April 14, 2003

Photos of the Day: Island Weekend

April 14 – Catalina

Today’s Photos of the Day are from yesterday
at Catalina, which was our first visit of the year after coming
north from Mexico. In the first shot you can see that the air
was rather clear, as the Palos Verdes Peninsula on the mainland
was distinctly visible from Avalon.

The second shot shows that the harbor was
relatively crowded for an early April weekend with variable weather
and sometimes overcast skies.

By the way, mooring fees have gone up.
We used to pay $36 a night for the 63-ft Profligate, but
now it’s up to $42. And we’re told it will likely be raised again
in July. The shoreboat fees took an even bigger jump, a whopping
33% increase from $3 to $4 per person each way. So either take
your dinghy or lots of cash to the Island.

The boat moored directly behind us was
the Hughes 39 catamaran Free Wind that Jason of El Segundo
brought out from Florida for day charters off the island. She’s
Coast Guard certified for 40 passengers, which seems a bit high
– even to Jason, who doesn’t plan to ever carry that many folks.

The only bad thing about our weekend at
Catalina was having to say adios to Avalon and head to Alamitos
Bay. The last two shots are of Profligate‘s wake a few
miles into her channel crossing, and of her GPS at the time.
It was only blowing about 13 knots, but when the apparent wind
is on the beam, it’s easy for a big cat to maintain a smooth
and swift pace. It was one of the nicest sails Doña de
Mallorca and the Wanderer have enjoyed in a long time.

Ken Read Wins the Congressional Cup

April 14 – Long Beach

With Gavin Brady having won 18 of his first 20 match races in
the Swedish Match Tour’s Congressional Cup sailed out of the
Long Beach YC, he looked like a sure thing to win his third ‘crimson
jacket’. Alas, Kenny Read and some of his America’s Cup crew
from Team Dennis Conner shocked the Kiwi and his mates by taking
the final by a score of 2-1. To illustrate what a dogfight the
final was, in the second race Read fouled Brady three times in
one leeward mark rounding.

Nonetheless, it was an amazing comeback
for Read and crew – tactician Terry Hutchinson, bowman Jerry
Kirby, mainsail trimmer Moose McClintock, trimmer Morgan Trubovich,
and pitman Andrew Scott – who had dropped four of their first
five races in the event.

Photo Courtesy Long Beach Yacht Club

For complete coverage of the event, visit www.lbyc.org.

Hawaii Bound

April 14 – The Pacific Ocean

When it comes to safety, the big things are not falling overboard,
reefing early, and keeping hydrated. As for comfort, become one
with the ocean. Don’t forget to send us a postcard when you get
there.

They’re Back, In Glorious Color

April 14 – Profligate

In the March
21 ‘Lectronic, the Latitude staff ran some black and
white photos of four Dartmouth coeds on Spring Break in Puerto
Vallarta who had joined Profligate for the Punta de Mita
Spinnaker Cup for Charity. This was a mistake. The black and
white shots were for Latitude only, the later-arriving
color versions were to be for ‘Lectronic. Since the color versions
look so much better, we’re reprinting them all these weeks later.
The first shot is of the four gals – who were all both sweet
and sharp – while the second is of Alexis Sheehan.

YOTREPS

April 14 – The Pacific Ocean and Cyberspace

Who is out making passages in the Pacific
and what kind of weather are they having? The YOTREPS daily yacht
tracking page has moved to www.bitwrangler.com/psn.

Weather Updates

April 14 – Pacific
Ocean

San Francisco Bay Weather

To see what the winds are like on the Bay
and just outside the Gate right now, check out http://sfports.wr.usgs.gov/wind.

The National Weather Service site for San
Francisco Bay is at www.wrh.noaa.gov/Monterey.

California Coast Weather

Looking for current as well as recent wind
and sea readings from 17 buoys and stations between Pt. Arena
and the Mexican border? Here’s the place – which has further
links to weather buoys and stations all over the U.S.: www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/Southwest.shtml.

Pacific Winds and Pressure

The University of Hawaii Dept. of Meteorology
page posts a daily map of the NE Pacific Ocean barometric
pressure and winds.

Pacific Sea State

Check out the Pacific Ocean sea states
at: http://www.mpc.ncep.noaa.gov/RSSA/PacRegSSA.html.

For views of sea states anywhere in the world,
see http://www.oceanweather.com/data.