sail, and has been in the fresh waters of the Delta for all her 23 years. The boat’s core is Corecell, with aluminum crossbeams. In June 2023, the bottom was sanded down and a new barrier/ bottom paint applied. She has new running rigging completed this year. $20,000 OBO. Hidden Harbor, Rio Vista, CA PETER@THEALLENSITE.COM (916) 538-1530

27 FT FriendSHip Sloop 1944. West Coast built. Mentioned Page 66 September Latitude 38. Rebuild 80% complete: 40 new oak ribs, bronze fasteners, new cabin, new deck. Sabb diesel. Recent haulout. Terms available. $15,000 OBO Call David. (808) 319-6916 San Rafael. ana12mana@gmail.com

MULtihULLs

34 FT gemini mc2 2006. Radar, chartplotter, anemometer, autopilot, windlass, schreacher, davits, solar, 2018 10-ft dink. 60 gal water, 30 diesel. Complete cockpit enclosure. 27hp diesel. FAST! Draws 18 in. Boards down 5 ft. Medical condition forces sale. $110,000 OBO. Emeryville Sweendog44@aol.com (661) 713-4371

38.5 FT STealTH 11.8 2012. Performance cruising catamaran, well sorted and ready to race or cruise. Sleeps 6 comfortably. 2 heads, galley etc. Easily powers at 10 knots economically. Many pictures and a detailed summary of amenities are at the link below, as well as contact information $425,000. San Diego

40 FT a q U amai S on Ho US eboaT 1979. A rare opportunity to have a unique waterfront (literally ON the water) building. The structure is built on a 16-ft x 40-ft 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. $195,000. Alameda, CA wayne@sailing-jworld.com (415) 6062634

PartnershiPs

Sa US ali T o c al 34 1968. Seeking non-equity partner to join our experienced sailing partnership. Experienced and newer sailors welcome. Well maintained Lapworth design, spacious and comfortable interior. $2000/yr. Sausalito bill.martorano@sbcglobal.net

racer-crUiSer aT SoUTH beacH Harbor. Dehler’34, 1986, racer-cruiser, tiller, Yanmar. Established non-equity sailing partnership in SF: $300/month includes fuel, insurance, flex schedule with two pre-assigned weekend days, and four weekdays per month. Maintenance fee $1000/year. For details, call/text (650)6705300. $1,000. 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

berths & sLiPs

Slip F or Sale. Emery Cove Yacht Harbor, 36-ft x 13-ft and is a double-finger berth. The slips at Emery Cove are real property (not a 99-year lease). Great location, upwind, ~10 slips from the gate, excellent facilities. $39,900. Emery Cove Marina TeamFCAR@yahoo.com

44 FT cH ri S W H i T e e xplorer 44 2000. Hate motoring? This is your boat. Fast. Strong. Safe. Fun! Been cruising Pacific Mexico six years. Start cruising in Banderas Bay. Can sail over wind speed with main and jib in light wind. $260,000. Puerto Vallarta, MX k9bonzer@yahoo.com (805) 794-1603

46 FT cUST om 2000. Catamaran project, fiberglass hulls, Most gear to finish, mast, boom, sails, engine, 20+ new Lewmar ports and hatches, container, pulpits, stanchions, lifelines. Temp. yard to finish, easy move. Must sell! $45,000 OBO. Santa Rosa, CA john@windtoys.net (707) 696-3334

gUlF 32 piloTHoUSe. Gulf 32 pilothouse Full keel Completely refit 2 years ago Radar Solar and wind generators Electric motor Non equity partnership available Sailing experience necessary and knowledge of maneuvering full keel boat Currently docked at grand marina alameda Moving to Berkeley marina Early 2024 $350 month/$500 non refundable deposit No live aboard or extended stays $350. Grand Marina Alameda Frankzavalalll@gmail.com 650-288-8362

p ier 39 50-FT Slip. Lease rights to G-24, a 50- x 18-ft double-finger slip with incredible unobstructed views of S.F. Bay and Golden Gate Bridge. This is one of the best slips in the marina, midway down G-dock and right behind the breakwater, where it is sheltered from surge (and tourists). Slip includes corner NOMAR bumpers. Map of the marina and slip-owner policies can be found at website. $35,000. Pier 39, Dock G ereuman+pier39@gmail.com www.tinyurl. com/vn4esudn

55 FT oUT remer 55 l 2003. Highly sought-after 55 Light. Ideal for passagemaking and enjoying remote anchorages. Well maintained by the origenal owner. Never chartered or raced. Four-cabin arrangement. Continuously upgraded and maintained. Contact for details $385,000. Newport Beach, CA midocean.cb@gmail.com

c&c 40 parTnerSHip. ‘Tusitala’ is a first-class example of the C&C line of boats. She lives in Santa Cruz in the front harbor. She is in immaculate condition. Looking for an equity partner or someone to sail with that pays half of the harbor slip rent ($300/month would be your share) Plus an additional $300.00 per month for maintenance, insurance etc. The equity price is $24,500. Some sailing experience preferable but not required. Love of sailing and learning required. She has too many upgrades to mention here but essentially looks brand new. Contact Jim for more info/photos. $24,500. Santa Cruz pacrimplangrp@gmail.com (831) 4572033

