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Sometimes You’re Just Lucky

With the start of the 19th Annual ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ Baja Ha-Ha three weeks away, all 146 entries can consider themselves lucky that first night of the event coincides with a full moon. Oh baby, that’s going to be sweet! And not just on that night, but the entire 360-mile first leg to Turtle Bay. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed that there won’t be much cloud cover or fog.

Intrepid Landing coming together, as seen from a photo taken several weeks ago from the top of Profligate’s mast by Max Maher.

© Max Maher

Some members of the Ha-Ha fleet are going to be doubly lucky in that the pre-opening of the new Intrepid Landing Marina on Shelter Island is going to allow them low prices on what might well be San Diego’s most convenient berthing. For example, San Diego Marine Exchange (chandlery) is less than 100 yards away, as is the fuel dock, Rig Works Rigging, Driscoll’s Boat Yard, and the Brigantine and Fiddler’s Green, the latter two being popular restaurants with sailors. And it’s only two blocks to the West Marine Superstore where the Ha-Ha Kick-Off Party will be held, as well as Downwind Marine, sailmakers, canvas shops, and the San Diego YC.

Because the marina — which has twelve 36-ft berths, eight 48-ft berths, and 340 feet of side-tie space — won’t officially open until just after the Ha-Ha, and because manager Mike Benedict wants to kick Intrepid Landing off with some good publicity — he’s offering one-time rates of about 75 cents/ft/week or $1/ft per night. The weekly rate is 25% less than the San Diego Police Dock, which is at the end of Shelter Island and 30 minute walk from anywhere. Once Intrepid Landing becomes fully operational, we expect that the berths will be snapped up quickly. As a result, we don’t imagine there will be much — if any — room for next year’s Ha-Ha boats.

Normally the San Diego Police Dock is full of boats at this time of year, but two major price increases seem to have cruisers staying away in droves.

latitude/Richard
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC

While the electrical work is being completed this week and early next at Intrepid Landing, one Ha-Ha boat has already moved in — Taj, Peter Brown’s beautiful Grainger 48 catamaran from Port Townsend, WA. There’s some Bay Area history here. Back in the ’80s, Brown raced the Olson 30 Gold Rush in the Singlehanded TransPac. Halfway across, he had an epiphany and decided to give up law to cruise the world. So he flew to France, bought a Wauquiez Pretorian 35 and set sail. When he got to South Africa in the early ’90s, he sold his monohull and bought a 40-ft catamaran. We bumped into Peter at St. Barth, and he gave us our first-ever ride on a catamaran. Until just last week at Intrepid Landing, we hadn’t seen him since. Brown went back to the law, but now, at age 67, can’t wait to wrap up some cases and get cruising again.

Having gone from catamarans to a monohull after all these years, the Mastersons are hoping the motion won’t trouble them.

latitude/Richard
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC

More Bay Area connections: It turns Dan Newland, who for many years raced out of San Francisco Bay and did things like win the Singlehanded TransPac before moving to the Pacific Northwest, crewed for Peter coming down the coast on Taj. Newland, who is still married to Linda Weber Newland, who not only did her own Singlehanded TransPac, but singlehanded a boat from San Francisco to Japan, apparently was smitten with the way Taj sailed and how comfortable she was at sea. Who knows, Dan might get cat fever, too.

PHOTO

A couple who have sailed cats most of their lives, but are about to go cruising on a new-to-them monohull in the Ha-Ha are our slip neighbors Bruce and Laura Masterson of St. John in the U.S. Virgins. Ages ago the couple bought the 60-ft Spronk catamaran Jolly Mon and did 45-person daycharters out of St. John, during which time they met future Latitude Managing Editor Andy Turpin and his wife Julie, who were then living in the islands. The Mastersons later bought a Privilege 48 cat and did crewed term charters in the islands. Now that their kids are gone, it’s time for Bruce and Laura to sail for themselves. Primarily because of economic reasons, the couple decided to go with a monohull, and picked up a nearly-new looking Davidson 44 in Marina del Rey they’ve since christened Pacific Hwy. Despite being one of the largest 44-footers we can recall, the Davidson 44s are fast boats. Anyway, after the Ha-Ha and a few months in Mexico, the Mastersons are headed across the Pacific.

If you’re interested in having your boat join Taj at Intrepid Landing prior to the Ha-Ha, contact manager Mike Benedict at (619) 226-2500 or via email. By the way, Mike’s office is located in Driscoll’s Boat Yard, just a short distance from the new marina. So if you need a quick haul out prior to the Ha-Ha, Mike will be happy to put you in touch with Chuck Driscoll for your hauling needs.

Here are the latest Ha-Ha entries — sign up now to get your name added:

 

140. Queen Melody / Catalina 36 / Ping Lis / Brisbane
141. Someday / Hunter 35.5 / Don McNeil / Channel Island
142. Magic / Kelly-Peterson 44 / Terry & Marian Benjamin / San Diego
143. Sweet Cherri / Columbia 36 / Joshua & Julia Siudyla / Alameda
144. Corinna / Allied Princess 36 / Christopher & Christine Jette / San Francisco
145. Happy Trails / True North 34 / Edward Trzebiatowski / San Francisco
146.  Moontide / Lagoon 47 / Bill Lilly & Judy Lang  / Newport Beach

 

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The Great Pumpkin Regatta really does have something for everyone. Great Pumpkin, and RYC in general, is family-friendly.