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September 28, 2016

Additions and Clarifications

The most convenient location to the Ha-Ha nexus in San Diego — meaning Marine Exchange, Downwind Marine, West Marine, the Brigantine, Fiddler’s Green, the fuel dock, Pt. Loma Seafood, the San Diego YC, and all the rest — is Intrepid Landing Marina. They have 230 feet of end-tie dock space available, but it’s going to go fast. Call Max Maher now at 619 269 7300. You don’t need to tell them who sent you.  

latitude/Richard
©2016Latitude 38 Media, LLC

We have some additions and clarifications to our list of places for Ha-Ha skippers to keep their boats just prior to the October 31 start of the Baja Ha-Ha.

First, we’ve just been informed that Intrepid Landing Marina, in America’s Cup Harbor, and thus right in the heart of the Ha-Ha pre-race action, has 230 feet of end-tie dock space available. This, of course, would be ideal for multihulls. The current rate is $1/ft/ night, but it doesn’t have water or electricity. If they get water and electricity in, the rate will be $1.50/ft/night. The marina is right in front of the future home of Intrepid Boat Works boatyard. It will be run by Driscolls Boat Works, which is just a few hundred feet away. Call Max Maher right away at 619-269-7300.

Second, while the marinas in the main part of San Diego Bay are usually quite full, there is no harm is calling to see if they might have a slip open up at the last minute.

Third, reader David Rustigan of the Long Beach-based Cardinal Sin reminds us that there are also a couple of marinas in San Diego’s Mission Bay. The marinas in the outer part of the bay have no height restrictions, while a bridge farther east will preclude most Ha-Ha boats from being able to reach the other marinas which, in any event, are on the small side.

Fourth, a reader whose name we have misplaced reminds us that sailors are permitted to anchor for free, for 72 hours, at Mariner’s Basin in Mission Bay. There is no height restriction. If you have a bike, it’s about a half-hour ride from there — we do it all the time — to the Ha-Ha Kick-Off Party site. Or you can Uber.

The San Diego Harbor Police have always been very supportive of the Baja Ha-Ha rally. They’ve once again set aside a free ‘special event’ anchorage for exclusive use by the Ha-Ha fleet. (Non-San Diego-based boats only please.) For a permit, you must call the Mooring Office (619-686-6227) with your Ha-Ha registration number from the fleet list on our website. The anchorage is located near Glorietta Bay, close to the Coronado (Island) Golf Course, and will be open to officially registered Ha-Ha entries October 1 through November 1.

For those getting to San Diego a little early, Bill Pattee of the Southwestern YC invites all Ha-Ha folks to join the 53rd Little Ensenada Race from San Diego to Ensenada on October 7-8. It’s about a 60-mile race, followed by a fun race around Todos Santos Island the next day, and all kinds of festivities. We’re hoping that we can do it again with Profligate.

The race has been growing in popularity since folks in Mexico have helped streamline the entry process for participants. Now, you don’t even have to go online to get your paperwork done. We’ve done the Little Ensenada before and had a blast. This is a particularly good option for anyone wanting to start the Ha-Ha from Ensenada, which is not a bad idea for folks with smaller and/or slower boats, as it takes a big chunk out of the first leg. For further details, visit the Southwestern YC website.

In a totally unrelated matter that might still be of interest to cruisers, DJI, the leader in drone technology, has just announced the Mavic Pro, a huge leap in drone technology, in part because it folds up to the size of a water bottle. In the October issue of Latitude, which comes out Friday, we recommend the DJI Phantom 3 and take a look at the Power Egg for cruisers who are shopping for drones.

The Mavic Pro with built-in camera retails for just one buck under $1,000.

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The Mavic Pro is a not only a game changer — it’s much more portable than previous models, and has a range of four miles — it doesn’t cost any more than previous models. It’s just been announced, so we don’t know when it will be available. It also means that before long models like the Phantom 3, which is what Latitude uses, are going to be cheap on the used market. 

Canadian Singlehander Long Overdue

Singlehander Paul Lim hasn’t been seen since August 1.

Watercolour
©Latitude 38 Media, LLC

Canadian singlehander Paul Lim reportedly set sail from Hilo, HI, on August 1, intending to sail north above the Pacific High, then east to Victoria, BC, aboard his Spencer 35 sloop Watercolour — a passage of roughly 2,500 miles. He is now long overdue.

