Archive for April 2016
Alone offshore of the Central Coast was not a great place to be Monday morning.
Sixty-eight-year-old Canadian sailor John Ridsdel, who’d been held captive in the southern Philippines since September by Abu Sayyaf militants, was beheaded Monday after the deadline for his ransom had passed.
Tom Siebel’s MOD70 Orion takes off for Ensenada — and a place in the record books.
What’s the connection between watermelons and young sailors? Find out tomorrow night at Spaulding’s.
© Jim Bender
Plenty of West Coast mariners have colorful sailing résumés that include exotic travel on a variety of sailing craft.
“My wife Donna is in the hospital in Puerto Vallarta,” reports Richard Pomeroy of the Oregon-based Polaris 43 Flying Carpet.
We’ve heard different versions over the years, but the Mexican government is saying that Playa de Amor was created by a bomb from one of their air force planes.
According to the PICYA, an organization representing 105 Northern California yacht and boating clubs, this Sunday will mark the 99th time that they’ve sponsored an Opening Day Boat Parade on San Francisco Bay.
Last weekend couldn’t have been finer for being on, in or near the water, even in often-chilly Half Moon Bay.
Gannet’s interior may not be big enough to hold a dinner party, but it works for Chiles.
John and Debbie opted to sail past Hiva Oa because they arrived in the Marquesas at night.
It’s not very often that the Caribbean looks like Lake Tahoe, but in this shot from the Voiles de St.
A group of Singlehanded TransPac racers (past, present and future) and volunteers gathered at Oakland YC for a cruise-in last weekend.
latitude/Chris
©2016Latitude 38 Media, LLC Each month from November through June, the Singlehanded Sailing Society is holding seminars for those who intend to cross the Pacific alone in this July’s Singlehanded TransPac.
©2016Latitude 38 Media, LLC Each month from November through June, the Singlehanded Sailing Society is holding seminars for those who intend to cross the Pacific alone in this July’s Singlehanded TransPac.
We don’t know what Jeff and Debbie Hartjoy were toasting when this file shot was taken, but when he reaches Ecuador in a few weeks, they’ll really have something to celebrate.
Sailors Run
©2016Latitude 38 Media, LLC After 167 often-punishing days at sea, Washington state-based singlehander Jeff Hartjoy crossed his outbound track Friday — just two days before turning 70 — making him the oldest American to circumnavigate solo, nonstop and unassisted via the Five Great Capes.
©2016Latitude 38 Media, LLC After 167 often-punishing days at sea, Washington state-based singlehander Jeff Hartjoy crossed his outbound track Friday — just two days before turning 70 — making him the oldest American to circumnavigate solo, nonstop and unassisted via the Five Great Capes.
Another boat ends up on the rocks in La Cruz.
© Jim Milski
The failure of a shackle pin is being described as the cause of the Pearson 30 Gran Wazoo’s going up on the rocks just to the east of Marina Riviera Nayarit on Banderas Bay.
The W.F. Stone schooner Yankee (left) was already 31 years old when the Golden Gate Bridge opened.
We don’t suppose that scrubbing a drone in saltwater is going to do much harm, particularly after it’s been retrieved from 30 feet under.
latitude/Richard
©2016Latitude 38 Media, LLC It’s the ‘Columbie Circle’, not the Bermuda Triangle, that’s been the problem for the Latitude 38 drone pilot, who because of employment privacy rules, cannot be identified.
©2016Latitude 38 Media, LLC It’s the ‘Columbie Circle’, not the Bermuda Triangle, that’s been the problem for the Latitude 38 drone pilot, who because of employment privacy rules, cannot be identified.
When a sailor becomes overdue in making landfall or regular radio contact, more often than not it turns out that there’s a simple explanation such as lack of wind or charging problems.
If you’re planning to sail out the Gate today, be advised that the Coast Guard 11th District has issued a warning to "vessel owners, operators, and beach-goers of high surf and winds affecting the Bay Area."
In case you’re not sure what 15- to 18-ft waves look like, here’s a picture taken by sailing photographer Erik Simonson this winter.
After a slow start, the Stan Honey-navigated Comanche started to roll the 100-ft Wally/Centro Galateia off the southeast corner of the island.
latitude/Richard
©2016Latitude 38 Media, LLC Although the wind was 8 knots short of the Caribbean norm of 20 knots, and there was a little more overcast than usual, the first race of the 7th annual Voiles de St.
