Pics of the Week

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Why Go Cruising?

Here is a pretty good explanation of why folks go cruising from a couple of 20 somethings from Europe, out on a world tour.
You can visit their website here.
When people ask us what is the main purpose, the real drive behind sailing the world and living a life like this, the answer that always comes to mind is, because we want to feel free. However egoistic or selfish that might sound, it's all very simple, we just want that: to feel free, have a peace of mind. We have no huge saving-the-world-mission going on here nor are we out on this journey just because "it's a fun thing to have done", but what is driving us are all those unnecessary things one might have to face in a normal life. We don't want no stress, we want no bigger problems than the ones we manage to create for ourselves, we don't want anyone interfering with our time on earth, no one telling us what to do and what not to. We want to be able to do the things we love, design the life the way we feel like. We want to share beautiful moments only with people we love being around and the ones that we feel happy and comfortable with. We want to see the world with our own eyes, maybe finding a place to settle for a few years or continue to search for that perfect place for years to come if that suits us better for that time being. This journey we're out on is the best way we've found to achieve all of that. This is the only way we have figured out that gives us real peace of mind and we are willing to work hard each of these days in various  locations around the world to maintain this liberating lifestyle that we have chosen as our best bet. Don't get me wrong now, we have a lot of things to do here, a lot of work and projects to take care of which sometimes means 14 hours of non-stop work and a lot of sweat and pain, but we're doing it all because we have chosen it as parts of our life, and obviously because money doesn't grow on palm trees..

Life is so incredibly beautiful if we manage it well so we simply just don't want to waste our time if you know what I mean. To be egoistic and to take control of your own life is for us the best way to live as that gives not only happiness to oneself, but also to the people that you choose to be around. I am more humble and thoughtful to my family and people that I care about today than what I have ever been before, while at the same time being more distant to what consume too much of my energy in a negative way, and it all comes down to the same philosophy: Life was made to be lived in peaceful and harmonic manners. When the mind and soul is in peace because you do only the things you enjoy doing, the things that moves you forward and when you surround yourself only with the energy you feel balanced with - that is for me to have found freedom. And that is in the end of the day, the reason why we have chosen to live the way we do. Some weeks we're broke and dirty as a result of expensive and time consuming boat renovations and not much work for us as freelancers', other weeks we're tidied up with pockets full of cash but all the time we're on our way towards our own dreams. Living the life we have chosen for ourselves. Since we began this journey and discovered the truth of it, both the good the bad and the ugly sides, neither of us can imagine living life differently. Everyday thankful that we made this dream reality.

   

Tiger's New Boat

My Own Bonehead Move

One of the editorial caveats I have is I never mention my own bonehead moves.  We all have them once in a while.  And if we learn from our mistakes, we are ahead of the game.  Here is what happened:  My sailing buddy Tex and I were up in the Delta for a 3 day trip.  We had left the boat up there for a month so we could have easy access to the river in the summer.  We were having a great day until we got stuck on a sand bar.  We were trying to back off with the engine but that was not enough to pull us back to the deep water.  I pulled out the kayak and grabbed the anchor to begin the kedge.  I had dropped the anchor about 75 feet behind the boat so we could then attach the line to the winch and pull the boat back to deep water.  As I was coming back to the boat, I noticed the painter was in front of the kayak as the current was faster than the kayak.  As I approached the boat, the propeller grabbed the line and starts to pull me towards the boat.  It gets tight enough that I start spinning 360's in the kayak!  As I come around, I have just enough time to yell one word per 360: Turn...It...Off!  My mate gets the message and hits the kill switch.  That was too funny and I was never in any danger as the kayak would protect me from the prop.  These are the kind of bonehead moves that happen so quick you just have to ride them out and have some laughs after.  Hope you enjoyed my bonehead move.

Tether Now

So you are down at the boat and need to get access for your computer with no Wifi available.   Your phone is just not going to cut it for the info or content you want. You could pay another $30 a month for this service or you could pay $15/year and hook up with tether.com and be done with it.  Works on all phones but you cannot tether an iPad yet.  Check it out.

Classic Plastic - Islander 36

On my short list of possible boats for our trip to New Zealand is the Islander 36.  The boat fits into my budget ($30-40k), has lots of room for storage and crew and she can almost sail her self.  About 750 of these boats were produced and are now being sailed all over the world.  I was supposed to sail on one in the Haha but the crew ran into a storm off Monterey and could not make it to the starting line.  Rats, I was really looking forward to sailing on Moon Dance.  If you would like to read a full review of this boat and learn more, please proceed to this page.

Light Bucket Race HIghlights

Here is a great vid of last weekends 30 mile race to a mark outside the Golden Gate.  Ronnie Simpson is preparing his Moore 24 for the Singlehanded Pacific Cup Race to Hawaii in July.  I met Ronnie on the last Haha and have been following his story since 2008 when he lost his boat off San Diego and ended up getting rescued by a freighter and ended up in China.  With no money, he worked and saved enough to bike to London (almost 6 thousand miles).  At a pub near London, his bike is stolen.  Makes it back to Cali and decides to race to Hawaii.  Does well in the solo race and on the way back, loses his keel 700 miles from shore.  Luckily the sea state was calm and he was able to motor sail back to the Gate.  Did I mention he was released from the armed services after getting wounded in Iraq?  I am not sure if this guy is lucky or good (maybe both).  Enjoy the vid and turn it up!

