Thoughtfully designed and beautifully finished inside and out, the Aqua Lodge features fiberglass pontoons, a wood-beamed lofted ceiling, a fully appointed galley, and a full bath with residential-sized fixtures. The main salon is open and bright, while the master stateroom features a panoramic water view and a private deck. With the cost of building on the waterfront ever increasing, the Aqua Lodge is an affordable alternative. We currently have three (3) identical Floating Cottages available at $115,000. each. These are new houseboats that have never been used. With the acquisition of all three one could start a unique Air B&B type business in a nice location.
NOTE: There is no propulsion included. An outboard engine could be installed on the bracket but, these boats are not equipped with any propulsion. They would need to be towed or trucked to their destination.
Thoughtfully designed and beautifully finished inside and out, the Aqua Lodge features fiberglass pontoons, a wood-beamed lofted ceiling, a fully appointed galley, and a full bath with residential-sized fixtures. The main salon is open and bright, while the master stateroom features a panoramic water view and a private deck. With the cost of building on the waterfront ever increasing, the Aqua Lodge is an affordable alternative. We currently have three (3) identical Floating Cottages available at $115,000. each. These are new houseboats that have never been used. With the acquisition of all three one could start a unique Air B&B type business in a nice location.
NOTE: There is no propulsion included. An outboard engine could be installed on the bracket but, these boats are not equipped with any propulsion. They would need to be towed or trucked to their destination.
34’ BENETEAU 343, 2006
$95,000 Emery Cove (510) 601-5010
RUBICON YACHTS
$44,000 Emery Cove (510) 601-5010
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The Farr 395 Ace presents an incredible opportunity to get a fully tricked out racercruiser that is ready to win races or head o to far ung places. She was brought to the west coast by very experienced sailors and has been highly upgraded during their successful tenure. From the owner’s perspective, “Sailing Ace is super fun. The fullsize mainsail maximizes upwind performance, and the huge kite provides downwind power. The non overlapping jibs are easily handled and keep the sails lasting longer. There is a ton of power in the main and we adjust the backstay and outhaul for speed control continuously; backstay and traveler more when the wind is on. Our target upwind boatspeed is 6.75 knots, sometimes 7. Ace is quick downwind in light and medium air, too. The boat seems to sail faster than its rating, and is easy to control when the wind is up. We regularly clock 16, 17, and 18 knots, and the top speed we know of is 19 knots. Equally fun is sailing fast when cruising. The carbon jib and carbon main get the boat quickly to the cruising destination, and the roller furling headsail and ake storage mainsail allows the boat to be put away with ease.”
– BOB SCHOONMAKER, SWIFTSURE YACHTS
Non-Race
Jan. 31-Feb. 8 — Seattle Boat Show, Lumen Field Event Center & Bell Harbor Marina. Boats on display, exhibitors, free seminars. Info, www.seattleboatshow.com
Feb. 1 — Inaugural Sausalito Crab Festival, Fish Restaurant & Clipper Yacht Harbor, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Meet the fleet; live music, open-boat showcase. Free admission. Info, www. caltix.com/e/crabfest
Feb. 1 — North U Sail Trim Performance Racing Seminar, Long Beach YC, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. $149; save $22 with code RBXCJNLBYC. ASA, www.asa.com/seminars/sail-trim.
Feb. 1-22 — Small Boat Sailing, South Beach Harbor, San Francisco, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, weather permitting. Free, but pre-register. BAADS, www.baads.org/sailing.
Feb. 2 — Groundhog Day.
Feb. 2-23 — Keelboat Sailing, South Beach Harbor, San Francisco, noon-5 p.m. Sundays, weather permitting. Free, but sign up in advance. BAADS, www.baads.org/sailing
Feb. 9 — Second Sunday Work Party, Sausalito Community Boating Center, 9 a.m.-noon. Nick, (415) 992-1234 or www. sausalitoboatingcommunity.org
Feb. 12 — Full Snow Moon on a Wednesday.
Feb. 13 — Speaker Series, Corinthian YC, Tiburon, 7 p.m. Shing Kong on Connecting the Dots that Make Grand Banks Unique. Free but RSVP to speakers@cyc.org.
Feb. 13, 27, Mar. 6 — Newport to Ensenada Race Seminars, 7-8:30 p.m. 2/13, Dana Point YC; 2/27, Bahia Corinthian YC; 3/6 (tentative), Del Rey YC. NOSA, www.nosa.org.
Feb. 14 — Valentine's Day.
Feb. 15 — North U Sail Trim Performance Racing Seminar, Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle, WA, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. $127$149. ASA, www.asa.com/seminars/sail-trim
Feb. 17 — Presidents Day.
Feb. 24, Mar. 3, 10 — All About Windshifts webinar via Zoom, 8 p.m. With Dave Dellenbaugh. $45-$50. Info/register, https://tinyurl.com/yck38pnp.
Feb. 25 — What Canoes Can Teach Us, Spaulding Marine Center, Sausalito, 5-7 p.m. About ancient Haida canoes, with Jason Rucker. Free. Info, www.spauldingcenter.org
Feb. 25-27 — Turning the Tide Online virtual summit. Focusing on Boating Industry Waste Streams. $10-$75. BoatUS Foundation, www.boatus.org/turningthetide
BERKELEY YC — Saturday Midwinter Series: 2/8. Sunday Midwinter Series: 2/9. Champion of Champions: 2/22. Chowder Series: Every Sunday through March except when it conflicts with the Midwinters. Info, www.berkeleyyc.org or www.jibeset.net
CAL SAILING CLUB — Year-round Sunday morning dinghy races, intraclub only. Info, www.cal-sailing.org.
CORINTHIAN YC — Midwinters Series: 2/15-16. Info,
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT:
Svendsen’s Marine & Industrial Supply Acquired by Llewellyn Supply Co.
Svendsen’s Marine & Industrial Supply, a trusted leader in high-quality marine products and services, is pleased to announce its acquisition by Llewellyn Supply Co., a renowned name in marine and industrial supply that has been servicing professional marine tradesmen in Southern California since 1936. This exciting development marks a new chapter in the history of both companies and reinforces their shared commitment to delivering exceptional products and service to marine professionals.
What This Means for Our Customers and Partners
The acquisition will allow Svendsen’s Marine & Industrial Supply to leverage Llewellyn Supply Co.’s extensive resources and expand its network of industry relationships. Customers can expect continued excellence in products, service, and support, with the added benefits of broader product offerings and more convenient access to industry-leading marine supplies. All existing services, inventory, and customer support will remain unchanged, and we are excited to expand our capabilities to better serve your nee ds.
In the coming months, Svendsen’s Marine & Industrial Supply will officially transition to the new name Llewellyn Marine Supply. The Svendsen’s legacy and namesake will continue at Svendsen’s Bay Marine Boatyard in Richmond, Ca.
YACHT RACING ASSOCIATION — Doublehanded Sunday Midwinter Series: 2/2. Info, www.jibeset.net
In the Tropics
Feb. 1 — Meet the Fleet, Shelter Bay, Panama, 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Ocean Posse, www.oceanposse.com/events. Feb. 5-14 — South Pacific Seminar Series via Zoom, 7-9 p.m. Ocean Posse, www.oceanposse.com/events
Feb. 8-16 — Cruise-in Week, Barra de Navidad, Mexico. Fundraiser for local schools. Info, www.facebook.com/p/ Cruise-In-Week-Barra-de-Navidad-Jalisco-100063917807042
Feb. 9-22 — Zihuatanejo Sailfest. Benefits Por Los Niños nonprofit for schools. Info, www.zihuatanejo-sailfest.com
Mar. 18-22 — Banderas Bay Regatta. Vallarta YC, www. banderasbayregatta.com
Apr. 25-27 — Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race, to Ensenada or San Diego. NOSA, www.nosa.org.
May 28-31 — Tahiti Pearl Regatta, French Polynesia. Info, www.tahitipearlregatta.com
June 21 — Start of the Singlehanded Transpacific Yacht Race, San Francisco to Hanalei. SSS, www.sfbaysss.org
July 1, 3, 5 — Start of the Transpac, San Pedro to Honolulu. TPYC, www.transpacyc.com
July 4-7 — Tahiti-Moorea Sailing Rendez-vous. Info, www. tahiti-moorea-sailing-rdv.com.
October 30-November 15 — Baja Ha-Ha XXXI, San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. Info, www.baja-haha.com.
Please send your calendar items by the 10th of the month to calendar@latitude38.com. Please, no phone-ins! Calendar listings are for marine-related events that are free or don't
Hylas
cost much to attend. The Calendar is not meant to support commercial enterprises.
February Weekend Tides
Predictions for Station 9414290, San Francisco (Golden Gate) date/day time/ht. time/ht. time/ht. time/ht. HIGH
2/01Sat 0143/5.4 0701/1.8
2/08Sat 0121/3.3 0728/6.3 1452/-0.6 2211/4.7 2/09Sun 0228/3.2 0828/6.3 1540/-0.8 2252/4.9 HIGH LOW HIGH
2/15Sat 0123/5.2 0657/1.7 1256/5.0 1900/0.7 2/16Sun 0147/5.3 0739/1.5 1340/4.5 1928/1.3 2/17Mon 0212/5.3 0825/1.4 1431/4.0 1956/1.9 LOW HIGH LOW HIGH
2/22Sat 0001/3.6 0601/5.4 1339/0.3 2130/4.1
2/23Sun 0117/3.5 0705/5.6 1428/-0.1 2200/4.4
February Weekend Currents
NOAA Predictions for .88 NM NE of the Golden Gate Bridge
Great Job Randall on the Figure Eight Voyage. Sixty thousand miles in the world's toughest oceans with Hood Sails.
Our patented woven Vektron® sailcloth performs like the laminates with the durability of Dacron®, especially in roller furling applications. In fact, Vektron® is lighter, lower stretch, and retains its shape over a longer life than any sailcloth we've ever offered to cruising sailors. That's because Hood Vektron® is woven, not laminated to Mylar® film. And you can be sure that each sail we roll out is built by hand, with the same care and craftsmanship that has been the Hood hallmark since 1952. To discuss your sailcloth needs – whether our state-ofthe-art Vektron® or our soft, tight-weave Dacron® – give us a call today.
Mōli, Randall Reeves with Full Batten Mainsail, 125% Genoa and Solent Jib PHOTO COURTESY
38
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LETTERS
⇑⇓ another wild west coast winter brings More daMage and destruction to the waterfront. santa cruz saw the worst of it
We were there [in Santa Cruz] for the tsunamis. Isn't it about time a more protected entrance was installed? When the entrance is a direct shot, why wouldn't you expect this?
A seawall extension, with of fset, would limit the effect. Bob Pearce
Bob was commenting on the December 2024 'Lectronic Latitude: Santa Cruz Slammed as California Coast Experiences Heavy Surf
⇑⇓ surge's up
Your use of the term "surge" is spot on — it was well beyond "surf" and waves. This is one for the record books. The tsunami in 2011 made sense, this seems different. Thank you for the information.
John Lundquist Latitude Nation
John — Has major surge in the SC Harbor always been a thing, or are there any manmade things that changed to let this swell in? Not referring to global warming.
William P
Gut-wrenching videos of waves surging through Santa Cruz Harbor made the social media rounds on Christmas Eve — to say nothing of footage from the Santa Cruz pier, where the end section fell into the
with a few people still on it.
⇑⇓ fine people, rough conditions
I was fortunate enough to stay for a couple of nights at the Santa Cruz Yacht Club in fall 2023. They were very kind. Even in benign weather, you could see and feel the swell entering the marina. This video is also reminiscent of the 2011 tsunami that did major damage there. It might be a questionable place to keep a boat.
The Santa Cruz breakwater seems to funnel surge and swell into the marina. Port Townsend rebuilt the Point Hudson (PH) breakwaters over the past couple of years. It took $12 million and two winters. Many boats were displaced to Boat Haven Marina during those winters due to limited access. However, those waters are much more protected than in Santa Cruz. Plus, there is no other local marina to displace boats to. The PH breakwater was smaller, and dredging doesn't seem to be necessary in PH. I will be curious to
water
LETTERS
see what/if anything is done about it. (And what effect the current situation will have on the local insurance market.)
Joshua Wheeler, The Resourceful Sailor Sampaguita, 1985 Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20 West Coast
⇑⇓ luck and fear
Santa Cruz Harbor is not a harbor to keep an expensive boat in the winter. I sold my boat — a 29-ft Cascade I had for 48 years and 20,000 ocean miles — last year. No sinkings, no fires, no accidents. Some of it was luck, some of it was being proactive. Some of it was fear.
Bill Lacy
Formerly of Santa Cruz
⇑⇓ against the advice of those in the know?
This harbor was placed incorrectly in 1964 against advice of longtime mariners then. The Army Corps of Engineers ignored advice. Thus silting and exposure.
KR Kelly
⇑⇓ this winter's storMs proMpted a larger discussion about the history and design of santa cruz harbor
We have a 54-ft sailboat and have visited Santa Cruz Harbor many times. There is always surge in the harbor, even when the sea outside the harbor appears to be flat. Our worst experience was in June 2023. We were bringing our boat up the coast after wintering in Mexico, and we decided to stop in Santa Cruz for a couple of nights.
It's not hard to see why Santa Cruz Harbor is susceptible to all kinds of wave action coming off the Pacific. One reader said that a 1- to 2-foot swell from the south made for a very uncomfortable night.
We arrived about 4 a.m., and followed the harbormaster's instructions to tie up to the fuel dock until they got into the office and could find us an end tie. Though there were only one-to-two-foot seas outside, the swell was from the south, and when we tied to the fuel dock (which is close to the harbor entrance), we were bouncing two to three feet alongside the dock.
I put out our storm lines and gave them the longest lead I could (including tying across the dock) and we didn't part any lines, but it was a miserable wait for the harbormaster
LETTERS LETTERS
to find us an end tie farther into the harbor. Even when we've tied up farther in the harbor, there is always some surge.
Santa Cruz is a great place to visit, and the harbormasters are good people to work with, but it would be so much better if they could redesign the breakwater to reduce or eliminate the surge in the harbor.
Bill Andrew
Bill was commenting on the January 10 'Lectronic Latitude: Is Santa Cruz Harbor Poorly Designed? Yes, It Is.
⇑⇓ pros and cons
Santa Cruz Harbor is a unique harbor, but it is awfully well enjoyed and epically oversubscribed. It was an "interesting" decision to put a harbor in there, and it changed the local coastline, for example creating the very broad Seabright beach, which had been an area of intrusive erosion.
Given it was not a natural harbor, I think a lot of redesign ideas to mitigate the problems will likely create new problems. I wonder if the mouth of the harbor can be protected without creating more of a shoaling problem, and without creating any other undesirable effects.
When a tsunami or a 30-year swell (20 feet at 23 seconds, I was told — that's crazy) comes, Santa Cruz Harbor provides limited protection from the power of the sea. On the other hand, during the "sailing season," the harbor provides quick access to a beautiful and alive open ocean.
South swells, long-period winter swells, and tsunamis (very long-period waves) work their way into the harbor. That said, the berths there, on the majority of days, are much less rolly and abusive than my slip at Jack London Square deep inside the S.F. Bay. I'd be delighted to trade.
EP
⇑⇓
a fiX? unlikely
I've used the Santa Cruz Harbor entrance for over 40 years and still paddle out daily in my kayak. The entrance is ill-designed, being wide open to the south and southwest.
But it's not all the Corps of Engineers' fault. Real estate interests also played a part. Will it be fixed? Unlikely.
One unacknowledged problem is the dredge attempts to keep the entrance open and navigable. Before dredging, littoral drift created a shoal at the harbor mouth that diminished wave action in the artificial lake inside. We used to play New Year's football on the shoal that spanned the entrance. When the Upper Harbor was created, engineers again screwed up.
Both Santa Cruz's harbor and wharf were hammered by storms. Above: Detritus from the Christmas swell and surge flooded Santa Cruz's streets.
Is Your Motor Choking To Death?
LETTERS
A majority of slips are broadside to the channel, leaving moored boats taking surge action on their beam. I'd guess when Cascadia shifts vertically, Santa Cruz Harbor will really be compromised and diners at the Crow's Nest will be getting more than their feet wet.
Skip Allan Santa Cruz
⇑⇓ location, location … location
I wonder if the location is the real problem, not the design of the breakwater. By the time the harbor was built, the shoreline was no doubt completely developed, leaving few if any options. So this harbor was shoved into a creek mouth with steep sides, and thus, there was no place for the flooding ocean water to go. Compared to Moss Landing, which as stated in the article, is located on rather flat ground with a large slough on one side. Perhaps something creative can be done related to the way boats are tied up to address future surging water.
Tom Gandesbery East Bay
Some readers said that even the deeper parts of Santa Cruz Harbor see some surge, though one reader said it was no worse than other wellprotected marinas.
⇑⇓ uniQue and less-than ideal characteristics
To make matters chronically worse, the harbor is a delta to Arana Creek, and the Arana watershed is quite prone to significant erosion.
Marty
⇑⇓ the toss-up between nature and engineering
There should be a federal project to remediate the Corps major cluster. Back in the late '50s, San Rafael used to flood every winter. The Corps came in, put in cement canals, and called it a day. My late uncle Charlie used to joke, "Before the Corps, we used to know where it would flood. Now it's just a toss-up." The Army Corps of Engineers has made some amazing changes to Mother Nature, but sadly, science cannot always get it right!
Ken Brinkley
Readers — We appreciate this earnest discussion about some of the unique challenges of Santa Cruz Harbor, but we want to emphasize the incredible destination that is Monterey Bay and its surrounding cities. Now more than ever, Santa Cruz needs our support and our dollars spent at its harbor and businesses. Be ready for some surge, and be ready for the unique charm of one of Northern California's true gems.
⇑⇓ getting into the nitty-gritty of wave action
I think it's important to dif ferentiate the break at the entrance to the harbor, where ocean swells break every 10 seconds or so, with the very long-period waves associated with tsunamis and the recent storm. Initially, when the Fukushima waves reached the harbor, it was about 20 minute between surges. I think what we saw in the recent storm was a wave period of perhaps 90 seconds, which welled up as it traveled up the narrower and shallower upper (north) harbor, with no way to dissipate the energy.
Chuck Hawley Santa Cruz
⇑⇓ inverness yacht club's pier suffered serious daMage in a deceMber storM
A short clip taken at Marshall shows Tomales Bay at the height of Saturday morning's storm. [December 14, 2024] Wind estimate = hurricane force.
The good news for Inverness YC is through amazing determination by Port Captain Milly, Commodore Seth, Engineer Bren, insurance advocate Ben and the rest of the crew, repairs will soon begin on repositioning their dislocated pier back on its pilings. None too soon, as IYC is one of the few locations on Tomales Bay allowing emergency responders access.
Skip Allan
A combination of a king tide and gale-force winds "picked up the pier deck for its entire length and floated it off its pilings," according to Skip Allan. "The pier deck now lies floating nearby like an undulating sea serpent while a fully committed work crew is attempting to reposition the pier back on its pilings. Unlikely they will be successful without a barge and crane. But don't underestimate the sheer determination of IYC members."
⇑⇓ the coMMunity is ready to go to work! Can we volunteer?
I'd love to come for a work party
Paul — Good man!
Sign me up to pound nails!
Don Lounibos
Paul Dines
Suzi Jacobs Beatie
Tom Burden
Peter and Roe Moore 24 Mortician
Photo By Slackwater SF
YOUR BOAT IS OUR BUSINESS
LETTERS
⇑⇓ Meanwhile, in the east bay …
How did Richmond Yacht Club and the island next door hold up, and was there damage?
Stephen Sherry
Stephen was commenting on the December 2024 'Lectronic: Storm-Charged King Tides Flood Bay Area Foreshores. Saturday morning, December 14, 2024, was pretty exciting at Richmond YC. With not much clearance left over the breakwater, spray was flying over the wall. Harbormaster Danny was running around like crazy, keeping everything under control. At least one roller-furling jib was destroyed. The parking lot did not flood. There are some great videos on Facebook, if you're into that and you can find them. Berkeley YC canceled their Midwinter race for Saturday on Friday night, but went ahead with Sunday's race.
⇑⇓ when considering west coast sailors and boats who have done the sydney hobart …
Don't leave out David Allen's Improbable, skippered by Skip Allan (with Commodore, Dave Wahle, and other notable locals aboard) off your list of West Coasters who have raced Sydney Hobart!
Milly Biller
Milly – Thanks for adding Improbable, currently being restored in the Pacific Northwest by Bruce Schwab. To this we must add Jim Kilroy, who took line honors with Kialoa II in 1971 and with Kialoa III in 1975, setting a new race record. Jack Halterman wrote to remind us that he and Malcolm Park were aboard Bay Area sailor Roger Sturgeon's STP65 Rosebud when, in 2007, they joined Ted Turner and Jim Kilroy as the third American boat to win the Sydney Hobart.
⇑⇓ throw another californian on the barby
Yes, West Coast sailors have made a small mark Down Under where I've lived for past 40 years starting with Kilroy. Robert Cleveland Kialani, 720 trimaran Australia
⇑⇓ the flip of the switch in berkeley yacht club's deceMber Midwinters
Thank you [Berkeley Yacht Club] for making the call. The way you did it, with an early email noting the possibility of canceling with a scheduled go/no-go email in the evening, was helpful as well so I could keep my crew informed.
After a stormy Saturday, December 14, 2024, East Bay racers were rewarded with a sunny, pleasant December 15. From left to right: The Newport 30 MkII 'Zeehond' and Express 27s 'Dianne' and 'Eagle'.
LETTERS LETTERS
on whether we would go. Videos posted by Richmond Yacht Club of the harbor on Saturday made me glad I was warm and dry at home, avoiding the two-plus-hour round trip on the road in the storm.
I have had to make the call on the YRA Farallones race a couple of times, and while there is an occasional libertarian quoting Rule Four (now Three), the vast majority of feedback I have received was positive. When the race is part of a series, there is an incentive to go out in less-than-ideal conditions. That is part of the fun of a series. But the Coast Guard, who issues permits for every race, expects us to act responsibly. See you Saturday [January 11] on the water in hopefully better conditions.
Andy Newell Ahi, Santana 35 Bay Area
⇑⇓ solid cataMaran becoMes faMous for hole
The Iroquois catamaran has fiberglass hulls and decks, but has a lovely wooden interior. It was a great forerunner of modern cruising cats.
Locally, Sam Weeks' Iroquois flipped over in BAMA's 1982 Doublehanded Farallones Race and stayed on its side for a while before turning turtle. Sam and his crew were rescued after clinging to the boat for over an hour. The boat washed ashore, was eventually salvaged, and last I heard it was serving as a workboat somewhere up the coast. Latitude 38 had an excellent writeup about that ill-fated race.
Joe Siudzinski KatieKat
photo before, and recently, in Latitude 38. For an explanation, check out the January 3 'Lectronic Latitude "The story behind December Caption Contest(!) 'Mona.'"
The 1982 Doublehanded Farallones race saw four deaths and many boats lost, including Sam Weeks' Iroquois 31 Catawampus. You can read the story here here: www.latitude38. com/issues/may-1982/#92
⇑⇓ flying hulls since before it was cool
I believe it was Julian Everett who wrote (and I crudely paraphrase here) about testing the MkII "detuned" version Iroquois for Yachts & Yachting, or perhaps another rag. Reg White was along as a builder's rep and had just gone below to boil water for tea. Suddenly, the wake sound from the windward hull went quiet as she flew a hull. Apparently Reg came flying out of the cabin and eased the mainsheet and proceeded to put in a reef. Gunboats were not the first hullflying cruising multihull!
With apologetic credit to Julian.
Paolo Sheaffer
Santa Barbara
Why yes, you have seen this
Electric Yacht
LETTERS
⇑⇓ please try to contain your surprise
I was reading Cole Brauer's IG the other day when she and the new owner (of Class 40 First Light), Elizabeth, announced they were heading into Cape Verde after hitting something at 14 knots. Reports were that the boat had almost come to a stop. They think it was a container. They used the Cape Verde stop for a more thorough check and are once again underway to Australia.
Anyway, I had to look. I mean, containers are locked to each other and lashed down. How many could possibly be lost? The answer is between 1,300-2,200 or so each year. Statistics say that depending on the weight of the cargo, a container might float anywhere from three to six months, maybe longer.
The Corps of Engineers used to have a vessel they used to clean up the hazards here in the Bay — things like refrigerators, logs, derelict boats, you name it. John Dillard currently patrols four days a week or when VTS [Vessel Traffic Service] sends them out. Lots to be aware of!
Ian Clements
Ian was commenting on the December 2024 'LL: It's What's Under the Water That Can Be the Big Worry
⇑⇓ speaking of things sloshing in the sea
I have found two bottles with messages inside. The first was at Ocean Beach — it was a small wine bottle with a note written in wax pencil. It read, "Stranded on a deserted Island, please send Coast Guard." The second was in the Bay. It read "For a good time, call Liz." It included a number.
Perhaps I should have called.
Tim Donnelly Natasha, Cal 2-27 Latitude Nation
⇑⇓ Message in a … filM canister?
I have a '67 Cal 34 just over the Vincent Thomas bridge on Terminal Island at a place called Fish Harbor [in the Port of Los Angeles]. I've had this, and four other sailboats, stretching back 45 years, as well as a couple small powerboats, fishing boats and surf boats. They got us out to the islands quick and back again, and not always at the end of a tow line. My father got me and my brother and sister sailing early. I was maybe 4 or 5.
Anyway, that was 1,000 stories and 60 years ago. This story is about our message in a film canister.
Gary Mull was and still is my hero. We were sailing Sunrise, his first Newport 30, hull #1. My cousins Roarke and Jenny Ball, their friend Rick Mullen, and my sister Miki and I spent Memorial Day weekend on the backside of Santa Cruz Island, but it was over and we had to go home. Too bad. The good news was it was blowing like snot. Double-reefed main and a mule had the old Signet knotmeter pegged beyond the 12-kt display. OK, it was probably 8-10 with steady surfs
Some 40 containers plunged from an APL England cargo ship in May 2020, adding to an average of about 1,750 containers that drop into the drink each year.
LETTERS LETTERS
SAN J U AN ISLAND S
past 12 kts.
I steered toward the "holes," aimed at the pockets and dropped into waves, and the helm and boat response was unbelievable. She steered like a dinghy, easy and balanced. The ride was over waaaaaaaay too fast. Somewhere between San Pedro Point and Channel Islands Marina, Rick Mullen wrote a note, put it in a film canister and threw it overboard. It was found about a year later and returned with a note of their own. I have them both in a frame.
Jack Edgerton's framed messages in a "bottle" include a note thrown into the drink on a sporty day as well as the response.
Jack Edgerton
⇑⇓ treasure island sailing center, or tisc, will close for up to three years as MaJor developMent raMps up
Bummer. I don't know TISC, but a pause in sailing for two to three years is difficult to swallow — unless it's driven by lack of demand. I returned to sailing after a 40-year hiatus, and I was quite surprised at what I found in the Bay and elsewhere. I speculate sailing people are becoming extinct.
In 2019, I bought a "project" boat that had been kept at TI and used to take kids sailing. The boat had sat for eight years. Thanks for the info.
John Lundquist Project Boat
I worry that "two to three years" turns into much more than that. Good luck to you and all who use TISC.
Marc Acheson
Good luck, TISC. You are a jewel of the community and deserve the best chance to continue to sparkle, serving current and future generations of kids.
Rich Jepsen US Sailing
Evergreen-studded islands, abundant wildlife and peaceful anchorages. Experienced or new to sailing, we can help you discover the joys of cruising the beautiful San Juan Islands! Beginner to advanced liveaboard courses. Monohull and catamaran bareboat charters. Guided otillas too!
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dry storage and all-around affordable access to the protected waters of Clipper
⇑⇓ hey!
That's me [above] taking guests out on the J/24s during opening day a couple of years back. The programs of TISC are awesome. I hope they can get their wonderful staff,
That's Anne-Carlijn Alderkamp, we think, on the tiller and waving to the Latitude staff editor/photographer shooting from a stand-up paddleboard at TISC's opening day in spring 2018. We can't believe that TISC, which has been in operation for 26 years, serving 26,000 sailors — including more than 14,000 students — will be shutting down for multiple years. TISC is also home to
Cove.