©2016Latitude 38 Media, LLC Although the wind was 8 knots short of the Caribbean norm of 20 knots, and there was a little more overcast than usual, the first race of the 7th annual Voiles de St.
Looking back at last week’s Strictly Sail Pacific boat show, which was staged for the first time at Richmond’s historic Craneway Pavilion, we thought we’d share a few thoughts.
With dozens of new and late-model boats on display, the docks at Richmond’s Marina Bay Yacht Harbor looked festive last week.
latitude/Chris
©2016Latitude 38 Media, LLC First, from what we could tell, the event’s organizer, Sail America, did a fine job of adapting the show to this new location, having been forced to move it from its longtime former venue at Oakland’s Jack London Square due to ongoing development there.
©2016Latitude 38 Media, LLC First, from what we could tell, the event’s organizer, Sail America, did a fine job of adapting the show to this new location, having been forced to move it from its longtime former venue at Oakland’s Jack London Square due to ongoing development there.
Here they come! Even the tail-enders of the Clipper Race fleet have only a few days left to reach landfall in Washington.
We love this file shot of Jeff and Debbie Hartjoy, all decked out for the Baja Ha-Ha costume party a few years ago.
Seen here wearing her drugstore tiara, the ‘Queen of the Sea’ had a great crossing to the South Pacific.
latitude/Richard
©2016Latitude 38 Media, LLC Patsy Verhoeven of La Paz and her crew report that they made it to Nuku Hiva, Marquesas, from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in 18 days and two hours aboard her Gulfstar 50 Talion, and had "a great trip." That’s a swift passage for a boat that, depending on where you are in the country, has a PHRF rating between 126 and 147.
©2016Latitude 38 Media, LLC Patsy Verhoeven of La Paz and her crew report that they made it to Nuku Hiva, Marquesas, from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in 18 days and two hours aboard her Gulfstar 50 Talion, and had "a great trip." That’s a swift passage for a boat that, depending on where you are in the country, has a PHRF rating between 126 and 147.
Taylor Canfield, the 27-year-old match-racing wunderkind from the US Virgin Islands, has pulled off an unprecedented feat, vanquishing all comers for his third consecutive win at the Congressional Cup, raced on April 6-9.
The San Rafael Canal is a natural waterway that’s been lined with marinas, homes and businesses for decades.
As nasty a 100-footer as there ever has been, Comanche takes the lead off the line in last year’s Voiles.
© 2016 Voiles de St.
Buddy-boating in the Delta facilitates water fights, a most excellent way to keep your cool in the summer heat.
Strictly Sail Pacific opens tomorrow on the Richmond Riviera.
latitude/Chris
©Latitude 38 Media, LLC Even as we write this, a van full of Latitude 38 magazines, shirts and hats has just pulled out of our world headquarters in Mill Valley, destined for the Richmond Riviera.
©Latitude 38 Media, LLC Even as we write this, a van full of Latitude 38 magazines, shirts and hats has just pulled out of our world headquarters in Mill Valley, destined for the Richmond Riviera.
Vuda Point Marina is beautiful, but it’s also about to be besieged by another tropical cyclone.
Vuda Point Marina
©2016Latitude 38 Media, LLC The South Pacific tropical cyclone season is supposed to end at the end of April, and that’s still three weeks away, which is why cruisers in Fiji are having to batten down for the impending arrival of tropical cyclone Zena.
©2016Latitude 38 Media, LLC The South Pacific tropical cyclone season is supposed to end at the end of April, and that’s still three weeks away, which is why cruisers in Fiji are having to batten down for the impending arrival of tropical cyclone Zena.
"Know anyone who might want to join me on a ‘free’ crossing of the Atlantic?" writes Rory Kremer.
The Clipper 70 blasts away from the UK mainland on August 31, day one of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.
Michelle Boroski of Ventura has formed Team Sistership to sail an F-27 in June’s Race to Alaska.
The bodies of Ria and Waldy Finke, a Dutch cruising couple on the Netherlands-based yacht Talagoa, were found floating off Isla San Andrés, Colombia, on April 1.
Lady Isabelle was in immaculate condition when stolen from the South of France in October.
© Lady Isabelle
Caribbean sailors, have you seen this boat?
The April issue of Latitude 38 hits the docks today. The boat show planner for Strictly Sail Pacific is bound right in.
We’re occasionally reminded that simply proclaiming "Salvage!" when you find an object floating on the high seas does not necessarily win you ownership of it.
Here’s what sailing looks like from onboard one of Artemis Racing’s foiling AC45F catamarans.