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Archive for October 2011

Free Mainsail From 63-ft Catamaran

This Spectra mainsail has seen 11 years of great service in California, Mexico and the Caribbean. Despite her age, she still has decent shape. Unfortunately, she’s not only got plenty of mold stains, but is also molting taffeta at such a disturbing rate that, while parts of her are fine, she’s absolutely useless as a mainsail. More »

The Biggest New Cat in the World

Readers may remember that Latitude contributors Ed and Sue Kelly of the Iowa-based Catalac 37 Angel Louise were on hand when Hemisphere, the humungous new 145-ft by 54-ft catamaran designed by Marc Van Peteghem & Vincent Lauriot-Prevost which was started at the Derektor yard in the Northeast and was completed at Pendennis in England, had her private launching party in Plymouth, England a while back. More »

Clarifications on Clearing In

Ask a dozen sailors about any subject within the realm of sailing and you’re likely to get a dozen different opinions — even about something as seemingly straightforward as clearance regulations. More »

German Cruiser Eaten by a Cannibal?

The bizarre attack on this German cruising couple has shocked local Marquesan residents as much as French authorities and cruisers. Bayu
©2011 Latitude 38 Media, LLC We know this sounds too ridiculous and horrific to be true, but the mainstream media is reporting that Stefan Ramin, 40, a German cruiser and uber waterspsorts athlete from Hamburg, was murdered recently, and may have been eaten by a cannibal or cannibals on the Marquesan island of Nuku Hiva. More »

Drinking Water a Fire Hazard?!

Wednesday’s Photo Contest of the Day showed a burn hole in a vinyl cockpit cushion and we asked readers what unusual source they thought caused it. Dozens of people came so close we would have given it to them had Matt Satterlee of National City not guessed the exact answer: "I’m going to guess the burn mark came from a light source passing through a bottle of water and then onto the surface. More »

Leading Lady’s Last Dance

Leading Lady’s ignominious departure from the dance floor. © Neil Weinberg Back in mid-August, Leading Lady, the old Peterson 40 that Bob Klein owned in the early ’80s, gave her last performance. More »

Sailors’ Chance to Comment on A-Cup

What will perhaps be the only opportunity for the Bay’s sailing and recreational boating community to actually get on record over how the America’s Cup will affect us is coming up tonight. More »
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Quantum Leap Abandoned

Longtime sailors Bill Finkelstein and Mary Mack of the Santa Rosa-based Valiant 50 Raptor Dance were a little embarassed to tell us they were making a passage to Hawaii, not aboard a sailboat but aboard a cruise ship. More »