May 10, 2001

Photo of the Day

May 10 – Along the Docks

You see some interesting things while strolling
the docks. This sloop, for example, whose owner couldn’t seem
to decide what type and style of ports he wanted. There almost
aren’t enough fingers on our right hand to count the number of
different ports on the starboard side of the boat, and if we
remember correctly, there were some other variations on the port
side. Whatever, as they say, floats your boat.

The Catnip Cup Is Back!

May 10 – San Francisco Bay

Thanks to popular demand, the two-day, no-host Catnip Cup rally
for cruising multihulls, from the San Francisco waterfront to
Vallejo Marina, then back the next day, will be held on June
9 and 10. About 20 boats participated last year, and despite
the late notice, it’s hoped there will be a similar number this
year. New this year will be a big potluck ashore Saturday night
in Vallejo.

If you have a cruising multihull and are
interested in doing the Catnip Cup this year, please send an
email to Richard. If
you know anybody with a cruising multihull, please let them know
about it. Latitude 38’s 63-foot cat Profligate
will participate, as will Volker Dolich’s Marquesas 56 La
Dolce Vita, and several Gemini cats have expressed interest.

Baja Ha-Ha Requests

May 10 – Tiburon

The folks at the Baja Ha-Ha
report that requests for entry packs have been coming in at a
steady pace. In fact, they’ve received 21 requests for packets
in just over a week. Anyone interested in doing this fall’s Ha-Ha
Cruisers’ Rally from San Diego to Cabo needs to get an entry
pack. Get one by sending a $15 check made out to Baja Ha-Ha,
Inc., along with a 9×12 self-addressed envelope, to 21 Apollo
Road, Tiburon, CA 94920. Shortly after June 1, you’ll receive
a complete entry pack. The cost of the Ha-Ha itself is $200 for
boats under 35 feet in length, and owners under 35 years of age.
For all others, it’s $250. Entries get all kinds of souvenir
hats, T-shirts, tote bags and such. Don’t try to call the Ha-Ha,
as they don’t have a phone.

Blair and Joan’s Crossing

May 10 – Pacific Ocean

Tuesday we reported on Blair
and Joan Grinols’ adventures on Fanning Island. But what kind
of trip did they have across the Pacific from Puerto Vallarta
to Kiribati (Christmas) Island aboard their custom 45-foot catamaran?
“We covered the 3,300 miles in 18.5 days, an average of
178 miles a day. We were a little gun shy, dropping the chute
whenever we saw a black cloud, so we didn’t cross as fast as
we might have.”

What’s it like sailing in the middle of
the Pacific?
“The day before landfall, we were at 03º N and 156.5º
W, and we could really tell it was the tropics. It was humid!
It was just 87 degrees in the cabin, but out in the sun it felt
like it was 100 degrees. The humidity is about 80%. Maybe it’s
because it rained on us at least 20 times in the last two days,
but everything on the boat feels damp. Yesterday we made about
five sail changes. We put up the spinnaker and a rain squall
with 45 kt winds hit us 30 minutes later. Had to let the sheets
fly to get it down. Then the wind blew from the south on the
port beam, so we put up the main. 30 minutes later it clocked
around to the NE right on the stern. We gave up and just ran
with the genoa for the rest of the day and last night. We still
made 160 miles.

How is the fishing out there?
“A couple of days ago we caught the biggest cotton pickin’
fish we’ve ever had on Capricorn Cat. He was a 40-50 lb
Wahoo. I tow little lures thinking little fish will strike at
them, but I guess this guy liked small bites. Well you can imagine
the fun we had trying to get the cat to stand still, in 8-ft
seas and 20+ kts wind, long enough for us to wrestle that guy
on board. While Joannie was hanging on to the gaff, I cut off
about a quarter of one side and gave the rest to the sharks.”