Believe it or not, we’ve received a half dozen similar shots of mid-ocean freeloaders. latitude/Archives
©Latitude 38 Media, LLC During the four decades that Latitude 38 has chronicled the experiences of West Coast sailors, we’ve received a fantastic variety of photos of objects floating offshore: semi-submerged shipping containers, the lower stage of a space-bound rocketship, a shipwrecked fisherman who’d been floating for days, and about a half dozen images taken in mid-ocean of seabirds catching their breath atop turtles. More »

The Bahia de Caraquez peninsula, as it looked before the recent quakes. The entrance to the bay — the mouth of the Rio Chone — is seen beyond it. © As regular readers know, in recent years Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador, has become an important stopover point for international cruisers, many of whom  leave their boats in the secure marina there while they enjoy a stint of inland touring to such ‘bucket list’ sites as Machu Picchu and Cuzco, Peru. More »

It goes without saying that risks to life and limb — as well as to boats — are inherent in yacht racing. That fact was clearly illustrated last Saturday during the annual Master Mariners Regatta, when the 82-ft stays’l schooner Seaward and the Lapworth 36 Papoose collided during the third leg of the race. More »

Lemme guess: Rip Van Winkle? Leon Russell? No, that’s actually solo circumnavigator Jeff Hartjoy looking rather wooly after spending 204 days alone at sea.   © Debbie Hartjoy They say you only get one chance to make a first impression. More »

If you are ever unlucky enough to fall into chilly Northern California waters, you’ll be damned glad you elected to wear your PFD.  Onyx
©Latitude 38 Media, LLC If you’re over 35, you may remember that during the 60s and 70s new cars were fitted with seat belts, but in California it wasn’t mandatory to wear them until the mid-80s — 1986 to be precise. More »

We’re thrilled to report that after more than 200 days at sea alone, Washington-based sailor Jeff Hartjoy — who’s a longtime friend of Latitude 38 — is about to make landfall at Ecuador’s Bahia Caraquez, thus completing the nonstop circumnavigation that began there last Halloween.  More »

Gannet arrives at Bundaberg after a relatively easy crossing of the dreaded Tasman Sea.  © Patrick Grinter If you’re a fan of sailing literature, you’ve probably read harrowing accounts of crossing the Tasman Sea between New Zealand and Australia — a 1,000-mile-wide body of water that’s notorious for rough and rowdy conditions.  More »

Navigating, particularly through inshore waters, can be a tricky business — especially when lights and other navigational aids can’t be found at the locations where your charts say they should be. More »

We can only imagine how devastated Bruce Moroney must have felt when he snapped this sad photo of his beautiful ketch. Morning Dove
©2016Latitude 38 Media, LLC At roughly 8 p.m. More »