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Posts by Andy Turpin

Teaching ‘Traditional Values’

December 17, 2010
After many hours of dedicated work, three of the little skiff’s builders take her for a victory lap around Aquatic Park. © Seth Muir In an era when many California schools have eliminated practical, hands-on ‘shop’ courses, the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association has been quietly offering boatbuilding courses to disadvantaged youth for the past five years, that teach marketable skills, build self-esteem, and sometimes give participants a whole new direction in life.  More »

A Bay Sailor’s Sad End

December 15, 2010
Despite an extensive search that lasted nearly eight hours, Bay Area sailor Casey Speed, 28, could not be found after he fell off his Sausalito-based Island Packet Kachina near Tiburon shortly before 8:30 p.m. More »

Sunny and Not-So-Sunny Memories

December 13, 2010
With beautiful sunsets 80-degree water, and affordable prices, Cabo is a prime winter getaway. But this year tourists are few and far between. © 2010 Jeffrey Gould Responding to our call for photos of on- or near-the-water Thanksgiving celebrations, Jeffrey Gould wrote, "While we’re not cruisers, my wife Karen and I did enjoy a week in Cabo that encompassed Thanksgiving. More »

Giving Thanks – Caption Contest

December 8, 2010
And you thought it was cold at your marina lately! © Chris Maher Last week, when we ran a few photos of happy, barefoot cruisers celebrating Thanksgiving in the sunny latitudes of Mexico, we invited readers to send in snapshots of other on- or near-the-water Turkey Day celebrations. More »

Foul Weather Sailors

December 6, 2010
A wayward duckling gets some special instruction Sunday on inducing heel and trimming for light air. latitude/Andy
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC We’ve never thought of ourselves as fair-weather sailors, but we have to admit, it never even occurred to us to go sailing yesterday on San Francisco Bay. More »

Who Knows the Pacific Northwest?

December 1, 2010
In the tidepools of the Gulf and San Juan Islands, kids – like Hayden Stapleton – can find all sorts of fascinating creatures. © 2010 Tim Stapleton Do you know your way around the prime sailing venues of the Pacific Northwest? More »

A Sunny Thanksgiving

November 29, 2010
Patsy Verhoeven (right front) and friends are obviously pleased to be celebrating a barefoot Thanksgiving. Talion
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC You know you’ve officially made it into the cruising lifestyle when you can say you enjoyed Thanksgiving while wearing shorts and flip-flops — or better yet, bare feet. More »

Who Owns Minerva Reef?

November 24, 2010
Why is it that governments often argue over the ownership of tiny, inconsequential places. For example, hundreds of soldiers died in the early ’80s when Argentina claimed the Falklands. And for decades Chile and Argentina threatened to go to war over three tiny islands in the inhospitable Beagle Channel. More »

Cruisers Gather at Papas and Beer

November 22, 2010
Last week, in the aftermath of this year’s Baja Ha-Ha rally, some cruisers headed to Puerto Vallarta, others went to Mazatlan and still others sailed on to La Paz — encouraged to do so by the promise of an elaborate welcoming fiesta. More »