Who’s Your Buddy(boat)?
"We’ve been buddyboating down the coast with one of the 191 registered Ha-Ha boats," report Mark and Vicki Reed of the Portland-based Ericson 38 Southern Cross. "While in Monterey, we met the Foley family — Kevin and Lisa, and their sons Mick and Teagan — aboard the Island Packet 32 Albatross. Despite a hailing port of Clear Lake Shores, Texas, the Foleys are most recently from the Bay Area, and are members of Encinal YC.
"After the passage down the Big Sur coast, we rafted up in Morro Bay for a couple of days before continuing on around Pt. Conception, and ending up in Cuyler Harbor on San Miguel. San Miguel is not known for its benign conditions, and it didn’t disappoint — Teagan was rolled out of bed, Mick hit his head on the dining table, and no one slept very well that night. Bechers Bay on Santa Rosa, where we spent the next night, was a much better anchorage, but landing a dinghy was problematic due to 10-ft swells in the Santa Barbara Channel. We continued downwind to Fry’s Harbor on Santa Cruz, which is so small you can easily miss it. But even with 20-knot winds and steep chop just outside, we were snugly anchored.
"We must be going the right direction — the weather has gotten steadily warmer and sunnier since leaving Pt. Conception!"
Buddyboating can be a great way to cruise — you’re more likely to explore spots you might otherwise have missed, you’ll have another skipper to brainstorm with, and you’ll make great friends. Do you have a good buddyboating story? Share it — along with any photos — with LaDonna.
That’s My Final Answer
In Wednesday’s ‘Lectronic, we posted a fantastic sunset photo and asked readers to tell us where they thought it was shot. The votes were split three ways: Australia, the Sea of Cortez, and ‘other’. Indeed, Oz seemed the obvious choice because the worst dust storm in 70 years has been choking much of the continent and causing the skies to turn red. But photographer Jo Brosnan happened to be in the Northern Hemisphere when she snapped that photo.
That would, of course, leave the Sea of Cortez as the next most likely location. Not only have we witnessed many similarly breathtaking sunsets in the Sea, but we’ve also received countless photo submissions of same. But Brosnan was even farther north than that.
No, that shot was taken about a month ago from the Berkeley Pier. Careful cropping on Wednesday disguised the notable landmark of Marin’s Mt. Tampalpais but about a dozen astute readers still guessed correctly. The following five won Latitude 38 bumper stickers to apply to whatever surface they deem appropriate:
- Jon Scheiblich, boatless in Santa Rosa
- Ron & Joanna Witzel, Harpoen, Tripp-designed Javelin 38, Novato
- Steve Frost, Cepheus Dream, Catalina 36, Alameda
- Gary Ryan, i’liohale, Hanse 341, Greenbrae
- John Boggs, boatless in Oakland
Thanks for playing!
Surveyor Needed in Mazatlan
John Mottl of Orcas Island, WA, is looking for a surveyor in Mazatlan. "I’m buying a trimaran there and need to find a really good surveyor," he said. "I’m at a complete loss and need to find someone in the next few days. I’m hoping crusiers in the area will have some good suggestions." If you have a suggestion for John, contact him at (360) 376-7661 or by email. "I really appreciate the effort!"
Meet a Movie Star at TYC
Kick-ass Tiburon sailor Genny Tulloch will be speaking at a fundraiser for junior sailing programs at Tiburon YC on Monday, September 28, at 6 p.m. Tulloch, 25, will detail how she went from a junior Opti sailor to star of the Disney film Morning Light to a member of the U.S. Olympic Sailing Team.
Paradise Harbor Boating Association has coordinated this program with TYC to get kids excited about sailing. "The kids decided they wanted to watch Morning Light," notes event organizer Peter Lane. "When I told them Genny lives in Tiburon, they got all excited to meet a movie star." While the event is primarily geared to kids, the young-at-heart are welcome too.
If you haven’t seen the film, this is a great opporunity to watch it with a group of very enthusiastic viewers. Free pizza will be offered, and Genny will be available to sign your copies of the DVD. There’s no charge for the evening but donations will be happily accepted. Please RSVP so Peter knows how many pizzas to buy.