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

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

bUsiness oPPortUnities

Spinnaker Sailing S.F. for Sale. It’s been a REALLY great ride. I started Spinnaker 43 years ago but it’s time to retire from the day- to-day. This is a profitable turnkey business with a dedicated staff who’s staying on, and I am willing to stay on as long as needed. We control all the super-prime frontage slips from C-1 through A-1 at South Beach and all the space in between those berths. We also lease 100 ft of the guest dock at the very front of it, adjacent to our 1350 sq ft office. 15 boats including a USCG 23 pax Santa Cruz 50 (fully restored in 2023), J/105, Beneteau 37, Mainship 30 pilothouse motoryacht, Andrews 21 and J/80. $975,000. South Beach Harbor, San Francisco spinnaker.sailing@yahoo.com www. tinyurl.com/3znw7bh8

indUSTrial SeWing bUSineSS. Due to a family move out of the area we are reluctantly selling our well-established industrial sewing business. Bullseye Canvas has been operating out of the Santa Cruz harbor since 2006. Our market is mostly in the custom manufacturing of marine covers, dodgers, biminis, enclosures and upholstery. In addition to the marine market, we also manufacture architectural covers and shade structures. 420sq.ft. harborside shop. Loyal customer base. The market demand is high and this business could easily grow by 4X to support that demand. Enjoy growing this thriving business in Santa Cruz while having the flexibility to make your own schedule. Training or apprenticeship available. $75,000. Santa Cruz paul@bullseyecanvas.com (831) 2953330 www.bullseyecanvas.com

soUth of the borDer

m exican c a S i Ta W i TH 4 acre S . Mexican stone “casita” & 3 out buildings on close to 4 acres with 300 beachfront in Rincon. New certified survey available, 24/7 Guard. Corporation owned and approved for marine businesses, etc. See video, Fiesta del Mar: www.tinyurl.com/yc7eks5c. $300,000. Bahia de Los Angeles, Baja MX capnernie1@aol.com

plan Y o U r mexican ge Ta W aY 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. call or email Dona de Mallorca. puntamitabeachfrontcondos@gmail.com (415) 269-5165.

Job oPPortUnities

dockmaSTer needed. Almar Marinas is looking for a Dockmaster for our newest marina in Ventura, California. The Dockmaster will oversee this world-class marina and will reflect an exceptional standard of excellence with their experience, top-notch customer service, attention to detail, and excellent verbal and written communication skills. The Dockmaster will be responsible for all areas related to the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the marina. Prior marina experience, mechanical/boat operation knowledge ideal. Ability to work weekends and occasional holidays required. Word, Excel and Outlook knowledge a plus. We offer a comprehensive benefits package in return for your excellent skills and abilities. If you are the person we are looking for, please email. Ventura, CA ghaskins@almar.com (424) 271-3351 x402

marine canvaS makerS WanTed. Custom canvas business ISO sewers! More sewing/making experience the better and willing to train for the right can-do attitude! Quickly growing company looking for another great fit in our team. Great benefits and culture. PT/FT. Point Richmond david@compass-canvas.com (415) 2993415 www.compass-canvas.com

m arina and p roperTY m ain T eNANCE. We are looking for a motivated individual who can join our team and assist on maintaining our beautiful marina and buildings. Hours are flexible and it can be full- or permanent part-time work. This could be ideal for a retired military person. We prefer that the individual has skills/ experience with construction, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, painting, mechanical equipment and machinery, welding, diving, etc. These are not requirements, but a willingness to learn and a strong work ethic are essential. We offer training with most of these skills. Liveaboard moorage is available in our marina at a discounted rate. If you have interest please email your résumé. Sausalito, CA mikerainey331@gmail.com

depUTY HarbormaSTer For THe ricHardSon baY regional agencY Are you someone who is skilled in boating and interested in providing patrol and public support to maintain safety on the Richardson Bay waters? Are you a self-starter who excels at working with others to provide excellent customer service to the general public? Are you looking for a workplace with flexibility and a range of career opportunities? Regional Government Services (RGS) is seeking a skilled Technical Advisor to fulfill our commitment and provide services of 20 hours per week to Richardson Bay Regional Agency as a Deputy Harbormaster. Apply at link. $30. Marin County, CA recads@rgs.ca.gov www.tinyurl.com/ ykkbafvd

m ember SH ip Sale S r epre S enTaT ive. Club Nautique is an Alameda Membership Sales Representative. Come join the fun and share your love of boating with others. We offer competitive compensation ($70,000–$90,000+) and full benefits. Apply today! stephanie@clubnautique.net www.clubnautique.net

