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First Fatality
Along the normally peaceful coastline of Maine, a summer tragedy intruded on an already difficult year. On Monday afternoon the first fatal shark attack ever recorded along the coast of Maine occurred just a couple miles away from our summer sailing getaway.
June Caption Contest (!) Winner
Each month on 'Lectronic Latitude we post a new Caption Contest (!), and in the next month's Latitude 38 we share our favorite captions and announce the winner. Who won?
A Near Miss and a Direct Hit
Hurricanes have a habit of taking aim for the Hawaiian Islands right around this time of year. Mother Nature doesn’t rest and is doing her thing like clockwork.
Latitude Chronicles Appear on Facebook
We found a post on Facebook sharing a story we had published in May 2009. Regular Latitude writer, JR, shared a fantastic feature titled 'Guide to Bay Sailing'. And while clearly much will have changed over the past 11 years, the essence of the piece remains.
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Successful Fundraising at Vallarta Yacht Club
When Vallarta Yacht Club in NV, Mexico was forced to close its doors in March due to COVID_19, the members embarked upon a mission to help their employees. Their subsequent fundraising campaign, S.O.S. (Save Our Staff) exceeded expectations and returned more than enough money to keep paying their nine, permanent staff through the remainder of 2020.
Find Your Old Latitudes
Just over a week ago we posted this Latitude 38 archive photo on our Facebook page stating, "We often hear from readers who say 'I've got a copy of every issue of Latitude 38 stored in my house.'"  So we're offering a test for those who say they have a complete set of the magazines.
Would You Rather Rent or Own the Slip?
With the abundance of boats in the Bay Area, we wanted to understand more about the merits of leasing or renting a slip, versus owning a slip. And while the concept of slip ownership is not entirely new, it is something that many of us had not previously considered.
The Club at Westpoint Breaks New Ground
The Club at Westpoint Harbor hosted a 'pandemic-adjusted' groundbreaking ceremony for its new ecologically sensitive, multi-purpose building last Saturday. Members from across the US joined the board of directors via live-streaming from the new building site.
Boat Pieces Found on Beach
A little while ago we received photos of a piece of hull uncovered on a local beach. The timbered section still wore much of its paint work, but no other identifiable markings were visible.
Meet Latitude's Captain.
How does an engineering graduate move from selling opera tickets to running a famous sailing magazine? Benjamin Shaw recently invited John Arndt to join him on his podcast, Out The Gate Sailing. The result is a rollicking tale of adventures and opportunities that carried this intrepid sailor across the country and to various oceans across the globe.
Bay Brigantine Passes COI
Good News! Last Friday 'Matthew Turner' passed the test! The final ‘test’ was the Man Overboard (MOB) drill, and thanks to lots of practice, drilling and efficient crew, 'Matthew Turner' passed with flying colors, and is now officially a Coast Guard “Inspected Vessel” — able to carry passengers for hire.
Waterfront Redevelopment
Read the complete story of the demise of the Island Yacht Club clubhouse at Alameda Marina in the July 2020 issue of Latitude 38.
Southern Hemisphere Winter
"They are calling it a one in 500 year rainfall here in Whangarei," friends of Latitude Lewis and Alyssa Allen of the Island Packet 420 Levana told us over the weekend. Whangarei, (pronounced fong-ah-ray) a boating hub on the east coast of the North Island, recorded 214 millimeters of rain — that's almost eight and a half inches — in 24 hours on July 17, and a further 44 mm the following day, according to New Zealand’s MetService.
Shorthanded Sailing vs. No Handed Sailing
Due to the sudden surge in cases of COVID-19, Bay Area health commissioners have once again clamped down on sailing. Fortunately, they realized the risk only applies to sailors but not to sailboats. For the balance of the summer, sailboats will be allowed to go sailing as long as there are no sailors aboard
Three Bridge Fiasco Goes East
One of the Bay Area's favorite sailing regattas, the Three Bridge Fiasco, has hit the big-time and is set to be replicated on the East Coast — specifically at Annapolis Yacht Club. Thanks to Scuttlebutt News for sharing the story with us, and allowing us to share it with our readers.
Embracing the Art of Sailing with Masks
Last week we published a story about masked sailors across the Bay Area and invited readers to send us photos and comments about their masked-sailing experiences. We received this response in the mail from George Scott. 
The World Famous L38
It's Caption Contest(!) time. This month's photo was sent to us by Peter Moorehead. Drop your caption into the comments and be sure to check out the August issue of Latitude 38 for the winner and top 10 entries.
History Finds Its Way Home
Like most live-aboard sailors, John is in a position to witness and often partner in salty-tales of all kinds. But how often can a sailor say they have touched nautical history or connected with the heroes and heroines of sailing's chronicles.
Classy Deadline the 15th
If you are Buying or Selling, visit Latitude 38’s NEW Classy Classified page. The deadline is TODAY, July 15 at 5:00 p.m. for the August issue.
Community Sailing
Recent events have provided the stark realization that providing opportunity will never be enough to adequately address the systemic racial inequity in either our society or our sport. It has been 20 years since TISC began and yet we still do not see the changes in our sport or society that we envisioned.
Sailors Rescued Near Treasure Island
The US Coast Guard reported that three people were rescued on Tuesday morning after their sailboat capsized near Treasure Island. Local fire and police departments and an unnamed Good Samaritan helped with the rescue. It is unclear what type of sailboat was involved and why it capsized.
Artist Uses NOAA Charts as New Medium
When NOAA decided to ‘Sunset’ paper nautical charts and transition to electronic charts, many sailors wondered what to do with their old charts.
Caribbean Islands Cautious Reopening
Almost all the cruising stories we've been reporting lately have involved the shutdown of various islands and cruising grounds. Recently the closing-trends have slowly started to reverse, as islands get a handle on the caseloads and how to manage life during the pandemic.
103 Tons of Trash
Chartered by the Ocean Voyages Institute of Sausalito, the Kwai departed from Hilo on a voyage to the Garbage Patch to collect ghost nets and other marine debris.
Sheltering-in-Place Isn't Always Due to a Pandemic
The ups and downs of COVID-19 drive us as crazy as everyone else. With all due respect for the real financial and psychological impact the pandemic is having on society, if you think this is bad, let us relive a story for you that we did way back in 1996 about Captain Ottmar “Harry” Friz, one of the most amazing seafarers and gentlemen we’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.
Learning local waters
Last week, I was delivering my Columbia Challenger Esprit from San Rafael to Oakland, marking just the second time I'd made my way down the Estuary in a sailboat. Near the entrance, we saw that a container ship was turning behind Yerba Buena Island, rather than heading for the 'parking lot' of ships in the South Bay.