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Visit Latitude 38 at the Sausalito Boat Show
The saltiest of boat shows is back in town! Sausalito Boat Show is on next week, from Friday, September 25, through Sunday, September 27, at Clipper Yacht Harbor, Sausalito. And we’re looking forward to seeing you there! There’s a strong sailing contingent and plenty of reasons to linger beyond the docks. Although lingering on the docks is pretty fun.…
Come say “Hello” to the Latitude crew at Booth #203! You never know who you might meet in there.
Stop by, catch up with familiar faces, and see who wanders in. By the way, Latitude 38 readers can save $5 on admission with code L38.
You’ll find sailing throughout the show, along with brokers, sailmakers, canvas shops, boatyards, nonprofits, Mexico marinas and cruising businesses, clubs, schools and marine services. Explore the exhibitors, and make a list of those you want to be sure to catch up with.
Call of the Sea is bringing the 82-ft staysail schooner Seaward to the show. Visitors will have the opportunity to step aboard this vessel that has introduced generations of students to sailing, seamanship and life on the Bay.
Bring your non-sailing family and friends. Learn to Sail runs Saturday and Sunday with Modern Sailing and SailTime San Francisco. It is an easy way to turn “I’ve always wanted to try sailing” into an afternoon on San Francisco Bay. Details here.
Sit in on practical seminars with topics including:
Diesel Engine Maintenance — The fundamentals of keeping the engine you hope not to need ready when you do.
Safe Rigging Saves Money — Tom Relyea of South Beach Riggers gets practical about inspection, maintenance, wear points and avoiding expensive surprises.
Cruising to Mexico — Laura and Rich Brazil revisit five years of commuter cruising and the realities, surprises and rewards of heading south.
Stop and talk shop with the people who keep the local fleet moving. Then watch the model-yacht crowd get seriously competitive at The Point. Races include the Marin Mayor’s Cup on Friday, the Publisher’s Cup on Saturday, and J Class and PICYA RC sailboat racing on Sunday. See the weekend schedule here.
Start Sunday with the Women in Yachting Breakfast — coffee, pastries and a relaxed morning to connect with women in the marine industry and women actively engaged in sailing. Sail or power, longtime boater or brand-new, the point is simple: Meet each other, share stories, and strengthen the community.
There’s also plenty of action off the docks. Stop by Spaulding Marine Center and say hello to Freda. Then keep moving through the yards, canvas shops, sailmakers, nonprofits and marine businesses that make Bay Area boating possible. Talk tech with Saildrone — a chance to get closer to the technology changing how we understand and operate on the ocean. Explore electric propulsion with Sea Watts, and cruise the show on the Bae Boats Harbor Hopper.
There’s plenty for younger sailors, too. The Family Zone includes the SS Helmut pirate ship playhouse, and plenty of room for kids to have their own version of a day at the boat show.
Oh, and don’t forget to join Friday night’s Waves of Opportunity Happy Hour. Raise a glass and help raise money to get kids from San Rafael’s Canal community out on the water.
There are still a few spots left for volunteers to help out at the show. Help out and get a free three-day pass to the show and swag! Sign up here.
And remember, if volunteering is not for you, Latitude 38 readers can save $5 on admission with code L38.
See you at the show!
A Warm Wednesday Night Race at Coyote Point Yacht Club
It had been a hot day ashore, the temperature climbing into the 90s around San Mateo. Out on the Bay, though, the air was cooler, the wind settled into a comfortable 10 to 12 knots, and seven boats found themselves with one of those September evenings that seemed to improve as it went along.
The course was simple, with long runs: start to C, 6, 8, and the marina for the finish. The race started with a slack current that shifted to a flood.
Sirius started the race as the rabbit. Paradigm, crossed first after the rabbit start, while Lorelei took the high road. Zephyr and Sweet Grapes joined the chase, and by Charlie, Paradigm had established the lead with the rest of the fleet still very much in reach.
On the run toward 6, things tightened. Paradigm remained in front, while Sweet Grapes and Lorelei arrived nearly overlapped among the leaders. Sweet Grapes rounded 6 in second.
Then the evening acquired some color.
One spinnaker opened, then another, then a third. Paradigm and Sweet Grapes set theirs, along with Zephyr, and suddenly three bright sails were moving across the Bay beneath a sky beginning its own transformation.
Meanwhile, Wings, sailed by David Beede, made excellent use of the handicap. While everyone else had been busy rearranging themselves, Wings emerged with a substantial lead. Paradigm was second, Sweet Grapes third, and Zephyr close behind and asking questions.