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volunteers, and donors back after a pause of a couple of years.
Anne-Carlijn Alderkamp
⇑⇓ Minor correction on behalf of the v15 fleet:
We are very grateful to ACSC for inviting us to join them, but we're still figuring out what makes the most sense for our fleet and haven't yet decided where we'll be relocating. ACSC is one of the options on the table, and we hope to make that decision in the coming weeks.
Sam
⇑⇓ angel island is also taking a "pause"
I am a dock aide at Angel Island State Park, and I'm reaching out to inform you of an important update regarding our private dock slips:
Due to significant damage from years of wear and exposure to harsh weather, our day slips are now unsafe for use. Out of concern for the safety of our visitors arriving by boat, we regret to inform you that these docks are closed until further notice.
We understand this is an inconvenience, and we sincerely apologize for the disruption it may cause. In the interim, we are pleased to offer the following accommodations:
Over night mooring: Available for $30 per night; 15-minute loading and unloading zone, open for brief stops; Dinghy slip: Available for visitors.
Plans to repair the dock are underway, with construction scheduled to begin June to November 2025. We anticipate this work will take approximately six months to complete.
We truly share your frustration and appreciate your understanding as we work to restore the dock to a safe and functional state. If you could kindly share this update with anyone in the boating community, we would greatly appreciate it. Should you have any questions or require additional information, do not hesitate to reach out.
Kati Vargas
⇑⇓ bloody coyotes on angel island
My husband and I had an encounter with a coyote on the last loop before the steps down to the beach and jetty. We rounded the bend and this animal was standing on the path — we're British and we don't have them here. We thought it was a fox! He turned away and wandered along the path, occasionally looking over his shoulder to keep an eye on us. We wandered along about 20 feet behind him. This continued for four to five minutes before he hopped into the shrubs and disappeared.
It wasn't until I was looking at the notice boards in the harbor while waiting for the ferry that I realized it was a coyote! It made our day.
Sue Taylor Great Britain
It was just a matter of time before all the docks in Ayala Cove on Angel Island would be closed ahead of scheduled repairs later this year.
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Sue was commenting on the November 2024 'LL: Coyotes on Angel Island? And They're Multiplying.
⇑⇓ i Just watched the docuMentary "a tour of sausalito's Marinship — a working waterfront at risk"
Wow, that video was just awesome! So many skilled, talented people who are also articulate about what they do and their need for the kind of space and facilities available to them, for now, in Sausalito's Marinship area. (The industrial owner's loss of his leased space to someone who turned it into a huge man-cave was shockingly heartbreaking and even offensive.)
As a longtime patron of expert services at Svendsen's (when it existed) and KKMI Sausalito boatyards, I am both intrigued and worried about the long-term future of Marinship. If the Sausalito city council and even city population do not understand the economic and cultural value of Marinship, it seems destined to go the way of Alameda's former working waterfront. I would like to understand how homes could ever be built on landfill that will require serious toxic remediation and mitigation of sea level rise.
And finally: Does Sausalito want its economic future to depend solely on tourism?
George DeVore Sausalito
⇑⇓ how does one prepare for pacific cruising these days?
We received this letter from Susanna Mahoney and Cliff Clark, who hope to sail south with the 31st Baja Ha-Ha some nine months from now:
My husband and I subscribe to Latitude 38 and enjoy the Good Jibes podcast regularly. Thank you for all the effort you put into both. We are planning to embark on a yearlong cruising adventure aboard our 40-ft ketch from Marin to Costa Rica, then across the Pacific to Australia, starting with 2025's Baja Ha-Ha. My husband did this same trip 20 years ago, but so much has changed with regard to safety, navigation and coms equipment that we're hoping you might be able to refer us to an experienced Pacific cruiser who might let us pick their brain on a variety of topics.
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With the plethora of information online, we frequently find ourselves deep down rabbit holes for even the simplest
This photo — of Julie Turpin, wife of former L38 managing editor Andy Turpin — has been making the rounds through the Latitude-sphere. The South Pacific is a dream destination for many sailors. How would you prepare for Pacific cruising?
ANDy turPIN
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of questions about every single piece of equipment. Beyond just the frustration of the time suck, we find ourselves without a clear answer at the end. It seems every sailor has a different opinion.
If you can recommend a person, people, or a website (something like a Consumer Reports for cruisers) with whom we might connect, we'd very much appreciate the help.
Susanna Mahoney and Cliff Clark
Hi Susanna and Clif f — You are justified in feeling overwhelmed. The internet offers too much data … and so much of it inaccurate or useless. There are also many people who are telling you what to do, but not necessarily making clear that they are pushing products or services they get for free or are paid to push. And plenty more that will charge you for coaching, giving info that used to be freely available by talking to fellow sailors.
For equipment decisions, I recommend subscribing to Practical Sailor. [www.practical-sailor.com] They take no advertising and have extensive archives of all their tests and recommendations — super-useful for fitting out your boat. As for everything else, be wary of anyone who acts like they know "everything;" it means they've stopped questioning themselves.
So much depends on what you are looking for when you go cruising: off the beaten path, lots of socializing? I'm happy to answer questions (for free). You can reach me on the contact page at www.svMigration.com.
Bruce Balan Migration, Cross Trimaran Planet Ocean
⇑⇓ has that Much changed in two decades?
It's likely you could do it very similarly to how you did it 20 years ago. You already know how. The rabbit hole exists because the internet is made for it, and it's trying to sell you an endless amount of gear, usually by instilling fear. It can feel overwhelming.
Take a breath. Don't be afraid. You can do this.
And so you don't think I'm writing just to read myself, there is also the San Diego Marine Exchange's Cruising Guide: www.sandiegomarine.com/cruising-guide
Joshua Wheeler
⇑⇓ barra de navidad cruise-in week scheduled for february
Calling all sailboats! This text alerts the community to the event, but if you're interested in more info from the sailors' perspective, send us an email at cruiseinbarra@gmail.com. The Info and Register page has links to our agenda and registration form.
Our primary purpose is to fundraise for local schools. This year, schools are sharing with the public library, which has some infrastructure needs. You can "sponsor" a boat in the Flamingo Regatta and help them win "The Money Race," or make a general donation by credit card, PayPal, e-wallets, etc., at www.givebutter.com/s3GWw1. Elinore Craig
Elinore was commenting on the January 8 'Lectronic Latitude with the same name as this letter.
⇑⇓ coMe on down and let us know
Sailors' work projects return to Barra this year also! They had been discontinued when COVID closed everything
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down. On Wednesday of Cruise-In Week, we plan on painting at least two schools and cleaning up a playground area at a third school. But this all depends on how many boats and sailors get here for the fun.
If you are sailing in Mexico and would like to share the fun of Cruise-In Week and help out the local schools and kids, come on down! We've got a huge lagoon to anchor in and the Grand Marina is giving you a special rate. Take your pick! Barra has great food, music on the streets every night, and it's a great spot to get provisions. Please try to let us know you're coming — it helps us plan for ticket sales and rounding up paint brushes.
Pat McIntosh
Author, Cruising Notes — Know Before You Go
⇑⇓ eight bells — west coast circuMnavigator
John guzzwell
I had the honor of having dinner with John and his wife about eight years ago. I was in Port Townsend, shooting a Safety at Sea video with famous sailmaker Carol Hasse, and she arranged that we would bring pizza to John's house near Poulsbo. What a delightful evening!
There was music, stories and plenty of wine. While he had slowed down somewhat at that time (at the age of 88 or so), he still told some great stories about Trekka and other voyages. Everyone who has the slightest interest in sailing, cruising or voyaging must read Trekka Round the World — it's a classic, and it gives you an insight into John's character and resourcefulness.
Chuck Hawley
⇑⇓ books and races in John guzzwell's honor
John Guzzwell was one of my heroes when I was a teenager growing up in Durban, South Africa, in the 1960s. There were many people there around the waterfront who remembered him well. I will never forget my excitement the day I found Trekka Round the World in the Durban library in November 1967 — as recounted in my sailing memoir, Last Days of the Slocum Era.
A few weeks before John's passing, I had the pleasure of connecting with his wife, Dorothy, and his children through mutual friends, and was given permission to appoint John as Race Patron for the McIntyre Mini Globe Race (MGR), also known as the Mcintyre Mini (www.minigloberace.com), which kicks off from Antigua in February.
The transatlantic qualifier for this race happened in Lagos, Portugal, in late December 2024. This solo, aroundthe-world race in 19-ft plywood sloops, most of which are home-built, is to be sailed in the spirit and in honor of John Guzzwell and Trekka. Hull Number One of this class, ALVA (Class Globe 580) is called Trekka II. The Guzzwell family
Barra de Navidad's Cruise-In Week might pit a Laser against a cruising catamaran.
M ico Spring Savings
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were delighted with this tribute to John and will be following the race. John's legacy will live on as long as people sail small boats across oceans.
Graham Cox
⇑⇓ praise froM an official source
What a guy and inspiration to many, including me when I finished reading his book. Sail on, John!
Don McIntyre Creator, Ocean Globe Race
The Modern Golden Globe Race
⇑⇓ legends beget legends
My father, Harry Heckel, is perhaps one of those inspired by Guzzwell's story. While he was living with us in his mid90s, I had to get copies of both Guzzwell's and [Miles] Smeeton's books. My dad told me his first trek across the Pacific was an attempt to follow in Guzzwell's wake.
Readers — Harry Heckel's book is Around the World in 80 Years: The Oldest Man to Sail Alone Around the World — Twice!
⇑⇓ flashing a sMile
John Guzzwell was a true gentleman and an incredible sailor whom I was honored to race with in the 2007 Van Isle 360 regatta. When we left Winter Harbor on the overnight leg to Ucluelet, I asked John if he had ever seen the green flash. John just smiled, and that evening we saw the green flash — me for the first time. I will never forget John, the afternoon teas we shared and the intriguing stories he told. Rest in peace, John, and my condolences to your loved ones.
Lorraine
⇑⇓ a life well lived
Many years ago when making plans to go cruising, I figured I would be singlehanding. That led to reading most of the great singlehanded, around-the-world books, including John Guzzwell. Years later in 2021, having already started cruising, I had the good fortune to have lunch with John and my cousin. What a memorable lunch it was! John was a delight. Reading of his passing is sad, but also a reminder of what a life well lived John had.
Joseph DiMatteo
Carl Heckel
John Guzzwell touched the lives of Latitude Nation, including when he left San Francisco for Hawaii on September 10, 1955.
⇑⇓ eight bells for JiM gregory
James D. Gregory was "True" in every aspect of his life.
Jim was a true sailor: Ever since being towed in after capsizing the family's new Lightning dinghy in Long Island Sound at 11 years old, Jim was a devoted sailor. His passion was racing, but he truly loved everything about boats. Jim's favorite races were long-distance, downwind races, where he would take his watch and listen to Dark Side of the Moon in the middle of the night. Jim raced with crews of family and friends in numerous offshore and inshore regattas, including the Pacific Cup, Puerto Vallarta Race Week, Cabo San Lucas Races, Bermuda Races and the StFYC Big Boat Series. He always finished either first or second. Jim raced in at least 15 Block Island Race Weeks, ultimately taking first place in 2021 in his division on Morpheus, his Schumacher 50 built in 2002 in New Zealand. Jim spent the last 13 years of his life living and sailing, and occasionally racing aboard Morpheus with his wife Debbie and any friends who would come and join them along the way. Jim logged at least 85,000 nautical miles on Morpheus alone.
Jim was a true friend: He possessed an uncanny ability to connect with almost anyone. He was generous and had the rare gift of building community wherever he was. In 2017, for example, Jim found himself as the owner's representative at the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup for the Spanish team from Barcelona. Despite not speaking a word of Spanish, Jim found himself out late each evening with the Spanish team, then racing with them each day. Years later, when he was looking for good marinas in Barcelona, these friendships would lead him to Morpheus' home port in Badalona while she was in the Mediterranean. Jim's wife Debbie said about Jim, "He was always there for his friends, whether trying to figure out how to bake a file into a cake to break a friend out of jail, paddle a boat three miles down the Estuary after running out of fuel, or fly 6,000 miles to join them for a funeral." Jim maintained countless friendships from high school, college, his fraternity and business, as well as yacht racing and cruising, for decades.
Jim was a true father, husband, brother: As much as Jim tried to avoid being in charge, he was always the first person his family would look to when one needed an opinion, a sounding board, or help building a porch. Having a strong network family with friends was Jim's ultimate goal. Jim was blessed to live long enough to see both his boys grow into successful young men, to know his grandson Parker, and to learn that there was a baby sister on the way whose middle name will be "James."
Jim passed away three months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He had just enough time to say his goodbyes to family and friends. During this time, he would have two comments: One was that his "bucket list was pretty empty," as he had spent the last 13 years sailing Morpheus throughout the East Coast, Mediterranean and Caribbean, traveling and enjoying his life. The other was that, in 2001,
LETTERS
Jim Gregory passed away last fall. He was 65 years old.
LETTERS
Good Jibes Good Jibes Good Jibes
after being diagnosed with his first bout of cancer, he said he would have "made the deal" that allowed him to live another 20 years. He actually got 23 more years. He was satisfied with that.
Jim was a member of the Richmond Yacht Club, where he revitalized its Junior Sailing program, as well as the New York Yacht Club, the Singlehanded Sailing Society, CCA, the Pacific Cup Race Organizing Committee and the Storm Trysail Club. Jim graduated from Cal Berkeley in 1983 in computer science. He was a seventh-generation native Californian with an ancestor who was a skipper for Matson Lines aboard the ship Mariposa
Jim is survived by wife Debra, sons Christopher and Patrick, daughter -in-law Kelsey, grandson Parker, sisters Kathleen Humphrey and Laura Beasley, and brother Robert Gregory. He will be missed.
Deb Gregory
⇑⇓ the yra calendar
Latitude: I just got my 2025 Sailing Calendar in the mail and read it eagerly. You guys do a fantastic job on this publication. Thank you from the YRA.
Joe Rockmore Chair, Yacht Racing Association of San Francisco Bay
⇑⇓ the good vibes/ Jibes
Latitude — I just listened to your Good Jibes podcast and wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed it. Your interaction provided a nice "behindthe-curtain" context for the Racing Rules and the process of improving them. More important, I think, was the good vibe, literally, that made it such easy listening.
Adam F. Gambel Vice Commodore St. Francis Yacht Club
⇑⇓ readers, eMployees of latitude 38
Where do the readers of www.latitude38.com find their employees? There are a lot of hours of work on your pages. Thanks for the story.
Chuck Carpenter
Chuck — Where do we find our employees? That's a good question. The majority of our people have a love for sailing and the water, and there's some kind of gravitational going on between us.
Have a comment? Email us at editorial@latitude38.com
LOOSE LIPS
We asked readers to share anything they know about January’s Caption Contest(!) photo. Rebecca Thomson did some sleuthing and came up with this: “Google lens found the image in Tumblr, in a vast trove of NatGeo scans. Caption: ‘Teenagers sailing on Lake Harriet in Minneapolis, Minnesota.’— National Geographic | November 1963.” We too saw that caption, but the photos we found only went back as far as 2013! Nice work, Rebecca; thanks! And now for the contest … Winner and top 10 below.
“She finally noticed me. I think I’m in love!” — Rich Brazil.
“Sally Mae, I did my 150 stomach crunches and 50 leg lifts at the gym earlier today. How many mor e do I need to do to keep you a happy crew member?!!!!” — Dan Brenny.
“The plan: 1. Sneak on boat 2. Act like I’m supposed to be here 3. Learn their plan … Oh, wait I’m steering, shit ….” — Mark Caplin.
“Charlie’s sailing coach told him to ‘sail by the seat of your pants.’ Unfortunately Charlie took this advice literally!” — Adam James.
“I SAID dock time was 1130 sharp, Pete!” — Richard von Ehrenkrook.
“This size-14 shoe will make a foil and we can still win.” — Johnny Morris Retzlaff.
“Last time I’ll eat a bowl of chili before a race!” — Geoff Moxham.
“That scowl on her face and the dubious driver’s kinematics can only mean Lee Helm is on the bow!” — Bill Willcox.
“‘You are pointing too high … fall off!’ He took it literally.” — Eben Kermit.
“I was going to try to use my leg as a tiller extension!” — Tom Corcoran.
“May your boat be leak free. May your sails be in good repair. May the winds be fair, the weather kind, and may your days be filled with new adventures.” — Author Unknown. Found on Pintrest/Last Lemon.
Winner: “I thought I left you behind on the dock!!” — David Henry.
ragtime — looking back to the future a record-breaking
One of sailing's most iconic yachts, Ragtime, the 1965 Spencer-designed 62-ft sloop first made famous for winning her first two Transpacs in 1973 and 1975, has a storied history like few others. It began in New Zealand and continues remarkably to this day in Southern California despite significant highs and lows. The passion infused among many owners and crew alike has kept Ragtime alive as she prepares for a new chapter, painstakingly restored under current ownership, smartly updated and ready to take on the Pacific Ocean once again.
Ragtime's DNA was forged before she was even christened Infidel in 1965. Sir Tom Clark, a prominent New Zealand industrialist, commissioned yacht designer John Spencer to construct Infidel after having raced the Spencer-designed Saracen, a 36-ft C-Class yacht that became a testbed for the larger and faster Infidel. Initially intended for comfortable inshore and coastal racing, Clark's perspective shifted after witnessing her remarkable speed — she was considered a scratch boat in the local A-Class Series the day she was launched and went on to beat the iconic Ranger. Spencer's revolutionary lightweight design — she weighed only 26,000 pounds, half that of typical 60-footers — stunned the racing community. Built unconventionally, Spencer specified that two layers of 3/8-inch plywood be glued together and fitted to her wood frames; she was nicknamed 'Fletcher's Tram' after New Zealand's leading plywood manufacturer.
Clark contemplated sailing in the 1967 Sydney Hobart Race. However, as Tom's son Geoffrey relates, "While the idea of entering Infidel into the Sydney Hobart Race was discussed, it was never seriously considered, never entered, and (she was) never banned. However, there was a lot of comment at the time that she would be banned — active threats to keep her in Auckland." Clark sold Infidel in 1970 to the Long Beach Consortium, who shipped her far north to California and renamed her Ragtime
During Ragtime's inaugural 1973 Transpac, she faced off against Ken DeMeuse's 75-ft Blackfin (1969 Transpac winner) and Robert Johnson's 73-ft Windward Passage (which set a Transpac record in 1971). She trailed Windward Passage for almost the entire race, but only days away from Diamond Head, Ragtime managed to overtake her competition and win the Barn Door Trophy. Her lightweight, long, narrow, hard-chined hull was precedent-setting and ideal for extended downwind surfing opportunities — a precursor to the ULDB designs that followed.
By 2003, after a handful of dif ferent owners, Ragtime floated listlessly, languishing unmaintained in Long Beach Harbor with a lien on her title and an auctioneer's gavel waiting to determine her fate. Fortunately, Chris Welsh and a group of friends raised their paddle and put down $135,000, purchasing the boat in time to campaign her in her 13th Transpac in 2005. This would mark the beginning of an 18-year love affair between Welsh and Ragtime. He bought out his partners and in 2006 refitted her with a new carbon rig, sails, keel and rudder. A year after racing the 2007 Transpac, he entered the Transpacific Yacht Club's Tahiti Race. Despite numerous equipment failures that included a split mainsail, broken gooseneck and a leaky keel, Welsh and crew set a new L.A.-to-Tahiti record. Continuing south to Australia, Welsh entered Ragtime in that year's Sydney Hobart race (at last) and won her division. Soon after, she was reunited in New Zealand with Geoffrey Clark, who hadn't seen her since he was a young man. By 2013, Chris had relocated to Point Richmond and was living with his partner Tina Roberts. Docked in front of their waterside home, Ragtime patiently awaited significant upgrades. In 2018, she was put on the hard at his boatyard, Sugar Dock, awaiting long-planned upgrades. Further plans included even more weight-savings to improve performance — Welsh had already slimmed her down to 22,000 pounds. COVID provided an opportunity to strip much of her interior and exterior down to bare wood, including her epoxied topsides. A tremendous amount of work remained to be done. Devastatingly, Chris passed away suddenly in March 2021, leaving Ragtime unfinished and her future in limbo. "It took me a year after Chris's passing to choose to move forward," Tina said. "In my heart, I knew that selling the boat did not guarantee her refit. Over time, I began to feel very
When Charlie Dalin finished the Vendée Globe on January 14 aboard his IMOCA 60 MACIF Santé Prévoyance, he shattered the prior record by almost 10 days. Just 64 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes and 49 seconds after the November 2024 start, Dalin had sailed 24,000 miles from and back to Les Sables-d'Olonne. (The previous record was set in 2017 by Armel Le Cléac'h, who finished the race in 74 days.
Dalin took the lead in the South Atlantic, but relinquished it to Yoann Richomme after passing Cape Leeuwin, Australia. Dalin chased Richomme all the way across the Southern Ocean, rounding Cape Horn in second place just nine-and-a-half minutes behind. He passed Richomme, again
vendée globe
in the South Atlantic. Though Richomme remained close astern, Dalin managed a 100-plus-mile lead in the final stretch.
With light air at the finish, the last 150 miles were slow for Yoann Richomme, who crossed the line some 24 hours after Dalin. Sébastien Simon on Groupe Dubreuil finished with a solid third place despite a broken starboard foil sustained in Australia.
The Vendée Globe continues with 32 competitors still on the course. Reader Bernard Debbasch pointed out that among those still sailing, 23-year-old female skipper Violette Dorange has become a superstar in France as the youngest competitor; she's in 28th place aboard a 2007 design.
— latitude / john
ragtime — continued
strongly that the boat and her legacy deserved another 20+ years of her best racing." This decision set in motion a plan to have her delivered to Long Beach's Diversified Composites at Dennis Choate's boatyard, where Dennis and Alan Andrews had executed Ragtime's 2006 refit. Project manager Jimmy Slaughter was an added bonus to the team, having recently updated the Bill Lee 68 Merlin. A laundry list of upgrades has been implemented, not limited to a renovated cockpit, new topsides, allnew winch and electronics packages, engine replacement, custom sails, new mast and rigging, and a completely renovated, modern interior, all wrapped up in two layers of carbon fiber affixed to her hull.
To fulfill Chris's dream, Tina envisions herself as Ragtime's sponsor, steward and advocate. "I want to pay forward the chance she's given hundreds of sailors to sail on her." Through alumni and new guests, Tina hopes to draw in a new generation of sailors, "who want to connect with history; to watch her elegant, sleek design start races and cross finish lines and for her story to be told in complete detail for the first time."
— ross tibbits
summer. Stay tuned! www.ragtimesailing.com
possible Transpac
Built in 1965, the 62-ft John Spencer-designed 'Ragtime' (originally 'Infidel') has lived many lives. Here are a few snapshots of 'Ragtime' under the ownership of Chris Welsh (bottom row, middle, on the wheel; top row, third from left), who bought the storied boat in 2003. Tina Roberts (bottom row, left) has spearheaded 'Ragtime's most recent renovation after Welsh passed in 2021. 'Ragtime' was likely relaunched by this printing — future outings include Southern California races this spring with hopes of a
this
revival of open 5.70 "soggy bottom club"
On a Monday night, I started emailing yacht clubs and sailing schools all around San Francisco Bay. I had just moved here, and I could not go another weekend without sailing. Sequoia Yacht Club members replied back in less than 10 minutes. When the commodore asked what I preferred, I simply replied, "Speed and dinghies." He said to try the Open 5.70s.
Just two days later, I got to race on Hummingbird (Open 5.70, sail #296). Grinning ear to ear, I exclaimed, "That was awesome," and from that moment, I was hooked. I crewed for Andrew Lesslie on Hummingbird for the rest of the summer. Before the sailing season was over, I was fixing up my own Open 5.70, Altair (#306).
Geoffrey Owens and Madison Jewell crewed for Andrew on Hummingbird, too. A week later, they were the proud owners of The Rooster (#298) and raced in the Open 5.70 North American Championships. In fact, for three summers in a row, Andrew has successfully inspired, trained, and encouraged young new sailors to skipper their own Open 5.70.
continued on outside column of next sightings page
new maritime trade
A new maritime trade school has come to life on Mare Island through the recently formed Working Waterfront Coalition (WWC), which hopes to recruit and train new tradespeople for maritime careers. The school offers tracks for both shipyard work and transportation jobs such as on-board deckhands, mates and ship's officers.
The school was founded by Bobby Winston, a founder of the WETA ferry system, with the support of local marine businesses. We spoke with WWC project director Sal Vaca, who relayed the massive need for skilled hands in both the commercial and recreational maritime industries. "The training is provided to students at no cost
Clockwise from top right: Author of this Sightings Samantha Chiu (arms up) and Andrew Lesslie; Marton Neher and crew aboard 'Spirit'; 'Altair' at the Red Bra Regatta crewed by Samantha Chiu, Anja Bog and Leah Hughes; Inset: Open 5.70s feature an asymmetrical spinnaker and retractable sprit.
school on mare island
through grants and fundraising for workforce development programs," Vaca told us. "Students also receive a stipend and help with transportation."
The WWC hopes to reduce the worker shortage that has made it difficult to find skilled tradespeople. Local shipyards, ports and ferry companies say they need new workers to replace retiring staff. The WWC started recruiting students in July last year. The first class of 25 students is currently being placed in local waterfront jobs. The WWC hopes to find people who grew up sailing, who'd like to roll up their sleeves and find careers in the marine trades.
— latitude
the soggy bottom club — continued
The Open 5.70s are designed by French architect JM Finot. They came to the US in 2007 and are built by Phileas in France and Columbia Yachts in the US.
In a 2023 article, "What are Open 5.70s?", Andrew described the boat as "quirky, with a fully battened rig reminiscent of an F18 catamaran, an asymmetric spinnaker set on a retractable sprit, twin rudders, and a hull that looks like a miniature version of the Open 60 ocean racers." He first saw the boats at the Chubb US Junior Championship hosted by the Peninsula Youth Sailing Foundation (PYSF) in 2019. All 11 boats were on loan from their owners for the championships. The boats are now onto their second, third, or fourth generation of owners, but they're still here at Redwood City, where we race weekly at events sponsored by Sequoia Yacht Club.
The fleet has been growing, and we are racing beyond the South Bay. When I raced Altair in the 2024 Three Bridge Fiasco, a trimaran yelled, "Hey, we haven't seen one of y'all in forever!" This year, four 5.70s joined in the Fiasco (Altair, BigAir, Spirit and The Rooster). Marton Neher, the owner of Spirit (#317), who did the West Point Regatta and Great Pumpkin Regatta, said, "I was eyeing a J/92, but then the promise of a onedesign racing fleet was something I couldn't turn down. I like the immediate feedback I get from the boat, like driving a sports car. I love the speed, the agility, the low costs of ownership, plus how it remains manageable in Bay Area winds. But above all, it's the fleet."
Three 5.70s competed in the Red Bra Regatta (570, Altair, and Granuaile). Half of the fleet is helmed by women. Altair's Samantha Chiu and crew took first place in her division. Maggie, owner of 570, said, "I'd been crewing on others' boats for about five years, but rarely on the helm. I wanted to learn how to actually sail — and be the driver. My very experienced sailor friend sent me a link to purchase a 5.70, so we went for it! And now I helm my own boat, with a little help from my friends."
In December 2023, we for med the Open 5.70 North American Class Association. Most recently, we are really proud to have hosted the 2024 Open 5.70 North American Championships (9/3-9/4). The trophy is a watercolor painting by JM Finot and features Open 5.70s in front of the Golden Gate Bridge. The 2024 Open 5.70 champion was Roxy (#386, Anja Bog and crew).
We had nine boats on the start line over two days and five races total. Our veterans and new teams showed up. We also had two 5.70s sailed by PYSF alumni, Tre Ali (#310) and Hummingbird. Team Granuaile's Ian Brosnan (sailing on Spirit, #217) said, "The boat is great, but that is secondary to the character of the people in the fleet. Andrew Lesslie (Hummingbird) handed his boat over while he stepped in to run the race. We sailed a borrowed boat, had a gear failure at the start, had immediate homes for our third crew to enjoy the day on the water, had multiple texts guiding us to parts and successful repairs, and still enjoyed more than half the regatta." This regatta was hosted in parallel with the 2024 South Bay Championships. This year's South Bay Champion is Osprey (Jeff Stine and crew).
