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Archive for January 2010

If You’d Been in Their Topsiders

January 8, 2010
There were two very interesting incidents in the November-December Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) from the Canary Islands to the 2,700-mile distant St. Lucia. The first incident took place just several days into the event, when the Brit-owned Roberts 53 Pelican lost her rig 325 miles west of the Cape Verdes. More »

Beaucoup de Boat Shows

Get your boating mojo going with one of several boat shows, from the Bay to Bahrain! latitude/LaDonna
©2010 Latitude 38 Media, LLC Few things get boaters more revved up about their sport that boat shows, where they can check out the latest gadgets and gizmos, ogle their dreamboats and pick the brains of experts on a wide range of nautical topics. More »

Really, You’ll Hate It

January 6, 2010
Gliding across flat water with a gentle breeze and majestic Mt. Baker as a backdrop – why would anyone want to sail the Northwest? latitude/Andy
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC Every surfer’s worst nightmare is that his favorite surf spot will be ‘discovered’ and widely publicized by some well-meaning journalist. More »

Trouble in Paradise? No problema!

In the December 23 edition of ‘Lectronic, we asked for your creative solutions when problems arise when cruising in paradise. Barney Van Fleet, who now sails his Hunter Legend 35.5 Seaquestered out of San Diego, sent in this ‘electrifying’ account: "My brother and I did the Ha-Ha in 1990, before it was even an official event. More »

January Racing Forecast

They call it a “fiasco” for a reason. It’s about the most fun charlie-foxtrot you can willingly get yourself into. © Peter Lyons January brings a little bit more to the midwinter racing schedule in the form of the first installment of the ever-popular Corinthian YC Mids January 16-17. More »

BMW Oracle Arrives in Spain

Spanish Fly! BMW Oracle’s 100-ft tri was off-loaded from a cargo ship in Valencia on Monday to begin training for the 33rd America’s Cup. © 2010 Gilles Martin-Raget / BMW Oracle Racing With a little more than a month before the scheduled start of the 33rd America’s Cup — unless more legal wrangling forces a delay — the BMW Oracle Racing team can finally start testing in European waters. More »

Mexican Mood Lighting

January 4, 2010
One of the rewards of the cruising lifestyle is unexpected gifts from Mother Nature, such as glorious sunsets in tranquil anchorages. Proximity
©2010 Latitude 38 Media, LLC We once had the privilege of traveling with a bona fide National Geographic photographer. More »

Dehumidifier Recall

Fewer things on a boat are less sexy than a dehumidifier, but damp winters certainly justify their use. The small, passive marine air dryers sold at chandleries are just the thing to keep the mildew at bay in Southern California, but when winter presents itself in buckets of rain, a little more ‘oomph’ is needed. More »

Sydney Hobart Goes to the Little Guys

Neville Crichton’s R/P 100 Alfa Romeo pounds toward Hobart. © 2010 Rolex / Daniel Forester The largest-ever collection of custom, 100-ft maxis were no match for three Australia-based, 40-ft production boats in the ’09 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. More »

To Fill or Not To Fill

We figure that every 30 years or so it’s important to visit another part of the world to see if we can learn from the way other people do things, particularly with regard to boats and the water. More »