September 11, 2002

Photo of the Day

September 11 – Black Rock City, NV

Today’s Photo of the Day, you’ll be happy
to see, is of naked women – specifically Jean and Cherie, who
did the Ha-Ha aboard the Swan 53 Mistress last year. The
photo was taken at the Burning Man YC in the Nevada desert. We’re
not exactly sure who sent the photo, but we’re told that Jean
is doing a lot of work on her boat, and that her boyfriend Dustin,
who also did the Ha-Ha on Mistress, has got his captain’s
license. As for Cherie, she was about to leave with Greg, whom
she met on the Ha-Ha, to sail Greg’s Out-Island 41 Scirocco
from Costa Rica to the Caribbean until May.”

Wretched Excess

September 11 – USA

We don’t know about the rest of you, but
wretched excess is our reaction to all the hoopla surrounding
the remembering of 9/11. It was a horrible thing, of course,
and our hearts go out to all those who lost loved ones or were
injured. But enough is enough. We don’t need to see any more
footage of planes slamming into the World Trade Center. We don’t
need to see any more photos of Osama Yo Mamma. We don’t care
how every actor, athlete, and news anchor responded emotionally
to the attacks. And we’re sure as hell not interested in participating
in some national weep-a-thon. Throughout history, peoples of
the world have had to buck up through much, much, much greater
tragedies. Even we Americans, surely the most blessed people
in the history of the planet, have had to endure much worse.
So let’s keep things in perspective.

As dramatic and startling as the attacks
were, we think their lasting effects on the country are relatively
minor. For example, it’s almost comical to note that in the month
after the attack, Americans bought more new cars than during
any other month in history. Take that Osama! Consumer spending
continues to chug along, and housing sales have been on fire
everywhere but Northern California. Of course, had Osama and
crew been a little more clever – for example, by taking pot-shots
at passenger jets on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s
– the economy could have taken a more severe hit.

How much has your life changed in the last
year? Ours really didn’t change at all. We still tried to live
by the golden rule. We still did all the things we did before,
including taking all the usual ‘business trips’ to foreign countries.
Sure, there’s yet another thing to worry about in the dark corner
of our minds, but realistically, we’re about 10,000 times more
likely to die in a car accident than a terrorist attack. So we
suggest everyone take however long they need to remember the
attacks today, and then go out and have a super day. After all,
living well is the best revenge.

Photo Latitude/Richard

Faustina Ends His Circumnavigation in
Stitches

September 11 – Oakland

“I am happy to report that my Oakland-based
Barnett 42 Solitaire and I have completed the circumnavigation
that we began in November of 1998,” writes Steve Faustina.
“Mike Holtz, my crewmember, and I set sail on the last leg
from Yokohama, Japan, on June 11 and arrived in San Francisco
36 days later. We had hoped for a 30-day passage, but for the
first two-thirds of the way it was one gale after another. Most
of the gales came out of the northeast, which meant on the nose,
since we were doing the great circle route. The gales were highly
unusual for the time of year. The last one lasted for three days,
and, with a maximum of 55 knots and 25 to 30-ft seas, was the
worst. Fortunately, this storm was coming from the southwest,
so we blasted along under a triple reefed main and staysail for
the first two days before having to go under bare poles. Even
then, we were still making 8 to 10 knots.

“On the last day of the gale, after
the wind had finally dropped below 30 knots, Mike and I were
both sitting below when Solitaire must have been knocked
down by a huge wave. I was suddenly launched headfirst into the
galley bulkhead, and sustained a six-inch laceration across the
top of my head and a severe back bruise. Fortunately, I didn’t
lose consciousness and Mike wasn’t hurt at all. I had no medical
suturing materials on board, so Mike had to sew – 16 stitches
– my scalp back in place with a regular needle and thread, but
no anesthetic. The closest port at the time was Dutch Harbor
in the Aleutian Islands, 600 miles to the north, so we decided
to continue on to San Francisco.