"The Open 5.70 fleet is completely revived and ready to race," said James Cabtree, chair of the US Sailing One Design Class Committee. "The legacy and regional importance of classes like yours are the legacy of one-design sailing. Our next major events are the 2025 Spring Regatta and Rock the Boat."
Sequoia Yacht Club members also love sailing on the Open 5.70s. They affectionately call us the 'Soggy Bottom Club,' a nod to our tenacity and the wet, wild rides we endure in the South Bay's challenging conditions. Are you interested in sailing with us? We love bringing on new crew and can't wait to see the fleet grow. Reach out to Sequoia Yacht Club or our Facebook page ("Open 5.70") to learn more. We have year-round racing, and the fleet is well supported by the club's racing program, including weekend racing all year, Wednesday evening racing from April to September, and club regattas where the Open 5.70s race.
— samantha chiu
dispatches from sailing to japan
The Japanese sailing community is small, and the number of foreign yachts that visit Japan annually is tiny. The welcome Bosun Bird and her crew were given was by far the warmest they have received anywhere. In this excerpt from Sailing to the Heart of Japan, Nick and Jenny Coghlan have just tied up at the ancient port of Hirado …
Back at the ferry pontoon, another yacht was in: Skal. The name sounded (and was) Scandinavian, but the crew were not. In the way that these things seem to happen in Japan (fueled by a little alcohol), by 11:00 that night, the crew were lifelong friends. Ishii, in his 60s, trim, with short silver hair and a perpetually nervous smile, had responded to our first invitation by coming round with an armful of charts and two carrier bags that turned out to contain bottles of vintage whisky and sake, vacuum-packed squid, a tin of sausages, assorted pickles, a jar of marmalade and bundles of tourist literature.
"Ishii," he said clearly, pointing directly at his chest, adding with a beam: "Captain of Skal. And Akihara San. Artist. My friend …"
Within minutes, the cabin was festooned with charts that would be halfunrolled as Ishii frenetically stabbed at one of his favorite anchorages after another, then would roll themselves back up, so that soon we had no idea what part of Japan we were looking at. After half an hour and at least one bottle of sake, we reached a chart that seemed to be from somewhere near Osaka. Ishii gestured excitedly at a set of Japanese characters on an eastwest coastline, and said: "Suma! Very good marina! Home of Skal!"
Within a minute, he had speed-dialed his friend Miyazaki San, the marina manager, who must have been startled to receive this business call at home at 11 on a Saturday night. But he apparently agreed on the spot to give us one free week's moorage on arrival. (No mean sum financially.)
"One week …" Ishii shrugged philosophically. "But in Japan all can be discussed… Later I talk to Miyazaki again."
The next evening, we were over on Skal. Like all the Japanese sailors we met, Ishii never cooked on board unless there was absolutely no alternative, and then it would be instant ramen at most. As Ishii said, with no sense of irony: "Japanese man, don't cook. Except sushi chef."
Frugality was the order of the day in many regards. Cruisers were prepared to deliberately arrive late at marinas, then leave at dawn so as to avoid paying, or to falsify their boat-registration decals with a felt-tip pen so as to gain a year or two of free sailing. But in port, the first quest was always to find the best (which was usually the most expensive) eatery.
The Japanese cruiser's boat, it seemed, was partly for drinking aboard and entertaining your old (male) friends and was a sanctum into which wives or lady friends would very rarely be invited. Just as well. Hanging on Ishii's bulkhead was a calendar entitled Hawaii's Best, consisting of buxom, dusky-skinned vahines called Leilani or Sandra, whose only items of clothing were flower leis.
"Palo San," said Ishii, gesturing to another silver -haired man who had joined us for the evening. "Okayama University," he added after some browwrinkling thought and whispered consultation with Palo and Akihara. "University Sailing Club. Old friends…"
I don't remember too much about the evening. In our logbook there is taped a color photograph (Ishii had a printer on board) of myself with a tea-towel wrapped around my head performing a traditional Japanese eel-fishermen's song that involved intricate gestures imitating the way in which eels are drawn from the water into the net. At another point in the evening, as heavy rain began to splash onto the coach roof, Palo San pulled from nowhere a roll of rice paper and a beautiful small box in which he laboriously prepared black ink from powder. From another pocket came a brush. As we unsteadily held the paper in place on the cabin table, he turned thoughtful for a few moments and theatrically tested a few words before his now-expectant audience. In surprisingly steady strokes of the brush, biting his lower lip in concentration, he penned three vertical columns of calligraphy, whispering as he went. It was a poem to our presence, here in the rain in Hirado.
are you feeling
We are proud to highlight our four mostrecent episodes of Good Jibes, Latitude 38's weekly podcast. Here are four segments featuring a variety of episodes and hosts that aired in January, but live forever on the internet for your listening pleasure: In Good Jibes episode #174, we sailed to Mexico with the 30th Annual Baja Ha-Ha cruiser's rally. Host Nicki Bennett chatted with Chuck Skewes of Ullman Sails and the crew of the Ha-Ha mothership Profligate — skippered by none other than the Ha-Ha's Grand Poobah — as they sailed south down the coast of Baja California.
the good jibes?
Listeners got to hear an insider's thoughts on what it's like to do the Baja Ha-Ha; to hear stories about the legendary Turtle Bay Baseball Game; tales of the boat that wouldn't stop drifting away; the record amount of fish caught; and the top reasons to do the Baja Ha-Ha. (Spoiler alert: There are only good reasons to do the Ha-Ha.)
In episode #173 of Good Jibes, we brought you three stories from the Latitude 38 archives. Host John Arndt shared "Turkey Trot Offshore 2024" by Andy Schwenk, "Exploring Baja Surf on SV Sweetheart" by Jeremy Snyder and Maddie Zug, and, from
continued on inside column of next sightings page
sailing to japan — continued
"Pitter patter," Palo tentatively explained, pointing to the first characters. "Pitter patter…" After that, the explanation became more complicated.
Every character seemed to be a pun, a double meaning, and our three friends could not agree on how to explain it to us in their fractured English. Eventually we rolled the parchment up. I hope that when we one day find someone who reads Japanese, it will be truly poetic. (But probably it won't; with the amount of alcohol he consumed that evening, Palo cannot have been at his best.)
Jenny sat through this quite stoically and smilingly. Every time I was offered another shot of sake or whisky, she was politely proffered a soft drink or juice. And she was not actively included in the conversation. We'd been in Japan long enough to not be offended by this. Much later Ishii would take me on one side and ask: continued on outside column of next sightings page
Scenes from the Land of the Rising Sun, one of the world's rarer cruising grounds. There are more than 14,000 islands in the Japanese archipelago. Clockwise from top left: A street festival in the City of Fukuoka; the Vancouver 27 'Bosun Bird' tied up at Heigun Island in Japan's Seto Inland Sea; at a street festival in Kiba, a neighborhood of Tokyo; the official yacht-greeter, Idehata San, left, with Jenny Coghlan on the island of Kurahashi Jima, in the Inland Sea, near Hiroshima. Inset: After spending 15 months cruising in Japan, Nick Coghlan penned the book "Sailing to the Heart of Japan," which he called "A voyage of personal discovery, and a unique account of one of the world's least-known but most attractive cruising destinations."
photos Courtesy niCk and Jenny Coghlan
sailing to japan — continued good jibes
"How did you persuade Jenny San to sail?"
It wasn't that easy to explain. We'd met, as people do in the West, because of shared interests, so that doing things together as a married couple was just a natural extension of that. Including others in our activities, regardless of their gender or status, was also natural.
But for Ishii's generation in Japan, marriages had often been arranged ones. As men progressed through their famously long-houred and arduous working lives, their friendships were those they had made at university, likely through same-sex clubs, or at work. These often spilled over from working hours into late-night drinking sessions, from which wives and girlfriends were excluded.
By the time we got up the next morning, a little the worse for wear, Skal and her crew had long gone. They had their schedule to keep, and the heavy rain meant that they were now a day behind their carefully planned timings.
— nick and jenny coghlan
June 1993, "Triumph of the Spirit — The Odyssey of Bill Forrest," by Latitude editor John 'JR' Riise. The story of Bill Forrest is an amazing tale of survival after falling overboard.
Episode #172 of Good Jibes featured Rob Overton, the past chairman of the racing rules committee for US Sailing, an organization he served on for more than 30 years. Tune in as Rob chats with Good Jibes host Moe Roddy about the new Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) heading into 2025. You'll also hear stories from Rob's more than 65 years of racing and cruising.
On episode #171 of Good Jibes, our guest was former Stanford University sailing coach John Vandemoer. John chatted with host
— continued
Moe Roddy about the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal chronicled in his book
Rigged Justice: How the College Admissions
Scandal Ruined an Innocent Man's Life.
Much like Latitude 38 magazine, the Good Jibes podcast brings you entertaining tales of adventure, mishaps, glory and mistakes from a variety of West Coast sailors — from racers to cruisers, from dinghy sailors to bigboat crew.
You can tune into Good Jibes wherever you get your podcasts, or go to our website: www.latitude38.com/good-jibes-latitude-38s-podcast. Please be sure to like and subscribe, or leave us a review!
— latitude
our sailing adventure in hawaii
After our successful Pacific Cup campaign this summer, we explored the breathtaking Hawaiian Islands, by sailboat, the following month. Our adventure began at the sandbar, a short distance from the Kaneohe Yacht Club. This stunning spot, with crystal-clear waters and the home to many sea turtles, is nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the sheltered waters of Kaneohe Bay. We dropped the anchor just shy of the sandbar, swam over to enjoy its natural beauty, snorkeled among vibrant marine life, and marveled at the graceful sea turtles.
With refreshed spirits, we weighed anchor and set sail for Hanalei Bay on Kauai. The overnight sail was a smooth downwind ride, and as dawn broke, we approached Hanalei Bay's idyllic anchorage. Carefully navigating past moored boats, we dropped anchor in crystal-clear, 15-foot-deep waters, about 200 yards from shore. Sheltered from the typical easterly swells, Hanalei Bay offered the perfect spot for a morning swim followed by a hearty breakfast. Then, we launched our kayaks and explored the shore and the winding Hanalei River, surrounded by wild palm, banana and papaya trees. The river's meandering path stretches for miles, offering a serene kayaking experience. Hanalei Bay's beach, encircling most of the bay, was a joy to explore. With the majority of visitors confined to the pier and parks, most of the beach was peaceful and perfect for leisurely walks.
We spent several days anchored at Hanalei Bay, which allowed us to visit the charming town of Hanalei. With its selection of cozy restaurants, artisan shops and a small grocery store, the town was a delightful stop. We sailed southwest around Kauai before heading southeast, passing Oahu and Molokai's rugged cape on our way to Lanai. Most of this leg was a close reach, with wind and spray coming over the bow, making for a bumpy ride. Navigating through the Kaiwi Channel — known for its strong winds and busy ship traffic — required careful attention. We arrived at The Needles, an anchorage on Lanai, by morning and dropped the hook in a picturesque cove. True to its name, the cove is marked by spiky rock formations, with anchorages on either side offering protection from the swell. In calm weather, this spot is ideal for snorkeling or diving.
Before returning to Oahu, our final island stop was Molokai. Departing Needles Cove at dawn, we enjoyed a comfortable sail across the Kalohi Channel to Lono Harbor. This small, abandoned harbor provided an excellent anchorage for a few days. Easy shore access and an old gravel road led to hiking trails along the coastline or up the island's gentle slopes. The area is famous for its large bee colonies, which eagerly seek fresh water. A simple trick, placing a bucket of water at the bow, kept the bees away from the cockpit. Watching them swarm and drink was a fascinating sight.
On our return sail to Oahu, we anchored for a night off Waikiki Beach. By day, the anchorage is bustling with tourist boats, but in the evening, it transforms into a tranquil haven with only a few vessels spending the night. While in Honolulu, we spent a few restful days at the Waikiki Yacht Club before sailing north to Pokai Bay and Haleiwa Harbor. The scenic route along Oahu's leeward shore took us past Pearl Harbor, Barbers Point and Maili Point before reaching the compact Pokai Bay in Waianae. With space for just one or two boats, we anchored close to the breakwater, only 80 yards from the beach.
The next day, we enjoyed a leisurely sail up the coast to Haleiwa Harbor on Oahu's North Shore, where SV Rägeboge is currently berthed. This quiet harbor, home to around 80 boats and a few guest slips, is within walking distance of the town, parks and beaches. Haleiwa is a popular day trip for tourists, bustling from mid-morning until late afternoon. By evening, the town settles into a peaceful calm.
Are you inspired to experience Hawaii sailing? Get in contact with the author and make your dream come true!
— heinz baumann
Heinz Baumann is a 50-ton USCG-certified captain and a YRA-certified skipper with more than 30 years of experience sailing the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, as well as the North, Baltic, and Mediterranean seas. You can find more of his adventures at www.swissadventures.com/blog.
Clockwise from top left: The Kaneohe Sandbar; the Pac Cup crew of SV 'Rägeboge', from left: Raffi Baumann, this Sightings author Heinz Baumann, Andrea Geisinger and Erin Slichter; anchored in Waikiki looking at the Honolulu skyline; the majestic Hanalei Bay; the sun sets in Kauai on Hanalei Bay.
ARC RALLY
Itwas 3:17 a.m. when urgent pounding on my cabin door awoke me. "Mayday! Mayday! We have two. A man overboard and a boat's taking on water!"
My bucket-list adventure of sailing across the Atlantic had started eight days earlier, on November 24, 2024. I and the ill-fated were among the hundreds of enthusiasts on the 140 boats that started the 38th running of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC), which is organized by the U.K.-based World Cruising Club. It starts from Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, which is about 120 miles off the coast of Africa, and ends some 2,700 miles later in St. Lucia in the Caribbean.
I had entered into a bargain with my wife: In exchange for not buying a boat, she would support my sailing aspirations — but only aboard other people's boats. So, using a website that connects boat owners and crew, I landed a position on Gerald and Christina Smith's 1985 Jongert 20-meter ketch Cinderella di Sanremo. At 67 years of age, I had been worried that skippers would prefer a younger version of me, but it turns out that many boat owners are my contemporaries and it wasn't an issue. Gerald was English, his wife was Swedish and Norwegian, and the other two crew were German and Maltese. I was the token American.
I arrived in Las Palmas a week early to help get the boat prepared and enjoy social events. Because Cinderella was 73 feet overall, we were placed on the "big boat" dock — the ones that can give you a bad case of boat envy. To our port was a Whitbread 70, and two boats to starboard was a Volvo 70, both around-the-world veterans. (The latter was to experience the man overboard.) There was the Oyster that came in XL and other beautiful boats. Then there were the boats I'm more used to sailing, those in the 40- to 50-ft range — Beneteaus, Leopards and even a 38-ft Hanse.
After six long days of preparing, repairing and provisioning, all 140 boats paraded out a narrow marina opening for the start. It was a spectacle, with flags flying, horns blaring, and a couple hundred spectators cheering us on. We reciprocated with the Queen's wave. We felt special. Once Cinderella had crossed the starting line, we made the obligatory offering to Neptune: a splash of port. We sailed down the southeast side of Gran Canaria and got a great lift from an acceleration
zone between islands. We had our big gennaker out and were making up to 10.4 knots in 20 knots of wind. As I went to sleep that night, I had visions of an easy, downwind, one-tack, 3,000-mile sail.
And then … nothing. There was zero wind. For days. Ocean sailing is all about weather routing, finding wind in our sweet spot in the mid-20-knot range, and avoiding wind holes and squalls.
In retrospect, I've come to think of the trip as having three parts. The first part is sailing south, as the saying goes, "until the butter melts." The trade winds pick up just north of the Cape Verde Islands, where the traditional route turns west and takes aim at the Caribbean. We were in this part, before the trades kicked in.
The second part is where we entered
None of us had ever practiced how to pick up a liferaft... So we looked it up on YouTube.
the trade-wind belt. The first few days in the trades had lovely sunny skies and respectable wind.
The third part is still in the trade-wind belt, but where squalls start to hunt you. Squalls differ from weather fronts, like the front that caused pandemonium in the fleet on December 2.
December 1 found us entering the third part. We had finished making the
long, big loop to the west, and had enjoyed a couple of days of nice sailing before the weather changed. It's a bit of an open secret that the trades don't really settle in until late December or January. Before then, you can experience lighter or stronger winds. We experienced both. On this particular day, winds were in the mid-20-knot range. We were barreling along at 9, sometimes 10 knots. But conditions were strengthening during my 2100 to 2400 watch. When it was over, I was in bed by 0015 and asleep by 0016.
Itseems all bad things happen in the dead of night when the weather is foul and you are sound asleep. And so it was for me on December 2 when that pounding on my door jarred me awake just after hitting REM. I rolled out of my bunk and grabbed my PFD. The boat was rolling heavily as each wave muscled its way under our hull in a hurry to nowhere in particular. Winds had risen into the high 20s with near-gale-force gusts. The confused seas built to 10 to 12 feet every 6 or 7 seconds. Wind waves battled with a sea swell, which in turn competed with a secondary swell. Each came from a different
The crew of 'Karolina Viking' deploy their liferaft. The boat had developed a leak around the starboard rudder, which eventually killed the engine, overwhelmed the pumps, partially flooded the hull, and knocked out their electrical power.
RESCUE AT SEA
direction. It was a washing machine.
I stumbled out of the pilothouse into the cockpit. Immediately, I heard a whistle — like the whistle that you're required to have on your PFD to participate in the ARC.
Was that the man overboard? It sounded like a London constable's whistle: urgent, shrill, and repeating every couple of seconds. It was coming from directly behind the boat. I shouted to the closest crew member. "Do you hear that? Is that the man overboard?" She replied, "Yes, I hear it."
With the wind and noise, it was hard to hear much of anything. We hadn't heard from the skipper because he was on the heaving foredeck with another crew member trying to snuff our gennaker and furl the poled-out genoa. We watched as a wave swept him across the foredeck, but he was saved by his tether. We couldn't do anything about the man overboard until we doused the headsails. Meanwhile, we had our hands full in the cockpit trying to tame the frameless canvas bimini whose wild flapping was also drowning out almost everything else. It had to come down.
By the time that was accomplished, the foredeck crew had finished and returned to the safety of the cockpit. Without the canvas bimini, the tonal quality of the "man overboard whistle" changed. We were surprised and a felt a bit foolish that the sound turned out to be the wind in the shrouds. In my defense, I've sailed out of Sausalito for more than 30 years, and like any Bay Area sailor, I know what wind in the shrouds sounds like. This was different in tone and duration.
The next update was that the man-overboard incident had occurred a couple hundred miles to the north of us. Confusion and lack of information are part of an
The taking-on-water mayday from the Swedish-flagged Karolina Viking, a Leopard 45 catamaran, came in on the VHF radio shortly after 0300. Our range for receiving radio messages and AIS (Automatic Identification System) tracking information, which is also broadcast via VHF, was 12 to 15 miles. This is much shorter than we expected. While we were plowing westward, Karolina Viking, which had earlier noticed a problem with its rudder, was headed south to Cape Verde for repairs. We saw their AIS on our chartplotter. They were behind us and to the north, but the forward motion of both boats soon took us out of range to where we could no longer see them. After leaving VHF range, they determined their situation was dire and issued their mayday. Fortunately, both they and we had Starlink.
Starlink has revolutionized maritime communications. In 2023, 40% of ARC boats had Starlink. In 2024, it was 80%, and the ARC committee is likely to require it in the future. So we simply called Karolina Viking on the phone using WhatsApp. (We had their contact information through the WhatsApp group set up by the ARC committee.) They gave us their
latitude and longitude, and their course and speed. We set our course to intercept.
Whenemergency's DNA.
It took a very sobering 30+ minutes to tur n the boat around. That's 4+ miles if you're going 8 knots, as we were. During that time, more information came to light.
I think of an emergency at sea, I envision something that happens faster than you can drop your phone into the bilge. This emergency wasn't fast. Rather, it was agonizingly slow. It took nine hours to catch up with Karolina Viking, and we were the closest of 140 boats. It's a friggin' big ocean.
The "new" crew complement of 'Cinderella' after the rescue (sitting l to r): Gerald Smith (owner of 'Cinderella'), Magnus, Christina Smith, Johan. Middle row l to r: Scott Shaffer, Patrik, Saskia Kiessling, John di Giorgio. Back row in sunglasses: Malin and Hanna. (Johan and Hanna were owners of 'Karolina Viking'.)
JOHN DI GIORGIO
SCOTT SHAFFER
Nine long hours gave us time to make calls and prepare. Using WhatsApp and Starlink, we communicated with the ARC committee watch desk and the maritime rescue coordination centers (MRCC) in Spain, Cape Verde, and Martinique. At 350 nautical miles from Cape Verde, which was the closest land, Karolina Viking was well beyond the range of a helicopter. All agencies confirmed that we should assist in any way possible.
As our skipper got some rest, the crew discussed how the transfer from their boat to ours would take place. The prevailing opinion was that they should board their liferaft and we would bring it alongside our boat. To our surprise, we realized that in all our sailing courses (including the Royal Yacht Masters licensure and US Sailing Association's classes through Offshore Passage Making), none of us had ever practiced or even discussed how to pick up a liferaft. In those classes, we discussed how to deploy a liferaft; where to position a liferaft while abandoning ship; how to enter a liferaft; and how to hoist people out of a liferaft. But no one had had a class where they discussed how a boat was supposed to approach a liferaft and bring it alongside. So, we looked it up on YouTube. Nothing. You can find a video on how to overhaul the cooling system on a ‘57 Studebaker, but there were no videos on how to pick up a liferaft. So we contacted the Cape Verde Joint Rescue
Coordinating Center: "We have a visual on them and are trying to plan a strategy for their recovery through a liferaft transfer. Wind 25 knots and heavy seas. Please
provide any recommendations for our approach." They replied, "The JRCC recommends making a safe approach, getting as close as possible to the vessel, taking into account the weather conditions on the scene. It also recommends using the safety equipment available on board, and we would be grateful if you could keep us informed of developments."
Written like a lawyer. Maybe it was.
As we got closer to Karolina Viking, we picked her up on AIS. Their course was erratic. We learned later that they had given up trying to make Cape Verde and were simply trying to steer to keep the damaged rudder settled in one position rather than whipping back and forth, enlarging the hull penetration. We were motoring at about 6 knots, but at times they were going 4 knots in the same direction. We were closing at just 2 knots. We used our AIS and radar's MARPA for the closest point of approach in exactly the opposite way it was intended — to intersect at the same point at the same time.
Wewere fewer than 3 miles away before we could see Karolina Viking, given that its sail and hull blended into the milky-white sky. Miraculously, the seas and wind had moderated. And just as fortunate, we were going to make the transfer during daylight.
Once our skipper returned to the pilothouse, he announced how he had already settled on a retrieval technique, one similar to picking up a crew overboard using a towed Lifesling when approaching from downwind. So we paid out 300 feet of floating line with a large ball fender secured to the end. The Karolina Viking crew deployed their liferaft and climbed into it, but kept it tethered to the catamaran's stern. We did a test run dragging the fender past the liferaft. As Cinderella circled, we kept an eye on Karolina Viking's drogue, which had been deployed
to reduce wind drift. Sometimes you could see it floating; other times it dipped below the surface. Fouling it in our prop and diving on it in these conditions was no one's idea of a good time.
We made another pass and failed to get the line close enough for the cat's crew to grab. As we circled for another try, Karolina Viking cut loose its drogue to eliminate the risk to Cinderella.
There were two problems: One, the liferaft was still tied to the catamaran, and two, it was tied to the windward hull. Both these issues made a close approach from downwind risky. It was clear they had to get free of the cat, and they cut loose when our skipper requested that they do so. Karolina Viking drifted away along with the owners' dreams of sailing the Caribbean and beyond for the next three years.
The crew of Karolina Viking caught our line on the next pass and tied it to the liferaft. But the drag was too much and the attachment point ripped off. On the next attempt, they got hold of the line again. This time they cut away the liferaft's drogue and just held onto the line while we pulled them in, using a fairlead on the port quarter and a hydraulic winch. However, as they got closer, that threatened to pull them under the bouncing deck that protruded over the stern of Cinderella. We threw them a separate line to pull them forward and alongside.
The two women climbed up the side of Cinderella with no problem. This part would have been immeasurably more difficult at night or in heavier seas. Then the three men handed up their ditch bags and came aboard. We jettisoned the liferaft but immediately regretted not sinking it. Another boat or plane could see it and misdirect resources to investigate. We noted the position of Karolina Viking in the group chat and that it was adrift.
Once aboard, the Swedish crew thanked us profusely and immediately asked what they could do to help. They had not eaten or slept in 36 hours, and here they were asking what they could do to help! First things first. They stowed their gear and we got them something to eat.
After exchanging names, but before we all got some needed rest, the now 10 of us discussed where to go. Should we divert to Cape Verde, a two-and-a-half-day sail, or continue to the original destination, St. Lucia? For our new Swedish friends,
'Cinderella di Sanremo' from the official 2024 ARC website. She is listed as the heaviest boat in last year's Rally.
SCOTT SHAFFER
Tracks of the ARC Rally boats. The route of 'Cinderella' is in bold yellow. The zig-zag is where they rendezvoused with 'Karolina Viking'.
there was no reason for them to return to Cape Verde now that they had abandoned their boat. The Cinderella crew naturally wanted to stay the course and continue the transatlantic crossing, and so we all agreed to continue to St. Lucia.
But we weren't finished. There were 11 days and 1,500 miles to go — plenty of time for more things to go wrong. And they did.
Earlyone evening, we found ourselves in the middle of a lightning storm — sitting on 120,000 lbs of steel (the Jongert's displacement!). With our two masts sticking up like kids waving their arms in class, we were the tallest thing in a hundred miles. We put a phone, sat phone, and iPad with GPS and routing software into the microwave as a makeshift Faraday cage. But where's a safe
space for a human? We looked at each other, gave a collective shrug, and I just went to bed. Another early evening, we smelled smoke while working on the foredeck. This was not the type of smoke you'd smell if something was cooking. This was that gutwrenching, toxic-smelling smoke that comes from an engine room. We all thought "fire in the engine room!" for several heart-pounding minutes. But upon investigation, it was just a burned-up generator drive belt.
Almost every day we were kept busy by one thing or another: a snapped sheet, a chafed line, a broken block, or a ripped sail.
And then there were the ever-present squalls, which seemed to hunt us. Squalls can come in the form of a twisting waterspout, but we saw only one of this type. However, we saw a dozen or more of the non-cyclonic type; the ones that look
RESCUE AT SEA
like fluffy cotton balls with a dark center. They can punch way above their weight, some reportedly packing up to 50 knots of wind. You do not want your biggest downwind sails up when one pays you a visit. Some you can tell by the gray sheets of rain below. But some have no rain below. The only way to tell them apart from harmless clouds was on the radar, which could see their dark-red, evil hearts.
Some squalls would announce themselves from miles away, traveling in a predictable line. They stormed along as fast as the wind, and we watched them streak past on either side of us, or across our bow or stern. We set up our radar to trigger an alarm if one approached within six miles. However, some formed within our security zone — one right on our stern, in under five minutes. They required constant vigilance. No coffee needed to stay awake!
But perhaps the cruelest of all mishaps came on our last day, Friday the 13th of December. We were just a dozen miles from St. Lucia. The beautiful, green mountains rising above the water beckoned us. There was no wind, the water
The hole in 'Karolina Viking's hull where the rudder used to be.
SCOTT SHAFFER
ARC RALLY RESCUE AT SEA
was glassy calm, and we were motoring. We were relaxed and relieved, the long trip was nearly over. We got busy cleaning the boat for arrival. Our skipper turned off the motor so we could even clean the engine room.
And the engine would not restart.
Twelve miles to go to deliver our guests and ourselves to safety, and our engine wouldn't start. I'll never forget the look on the face of one of the Swedish women, a mixture of panic and disbelief. After all they'd been through — having to abandon their boat, the threat of being struck by lightning, the fear of fire in the engine room, and the constant worry of squalls. How could this happen? Then perhaps it was Neptune, in his appreciation of our Day 1 offering, who miraculously allowed the engine to restart.
