December 8, 2000

By Grzegorz | December 8, 2000

Photo of the Day

Eat Your Heart Out

December 8 – French Polynesia

This is one of those ‘eat your heart out’ photos, thanks to Christopher
Miller of the Tayana 52 ‘Seaplusplus’, currently in Auckland.
It’s the photo of him and his crew enjoying a little snorkeling
in French Polynesia last summer. We hope your life is going as
swimmingly.

Photo courtesy ‘Seaplusplus’

Phone Anywhere From Anywhere

December 8 – The World of Sailing

We all remember Iridium, don’t we? It was the satellite telephone
communications system that went bust to a tune of about $5 billion
dollars. Iridium was a sponsor of both a TransPac and a Ha-Ha
in an effort to market the ‘phone anywhere from anywhere’ system.

For the better part of a year, the system has looked deader than
a doornail, and any day the company was going to allow the 70-plus
satellites to fall to earth. But things are changing. Last month
Daniel Colussy, a former President of Pan American Airlines, put
together a syndicate to buy what was left of Iridium for a mere
$25 million. And in just one month, he’s got the Pentagon to pay
$36 million for a one year contract to use the phones. What’s
the attraction to the military guys? The first is that Iridium
is the only company that can offer encrypted wireless phone service
worldwide. That means Department of Defense guys can discuss classified
information all over the world – assuming they get a good connection.
Iridium did not have the best sound quality. The Pentagon also
said they wanted to keep Iridium up so there wouldn’t be widespread
panic when 70 satellites fell to the earth. They really said that.

Cruising

Firsthand News on the Ozone Layer

December 8 – New Zealand

Simon and Lori Elphick, who sailed their Nor’West 33 ‘Native
Dancer’ from Mexico to New Zealand this year, have some firsthand
news on the ozone layer – or lack of it:

“If anyone has doubts about the hole in the ozone layer,
consider this: Our solar panels are putting out 30% more power
here during New Zealand’s chilly spring than they did during
the blistering heat of a Sea of Cortez summer!”

Photo by Richard

Special Delivery

December 8 – Mexico

Over the years, a lot of cruisers have complained that it’s harder
to find Latitudes when out cruising than it is back in California.
Taking that complaint to heart, Latitude has instituted a new
program whereby Doña de Mallorca will travel anywhere
in the world to deliver a fresh copy of Latitude to anyone who
wants it. Free! All you have to do is call.

The first recipients of this cool new service were Dan Walters
and his wife of the Newport Beach-based Hardin Voyager, ‘Tavarua’.
The photo shows de Mallorca handing a day-old December issue
to the Walters in their dinghy at Dick’s Haven, a little anchorage
just south of Chacala on mainland Mexico.

Photo by Richard

YOTREPS

December 8 – The Pacific Ocean and Cyberspace

Who is out making passages in the Pacific and what kind of
weather are they having? Check out YOTREPS – ‘yacht reports’ –
at http://www.bitwrangler.com/yotreps/

Racing

BT Global Challenge

December 8 – Racing

The BT Global Challenge, which organizer Chay Blyth hails as
‘the world’s toughest race’, has proven too tough for 20 of the
volunteer crew – each of whom ponied up $40,000 for the privilege.
After just two legs of the 30,000 mile race – England to Boston
and Boston to Buenos Aires – most of those who are bailing explained
that the event “just wasn’t for them”. More specifically,
there were complaints about boredom, dissatisfaction with the
skipper or crew, disappointment at not being competitive, and
plain old discomfort. It’s not surprising that some crew would
pick this time to leave, as the dozen 72-foot sisterships are
scheduled to depart Buenos Aires on Sunday for the Southern Ocean
– where things are really going to get tough.

This isn’t to say there weren’t plenty of happy moments. It wasn’t
bad when King Neptune boarded ‘Flatiron’ at the equator, or when
‘Team Spirit’ was greeted at the Buenos Aires finish.

For details and photos, visit www.btchallenge.com.

Photo courtesy BT Challenge

Weather Updates

December 8 – Pacific Oceans

Tropical Weather

The Atlantic/Caribbean region hurricane season is over.

San Francisco Bay Weather

To see what the winds are like on the Bay and just outside
the Gate right now, check out http://sfports.wr.usgs.gov/wind/.

California Coast Weather

Looking for current as well as recent wind and sea readings
from 17 buoys and stations between Pt. Arena and the Mexican border?
Here’s the place – which has further links to weather buoys and
stations all over the U.S.: www.ndbc.noaa.gov/stuff/southwest/swstmap.shtml.

Pacific Ocean Weather

You can view the University of Hawaii Department of Meteorology
satellite picture by clicking
here.

Pacific Sea State

Seas are normal in the Pacific. But you might check at: http://www.mpc.ncep.noaa.gov/RSSA/PacRegSSA.html.

For another view, see http://www.oceanweather.com/data/global.html.

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