In just the next chapter in the book on complete crap justice in California, on Wednesday Judge Richard Martin ruled there was enough evidence for 39-year-old Bismarck Dinius of Sacramento to stand trial on charges of vehicular manslaughter in the April 29, 2006, boating accident on Clear Lake that resulted in the death of Lynn Thornton. More »

She’s back amongst ’em! The unstoppable Sally Hein (left) catches up with Kiwi cruiser Gina Rae of the Hylas 44 Solace. © 2008 Geoff Lane Last February, when would-be Pacific Puddle Jumper Sally Hein of the Bainbridge Island-based Peterson 46 Grace was run down and badly injured in Mexico by a speeding motorcycle, other sailors on the scene agreed that it was one of the most bizarre and unlucky incidents they’d ever experienced — especially since Sally had made a sarcastic comment immediately before attempting to cross the highway: "We’ll be lucky to get  across this highway, let alone 3,000 miles of open ocean." More »

Funny, Arjan and Jim both look normal. latitude/Richard
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC The two men in the photo above — Arjan Bok of San Francisco and Jim Milski of Colorado and the Bay Area — are crazy. More »

Pete and Susan Wolcott’s M&M 52 Kiapa, thanks to a fine design and light build, has no trouble hitting into the 20s. Schooner Creek Boatworks
©2008 Latitude 38 Media, LLC At the end of Wednesday’s ‘Lectronic report on John Haste’s San Diego-based Perry 52 cruising cat Little Wing hitting 29.5 knots under main and genoa in the Caribbean, we asked for other owners of cruising cats to report their top speeds. More »

Shimmer is not an Out Island but a full keel aft cockpit Morgan. Shimmer
©2008 Latitude 38 Media, LLC Looking for what might be a lot of boat for the money? More »

Little Wing sailing off St. Barth on New Year’s Day ’04. Has any Bob Perry designed boat sailed as fast as this 52-footer with a complete cruising interior? latitude/Richard
©2008 Latitude 38 Media, LLC In the 10 or so years that John Haste of San Diego has owned his Bob Perry designed 52-ft cat Little Wing, he’s sailed and raced her everywhere from Southern California to St. More »

Tim Sell’s Lucky Star anchored in an idyllic cove in Glacier Bay. © 2008 Tim Sell Last spring, longtime Sausalito diver Tim Sell sailed his Brent Swain 36 Lucky Star to Juneau, Alaska, spending the summer exploring the area and the winter trying to stay warm. More »

Terry and Vicki Fahey of the Richmond-based Pearson 424 Tenacity have been cruising Mexico since last fall, and have enjoyed the abundunt wildlife, including the breaching whale above. "We were about 15 miles out of Mazatlan on March 25 and the ocean was as smooth as glass. More »

The picture tells the story. . . With any luck, life will slow down substantially when you get out cruising. Solace
©2008 Latitude 38 Media, LLC Sometimes it’s nice to cast off your worldly woes (and clothes), sit down on a deserted beach and simply contemplate the universe. More »

Scorching temperatures around the Bay Area mid-week were replaced this weekend by our normal summer weather pattern: brisk winds and fog. While the sailing was great, visibility was almost non-existent in some places. More »