We arrived in Rodney Bay, St. Lucia, without further incident. Water and food were never an issue. We had a watermaker, and as it turns out, if you provision like an American but eat like a European, your food lasts longer. Our new Swedish friends departed the boat. We had all become fast friends.
During our last night on the island, the World Cruising Club hosted an award ceremony for the entire ARC fleet. The culminating award was the Spirit of the
ARC. It was presented to the crew of Cinderella with a standing ovation. While we were grateful for the acknowledgment, and with all due respect to the ARC committee, I thought the crew of Karolina Viking should have received equal or greater acknowledgment. In my opinion, we did what any other boat would have done, with special mention to our skipper and his wife for their generosity. But the Swedes deserved an award for displaying courage and resilience in the face of profound danger while maintaining a positive attitude. Karolina Viking's crew improved our journey immeasurably.
Epilogue:
Unfortunately, Dag Eresund, the 33-year-old Swedish sailor who went overboard from the Volvo 70 Ocean Breeze, was never found and was declared lost at sea. Also, a recovery tug won the race against time, rescuing Karolina Viking before she capsized or sank and taking her to Cape Verde, decidedly worse for wear and with a large hole where her starboard rudder once hung.
— d. scott shaffer
The off-season is the perfect time to prepare your boat for the adventures ahead. Whether you’re upgrading your equipment or planning for smoother sailing, there’s no better opportunity than our exclusive sale on Harken MKIV and MKIV Ocean furling systems.
JOHN DI GIORGIO
Locals in St. Lucia help the author get his land legs back.
SEASON CHAMPIONS, PART III —
On November 16, sailors and organizers from the Yacht Racing Association got together at St. Francis Yacht Club for an end-of-the-year trophy party and prize pickup gathering. In this final part of our annual three-part Season Champions series, we profile the 2024 YRA series winners.
YRA Offshore Series
Andy Newell continues to race and win in his Santana 35 Ahi . He also serves as the YRA's offshore racing coordinator. As a racer, he and his crew like a variety of venues. "We do pretty much everything we can fit in the calendar among the full-crew weekend races," says Andy. "Among the Offshore Series races, my favorites are the ones where we actually go somewhere besides just around a buoy. That would be Half Moon Bay with the party at the end and Drake's Bay with the raft-up," he said, commenting on the weekend-long event on August 10-11. "I see a pattern here. Farallones is fun, but the weather did not cooperate this year."
The YRA Full-Crew Farallones Race had been scheduled for June 15. On June 14, Andy wrote in an email to the registered skippers, "As we suspected, NOAA has issued a gale warning for both 0-10 and 10-60 nm offshore through Sunday morning. This means that we will not be sending the fleet to the island but will instead use Course 2 and stay in the Bay." Course 1, around the Farallones, is 58 miles, while Course 2, a Bay Tour, was 22.32.
"It really does take a village to campaign a boat that sails with eight crew," says Andy. "Most of our 2024 roster made at least one offshore race: Alexey Sobolev, Bruce Boles, Cyril Collock, Darby Brown, Fernando Rosero, Hemang Mehta, Jeff Raby, Ian Kallen, Joe Dick, Mark Schieble, Tony Barker, Valerie Suzawa, Vijay Kesavan and Vincent Thivierge.
"In 2024, as is the case with any evennumbered Pacific Cup year, we got a bit lonely toward the end of the offshore season, since many of our usual players were doing the round trip to Kaneohe. Thanks to the hearty few that kept us company in the last couple of races."
Nick Grebe's Santa Cruz 37 Wildcard topped the PHRO1 Division. "The entire crew was ecstatic with our win this year," says Nick. "It was a closely contested and hard-won series with lots of triumphs and frustrations. Consistency really was key. Showing up for every race and racing hard paid off, even without a lot of
bullets and many frustrating 'so-close' finishes.
"We were bummed the weather didn't cooperate for the Farallones Race, but completely agreed the RC made the right call there. A surprising number of Wildcard's crew hasn't been around those rocks yet!"
"I'm pretty sure I promised the crew I'd bring a disco ball for 2025!"
"The OYRA race that really stands out for the 2024 season has to be Drake's Bay," continues Nick. "After finding a spot to set our anchor away from the crowds and enjoying a hot dinner of grilled cheese and tomato soup, we proceeded to dance late into the night with everyone taking turns selecting a favorite song and then the entire crew enthusiastically singing along. It was something to see all of us dancing for hours in such a small cabin! At one point, two crew who clearly know how to really dance cleared the floor with the most impressive ballroom routine I've ever seen in a 6-square-ft space! I'm pretty sure I promised the crew I'd bring a disco ball for 2025."
Crew for various races of the Offshore Series were Stacy Riggs-Landa, Brandon, James and Addison Mercer, Tim Collins, Matt Dailey, Steven Taylor, Rebecca Cully, Sofia O'Hara, Dante Guazzo and Beej Cronin.
Multihull Division winner Rick Waltonsmith described a "very peaceful year" on his Explorer 44 trimaran 'Round Midnight. "We did not have any really windy days, and no major breakage — smooth sailing most days. There were not many multihulls out there, and sometimes only 'Round Midnight.
Rick's regular crew for the past several years has been Carlos Runng, Dave Olson and Norbert Kiesel, with occasional fill-ins Danny Mone and Kerry Sheehan. "All are experienced
multihull sailors, and we trade off steering every 30 minutes. I may steer for the start and getting under the Golden Gate Bridge; we then start rotating. It makes for great variety, and we learn from one another. I try to make sure all have a chance to take the boat over the finish line, which can be an adventure dealing with the Demon of the South Tower entering the Bay.
"The Drake's Bay races are always a great weekend. Great to be up there in that stark and beautiful anchorage. It was windy overnight, so anchoring can be an adventure. We chose going 'outside' on the way home, and the wind was better closer to shore. That can be a guessing game.
"One of the Race Committee Choice races started poorly. It was raining — hard. 'Are we going to be soaked all day?' Nope. The sun came out right after we left the Bay."
Winning the SHS (shorthanded) Division was the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 2300 Barcanova, sailed by Oded Haner and Ian Kallen. Oded commented, "The Drake's Bay Race stands out as my favorite due to its longer, more complex course, which pushes both strategy and endurance for us. This year we had great weather and various sailing conditions, but to me the most cherished aspect
'Wildcard' crew winning the party in Drake's Bay.
THE YRA & SSS
is the overnight anchorage at Drake's Bay. I enjoy nestling in the bay under the starlit sky with all the boats and crews." We asked Oded if there were any "crazy moments" in the Offshore Series. "Fortunately none," he replied. "We do our very best to avoid being in a pickle."
YRA OFFSHORE SERIES
(8r, 1t)
PHRO 1 — 1) Wildcard, SC37, Nick Grebe, RYC, 13 points; 2) Bacchanal, J/133, Ron Epstein, CYC, 14; 3) Free, Swan 461, Christian Doegl, StFYC, 22. (7 boats)
PHRO 2 — 1) Ahi, Santana 35, Andy Newell, RYC, 9 points; 2) CruzSea Baby, Beneteau 10R, Brian Turner, SCYC, 14; 3) Sea Star, Cal 39, Bob Walden, RYC, 22. (7 boats)
MULTIHULL — 1) 'Round Midnight, Explorer 44, Rick Waltonsmith, BAMA, 8 points; 2) Tri Jolie, Corsair 880, Rafi Yahalom, BAMA, 15. (2 boats)
YRA In the Bay Series
Chris Klein and John Paulling won the Santana 22 division of the In the Bay Series with Alegre
"The race management for the three race days we attended was impeccable," reports Chris. "Each yacht club responsible for that day's racing provided challenging and varied courses. As an example, early in the season St. Francis YC selected a great course as a weak southerly storm front was passing through the
area. Then later in the season, when the summer westerly was in full force, San Francisco YC's race committee gave us a rip-roaring course that included a wet, two-sail reach while crabbing across a strong flood. Each race provided unique challenges only found on San Francisco Bay."
Alegre typically sails with three; crew joining Chris and John in 2024's In the Bay Series were "Jennifer McKenna (owner of another S22, Zingaro) and Marcel Sloane (a friend who is a very good Laser sailor)."
Chris's advice to aspiring champions? "As always, keep your eyes open. It's a dynamic playing field out there."
Jim Titus had one quick comment about his success in the Alerion 28 class with Allegro Non Troppo: "The tip for success is simple — have Bill Claussen (my partner) either crewing or driving."
Bob Novy of the custom Frers 40 Jeannette, victorious in Spinnaker 1, generally sails with a crew of 10. Andrew Lacenere, Ed Hahn, Lara EgbeolaMartial, Marc Bryan, Will Anderson, Pete Peterson, Aaron Lewis, Lief Wadleigh, Rolfe Brittain, Maggie Royal, Mark Van Selst and David Forbes each joined Bob for multiple races.
YRA IN THE BAY SERIES (8r, 1t)
SPINNAKER 1 — 1) Jeannette, Frers 40, Bob Novy, EYC, 8 points; 2) Ahi, Santana 35, Andy Newell, RYC, 18; 3) Sea Star, Cal 39, Bob Walden,
SANTANA 22 — 1) Alegre, Chris Klein/John Paulling, RYC, 14 points; 2) Zingaro, Jennifer McKenna, RYC, 25; 3) High & Dry, Igor Polevoy, NoYC, 26. (5 boats)
YRA Shorthanded Sunday Series
The Shorthanded Sunday Series, created during the first year of the COVID pandemic, visits various venues. Races were thus called the "Bay Expedition, South Bay Loop, Island Tour, Bonita Blitz and Series Closer" (the latter sailed in the Central Bay).
Peter Cameron and Marcos McGee sailed Peter's J/70 Kangaroo Jockey in the Spinnaker PHRF division. "It was a fun series where you get to see all different parts of the Bay," commented Peter, "along with the various wind conditions."
YRA SHORTHANDED SUNDAY SERIES (4r, 1t) SPINNAKER — 1) Kangaroo Jockey, J/70, Peter Cameron/Marcos McGee, RYC, 9 points; 2) Dazzler, Wyliecat 30, Keith Kreycik, RYC, 9; 3) Sapphire, Alerion 33, Michael & Aruna Chammout, SFYC, 11. (10 boats) NON-SPINNAKER — 1) Free, S&S 30, Jim Carlsen/Jim Bilafer, KBSC, 4 points; 2) Lindo, J/109, John Kalucki, SYC, 10; 3) Northern Bear, J/100, Adam & Lingli James, NoYC, 17. (7 boats) ALERION EXPRESS 28 — 1) Allegro Non Troppo, Jim Titus/Bill Claussen, StFYC, 4 points; 2) Sweet De, Chris Kramer/John Oldham, RYC, 5 points; 3) H2Osprey, John Skinner, RYC, 5. (7 boats)
Andy Newell and the crew of 'Ahi' sail through the Golden Gate.
ERIK
SEASON CHAMPIONS, PART III —
YRA Doublehanded Midwinters
In the 2023-24 Doublehanded Midwinters, sailed on four Sundays, Nico Popp and Michael Giordano topped Spinnaker 1 with Nico's Jeanneau SunFast 3600 Invictus. Nico called Michael "the younger mind and body who does the hard work on the bow and more while I rest in the back of the boat."
Nico's favorite memory of that series was the last race on February 25. "We had our backs against the wall and absolutely had to win to clinch the series. Invictus is a fantastic boat, but she struggles in light wind, so we knew it would be a tough challenge against such sharp competitors. It would be a very tight angle between Harding and Blossom Rock. We took a gamble and switched from our big symmetric kite to the smaller, flatter A2.
"After a couple of broaches, I started thinking, 'We're toast!'"
"As we jibed around Harding Rock, we quickly realized we weren't going to make it. Boats around us were dousing their kites, but we decided to push through — this was the race that mattered most. After a couple of broaches, I started thinking, 'We're toast!' But then the ebb strengthened, allowing us to bear off just enough to round the mark with a comfortable lead. The smiles on board
said it all — we had it in the bag!"
Jim Fair and BJ Price have been sailing together for approximately 30-40 years. "I have long since lost track of the exact number," says Jim, who topped the Spinnaker 2 Division with his Merit 25 Chesapeake
"The YRA Doublehanded Series was great, as it always is. Much thanks to the YRA for putting it on."
Jim has since purchased an Alerion 28, which he named Chesapeake III, and he's sailing that boat in this year's YRA Doublehanded Midwinter Series. "I still have the Merit 25, which is like an extension of my body and soul, so I am having a hard time figuring out what to do with it. It's very emotional, but it is probably time we part ways. I hope that I can find a worthwhile home for it. It has given me more than 40 years of unbelievable pleasure — the best purchase I have ever made in my life. I got my money's worth on that one."
YRA DOUBLEHANDED MIDWINTERS (4r, 1t)
SPINNAKER 1 — 1) Invictus, Jeanneau SF 3600, Nico Popp, SBYC, 5 points; 2) Kestrel, J/105, Eric Patterson/Andrew Picel, SFYC, 5; 3) Sun Dragon, Jeanneau SF 3300, Sergei Podshivalov/Charlie Abraham, SCYC, 7. (10 boats)
NON-SPINNAKER — 1) Free, S&S 30, Jim Carlsen/Jim Bilafer, KBSC, 3 points; 2) Sapphire, Alerion 33, Michael Chammout, SFYC, 5; 3) National Biscuit, Schumacher 36, Steve Hocking/ Dietrich Dtrick, SYC, 13. (6 boats)
Full results for YRA series at www.jibeset.net
TheSinglehanded Sailing Society handed out their 2024 season awards at Oakland YC during their general meeting on December 18. This year, the SSS plans to resume in-person skippers' meetings, combined with awards ceremonies for the previous race, at OYC in Alameda.
Andy Newell 'Ahi'
Jim Fair 'Chesapeake'
Nick Grebe 'Wildcard'
Peter Cameron 'Kangaroo Jockey'
Rick Waltonsmith 'Round Midnight'
John Collins and David Gruver 'Sketch' SKETCH
Oded Haner 'Barcanova'
BARCANOVA
SSS Singlehanded Monohull Zaff, J/92
Tim Roche, SSS
"I was lucky," claims T im Roche. "I couldn't make a few races. Two of those were Singlehanded Farallones and the LongPac. Both of those turned out to be busts." No one finished either race.
"The races I did make, I did all right, sailed well. Consistency is key."
"As I remember, you were the sole singlehanded finisher of the Corinthian," interjected the outgoing SSS commodore, Chris Case.
"I spent about an hour and a half trying to get through Raccoon Strait, not really realizing that I didn't have to go through Raccoon Strait," detailed Tim about that race in February. "I could just
go around [Angel Island] the other way and get sucked to the finish line [off Point Knox], I just couldn't get into the Strait. The current was coming past it. I must've tried four or five times.
"Then I saw someone go the other way. You get in that mentality of thinking singlehanded. You don't have someone to talk to or tell you that's a bad idea. You kinda get stuck in your ways until you see something else.
"My old boat, Loki, a Santana 525, was the boat that showed me how to go around the other way, and they finished right there with me. That was pretty cool, seeing my old boat right next to me."
We're almost running out of fingers to count the number of SSS championships Gordie Nash has won. He topped the Doublehanded Monohull Division in 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2024. His wife, Ruth Suzuki, sailed with him for most of the races, with Terry Bennett for a couple of them in 2024.
Gor die dedicated his acceptance speech to the singlehanders in the room.
"You are the most accomplished sailors in the world. Singlehanded sailing is the most difficult. You gotta provide the boat, you gotta write the checks, you gotta be the sailmaker, the sail manager, the rigger, the tactician, the delivery crew, the engine mechanic, the starter — all of those things, you are the ones that have to do that. This organization and each one of you, you're the best."
SSS Singlehanded Multihull Greyhound, F-22 Trimaran Evan McDonald, BYC Intr oducing the next award, Chris Case said, "By the stint of having actually participated in one race, the winner is Evan McDonald on Greyhound. Why did you choose to just do that one race?"
The race Chris was referring to was the Vallejo 1 on October 5, a singlehanded race to Vallejo YC, followed on Sunday by the Vallejo 2 — a doublehanded return.
"I always do that race," replied Evan. "Actually, I did the Singlehanded Farallones, but that was a bust this year. It is a matter of being a small fish in an even smaller pond. I didn't even know I was contending until Truls told me the morning of the singlehanded Vallejo 1. He said, 'By the way, did you know we're competing for Singlehanded Multihull?' And I was, like, 'No, but I'm going to beat you.'
"I appreciate the SSS and all the races you do. They're my favorite races on the Bay. I try to do as many as I can, and I'll be back." Evan, you see, mostly sails doublehanded.
Jim Carlsen 'Free'
Gordie Nash 'Arcadia'
Chris Klein and John Paulling 'Alegre'
Tim Roche 'Zaff'
Bill Claussen and Jim Titus 'Allegro Non Troppo'
Evan McDonald 'Greyhound'
Michael Giordino and Nico Popp after a successful Midwinter Series finish.
SEASON CHAMPIONS, PART III
SSS Doublehanded Multihull
Caliente, Explorer 44 Trimaran Truls Myklebust, BAMA
The aforementioned Truls Myklebust may have lost out on the top spot in Singlehanded Multihull, but he and Jim Struble had a fun season in Doublehanded Multihull. "We started it off right by winning the Three Bridge Fiasco," he said. "We sailed that one clockwise like almost everybody else. Many years ago [in 2017], when we had that giant pileup at Yerba Buena Island up against the Coast Guard ship, I was right in the middle of that melée. We saw that it was a similar thing, a northerly wind, a building ebb, so we were determined to avoid that like the plague. We saw
"We saw a few ripples a quarter mile ahead. We finally made it to those ripples, made it around, and passed everybody there."
the whole cluster of boats and we went super-wide all the way over by Oakland Harbor. Eventually, we saw a few ripples a quarter mile ahead. We finally made it to those ripples, made it around, and passed everybody there. That got us going really good for the beginning of the season.
"We did all right in the Corinthian and Round the Rocks, but Pegasus did really well in those races, so they took the lead for the multihull series. We got ahead the weekend of the Drake's Bay Race. We had to do a race inside the Bay on the Saturday (the Interclub Race/South Bay Bridge Series, which was a counter for BAMA Cup. We were competing for BAMA Cup, so we needed to do that race), so the race to Drake's Bay was out. But we stayed overnight in Bolinas Bay, then motored away at 5:30 in the morning to get up to Drake's Bay for the start. Bolinas Bay was very peaceful." Drake's Bay was not. "Then it was close enough to go either way, but Pegasus didn't show up for the Vallejo 2.
SSS races this year, we've had boats that are rated negative-80-ish and boats that are plus-90 maybe? It's quite the range between the boats, but even with the huge spread in ratings, we've had really, really close racing.
"It helped that Bottle Rocket, which has been everybody's nemesis, had a SoCal swing early this season and didn't do as many races. That gave the rest of us a little bit of a better chance, because they've been doing incredibly well."
Forour reports on one-design fleets, see the December 2024 and January 2025 issues of Latitude 38. A note from the ILCA 7 champion, Elliot Drake: "I'm actually a member of St. Francis YC since August 2024. So the latest few regattas I've shown 'StFYC'."
We also covered the BAMA Cup in the January issue.
The 2025 season is alr eady underway — by the time you read this, the YRA's Doublehanded Midwinter will be three-quarters done, and the epic Three Bridge Fiasco will have kicked off the SSS season.
Find races in the Calendar section of this magazine and in the 2025 Northern California Sailing Calendar & YRA Schedule. Get out there and maybe, with some skill and luck, you'll get in here.
— latitude/chris
Truls Myklebust and Jim Struble, seen here at the SSS awards meeting at Oakland YC in December, sailed 'Caliente' to a championship in the BAMA Cup and SSS Doublehanded Multihull.
Truls Myklebust and Jim Struble sail the Explorer 44 'Caliente' out past the Marin Headlands. ERIK
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FROM NOVICE DREAMER TO
As dawn broke over San Diego Bay in shades of gold and silver, it became a dazzling backdrop for the chaotic symphony of preparations among the Baja Ha-Ha fleet. Our crew stirred sluggishly from their bunks, the air electric with anticipation despite groggy eyes and slow movements. The energy was contagious, yet I took the morning at a deliberate, measured pace — adjusting lines, stowing loose gear, and double-checking systems — much to the visible impatience of nearby crews casting off with practiced precision. By the time we finally shoved off from the police dock, we were the last vessel to join the procession. But fate had other plans. Within minutes, we found ourselves sailing neck and neck with the rally's legendary Poobah, the unofficial leader of the fleet. Hearts pounding, sails taut, and adrenaline spiking, we surged forward to the front of the pack. The moment was fleeting but exhilarating. Our little boat, Red Beard, had a brief taste of glory before being overtaken by a stampede of sleek yachts and seasoned sailors. As the smallest boat in the fleet, we knew we were destined to play the underdog, but the thrill of competition burned brightly in us. The rally had barely begun, but it was clear — we would push Red Beard to her limits to keep up, determined to prove that the smallest boat could still make the biggest waves.
Seeing it as a chance to learn on the job, I took the position, immersing myself in the sailing community. Shortly after, I found Red Beard and moved her to the same marina, splitting my time between refitting the boat and absorbing lessons from seasoned sailors.
Eager for a new challenge but not ready to take on the world just yet, I focused on small steps. A harsh winter, during which the Columbia River froze solid, finally spurred me into action. With eight months to prepare, I made the decision to head south. The clock was ticking, and I was ready to turn years of preparation into the adventure of a lifetime.
Set sail now, be bold, and fully transform your dreams into reality.
As the skipper of Red Beard from Portland, OR, I've charted a unique course to the world of sailing. With no formal instruction beyond YouTube videos, I started with a 25-ft Lancer — a boat I traded a motorcycle for — and gradually worked my way up to Red Beard, a 32-ft Ericson. While searching Craigslist for what would become Red Beard, I stumbled upon a job posting for a sailing club.
The crew of 'Red Beard': Allan Burns, Jon Baer, and author Chris Fowler before leaving San Diego.
Buying an old sailboat can be an adventure filled with surprises, as this story shows. The journey began with a Facebook Marketplace ad for a sailboat named Red Beard. One photo showing over 6 feet of headroom and the promise of a new Beta diesel engine was enough to spark interest. Without much knowledge about potential red flags, I quickly made an offer and became the boat's new owner.
The seller mentioned a failed delivery attempt up the coast, blaming "crew issues." However, it soon became clear that crew problems were the least of Red Beard's challenges. Initially, the excitement of owning the boat overshadowed the hidden physical and financial demands ahead. A friend was recruited for a short move to a new marina, and while everything seemed smooth at first, the real adventures — and the lessons — were just beginning.
This tale highlights the highs and lows of diving into the world of old-sailboat ownership without much prior experience.
For someone unfamiliar with the world of sailing, transforming an old, neglected sailboat into a seaworthy vessel is a blend of adventure, hard work, and resilience. When I started working
at a floating sailing club near where Red Beard was moored, my days revolved around the water. My background in construction quickly moved me up to dock and maintenance lead, giving me access to a small workshop and the expertise of seasoned sailors who helped me tackle the challenges ahead.
Initially, I discovered that Red Beard's "new" diesel engine was actually 20 years old and underused — an issue that signaled trouble. During a shakedown sail, problems mounted: The anchor slipped off its holder, and both sails were the wrong size. Replacing the headsail alone cost more than the boat itself. Then, a trusted rigger revealed that the standing rigging was dangerously degraded, which led to a full mast drop, rigging replacement, and repairs to the abused masthead.
Winter brought further challenges: I installed a budget diesel heater, rewired the boat with safe AC and 12V systems, and switched to lithium batteries — mostly with parts from Amazon. By spring, I had replaced or upgraded nearly every part of the boat, including custom-made canvas, which was a financial splurge but worth it. After eight months of intensive work, I set sail in late August, confident but unprepared for what lay ahead.
Within an hour, the diesel system failed, and we drifted dangerously toward a bridge before narrowly avoiding disaster. Each system seemed to unravel on the journey to Astoria, forcing a month of hard labor to repaint the deck and revisit earlier repairs. Thanks to immense support from friends and coworkers, the boat was finally seaworthy and I set sail again — just in time to escape the lure of the local pub.
Above: The captain and the cat, Penny, catch a rest in calm seas. Right: The Ericson 32 'Red Beard' successfully demonstrates the twin spinnaker technique.
This experience was a testament to perseverance, resourcefulness, and the steep learning curve of taking on a dream that challenges both your skills and your patience.
Joining the Baja Ha-Ha was a bold and adventurous decision that reshaped my sailing journey. As someone who thrives on the challenge and reward of solo accomplishments, this group rally wasn't my first choice. Yet, it turned out to be exactly what I needed to grow as a sailor. By immersing myself in a community of experienced sailors, I gained invaluable knowledge and connected with like-minded adventurers in remote, breathtaking locations.
The experience pushed me to transcend my independent tendencies and embrace the shared camaraderie of the sea. Though there was fear — less about the boat, crew, or sailing and more about
RESOURCEFUL, RESILIENT SAILOR
party, and set sail again for Bahia Santa Maria.
For the first time, Red Beard chased the sunrise into the bay. Shore leave brought waves of laughter as our tiny dinghy got drenched in the surf, followed by a day of hiking and our very first raft-up party. Imagine two massive catamarans, great company, and plenty of laughs — especially watching people accidentally slip into the water!
We sailed on to Cabo, pushing hard with two spinnakers, but still arrived a day after most of the fleet. Despite an official cancellation of the festivities, the spirit of the Ha-Ha carried on, with sailors packing Squid Roe to celebrate their journey. It was a trip filled with challenges, camaraderie, and the kind of memories that keep you coming back for more.
My jour ney with Red Beard transformed me from a novice dreamer into a resourceful, resilient sailor. Tackling endless mechanical breakdowns, learning from seasoned mariners, and joining the Baja Ha-Ha opened my eyes to the power of community and perseverance. I discovered that overcoming fear — whether technical failures, financial 'Red Beard' moving through a light spot on the Baja Ha-Ha.
the possibility of not enjoying it — I took the leap. It proved that stepping outside my comfort zone could lead to growth, new perspectives, and unforgettable adventures.
Sailing with the Baja Ha-Ha fleet was an unforgettable adventure, full of fun, quirky moments and memorable experiences. As the smallest boat in the fleet, Red Beard fell behind quickly, meaning we missed the legendary Turtle Bay baseball game. (Thankfully, we didn't have the responsibility of carrying the equipment!) Arriving the evening after the game, we made a quick stop, introduced Penny the boat cat at the beach
FROM NOVICE DREAMER
strain, or losing independence — unlocks new horizons. Though each setback felt overwhelming, it forged invaluable selfreliance and adaptability. For others considering such a venture: embrace challenges, seek guidance, and savor small victories. Today I'm eager to chase more distant shores, confident that every hardearned lesson will guide my next bold, grand offshore adventure.
left:
Editor's Note: After several weeks in the Sea of Cortez, the author has done a solo Baja Bash north to take care of some repairs before returning to cruising.
No matter your starting point or your vessel's size, sailing can become a lifetime adventure. Challenges test your patience and shape your skill. Embrace them, gain wisdom, and grow stronger. Learn from others, trust yourself, and reject fear. Set sail now, be bold, and fully transform your dreams into reality.
— chris fowler
BRISBANE MARINA ~ The Best Place To Dock & Unwind!
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Above
The captain handling galley duty at sea. Right: The cat and the captain touching base with civilization.
THE 2025 SINGLEHANDED TRANSPACIFIC YACHT RACE
The Singlehanded Sailing Society is proud to be running the 23rd edition of this renowned race that begins on Saturday, June 21, from San Francisco to Hanalei Bay, Hawaii. This is the longest singlehanded race event on the West Coast, with a rich history where sailing legends and lifetime friendships are born. Join us for the monthly preparation seminars presented by knowledgeable race veterans. There’s only one way to get to the end of this rainbow! More people have climbed Mt Everest than sailed solo across the Pacific! Are you up for the challenge?! Go to www.sfbaysss.org for more info.
