'Lectronic Index

Previous 'Lectronic Edition

Photos of the Day: Buccaneer Days

October 8 - Two Harbors, Catalina Island

Today's Photos of the Day are from last weekend's Buccaneer Days at Two Harbors, Catalina. It was our first time, and we were amazed to find the harbor totally packed so late in the year. We were also surprised at the percentage of people who went all out with their costumes, many of which were truly excellent. Despite a lot of drinking and many provocative costumes, everybody behaved like adults, and a good time was had by all - until the hangovers kicked in.

More Hurricanes for Mexico

October 8 - Pacific Coast of Mexico

As if Hurricanes Ignacio and Marty didn't do enough damage and fray enough nerves in the Sea of Cortez, last weekend's Hurricanes Olaf and Nora had to put everyone in semi-freak mode again. Fortunately, Category 1 Olaf never got close, and dissipated after taking a weird reverse course and heading inland south of Puerto Vallarta. Even more fortunately, Category 2 Nora, which originally looked to be headed for Hawaii then took a wicked turn toward the mouth of the Sea of Cortez, has rapidly lost strength. Hopefully she'll cause no damage to Mazatlan, which seems to be her current destination.

Mari-Cha IV About to Crush Monohull Record

October 8 - Atlantic Ocean

Having averaged 19.63 knots since leaving New York, Robert Miller and his brand new 144-ft schooner Mari-Cha IV is set to crush the transatlantic monohull record tomorrow morning. Here's Miller's latest update on this spectacular debut:

"This afternoon at 16:39 UTC we will be completing our sixth full day of this transatlantic record attempt. We will then be on our final run to the finish at Cape Lizard. We are currently on a port jibe and will probably have to jibe twice more before we can get lined up for the final dash to the finish. What a great sailing experience this has been for all of us! Our best 24-hour time is 525.5 nautical miles, which I hope to have ratified in due course by the WSSRC for the record book. With appropriate due caution that something unplanned can happen, but with optimism and great confidence in this marvelous boat and world class crew, I believe we will cross the 'line' sometime tomorrow (Thursday) during the day. Under seven days? Yes - fingers crossed!"

The Ha-Ha Folks Recommended You Sign Up Early

October 8 - Cabo San Lucas, BCS

Some Ha-Ha entrants - the paid number is now up to 136 - are contacting Cabo Isle Marina in Cabo San Lucas and asking for berth reservations at the end of the Ha-Ha. The Cabo Isle Folks are telling them they have to do it through the Ha-Ha. Lauren Spindler, Ha-Ha Honcho, says, "We've always told Ha-Ha entrants to sign up early, because berths in Cabo are assigned in the order that people sign up for the Ha-Ha. So everybody already has their place on the waiting list. Assignments will be announced at Bahia Santa Maria just before the start of the last leg. The good news is that Cabo Isle Marina is expected to have 1,200 more linear feet of docking space than in previous years."

It's Not Always Sunny in Southern California

October 8 - Oxnard

We spent the last five days in Southern California, going out to Buccaneer Days and hauling Profligate in Oxnard in preparation for the Ha-Ha and her trip to the Eastern Caribbean. Everybody says October is a great weather month in Southern California. It might be normally, but we didn't get more than one hour of sunlight, as the gloom was in full force.

Gloomy in Catalina

Gloomy at Channel Islands Boatyard before the haul out.
Photos Latitude/Richard

Beauty Below the Surface

October 8 - Galapagos Islands

The much travelled Mike Harker of the Manhattan Beach based Hunter 466 Wanderlust is in the Galapagos Islands taking some great underwater photos - such as these of rays. We'll have more in the future.

Photos Mike Harker

LED Lights Sensitive to Polarity

October 8 - Oxnard

We'd been having the hardest time figuring out why the 12-volt anchor light on Profligate wouldn't work, and then only sometimes worked when we fiddled with the wiring. Then Wayne Meretsky figured it out - LED lights are polarity sensitive. Unlike most 12-volt lights, it does make a difference if you connect positive to positive and negative to negative. Maybe everybody already knew that, but it was news to us.

'Lectronic Classy Classified

Baja Ha-Ha Inflatable Special: 11'6" Carib hard-bottom inflatable in good condition. No outboard. $1,400. Located at Tradewinds Inflatables in Placentia (near Newport Beach.) Contact Richard.

YOTREPS

October 8 - 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

October 8 - 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.