Photos of the Day: Manzanillo

March 5 - Manzanillo, Mexico

Today's Photos of the Day come from Manzanillo, which is at the southern tip of Mexico's Gold Coast. It might look a little bit like the Oakland Estuary, because it's a big and busy port with lots of containers and raw materials coming and going. They've also got a Navy base.

Since the folks at nearby Las Hadas closed down their fuel dock, we took Profligate to the very innards of Manzanillo Harbor in search of the fuel dock. When we finally found it - see accompanying photograph - we found it a little too rough for our topsides. Having only fumes left in our tanks, we sailed up to Barra de Navidad - a beautiful sail - and filled up at the marina there. They've got a very nice fuel dock, complete with sparkling showers and restrooms.


Photos Latitude/Richard


The Next America's Cup

March 5 - Auckland, NZ

The Protocol for the 32nd America's Cup has just been announced by the defending Club, the Société Nautique de Genève (Alinghi) and the challenger of record, the Golden Gate YC (Oracle BMW) in San Francisco. Russell Coutts explained the general principal: "Our goal is to create a competitive sporting regatta for all competitors to release the commercial potential and to promote it as the premier event in world sailing with the traditions and regulations in the Deed of Gift."


The two Alinghi boats
Photo Courtesy http://americascup.yahoo.com

Here are some specific highlights: 1) IACC boats will be used again, although perhaps with AO sails so races can be held in winds as light as seven knots and over 25 knots. 2) No 'hula' skirts. 3) A venue is to be picked in a large part for its reliable winds, ideally so races can fit into 90-minute television time slots. The venue - Lisbon and Palma are top contenders - should also provide for spectators to be close to boats, perhaps with a mark near shore. The site should be chosen before the end of the year. 4) The windward/leeward courses are here to stay. 5) Although no dates have been set, it looks like the summer of 2007, as Europe will be too busy with the World Cup in 2006. 6) There will be a very limited amount of fleet racing in the early going. 7) Residency requirements are out, so Kiwis won't have to keep expensive but empty apartments in Geneva. 8) The entry fee is up to 450,000 euros, and it's hoped that as many as 20 syndicates will bite. 9) The IACC class will have an annual world championship, a trial run of which will be held on San Francisco Bay this summer.


Help Needed

March 5 - Granada

Steve Shultz, Ruth Olson, and their children cruised Mexico for about three years aboard Kabunza, which we think was a Pearson 36. They were well known in the cruising community. Two years ago they bought the Nautitech 43 catamaran Kabunza Kat in Guadeloupe, which they cruised and chartered in the Caribbean. Ruth has just passed along the terrible news that while in Grenada in late January, Steve suffered three strokes as a result of a 'paper cut' on the inside of one of his arterial walls. He was released from the hospital on February 1, but faces a difficult recovery back home in Healdsburg.

At this point, the last thing Ruth needs to be bothered with is the task of getting Kabunza Kat from Grenada to Florida, but she needs to get the job done relatively economically. To tell you the truth, this is actually a dream trip, and at just the right time of year for it. If we could get away for a couple of weeks, we'd be glad to do it for nothing. So if you're a friend of Steve and Ruth, and a responsible and competent skipper who might be interested in the delivery at a friend's price, contact Richard. If you sound like a likely candidate, we'll pass the information along. Meanwhile, think good thoughts for Steve, who retired young from H/P not long ago.


Will They Become Known as the '180-Day Yacht Clubs'?

March 5 - Sacramento

Some marinas in Ensenada are now known as the '90-Day Yacht Club' because generally speaking, Californians who buy boats 'offshore', then keep them in Mexico for 90 days, are not subject to California sales tax. Legislation has been introduced in Sacramento to increase the 90 days to six months in the first year. It would apply to boats and cars. As you probably know, the elected folks in Sacramento spent money like the dot com boom was never going to end and are now trying to create new revenue to cover all the commitments they're finding they can't keep.


No Puddle Jump for Us This Year

March 5 - Careyes, Mexico

While in Careyes a few weeks ago, we bumped into Michael and Mary Brooks of the San Francisco - we think - based Ericson 38 Danseuse de la Mer. They told us that they and friends aboard Waking Dream would be heading to the South Pacific. But cruising dreams change all the time. Michael and Mary have decided that because of boat insurance problems, they'll spend the summer in the Sea of Cortez and head to French Polynesia next season. The Sea or French Polynesia, either one would be great.


Photo Latitude/Richard


The Jewish Viking Passes On

March 5 - Sausalito

Dick Levine, the large and colorful owner of Sailboats/Sausalito in the '70s, passed away last week. A very aggressive dealer for Columbia, Islander, and other brands, he took great pride in the fact that competitors referred to him as 'the Jewish Viking'. In the course of selling lots of boats, he made a lot of friends - and a few enemies. He had to leave the boating business in the early '80s due to financial irregularities with the Bank of America. Levine's life was marked with lots of tragedy, but he still managed to laugh and get others to laugh.


YOTREPS

March 5 - 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

March 5 - Pacific Ocean

San Francisco Bay Weather

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.


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