The long run home began to change things again. Paradigm steadily reeled in Wings as the marina drew closer. Sweet Grapes did the same. Near the channel entrance, Paradigm and Wings engaged in a short tacking duel, with Paradigm finally getting through to take the lead. Sweet Grapes and Wings then had a little match of their own, and Sweet Grapes found the advantage.
At the finish it was Paradigm first, Sweet Grapes second, Wings third, and Lorelei fourth.
And above all of it was the sunset: broad bands of late light spreading across the western sky, reflected in the water, and catching the sails as the fleet headed home. Sometimes the race provides the story. Sometimes the evening itself insists on a share of the credit.
Seventeen people stayed for dinner, which seemed an appropriate way to let the night linger.
Come Out to the Sausalito Boat Show!!
High Winds at Tahoe ILCA Championship
ILCA sailors from around Lake Tahoe and the Bay Area gathered in Tahoe on September 12–13 for the popular annual ILCA Championship (International Laser Class Association). Crews were ready for a weekend of great racing, camaraderie and our spectacular venue. This year, however, Tahoe delivered a little more wind than anyone had ordered!
While 10 races for each of three divisions were planned over the two-day regatta, Saturday’s races were canceled due to high winds and even stronger gusts, making racing too risky for the sailors. However, the planned Saturday evening BBQ went ahead as scheduled, and everyone gathered at TYC to enjoy the camaraderie ashore. A highlight of the evening was the traditional “Whitey Cup” award, presented to John Siegel for his over-the-top enthusiasm and support of sailboat racing.
Sunday got an early start in hopes of making up some of the canceled racing. With winds of 20–25 knots and gusts into the 30s, conditions were still iffy, but the race committee managed to squeeze in three races for each of the ILCA 4, ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 divisions. Given the high winds, completing three races was a victory in itself!
After the remaining races were canceled, the competitors gathered at the Lake Forest Boat Launch for championship awards, wrapping up a wild and memorable weekend of ILCA racing on Lake Tahoe.
You can find the full results for the regatta here.
US Coast Guard Restores Critical Aids to Navigation in Hawaiian Waters
Anyone sailing among or to the Hawaiian Islands will be pleased to hear that the US Coast Guard has restored critical aids to navigation in Hawaii, following damage caused by Hurricane Lowell. The work that took place on September 9–15 supports the reopening of several harbors and the safe movement of maritime traffic. The following report comes from the Coast Guard.
The hurricane affected 11 aids to navigation throughout the islands, prompting the closure of Port Allen on Kauai and Kaumalapau Harbor on Lanai due to in-water hazards and discrepancies with navigational aids. Both ports were placed in port condition recovery.
Coast Guard crews conducted dive operations, repositioned damaged navigation aids, and delivered equipment to restore safe access to affected waterways.
On Kauai, divers from Regional Dive Locker Pacific completed 14 dives with support from Coast Guard Station Kauai, the crews of Coast Guard Cutter William Hart and Coast Guard Cutter Juniper.
On Oahu, divers from Regional Dive Locker Pacific completed 10 dives with support from Coast Guard Station Honolulu and Coast Guard Cutter Hollyhock.
Throughout the response, crews recovered, repositioned, marked, and re-established critical aids to navigation. They also conducted side-scan sonar sweeps of Port Allen Harbor to check for submerged hazards.
Multiple HC-130 Hercules crews from Air Station Barbers Point delivered personnel and equipment to Lanai to facilitate dive operations and support efforts to repair Kaumalapau Harbor.
The restoration efforts supported the Coast Guard Captain of the Port’s official reopening of Port Allen and Nawiliwili Harbor on Kauai, and restored safe access for commercial, military, cruise-ship and other maritime traffic. Equipment delivered to Lanai supported the official reopening of Kaumalapau Harbor, Lanai, while the removal of Honolulu Harbor Lighted Buoy 4 from the navigation channel supported reopening Honolulu Harbor to deep-draft vessels.
“Maintaining aids to navigation, especially after a storm like Hurricane Lowell, is essential for the flow of commerce throughout the Hawaiian Islands,” said Cmdr. Andrew Williams, Coast Guard Sector Honolulu response department head. “We are proud of the exceptional work of our crews and our partners at the Hawaii Department of Transportation for their work to reopen critical harbors and safeguard the flow of maritime traffic.”
Spaulding Marine Center — Full-Service Boat Yard and Education Center
Repairs, painting, custom work, apprentice program, kids summer sea camps, event space for rent.