Did You Go to the Sausalito Boat Show? Here’s a Quick Snapshot of a Great Weekend
Yes, the weekend was HOT! But that didn’t stop us and countless others heading to the Sausalito waterfront for the second annual Sausalito Boat Show. Boats, hardware, accessories and various other bits of nautical must-haves and must-know-about were on display as vendors from far and near came to gather under the sunny California skies.
We’ll have a write-up of the show on Wednesday, but in the meantime, here’s a little snapshot of what went down over the three-day event.
We’ll bring you more on Wednesday.
This Thursday: City of S.F. Mayor Race Candidates and Blue Tech
This Thursday, October 10, San Francisco Bay Area sailors, concerned citizens, individuals from the blue economy and more are invited to attend the Candidates for S.F. Mayor Night at South Beach Yacht Club in San Francisco. Produced by S.F. Blue Tech and co-sponsored by the yacht club and S.F. Baykeeper, this free event runs from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Sejal Choksi-Chugh, executive director at S.F. Baykeeper, will moderate. Candidates include Shahram Shariati, Dylan Hirsch-Shell and a representative from Ellen Lee Zhou’s team; Aaron Peskin was confirmed to attend until last week. Each candidate specifically calls out climate in his/her platform. Each is eager to address questions on ocean and Bay health, the environment, blue economy and more. Time will be dedicated for questions from the audience.
“San Francisco’s reputation as a leader and environmental steward has declined. In part, this is due to national criticism of the city’s stormwater pollution and trash issues,” says Choksi-Chugh. “There is broad awareness that the city’s water and drought resilience infrastructure has also fallen behind. And unfortunately, city officials have decided to sue US EPA to undermine the Clean Water Act so that the city of S.F. can continue polluting the ocean with sewage discharges.”
With the Pacific Ocean on one side, and a shared coastline of S.F. Bay down the middle, the health of our waterways is essential for recreation, tourism, shipping, and nature, and as a place for personal retreat and restoration. According to VitalSigns, the 2021 population of the Bay Area’s nine counties was approximately 7.7 million. Unfortunately, due to this highly urban setting, each year the region experiences incredible threats and damage to the marine environment. According to Choksi-Chugh, there are:
40 sewage treatment plants dumping wastewater into S.F. Bay and the Pacific Ocean
7 trillion tons of microplastics entering the water
5 refineries and a coal terminal allowing toxic pollutants to reach the Bay
More than 1600 industrial facilities discharging metals like mercury, lead and copper into the waters
This event is free and open to everyone. You do not need to be a San Francisco voter to attend; the health of S.F. Bay and the Pacific Ocean affects all of us. The 13 candidates for mayor of the City of San Franisco were invited. Some stated inability to attend due to schedule conflicts, others did not reply — seems we sailors and ocean-lovers have a way to go in convincing civic leaders just how important the health of our waterways is.
S.F. Blue Tech group was founded by local racer, and Latitude 38 contributing photographer and writer, Martha Blanchfield. S.F. Blue Tech events foster fellowship within the region’s emerging blue economy. Objectives include creating action that assists the ocean, waterways and planet, as well as developing a blue tech incubator/accelerator within this region.
You can find more information here and register to attend here.
Annapolis Sailboat Show This Week!
October is here, and so is the Annapolis Sailboat Show. This year’s show is shaping up to be a doozy with over 200 sailboats and more than 550 exhibitors expected to file into downtown Annapolis on October 10-14. Tickets and show info.
The Grand Poobah on Starlink for Baja Ha-Ha Participants
The Baja Ha-Ha’s Grand Poobah shares some interesting feedback on using Starlink while sailing offshore.
All I can do is thank God for Starlink. It’s allowed all of us on the boat to do important work and seek out repair information as well as communicate with family and friends. Views may differ, but I find it a tremendous value.
I just bought the Gen 3 in Mexico for about $200 US. I could have bought the new Mini, which is much smaller and lighter, has a built-in router, and uses much less power. So much less power that people have run them on power blocks and even batteries for drill motors. But it costs $600.
I don’t know if it’s our house batteries being in need of replacement the minute we get to San Diego, but unlike our Gen 2 Starlink, we couldn’t get the Gen 3 to work off our inverter. I don’t think this would have been a problem with the Mini, as it uses up to one-fourth less power than the normal models.
The only way we could get the Gen 3 to work was with it wired directly to our Honda 2000e portable genset. Then it worked fine.