Sunday Pics

From the Archives - Amazing Rescue Outside Gate

Last year we lost two sailors in this race. We almost lost two more in Saturdays race. Amazing story and rescue! Please read. From Latitude 38.

When longtime Sausalito resident and friend of Latitude Dave Wilhite was diagnosed with leukemia in 2004, he moved to Bellingham, WA, to be close to his parents while he waited to die. Thankfully chemo did its job and Wilhite, 51, is in full remission. "Three months ago, my doctor told me I'd die from getting hit by a bus before I died from leukemia," he told us last night. "I can't wait to tell him I almost died in a yacht race."

Wilhite says he'd been planning to do BAMA's Doublehanded Farallones Race since January. Since he doesn't own a boat on the Bay, he asked his old friend Peter Truce of San Rafael if he could borrow his 1994 J/80 Heat Wave. Truce readily agreed and Wilhite began preparing for the race. "This is a tough race," he said of the nearly 60-mile course around the Farallones and back, "and I never took it lightly." Indeed, he was meticulous in his preparation of Heat Wave and himself, putting together safety gear, working on the boat and recruiting an excellent crewmember.

Wilhite met Dave Servais, 24, while racing on Puget Sound. After Servais moved to San Diego to pursue his goal of being a professional sailor — he's a professional rigger and has taught at J/World — the two kept in touch. When it came time to choose crew for the race, Wilhite immediately contacted Servais, who immediately said yes. "We've only known each other a couple of years," he notes, "but we have really great communication and sail well together."

As noted in the lead story, for most racers, the DHF was a total bust. But a handful held on, including Wilhite and Servais. "I'd spent too much time and money on this race just to bail out," Wilhite said. So the pair stuck it out with a group of five or six other boats until the wind filled in. On the way back from the rocks, Wilhite reports wind in the low-20s with gusts to 30. A little higher than forecast but not dangerous.

"By a little after 8 p.m., we were beam reaching under jib and a reefed main," Wilhite recalls. He noted the waves were 12-14 feet with a fairly long period between, a fact the Coast Guard confirmed, though they put the wind speed closer to 40 knots. "Dave (Servais) was setting us up on a wave, reaching across it, when we heard a whuump," said Wilhite. "The helm turned to slush, the boat slowed and the wave we were shooting broke over us. Then we heard a cracking sound like a tree falling over — that was the sound of the keel ripping off."

The boat immediately turned turtle, submerging the pair, who were tethered to the boat and wearing PFDs. Wilhite had a short tether while Servais was attached with a long tether. Once the boat settled and they popped up, Wilhite realized his tether was keeping him too close to the water so he pulled out the knife he had stowed in his pocket and cut himself free. "It was weird not to be attached to the boat," he said. "Dave was holding onto the rudder and there was nothing else to grab, so I held onto the lifelines underwater. My hands are really cramped and cut up today."

It was then that they noticed why they had flipped — nothing at all was left of the keel. "It ripped off at the root," Wilhite said. "The only thing sticking out of the bottom of the boat was the bilge pump." He says he has no idea why the keel fell off — "It's not something you're prepared for" — saying there was no evidence they'd hit anything. Some wonder if it's possible they hit a large sea mammal that was moving in the same direction, but the question quickly becomes irrelevant when you're holding on for your life in the North Pacific.

Just moments after getting their bearings, the duo realized a Moore 24 — they have no idea which one — was screaming by about 100 yards away. They yelled but went unheard. "My first thought was, 'Oh my God, we're going to die.'" Instead of panicking, the two experienced sailors discussed their options. They had a knife and a compact but powerful waterproof LED flashlight that Wilhite had stowed in his pocket. But without a way to communicate, things would turn ugly fast.

Wilhite knew there was a waterproof handheld VHF in a sheet bag in the submerged cockpit. "I was presented with a choice," Wilhite said. "I remembered a line from Shawshank Redemption: 'Get busy living or get busy dying.'" So he took a deep breath, let go of the lifeline and swam back under the boat!

Let's pause for a moment to let that sink in. In 12- to 14-ft seas with 40-knot winds, this man with a pair of cojones the size of Texas and Alaska combined, let go of a perfectly good boat to swim back under it. If you're looking for a modern-day hero, look no farther than Dave Wilhite.

Miraculously, the VHF didn't fall out of the sheet bag when the boat flipped. Once Wilhite resurfaced, Servais, who'd managed to pull himself mostly out of the water, took over communications with the Coast Guard, calling a mayday around 8:23 p.m. Servais told the Coast Guard their approximate location — eight miles from the Gate — and that they were near a couple of Moore 24s. The pilot boat California was near the scene and began searching. Two USCG rescue boats and a helo were dispatched as well.

