Hundreds of Charterboats All in a Row
©Latitude 38 Media, LLC
It’s hurricane season in the Caribbean, which means lots of charter boats aren’t being used. Since there isn’t enough room for all the boats at charter company docks, and since charter company docks aren’t the safest places for boats to be during hurricanes, a lot of them get moved.
One of the best shelters in the British Virgins is Paraquita Bay, not far from the big charter boat bases at Road Town. When the publisher’s ‘ti Profligate was managed by BVI Yacht Charters, she was often taken there. The bay is unusual in that the entrance is quite narrow, barely big enough to get a 45-ft catamaran in. Once the boats are in, they are secured to very heavy cables.
What would happen if the bay were to take a direct hit from a major hurricane? Lordy, we hate to even think of the damage, the insurance claims, and what would be the lack of boats available for charter that winter.
It was Gino Morrelli of Morrelli & Melvin Design and Engineering in Newport Beach who came up with the photo. Gino is justifiably proud that many of the boats in the photo were designed by M&M.
As for ‘ti Profligate, she’s on the hard in Antigua until the end of hurricane season, and will then live behind a home at Jolly Harbor. The Wanderer and Doña de Mallorca will use her February through May, and she’ll be available for long-term charter at other times.
Tenth Clipper Race Begins
Twelve Clipper 70s started the tenth edition of the 40,000-mile, 11-month Clipper Race off the English coast at Southend (at the mouth of the Thames) on Sunday. To get a crew position in the global race, participants don’t need to be pros or even experienced sailors; rather they pay for the privilege and undergo intensive training and preparation. Racers have the choice of signing up for inidividual or multiple legs — or the complete circumnavigation. Over the years, many Bay Area sailors have taken up the challenge.
"The interview process is focused on whether your can live on a 70-ft yacht with 20 other crew for extended periods of time. That can’t be taught — the sailing part can," said Hillsborough resident Mike Moore, who is sailing aboard Mission Performance. He has signed up for the entire circumnavigation, as has Nicholas Abramczyk, who hails from Wasilla, AK, and currently lives in Washington, DC. Abramczyk normally sails a Catalina 36; now he’s crewing on Clipper Telemed+. We’ll have profiles of both men in the October issue of Latitude 38.
Leg 1 will take the fleet to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with estimated arrival dates of September 26-29. Ports in the USA will be Seattle, WA, the third week of April, and New York City the second week of June. A transit of the Panama Canal will connect the two American stopovers.
Like other long-distance, high-profile races, the Clipper Race has a companion Virtual Regatta so that armchair sailors can play along.
Did You Get Yours Yet?
©Latitude 38 Media, LLC
The September issue of Latitude 38 hit the docks yesterday, at least here by the Bay. More distant outlets will receive theirs in time for the weekend. Pick one up and you’ll find inside the pages:
- A complete recap of a weather-influenced Transpac Race
- 2015’s Pacific Puddle Jumpers earning the dream
- The reboot of the America’s Cup in Britain
- A hell-ride passage to San Francisco
- The restoration of a ‘dead’ cat
- Lessons learned from a boat blaze
- Quality family time aboard
- Middle-aged singlehanders arrive from Japan
- Profiles of three Bay Area singlehanded racers
- The Drake’s Bay Race, 2nd Half Opener, King Harbor Race, and more
Plus your favorite departments: Calendar, Letters, Max Ebb, Changes in Latitudes, and World of Charter, which visits the Islands of the Eastern Caribbean.
©Latitude 38 Media, LLC
Traditional ink-and-newsprint readers can find distributors here, order a subscription here, or pick one up at tonight’s Crew List Party in Alameda. If you prefer your magazines in bright, shiny pixels, check ours out for free here.