When in eco mode, that little Honda is a fuel-efficient little bugger. It can run for 19 hours on one dose of fuel.
The bottom line is that if your boat doesn’t have a ton of power, maybe the more expensive Mini is for you. After putting in new batteries, I’m going to make the decision of whether to get a Mini.
No matter what Starlink you get, make sure you sign up for Mobile Priority or else it won’t work more than 10 miles offshore. And don’t wait until you get offshore to set up the toggle option so you can enable Priority when you need it. If you don’t, it’s difficult if not impossible to sign up for that option while offshore.
The worst thing about Starlink is all their different plans and different pricing, which are confusing, and which they change all the time.
With our Mexican Starlink, we are paying about $200 a month for 50GB of Mobile Priority. If we run out, we can and did opt out and get all the additional GB we wanted at a rate of $2/GB. For some reason it is, or was, only $1/GB extra for the Mini.
But do your own research because Starlink, bless Elon’s heart, changes things all the time.
As noted in Friday’s ‘LL on the Baja Ha-Ha, Apple’s iMessage via satellite will not work in Mexican waters. More on Heading South here.
The British Are Coming To Take the America’s Cup
After our last-minute news story on Friday, here’s the full wrap of last week’s Louis Vuitton Cup final and Jimmy Spithill’s retirement from Cup racing.
It’s all on as the British are coming to an America’s Cup Match Final for the first time since 1964, when Sovereign got clocked by Constellation, representing the New York Yacht Club, 4-0 and wasn’t even that close. This time, though, INEOS Britannia genuinely surprised everyone with a noticeable increase in speed and performance both on and off the water.
“I’m just so proud of the team, and we know that the America’s Cup is a tough old game,” said INEOS CEO and skipper Sir Ben Ainslie. “It’s a huge move for the team. We didn’t start off that well. We suffered a bit of criticism, but it’s a development game and we’re really going to need it going up against the Kiwis. But what an opportunity, and we’re up for the fight. This is what we came here for.”
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli wasn’t served well by the loss of two points due to mechanical breakdowns, first with battens and then with fairings after a massive nosedive. But those malfunctions were not the primary factors in Luna Rossa’s failure to advance to the America’s Cup Match. The root causes of dropping the LVC 4-7 are much more complicated than just two races. The Brits sailed away in the last three races by comfortable margins as the “flying barge” found its sweet spot and dispatched the “silver bullet.”
“I just want to say well done to INEOS Britannia, to Ben Ainslie and his team; just an awesome effort, ” Jimmy Spithill said. “They started that team I think a decade ago, and to bounce back and win having got so close last time when we knocked them out, and then today, they were the better team. I thought we had a great boat, and it’s difficult to really put into words, but all I can do is just thank all of my teammates and clearly congratulate the team for doing such an awesome job. I can’t think of a time when they’ve got a day off since we’ve been here in Barcelona.”
“Look, we had a fantastic boat; really, we had an awesome package. It was really, really close between the two teams out there, but at the end of the day the British did a better job and they deserve to go to the match,” Spithill said.
in a post-race announcement, it was arrivederci to the legendary Jimmy Spithill, who said an emotional farewell to the America’s Cup, leaving many of his fervent fans and loved ones in tears.
“I really think I am at the end of the line now. I think this is it for me,” Spithill stated. “I think you have to be realistic; I wasn’t good enough to get it done here and I think it’s time the gloves are hung up.”
“This is definitely my last one as an athlete, and it’s been one hell of a ride,” continued Spithill. “I’ve skippered my first team at 19 in 1999, and I’ve driven a boat every Cup up until now. If you told me this is where the sport would be, back then when I started, I mean I probably would have driven you to the mental hospital myself. It has been an absolute one hell of a ride.”
Spithill is a GOAT, and for many, the face of the event in the same manner as Dennis Conner and Russell Coutts. He sprang onto the America’s Cup scene in 1999 on Young Australia for the legendary Syd Fisher in Auckland, New Zealand. He quickly became a leading skipper with the One World team in 2003 and Luna Rossa in 2007 as they squashed BMW Oracle, and was subsequently hired by them to win the Cup in Valencia, Spain, on the DoG trimaran with its game-changing hard-wing sail.
In 2013 Spithill led Oracle to a miraculous comeback in the America’s Cup in San Francisco with his press-conference bravado and nerves of steel, plus a fast boat recovering from an 8-1 deficit to win 9-8.
