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Photos of the Day April 9 - Miami Wednesday we ran a photo and item on Paul and Terry Weiner of the Ventura-based catamaran Catofun. We neglected to include the photo at right of Terry and a couple of large fish they came across in the South Pacific. We love to eat fish, but hate to catch it, so we don't know what kind it is. Ahi, perhaps?	Photo Paul Weiner
Paul & Terry Weiner Photo Latitude/Richard

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Boat Lost and Skipper Badly Burned off El Salvador

April 9 - El Salvador

The Hans Christian 48 Koonawarra exploded, burned, and sank off the coast of El Salvador on the pitch black night of March 26. Singlehander Grant Todd, thanks to the presence of buddyboaters Dale Moore and Kathleen Murphy on Karina D., an Island Packet 37, and Barry and Kathy Devine on Joss, a Tayana 42, was pulled from the water. The most recent update on Grant's condition is that he has second degree burns on his arms, legs and buttocks, a broken arm, broken nose, broken knee, some scorching of his lungs, and lacerations in the head. He's in stable condition, but lucky to be alive.

Originally from Cairns, Australia, Todd had lived in California for many years. For the past two to three years, however, he cruised the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Coast of Mexico. On the morning of the 26th, Koonawarra, Joss and Karina D. filed out of Barillas Marina in El Salvador, bound for 210-mile distant Bahia Santa Elena, Costa Rica. At 2100 hours, about 45 miles into the trip, the boats were about three miles apart. Suddenly Barry heard an explosion, and looked back to see a fireball where the two buddyboats had been. When hailed, the crew of Karina D. said they were fine, but there was no response from Koonawarra. When they got to Koonawarra, she was covered in flames, the mast was down, and there was burning debris everywhere. What happened from then on is a story of all kinds of people providing help and resources to come to the aid of a fellow mariner. We'll have it in the May Latitude 38, but will publish additional updates earlier in 'Lectronic.

The information was passed from Barry and Kathy on Joss, to Ed and Norma Hasselmann of Heather K., a Grand Banks 46 currently in Costa Rica, who passed it on to us.

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Only Steve Knows Where the Berth Glut Is, and He's Out of Touch

April 9 - San Francisco

A couple of days ago we recommended that folks looking for berths in Central San Francisco Bay email BCDC Deputy Director Steve McAdam. This is because McAdam has said there is a "glut" of berths. Alas, one of our readers tried to email him, but the email was bounced back by his gateway as "undeliverable". After checking the BCDC Web site, the reader found this line: "DO NOT TRY TO E-MAIL THE COMMISSION'S STAFF!" The good old Bay Conservation and Development Commission, as responsive as ever to mariners.

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YOTREPS

April 9 - 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/

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Weather Updates

April 9 - Pacific Ocean

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 Sea State

Seas are normal in the Pacific. But you might check out the Pacific Ocean sea states at: http://www.mpc.ncep.noaa.gov/RSSA/PacRegSSA.html.
For another view, see http://www.oceanweather.com/data/global.html.