In Monday’s
‘Lectronic, we had a short report on last weekend’s Singlehanded
Sailing Society’s In-the-Bay Race. Thanks to an oversight, we
left out the accompanying Photo of the Day, which is of top singlehander
Steve Wonner nearing the finish line aboard his Wyliecat 30 Uno.
Wonner not only beat the next best singlehander – Paul Martson
on the Antrim 27 Nemesis – by 10 minutes, he corrected
out ahead of all 34 doublehanded entries too.
AB694 No Longer a Threat to ‘Offshore
Deliveries’
June 11 – Sacramento
Thomas Alston of the Sacramento-based Legally
Avoid Sales Tax reports that California Assembly Bill 694 is
no longer a threat to boat buyers who want to legally avoid paying
California sales tax on boats by taking offshore delivery and
actively using the boats out of the state for the first 91 days
or 51% of the first six months. Furthermore, the concept that
a California resident who bought a boat was presumed to have
purchased it for use in the state is also dead. In other words,
nothing is changed from the current situation.
What makes things a little confusing is
that AB694 is still alive, but now it only pertains to aircraft.
The idea of the bill is that it would prevent aircraft buyers,
boat buyers, and motorhome buyers from legally avoiding $50 million
in state sales tax a year. But it was pointed out that if the
bill passed, it wouldn’t mean that the state would actually collect
the $50 million, as buyers would figure out other ways of avoiding
the tax or simply wouldn’t buy the products. The bottom line
is that legislators determined that passing the original version
would actually cost the state of California money.
Kiwis Coming to Northern California for
Help in Winning Back the America’s Cup
June 11 – Auckland, NZ
The reports out of New Zealand are that
Grant Dalton, now head of Team New Zealand, has been in talks
with Marin’s John Kostecki – recent winner of the Volvo Around
the World Race, veteran of several America’s Cup campaigns, and
current Rolex Yachtsman of the Year – about joining Team New
Zealand.
Want to Put a Smile on Dad’s Face this
Father’s Day?
June 11 – Pt. Richmond
Jim DeWitt, who in his heyday was one of
Northern California’s top sailors, and who continues to be the
finest marine artist in the country, has the solution.
Who Knows about Anchoring at Stillwater
Cove?
June 11 – Carmel
“One of the most scenic places I’ve
ever anchored is Stillwater Cove off Pebble Beach,” writes
Paul Moench of the Berkeley-based Samoa. “There is
a public launch located at the head of the cove, and as I recall,
it was well maintained. We used the floating portion as a dinghy
dock and it worked out fine for trips into town. We simply walked
part of the back nine at the famous Pebble Beach course and voilà,
we were in downtown Carmel. As part of a 10-day trip to Monterey
Bay – one of my favorite things to do – I’ll be headed back to
Stillwater Cove, and wonder if anybody has been there recently
to give me a current report. Is the public launch still there?
Is the cove still chocked with kelp? Is the holding as tenuous
as ever?” Email Richard.
It Was Calm when We Rounded – Despite
the Forecast
June 11 – Point Conception
“When we rounded Point Conception
on our Celestial 48 Tamara Lee Ann at noon on May 28,
it was nearly calm despite a forecast of 20-25 knot winds and
six to nine foot seas,” report Doug and Tamara Thorne of
San Francisco. “We didn’t see any of that until much later
the next day. After struggling back up from Mexico – the Baja
leg between Bahia Santa Maria and Turtle Bay was the worst –
it was such a relief to be back in the United States, where harbors
are plentiful and credit cards are accepted.”
That’s the thing about weather forecasts,
they’re nothing more than forecasts. If you always wait in port
until you get an ‘all clear’, it would take you forever to get
anywhere. For example, earlier this year we were in Long Beach
when a number of boats headed to Catalina turned back because
of small craft warnings. We went ahead and made the crossing,
and the conditions were mild. Forecasts aren’t to be ignored,
but it’s good to remember they are just forecasts.
Raccoon Is Righteous!
June 11 – Tiburon
Do you have a favorite place to sail in
San Francisco Bay? Ours is Raccoon Strait, between Angel Island
and ‘old town’ Tiburon. The scenery is great, and you get to
‘bounce’ off the shores as you tack up toward Sausalito. In the
accompanying photo, the small crowd on the small blue hulled
boat enjoys typical Raccoon Strait conditions.
Photo Latitude/Richard
Since we like sailing in Raccoon Strait,
we weren’t that surprised when John Sweeney and Tina Kleinjan
of the San Francisco Cup Class of retired America’s Cup boats
tell us that the Sausalito Cup for these boats on June 20-22
will take these boats into Raccoon Strait and around Elephant
Rock. Five America’s Cup boats carrying chutes into Raccoon Strait
– there’s a sight you won’t want to miss. It might even pull
a few folks away from the back porch of Sam’s for 10 minutes.
Maverick
Is Back
June 11 – Richmond
Tony Johnson and Terry Shrode sailed Johnson’s
Ericson 39 Maverick back under the Gate last Saturday,
completing the Richmond duo’s circumnavigation. You may remember
that Maverick came close to sinking at the very end of
their transatlantic crossing, but the subsequent repairs were
battled tested on the way to the Canal and on the trip up from
Mexico.
A Sight to See this Saturday
June 11 – San Francisco
The Encinal YC’s Coastal Cup from San Francisco
to Catalina will start this Saturday at 10 a.m. just off Baker
Beach – which is just outside the Golden Gate. Many boats – such
as Roy Disney’s Pyewacket – will be using it as their
tune-up for the TransPac, so it should be an interesting sight,
no matter if you’re on the water, ashore at Baker Beach, or on
your bike on the west side of the bridge.
YOTREPS
June 11 – The Pacific Ocean and Cyberspace
Who is out making passages in the Pacific
and what kind of weather are they having? The YOTREPS daily yacht
tracking page has moved to www.bitwrangler.com/psn.
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/Maps/Southwest.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.