FEBRUARY 22 - CORINTHIAN RACE
MARCH 29 - ROUND THE ROCKS
APRIL 26 - SORT OF SINGLEHANDED NORTH BAY
MAY 17- SINGLEHANDED FARALLONES
JUNE 21 - SINGLEHANDED TRANSPACIFIC YACHT RACE
AUGUST 16 - YRA/SSS DRAKES BAY DAY 1
AUGUST 17 - YRA/SSS DRAKES BAY DAY 2
SEPTEMBER 13 - HALF MOON BAY
OCTOBER 4 - VALLEJO 1
OCTOBER 5 - VALLEJO 2
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Iremember very little of the reading assignments I was given in high school. Mostly I relied on CliffsNotes, and spent my time on more important pursuits. But one line from one bit of required reading stood out: "She believed that God liked people in sailboats much better than He liked people in motorboats." It's from Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle. In Chapter 3. And even though the sentiment is attributed to a less-than-credible minor character in the book, through all the years that have passed since I first read that line, I've believed it to be true, regardless of the metaphysical plane on which it could be applied.
Now we have hard proof, if a rigorous assessment by the National Forest Service is a valid substitute for the referenced deity.
This year it was the Straw Bale Classroom at the Marine Ecology Center, down at the marina park, a short walk from my yacht club. Hardly an exotic venue for me, but it seemed to play well with the rest of the staff. It was also near Lee Helm's usual windsurfing launch site, and I had suggested that it would most assuredly be crashable by a
few stray college sailors with "starving student" credentials.
"Like, thanks for bringing your party to us this year!" Lee exclaimed as she filled her plate with cracked crab legs.
"It's not exactly an exotic venue for either of us," I acknowledged, "since we're both here almost every weekend. On the other hand, the straw bale construction of the Marine Ecology Center is of interest to the engineers present, and they even arranged for the city engineer to give a short talk about straw bales as a structural material."
"Cool," she answered. "But like, I might have to duck out on the talk. I'm signed up to give free sailboat rides at the University Sailing Club's Open House event."
"The dragon boat team is also giving rides today," I noted. "Saw them from the other side of the harbor, which is where I had to go just to find a parking space."
"For sure," Lee said. "They don't have to wait for the wind to come up. Last year they got an early start and gave free rides and team tryouts to almost a thousand people by the time the sun was going down."
"I wonder where they all park," I said. "The marina fills up to capacity and then some on nice weekend days in the summer. Even my boat berther's parking pass didn't get me a spot near the party."
"I come by bike," Lee reminded me. It was hard for Lee to blend in, since she was already suited up for action in her wetsuit. But no one seemed to object to her freeloading. There was more than enough fancy food, and a number of city officials had also decided to swing by to help show off (and take credit for) the Ecology Center.
"What's the latest on the shoreline park rehab plans?" Lee asked one of the Park Department bureaucrats. "Are we going to get a longer and wider gangway, so we can roll our boat dollies down to the floats and don't need to use the hoist? Doesn't it have to be, like, 80 feet long anyway, for ADA compliance?"
"New double-wide launch ramps are in the works," the Parks person said. "You'll like them."
"So will some of my coworkers," I added. "They use the ramps here, but they also complain about not enough
THE DOLLAR VALUE OF FUN
parking for their boat trailers, not to mention their big SUVs or pickup trucks that tow them."
"We're working on that too," the Parks person said. "A new site plan will be released soon. But we like to work out most of the details before presenting a new plan to the Marina Commission and to the public."
Lee tur ned away from the city official, and made a face for my benefit, adding a gesture that I interpreted as "gag me with a spoon" in Val-speak. She sometimes attends those Commission meetings, and complains about a planning process that often delays public input — specifically, her input — till a new plan or project is essentially a done deal.
"Have you, like, run the cost-benefit analysis for facilities for motorized trailer-launched boating?" Lee asked.
"We are required to," answered the city bureaucrat. "Trailer boats need a lot of infrastructure: wide launch ramps, oversize parking spaces, fishcleaning and rinse-down stations; it's all factored in. A day of fishing is an activity with a high public cost, but very high value to the participants."
"Have you run the numbers, like, for non-motorized boating? You know, hand-launched kayaks or sailing dinghies, or windsurfers or kite-foilers?"
"Yes, but facilities for those activities
cost a lot less, so the value added by that kind of access is much less."
"I'll be right back," said Lee as she made a quick exit. Meanwhile I introduced the Parks person to some of my coworkers who used the existing ramp to launch their powerboats, which gave them the opportunity to complain about the parking shortage. "If only all the people who don't have to bring boats down here on trailers would come by bike or bus," one of my colleagues complained, "there would be plenty of room for trailer parking."
"You mean like, people with big dogs going to the dog park?, "added another small-boat sailor from Lee's club. He had been standing nearby, scarfing down the bacon-wrapped shrimp. "Or small children going to the playground? Or people with iceboxes full of picnic supplies? Or people who fish from the shoreline and bring a lot
The cover page of the report. Does the type of boat in the photo reflect a bias on the part of the researchers? Probably yes, but clearly justified.
of fishing gear? Or kayakers? Or windsurfers? Or guests for overnight sailing trips? Or ocean race crew with all their required personal safety gear?"
Put dozens of kayaks, rowboats, or small sailboats on the same lake and everyone gets full recreational value.
Lee was back in the r oom before the Parks person could explain the new parking plan. She had apparently retrieved a document from her bicycle bag, titled "Recreation Economic Values for Estimating Outdoor Recreation Economic Benefits From the National Forest System." She flipped to Table 2: "Summary Statistics for average recreation economic value estimates of consumer surplus per primary activity day per person from recreation demand studies, 1958 to 2015. "Two numbers had been circled with a red marker, and Lee practically shoved it into the face of the Parks bureaucrat.
"Fr om the National Forest Service," she said. "Their methodology is, like, very rigorous. The value of a day of non-motorized boating is $114.12, while the value of a day of motorized boating is only $42.48."
I could r ead the numbers over the Park person's shoulder.
"Kurt Vonnegut was right," I whispered to myself. "God — or rather, the National Parks Service — had compiled data to show that a day of paddling
or sailing is worth a lot more than a day of powerboating."
"And these numbers ar e really conservative," added Lee. "Based on the average amount that the public user will normally pay for the activity, then subtracting the cost, public and private, to
It was hard for Lee to blend in, since she was already suited up for action in her wetsuit. But no one seemed to object to her freeloading.
make the activity accessible. Non-motorized provides about two-and-a-half times the value of motorized. And like, they don't even consider the reduction in value when there's an annoyance factor present. For example, one
jet ski on a lake decreases the recreational value for all the non-motorized boaters. In contrast, you can, like, put dozens of kayaks or rowboats or small sailboats on the same lake and everyone still gets full value. That dynamic doesn't even enter the Forest Service calculations, but at least they recognize that it's a big unquantified factor."
Lee could see that I was trying to read more of the document over the Park person's shoulder, but she was ready with another copy for me. The cover page showed the shoreline of what looked like a pristine mountain lake, with two kayaks pulled up on the bank. It was a very pleasant image, even through the graphics designer hadn't taken the trouble to level the horizon.
"Hmm," I intoned. "Kayaks on the cover photo. Do you think maybe the authors of this report had just a little bit of bias?"
"Oh, for sur e," Lee admitted. "But it's like, 100 percent justified."
— max ebb
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THE RACING
It's molto Midwinters month, with reports and/or images from Corinthian YC and Berkeley YC, Oakland YC's Sunday Brunch Series, Encinal YC's Jack Frost, Golden Gate YC's Seaweed Soup Series, RegattaPRO's Winter One Design and Del Rey YC's Berger-Stein Series. Plus we share news from Vanguard 15 Fleet 53, UC Sailing Teams, the 5O5 Worlds, US Sailing, and the Yacht Racing Association
Corinthian Midwinters
Participating in Corinthian Yacht Club's Midwinter Series for the first time, with a relatively new program, is Humble Vandal in PHRF 3. She's a J/92 out of Island YC in Alameda. After decades of helping the likes of Bartz Schnieder on the Express 37 Expeditious and the Simmons family on their old boat, the Sydney 41 Cha-Ching, and then the J/105 Blackhawk, Rhett Smith took the plunge to skipper his own boat.
"Our crew has sailed a few point-topoint and beer can races, but this represents a step up in level of competition for most of us," he noted.
Rhett says that Day 1, January 18, started out as a typical sunny but lightair day. "We cleared the line first, the team getting us away smartly with a crisp set." The start was downwind, so many boats set spinnakers right away.
"It was then a battle to keep ahead of our fleet for as long as we could before they rolled over us. We made a few good calls close to the Marin shore to grab the countercurrent. We were holding our own all the way to Blackaller, then jibed out to avoid the building ebb and start sizing up the Fort Mason mark."
A bout a third of the way into the event, the race committee announced a shortened course due to fading wind. "We opted for the 'go deep-left, come charging in to a pin-end' approach. Fleet peers whom we had left behind, plus other competitors, came roaring up on the last of the breeze. We were creeping along, hand-sheeting the spinnaker, lining up for our fourth or fifth approach — each time coming in with speed, only to get covered by the masses and run out of steam, then fall back thanks to an everbuilding ebb."
Humble Vandal sailed to a second behind Craig Page's SR 33 Kuda Wuda Kevin Roesler's Hanse 388 FriendShip earned third.
For all the regattas that these guys and gals do, and through so many varied conditions, how do skippers have such great race recall? Andy Schwenk of the Richmond YC-based Express 37 Spindrift V earns the prize for best inner monologue of memories. At Saturday's start, he recalls making a mental note
to give wide berth to the committee boat rode, then it was down the course to nab a great first leg to Blackaller. The crew nailed it at that mark, but the skipper says boats arriving later gained a real current advantage, this being "one of the few times in racing when it pays to be behind."
Fighting the current over to the Fort Mason mark, Andy remarked, "There's some wind in the middle of the Bay but more current. Let's get to the beach where it's nice and calm. Wait, we're in a sailboat, that doesn't make sense." A bit later: "OK, now we're going backward, but at a slower pace, so I guess that's good." He scanned the field, "Say, are they BBQing over on the Nådeløs boat? Can they do that? Let's remember the briquets for February."
Meanwhile, the fleets started to cluster as the wind lessened. "OK, we're approaching the finish." He quipped, "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." He sailed past the finish line and up the beach to develop enough momentum to drift downwind to buttonhook the bow across the line.
"The engine is now running in neutral so we can clear the line promptly. The bow is across, we get a li'l toot for the crossing, and the engine goes into gear
with only one blade of the folding propeller deployed. It's been that kind of day. We'll be back with the briquets!"
Spindrift V finished second in PHRF 2 against 13 other entries. First in division went to the Viper 830 Greyhound helmed by Zhenya Kirueshkin-Stepanoff. Buzz Blackett's Antrim 27C 'io claimed third.
On Sunday, January 19, while the mark-set boat Spirit let loose the nifty little app-controlled autonomous mark bot to settle into its pin-end start line position, fleets began to circle the zone in cool and damp conditions void of blue skies. Spirit then scooted to set some marks. After wind checks that clocked 3-5 knots at the turning points, optimism was tepid. A flat-water course with random bits of catspaws dominated, even at the north end of Raccoon Strait. It was flatsville immediately under the Golden Gate Bridge. The race committee kept crews apprised, but Mother Nature pitched a swing and a miss on January 19. One competitor called it "a total bust, despite the keen efforts of the RC boat and runabout searching the four corners of the Bay for wind. Race organizers managed to go into sequence, but halted things when the wind abruptly turned off, leaving an ungainly and unmanageable driftfest that threatened to turn into
Jake sailer
Aboard the J/92 'Humble Vandal' in the Corinthian Midwinters on Saturday, January 18.
a spontaneous raft-up at the committee boat."
In closing, Rhett Smith reveals that "The curry chicken with organic spring mix wraps were all gone, and we were down to our last half bag of kettle chips toward the end of Saturday's race, but there were smiles all around as we motored away from what was an incredible mass of stalled masts piled up, sliding backward."
Andy Schwenk opines, "Midwinter sailing in San Francisco Bay can be a lot like back home in Seattle, except it's not raining." The RC has indicated they will try to add an additional race to February competition (making it three races in two days). The final race on Sunday, February 16, is slated to be pursuit style.
See https://race.cyc.org — martha blanchfield
OYC Sunday Brunch on the Estuary Oakland YC is off to the races: Their Sunday Brunch Series started on January 5. The wind prediction was 0-5 knots with gusts of 3-7 knots. The first signals were scheduled for 12:55. The race committee watched the Alameda-Oakland Estuary until close to noon to determine if we could get boats started. With the decision made to start the race, if the A Fleet got over the start line, the race would continue.
The starts were slow and laborious for many, with wind maybe 2 knots and a smallish flood all through the race. The wind picked up a bit, and we did see 5 knots at one point. The race committee chose some of OYC's shortest courses, and that worked for most of the racers.
As is the tradition, after the race it's back up to the clubhouse where the bar is open and the race committee hosts a buffet for the racers.
At this first race, OYC awarded the 2024 Perpetual Cup Race "trophy" to Mike Berndt of the Olson 30 Flying Fish The trophy was a new jacket of Mike's choosing. We also now have a Perpetual Cup Race plaque, proudly showing all those who have won, starting with the 1980 season, when the Perpetual Cup
was first created and awarded to Emile Carles, the late owner and skipper of the Tartan 30 Lelo Too. The Perpetual Cup methodology is a points system; points are given to the OYC members racing in OYC-managed or -supported races based on their standing in each race, and at the end of the year the boat with the highest number of points wins.
OYC's Race Speakers Series kicked off on January 19. Before the race, Kame Richards spoke about Racing Sails: Types, Uses, Maintenance. The Speaker Series is free to racers and non-racers alike. Two more speakers are scheduled: Ryan Nelson of Rogue Rigging will speak about Tuning Your Rigging and Rig Inspection on February 2. On March 16, bar pilot Mark Mines will give a San Francisco Bar Pilot Overview.
For Race #2 on January 19, well, the wind was very light once again, with 2-5 knots at the start. It only really picked up a bit at the finish, so it was lightwind racing for all. There were 34 boats, out so a great turnout, and all finished with time to spare. The wind was very patchy and shifty; one moment we were on a beam reach and the next the wind would clock right behind on the downwind leg, where it stayed momentarily. Kites filled and collapsed and filled again, skippers chased the wind, and many a
Michael Berndt models his OYC trophies: an embroidered fleece beanie and custom-made 2024 Perpetual Cup jacket.
A panorama from the race committee boat of 30+ boats trying to finish together in Race 1 of the CYC Midwinters. This was a shortened course, finished at the Fort Mason buoy. The buoy was in a wind hole with a steady ebb, which held the fleets back from finishing the shortened course. As the ebb subsided, the fleet was able to cross the line en masse, making for a true photo finish.
place change happened as some boats got caught with no wind while others found just enough to move forward. It was both frustrating and fun — any day on the water is a good thing indeed.
The series will continue on February 2 and 16. See www.jibeset.net — debby ratto
EYC Jack Frost in the East Bay True to midwinter racing, Saturday, January 4, began with a 5-knot southeasterly breeze, enough to get the fleets moving against the ebbing current. Within 10 minutes of the start of fleets A and B, the wind died and the ebbing current increased. The Encinal YC race committee abandoned the race so a restart could be done when the anticipated wind shift filled in.
The winds did fill in from the northnorthwest. The new course was directly into the current. With a 5- to 6-knot breeze and a 3-knot-plus current running steadily out of the Delta from Friday's rain, the beat upwind was slow and tricky, but the downwind spinnaker run was quick.
Dante Branciforte was in the hunt for a win with the Express 37 Mudshark, but his first-to-finish was eclipsed by Kevin Clark's Melges 24 Smokin's finish only 19 seconds back and Justin Fennell's Soverel 33 Good and Plenty 25 seconds behind. Corrected times put Good and Plenty in first place, Smokin' in second and Mudshark in third. The fleet spread out after that, with the last boat in the group 21 minutes back.
The Santana 22 fleet struggled in the light wind and adverse current on the upwind leg. Meliki, with Deb Fehr, and Igor Polevoy's High and Dry duked it out for first, changing places several times on the way to the weather mark. High and Dry was leading to the finish until they ran into a submerged log riding in the tideline. Meliki scampered past to win the race. Anemone, with Hank Linderman, was third.
While the RC waited for Fleet B boats to finish Race 5 of the series, the wind began to die. Fleet B's Race 6 of the
COUrTesY MiCHael BerNDT MaTTHeW
THE RACING
series was started, but when it became apparent that the wind was dying even more, the race committee decided to abandon the race and any further racing for the day.
Fleet A, with Waterwings, the Corsair F31RS trimaran owned by Todd Olsen, was the only boat that was able to finish two races. Waterwings got their second start while the RC waited for the Fleet B finishers. They made it to the weather mark on the dying wind, then were pushed back by the current.
The final races in the series will be on February 1. See www.jibeset.net — margaret fago
Golden Gates on the Cityfront
While Encinal was running the Jack Frost in the East Bay, GGYC was running the Manuel Fagundes Seaweed Soup Regatta on the Cityfront. This race also struggled with light wind and building ebb current — plus a sea swell and fearsome views of the crazy-big waves at Fort Point (quite close to the first mark, Blackaller Buoy) and even Point Bonita.
The br eeze finally filled in around 2:30, but by then many racers had dropped out, and a few engineless boats had needed help escaping the pull of the raucous ocean.
Roughly two-thir ds of the starters finished, led across the line at 2:55 by the Wyliecat 30 Uno, sailing in PHRF 3. The two faster PHRF divisions had a 7.5-mile course, while PHRF 3 only had to complete 5.5 miles. The Knarrs and Folkboats got one of the shortest courses on the menu, 3.4 miles, a single Cityfront lap. (The absolute shortest course on the list is just 1.6 miles.)
Racers will get two more helpings of Seaweed Soup, on February 1 and March 1. Find standings or sign up at www. jibeset.net
— latitude/chris
Vanguard 15 Fleet 53 News
With Treasure Island being redeveloped, Treasure Island Sailing Center closed as of January 1. "The next phase of Treasure Island construction and earth-movement projects will block TISC's access to the water and cover its existing footprint on land," announced the TISC board. The project is likely to take two to three years.
In addition to being a great grassroots organization that has introduced thousands of children to sailing who might not otherwise have ever gotten out on the water, TISC hosted the very active local Vanguard 15 fleet of more than 30
boats. The fleet has to move all of their boats and equipment and search for a new homeport. Some top candidates include Alameda Sailing Center on the Bay side of Alameda, Encinal YC on the Estuary side of Alameda, and San Francisco Boatworks in S.F.'s Mission Bay neighborhood.
In 2024, Dave Jackson won the fleet's Founders Cup. This award is bestowed on the top individual sailor in the fleet competing in three of their major regattas. Claire Pratt came in second, followed by Andrew Watters, who beat Nick Adamson in a tiebreaker.
For more on Fleet 53, go to https:// vanguard15.org
— latitude/chris
BYC Midwinters in a Gale Warning
So, where was I? Oh, yeah. Go or no go? Last month we canceled the Saturday races due to nasty, big weather. Oddly, in spite of the nasty forecast, there was no gale warning issued for race time. This month we went the other way. A gale warning was in effect all day, Saturday, January 11, in spite of a forecast calling for sunshine and wind at 12-23 knots. This time we ignored the gale warning and went with the Windy weather models. And what a great day it was: blue skies and sunshine with winds out of the north and holding steady in the
Jack Frost west of Berkeley on lazy Saturday, January 4, clockwise from top: Fleet B contenders 'Good and Plenty', 'Smokin' and 'Mudshark'; the Santana 35 'Ahi; and the J/92 'Humble Vandal'.
low teens at the start of the race, building to the mid-20s by the finish. Quite sporty for January, which made for some spectacular runs. Two boats retired, but no one seemed overly stressed and the racing was great.
Across three divisions, 21 boats started. Everyone had a good time. Everyone made it home.
In the Don't Hit the Committee Boat Division (PHRF <85), it was Andrew Picel piloting his Melges 24 Takeoff to victory. In the It Doesn't Suck Division (PHRF 87-112), the Farr 36 Red Cloud, skippered by Don Ahrens, took first place. In the Ironically Named Boats Division (114-170), Jim Carlsen sailed his S&S 30 Free to first place.
Sunday's racing was a bit milder, with shifty winds out of the NNW at around 5-6 knots at the beginning of the race. After a short postponement to reset the windward mark, we got underway with six divisions and 44 boats. The wind built to the low teens and held relatively steady out of the NNW. It was twice around again, with a contentious start and a downwind finish.
The strong ebb made for a somewhat challenging finish, with several boats missing the finish line and having to jibe at the end to make the pin. We even had a contentious neck-and-neck finish between two J/105s, with crews audibly
Golden Gate YC's Seaweed Soup race on January 4, clockwise from top left: The PHRF 2 start bunches up at the pin end; the Synergy 1000 'Sapphire' and Sabre Spirit 36 'Serenade' cross at StFYC's A buoy; the Wyliecat 30 'Uno' leads the way to the finish, with the Olson 911S 'Heart of Gold' about to round the Phil Perkins/Fort Mason/YRA #6 buoy; a cluster of Knarrs and Folkboats follows the Farr 40 'Astra' like ducklings sticking close to their mama.
yelling at each other as they crossed. Protests were filed but later withdrawn. Beers were consumed.
In the I Can't Hear Anything Division (PHRF <126) it was Quiver, the Santa Cruz 40 skippered by Adam Elliott and Rosanne de Vries taking first. Next up, in the We Can Hear Just Fine Division (PHRF ≥159) Richard Stockdale piloted his J/24 Froglips to a win. In the I'm Too Lazy to Get Crew Doublehanded Division, David Janninis skippered his Etchells 22 Chomp! across the line first. In the Take All the Time You Need Singlehanded Division, Akumu, the B-25 driven by Greg Ashby, took first place. In the Express 27 Division, Steve Katzman once again sailed Dianne to victory. Finally, in the We Are Gentlemen Alerion 28 Division, Fred Paxton and Arnie Quan took first place on Zenaida
Each week brings different conditions and unexpected challenges to the race course. Many thanks to all the folks who come out on race committee and do their best to put on a quality event.
See www.jibeset.net for more info. — mark bird
Race Notes
The median age at Richmond YC has dropped dramatically — the club now hosts two University of California sailing teams. First the Cal Berkeley Golden Bears team moved their operations to RYC last fall. Now Cal Maritime Academy is moving their Keelhaulers varsity sailing team to RYC for the next two years while their own facility in Vallejo is being remodeled. The Keelhaulers will cap off their spring season with the Transpac aboard the Santa Cruz 50 Oaxaca
Aussies Sandy Higgins and Paul Marsh took the top spot in the 5O5 Worlds in Adelaide, Australia, on January 2-7. Howard Hamlin and Andy Zinn out of Newport Harbor YC took fifth; Mike Holt and Carl Smit out of Santa Cruz YC took sixth; StFYC sailors Nic Baird and Eric Anderson came in seventh; and Mike Martin and Adam Lowry, also of StFYC, finished 11th.
US Sailing announced the finalists for the 2024 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards. The finalists for the 2024 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year are: Ian Barrows and Hans
THE RACING
Berkeley Midwinters, top row: The gale forecast for Saturday, January 11, didn't make it to the Berkeley Circle. Left: Nick Pullen and Glenn Rawlinson's Melges 24 'Powdered Toast Man'. Right: the S&S 30 'Free' and SC27 'Lickety Split'. Bottom row: Sunday's mellower race. Left: Don Newman's Lake Tahoe-based Olson 30 'Yankee Air Pirate'. Right: Race committee volunteer/photographer Glen Garfein describes "an incredibly close finish between the J/105s 'Resolute' and 'Yellowfin'. 'Yellowfin' was behind but creeping up on 'Resolute' from below and slowly gaining as they approached the line." They finished overlapped, but 'Resolute' beat 'Yellowfin' by one second.
Henken, Olympic bronze medal winners in the 49er skiff; Travis Odenbach, J/22 and J/24 world champion; and Jeremy Wilmot, J/70 world champion tactician.
T he finalists for the 2024 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year are: Cole Brauer, singlehanded nonstop circumnavigator; Monica Morgan, J/24 world champion bow crew; and Hannah Swett,
a champion in women's events and NYYC regattas.
The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony to be held on February 6 during the US Sailing Leadership Forum in Coronado. Winners are selected
by a vote of past Rolex Award winners and prominent members of the sailing media.
Speaking of US Sailing, that organization reminds us of the new Racing Rules of Sailing; however the printed edition of the rulebook was not available in time for the flip from 2024 to 2025. "The new version of the rules took effect on January 1, 2025, and will remain in effect until December 31, 2028.
"US Sailing has released the mobile app version of The Racing Rules of
RegattaPRO Winter One Design on January 11. Left: the Olson 25 'O'mar', which was later T-boned by a J/105 amidships on the starboard rail. Right: a J/105 windward mark rounding. A bruised and tired J/24 sailor referred to the choppy, blustery, 25-knot day as "windageddon."
For more racing news, subscribe to 'Lectronic Latitude online at www.latitude38.com
January's racing stories included:
Sailing for 2025-2028, including US Sailing Prescriptions," says US Sailing. "The app is again available at no charge to all US Sailing members. We expect the printed rulebook to be ready for distribution in February."
The YRA reminds us that it's time to renew or apply for a PHRF certificate: Do you "have changes to your boat's configuration, or a new boat, that needs to go to the PHRF committee for review? The
next meeting will be Tuesday, February 25. Boat information needs to be received by the YRA office no later than February 20 to be reviewed at this meeting." See www.yra.org/ncphrf for info.
Our sympathies go out to sailors and readers affected by the SoCal fires. It's hard to imagine what you're going through, but we hope you can find some solace on the water this year.
— latitude/chris
• Vendée Globe • SailGP
• December's Berkeley Midwinters
• MMBA New Year's Day Race
• CCA Awards Cole Brauer
• Sailing with the Upper Classes
• Three Bridge Fiasco Tips
• More CYC Midwinters
• Previews of February Races, Etchells West Coast Spring Series, and more.
PERFORMANCE FOR ALL
Transpac campaign or weeknight warrior, at Quantum Sails, the same world-class designers and advanced technology behind our Grand Prix victories power all of our sails. Because better performance transforms every day on the water.
Del Rey YC's Berger-Stein #1, aka Malibu/Topanga & Return Race. Left: 'Runaway', a Cal 36 sailed by Thomas Lehtonen. Right: a cluster at the offset mark rounding. Many boats in the 19-mile Performance Division course were unable to finish. The Cruising Division boats had the shorter 13.5-mile course and a higher percentage of finishers. See www.dryc.org/RACING.
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With reports this month on Tahu Le'a's cruising memories; Outrun's solar power upgrade; Emerald Sea's post-Ha-Ha adventures; and a tasty assortment of Cruise Notes
Tahu Le'a — Morris 46
David Cohan and Sharon Jacobs Holidays to Remember Redwood City
Reading the stories of cruiser Christmases in the December Changes in Lati-
tudes prompted me to write regarding two experiences we had on related topics: celebrations in far-flung locations, though not necessarily Christmas.
The first is a distinct memory of celebrating New Year's Eve in Gizo, Solomon Islands, in 1988. Gizo is either the second- or third-largest town in the Solomons, with a current population of about 7,000. When Sharon and I were there 36 years ago, it had perhaps 2,000 residents, counting neighboring villages.
New Year's Eve was spent in the compact but congenial bar of the very small Gizo Hotel, which at that time was either the only such place — or one of few — in town. We joined an eclectic mix of locals, expats, folks from two other cruising boats, and a few other visitors for a remarkably great buffet dinner — what, giant spiny lobster again? OK, we'll take it!
Although nothing fancy, 'Synergy's first visit to a fuel dock in over a year was a beautiful thing.
Quoting from our letters home, "The evening was complete with frangipani leis for everyone, including the dog."
There was a bamboo band for entertainment, with instruments of varying sizes; the musician playing one of the larger, around 5 inches in diameter, created a sound remarkably like a bass fiddle. Again quoting our letter, "The band played cheerful, rhythmic music, with the bamboo instruments carrying the tune, and accompaniment by three guitars, three singers, and the dog." It was a wonderful way to celebrate the end of 1988 and the start of 1989. A few days later we would leave, heading north to Pohnpei and more adventures.
