July 18, 2003

Photo of the Day

July 18 – Honolulu, Hawaii

Today’s Photo of the Day doesn’t look like
much – just some scribbling on a yellow legal pad – but it has
great importance for this year’s Baja Ha-Ha fleet.

While in Hawaii covering the TransPac, we bumped into Randy Short,
who is the honcho for Almar Marinas, and Chuck Krause, who is
the Marina Manager at Ko Olina Marina. Short and Krause were
at the three-year-old Ko Olina Marina working to add an additional
70 berths.

While talking with Short, we asked him
about the status of the proposed new berths at Cabo Isle Marina
– with which Almar has some sort of operating agreement. Short
pulled out the yellow paper and started drawing. The line at
the bottom of the page represents where boats currently dock
at Cabo in front of the Plaza Las Glorias Hotel.

The thin line branching off to the left in the middle of the
main vertical line is the current location of the fuel dock.

Everything above that line is going to
be new, specfically, 90 more feet of dock space on each side,
‘topped’ by a 600-foot long wave attenuator – which is sort of
a floating breakwater – that boats can tie to.

Photo Latitude/Richard

The bottom line is they will have about
1,500 more linear feet of dock space, which will be a big help
for folks wanting berths in the marina. Short says they are hoping
to complete the project by September, but feel certain they will
be ready for the Bisbee Fishing Tournament at the end of the
October and the arrival of the Ha-Ha fleet in early November.

Hey Tim, Is That You?

July 18 – Honolulu, Hawaii

Also while covering the TransPac, we spotted
the S&S designed 125-ft ketch Sariyah (it rhymes with
‘Maria’) berthed at the Waikiki YC. We first saw the Kiwi-built
and Saudi-owned ketch eight years ago when she was brand new
at, oddly enough, the transient docks of the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor
where she was hiding out from a hurricane.
However, we really came to know her and her captain, Tim Laughridge,
in the Caribbean, specifically at St. Barth, where she’s been
a New Year’s Eve Parade participant and major New Year’s Eve
party boat for most of the recent years.

Like many mega yachts, she’d spent last
winter in New Zealand for the America’s Cup and getting a refit,
but now she’s on her way to either San Francisco or L.A., then
through the Canal for the Antigua Charterboat in early December,
St. Barth for Christmas and New Years, and the season in the
Caribbean.

Photos Latitude/Richard

Tim tells us that for the first time ever,
Sariyah will be available for charter, and gave us a couple of
brochures.

She goes for $47,000 a week, not counting expenses for things
such as food, fuel, port fees, etc. She’s a little beyond our
price range, but if you’re in that league, call Tim and he’ll
set aside one of the better weeks for you.

Little Change in the Ala Wai

July 18 – Honolulu, Hawaii

A year ago there was much noise that the
Ala Wai Yacht Harbor – which is in disrepair, features countless
safety hazards, and is poorly run – would be privatized and rebuilt
to a world class marina. When the tenants realized their way-below-market
$4/ft slip fees would go up to $12 or so, they started major
protests. As is often the case, if one special interest group
yells loud enough, they’ll get their way. So privatizing the
Ala Wai – even though it is badly needed – is no longer on the
radar screen. We took a tour of the facility, and it continues
to look as rundown, dangerous, and inefficient as ever.

Photo Latitude/Richard

About the only improvement we noticed was
that one wobbly cement finger was sporting white wall tires rather
than the traditional black wall tires.

Who Is Responsible for the Success of
This Year’s TransPac

July 18 – Honolulu, Hawaii

As many readers know, the TransPac, held
every two years since 1906 – except for World Wars – had been
in terrible decline the last two times, with less than 35 entries.
This year they started with 59 entries and 54 finishers.

The guy we think is most responsible for
this dramatic turnaround is TransPacific YC Commodore Brad Avery,
right, who has done many TransPacs and is passionate about it.
His other hat is the honcho at the Orange Coast College’s tremendous
sailing program in Newport Beach. But if you try to compliment
Avery, he points the finger at the fellow on the left, Bill Lee
of Santa Cruz.