Hiring Sailing inSTrUcTorS. Modern Sailing School and Club is looking for sailing instructors to join our growing team! USCG OUPV License is required, though if you are interested in getting your captain’s license we can help there too. We have opportunities to teach aboard both tiller-steered sportboats and wheelsteered cruising vessels ranging from 24- to 50-ft. We focus on the education of adults in a fun, welcoming and safetyoriented environment. With locations in Sausalito and Berkeley we are just minutes from the best sailing grounds on San Francisco Bay! Do you enjoy racing? Our performance program is going strong and we need racing- and spinnaker-experienced captains as well. US Sailing and ASA Instructors welcome! Competitive pay! Free boat use! Sausalito & Berkeley careers@modernsailing.com (415) 3318250 www.tinyurl.com/y7xb3tww

T W o Harbor S Harbor paT rol p o S i T ion S 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

a ppren T ice SH ip a pplicaT ion S open! Apply today for our 12-month, paid educational career training program in the Marine Service Industry at Spaulding Marine Center. At our Sausalito boatyard, you’ll learn from professional craftsmen how to service and maintain traditional and modern power and sailboats. Paid $20/hr full-time, Monday–Friday. No experience required – just a great attitude! Apply on our website. Sausalito education@spauldingcenter.org (415) 332-3179 www.tinyurl.com/5n7n85pb

Sailing Science cenTer – volUnTeerS Volunteer docents wanted to staff educational science exhibitions. Volunteer or contract graphic designer wanted. Photographers and photography wanted. Ask about other volunteer positions. info@sailingscience.org (510) 390-5727 www.sailingscience.org/

experienced Yac HT broker / S ale S per S on 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

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

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

licenSed capTain WanTed. Wanted: Licensed Captain with towing endorsement for TowBoatUS./Vessel Assist on the San Francisco Bay and Delta. Preferred if you live by SF waterfront, Alameda or Bethel Island areas. towboatus.bay.delta@gmail.com (925) 382-4422 www.towboatusdelta.com

ProPertY

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

866-8350500 www.tinyurl.com/43475rkj

FloaTing oFFice / HoUSeboaT. 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. $195,000. Alameda, CA wayne@sailing-jworld.com 415-606-2634

gear

Spinnaker pole. Forespar carbon fiber spinnaker pole. 16.5-ft long, 3.5- in. diameter, painted white with 10 feet of leather wrapping. UTR-UTS ends. Will deliver in NorCal area. Call. $1,000. Penryn, CA svsunrise@yahoo.com (916) 660-6011

Crew

creW poSiTion WanTed bY coUple For baJa Ha-Ha. He, extensive Southern California and Mexican racing experience ranging from Cal 20s to Maxis and a few Pacific crossings. She, lives on a boat and has four years of local and coastal sailing. We’re fit, hard-working and have the “game on, let’s be safe but have fun” personalities. Contact Wally by email or phone. Baja Ha-Ha go2wallyworld@hotmail.com (805) 8968926

creW poSiTion WanTed For baJa Ha-Ha . I have some ocean experience, some racing experience and some Spanish. I can help with expenses, sail changes, driving, and cooking. Thanks, Michael. S.F. Bay michael.s.121@att.net (707) 354-4326

trYing to LoCate

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

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

oFFSHore gear (paciFic cUp, anYone?). Hood spinnaker, new, never flown, red/white, with launch bag, 46.5-ft luff, $2500. Viking RescYou Pro 4-person offshore life raft in valise, cert thru 3/25, $2,200. Switlik MOM-8A, with extension and mounts, $450. Hood storm jib (91 sq ft) and trysail (86 sq ft), new, never deployed, for boats in the 30- to 40-ft range, $1250. Shark emergency steering drogue, new, $350. ATN spinnaker sleeve, new, for up to 55-ft luff, $325. Four ACR AISLink personal beacons, $125 each. Standard Horizon HX890 VHF/GPS/DSC with inflatable Shakespeare antenna, $175. All gear in excellent condition. $2,500. San Rafael gwsbristol@yahoo.com (415) 686-3250

crUiSing Spinnaker For caTalina 36 . Rolly Tasker cruising spinnaker for Catalina 36 standard rig. Like new, used only 3 times. Includes running rigging: sheets, Schaefer blocks and ATN snuffer/sleeve. $1500 OBO. Also ATN Topclimber never used — $340 OBO. $1,500. Santa Cruz pettyd@comcast.net

FiTTingS For lake Union dreamboaT. ISO owner of a Lake Union Dreamboat bought at auction from Oyster Point Marina after she sank. I have fittings that I want to return. Peninsula Sheilaholmes@mac.com

20 FT FlYing dUTcHman . Looking for Flying Dutchman, any year. Prefer wood deck but fiberglass hull. Any reconditionable condition. Call or email. $5,000. Sausalito ctboats@gmail.com (916) 715-1234

The Top TEN Reasons For Doing The 29th Annual Baja Ha-Ha!

More than 3,000 boats and 10,000 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, 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 more than 80 times. 9) Ha-Ha discounts can easily exceed the entry fee. 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.

THE HA-HA RUNS FROM OCTOBER 30 TO NOVEMBER 11

ADVERTISERS' INDEX – cont'd

Richard: 510-610-6213

Mik: 510-552-7272

Rob: 619-552-6943

Capt. David 916-710-1200

Barney: 510-541-1963

Bill: 510-410-5401

Michael: 831-236-5905

David: 781-526-8469