December 17, 2003

Photo of the Day

December 17 – South Pacific

Photo Mike Harker

Today’s Photo of the Day is of Barry and
Val of Only Tomorrow – sorry, we don’t know their last
names or boat type – who embody the great traditions of helping
those in need on the sea. For when the boat in the next item
lost their rudder, the couple bashed 440 miles in often rough
conditions, hoping to tow the distressed vessel to port. As it
turned out, it was too rough. Nonetheless, they stood by and
assisted until they were almost out of fuel. Well done!

“This Is the Sailing Vessel Wanderlust
with an Emergency!”

December 17 – South Pacific

That was the message put out by Mike Harker
of the much traveled Manhattan Beach-based Hunter 466 Wanderlust
on December 5, while some 1,000 miles north of Tahiti during
a passage to Hawaii. “We have a broken rudder. We have no
steering. We are drifting westward toward Tahiti. Our position
is 03.30 South 140.44 West. There are two of us aboard. We do
not have leaks. We are in no immediate danger. We are drifting
toward the reefs of the Tuamotus Island group.”

We’re happy to report that Harker and his
crew Fabio, having made use of makeshift rudders for two weeks,
and, having been assisted by Only Tomorrow, made it to
safety at Taihoe Bay in the Marquesas on December 16. A replacement
rudder is being flown out by Hunter.

What was going on when the rudder failed?

“We were 500 miles north of Nuka Hiva
headed to Hawaii,” reports Harker. “With 22-25 knot
winds out of the east, we were reefed down and still doing 8.5
knots. In fact, we had covered 410 nautical miles during the
last 50 hours. It was two hours before sunrise and pitch black.
I felt and heard a thud on the keel, and a millisecond later
a snapping sound. Then the boat spun in a quick circle, sails
flapping, and no control on the wheel! I rolled the jib, centered
the main and opened the cover to the rudder post. The wheel would
turn the post, but there was no rudder action. Fabio put on the
harness and went out over the transom to check with his feet.
NO RUDDER! Up in the rudder post was a clean break stump of the
rudder post. I checked for leaks. No leaks.”

Harker, it will be remembered, has sailed
this boat relentlessly since buying her in Florida: across the
Atlantic to the Med; back across the Atlantic to the Caribbean;
to Miami and back to the Caribbean; to Panama; to the Galapagos;
and to the Marquesas. His plan had been to sail to Hawaii and
then back to California to put the boat in Pacific Sail Expo
in Oakland. In the fall, he was to do the Ha-Ha, then continue
around to the Med to complete his circumnavigation.

We’ll have a more detailed report in the
January issue of Latitude 38.

South Beach Midwinters

December 17 – South San Francisco Bay

Yes, Virginia, there is racing south of
the Bay Bridge. We ventured down there last Saturday – a surprisingly
fine day to be out on the Bay – and enjoyed watching 24 boats
competing in South Beach YC’s low-key midwinters.

Dreamer makes her yacht club affiliation known to all.

Class winners were as follows:
SPINNAKER-I (< 150) – 1) Sensation, 1D-35, Mario Yovkov.

SPINNAKER-II (> 149) – 1) Dreamer, Hunter 31, Douglas
Gooding.
NON-SPINNAKER – 1) Fancy, Ericson 33, Chips Conlon.

The winning Sensation gang.
Photos Latitude/Rob

Kathy Wheatley, the reigning Iron Maiden, and friends on That’s
Right!

Elvis was in the building.

What was Plan A?

Look for more pictures in the upcoming
issue of Latitude
38. For full results see www.southbeachyc.org.

Freebird
in Panama

December 17 – Panama

Folks from the 2002 Ha-Ha will remember
David Howell and Judy Hayden of the 42-ft cat Freebird
that Howell had spent seven years building at Camono Island,
Washington. Doña de Mallorca bumped into them while in
Panama with Profligate. Howell and Hayden report loving
the cruising in both Costa Rica and Panama. On February 15, they’ll
set sail for the Galapagos, and spend the year cruising across
the Pacific to New Zealand.

Photos Doña de Mallorca

Hey, Captain de Mallorca!

December 17 – Long Beach

Speaking of Doña de Mallorca, she’s
flying to Long Beach today to pick up her captain’s license.
You’ll recall that earlier this year she took the applicable
courses at Cal Maritime Academy in Vallejo, and recently had
her sea time validated. It’s a long story why she can only pick
up the license in Long Beach, but that’s the way it is. In any
event, congratulations!

Doña waves from the liferaft during training at Cal Maritime
Academy
Photo Latitude/Richard

De Mallorca’s first two responses upon
learning that she was granted the license: 1) “Don’t you
dare say anything about it in Latitude.” 2) “If
anybody refers to me as ‘captain’, I’ll punch them in the nose!”

YOTREPS

December 17 – 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 Links

December 17 – Pacific
Ocean

San Francisco Bay Weather

Check out this guide to San Francisco Bay
Navigational Aids: http://sfports.wr.usgs.gov/sfports.html.

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

The site for the Pacific Ocean sea states
has moved to http://www.mpc.ncep.noaa.gov/shtml/PacRegSSA.shtml.

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