“I have to be honest with myself; I mean if I look at all of the teams, especially the Italian team with this next generation of guys and girls coming through, they are so far ahead of me and my generation when we were there. I mean, it’s awesome,” Spithill concluded. “So now I think it is the time for them to pick up the ball and run with it, and I can’t wait to see them get out there and hopefully finish the job.”
So it’s going to be an epic America’s Cup with the first Race Day on Saturday, October 12. Also, just a shout-out to Barcelona Turisme (Tourism). As a Host Event Partner they have opened their arms in a very welcoming way, showing that Barcelona is the place to be for the America’s Cup, now and possibly again!
If you recall the once-popular New Order song World in Motion, sung for England’s football teams, the tune can now certainly be sung with emotion for Great Britain’s America’s Cup team as they sing with joy and say arrivederci to the Italians:
“We’re playing for England (En-ger-land)
and we’re playing this song.
Now is the time, let everyone see
You never give up, that’s how it should be
Don’t get caught, make your own play
Express yourself, don’t give it away
We’re singing for England (En-ger-land)
It is now! Well, it is now!
Arrivederci, it’s one on one” with the Kiwis!
In Catalan: “Toquem a Anglaterra (En-ger-land) i estem tocant aquesta cançó. Ara és el moment, que tothom ho vegi No et rendeixes mai, així hauria de ser No et deixis atrapar, fes el teu propi joc Expressa’t, no ho regalis Estem cantant per Anglaterra (En-ger-land) ¡És ara! ¡Bé, ara és! ¡Arrivederci, és un contra un” amb els Kiwis!
Marine Flare Collection Calendar Alert
It’s that time of year again (yes, we’re still doing it the old way). It’s time to dig out those expired marine flares that you put aside until you could figure out what to do with them, as marine flare collection events are coming up in October and November.
Residents and boaters berthing their boats in Del Norte County, Humboldt County, Alameda County, West Contra Costa County, Marin County, L.A. County, and San Diego can take their expired marine flares to their county’s designated marine flare collection events as follows:
Southern California
Port of San Diego
October 26, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. — 2210 Shelter Island Dr., San Diego, CA 92106.
Port of Los Angeles
October 26, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. — Cabrillo Way Marina, 2293 Miner St., San Pedro, CA 90731.
City of Morro Bay
October 27, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. — 1196 Front St., Morro Bay, CA 93442.
Northern California
West Contra Costa County
Oct 16–Nov 24, Wed–Sat 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. — 101 Pittsburg Ave., Richmond, CA 94801.
Del Norte County and Humboldt County
November 2, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. — 1700 State St., Crescent City, CA 95531,
Marin County
November 3, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. — Clipper Yacht Harbor, 310 Harbor Dr., Sausalito, CA 94965,
Alameda County
November 3. By Appointment ONLY. Sign up for an appointment at www.stopwaste.org/marineflares.
Only expired marine flares from residents and boaters berthing their boats in the covered areas will be accepted. No marine flares from commercial craft or an organization, or other forms of household hazardous waste (HHW), will be accepted during the special event. Proof of residence or eligibility is required (i.e., license, registration, or slip fee).
We received the above and the following information:
“This collection event has been organized by Alameda County, Del Norte County, West Contra Costa County, Marin County, the Ports of L.A. and San Diego, the City of Morro Bay, and the California Product Stewardship Council in partnership with CalRecycle, California State Parks and Coastal Commission’s California Boating Clean and Green Program, to collect expired marine flares and educate residents about marine flare management safety, including the advantages of reusable distress signals, to protect California communities and the local environment.
“The United States Coast Guard (USGC) requires boaters to carry several unexpired visual distress signals on board, day and night. Pyrotechnic marine flares are a common type of distress signal, but they are explosive hazardous waste and contain toxic chemicals, like perchlorate, that pose human health risks. Marine flares only work once and expire 36 to 42 months after the manufacture date.”
“For safety and environmental reasons, it is essential to manage single-use pyrotechnic marine flares carefully. Residents should never throw flares overboard into the environment or out in household trash. However, California resident boaters do not have access to an ongoing expired marine flare disposal program, and recreational vessels generate about 174,000 pyrotechnic marine flares every year, according to the California Expired Marine Flare Working Group as estimated in 2012.
“In the absence of safe disposal options locally, the partners encourage resident boaters to consider an electronic visual distress signal device (eVDSD) as a reusable distress signal alternative to the single-use pyrotechnic marine flare.”
For more information about expired marine flares, visit dbw.parks.ca.gov/marineflares.
