Photo of the Day

Reference Not Available

August 28 - Baja Ha-Ha World Headquarters

Jared DeWitt is looking for a berth on the Baja Ha-Ha, and in fact has already bought tickets to arrive in San Diego on October 27 so that if he hasn't gotten a berth by then, he can work the docks. "I have attached a photo of me on the last boat I crewed for," he says, hopefully in jest. "Unfortunately, they are not available for references."

Photo Courtesy Jared DeWitt


Weather Updates

August 28 - Pacific and Atlantic Oceans

Tropical Weather

It's all quiet on the tropical storm front for both the Eastern Pacific (Mexico) as well as the Atlantic-Caribbean. But the biggest hurricane month in both areas has arrived, so keep your fingers crossed. It's not a matter of if there will be tropical storms, but if they will approach land and how strong they will be.

San Francisco Bay Weather

To see what the winds are like on the Bay right now, check out http://sfports.wr.usgs.gov/wind/. It's a great time of year to be sailing the Bay.

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 Ocean Weather

Click here to see today's weather map from the University of Hawaii Meteorology Department.

Pacific Sea State

Seas are normal in the Pacific. But you might check at:
http://www.mpc.ncep.noaa.gov/RSSA/PacRegSSA.html.
For another view, see http://www.oceanweather.com/data/global.html.


Cruising

My Wife and Kids Rock!

August 28 - Pt. Loma

The folks in the accompanying photograph are Monte and Shari Cottrell, and their daughters Haley and Daphne. They live at Pt. Loma aboard the Kennex 445 cat 'See Life'. Monte wants to use the 'Lectronic Latitude forum to publicly thank his wife and kids "for sticking with our goal of going cruising and participating in the 2000 Ha-Ha." He says it hasn't always been easy, and explains why: "About three years ago, my wife Shari agreed to sell our very comfortable house in San Diego, along with most everything in it, to finance the purchase of our dream cruising boat. This was our plan: Fly to Martinique, take delivery of our used catamaran, and sail her down to the Panama Canal, where we would turn her over to a delivery crew that would bring her up to Ensenada. We leased a small duplex to live in until 'our ship came in'. That was the plan.

"The reality was that Shari and the kids had to fly home from Martinique empty-handed, as it were, since it turned out the boat really wasn't ready to make such a passage. Six long months later, we lost the lease on the dumpy duplex, and were collectively couch surfing at the in-laws'. All the while, Daphne, our four-year-old, was asking for her house back. How embarrassing it was for me.

"Meanwhile, the boat's rebuilt engine packed it in somewhere around Acapulco, and limped into Puerto Vallarta. The boat spent the next few months luxuriating in that marina while we continued commuting back and forth to work and school from the couch.

"In a final effort to repower our boat in Mexico, Shari and our friend David Schuell headed south from San Diego with a used engine block in the back of his Ford Explorer hoping to rendezvous with the new delivery crew in Cabo San Lucas. Thankfully, David had the presence of mind to buy all the Mexican insurance he could before crossing the border, because he, Shari and the engine block were run off the road by some Americans towing jet-skies. The Explorer David and Shari were riding in was rolled and totaled, leaving the engine block lying in the high desert! By the grace of God, they made it to Cabo and assisted with the installation of the engine. As our entry in the Ha-Ha suggests, the story had a happy ending.

"I feel fortunate indeed to have a wife who has been willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill the cruising dream - including schlepping (rowing) the kids, laundry, groceries and ice in all kinds of weather, at all hours of the day and night, out to our mooring. By the way, we've lived without hot water or refrigeration for most of the past two years. Shari has been fantastic!


Photo Courtesy the Cottrells


"So I just want to publicly thank Shari, Haley and Daphne. I love you and am so proud of you, as you never gave up. You kept the dream alive when others were telling us we were crazy - and I was beginning to believe them, too. But I wouldn't trade any of you for all the bad-ass, winch-grinding, salt-encrusted sled gods in California. My wife and kids rock!"

YOTREPS

August 28 - 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/



Racing

'PlayStation' Experiencing Unsuitable Weather Conditions

August 28 - Northern Atlantic

As of 1000 GMT today, Steve Fossett's 105' maxi cat 'PlayStation' was approximately 111 hours and 2,250 miles into their New York to England Transatlantic voyage, aiming to beat the 10-year old record of 6 days, 13, hours, 3 mins, 32 secs held by 'Jet Services V'. With 700 miles to go and 46 hours left to reach the finish line at Lizard Point, Cornwall, 'PlayStation' skipper Steve Fossett and his 11-man crew were still slightly ahead of record pace, but appeared to be experiencing unsuitable weather conditions.

"Now that we have lost our beautiful Transatlantic weather pattern, we've had to come up with another plan that provides hope of finishing in time. Meteorologist Bob Rice considered the possibilities and we've decide to aim straight at the Low and follow it until it decays in the Bay of Biscay then beat up to the English Channel entrance in very light east winds. Light air at the finish has been the bane of many Transatlantic record attempts. Conditions are tough: gale force winds and rough seas as we stay tucked in behind the Low. We are reefed to the maximum with no headsail."

Over the weekend, Stan Honey, the Northern California based navigator, was struck by lightning while disconnecting the instruments during a storm. The instruments were knocked out, but Honey, a vet of countless TransPacs, crewed, singlehanded and doublehanded, is made of tougher stuff and was not seriously hurt. Last night, Damian Foxall sprained an ankle when he was hit by a wave while crossing the nets between the hulls. The crew wear harnesses and stay clipped in when crossing so a wave doesn't pop them over the stern, but the impact of the wave while at speed is still enormous.


Photo Courtesy Steve Fossett Ocean Challenge

See www.fossettchallenge.com for updates and details.


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