As most sailors know, Lee ushered in a
whole new era of TransPac and sailing in 1977 when he sailed
the 67-ft ultralight Merlin that he’d designed and built
to a smashing new record. For most of the ensuing years, the
TransPac was dominated by Santa Cruz 70s and 50s, with lots of
40s participating, too. We don’t know exactly what Avery and
Lee did to breath life back into the TransPac – we’ll read about
it in the August Latitude – but whatever it was, it worked.
A tip of the hat to the both of them, as well as everyone else
who helped.

For fashion-conscious TransPac fans, Lee
was no longer wearing his magician’s hat, but he hasn’t given
up on the red socks.
Photos Latitude/Richard

Hoping for a Quick Return Trip

July 18 – Honolulu, Hawaii

After Bob Lane’s Andrews 61 Medicine
Man finished the TransPac, we came across crewmember Sam
Heck, surfboard in one hand and bride in the other.

“This one,” he said, pointing to the blue-hulled Medicine
Man with the pink trim.

Photo Latitude/Richard

“You guys finished the TransPac on
July 13 and plan to enter a race that starts in Santa Barbara
on the morning of August 1?”

“That’s the plan,” said Sam with a big smile.

Seeking Ranger 33 Input

July 18 – Mill Valley, CA

The Latitude 38 editors are currently
gathering anecdotes, opinions and impressions on the venerable
Ranger 33 design. If you’ve cruised or raced extensively aboard
one we’d love to hear from you — especially if you are a longtime
owner. Please send your thoughts to Andy.

Many thanks.

Nuclear Waste Dump in Baja California?

July 18 – Islas San Benitos, Baja California

Jim Elfers, a marine surveyor and delivery
captain based in Baja California reports, “You ain’t gonna
believe this, but the page one story in the local (El Sudcaliforniano)
Spanish language paper was ‘Proposal Discovered to Convert Islas
San Benitos to Nuclear Waste Dump’. Apparently the fishing cooperative
based in Ensenada (and who control the lobster and abalone
fisherman of San Benitos) have gotten wind of a permit application
for this proposed conversion of this incredible and really unique
island group to an, ahem, nuclear waste dump.

“As much as I love the Baja peninsula,
I love the few offshore islands even more. The San Benitos are
an incredibly important breeding ground for the Guadalupe fur
seal, Stellar’s and California sea lions, pelagic birds, and
much more. There are numerous huge tracts of wasteland on
the peninsula (a hundred miles from people or roads) that could
better be used if this was really going to be done, accessible
by tractor-trailer. I have no idea how much is behind this story,
but government agencies and contacts were mentioned.

“A long permit process and reviews
are necessary for granting such a permit but the agency, SERMANAP,
responsible for the major ecological review is a corrupt agency.
In Mexico all the laws exist to protect everything (turtles,
Mantas, etc.) but there is no enforcement. The San Benitos are
the Baja equivalent of San Miguel in the Channel Islands.”

We expect that the Wanderer will follow
up on this story when he returns from Hawaii.

Sail San Francisco Party

July 18 – San Francisco

Photo Latitude/Andy

As the four-masted Nippon Maru
exited the Bay yesterday, all 90 of her cadets waved farewell
to the Port of San Francisco while precariously strattling footropes
and yardarms.
Photo Peter Schmidt

First Twenty-Five

July 18 – Tiburon

The Baja
Ha-Ha Rally Committee report that paid entries for the 10th
annual event are over the 30 mark already. Here are the first
25:

Scarlett O’Hara,
Serendipity 43, John & Renee Prentice
Tete de Cuvee, Island Packet 35, Bruce Emmons
Beach Music, Tayana 52, Kirby & Pam Coryell
Tumbleweed, Passport 40, David & Mollie Spaulding
Maverick, Valiant 47, Donald Naples & Janet Thorp
Dream Seeker, Beneteau Oceanis 41, Tom Lilienthal
Concerto, Valiant 40, Eric & Rhonda Ingleman
Flocerfida, Columbia 34, Jaspar & Flocerfida Benincasa
Hi Ho, Hunter Legend 37, Kenneth Carter
Maggie Drum, Whitby 42, Joe & Cindy Barnes
Kemah, Hylas 44, Robert Jacobs
Raven, Horizon 50, Jim & Lenore Chevalley
Serendipity, Cascade 42, Doug Covert
Pegasus, Cheoy Lee 40, Gary & Sue Stephens
Windsong, Islander Freeport 36, Frank Nitte
Platinum, Morgan 45, Mark & Clair Rommell
Faith, Scandia 34, Bill & Lynne Willcox
Dream Caper, Venezia 42 cat, Portia Igarashi & Steve
Stecher
Bàta Mor, Island Packet 420, Timothy Harrington
Enya, Hallberg-Rassy 53, Glen Meskimen
L’Esperance, Beneteau 393, Eugene Felmar
Forever & Ever, Kristen pilothouse, Gary & Dayle
Robertson
Wilderness, Aerodyne 38, Jeff & Naomi Rothermel
Cassiopeia, Swan 65, Rennie Waxlax
Tranquilo, Catalina 400, Lloyd & Colleen Clauss

Humu Humu
Didn’t Suffer Structural Damage After All

July 18 – Mazatlan, Mexico

Just back from a week of whitewater rafting,
Baja Ha-Ha vet Dave Crowe checks in, “I saw the bit about
Humu Humu and the Cabo saga. As is often the case, fact
and story don’t quite jibe. Here are the facts:

“After bringing Humu Humu from
Mazatlan to Cabo, we decided to stick our noses out past Cabo
Falso with winds forecast 15-20. Usually not too much an issue.
But once offshore the wind piped up to 30+ and just as we were
about to give it up and go back to Cabo to wait a few days, we
took a  “biggie” over the bow. So much water column
crashed down on our starboard net that it tore the net lashings
right from the hull, thereby toppling the first domino. Next,
the net was instantly in water dragging heavily, and the next
domino was both net  support tubes on centerline breaking
from the downforce. So I brought the boat nearly head to wind
and to a stop. Thanks to lazy jacks, Harken battcars, full batten
main and furling jib, all sail was struck within very few minutes.
This while the boat rode in a stable manner with
no rolling. Now the wind was 40 knots. We retrieved the
dangling nets using a spare halyard, jury rigged some lashings,
then bare-pole sailed off to Cabo, motoring when in the
lee of Falso.

“For the first time, I berthed at
Cabo Isle ($180 US per night). Then we rounded up a stout 4 x
4 wood beam, bolted it in place as a net support, installed
some temporary eyebolts through the hull on two sides, relashed
the nets and stuck around Cabo a couple of days curious when
the wind would drop. On the third day a delivery skipper bringing
a big ketch from Venezuela pulled in for shelter, saying
it was still blowing too much, having seen 50-knot gusts. 

“Not happy with the Cabo price, we
took the boat back to Mazatlan where we know people who do good
things to boats, and where the replacement tubes that Doug at
Svendsen’s so quickly located for me and sent off to Mexico are
now being installed. In short, we experienced no structure failure,
this was more like blowing out a sail with the rig left
whole. Not enough to warrant an insurance claim as repair is
far less than my deductible.

“Just another reminder, when you think
you should have reefed, it might be too late. Wait a minute,
that’s not right, we were reefed way down. Beware the rogue wave!!!
And here is a public thanks to my able crewdoggies: Jim Forrest,
Dave Fiorito, Bob Edmunds and Malou Olsen, all of whom responded
superbly.”

YOTREPS

July 18 – 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.

Weather Updates

July 18 – Pacific
Ocean

San Francisco Bay Weather

Check out this guide to San Francisco Bay
Navigational Aids: http://sfports.wr.usgs.gov/sfports.html.

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 at www.wrh.noaa.gov/Monterey.

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/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.

Pacific Sea State

Check out the Pacific Ocean sea states
at: http://www.mpc.ncep.noaa.gov/RSSA/PacRegSSA.html.

For views of sea states anywhere in the world,
see http://www.oceanweather.com/data.