“I consider myself very lucky to have
had Mike onboard for this passage, because if I had been singlehanding
– which is what I usually do – I wouldn’t be writing this letter.
I knew the passage was going to be the longest and most difficult
in my circumnavigation, and something inside me told me to take
crew.

“As a result of the knockdown, the
wind generator was also damaged and some deck gear was lost overboard,
but Solitaire was otherwise undamaged. The last 10 days
of the passage were uneventful and featured the best sailing
of the trip. But given my injuries, it was hard to truly enjoy.

“My plans are to take a long rest
on shore and then begin to work on all the small and not so small
boat projects to prepare Solitaire for the Cross-Pac Race
to Australia scheduled for June of next year – provided I am
able to secure a sponsor. Anyone interested?”

Mystery Island in the Cloud Stream

September 11 – Mexico

We got a huge response to the photo yesterday
of a cloud-shrouded Mexico ‘mystery island’. Since so few sailors
have ever been by it, we were surprised at the high percentage
of correct answers. Dave Cort and Nick Gibbens were the first
with the correct answer, just minutes after the page went online.
But first, the incorrect answers:

Both Steve Grasha and David Eberhard didn’t
believe it was even an island. “It looks like the bottom
half of the Baja peninsula, said David. Roger Hunter said it
was “the southern tip of Angel de Lagardia off Bahia de
Los Angeles” – then wrote back to say it was Coronado Island.
He was wrong both times. Carl Mischka also thought it was Coronado.
Both Steve McCrosky and Jim Leech thought it was Cedros. Tom
Thornberry thought it was Coronado del Sur on the Pacific side
near San Diego. Karen Ramsey guessed Isla Cerravlo in the Sea
of Cortez. Don Judge tried to rule that it was off Cozumel.

Although Jim Tallet of the J/33 Zapped
wasn’t the first with the correct answer, his was the most entertaining.
“It’s Guadeloupe Island, which is about 200 miles west of
Turtle Bay. From firsthand experience I can tell you that the
clearing on the east side of the island is a windless hole. I
used the Pacific Singlehanded Sailing Association’s Guadeloupe
Island race this spring as my qualifier for the Singlehanded
Transpac. I rounded the south end of the island at 1600 in 25+
knots of wind from the northwest, and spent over seven hours
crawling up the coast in next to nothing. To add insult to injury,
we were provided with a similar photo prior to the start. The
significance of the cloud pattern didn’t dawn on me until I watched
an Olson 40 sail up to me as I slatted in the lee of the island.”

Bob Austin, “one of the South California
Mafia on Bayou Chico, Pensacola, Florida,” had this to add:
“When racing around the south end on a 55-footer with daggerboard
up, we cut between the rocks and shore. It is a true oceanic
island, and there is also some evidence of very ancient civilization
present on the island. I have hiked the length, and although
it’s rarely visited by boats, it’s a great place.”

Photo Courtesy Dave Wallace

Ric and Kate

September 11 – London, UK

Monday we ran a photo of Londoners Ric and Kate, who
are trying to hook a ride on the Baja Ha-Ha. Like idiots, we
neglected to include their active
email.

Kate and Ric

Ha-Ha Entry Deadline Was Yesterday

September 11 – Baja Ha-Ha World Headquarters

“Yesterday was the entry deadline
for the Ha-Ha, and the mailbox was stuffed,” reports Lauren
Spindler, Ha-Ha Honcho. “I’m still counting, but the total
of paid up entries is going to be somewhere around 120. If anybody
else out there still wants to enter, I can give you to the end
of the week to get your check for $249 in. Otherwise, I’m looking
forward to meeting each and every one of you at Cabrillo Isle
Marina in San Diego for the West Marine Kick-Off Party on Sunday,
October 27. There will be a small boat start the following day,
and the rest of the fleet will start on the 29th.” For more,
see www.baja-haha.com.

Photo Latitude/Richard

YOTREPS

September 11 – The Pacific Ocean and Cyberspace

Who is out making passages in the Pacific
and what kind of weather are they having? Check out YOTREPS –
‘yacht reports’ – at http://www.bitwrangler.com/yotreps/

Weather Updates

September 11 – 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/.