Photo of the Day

January 14 - St Barts

The skies have looked a lot like this in the Bay Area this winter, haven't they? This shot was actually taken during our recent visit to St. Barts in the Eastern Caribbean. The difference is that when skies look like this in the Bay Area in the winter, it's cold as hell. In St. Barts, it's still hot. Heck, even the water is still 80 degrees.

Singlehanded - and Singlelegged - Circumnavigation for Robert Case

January 14 - San Diego

"I crossed my outbound track and completed the solo circumnavigation at 10:30 pm, December 29, 2001, as I was being boarded by both the Coast Guard and Border Patrol in the approaches to San Diego Harbor," reports Robert Case of the San Diego-based Suntrekka, an Endurance 37 ketch. Case lost a leg in the military service. "My visitors arrived in the dark with no lights and were welcomed aboard. They were courteous and professional, and I escaped with only a warning ticket for out of date flares. I never knew the Border Patrol had boats!

"My sail up from Costa Rica began November 24, and included about 250 hours of motoring. I stayed between 60 and 180 miles off the coast. If I did it again at the same time of year, I'd probably stay a bit closer to the coast and stop to rest in the anchorages along the coast. I lost 20 pounds during the trip from having to tend four sails. I beat into mostly light winds till after Cabo San Lucas, then beat into moderate winds till 100 miles south of Ensenada - when the wind gave out altogether.

"I had stayed 180 miles outside the Gulf of Tehuantepec - actually, I stayed outside a line drawn across the gulf. When it blew 25 in the gulf, it was never more than 10-15 where I was. The winds were all NW and NE, and the only high wind I experienced was crossing outside the Sea of Cortez after a quick stop in Manzanillo for fuel. Even so, they were only 25 to 30. I found the weather forecasts broadcast on SSB by the Coast Guard to be fairly accurate and sufficient for my needs. I'm now reconnecting to civilization after four years around the globe. It's good to be home."

Well done, Robert. By the way, Latitude 38 will be hosting a party for all circumnavigators at Sail Expo in April. We hope that you'll be able to make it. For details, see www.latitude38.com/features/circumnav.html

Bon Voyage for Ocean Planet

January 14 - Alameda

"I need to let everyone know that we are planning a bon voyage party for Ocean Planet on February 9 at the Encinal YC," reports skipper Bruce Schwab. "After that, I'll leave for the Puerto Vallarta Race, the Panama Canal, Antigua and the East Coast of the United States. My goal is to make the start of the Around Alone Race.

For more details on the party, to which everyone is invited, visit www.oceanplanet.org

Moke Me Out to the Boat, Will You?

January 14 - St Barts

There are a lot of weird dinghies in the world, but one of the most unique is the Moke replica we saw in Gustavia. In the old days in St. Barts, you used to see a lot of Moke and Gurgels, which despite being a cross between a go-cart and a real car, are street legal. Come to think of it, about a month ago we saw somebody driving a Moke in Marin County.

Radioactive Steam in Auckland

January 14 - Auckland, NZ

Unlike Americans, the French don't have such a fear of nuclear energy. In fact, 80% of their power comes from nukes. So it's not surprising that Areva, a French nuclear energy company, has put up $15 million to help sponsor Le Defi, the French entry in the America's Cup.

The sponsorship is really going to rankle the natives in New Zealand for two reasons. First, the country is anti-nuclear power. Second, back when we first visited Auckland in 1985, French commandos had just bombed and sunk a Greenpeace ship in Auckland that had been harassing French nuclear testing in the South Pacific. The Kiwis don't permit tobacco advertising in the America's Cup, but they didn't think to ban advertising for nuclear power.

YOTREPS

January 14 - 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/

Weather Updates

January 14 - 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/. The National Weather Service site for San Francisco Bay is www.nws.mbay.net/home.html.

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 Winds and Pressure

The University of Hawaii Dept. of Meteorology page posts a daily map of the NE Pacific Ocean barometric pressure and winds.

Pacific Sea State

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.