We don't have any pictures of that New Year's Eve, as we were all too busy talking and having fun. But one other memorable fact about Gizo is that it was the first place since leaving California in 1987 where we could actually pull alongside the fuel dock — meaning it was small enough and safe enough for Synergy, the 35-ft boat we had then, and deep enough for our 5.5-ft draft. Everywhere else had commercial fuel docks for large vessels, which were almost all unsafe, or not available to cruisers; or much smaller and shallower fuel docks, used by local skiffs and canoes. In Gizo, the commercial vessels were about the size of Synergy, hence the accessible fuel dock.
The second celebration was a bit smaller, but equally memorable: our younger daughter Kaela's 10th birthday party, celebrated at anchor in Baker's Bay, Abaco, Bahamas, in 2006. Participating were our family of four, on our "new" cruising boat (now 25 years old) Tahu Le'a; a family from the cruising boat Symphony with daughters about the same ages as ours, with whom we had been cruising off and on; and Scott and Kitty Kuhner from the Valiant 40 Tamure, whom we had met in the Marquesas back in 1988!
actually began the morning prior, when Scott announced it on the cruisers' VHF net in Marsh Harbor, and then proceeded to sing "Happy Birthday" to Kaela over the VHF, much to her embarrassment.
Kaela's birthday celebration
The next day we all sailed to and anchored in Baker's Bay, on Great Guana Island, one of our favorite spots (since ruined by a large exclusive resort — sigh). I had perhaps foolishly offered to make crab cakes for our planned party of 10, and had bought a large bag of stone crab claws from a local fisherman. The stone crab lived up to its name: I had to resort to a hammer to crack the claws, and must have spent two hours pounding, cracking, and extracting crab meat. Scott and
The Cohan family (l to r): Kimberley, Sharon, Dave and Kaela. Inset, Kaela at 10 with Dad (in mid-battle with stone crab claws).
Kitty motored up in their dinghy, bringing balloons and Scott's well-known propeller-topped cap. Symphony brought a cake and more gifts, which meant we had two cakes, as Sharon had baked one as well.
Fitting 10 people in Tahu Le'a's salon for dinner was just barely manageable, but ultimately we all squeezed in, both crab cakes and birthday cakes were judged successful, and a fine and memorable time was had by all.
— Dave 1/3/25
Readers — David and Sharon have appeared in Changes several times over the years. You may recall the great article that Dave did on how Tahu Le'a had been modified for easier access for Sharon, whose mobility has been limited by a form of multiple sclerosis. (You can find that piece in the December 2017 issue in our online archives.)
Fast-forwarding since the birthday noted here, Kaela, now 28, completed medical school in New York City, and is now halfway through a residency in internal medicine at the University of Washington. "She enjoys living in Seattle — the persistent precipitation notwithstanding — and has managed to squeeze hiking and skiing into
IN LATITUDES
the notoriously busy resident's schedule," says Dad.
Older daughter Kimberley, who also grew up on Tahu Le'a (that's her in the center of the birthday photo wearing glasses) is now 32. She currently lives in Brooklyn with her fiancé and works as both operations director of a performing arts group, and managing director of an international professional society.
Both girls continue to sail on Tahu Le'a (and Ripple, the family's 420 dinghy) when they're home.
Dave and Sharon both turned 70 in 2024 — "a number we once felt hard to contemplate" — and both experienced health setbacks in 2023 and early 2024. "We're still recovering, and hoping to be out sailing again soon," says Dave.
Outrun — Ericson 36C
Shane Engelman and Karina
Upgrading Solar in a Remote
Location
Berkeley
Last time we wrote into Latitude 38, Karina and I were in glorious, sunny Fakarava aboard our Ericson 36C Outrun. We've since made it to Tahiti. On this last trip, we had a series of significant steering failures, resulting in two days of hand-steering. We've secured a slip for cyclone season to make some necessary repairs while getting some rest in some land-based lodging.
The volatility of the South Pacific's precipitation became clear way back in May, when we arrived in the southern Marquesas. Enduring daily rain and clouds threatened our electrical bottom line, since we depend on solar for much of our charging needs. Tahiti has a good deal of weather, too, and the production from our panels here is less than it was back in Mexico. Did I say "repairs" earlier? Let's do some upgrades, too.
The only problem with doing a major solar upgrade is that I'm on a rock in the middle of the ocean. There are solar suppliers here on the island, but they are all for homes — enormous, rigid pieces of glass that are not quite what you'd want on a smallish monohull.
The arch on the boat originally had four 100-watt panels. I swapped them out in San Diego in 2022 with two large 400-watt Maxeon panels that have been producing more than their rated output. No complaints there. I also had some free real estate on my Sunbrella bimini just accumulating UV damage, when it could also be converting that radiation to sweet, sweet DC wattage. So, also in San Diego, I installed four 110-watt semi-flexible
Above: 10th birthday memories. Kaela is at right, about to blow out the candles. Top left: Sharon in the special "bosun's chair" used to get her onto and off the boat. Above right: 'Tahu Le'a' in the Abacos in 2006.
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Lensun panels with Sunpower cells. If you believe the advertising, as I did, these things are built to last. Little did I know at the time, monocrystalline semi-flex panels are doomed after their first year. So here I was, getting 60 watts out of an advertised 440 watts. Those would be
getting replaced.
with the mating side sewn into my bimini top for easy removal in the event of a storm. The zipper idea didn't work well in the real world. I tried something different this time: canvas loops and UV-resistant string. The CIGS panels have six punched-out grommet holes, which will
By that time in the planning, I'd run out of sun-facing real estate, so started looking for something light and thin that could be mounted on the beam. Some research brought LightLeaf brand panels to my attention. Their SeaLeaf products are 110-watt panels that are mounted to stainless steel tubing on the beam, allowing you to fold them either up or down. At only five pounds each, these panels seemed perfect. I planned on getting four. But how would I get them from their Canadian supplier?
Back in the US, it's so easy to get whatever you want. Everything is just a few days away. But out here, you have to be creative. Those SeaLeaf panels require stainless tubes, which I didn't have. After calling all over the island, I found some round rails at a local metal shop. Good thing I only needed four (one for each SeaLeaf), because that's all that existed here.
To replace those old panels on the bimini cover, I looked at a new technology called CIGS (copper indium gallium selenide). They're highly flexible, but not the same as, or even similar to, "normal" semi-flexible panels. These things can be shot with guns, scratched up, dunked underwater, or contorted as much as you want. They will keep kicking. The only downside is their high price. These panels also weigh around five pounds each. BougeRV is currently the leading manufacturer. These would be easier to get. I did some math and figured that five would be the right number.
My canvas worker back in San Francisco had gotten creative with the semiflexible panels I had then, sewing zippers into their non-conductive edges,
be the points of contact for the knots. Shipping to Tahiti can be a problem. Perhaps you can source materials at their origin, but if you're shipping from North America, they're not likely familiar with shipping to French Polynesia. You'd have much better luck getting something from New Zealand or Australia. There are freight forwarders that can help, but that may not be the best option due to costs and other unknowns. The solution is to
WHAT IT COST
Not including shipping, airline ticket fees, lodging, etc., here's a breakdown of the cost of this upgrade.
• Switches: BlueSea 8025 Traditional DC Panel $105
— BlueSea A-Series Toggle SinglePole Breaker (3 x $18)
• Bimini canvas work
• Stainless tubing
$54
$300
$450
• Airline baggage fees: Oversize $200 Overweight
$200
Total $5,344
have friends in far places. I contacted some buddies back on the mainland, asking if I could ship "a few things" to have them hold at their places until I could come pick them up at some point.
It requires a lot of planning and coordination, but the idea was to have parts waiting for me when I flew to California next, then take them all in a single bag to the airport and fly with them as a checked bag.
One of the things I had shipped ahead of me was an extra-extra-large duffel bag (42"x13.5"x23"). It was my naive idea that this would be substantial enough to transport the nine large solar panels. Well, 55 pounds later, yeah, it fits. But upon checking in at San Francisco for the direct flight to Tahiti, I had to give United Airlines $400 for oversized baggage fees.
Still cheaper than shipping these to the island, so I'm not mad!
During the installation period, I was still on a mooring ball, so getting the bits and pieces into the dinghy and onto the boat in the dead of night after arriving from the airport was quite the trick. But it felt pretty empowering to have actually gotten these components aboard. I got started as soon as the sun came up the following day.
The boat has never had rail-mounted
Above: Karina and Shane have been able to blend cruising with working remotely. Right: 'Outrun'.
solar before, so there were no electrical ingress points to the hull. It pains me every time it has to be done, but I drilled a hole for some duplex Ancor wire in the deck, sealing it, of course. The stainless tube installation went great and attaching the SeaLeaf panels was as simple as attaching the 3D-printed mounts, making the solar connections to the MPPT charger, and folding them to the "up" position.
On top of the bimini, it was a relief to get rid of those old, busted semi-flex panels and swap them out for something completely new. From the water, it's not obvious that the bimini is absolutely covered with solar now, so I think the installation turned out great. We'll see if it holds up in a heavy wind.
The results are amazing. I've seen 1,550 watts of power going into my batteries with this setup. Typical numbers I see are close to the following:
— Arch (Rigid Maxeon): 800 watts out of 800 rated
— Bimini (BougeRV Cigs): 400 watts out of 500 rated
Above: View from above of new arch and bimini panels. Left: View from below shows solar panels and double-Starlink installation. Top center and right: BougeRV panels before and after going into the mega-duffel — toilet paper made perfect packing material. Far right center and bottom: LightLeaf panels shown in stowed and "up" position. Right: Victron controllers convert sunlight into energy.
— Beam (LightLeaf SeaLeaf): 400 watts out of 440 rated
With this kind of power, I can keep the hot water tank boiling, have five fans running, a cold fridge/freezer, Starlink, work laptops, and a 32-inch TV with a PlayStation 5 running without any compromise, — all off-grid, with power to spare.
The best way to get parts to remote locations is to fly with them.
— Shane 12/4/24
Emerald Sea — Lagoon 450F
Jeff and Becky Hare
First-T imer Thrills
Brookings, Oregon
Becky and I are extremely happy to have been a part of the 30th anniversary Baja Ha-Ha! Long may the Poobah reign! Equal kudos to Assistant Poobah, Patsy, who is an absolute organizational marvel. The rally is truly like herding cats, and Patsy is an incredible rock star for keeping everything going smoothly and on schedule!
After the Ha-Ha, we planned on
spending one month in the northern Sea (north of La Paz, at least) before coming back down to Banderas Bay to entertain guests who were flying into Puerto Vallarta in January. Do not do this! There is so much to see and do that a month is just a tease. Next time we cruise to Mexico we will plan on spending the entire season in the upper part of the Sea. The crystal-clear waters are too inviting, the island hikes are splendiferous, and the cruising, while challenging, offers vistas unmatched in the world. Plan on a season or more in this area or you will be missing a great opportunity as we did!
After the Ha-Ha ends in Cabo San Lucas, the fleet splits up in oh-so-many different directions. Large numbers of boats follow the Poobah to the warm and calm waters of Banderas Bay, while others follow the Assistant Poobah north to the cooler and pristine waters of La Paz. As two members of our crew had flights from Cabo, we dallied there a few extra days, allowing them to shop and get to actually "vacation" (they worked hard on my
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boat!) for a few days. Once they returned to their home in northern Minnesota, the remaining doublehanded crew of Emerald
Sea started a leisurely sail up to La Paz.
Bahia Frailes is the usual first "rest stop" for boats heading this way. During our brief stay, we met up with other Ha-Ha boats including Dolce Vita, FIO, Folie Adeux, Better Together, Tao Neutrino, Neener 3 (or as we call them, Neener, Neener, Neener), and some others. On November 22, we collectively organized a beach BBQ where everyone present brought "delights from the bilge" — everything from beef jerky and cheese crisps to fresh tuna and shrimp to cook over the open driftwood fire. Everything needed to make this a special occasion was provided by the cruisers, including a plank table suspended by folding chairs, and a wide variety of creative beverages. I publicly thanked everyone for this special event, which also celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary — and my birthday!
While some boats made an additional stop at Bahia de Los Muertos, Emerald Sea and Dolce Vita headed straight for La Paz. This being our first time in town, it was fantastic to get to know the local Yacht Club Cruceros (www.clubcruceros.net),
Beachcombing Shell Beach on Isla San Jose.
and experience the great local support for the cruising community. It was great fun to attend both the end of the Ha-Ha Cruisers Party (some of these festivities were canceled in Cabo due to approaching weather) as well as the special early Thanksgiving dinner at La Costa! They have a wonderful staff that works to make sure your dining experience is perfect.
As with all first-timers, it was also interesting to experience the "La Paz Waltz." It's one thing to read about it, but quite another to actually experience it. All anchored boats (in any of the several designated areas) are essentially in a channel feeding a large and shallow bay. As the tide changes, flow through this channel area can be very strong, and boats will swing from one extremity of their anchor chain to the other. This in itself is not so bad if you have proper swing radius and holding. The problem we had was when the tidal current was ebbing, swinging our boat in one direction, and strong winds were gusting in the opposite direction.
As our boat is a catamaran with full canvas awnings, we have a lot of windage! The winds would gust and blow us in the opposite direction from the ebb, then stop, so the current would push us back down. As the boat was blown a little bit from one side or the other, the downdraft would result in a very strong tug on our anchor bridle each time we drifted to the end of our rode. We do have bungee cords to minimize the shock, but these are not designed for this much pressure, and both sides of the bridle broke. When a strong Norther came up in the forecast, we decided to head for calmer waters. Next stop, Isla Espiritu Santo.
When we found out Bahia San Gabriel had been closed to anchoring, we opted for the third finger-like bay halfway up the western side. Our friends on FIO were already there and gave us tips on snorkeling and scuba spots, which we took advantage of. This being November 28 —
the real Thanksgiving — I kept my own personal tradition by barbecuing a turkey (purchased in La Paz) on my tiny grill — expanding its size by adding layers of foil to the opened lid! (Don't try this at home, folks!) We were joined by Manny and Karen of Dolce Vita for a wonderful, fresh Thanksgiving dinner — and leftovers the next day. In addition to snorkeling and kayaking, we took the opportunity to clean the bottom of the boat and free the paddlewheel on the knotmeter. Bottom growth is much more aggressive in these
EMERALD SEA
EMERALD SEA
Jeff and Becky — so much to see in the Sea, and so little time!
IN LATITUDES
tropical waters, but the water is so inviting, scrubbing it off barely seems like a chore!
Another comfortable daysail north is San Francisco Island, with the anchorage area being Agate Beach. This stop was so inviting we spent a whole week here with Manny and Karen. Unfortunately, we had to part ways as they returned to La Paz and flew back home to spend the
holidays with family. Our week included beach walks, hillside hikes, and dinghy rides to shell beaches to inspect the incredible formations along the shoreline. Manny was very good at bringing extra trash bags, and we all picked up wayward MOOP (this is what the staff at Burning Man call "Matter Out of Place," or trash) to remove it from this otherwise pristine Nature Reserve.
From our observations, the charts from Isla San Francisco northward get more and more inaccurate. I've made it
a habit to always reference three different charts. When they disagree, I assume the two that are most similar are most likely accurate. The farther north up the Sea we went, I added Apple Maps, Google Maps, and Google Earth (all available only through a good Starlink connection). Not naming names here, but my chartplotter became alarmingly inaccurate on several occasions — sometimes showing we were on land when that was obviously not the case. Other charts showed islands where there are none. I highly recommend nighttime sailing only in open water, and not depending on chart locations for rocks, islands, or other hazards. I also recommend an updated cruising guide, as they seem best in identifying places to avoid.
We pulled into Punta San Marcial at dusk, depending mostly on Google Earth to make the high-risk entrance close enough to the mountain to protect us from the northern surf. This is not the greatest anchorage as waves from the north come around the point and there is room for only one boat, but it is quiet and very scenic. It is just about the only stopping place between Isla San Francisco and points north. If you can go another few hours north before dark, I would recommend Bahia Agua Verde instead.
You must also be very careful exiting this point, as below-the-water rocks and an actual island called San Marcial Rock extend a couple of miles out before you can safely turn north.
We made Puerto Escondido before the forecast strong northerlies materialized. This bay is a perfect place to hang out in a storm. The marina is very small, and it's unlikely you will be able to get a slip, but there's a large and very well-protected mooring field also in the bay. Renting a mooring ball gives you free dinghy dockage, and access to the very nice Captain's Lounge and very nice showers. While remote and away from town, the convenience store is well stocked, and a local restaurant offers wonderful pizzas and daily specials. There are also lots of goodhiking trails nearby, so a great place to hang out for a few days. There is also a very good fuel dock, and I recommend topping off your tank here. The laundry room has brand-new machines (and we appreciate the extensive solar system that powers the marina), and while we were there, the fee was 100 pesos "on your honor" payable at the marina office. Once the strong winds had passed, we headed for Ballandra Bay on Isla Carmen. We loved hiking all over the island. We met up with our friends on Ramble On, who live in the northern Sea full time. It
Above: 'Emerald Sea' anchored in an emerald sea. Top left: Puerto Escondido humor. Top right: Thanksgiving with friends aboard.
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was great to hang out and hike around this island. Bahia Ballandra is a wonderful place to anchor and explore.
As noted earlier, we had planned a month to explore the northern Sea of Cortez before having to return to Banderas Bay to meet up with our guests in January. We chose to cross the Sea just north of Loreto, as this would put us on a good angle to arrive on the mainland in San Ignacio Bay. It took two days to cross, and we arrived at Punta San Ignacio after dark. Exercising extreme caution, we again turned on Starlink and referenced Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Google Earth — as well as our cruising guide — to anchor behind the point in great sandy holding, but rolly conditions. It appears the town of Topolobampo offers a nice marina and a train ride that should not be missed — but we did! Another item on the "must-do" list for when we return in a few months.
We arrived in Marina Mazatlán after a comfortable sail from San Ignacio. A phone call to the marina revealed they had plenty of space for a cat. We stayed for four days. Checking several blogs
revealed comments about personal security in the city. Somewhat surprising, as we felt very secure at the marina, as well as during a few trips to Walmart and other stores. We had some boatwork done here as well. Our experience was that marina staff, local boat maintenance resources, and restaurant staff were all first rate!
San Blas's Bahia Matanchén completed a circle of sorts for us, as it was our mainland departure point last year for the bash back home. We enjoyed a quick stop at one of the shoreside seafood restaurants, met up with some more cruisers, and enjoyed evenings with what we call "baby rays" swimming around and poking their wing tips above the surface.
Our final stop for this leg of the adventure: La Cruz de Huanacaxtle. Upon our approach to Banderas Bay, some local friends we'd met last year insisted we anchor and walk up to their place for dinner. We were greeted with ponche (fresh sugar cane, apples, plums, tamarind, and Jamaica tea steeped in hot water), red snapper and wonderful salads! A few days later, a wonderful Christmas dinner was enjoyed on the rooftop!
Marina La Cruz appears to be much busier this year than last, and the boats seem newer and bigger! The anchorage is very comfortable, but we'll try to arrange a slip toward the end of our stay so we can have a rigging inspection and some boatwork done before bashing home.
We entertained a boat full of local friends for New Year's Eve, anchored temporarily off the Puerto Vallarta malecón — and enjoyed a spectacular drone and fireworks show coordinated along all 40 miles of the bay!
We're more than halfway though this year's journey now, so trying to savor every day. As the Grand Poobah likes to say, "Wish you were here!"
— Jeff 1/6/25
Cruise Notes
• "Since my South Pacific odyssey aboard the X-Yacht 49 JOIA, with Captain Stuart Jackson and crew, it's been a whirlwind trying to acclimate to land life again," writes Yosh Han. After a stint teaching sailing at Modern Sailing in Sausalito and Berkeley, in August she flew to Tahiti with Diane Berol, a San Diego
skipper she had met in Polynesia, to check over her Pacific Seacraft 42 Celtic Song, which Diane was prepping for Fiji this spring. A planned crossing to Moorea had to be postponed due to approaching
bad weather. So while they waited, "We paid a visit with Diane's friend, Dr. Michael Poole, the founder of Dolphin & Whale Watching Expeditions, in operation since 1987. We actually got to snorkel with humpback whales! A true oncein-a-lifetime experience!"
The summer culminated with Yosh being the keynote speaker for the 32nd annual Island Yacht Club Women's Seminar. "With over 100 sailors, it was a perfect weekend with high energy and enthusiasm — until I was prepping a small Merit 25, tripped over the lifeline and broke my ankle!" As advised by her orthopedic surgeon, she stayed off boats for a while, returning to sailing on January 1. At this writing, she was off on a cruise to Santa Cruz Island with friends from the Del Rey Yacht Club.
• The Oakland-based Hardin Sea Wolf 41 ketch Natasha arrived in Mazatlán last spring, just in time for the solar eclipse. "Watching from the water outside the harbor was a huge delight," says Emma Williams. Sadly, Emma and boat partner Zelix Slocum (a distant relative of Joshua) broke up and Natasha is for sale — "In
IN LATITUDES
Mexico and ready to go," says Emma. Emma returned to the Bay Area, where she is currently refitting a 1977 Bristol 24. She plans a shakedown trip to Monterey this summer. She is also still performing music (which she describes as "maritime folk punk") as Three Reefs Deep. In January, she did a few sets in Santa Rosa; this month, she'll be performing in Santa Cruz and San Francisco.
• Since Sarayha Ferris and Jor -
dan Whyte's Tayana 52 Current Toy last appeared in our June issue (where they wrote about crossing the Pacific and exploring French Polynesia), they reversed course and sailed back home to Vancouver Island. "While we knew the
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Emma with the new project boat, a '70s-era Bristol 24.
When Yosh couldn't go sailing, she had to settle for diving with humpbacks. Sometimes the cruising life is tough.
Large, fenced, secure dry storage area
Professional boatyard in the heart of Paradise
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Sarayha and Jordan were home for the holidays, but are already planning new adventures for 'Current Toy'.
trip back (via Hawaii) would be challenging, we set sail (and our fishing rods) and departed Bora Bora," says Sarayha.
"Despite our weather routing, planning and studying, we found ourselves in extremely tough conditions, resulting in heaving to for three days. We were put to the test mentally and physically, but our Tayana 52 held strong to her reputation, bringing us into Kona, Hawaii, after 18 days." After 10 days to provision and catch up on sleep, they were off again. Now safely home on Vancouver Island, they're planning for future cruising adventures, including exploring the northern West Coast, and eventually making their way back to Mexico.
• "We finally did it!" writes Katie Harper
of the CSY 44 Stargazer — "it" being casting off the docklines and setting off on a cruising journey years in the making.
And "we" being hubby David and daughters Emily, 12, and Harper, who is 9. They are currently enjoying mañanaland after taking part in last year's Baja Ha-Ha.
The journey for Katie and David began more than a decade ago when they were college students and both part of the topranked USC sailing team. Not long after, they headed south together on Stargazer via the 2011 Ha-Ha. After spending three months in the Sea of Cortez, "Life and work pulled us back home to Newport," says David. Thirteen years later, they are
and explored Isla Isabela, known as the "Galápagos of Mexico" for the wide variety and numbers of birds and other wildlife. Then it was south to La Cruz and Tenacatita, where Stargazer is currently ly-
The Harper family — (l to r): Katie, Emily, Harper and David — are in it for the long haul this time. Mom and Dad also did the 2011 Ha-Ha. Left: 'Stargazer'.
STARGAZER
beautiful sailing grounds and warm waters of Mexico for the next year or two. After that, "The world is our oyster," says Katie.
• Yeah, yeah — we know that cruisers prefer an open-ended itinerary to any set schedule. But a trio of events coming up later this month and next can add a lot of fun to your season, and more importantly, benefit local schools and schoolkids. Here's a quick look at each:
— Zihuatanejo Sailfest (February 9-22) brings together locals and visitors to once again raise funds for local schools and schoolchildren. This is the 22nd edition of this event, which was started back in 2002 by Latitude 38 and a handful of cruising boats. The event soon took on a life of its own, and to date has raised more than $1 million for scholarships, charities and repair work to schools around Z-Town — and made it possible
Outtakes from past Zihuatanejo Sailfests highlight the Parade of Sail, music jams afloat and raft-ups of boats of all types and sizes.
for more than 1,000 disadvantaged kids to attend those schools. All this and it's a heap of fun for both locals and cruisers. Festivities afloat include a "Rally Round the Rock" and a Parade of Sail. Ashore, there's a ton of food, drink and entertainment. For more information: www. zihuatanejo-sailfest.com.
— Modeled on Sailfest, the 6th annual Barra de Navidad Cruise-In Week/Fiesta de Veleros is scheduled for February 8-16. This event also features lots of fun activities for sailors and locals, and all money raised also goes toward helping
local schoolkids. For more information, see www.vallartayachtclub.org/barra.
(We're sorry to note that, for the first time we remember, these events are running mostly concurrently, so cruisers will have to choose between the two. We hope next year they plan these worthy events for different time blocks so more boats can participate in both if they so desire.)
