Mayhem in the Master Mariners Regatta
For the past four days, our inboxes have been deluged with messages regarding the Master Mariners Regatta.
Most of the fleet in the Master Mariners Regatta on May 24 enjoyed a frolicking, rollicking good time. But with winds in the 20s building into the 30s, an ebb current, and wakes from ferries and other large vessels, it was inevitable that there would be some incidents. But Saturday’s incidents were especially newsworthy. You could say that everything did not go swimmingly. Though in this case “swimming” was literal.
Singlehanded Skipper Overboard Survives To Finish Race
Stephen Carlson, singlehanding his 36-ft Angelman Sea Witch ketch Sea Quest, found himself going for an unplanned swim off the Sausalito headlands. Even with no autopilot, Sea Quest kept on sailing, tracking straight and true. No other boats were around except for John Reynolds’ 54-ft Colvin steel Pinky schooner Roxy, a first-timer in this race. Roxy’s crew had missed the second mark on their course, the Hank Easom buoy off Yellow Bluff. They went back to correct their error. That was when John and crew spotted something in the water. They initially thought it was a seal. Then they realized it was a person overboard. They sailed past, and two strong men pulled Stephen aboard. He had not been wearing a PFD.
Now to rescue the unmanned boat! Roxy went and chased down Sea Quest. Although he was hypothermic, the singlehander reboarded his boat and completed the race, which finished east of Treasure Island. He continued on to Alameda, rafting up at Encinal Yacht Club for the regatta party, where, seeming to have recovered from his ordeal, he told fellow sailors of his miraculous rescue.
Stephen has vowed to always wear a PFD in the future.
Sea Scouts Whaleboat Viking Capsizes
“The Sea Scout training vessel Viking was being sailed by adult alumni in the Master Mariners race when the rudder failed and the vessel capsized,” reports Tamara Sokolov, the program director for the San Francisco Sea Scouts. “There were no youth members on board.”
A RIB from St. Francis Yacht Club that was tending to a C420 regatta, USCG, SFPD and SFFD boats responded to the capsize, which occurred about 500 yards off the Marina’s Gashouse Cove. The Coast Guard picks up the tale: “At 1:38 p.m., Coast Guard Sector San Francisco Command Center received a call that the 30-ft sailing vessel Viking was taking on water near Gashouse Cove. Another vessel in the area attempted to tow Viking, though it flipped on its side. The nine persons aboard righted the vessel and climbed back aboard.”
“A Coast Guard Station Golden Gate boat crew arrived on scene and removed eight passengers from the vessel; however, the captain was unwilling to disembark. The Golden Gate boat crew departed temporarily to bring the eight passengers ashore, during which the sailing vessel flipped on its side once more. A TowBoatUS vessel arrived on scene and was able to tow the Viking into Aquatic Park with the captain still on the hull, before righting and mooring it at the pier.”
“The experienced pilot stayed with the vessel to supervise the tow,” commented Sokolov. “No one was injured. Viking is safely back at home in Aquatic Park. Meanwhile, the youth members were all at California Maritime Academy competing in the Ancient Mariner Regatta. This is a competition of 25 maritime skills against Sea Scouts from all over California and Hawaii.”
Woody Skoriak, who sailed aboard the 80-ft schooner Freda B, commented that, “Other than the two incidents, it was about as glorious a race day as I’ve ever seen.” We’ll have much more in the July issue of Latitude 38. For results, see www.sfmastermariners.org/regatta.
Ocean Voyages Institute’s SV ‘Kaisei’ Sinks at Dock in Alameda
SV Kaisei, a large double-masted sailing ship operated by Sausalito’s Ocean Voyages Institute, was docked at Alameda when it began taking on water early Sunday evening. The Maritime Executive reports that the Alameda Fire Department began receiving alerts around 6:15 p.m. Crews arrived to find the vessel already submerged to its deck and pulling at the dock as it continued its descent. Kaisei came to rest on the Bay floor, her masts and rigging listing toward the dock.
We spoke with Ocean Voyages Institute (OVI) founder and president Mary Crowley, who was busy working with local authorities and teams to address environmental issues, and assess the vessel’s condition and prospects for recovery. “It’s a real tragedy,” Ms. Crowley told us. “The Coast Guard believes the sinking may have been caused by something large hitting the vessel,” OVI later stated.
