As many globe-trotting cruisers know, the Indian Ocean’s Chagos Archipelago is regarded as having some of the cleanest waters and healthiest reef systems on earth. No doubt that’s why billionaire yachtsman Ernesto Bertarelli stepped up to offer more than $5 million to support the region’s newly designated Marine Protected Area (MPA), which covers a quarter million square miles of ocean surrounding the archipelago, and includes blanket restrictions on commercial fishing. More »

The area around the soon-to-be-installed slips was also dredged. © 2010 Bob Naber Just in time for the Rolex Big Boat Series — which starts on Thursday — the City has just finished the dredging of the San Francisco’s West Harbor, home to San Francisco Marina, Golden Gate YC and St. More »

Has Puget Sound been renamed? latitude/LaDonna
©2010 Latitude 38 Media, LLC "I was recently reading your Pacific Northwest counterpart, 48° North," writes Steve Denney of the Pittsburg-based Yorktown 39 Break Time, "and was shocked to see that the name ‘Puget Sound’ is out — it’s now referred to as the ‘Salish Sea.’ More »

Harbormaster Dick Markie (second from left) and his crew jumped for joy when the refurbishing of their megayacht dock was completed. © Paradise Village Resort We don’t know the full details of Paradise Village Marina’s recent upgrades, but by the looks of this photo the entire staff was pretty dammed glad when the project was completed. More »

It’s monohulls in the front and multihulls in the back – or north – of Paraquita Lagoon. © 2010 Lew Archer The accompanying photos show what looks like an attempt at the world’s largest raft-up. More »

While the East Coast of the United States eyes the approach of Earl, now a Category 3 hurricane, the northern islands of the Eastern Caribbean are trying to clean up the damage wrought by Earl when he came through Sunday afternoon through Monday night as anything from a Category 1 to a Category 4 hurricane — the latter meaning winds to 135 knots. More »

‘Jonesing’ for your Latitude 38 fix? No worries. The September edition is hot off the press and on the streets today, chock full of all the latest sailing news from the Bay and beyond. More »

Hurricane Earl is giving the British Virgin Islands the evil eye. NOAA
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC "The eye of Earl will pass near or over the northernmost Virgin Islands this afternoon and this evening," NOAA reported this morning. More »