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General Sailing

Breaching Whale Kills Tourist

March 13, 2015
Despite the best efforts of the RIB’s crew and passengers, and emergency response personnel, the Canadian vacationer did not survive the incident. PROFEPA
©Latitude 38 Media, LLC Canadian tourist Jennifer Karren, 35, was thrown overboard Wednesday when a breaching whale collided with the large RIB (rigid-hulled inflatable) that she was riding aboard in waters off Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. More »

A Float Plan Can Save Your Life

March 11, 2015
Coast Guard search-and-rescue (SAR) personnel have told us they’re always elated when they’re able to bring stranded or injured mariners home safely. But that elation is offset by all the times that mariners in peril are never found, despite exhaustive efforts by SAR personnel.  More »

Who Ya Gonna Call?

February 18, 2015
If the Polar Star hadn’t been temporarily deployed to McMurdo Station, it’s not clear how the stranded Aussie fishermen might have been rescued.  © 2015 Petty Officer 1st Class George Degener / USCG We’ve got to hand it to the US Coast Guard. More »

Are You Too Connected?

February 9, 2015
For most sailors it used to be that part of the attraction of getting out on the water was to escape the rat race and all its trappings, such as phones, faxes, computers and buzz-killing news broadcasts. More »

Mystery Revealed

February 6, 2015
We received many responses to Wednesday’s Mystery Photo quiz — some correct, some incorrect, and some creative. Among our favorites was Jeff Cook’s: "The latest idea for revamping latitude and longitude. More »

Friends on the Water

Few forms in nature are more gracefully streamlined than a dolphin cutting through the water.  Hula Girl
©2015Latitude 38 Media, LLC As Wayne Zittel of J World Performance Sailing School points out below, sometimes unexpected encounters can be the highlight of an offshore sail.  More »

Mystery Photo

February 4, 2015
© Jeffrey Berman What is it? First correct reply wins a Latitude 38 T-shirt. Thanks for playing! We’ve received many responses — correct and otherwise — and this little contest is now closed. More »

In Search of Alpha 30 Plans

As reported in our March 2013 issue, a formerly derelict piece of nautical history is being restored from stem to stern in Humboldt Bay by a dedicated group of military veterans and anti-nuclear activists.  More »

More On Flyin’ Hawaiian Rescue

February 2, 2015
As reported Saturday, the five-person crew of the 65-ft catamaran Flyin’ Hawaiian was airlifted to safety Saturday morning, after the homebuilt vessel began taking on water roughly 120 miles west of Monterey. More »