Barque ‘Eagle’ Returns to San Francisco Bay Friday
The USCG’s barque Eagle is on her way back to San Francisco. The 295-ft, three-masted ship is used as a training vessel for future officers of the United States Coast Guard and has been touring the West Coast since April. This visit will mark her ninth stop on the tour.
Eagle arrived in the Bay on June 25 for the first time since 2008. She welcomed visitors to tour aboard until her departure on June 29. She was then scheduled to sail north to Victoria, BC, Canada, followed by Seattle, Washington.
Eagle is expected to be at Pier 17 (near the Exploratorium), and will again offer free public tours across the weekend:
- Friday, July 25 (1–4 p.m.)
- Saturday, July 26 (10 a.m.–7 p.m.)
- Sunday, July 27 (10 a.m.–7 p.m.)
The tours are free and no tickets are required. But we suggest you get there early. If you’ve talked with anyone who’s been aboard, they’ll likely talk your ear off about their great experience. See Tim Henry’s story for an example.
Latitude reader and 110 sailor Milly Biller commented, “I have been following the Eagle since she became the training ship for the CG. There is a fantastic book called The Skipper and the Eagle, which documents her departure from Germany after World War II and her restoration.” That book might be worth a read for any tall-ship fans.
Barque Eagle posted this video on Instagram ahead of her arrival in S.F., writing,”⛵San Francisco, open your Golden Gate! 🌉 We’re on our way and will be there on July 24! ⚓️” We can only surmise they’re as excited as we are!
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Good Jibes #201: Geoff Prior on Saying Yes to Every Sailing Opportunity
In this week’s episode of Good Jibes, we chat with Geoff Prior about a lifetime of sailing, racing, and working on boats. Geoff is a partner in AB Marine and has raced in every sailing competition imaginable, spanning back to his upbringing in New Zealand.
Tune in as Geoff chats with host John Arndt about how to join a sailing crew, the famous boats he’s raced on, what’s changed about boats and racing over the years, the innovation in the propeller space, and how to sail your entire life without owning a boat.
Here’s a sample of what you’ll hear in this episode:
- What was typical of sailing maxi yachts?
- Where did the maxis take Geoff in the world?
- What kind of sailing was he doing in New Zealand?
- Where are some of those old boats now?
- What cool new boats are coming out lately?
Learn more about Geoff at AB-Marine.com
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!
Pumpout on the Go with the Pumpout Nav App
Boat sewage spreads disease, harms aquatic life & ruins water. Let’s put waste in its place. Get On Board with the Pumpout Nav app to find the nearest sewage pumpout, dump station, or floating restroom. Download it today at www.boatcalifornia.com/pumpout
Baja Ha-Ha Schedule Update Includes Bonfire in Mag Bay!
Due to changes in management and ownership, and even a now-ended bit of turmoil at the marina in Cabo San Lucas, the Poobah is announcing some changes to the Ha-Ha program. Everything will remain the same through the surreal rock ‘n’ roll party at Bahia Santa Maria on Tuesday, November 11. But then, things change in order to spend one less day in Cabo San Lucas.
Wednesday, November 12: There will be a new 20-mile mini leg from Bahia Santa Maria to spectacular Mag Bay, followed by a late-afternoon to early-evening bonfire party off the sand beach. There will be music and antics, and it’s here that passports will be returned to everyone who has used the Ha-Ha’s unique Mexico check-in system.
Thursday, November 13: start of the final leg of the final Ha-Ha to Cabo San Lucas. It’s likely to be some of your most pleasurable sailing ever.
Friday, November 14: “Cheated Death Again” party at Squid Roe in Cabo San Lucas. This will be early evening as Squid gets overwhelmed on Friday nights. The new management of the marina in Cabo is no longer providing their parking lot for the awards party, but they graciously will make space available to dock dinghies. There may be a small fee.
Saturday, November 15: Awards Party at Mango Deck’s new terrace overlooking the fleet in the bay. Starts at 4 p.m. There will be a special menu, and Assistant Poobah Patsy Verhoeven has arranged for a 20% discount on special items as well as the regular menu. And that will be the ultimate Ha-Ha wrap.
The entire updated schedule can be found on the Ha-Ha web page at www.baja-haha.com.
People always want to know about the availability of slips in Cabo San Lucas. As always, we have no idea until the marina informs us the day before the fleet arrives, as they have to physically check that slips are empty.
Even with the new management’s being friends of the Ha-Ha, we have no control over berths. So everybody should assume they will have to anchor out, just as everybody had to do before there was a marina.
As the Poobah, I’m hoping as many of you as possible can join me for the last Ha-Ha.
The Ferocious Summer Winds of San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay has a well-deserved reputation as a ferocious place to sail, especially during the summer months. When it heats up inland, the fog hovers around the bridge, the chilled air blows in under the Gate, and a strong ebb builds a steep chop in the Slot, it turns into one of the most exhilarating and exhausting places you’ll ever sail. However, head around the corner by South Beach, up the Oakland Estuary or over by Knox and Raccoon Strait and you can be in a different world. That was last Friday during the Corinthian Beer Can Races.
After a light-air start in Belvedere Cove, the course was up to the Coast Guard buoy in “Hurricane Gulch” off Sausalito, down to R “8”/#19 in the North Bay ship channel, and return to the finish off the Corinthian. It was a fading flood so the water was flat, and despite some hints of fog over Sausalito, the breeze was calm and warm. Hurricane Gulch was only “Breezy Gulch.”
Though many had their foulies ready for the worst of July winds on the Bay, many others sailed the course in shorts and T-shirts. It was another reminder that, regardless of reports of 30 knots on the Bay’s hills, or the howling winds reported by crew members driving over the Golden Gate Bridge, you’ve got to get to the waterfront and see what’s happening right where you’ll be sailing. The Bay Area’s famous microclimates might have something different in mind for your chosen sailing venue.
Yes, these are not the scenes of the adrenaline-/testosterone-/caffeine-fueled, viral Red Bull videos. They’re just people going sailing for the fun of it. So every once in a while, you’ll have to suffer through a period of calm. You’ll get over it.
Summer does have those chilly, breezy, bumpy evenings, but they’re part of the fun. It’s an exceptionally rare summer evening that we’d begin to think it wasn’t worth going out.
Despite the Bay’s storied, blustery summer sailing conditions, it’s also true you can usually find a comfortable place to sail. We heard the Bayview Boat Club’s 73-boat Plastic Classic enjoyed an equally pleasant day of sailing in the South Bay on Saturday. The days are long, the summer sun is high, and if you play your cards right, you’ll find the right time and place to enjoy sailing San Francisco Bay.
Are you sailing this week? What’s your preference — blustery and fast, or calm and casual?
Latitude 38 Baja Ha-Ha Fall Crew Party Is On!
Latitude 38 is honored to host the annual Fall Crew Party for the last-ever Baja Ha-Ha, returning to the welcoming docks of Spaulding Marine Center in Sausalito on Thursday, September 4.
It’s the end of an era! This party is your opportunity to meet crew and skippers for this last Baja Ha-Ha Cruisers Rally to Mexico. Connect with sailors and skippers to find your crew or boat for Mexico and your local community, and to plan your next cruising adventure. Get your tickets and mark the date on your calendar right now!