Come March, consider the 31st Annual Banderas Bay Regatta (March 18-25), a come-as-you-are, race-whatyou-brung event in lovely Banderas Bay. Although actual hot racing boats always show up, some of the most fun is had by crews of cruising boats heavily "handicapped" by toys and gear. It's a hoot! — latitude/jr
ClassifieDs Cl assifieDs
15Th
Dinghies, Liferafts & rowboats
10 FT Zephyr Gremlin 1972. Gremlin G63. 10-ft 4-in. Great condition. One owner as seen in title pic. Rarely used back in the ’70s and stored in a garage for life. Includes everything in the pics. Does not include sail or trailer. Manufactured at the Richmond, CA, plant back in the day. $6,000. Watsonville, CA. (815) 440-9584 hooverhort@comcast.net
10 FT Zodiac & moTor redUced! Zodiad measuring 10-ft by 2-ft. In carrying case. Never used. Tohatsu (4-cycle) 3.5 hp outboard motor. Model SG. Still in the box with papers. A steal! Contact Alan. $950 OBO. Green St., San Francisco. alcavey@hotmail.com (415) 567-1742
15 FT Zodiac mk iii 1999. Sat in garage, replaced impeller runs like new. Trailer, tires perfect condition. Bimini and extra gear. 40hp Tohatsu. Control panel lifts motor, new ACDelco marine battery in case. $14,000. Mendocino. melco@mcn.org (707) 884-4836
12 FT BalTik inFlaTaBle 2006. Baltik with 20hp fuel-Injected outboard, on a trailer. Fewer than 20 hrs on motor, carefully documented break-in period, serviced July. Wooden panel floor, 2 chairs and/or 2 benches. See photos for inventory list. $4,900 OBO. Sausalito, CA. crgoff45@gmail.com (831) 332-2576
23 FT Bear BoaT 1946. ‘Smokey’, Nunes built. Awlgrip hull and spars. Full canvas cover. Racing and cruising sails. Mexico and Pacific Northwest vet. Lots of gear to go with boat. Good condition. Please contact David via phone only. $4,500. Sausalito, CA. 415) 331-3612 davesdivingservice@gmail.com
24 FT J/24 1982. New 3.6hp outboard. 2021: 70% of running rigging replaced. 2016: new UK Sails main, jib, and standing rigging. Harken roller furler. Two extra sets of sails and complete spinnaker setup. Good cushions, sleeps four. It’s fun! $2,400 FIRM. Redwood City. (415) 867-6488 vasdiast@yahoo.com
23 FT ranGer 1975. ‘Mucho Gusto III’ race winner. Ullman headsails #1, 2, 3. 2 spinnakers, 1/2oz blooper. New propane. Mercury motor. $3,000. Ventura, CA. (805) 340-4082
12 FT pelican 1965. Smith Brothers hull #247. New tanbark sails. Good condition w/trailer. Please contact David via phone only. $3,800. Sausalito, CA. (415) 331-3612 davesdivingservice@gmail.com
12.3 FT BeeTle caT 2005. A classic with premium upgrades. Great condition. Always dry-docked. Hull # 2251 fully fiberglassed so no need to pre-swell. Includes trailer plus covers for cockpit and whole boat. New mainsail is blue. $10,000 OBO. Novato. cliff@warmspringsholdings.com (415) 302-5134
DAVE’S DIVING SERVICE
24 FT WavelenGT h 24 1983. Great daysailer with roller furling jib, spinnaker, extra sails, handheld VHF, new bottom paint. Sleeps four. February 2024. Second owner. We now reside in Oregon and need to sell soon! Drastic price reduction! $2,900 OBO. Marina Village Yacht Harbor, Alameda. sailorsteve41@yahoo.com
22 FT SanTana 22 1976. Pocket racer/ cruiser ‘Albacore’. Race-proven (podium finishes 2023 and 2024 Nationals) with all equipment, two full suits of sails including spinny gear. Also cabin cushions, lights, etc. so a good weekender. Fun and competitive local fleets, especially in Alameda and Richmond — racers or potentials preferred. Includes the classic 2.3hp Honda 4-stroke air-cooled outboard. Road-tested trailer extra: $1500 OBO. $4,500 OBO. Point Richmond. jan.grygier.ca@gmail.com
20 FT m el G e S 20 2010. Melges 20 and trailer in very good condition, lightly used. Inventory: 3 sets of sails, 2 gennakers, Tacktick, traveling and mast-up tarps, traveling boxes and Suzuki 2.5hp. $20,000. Los Angeles. jlang@ucla.edu
25 – 28 feet saiLboats
27 FT BalBoa 1978. Maxi — trailerable. Health forces sale. $7,000. Marina Bay Yacht Harbor, Richmond. (775) 677-7503 rtrouble@pacbell.net
25 FT caTalina 250 W/Trailer 1999. This capable, trailerable coastal cruiser has many upgraded features of boats far larger: inboard Yanmar diesel and saildrive, an upgraded rudder, wheel steering, shallow-draft winged keel, completely redone/improved electrical systems, upto-date instruments including autopilot, all standing and running rigging upgraded, up-rated mast and boom. The value of this Catalina 250 far exceeds the listing. Completely overhauled/refitted in 2016 with impeccable documentation of all work done. This boat is ready for anything on the Bay, Delta, and even short trips out the Gate; or put it on the trailer and your options are limitless. 2020 survey valued at $27,000 available upon request. $17,500. Marina Bay, Richmond, CA. cbhbackinca@gmail.com (949) 565-5252
27 FT n or S ea 27 1997. Beautiful. Professionally finished and designed for offshore sailing. That was my dream but I met the love of my life and she didn’t share the same dreams. After sailing around Puget Sound for 10-12 years it’s time to say goodbye. Email me and I will send you a complete list of all the equipment included. $59,000. Seattle, WA. boatbutcher@hotmail.com (253) 380-1413
25 FT o’day 25 1977. ‘Pescarus’ is a clean, complete and very capable coastal cruiser. Completely upgraded in 2020: All standing and running rigging, lifelines, new bottom and paint, Honda 8hp electric start. $5,000 OBO. Monterey, CA. bobmccormick528@gmail.com (831) 210-2338
27 FT SanTa crUZ 27 1977. Nearly race-ready. Last bottom paint 2022. New spinnaker, 2 and 3 genoas in 2022. Decent Number 1 and excellent main. 2.3 Honda long shaft. On unregistered trailer in Morro Bay. $8,500. Morro Bay, CA. (805) 2152527 Patrick.gorey@att.net
25 FT caTalina 250 WinG keel 1997. Hull #276. ‘See Monkeys’. Set up for singlehanding. Tiller. Raymarine ST1000 tiller pilot included. Boat is trailerable. I do not have a trailer. Hull cleaned three times a year. Per diver, paint is in excellent shape. Last painted December 2022. Re-fiberglassed rudder at the same time. Honda 9.9 outboard, regularly serviced. Major service in September 2024. New VHF radio March 2022. 2021: replaced standing and running rigging, upgraded to two-battery system with switch and charge controller, replaced lifelines with bare steel wire. $11,000. Coyote Point, San Mateo. john@jfbatlaw.com (650) 207-5267
25 FT nordic FolkBoaT 1983. Excellently maintained fiberglass Nordic Folkboat, ‘Thea’, for sale. ‘Thea’ is actively raced and very competitive in the local one-design fleet. I have owned ‘Thea’ for 20 years and have always done what is good for the boat (without whining about the cost; it’s a boat) with many upgrades and improvements over the years. Aluminum spars, racing sails, a full boat cover (with many years remaining), two-stroke outboard. (Outboard rarely used; it’s a sailboat.) See URL for more information. $22,000 OBO. S.F. Marina. 415) 713-1638 Mtnjam108@gmail.com www.tinyurl.com/ybj9c4fb
VESSEL MOVING
No ocean too big, no trip too small, no ship too large, no mast too tall. Sail or power, we move them all! When you are ready give us a call. Professional Service • cappytom@aol.com • (206) 390-1596
25 FT m e ri T 25 1984. Needs TLC. Comes with two-axle trailer w/good tires. Two #1 sails, #2 sail, #3 sail. All sails are in old condition. Two spinnakers. VHF radio. Clear title, up-to-date registration. Call Cecil. $5,000. Clearlake, CA. d20001. pearson@hotmail.com (707) 339-2359
27 FT cal 3-27 1985. Clean, well maintained sloop ready to sail. Rebuilt Yanmar 1GM10 engine (~350 hours). New Quantum full-batten mainsail — 2022, Doyle 130% genoa, 120% jib, asymmetric spinnaker. Good standing and running rigging. Bottom painted April 2022 and regularly cleaned. Beautiful teak interior, custom folding table, newer cushions. Set up for singlehanded sailing with 4 self-tailing winches, traveler in the cockpit, furling genoa/jib, running rigging and reef lines led to the cockpit. Includes tiller w/extender; Autohelm self-steering; VHF radio w/DSC. Instruments: compass, Garmin GPS, depth and speed. 2-burner portable propane stove, excellent nonskid deck paint, large ice box, folding swim steps, full sail and winch covers, rebuilt head, 2 anchors, boat hook, 2 fire extinguishers and flare kit. $8,500. Richmond, CA (RYC). bouncebros@comcast.net (510) 334-4391
25 FT caTalina 1977. Sailboat on EZ Loader trailer. Impeccably restored by experienced marine mechanic. New: galley, head, GPS, fireplace, upholstery. Primo condition. Turnkey ready, no saltwater, beautiful custom woodwork with teak marquetry inlays, numerous essential sailing accessories included. $15,000 OBO. North Lake Tahoe, CA. laurieswanson20@gmail.com (530) 2779854
27.93 FT paciFic SeacraFT 25 mk ii 1978. Sailboat with excellent trailer and tremendous amount of gear ready for someone handy. New Yanmar 2YM15 with 1.5 hrs, two furlers, six sails, cockpit and interior cushions, two anchors, wind vane self steering and tiller pilot, Furuno radar, propane system parts. Too many parts to list — contact Todd Chandler for link to photos. $18,900. Newport, OR. todd@chandlermarineservices.com (541) 992-9289
FT yamaha 1984. PHRF racer and comfortable cruiser. Interior and exterior maintained in excellent condition by meticulous owner. Yanmar 1gm10 diesel with very low hrs. Garmin chartplotter, Raymarine VHF radio, emergency beacon and many other items. $10,000. Alameda. Jnovie@aol.com (415) 271-3441
29 – 31 feet saiLboats
30 FT paciFic 30 1982. Designed in the ’20s, built in the ’80s of quality Canadian fiberglass, ‘Ramona’ is 30-ft on deck with elegant overhangs that guarantee compliments every sail. An original “gentleman’s (or gentlewoman’s) daysailer,” ‘Ramona’ has everything you need and nothing you don’t for a comfortable day on the Bay. Why sail a motorhome when all you really need is a sports car? Dependable Yanmar (recent List Marine service), crisp Pineapple sails, new standing rigging (including top of mast), rollaway head, and a great napping berth. Designed by William Roué of legendary ‘Bluenose’ schooner fame. Twenty-one-ft waterline, 8-ft beam, 4.5-ft draft, 4700-lb displacement, and one of the sweetest sailers that just happens to be undeniably pretty. $10,500. Richmond. rgriffoul@sbcglobal.net (510) 290-0955
30 FT WyliecaT 30 2007. Unstayed carbon mast with aluminum wishbone. Ullman square-top sail. New bottom paint June 2024. Yanmar 2-cylinder diesel installed in 2018. Autohelm instruments and autopilot. New AGM batteries. Fast and fun. $60,000. Richmond Yacht Club. david_outdoors@comcast.net (510) 612-5466
31 FT TaShiBa 31 1986. Well maintained and equipped cruiser that we have enjoyed over the last 10 years is ready for its next owner. She has taken us on many adventures, including Hawaii and back, up and down the Oregon and California coasts, and in and around S.F. Bay. Robert Perry considers this his best design. $57,500. S.F. Bay. biglilwave@gmail.com (707) 599-4633
30 FT olSon 911Se 1990. Excellent condition. Easy to sail, yet fast weekender w/nice interior and standing headroom. Updated top shelf blocks, clutches, line, winches, B&G (wind, speed, GPS and plotter), and sails (2022 & 2018 North 3Di RAW main, 2018 3Di RAW #1, 2023 E/P carbon fusion #3, 2022 E/P spin, many more sails). New deck/nonskid 2022. All wood stripped and varnished 2022. Carbon spin pole, 2021 head. Excellent recent race record. Autotiller. Much more. Details @ URL. $22,000. San Pedro, CA. Steve@Pactank.Com (562) 234-0991 www.tinyurl.com/3z6my7yz
30 FT WyliecaT 30 1997 . New square-top made by Ullman sails in Santa Cruz. Powered by a Yanmar 1GM10: runs great. Boat’s clean and ready to sail. $49,000. Newport Beach. lagunawide@gmail.com (949) 945-8470
30 FT olSon 30 1984 . Awesome. North 3Di main and #1. Ullman 2 older but excellent. Brand-new LG #3. Old #4 and staysail. Excellent North symmetric. EP asymm. Delivery main. Brandnew Tohatsu 6hp. B&G. New Harken genoa and jib cars and tracks. New backstay. Under-deck supports. Large rudder. New nonskid. Bottom paint less than a year. New sheets and halyards. Harken windward sheeting trav. No trailer. $15,000. Shelter Island, San Diego. ballenlaw1@gmail.com
30 FT knarr 1998. ‘Fifty/Fifty’ has a fiberglass hull and is the last and most recent Knarr built by Borresen boatyard. Classic boat in excellent condition – a joy to race and sail! $42,500 OBO. San Francisco, CA. stone_paul_a@yahoo.com (408) 876-7197
31 FT caTalina 310 2000. Must see to believe! Excellent condition. Set up to singlehand. Hoyt jib boom, self tending. Bow thruster and dodger new. Doyle mainsail and stack pack recent. Standing and running rigging have been replaced. Pulled. Painted and engine serviced April 2024. 1155 engine hrs. Same owner for 18 years. Many upgrades and custom interior. Walkaround queen berth. Perfect couple’s cruiser. Sausalito transferable slip. $68,500 REDUCED. Sausalito, CA. jimlewitt@gmail.com (415) 302-6823
30 FT yankee one-deSiGn Wooden Sloop 1949. Master Mariners awardwinning sailboat designed by William Starling Burgess and Stone-built. ‘Flame’ was totally restored in 2015. Varnished wood hull. Roller furling. Complete survey in 2023 available. “A Sailor’s Saiboat.” Please email. $49,900. Richmond, CA. stefroche916@gmail.com
30 FT caTalina 1979 . Unique opportunity to own a coastal cruiser of great repute located in the very safe/ secure marina at the Hotel Grand Isla de Navidad only a few miles north of the Manzanillo Airport at the heart of the central Mexican West Coast cruising waters. The well maintained boat is also equipped with davits, a Universal 5434 diesel engine with less than 500 running hrs and a number of recent uprades. Contact owner. $19,600. MX West Coast. helenekbeauchemin@gmail.com +52 (312) 107-7417
30 FT ericSon 30+ 1980. Five-anda-half-ft draft keel. Version,0 Universal Diesel, new propane two-burner stove conversion. Rigging replaced late ’90s. Two mainsails. Original roller jib. $13,000 OBO. Sausalito. (415) 342-6230 newcombarger@yahoo.com
29 FT kirie eliTe 1982. Performance cruiser that has everything a Bay Area sailor could want for racing or cruising. Brand-new, never-hoisted sails and rigging. New B&G Vulcan chartplotter. Reliable and fuel-efficient 2006 Yanmar diesel engine. $19,000 OBO. Benicia, CA. mike.bernico@gmail.com
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29.5 FT J/29 1985. Fresh off her 2023 ASMBYC High Point Series victory, ‘Zulu’ is now for sale! This ultra-competitive J/29 sailboat is fully equipped for crewed and shorthanded races. Meticulously maintained, she offers an impressive arsenal of sails and will provide her new owners a solid platform for competitive racing for years to come. $14,000. Marina del Rey, CA. welter.ryan@gmail.com (949) 554-9390
32 – 35 feet saiLboats
32 FT GUlF piloThoUSe 1980. Fully equipped. Radar, color GPS, built-in battery charger, modern autopilot, solar panels, 12V fridge, water heater, anchor winch. All sails restitched. Two steering stations. Tools and spares. $15,000. Long Beach. darblessing@gmail.com (562) 537-3720
34 FT cal 34-3 1979. Repowered 2022 ($25K). Well maintained. Regular bottom clean. Paint haulout 2021. Running rigging 2023. Thru-hulls and standing rigging 2015. Batteries 2022. Roller furling, ST winches, chartplotter, wheel auto, VHF w/DSC. $17,500. Pt. Richmond. williamjvezina@gmail.com (530) 957-0100
34 FT FiSher keTch 1985. Very heavily built cruiser, with many upgrades and recent haulout and engine service. Ready for that offshore cruise, or comfortable liveaboard. Change of plans due to relocation/health. Follow your dreams! Broker co-op welcome. $79,500 OBO. Brickyard Cove. cabokirk1@outlook.com (510) 367-0500
35 FT dehler 34 1985. ‘Private Reserve’ — Dutch-built racer-cruiser. Tiller, all lines led aft, all-teak interior, new batteries, Yanmar with 1900+ hrs, recently updated standing and running rigging, Q4 2024 haulout. Text for details. Also possible: fractional ownership or noequity partnership, or use as a trade for a full-keel 36- 42-ft cruiser. $18,000 OBO. S.F. South Beach Harbor. valtaft@gmail. com (650) 670-5300
34 FT BeneTeaU 331 2000. ‘Boomtown’ is lively and well maintained. She’s ready to go and often seen cavorting on S.F. Bay. Simple systems, easy to sail and ideally suited for Bay and coastal cruising. She’s comfortable at a mooring or on the hook for a weekend or longer. Roller furling jib, in-mast furling, and power winch make life simple. Hauled and painted every 2 to 3 years and dived on regularly. All systems below are clean, well maintained and functioning well. Westerbeke 27hp. with low hrs, never misses a beat! Currently being serviced: raw water flush, oil change etc., and full interior/ exterior detailing. For more information or to schedule a viewing, please contact Joe. $60,000. Berkeley, CA. cunliffe@ sbcglobal.net (510) 648-9253
32 FT challenGer 1976. Fantastic liveaboard/cruising boat. This beamy boat has plenty of headroom. Good storage options. Sleeps 5. Bone dry. Email or text for more pictures. No trades. $12,000 OBO. Antioch, CA. (510) 325-7144 marwellmethod@gmail.com
35 FT SanTana 35 1980. Second owner. This boat comes with a comprehensive sail inventory and rigging upgrades, making it race-ready and versatile for competitive sailing or fast cruising. Actively raced in the Santa Cruz area since 2005. Yanmar two-cylinder diesel with folding two-blade prop. Tacktick sailing instruments. Equipped with a masthead spinnaker and penalty pole. New chainplates and standing rigging in 2010. Running rigging is in good condition and has been consistently upgraded. New head plumbed to holding tank. Sail Inventory: headsails: #1, #2, and #3. Main: Dacron mainsail. Spinnakers: 0.6oz masthead spinnaker, 0.75oz fractional spinnaker, 0.75oz shy spinnaker. Delivery options available to S.F. Bay. $10,000 OBO. Santa Cruz, CA. bkieft@mbari.org (831) 334-7658
34 FT eXpreSS 34 1986. 1986 “Boat of the Year” 1987 Sailing World Magazine. One of Carl Schumaker’s finest designs. Two-burner stove with oven, hot water. Almost-new North main, lightly used North jib on Harken roller furling, many bags of sails, two spinnaker poles, raceready, fully equipped. Priced to sell. $35,000 OBO. Richmond Yacht Club. karlengdahl10@gmail.com
35 FT FanTaSia 35 mk ll 1979. In very good condition and ready to go. Most all systems upgraded including standing rigging and lifelines. Above-deck Maxwell windlass, Profurl 4200 genoa furler, ComNav autopilot, Vector AIS, Dometic fridge in updated galley and full stand-up workroom are just some of the features that make so much in a 35-ft boat. Ten-inch pillow top mattress! Runs great! ComNav Commander P2 color autopilot, Octopus hydraulic steering ram, Blue Sky charge controller, new lifelines (2018), new rigging (2018), New Found Metals stainless ports, Garmin chartplotter, Vesper SP160 antenna splitter, Vesper XB-8000 AIS, Standard Horizon AIS/GPS VHF w/remote handset in cockpit, Iverson freestanding bimini, lazy jacks, transom hoist. $45,000 carey.shine@gmail.com (541) 973-9562
32 FT ericSon 32 1972. In excellent shape. Wheel steering and roller furling jib. Many new features: instruments, cockpit canvas, dodger and window screen, mainsail stack, boom kicker (eliminates uphaul) and new head. Engine hrs < 500 on Universal diesel. Recent hull paint fall 2023. Many custom features including cockpit dining table. Very well maintained. Reason for sale is my age and health. For more photos and info see Craigslist URL. $20,900. Oakland North Marina. gumdoc@mac.com (510) 3689611 www.tinyurl.com/2ed8rh4p
34 FT peTerSon 34 1979. Refit over the last several years. I am getting a bigger boat. Lots of major upgrades, some new sails, winches, clutches, decks redone, plumbing, new wiring, chartplotter, VHF, MFD in cockpit, autopilot. New head, bottom paint with barrier coat done in fall 2023, new cutlass bearing, motor mounts. Fuel tank was recently cleaned with all new fuel lines. Two-cylinder Yanmar diesel. Looks a little rough but runs great. Has a two-blade folding prop. Sails include new genoa, newer main, lots of spinnakers and old race sails. Standing/ running rigging in great shape. Tough old boat, very well built, solid shape structurally. Allan Andrews keel and rudder. $25,000. Ventura, CA. (805) 953-4458 scottnordeng@gmail.com
34 FT Wylie 34 1980 . One of Tom Wylie’s best designs; fractional rig, new Quantum main and cover, other sails for all conditions, PHRF 120, Yanmar and 2GM diesel 1700 hrs. A great Bay boat! $21,500. Richmond. (808) 381-5884 kurrewa59@gmail.com
32 FT herreShoFF 1998. Sail around the world! Beautiful, strong cruising cutter. Herreshoff-designed, bowsprit and boomkin, cold-molded hull, full lead keel, spruce spars, sails in great condition (mainsail with 3 reefs; stays’l, jib; 120% Dacron; 120% 1.5 oz. nylon; storm sail; trys’l); Aries wind vane self-steering; 10-ft fiberglass dinghy; no engine; sail into and out of upwind Berkeley berth or use 16-ft oar; 4 anchors (45# 35# 25# CQR, fisherman); windlass. Call Ken’s cell 925 786-7878. P.S. Consider adding an electric motor. $24,500. Berkeley, CA. (925) 786-7878
33 FT paciFic SeacraFT mariah 31 1978. Stout boat of legendary strength and seaworthiness. Highly sought-after for bluewater sailing. She is in excellent condition, spartan appointments and in original condition with no modifications. Newer standing rig, crisp sails, fresh bottom job. $34,900. Tiburon. sailingfearless@gmail.com 415-745-2292
33 FT cal 33 1971. Classic older-style sloop with modified scoop stern. Strong Volvo diesel 487 hrs. Harken roller furling. Tiller, older sails. Relocating and priced to sell. $5,900 OBO. Emery Cove Yacht Harbor. ngolifeart@gmail.com (747) 286-8311
36 – 39 feet saiLboats
39 FT roBerTS oFFShore 38 2004. Steal my steel — gorgeous Robertsdesigned. Professionally built, well maintained. Impeccable woodwork, Icom SSB, UHF, Furuno radar, Givens 6-man offshore life raft, Balmar alternator, water desalination, DC refrigeration system, Garmin GPS, solar panels and more. Ready to sail away to Tahiti. currently in dry storage in San Carlos, Mexico. Go to website for more pics and two surveys. $22,000. San Carlos, MX. millstb@gmail.com (520) 265-2587 www.Zester4sale.com
38 FT doWn eaST Sloop 1976. During ownership of ‘Anita’ we’ve done the following: Sandblasted the bottom, faired in and coated with 2 coats of marine epoxy, painted. Installed new Yanmar 53hp diesel w/new fuel tank, drive train. Installed 90% new wiring, batteries, panels etc. New SS stanchions, bow and stern pulpits. Installed Corian counter tops, new cushions and solid teak chart table top and a heavy duty Lofrans windlass. New 300-ft 5/6-in G4 chain. Other improvements and gear, too numerous to mention. ‘Anita’ has great headroom in saloon, giant V-berth, freeboard of a much larger boat, huge amount of storage space. Search URL for sailing adventures in SoCal. Courtesy to brokers. $49,500.capnernie1@aol.com www.tinyurl.com/ynxxcca2
39 FT irWin ciTaTion 1979. Built in Florida for San Francisco Bay. Great liveaboard and coastal cruiser. 2023 bottom painted. Extensive rebuild/replacement of most systems in 2006 including Yanmar 3JH4. Monitor vane/e-rudder. dodger/ bimini. Call or email. $45,000. Richmond, CA. svcasablanca1979@gmail.com (925) 391-1250
38 FT hc 38 mk ii 1981. Ready for new ownership. Located in Mazatlán, MX. Great weather and workers available. Mazatlán, MX. lord41897@mypacks.net
37 FT alSBerG BroTherS eXpreSS
37 1985. ‘Limitless’ is a proven offshore and inshore racer/cruiser with a proven winning record with many podium finishes. A Transpac and Pacific Cup racing veteran, ‘Limitless’ is ready to go to Hawaii in turnkey condition. There’s an extensive sail inventory including class carbon fiber mains, cruising Dacron main with new Tides Marine track. The sail inventory includes E/P, Ullman, Quantum and Hyde sails from 2016 to present, some new never-used sails (A5, Code 0, A4). Also, new 2023 Ballenger spar with new rod rigging, newer running rigging, two carbon fiber spinnaker poles and reaching strut. Many more extras included… $69,500 Price reduction.San Pedro, CA. E37LLfast@aol.com (310) 720-0620
39 FT Freya 2003 . Proven famous bluewater cruiser/racer. Every amenity for safety and comfort except air conditioning. Lying San Diego, ready for the Ha-Ha. Turbocharged Yanmar recently rebuilt. Bristol condition. Tall rig, 13 standing riggings, 13 halyards, two autopilots, two chartplotters, windvane steering and much more. Complete suite sails for heavy weather, paraglider spinnaker, Jordan series drogue, Dynaplate grounding to mast, sleeps 6. Watermaker, hydraulic backstay. Email or call. $120,000. San Diego. berniekreten@yahoo.com (916) 335-6555
38 FT carrera 38 1987. Imported by Sven Svendsen. 2023, mast removed with new standing rigging installed, two new batteries, two new compasses, new bottom paint, new zincs, new service of the outdrive/prop, hydraulic outhaul, vang and mast bend, two-cylinder Volvo recently serviced with oil change/pump/ filters, all work done by Svendsen. Two mainsails, two spinnakers, genoa and two roller jibs, spinnaker pole, Ballenger mast and boom. $15,000. Pt. Richmond Marina, CA. (510) 914-1289 franzsteinerarchitect@comcast.net
39 FT cal 39 mk ii 1981. Tall rig with shoal keel. Westerbeke diesel. Profurl. CPT autopilot. New headliner. $19,900. Richmond. ccackerma@gmail.com
36.3 FT caTalina 36 1988. Just spent $13,904 on upgrades with receipts 07/2024. Possible liveaboard S.F. area. Amazing transferable slip location. Slip $495/month. Reason for sale: After work completed needed to move for work. Engine/boat work by T. Falkowski. Engine runs perfect. New/replaced: New marine refrigerator system installed by Anders at Swedish Marine. New ProSport 2-amp/3bank inverter/charger. Three new AGM Group 4 batteries (2 house/1eng.) and new cables. New Racor fuel-filter assembly, oil/filter change. New bilge pumps; replaced wires with marine-grade wires. New water heater, new Jabsco toilet/head. New galley and bathroom sink faucets, all new fuel lines from fuel filter to engine, new impeller, new cherry wood galley stain, deck/entrance teak varnished, new three-inch engine blower motor, electric panel updated, new VHF/ UHF radio. $19,500. San Francisco Bay - Peninsula. jono4sail@gmail.com (714) 916-2740
Tayana 37 mk 2 cUTTer. It works!!! We assumed our engine was dead and hadn’t tried to start it since having winterized it some time ago. Big thanks to Hans from List Marine for coming down and cranking her over. Bluewater cruiser, plenty of head room and storage. She is sound but is a project boat. Motor runs—could use a clean up and tune up. Some electrical work still needed. All new thru hull fittings. New standing rigging, electrical wiring and LED lights, VHF antenna of this past year. Brought overland from East Coast so lifelines, stanchions and bow sprit were removed and need to be reinstalled (all included). Stainless frames for dodger and Bimini but no canvas. Sails and covers in fair condition. Interior cushions in good condition. Nice interior layout. Priced to reflect work to be completed. $20,000 Need to sell. Sausalito. (415) 413-6707 jaygrant11383@gmail.com
36 FT caScade 1977. Bluewater-ready turnkey sailboat. 55 hrs on new Yanmar 30 hp, navigation autopilot, leather interior hand-carved wood. Dickinson diesel heater, full head with hot shower, full galley and more. Great liveaboard with large V-berth, comes with transferable slip! $25,000 OBO. Newport, OR.sureshanjie@ yahoo.com Suresh (510) 459-8018or Dustin (808) 756-1389
39 FT Freedom 1983. Freedom 39 they never have a rigging issue, masts do not break. Fast and solid, everything works, has a factory gen-set. Berthed at Central Basin, sails well reefed or in light airs. A Caribbean and Galapagos Vet, Achilles tender. Two staterooms, radar and new head. Everything works, USCG Documented. Sea-trial on request. $29,500. Oakland, CA. captainterrylee@gmail.com (916) 599-5241
