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Archive for September 2016

Offshore Priorities

September 23, 2016
San Miguel Island is a lonely place that sees few recreational boaters. When conditions there got dicey yesterday, this singlehander’s only chance of help was activating his EPIRB. © 2016 Courtesy US Coast Guard You may think it was foolhardy for the solo sailor pictured above to venture into the rough waters surrounding San Miguel Island (24 miles south of Point Conception) in his engineless, 23-ft pop-top sloop — especially since he had to be rescued by the Coast Guard. More »

Getting Hot Over Stoves

The first Dickinson stove the Seybolds received was all dented up. This was the second. Mind you, this is a $2,000 stove. The question is, will they get a usable stove in time to cook their Thanksgiving turkey? More »

Sailing Keeps Me Young

A while back we did a shout-out to young sailors within our readership to learn how they enjoy the sport of sailing, how they got into it, and how they like the content of Latitude 38. More »

Grants Available for Boating Nonprofits

September 21, 2016
These days there are so many worthwhile organizations seeking financial help that it could make your head spin. In recent years, West Marine has taken a creative approach to sorting out which groups it can and cannot support by instituting the BlueFuture Fund, which is accepting grant applications through October 1. More »

USA Silver in Paralympic Sailing

The American Sonar team won silver in Rio. © World Sailing We took a little break from reporting on the Paralympics to cover the Rolex Big Boat Series in San Francisco, but we couldn’t let another day go by without acknowledging the accomplishments of the Americans who competed last week in Rio. More »

Murder at a Cruiser Center in Mexico

September 19, 2016
This photo shows Marina Riviera Nayarit, just after it opened a few years back, and the town of La Cruz. With a new four-lane highway making La Cruz the gateway to Punta Mita, and construction about to begin on the town’s first multi-story waterfront hotel, La Cruz is becoming an ever more busy place. More »

Militants Release Abducted Sailor

After being held captive for nearly a year by Philippine militants, Norwegian sailor and business manager Kjartan Sekkingstad was released Saturday, much to the relief of family and friends. The release was reportedly spurred by the Philippine government’s ongoing military operations against Sekkingstad’s Abu Sayyaf captors. More »

Tomorrow Is Coastal Cleanup Day

September 16, 2016
Volunteers clean up an East Bay wetland. It’s a great feeling to be part of this massive annual effort.  © Just as the sport of sailing requires harnessing the power of the wind, those who take part in it can’t help but become acutely aware of their natural surroundings. More »

More Ta-Ta Wind Would Be Nice

Santa Cruz Island was moody the first two days the Ta-Ta fleet was there. But the day the fleet left, it was sunny and bright.  latitude/Richard
©2016Latitude 38 Media, LLC Wind for the first three SoCal Ta-Ta’s — the Baja Ha-Ha-style cruisers’ rally from Santa Barbara to Catalina with stops at Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands Harbor and Paradise Cove — was mostly excellent. More »