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Mariners Dodge Widespread Debris

On Tuesday, the Coast Guard issued a warning to mariners about debris in the California Delta. In this photo, marine debris surrounds a navigation daymark in the Sacramento River. © 2017 Petty Officer 2nd Class Cory Mendenhall / USCG Aids to Navigation Team Given that this is one of the rainiest winters on record in the Bay Area, no one should be surprised to see abnormally large amounts of storm-generated debris in waterways and marinas throughout the San Francisco Bay and Delta — debris that could easily damage or disable both powerboats and sailboats.  More »

Berkeley Marina Entrance Tips

"Now that the days are starting to become a little longer and dare I say drier soon, we’ll be hopefully enjoying some late afternoon and early evening sailing once again," writes Chuck Bullett, vice commodore of Berkeley Yacht Club. More »

Good Wood for Sailors and Police

Wood from the Guayacan tree is perfect for both sailors and cops. Jack van Ommen
©2017Latitude 38 Media, LLC It looks as though Latitude’s great friend Jack van Ommen of the Gig Harbor, Washington-based Naja 30 Fleetwood will not make it “around the world in 80 years” as he had hoped. More »

Phaedo3’s Race to a Race

When you have a trimaran such as Phaedo3 that can hit 40 knots, you can quickly cover a lot of ground between race venues. But from Antigua to Newport Beach in less than three weeks?  More »
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Alameda Marina Crane Back in Action

Good news for the weekend: not only is the weather predicted to clear, but the hoist at Alameda Marina is back in action. We received this note from harbormaster Paul Houtz: "The 3-ton hoist in the East Lot is now up and running. More »

Obama Harnesses the Trade Winds

Ex-president Barack Obama was all smiles after successfully learning to kiteboard in the BVI’s Gorda Sound — for which he scores big points in our book. © 2017 Jack Brockway / Virgin.com More »

The Rule Most Frequently Broken

In the January 18 ‘Lectronic Latitude, we asked the following quiz question: ‘What is the official maritime rule most often broken by sailors?’ Somewhat to our surprise, almost everyone who responded — and there must have been more than 100 — got it right. More »

Biggest J Class Yacht Ever Launched

Svea, the longest J Class yacht ever, has been completed for a Northern California owner. She is now in Amsterdam about to undergo sea trials.  © 2017 Vitters Svea, which at 143 feet is the largest J Class yacht ever built, has been completed by Vitters of Zwartsluis, Netherlands, and has just arrived in Amsterdam, reports SuperYacht Times. More »

Cruiser Attacked in South Pacific

Cruiser Jim Van Cleve of Kalokalo, type of boat and hailing port unknown, was attacked by two men while anchored off Suva, Fiji, at 11 p.m. on January 25. According to reports from people on boats near Kalokalo, two men armed with at least one cane knife confronted Van Cleve in the cockpit and then attacked him. More »

Joyon and Crew Crush Jules Verne

Francis Joyon (far right) and his crew (left to right: Sébastien Audigane, Gwénolé Gahinet, Alex Pella, Clément Surtel and Bernard Stamm) celebrated their arrival in Brest yesterday. © 2017 Jean-Marie Liot / DPPI After Thomas Coville shattered the solo round-the-world record, and a Vendée Globe in which Armel Le Cléac’h and Alex Thomson both finished several days under the record for a solo monohull to circumnavigate the globe, it was with bated breath that we followed IDEC Sport’s attempt at the Trophée Jules Verne record. More »