November 9, 2007 - Latitude38

Ha-Ha

We Can Rest When We’re Dead

By Richard | November 9, 2007 | Cabo San Lucas, Mexico |

When the supercargo is away, the crew will play. We can’t be sure, but it’s believed that Dave Cort, (third from left), Commodore of the Los Angeles YC, was behind the dance party that broke out on Profligate the afternoon spent in Bahia Santa Maria. The other conspirators included, from left, Carol, his wife, Gail of Connecticut, Strawberries Wild from Paso Robles, Julia from Berkeley and Dino from Colorado Springs.

latitude/Richard
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC

If your answer to "What have you been doing for the last 10 days?" is a lifeless "Ah, nuthin" or "Same old, same old," perhaps you should have been one of the 601 people on 150 boats who participated in the now nearly concluded Baja Ha-Ha 14 from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. Their lives have been anything but dull, as they’ve:

sailed more than 750 miles, in everything from chilly afternoon temps to a tropical 79 degrees at 3 a.m.

There were so many boats in the Ha-Ha that it was hard to identify them all without the program, but we suspect this was the Holly Scott skippered SC 40 Promotion, crewed by five West Marine employees.

latitude/Richard
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC

enjoyed — or at least endured — sailing conditions that varied from flat calm to 30 knots and sloppy eight-foot seas

It was longed believed there were no pirates along the Baja coast, then Hank and Gail Salerno’s Long Beach based Beneteau 400 Volare was attacked by Roller Derby star Strawberries Wild.

latitude/Richard
©2007 Latitude 38 Media, LLC

been up at all hours of the day and night, driving, trimming sails, gybing the chute and setting the hook
dropped anchor in three of the most diverse imaginable spots in Mexico, from the spectacular natural environment at Bahia Santa Maria to totally synthetic ‘Cabo and Gormorrah’

Brenden and Barbara of the SC52 Isis prove that taking a panga wasn’t the only way to get to the beach for the Turtle Bay beach party.

latitude/Richard
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC

met many great Mexican folks, from friendly shopkeepers in little Turtle Bay to ballsy pangañeros in Bahia Santa Maria to surprisingly talented strolling musicians in Cabo restaurants
seen a billion stars undefiled by ambient light
seen many whales and dolphin
enjoyed the taste of the freshest possible tuna, dorado, and wahoo sashimi

Fresh fish for lunch! Dino and Julia hold up the sashimi-ized and sushi-ized version of the latest yellowtail tuna catch.

latitude/Richard
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC

got caught on the beach by huge swells generated from deep in the southern hemisphere

“Hmmm, maybe we should wait before taking the dinghy through the surf.” Seventy-two Ha-Ha participants ended up stranded on the beach for the night due to large waves closing out the bar at Bahia Santa Maria. The ‘Survivor Bahia Santa Maria’ group fortunately didn’t vote anyone ‘off the island’.

latitude/Richard
©2007 Latitude 38 Media, LLC

been prohibited from anchoring in the main Cabo anchorage because some film company needed the beach to be the Dead Sea for their movie

Swells from deep in the southern hemisphere made their impressive presence known on the rocks along the shore at Bahia Santa Maria.

latitude/Richard
©2007 Latitude 38 Media, LLC

and perhaps most important, made dozens of new sailing friends.

The nuke globes proved to be a big hit with kids of all ages. One was left behind in Turtle Bay for the local kids.

latitude/Richard
©2007 Latitude 38 Media, LLC

Talk to anyone who did this year’s Ha-Ha, and they’ll tell you that the above doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of what the participants have been up to for the last 10 days, because it’s been living life full tilt and to the hilt. So if "nuthin’" or "same old, same old" is what you’re looking for in life, make sure there’s no Ha-Ha in your future.

Racing

33rd America’s Cup Race Dates Set

By LaDonna | November 9, 2007 | Valencia, Spain |

Moving forward as if there was no lawsuit pending, America’s Cup Management announced yesterday that the 33rd America’s Cup will start July 18, 2009 in Valencia, Spain.

They also revealed some new regulations — such as limiting competitors’ costs by banning two-boat testing, introducing ‘no sail’ periods and restricting the number of sails competitors can have — as well as more details on on the new AC90 class: The boats will be 90 feet long with a 21-ft draft and 17-ft beam.

The format of the event will be divided into four phases: Acts (which begin next June), Trials, Challenger Selection Series (which Alinghi will not compete in) and the America’s Cup Match. Though the results of the Acts won’t carry over to the Trials, bonus points in the form of additional sails will be awarded to boats who compete. For more details, go to http://33rd.americascup.com/en/.

Cruising

The World’s Most Thrifty Cruiser?

By Richard | November 9, 2007 | Turtle Bay, Mexico |

Glenn Tieman on his bitching 38-ft cat Manu Rere.

latitude/Richard
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC

It was our pleasure to cross paths with Glenn Tieman of the homebuilt 38-ft cat Manu Rere while in Turtle Bay. If there is a record for cruising on the least amount of money, the Modesto native, who got his sailing chops on a reservoir, may hold it.

Manu Rere is one of the few boats that still uses kerosene lanterns for running lights . . . although kerosene is hard to come by.

latitude/Richard
©2007 Latitude 38 Media, LLC

During his first cruise, on a 26-ft cat he built for less than $3,000, he lived on $1 a day for the first seven years, then splurged, spending $3 a day for the last three years. While teaching school in Los Angeles, he built his new cat, which is based almost entirely on what was used in Polynesia 100 years ago.

Unlike the 26-ft cat that Tieman previously cruised for 10 years from California to Southeast Asia, his new cat actually has living quarters in the hull.

latitude/Richard
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC

Glenn’s new cat is really cool. We’ll have more on it in a future issue of Latitude, as well as an interview conducted by Profligate‘s 13 crew for the Ha-Ha.