Thousands of visitors have toured Cuauhtemoc this week. If you think she looks good here, wait till you see her with all her rags flying. © 2009 Jeff Berman Murphy’s Law of tall ship arrivals dictates that whenever a truly spectacular square-rigger arrives at the Golden Gate there will be dense fog and no wind — especially if we’ve encouraged local sailors to sail out and witness the spectacle.  More »

After so many months alone on the ocean, it must have been surreal for Zac to find himself surrounded by an armada of well-wishers. © Rich Roberts In a scene reminiscent of Sir Francis Chichester’s homecoming to England in 1967, hundreds of well-wishers and media staff were on the scene yesterday morning when 17-year-old Zac Sunderland sailed in to his Marina del Rey homeport aboard Intrepid, thus offically becoming the youngest solo sailor ever to round the planet. More »

Just a few months ago, Zac was in Durban, South Africa, and his Southern California homeport undoubtedly seemed a world away. But he made it. Intrepid will arrive tomorrow morning to great media fanfare. More »

Cuauhtemoc was definitely lookin’ good as she passed beneath the Gate — and the blaring Ranchero music added to the festive mood. latitude/Andy
©2009 Latitude 38 Media, LLC Mexico may not have the most powerful military in the world, but they seem to make up for their lack of firepower with style. More »

David Otto’s masterpiece: As far as we can tell, the hull was cast as a single piece. © 2009 David Otto We’ll bet many guys out there — as well as a few women — still have fond memories of building plastic models as a childhood pastime. More »

The last time we saw Spike she was lying peacefully in Hanalei Bay as the Singlehanded TransPac fleet arrived last summer. latitude/LaDonna
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC We’re happy to report that Spike Africa, one of the most famous schooners ever built on the West Coast, has returned after a long hiatus in Kauai where she’d fallen into disrepair. More »

Nick Jaffe tried several sail combinations to get a comfortable ride downwind but nothing really stopped the rolling. © Nick Jaffe Solo sailor Nick Jaffe, who left Half Moon Bay on June 7 and who we featured in this month’s issue of Latitude 38, arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii, on July 5 aboard his Contessa 26 Constellation. More »

The 270-ft Cuauhtemoc was one of the stars of Sail San Francisco during her last visit in 2005 latitude/Andy
©2009 Latitude 38 Media, LLC One the the world’s largest tall ships will grace the Bay next week. More »

This innocent-looking plant is a maritime menace. © NOAA According to Chela Zabin, PhD, the waters of Northern California are being invaded, so to speak, by undaria pinnatifida, which a very fast growing kelp native to Asia. More »