The organization’s first concerns were for any environmental impacts that may result. Alameda Fire had deployed booms around the vessel immediately to prevent any oils from spreading. Ocean Voyages then engaged Parker Diving to add more booms, and NCR Republic to remove any oil captured by the booms. Initially, the ship was thought to be holding 400 gallons of fuel. The fuel removal was conducted by Power Engineering, and Ms. Crowley said the ship had held only approximately 200 gallons.
“We are happy to report that currently all of these operations have been successful. We are continuing to give our full attention to making sure that all fuel and oil on the ship is removed so that it does not cause any pollution in the waters,” the organization said in a press notice
Kaisei has served as a vital platform for global sail training since 2004, and ocean research since 2009, including expeditions to the North Pacific Gyre in partnership with Scripps Institute of Oceanography and California EPA. The ship’s work laid the foundation for Ocean Voyages Institute’s large-scale ocean cleanup operations, including the use of satellite-tagged “ghost nets” recovered by wind-powered vessels. That task is now being addressed by vessels with larger cargo holds such as SV KWAI, which offloaded a cargo of ghost nets and trash in Sausalito in 2022.. And although Kaisei has been stationary at the dock for some time (how long is unclear to us), maintenance crew have been aboard her three to five days a week.
By late Wednesday the oil and fuel concerns had been successfully addressed, and the organization’s attentions can now turn to Kaisei’s recovery. “We’re very sad that this has happened,” Ms. Crowley continued, and said they hope to receive reports from salvagers in the coming days. “The longer she’s in the water, the more damage is being done.”
According to Ocean Voyages Institute’s website, Kaisei was launched in 1990. She has visited over 15 countries, crewed by volunteers from over 26 nations, and sailing more than 40,000 miles. Ms. Crowley says the ship was an ideal sail-training and research vessel, and she is hopeful for its recovery and repair. “Ocean Voyages Institute, the Board of Directors, and the whole team, want to give huge thanks to the Alameda Fire Department, the US Coast Guard, the State of California Fish and Wildlife division, the Alameda Police Department, and Stone Boatyard,” the organization said.
Kaisei is operated by Ocean Voyages Institute, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1979 by a group of international sailors, educators, and conservationists with a mission of teaching the maritime arts and sciences, and researching and preserving the world’s oceans.
One Month Free at Alameda Marina
Good Jibes #193: Cole Brauer on Learning to Sail Around the World — Part 2
Tune in this week for Part 2 of Cole Brauer’s story as she chats with host John Arndt about learning to sail around the world. During the Global Solo Challenge 2023–2024, Cole became the first woman from the US to race singlehanded around the world nonstop and unassisted, and also set a new around-the-world speed record for Class 40.
Hear the life-changing story of her first offshore race, how she fell in love with sailing, the doors that open thanks to beer can racing, how to get yourself on more boats, and the best way to learn everything you need to know about sailing.
Here’s a sample of what you’ll hear in this episode:
- Why Cole believes you should NEVER follow a “regular” schedule when singlehanding
- Sailing is not solely a luxury activity
- What Cole is training for next
- How was the boat after 130 days of sailing?
- What does Cole truly fear?
Learn more about Cole on Instagram @ColeBrauerOceanRacing
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and your other favorite podcast spots — follow and leave a 5-star review if you’re feeling the Good Jibes!
Benicia YC, PICYA and RBOC Present a Seminar on Current Boating Issues
Here’s an interesting seminar for sailors. Benicia Yacht Club, Benica YC’s Nautica Group, the Benicia Marina, and the Pacific Inter-Club Yacht Association are hosting the PICYA Recreational Boaters of California “Seminar on Current Boating Issues.” This informative, in-person event will discuss the key boating issues for 2025.
Topics for discussion include:
- Copper-based Anti-fouling Surfaces
- E15 Threat to Boat Engines
- Marine Flares: Extended Producer Responsibility
- Inventory of Abandoned Vessels
- Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta Conveyance
- State Division of Boating and Waterways Deficit
- Boat Slip Rates
- Outdoor Recreation for All [30×30]
- Offshore Wind Energy
Where: The Benicia Yacht Club, 400 E. Second Street, Benicia, 94510.
When: Saturday June 7, 2025.
A $20 donation will get you a buffet lunch.
“Stay informed and be part of the conversation about important topics affecting the boating community. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to connect with fellow boating enthusiasts and experts. See you there!”
Get Your Pre-Season Boat Health Check at San Francisco Boat Works