The US Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) at Alameda has requested our assistance in spreading the word to mariners along Lim’s route to look out for him, and report in if they see the vessel or make radio contact.

The Spencer 35 Watercolour, as seen in April. 

Watercolour
©2016Latitude 38 Media, LLC

Since concerned family members contacted the USCG last week, Guardsmen have reportedly questioned dozens of commercial vessels along Lim’s route and are currently broadcasting to all mariners along the Pacific Coast including Alaska and Hawaii. In addition, a long-range C-130 aircraft was dispatched last Thursday from Air Station Barbers Point in Honolulu to search for Watercolour in a vast area between Hilo and Victoria, but had no success. Canadian Coast Guard assets are also involved in the search. 

The 35-ft vessel is described as having a white hull and sails, and a hard dodger with solar panels. Lim was said to have been towing a nine-foot pink dinghy behind Watercolour when she departed Hilo.

The USCG has gone to great lengths to locate the Canadian singlehander, including an extensive search by a C-130 aircraft along his theoretical route.

RCC Alameda
©2016Latitude 38 Media, LLC

If you have info on the whereabouts of Lim or Watercolour call RCC Alameda at (510) 437-3701.

Women’s Racing Preview

Fall brings with it a flurry of races for women. Some are women-only, others are for women skippers with coed crew, and one just requires that half the people onboard be women. Here’s a quick rundown of the remaining races in Latitude 38’s unofficial Women’s Circuit:

The quartet begins with this Saturday’s Red Bra Regatta at South Beach Yacht Club in San Francisco. This one is for women only; the guys will be relegated to race committee duty. Race spinnaker or non-spinnaker. Sign up today for $30; on Thursday and Friday the price goes up to $35, and registration closes at midnight on Friday. So far, 11 boats are entered.

The Elan 40 Tupelo Honey and Olson 911S Heart of Gold in the 2014 Red Bra Regatta.

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Tiburon YC’s Joan Storer Regatta is for everyone. If no woman skipper is available, no problem, but the skipper and crew must be made up of at least 50% females. The late Joan Storer’s family is sponsoring the event. A bar with hearty hors d’oeuvres will be hosted at the TYC clubhouse in Paradise Cay after the racing, with limited guest docking available. Half of the $40 entry fee will be donated to the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research and Hospice of Marin.

Corinna, Chris, Marianne and Ariane sail the beautiful waters off Paradise Cay in a recent Joan Storer Regatta.

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Like the Joan Storer, the Amazing Grace Cheney Cup is a memorial regatta. This is a new one — Richmond YC’s Grace Cheney passed away suddenly of a brain aneurysm this year on April 28, only hours after sailing in a Wednesday night beer can race. A very active club member and volunteer, Grace sailed her own Wylie Wabbit and Byte, as well as on numerous other boats. The race on Saturday, November 5, is for women only, and skippers must be members of RYC. Divisions are available for spinnaker and non-spinnaker. Sign up by November 3 to avoid a late fee. See www.richmondyc.org. If you’re not an RYC member but want to sail, you can sign up on a crew board here.

Small, smiling and fun-loving Grace Cheney was an avid sailor. This photo was taken on Deception, a Santa Cruz 50 on a delivery up from Santa Barbara.

© 2016 Sue Alexander

Wrapping up the circuit the next day will be Island YC’s Jack & Jill + 1, a coed triplehanded race for women skippers on the flat, protected Oakland-Alameda Estuary. Sailing on the Estuary is not as easy as we made it sound in the previous sentence: It’s a narrow waterway with a variety of recreational traffic. But at least you’re not pounding into ebb chop and dodging heavy-tonnage commercial traffic. The race will be held on Sunday, November 6, and the Notice of Race is not yet posted.

A trio of triplehanders on the Estuary in IYC’s Jack & Jill + 1.

latitude/Chris
©Latitude 38 Media, LLC

Any female sailors who compete in a few of 2016’s events for women — those listed above and/or those earlier in the year — are invited to apply for recognition as Queen of the Women’s Circuit. Just send us proof of your participation (registration or race results) by November 12 and you wrest the tiara from our reigning queen, Deb Fehr — not literally of course: We’ll give you your own tiara!

Over the years we’ve been heartened to meet many families cruising with school-age kids who are home-schooled aboard while experiencing different cultures firsthand.
If you missed the award-winning film The Weekend Sailor when it debuted in San Francisco in March, you’ll get a second chance to watch in a theater next month.