Posts by Andy Turpin
Small Donations Add Up
Say what you will about Americans’ over-the-top spending and celebrating habits during the holiday season, but there’s no denying that this reflective time of year also inspires many to be unusually generous. More »
Winter Storms Hammer Harbors
This well-worn sign is often in place at the Santa Cruz Harbor launch ramp, but this week its warning is particularly serious, as the harbor mouth is effectively closed to all traffic. More »
Eight Bells for Wild Oats Patron
The international sailing community has lost one of its best-loved father figures. On Sunday Australian billionaire Bob Oatley, 87, succumbed to a longtime illness.
Billionaire yachtsman and philanthropist Bob Oatley seen with his sons atop their Hamilton Island Resort. More »
Waterfront Developer Seeks Input
In November, when preliminary plans were proposed that would drastically change the layout and character of Alameda Marina, it created a furor of protest and outrage among many local boaters.
The many sailors who currently dry-sail their boats out of Alameda Marina feel particularly threatened by the move to redevelop the property. More »
Caribbean Piracy Shocks Sailors
Throughout the Caribbean Basin, many businesses and tourism promoters lightheartedly capitalize on the region’s legacy of piracy. But it was no laughing matter late last month when two incidents of actual modern-day piracy occurred only a week apart. More »
Autopilot ‘On Watch’ Yields Disaster
After dawn broke, Nacar 1’s crew realized that the rig had been damaged, further threatening the crew and passengers. As seen here, the mast eventually came down as the big cat wallowed in the punishing surf. More »
Science Lesson from the Bilge
Earlier this month we introduced ‘Lec Lat readers to the curious, perfectly square crystals that we found growing in our boat’s bilge. We assumed they were salt crystals, of course, as there’d been a pinhole leak down there around a through-hull fastening. More »
Trade Fair Spotlights Maritime Careers
Opportunities for maritime careers in the Bay Area may be slowly diminishing, but apparently that’s not true everywhere on the West Coast. Need for marine industry employees in the Northwest has prompted the Northwest Marine Trade Association to host a free Marine Career Fair at the Seattle Boat Show on February 1, during which 25 local marine-related businesses will attempt to fill more than 75 full-time positions as well as many seasonal jobs. More »
Comanche Takes Hobart Line Honors
Forget spectator boats. How cool is it to be escorted into Hobart by a fleet of dolphins? Comanche’s effort to hang in for the win is one for the record books. More »
Keeping a Lookout
As every experienced sailor knows, bad things can happen when you don’t — or aren’t able to — keep a constant lookout while underway. Here’s a great example of that, pulled from our email box today. More »
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