SIGHTINGS one on one with
liz clark's changes in latitudes
continued on outside column of next sightings page Page 64 •
Latitude 38
• April, 2018
The founder of the Baja Ha-Ha, Richard Spindler, aka the Grand Poobah, and the Chief of Security, Doña de Mallorca, will be at the Latitude 38 booth at the Pacific Sail & Power Boat Show on Saturday and Sunday afternoon to answer your questions about October's historic 25th annual Baja Ha-Ha. And on cruising Mexico in general. You'll find Latitude in booth #C1 at the show in Richmond's Craneway Pavilion. Latitude 38 has been the title sponsor of the Ha-Ha from its inception 25 years
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY CAPTAIN LIZ CLARK
"I owe Richard a big thank you," Liz Clark told us during a phone call from the Big Island of Hawaii, where she was reflecting on the closing of the 'first chapter' of her life. After meeting Latitude 38 founder Richard Spindler in Santa Barbara in the early 2000s, Liz said that he "was very supportive and gave me credibility" in her preparation to go on a mostly singlehanded surforiented cruise, and instrumental in rallying you, the Latitude readership, for support, which you have doled out generously over the years. After nearly 12 years cruising the South Pacific in search of waves, Clark has written a book about her inner and outer journeys titled Swell: A Sailing Surfer's Voyage of Awakening. As part of her national book tour, Liz will be speaking at St. Francis Yacht Club on Thursday, April 12, at 7 p.m. The event is free to attend. Liz Clark has cruised and surfed "Richard was crucial to keeping the Pacific for over a decade. After me going," Liz said, explaining that in years of blogging, she said she 2007-08, she damaged her headsail on always wanted to write a book. her Cal 40, Swell. "So Richard asked if anyone had an extra headsail, and ended up finding one right away." (Holly Scott from Seal Beach responded almost immediately to a 'Lectronic Latitude.) In 2009, Clark had a mysterious leak coming from her propeller shaft, which forced her to haul Swell out and pull the engine. But the Poobah rallied again. "I'm overwhelmed by the response," Liz wrote in her book. "In less than a month I receive almost $2,000 from perfect strangers, often accompanied by supportive notes and gratitude for my blog." Clark said she was encouraged to make repairs not just for herself, but to give people something to dream about. "For me, whether or not Richard is with Latitude anymore, this event will be really special to me, now that I've written this book," Liz told us. "The first chapter of my life is completed." Swell, a Voyage is a beautiful photo book, full of images from Clark's tropical sailing and surfing travels, as well as charming, colorful illustrations by graphic artist Daniella Manini. The book talks about the highs and lows of the cruising life. Some of the highs: "When the first south swells show up, a beautiful face breaks at the pass . . . The scene is surreal as I paddle solo up the reef while flawless lines pour in. It's nice not to be forced to sit deeper than my skills allow or to have to wait for the scrap wave the crowd doesn't want." And some of the lows: "A 50-knot squall threatens to heave Swell onto the reef, a two-wave-hold-down at Teahupo'o [a famous, treacherous surf spot] leaves me with a week's worth of drowning nightmares, a car jack explodes in my face while I'm trying to install a new motor mount, and Swell's mooring comes unscrewed one day while I'm doing laundry ashore. Then, to top it all off: five hideous days with dengue fever. If challenges are the door to personal growth, I'm on the path to sainthood." Liz said that she'd always envisioned writing a book about her voyaging. After blogging and keeping a personal journal, her longtime sponsor Patagonia proposed the project. She said that after signing a contract, the task ahead was daunting. "I begin by sifting through eight years of journals, sea logs, and blogs," she wrote in the book. Clark said she spent three and a half years writing aboard Swell in Tahiti. "I haven't stopped living the boating life, but I wasn't cruising. I love being immersed in nature everyday. The lagoon is flat and calm; the waves are fun," she told us.
