December 22, 2003

Photo of the Day

December 22 – Turtle Bay, Baja California

Photo Latitude/Richard

Today’s Photo of the Day was actually taken
in early November in Turtle Bay, Baja. The fellow who is the
third from the left is an American cruiser who left his bag in
a pickup truck that had given him a ride through town. The bag
contained his wallet, with lots of dollars, pesos and
credit cards, and his passport. Fortunately, a local Mexican
fellow – second from the left in the photo – found the bag. Rather
than rifle through it and take all the valuables, he sought out
the Grand Poobah, thinking it might belong to a member of the
Ha-Ha fleet. While it didn’t, the Poobah was able to connect
the two parties. The young Mexican asked for no reward, just
that the valuables be returned to their rightful owner.

Sorry we didn’t catch their names, as we
were a little too busy at the time. But to us, it’s a gesture
typical of most Mexicans – which is one of the reasons we love
that country so much.

Unusual Paint Job

December 22 – Antigua

Photo Latitude/Richard

While off Pigeon Beach, Antigua, earlier
this month, we came across one of the most unusual boat paint
jobs we’ve ever seen. The lighting isn’t very good, but you should
be able to tell this boat is painted as though it were a zebra.
We figure she’s either from South Africa, home of the game reserves,
or was owned by a retired referee. Maybe both.

A Change of Season

December 22 – San Francisco Bay

Because it’s a bit of a slow news day in
sailing, and because it’s now officially winter, we thought we’d
remind you, through photos, of what it’s like on San Francisco
Bay in the middle of June. Luscious, don’t you think?

Photos Latitude/Richard

Bon Appetit
from the French West Indies!

December 22 – St. Barth, FWI

Photo Latitude/Richard

You’ve heard of the Scarsdale Diet, the
South Beach Diet, and the Beverly Hills Diet – well, we present
to you the St. Barth Diet. It’s a big slab of boeuf tartare,
spiced up, with a big order of what are still called French fries.
And you wash it down with a couple of shots of creme de menthe
poured into bottled water. It doesn’t sound like a diet plate,
but it must be, because all the people on the island are skinny.
And it sure tastes good!

The New Maxi Cat Orange Hits the
Water!

December 22 – Vannes, France

Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

It’s not a slow news day after all, as
Bruno Peyron’s new maxi cat, the 124-ft Orange, hit the
water at Vannes, France. She was designed by the Gilles Ollier
Team and built at the Multiplast Yard. She’s 14 feet longer than
the first generation Ollier maxi cats, and has higher freeboard
and more sail area. After being tested in the waters off France,
it’s expected she’ll go after the Jules Verne Around The World
Record starting in late February.

YOTREPS

December 22 – 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 Links

December 22 – 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

The site for the Pacific Ocean sea states
has moved to http://www.mpc.ncep.noaa.gov/shtml/PacRegSSA.shtml.

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