37 FT cSy 37 1979. Mexico vet ready to go again. Heavy-construction bluewater boat. One of the roomiest 37s around. Three cabins, two heads. New Beta Marine engine, two fridge/freezers. CPT autopilot. Good sails with asymmetrical spinnaker, recent standing rigging plus much more. After 50 years of cruising, I’ve gone over to the dark side with a trawler, so this needs to go. Check out Practical Sailor review at URL. $35,000. Point Richmond. sailorboyone@gmail.com (530) 219-1566 www.tinyurl.com/4jkj9jky
40 – 50 feet saiLboats
44 FT kelly peTerSon 1979. Classic offshore cutter. New in the last 3 years: Profurl, running and standing rigging, radar tower, Zeus 3S 9, HALO20+, Cebro, forward head, new H2O and sanitation hoses, 12V rewire, stanchion bases, propane system and much more. Health issues force sale. Socalsailmail at yahoo for details and photo packet. $75,000. San Carlos Sonora, MX. socalsailmail@yahoo.com www.drive. google.com/drive/folders/1TGsR157tp obWXIy2ReZMlk9xGMI0x7UZ?usp=d rive_link
50 FT va lian T 2004. Custom-built for the original owners 20 years ago. Valiants are known for their super-strong construction, and for the way they sail shorthanded. Designed and built for the shorthanded crew, the 50-ft Valiant is the queen of the fleet with her newly expanded true cutter sail plan, and featuring a double-spreader rig mast and anchor bowsprit. An amazing opportunity presents itself! This is the only Valiant 50 built with the Pullman berth and forepeak storage. More photos and details are available upon request. $399,000. Redwood City, CA. sail.legacy@gmail.com (415) 572-0891 www.svlegacy.net
47 FT WaUqUieZ cenTUrion 1990. See the link below for more information : www.tahitiyachtbroker.com/boats/ wauquiez-centurion-47-14-47-m-1990/ $157,142. French Polynesia. +6 (898) 734-0614 www.tinyurl.com/hr76xukf francketbea98846@gmail.com
41 FT iS lander Freepor T 1976. 58 hrs major overhaul Perkins154, new Autohelm 5000, new 5/16-inch ss standing rigging, Raymarine E7 Downvision sonar display geared for Pacific Puddle Jump, all safety equipment included. $45,000 OBO. San Carlos, Sonora, MX. nissenkj54@gnail.com (707) 450-7523
50 FT Fd-12/Tayana 1980. Offshore cruiser. Modified fin keel, cored hull, teak decks. Repowered engine 110hp Volvo 5-cylinder turbodiesel less than 100 hrs, generator, electronics. Two cabins forward, large master cabin, galley, refrigerator. Two heads. Fuel 300 gal, water 300 gal, 75 gal holding. Call or text. $125,000 OBO. Ventura. binfordmort@gmail.com (323) 399-6472
43 FT c&c 43-1 1971. “Limited edition” 43 by Bruckmann. A multi-year repair/ restoration completed in 2022. Roller furling, Harken batt cars, and autopilot allow shorthanding. Windlass and anchor package makes anchoring efficient. See SailboatData.com C&C43-1 page for layout and specifications. $46,500. Port Ludlow, WA. Calypso43@outlook.com
43 FT c&c cUSTom 1973. This completely restored C&C is the result of an 11-year restoration. Cruise equipped and ready to sail the world. Everything was replaced from motor to wiring, all equipment, autopilot, freezer fridge, radar, rigging, heating, radio, telephone, VHF, chartplotter, deck shower, electric windlass, electric main halyard winch, complete wardrobe of sails. The engine is a Yanmar 75hp turbo. It also comes with the best slip in the Sausalito Yacht Harbor. This boat is incredibly fast, comfortable and safe. Call if you have any questions or want to see the boat. $120,000. Sausalito Yacht Harbor. captainmarco@cs.com (415) 987-1942
46.5 FT m o r G an 462 1981. Owned since 2011. Solid cruiser. Comfortable boat will make a great liveaboard. Tenhour sail south to Puerto Vallarta. Overnight sail north to Mazatlán. New stainless steel port lights. Reconditioned hatches. New instruments. Reconditioned engine. $10,000 OBO. Marina Fonatur, San Blas, Nayarit, MX. koolekat1958@hotmail.com www.bit.ly/morgan462
46 FT c al 2-46 k e T ch/Solen T 1975. Want to cruise/live aboard in comfort and style in one of these grand old ladies? Don’t want to spend years in a boatyard before you can go? This is the boat for you. $94,500. Cal2.46.DreamCatcher.forsale@gmail.com
48 FT Tayana 2008. Deck salon. Well outfitted and ready for cruising. Many recent upgrades. Pride of ownership. and recent pre-survey. Priced below survey value. Contact Wes Koenig. $379,000. Bellingham, WA. weskoenig@msn.com (360) 201-2459
40 FT cheoy lee rhodeS deSiGn 1967. Beautiful cruiser ready! 20 gph watermaker. Generator, solar, wind generator, 6-passenger life raft. Glass decks, 3-cabin layout. Full canvas cover. Rebuilt Perkins. Everything in working order. Turnkey. Immaculate condition. $40,000. Huatulco, Oaxaca, MX. (559) 903-7402 watersports54@yahoo.com
45 FT BeneTeaU oceaniS 45 2012. Boat is currently berthed in Papeete, French Polynesia. She is fully equipped for ocean passage, in fact we have sailed her in 2022 Baja Ha-Ha, stayed till 2023 in Sea of Cortez, then did Puddle Jump to Tahiti, where the boat is now. She has new saildrive, watermaker, hundreds of upgrades and options. I also have current (2024) marine survey. Please see details at URL. Email me for full inventory of the boat. Thank you! $195,000 OBO. Papeete, Tahiti. karwas@gmail.com (408) 702-0695 www.tinyurl.com/4jktwkwb
40 FT c hallen G er 40 1974. Good news! Extensive refit was begun in 2020 including: Thorough cleaning and repainting of storage, mechanical areas, and bilge. New motor mounts and turbo assembly on Yanmar 4JHTE. New throttle and gear Morse cables. Scupper hoses replaced. PSS seal installed. Shaft cutlass bearing replaced. New raw water intake thru-hull. New raw water intake hose. New AC/DC panel. Rewired entire boat. New LED cabin lights. New outlets w/GFCI. New Group 31 starting battery, Aux. 5-amp engine battery charger, 660AH lithium house bank, Victron 3KVA inverter/charger, Victron AC/DC distribution w/remote monitoring, Dec. 2023 Micron 66 paint. Needs holding tank (has manual head and portable toilet), Needs freshwater tank and plumbing (has drains for sinks). $29,000 OBO. Marina Bay, Richmond, CA. seanmcal@gmail.com (310) 971-5208
47 FT Ted carpenTier lido Shipyard 1957. Ketch with 11-ft beam, 7-ft draft. Hull is strip-planked tongue and grooved. This vessel was built by naval architect Ted Carpentier, who also worked as an engineer for Hughes Aircraft and was a personal friend of Howard Huges. It was custom-built for the CEO of United Airlines (the original spinnaker is in United Airlines colors). I have owned this boat since 1996. The interior has been refinished, Elco EN7000 motor installed, teak deck and a new carbon fiber mast and boom and new toilet are ready to be installed. Coast Guard Vessel documented. She is a fine vessel in the San Francisco Bay area. $85,000 OBO. San Francisco Bay Area. vksbo@hotmail.com (510) 967-8421
43 FT SerendipiTy 43 1981. Very well equipped for cruising, this classic Doug Peterson design is located in Mexico and is seriously for sale after a circumnavigation. Universal diesel, two spins, two mains, Moniter vane, Maxwell windlass and much more. $44,900 OBO. Mexico. geneosier@yahoo.com
43 FT cUST om Schock k e T ch 1973. Professionally built of mahogany over oak, ‘Debonair’ has been lovingly maintained and extensively upgraded. A seaworthy passagemaker, ‘Debonair’ recently completed a 16,000-mile Pacific tour. From rig to sails, systems to safety, ‘Debonair’s voyage-ready. $72,900. Port Hadlock, WA. ketchdebonair@gmail.com www.tinyurl.com/2s36wtce
49 FT cUSTom choaTe peTerSon Sloop 1988. Solid performance racer/ cruiser. Spacious headroom, storage, large galley and main saloon, with roomy aft cabin and separate head. Rod rigging, great winches and running rigging layout. $70,000 OBO or Trade. Sausalito, CA.libertyshipmarina@comcast.net (415) 613-3665
46 FT STeel yaWl 1958 FUlly reFiT in 2005. ‘Endeavor’ is a strong, sea-kindly vessel, designed by Henk Tingen and built in Holland in 1958. Purchased 1987 and brought back from near-extinction. We had 15 years cruising about the world; maybe now it’s your turn. Fall in love with your dream boat. Lots of good kit included in the sale, she can be ready to sail to Norway in 2024! Contact C. Masters for complete list. $80,000 NEW PRICE!!. Ipswich, Suffolk, UK. (206) 960-3793 svendeavor1958@gmail.com
48 FT SUncoaST 1980. Type of vessel: ketch. Estimated speed: 10 kt power, 6-8 kt sail. Built Netherlands 1980. Time of lay-up: fall 2012. Hull: length 48-ft, beam 15-ft, draft 7-ft. Frames: varied dimensional steel. Topsides single skin steel plate, 1/4 thick estimated; bottom single skin steel plate, 1/4 thick estimated; deck and bulkheads steel plate. Hull layout: V-berth, forward head, forward triple berth, settee/berth, chart station, galley, captain’s berth, engine/ machinery/maintenance room, after master bath, after head, straight inboard diesel engine auxiliary powered. New bow thruster (2010), electronics, autopilot, forward underwater sonar. Six-cyl Leyland diesel, midline, 350 gal water, 250 gal fuel. Pictures at website. $54,900. Cleveland, OH. maudeij@yahoo.com.au (954) 2352527 guapasailboat.com
51 & oVer saiLboats
53 FT SWan 1989. A Germán Frers design. Interior is maintained in first-class condition. Upholstery somewhat faded. Most important it is original. No DIY modifications. New mattress toppers. Google 1989 Swan 53, will provide sistership pictures. Vessel has new North mainsail. loaded with winches and deck gear. One year’s moorage included. A classic with many extras. Assured contact by text. Owner estate sale. $375,000 CDN dollars. Ladysmith, BC, Canada (Vancouver Island). sail.papillon@gmail.com (778) 710-9918
60 FT cUSTom crealock 1997. Just back from NZ! This 60-ft steel schooner will take you anywhere you want to go. Available to view in Tiburon. $185,000 OBO. Tiburon. otterkicks@gmail.com (707) 499-9414 www.schoonershellback. com
cLassic boats
43 FT FrancoiS SerGenT keTch 1963 . Built by Chantiers DeBorde Frers in France. Copper riveted, African mahogany, oak frames. Perkins 4.236, aluminum masts, center cockpit. Great sailing classic. Original plans available. After 12 years, age forces sale of this beauty. $25,000. Rio Dulce, Guatemala. svemily8@hotmail.com (502) 3208-0390 Whatsapp
38 FT henry J. Gielow Cutter 1935. Rebuilt over 14 years, ready to sail, member of the Master Mariners. Email for photo spread and comprehensive narrative. $59,500. Sierra Point Marina, Brisbane, CA. richardsalvini@yahoo.com (650) 996-4215
34 FT laBrUZZi 1917 . Built in San Francisco in 1917 by Alphonz LaBruzzi, this classic Bay cruiser has been awardwinning in the Classic Yacht Association. Well maintained in a covered slip in San Rafael, this vessel has recently been hauled for a bottom job and other work, bringing her to excellent condition. Current survey is available. Powered by Isuzu diesel with low hrs. Illness forces sale. $20,000 OBO. San Rafael Yacht Harbor. stickypatoo@gmail.com (707) 882-1726
20 FT neW mahoGany moTor laUnch 2023 . Professionally built replica of a 19th century fantail launch. Honduras mahogany on oak frames, teak deck and cabin. New 2-cyl Yanmar diesel 2023. Custom galvanized trailer. Will be displayed at Wooden Boat Show, Corinthian YC June 22–23. $21,000. Marshall Boat Works, Tomales Bay. rvwedel@gmail.com (510) 233-0102
38 FT keTTenBUrG 1955. Mahoghanyplanked on oak frames. Needs varnish and paint, engine work if you must. Now berthed in Berkeley, she wants to get her sails wet! I am nearly 80 and she is only 68 and needs a stiff breeze! No leaks. Decent old sails ready to sail today. Bottom refastened with hundreds of bronze screws, then corked and painted. Will instruct in sailing, varnishing, Cetol application, and bottom caulking/painting. New carburetor included! $199 OBO. Berkeley Marina I Dock. Richard@newmed.com (510) 527-3600
power & houseboats
36 FT alBin 36 TraWler 1979. ‘Persiflage’ — Interior and exterior beautifully restored and maintained. New electric heads operating on fresh water. Sound Ford Lehman 120hp motor. Autopilot, depthsounder, VHF radio. Dec ’24 marine survey available. $60,000. Clipper Marina, Sausalito. byronmfox@gmail.com (415) 307-2405
MuLtihuLLs
35 FT WalTer Greene acapella Trimaran 1982. ‘Humdinger’ has had two owners since new. Transatlantic race veteran, Round Britain and Ireland race in 1982, Route du Rhum also in 1982, chartered as ‘Aspen’. Pacific Northwest Swiftsure races. All with first owner. Boat moved to S.F. Bay in 1999 and extensively raced in SSS and BAMA events. Pacific Cup in 2014. Family and friends cruising CA coast as far as San Diego. Boat set up for singlehanded saiiing with lines led aft, Harken furler jib and screacher. ATN sock for spinnaker. Sails include carbon main, carbon jib, laminate screacher. All Pineapple. NewYamaha 9.9 outboard. USCG documented vessel. Email for complete equipment list. $75,000. Emery Cove Marina. lnolsen@comcast.net
berths & sLips
need privaTe dock or Slip. Need berth for “Ark“ (small floating home), 41-ft x14-ft. Nice and clean. e.stancil53@gmail. com (650) 771-1945
rare 90-FT Slip opporTUniTy in S.F. Bay. $25,000 offered for buyer connection. Ideally located 90-ft slip just steps to the St. Francis Yacht Club; views of Golden Gate Bridge, Marin Headlands, Angel Island, Alcatraz, and quick access to the city, Palace of Fine Arts, Crissy Field. Enjoy Fleet Week, Opening Day on the Bay, Rolex Big Boat Series, and SailGP. A rare one-time opportunity to bypass the long waitlist and get into this rare large slip that includes two parking spaces. Couple it with a membership at St. Francis Yacht Club and you have a dream waterfront lifestyle. $1,000,000. 99 Yacht Rd, San Francisco, CA 94123. jeannine@caslips.com (714) 345-8330 www.caslips.com
parTnerS WanTed For BerTh in San FranciSco. Partnership wanted for 45-ft wide slip at San Francisco Marina. Power and water extra. Located in S.F. Marina District by St, Francis and Golden Gate Yacht Clubs. World-class sailing! $1,800. San Francisco, CA. gray.aida@gmail.com
aWeSome 50 FT Slip pier 39 San FranciSco . For sale: Stunning city views, 15-ft+ beam, 50-ft length. New cleats, dock box, power pedestal, and hose management. Perfectly located for entire Bay Area coverage and beyond. Very easy access, great maintenance team, parking, and more. $24,000. Slip G-32, Pier 39 Marina. greg.rossmann@gjrcap.com (650) 7400263
emery cove BoaT Slip For renT. Berths for rent. Emery Cove Yacht Harbor 35-ft = $472.50/month C dock and 40-ft = $540/month E dock. Dockominiumrun marina in Emeryville. emerycove. com. Brand-new docks, aluminum with Ipe wood deck, brand-new restrooms, beautiful grounds and just dredged. Great location center of S.F. Bay. Emeryville, CA. studio6161@icloud.com http://www.emerycove.com
redWood ciTy marina SlipS availaBle . Slips 30-75 at great rates! Amenities: parking, bathrooms, laundry, pump-out, free wi-fi, keyless entry. Guest berths also available. Call for availability. 451 Seaport Court, Redwood City, CA 94063. crevay@ redwoodcityport.com (650) 306-4150 www.redwoodcityport.com/marina
property for saLe or rent
a maSTerpiece oF modern arT on The San FranciSco Bay. Discover modern luxury in this architectural masterpiece, built of steel, glass, and concrete. Suspended over the San Francisco Bay, this one-of-a-kind home features a private 45-ft primary deep-water dock and 25-ft guest dock both with seamless access to the San Francisco Bay. Nestled in the exclusive Brickyard Cove community, this stunning property is perfectly positioned adjacent to the Richmond Yacht Club, offering an ideal waterfront lifestyle. $2,950,000. Point Richmond, CA Brickyard Cove. mark@theledererteam.com (510) 774-4231 www.tinyurl. com/3x9s6c95
maine coaST coTTaGe For renT. Enjoy breathtaking sunsets from this lovely 3BR, 1BA home perched above the gentle shore of Beal’s Cove, perfect for kayaking adventures, watching wildlife, and relaxing by the sea as the afternoon light floods the windows. You’ll love exploring all the islands have to offer during the day and retreating to the cottage in the evenings to catch the gorgeous pink, purple and orange hues of a Harpswell sunset. marcia@homesandharbors.com 866-835-0500 www.tinyurl.com/43475rkj
dramaTic WaTerFronT alameda ToWnhome. Dramatic waterfront Alameda 3BR/2.5 BA townhome with a private 44-ft deep-water slip attached to the property. An impressive 2,054 sq ft with multiple living spaces all designed to overlook the glistening Ballena Bay. $1,249,000.leah@leahtounger.com (510) 701-6497 www.tinyurl.com/3wdmepyu
kaneohe Bay ToWnhoUSe and Slip For Sale. Own a townhouse on Kaneohe Bay with a deeded 32-foot boat slip! Close to Kaneohe Bay Yacht Club, Makani Kai Marina is a 79-unit gated townhouse community with deeded boat slips for every unit. The land under the marina is owned by Makani Kai HOA and not a state land lease (this is huge). This unit is in “coming soon” mode on our MLS and will be listed live on 11/16. The home is being sold as a two-bedroom and is currently set up as a one-bedroom with an en suite bathroom upstairs and a “flex” bedroom downstairs for mutable openconcept living arrangements. $890,000. Kaneohe Bay, Oahu.jc@oceanregroup. com (808) 687-1890 www.tinyurl.com/ bdddsmj5
partnerships
racinG parTnerShip WanTed . Looking to join or create a syndicate, and/or purchase boat for racing, 34-ft or smaller, requiring max 6 crew. Many racing years, 5 years racing experience on S.F. Bay. Looking to share back-ofthe-boat position, driver and/or main, but can do any position in a pinch. Equity or operational open to possibility. cah72360@gmail.com
JeanneaU SUn odySSey 449 2017. Established syndicate looking for responsible, mature, experienced sailor(s) to participate in lightly used, professionally maintained Sun Odyssey 449 kept at an exceptional slip 300 feet from the St. Francis Yacht Club. Monthly costs: $800. S.F. Marina Yacht Harbor. jfore79@gmail.com (650) 714-8505
caTalina 36 parTnerShip doWnToWn SaUSaliTo. Non-equity partnership, outstanding berth location in downtown Sausalito. $400/mth for two weekend days/five weekdays access. Maintenance fund TBD. $400. Sausalito Yacht Harbor. chris@venturepad.works (415) 309-0331
lookinG For BoaT parTnerShip. Looking for partnership on 30-50-ft sailboat, preferably East Bay. Equity and non-equity considered. Have 20+ years of experience sailing on the Bay and chartering internationally. I have partnered successfully on a 31-ft Beneteau for five years. Now I have a small sailing dog that I want to sail with me and the others are allergic. Looking for a clean boat in good condition that is sailed regularly, and responsible, nice sail partners. Berkeley. ddodgesf@gmail.com
Job opportunities
SaUSaliTo SailinG School cUSTomer Service rep. Modern Sailing Sausalito is hiring a four-day-a-week (Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon) Customer Service Rep. If you are energetic, have prior customer service experience, are proficient with computers and software, and are passionate about helping customers’ sailing dreams come true, come join us! Schedule is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. three days a week. 2310 Marinship Way, Sausalito California. careers@modernsailing.com www.modernsailing.com
TWo harBorS harBor paTrol poSiTionS availaBle . Positions available for 2023 season! Two Harbors Harbor Department, on the west end of Catalina Island. Looking for experienced boat operators for seasonal harbor patrol positions (March–October). Harbor patrol assigns and facilitates the use of 700+ moorings on the west end of Catalina Island and assists with transporting passengers to and from shore. USCG license required for passenger transport, seasonal mooring included for patrol personnel with liveaboard vessels. Rates from $18-$21/hr. Two Harbors, Catalina. Jrconner@scico.com (310) 510-4201
inSTrUcTorS WanTed. Join the captains at Club Nautique and start teaching US Sailing’s most comprehensive curriculum of sail and power courses, both offshore and inshore, in the nation. We have openings now for USCG-licensed captains who exhibit exceptional communication and boating skills, and the willingness to train and work in a professional environment. All instructors are classified as employees, not independent contractors. $28-$35 depending on experience. schooldirector@clubnautique. net (510) 865-4700 x313 http://www. clubnautique.net
Join oUr Team oF inSTrUcTorS! Spinnaker Sailing in Redwood City is looking for ASA-certified sailing instructors to teach out of our Redwood City Marina location. Part-time, flexible schedules, midweek and/or weekends. Please contact Rich or Bob by phone or email. Redwood City Marina. office@spinnakersailing.com (650) 363-1390 http:// www.spinnakersailing.com
SCAN THIS GO SAILING
If you want to sail and are looking for a captain, or are a captain looking for crew, enter your information in the Latitude 38 crew page to get connected. www.latitude38.com/crew-list-home
Sailin G Science cen Ter – c onTracT and volUnTeer poSiTionS open. Community Engagement Coordinator, Graphic Artist, Photographer(s) wanted as contractors or volunteers. Volunteer docents wanted for educational science exhibitions. Ask about other roles. info@sailingscience.org (510) 390-5727 www.sailingscience.org
e X perienced y ach T B roker / S ale S per S on needed . Rubicon Yachts is seeking a professional yacht broker/salesperson for its new Alameda, CA office. Yacht sales experience required, must be a self-starter, membership in CYBA is a plus. Contact owner/broker Mark Miner. Alameda, CA. mark@rubiconyachts.com www.rubiconyachts.com
licenSed capTain WanTed Wanted: Licensed Captain with towing endorsement for TowBoatUS./Vessel Assist on the San Francisco Bay and Delta. Preferred if you live by SF waterfront, Alameda or Bethel Island areas. towboatus.bay.delta@gmail.com (925) 382-4422 www.towboatusdelta.com
laTiTUde 38 ‘amBaSSador’. Latitude 38 is seeking an “Ambassador.” The ideal candidate is a sailor based in the SF Bay Area, is friendly, outgoing, well-organized and a self-starter with excellent communication skills. They are someone who can work independently as well as manage a team of volunteers. An ambassador encourages enthusiasm, understands the scope and goal of a project and is able to appreciate, respect and organize a team of volunteers to execute a project with efficiency and eagerness. This is an ideal position for someone who is financially secure and looking to stay active and social, and is excited to be part of our vibrant sailing community. Meet and greet the great people who help us distribute the magazine. Email Penny with AMBASSADOR in the subject line. This is a volunteer position, but a stipend will be offered. SF Bay Area. penny@latitude38.com
ADVERTISERS' INDEX
Alameda Marina / Pacific Shops Inc. 20 www.alamedamarina.net/
pUerTo vallarTa BUSineSS For Sale. Discover the exciting chance to own ‘YUMMIES Mexico,’ a frozen food sensation with a perfected menu and a loyal customer base aged 40-80. This successful Puerto Vallarta business is now on the market and ready for a new chapter. Explore detailed information on website and FB: www.tinyurl.com/mjb9v9je. La Cruz , Nayarit, MX. yummiesbydonyteri@gmail.com 52 (322) 275-3322 http://www.Yummies-Mexico.com.mx
south of the borDer
ZiJUaTaneJo hoUSe For renT. Visit Zihuatanejo in February for Sailfest 2025. Beautiful and modern two-story house located just above the anchorage in La Madera. Private and safe with spectacular views of the bay and ocean. Latitude special $200/night. $200. Zihuatanejo, MX. casascorpion. zihuatanejo@gmail.com (619) 895-3772 www.casascorpion.com/
Studio 63 www.jimdewitt.com
Cove Yacht Harbor 47 www.emerycove.com
Sextant 28 www.thirdreefsw.com
Supply Co. 48 www.fisheriessupply.com
Canvas Products 26 www.gianolacanvas.com
Marina
www.grandmarina.com
www.betamarinewest.com
plan yo U r me X ican G e Ta W ay noW. At the gorgeous Cielo Y Mar condos. Located in Punta Mita, 35 minutes from Puerto Vallarta, available to rent from private owner. On the beach, 10 feet from the water, they offer spectacular views of ocean and mountains, the biggest infinity pool in the area, an endless beach, great surf breaks, great fishing, tremendous views of whales, bird life and the islands. While uncrowded and tranquil, just a fiveminute walk to several waterfront restaurants. Choose from a spacious, beautifully furnished one- or three-bedroom unit, or an amazing two-story penthouse with lovely shade trellis on the top floor. To reserve, call or email Dona de Mallorca. puntamitabeachfrontcondos@gmail.com (415) 269-5165
non profit
donaTe yoUr BoaT The Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors strives to make sailing accessible to people with disabilities. BAADS is always on the lookout for donated boats to support its mission. Help an all-volunteer organization while receiving a charitable tax deduction. boatdonations@baads.org (415) 532-9831
SailFeST
gear
SailBoaT eqUipmenT For Sale. 4 cylinder Westerbeke 35hp 1296hrs 60lbs oil pressure,Paragon Transmisson 1to1 ratio. Comes complete from alternator to propellor. will demo, $ 4,500.GAUR Heavy Duty Traveller with Heavy Duty Stainless Risers.$950. Vallejo, CA. braypatrick615@ gmail.com 925-478-1535
UniverSal marine dieSel enGine. Two-cylinder 14hp Universal 5411 (M15) engine and Hurth HBW-50 transmission. Completely rebuilt: new piston rings, bearings, gaskets, injectors, head and block resurfaced, new fuel pump, and new starter. Have receipts and a video of the engine running. Over $3000 invested. Asking price is firm. This is located in South Lake Tahoe. So as long as we don’t have 5 feet of snow it’s available. $2,000. South Lake Tahoe. stephnlocke@ gmail.com
epropUlSion SpiriT 1.0 plUS 3hp elecTric oUTBoard moTor. Used about eight times as auxiliary power on a 19-ft sailboat in the South Bay, always rinsed with fresh water after — like-new condition ($2,699 new). Motor details at URL. Perfect for small sailboats or fishing boats, tenders, dinghies. Will consider reasonable offers. Includes carrying bags ($200 new) for motor and battery. $2,500. Half Moon Bay. jbubin@icloud.com (617) 320-4590 www.tinyurl.com/487tks3j
dieSel marine enGine. Westerbeke model #27A with HURTH transmission and original clutch. As new, never used, with original tags attached. $3,700. Pillar Point Harbor. cherieerie@gmail.com
Spinnaker For Sail. Horizon tri-radial spinnaker:.5 oz. all light blue in good condition. Luff: 53 ft. Foot: 30 ft. This is off a C&C 40. It is a great sail so come get it…price reduced $650. Santa Cruz, CA. pacrimplangrp@gmail.com
yanmar 2ym15 dieSel maine moTor This YANMAR 2YM15 diesel motor is a reliable and powerful option for any boat owner. With a 2-stroke engine and 15 HP, this motor is sure to provide the thrust needed for a comfortable and safe ride. YANMAR 2YM15 is a great choice. It’s easy to install and will provide consistent performance for years to come. Don’t miss the opportunity to upgrade your boat’s power with this top-of-the-line motor $975. Moss Landing. pcummins569@ gmail.com (831) 247-7939
crUiSinG Gear. Offshore Commander 3.0 life raft 4 person $1700. EPIRB global V5 cat 2 $600. Fortress collapsible anchor with storage bag 21 lb. $450. 200 ft. 5/8 rode with 50 ft. chain $300. Watermaker Rainman portable high-output 30 gallons + per hour with self-contained Honda generator $4500. All items like new. $1. Reno, NV. twasik6747@gmail.com (775) 691-9147
v ikin G l i F e r a FT Viking valise life raft, offshore. I used for two Pac Cups. Needs repack. Great condition. $800. Redwood City. captmaddog@gmail.com (650) 533-7732
trying to Locate
lookinG For 24 FT piver Trimaran ‘no name’. We’re former owners of the plywood 24-ft Piver trimaran that sailed around the world in the ’70s. The boat’s last known location was San Diego. We’d appreciate hearing from anyone who might know the whereabouts of ‘No Name.’.wolfinds@mindspring.com (415) 806-3334
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Napa Valley Marina 18 www.napavalleymarina.com
Outboard Motor Shop ....................... 25 www.outboardmotorshop.com
The Moorings ..................................... 3 www.moorings.com
Trident Funding 4 www.tridentfunding.com
Ullman Sails San Francisco & Monterey Bay 23 www.ullmansails.com/location/ ullman-sails-san-francisco-and-monterey-bay Vallejo Marina 31 www.vallejomarina.com