The crew of California were first to spot Heat Wave, guiding the rescue boats to them. "I was watching the helo work a grid with a spotlight coming right at us," Wilhite recalls. "I turned around and the pilot boat was right there. I wasn't going to wait, so I swam over to them." It took a couple throws of the LifeSling but Wilhite was ultimately pulled aboard California "like a wet seal." One of the Coast Guard rescue boats plucked Servais from the water a minute later. The time was 9:15 p.m.

"When I taught sailing on the Bay years ago," Wilhite recalls, "I told my students they had 45 minutes to live if they fell overboard. I was in the water for more than an hour." He credits wearing high-tech gear and calming himself down for saving his life. "After I realized I wasn't going to get on top of the boat, I just hung out and conserved energy."

Wilhite also commends the Coast Guard and crew of California for their amazing rescue efforts — finding a capsized, keel-less, dark blue, 26-ft hull in big seas eight miles offshore on an ebb tide in the pitch dark. Both Wilhite and Servais suffered hypothermia — Wilhite's being more serious — but were treated and released from the hospital the same night. Both are back at their respective homes, no doubt telling their story to many relieved friends and family. There is no word on Heat Wave's whereabouts, though Wilhite reports it was insured.

"This was the second toughest contest of my life," Wilhite says. "What's ironic is that I wanted to do this race to prove to myself that I was alive. It would have been sad if I'd died, but I've lived a damn good life. It wouldn't have been a stupid way to go." For those of us listening to the radio on Saturday night, and for those who know Dave Wilhite and Dave Servais, we can say that we're beyond thrilled that it turned out the way it did.

Detailed Photo Of SF Bay

Click the pic for a bigger view.

The pic is looking north from Oakland.  If you look on the right side of the pic you will see Berkeley.  To the left of it is a spit of land and that is Emeryville, which is where our boat is.  Thanks Bradly for the pic.  We usually sail out towards Angel Island and Tiburon.  The SF bay is the second largest inland body of water in the US.  Can you name the first?  This is just a very small piece of the bay as we have 1600 square mile of bay and wetlands.  This is the most beautiful part, however.

Another Epic Sail on the SF Bay

Sunday came up cool and drizzly.  I had a crew of 5 meeting me at 11am and I hoped we would not get rained out.  As I approached the marina, I could see rain in the distance.  Undeterred, I headed to the boat to meet the group.  We took off and the wind was about 12 knots.  We got the sails up quickly and headed out.  We had a ton of food for lunch so a stop at Clipper Cove was needed.  We anchored and set up a buffet down below.  A light rain started to fall.  After a great lunch, we set out for Angel Island and the rain had stopped and the sun was shinning bright.  Once at Angel, I suggested a game of bocce.  The group was excited so we headed to the picnic area.  The island had seen the last ferry depart so we had the place to ourselves.  Back to the boat, we met a couple who needed a ride to Sam's Bar in Tiburon.  We pulled up to the slip and they bought us a round of drinks on the bars deck.  Back on the boat we had some perfect winds to get us back to Emeryville.  We threw the spinnaker up and we were off at 6.5 knots.  We returned after sunset and clean up took a while but it was very worth it.  My friend Delores was ecstatic and vowed to return for another wonderful sail on board the Addiction.

Too Much Fun Sailing Club

After owning our 30' sail boat for 12 years, I was having trouble getting folks out for a sail.  Too busy, out of town, kids got the flu and a host of other reasons.  The frustration made me realize that maybe my friends weren't as excited about sailing as I was.  What to do?  I have been involved with a Meetup group called Got Wind and Water and had hosted a few sails.  So why not start my own meet up group?  The group was announced on Monday and by Monday night I had 42 new sailing friends and a full boat for our next sail in April.  And that was in just one day!  Wow!  The power of social networking. If you have been thinking about trying out this cool fun sport, head over to the

Too Much Fun Sailing Club web page and sign up. When I post a new event, you will be notified by email to sign up and read about the sail.  We will be doing sunset sails, night sailing, sailing to the Giants baseball games with a tailgate and entry into the ballpark at AT&T, and lots of day sails on the bay.  Space will be limited to keep it comfortable, however you will get plenty of chances to join in.  Hope to see you on the bay!

As Joe Would Say, Enjoy Your Weekend!

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A Look Back at the 2010 America's Cup

Looking back at these highlights of the best of three race series, BMW/Oracle was so much faster than Alinghi.  At about the 2:45 minute mark on the top video, you will notice the B/O has taken down their jib and is under main alone.  When I watched it live in February of 2010,  the announcers were gong nuts.  Oracle was slowly gaining on Alinghi when Oracle begins to furl the giant jib.  As soon as they did this, Oracle took off and never looked back.  The winds on both days were 6-8 knots if I remember correctly and the boat speeds were 20-24!!  Unreal!  The other interesting note was that Alinghi was penalized twice, once in each race.  The penalty was a full 360 somewhere on the course.  They were being beaten so badly that it was a non issue.  There is also a part 3 on Youtube if you are interested.  One last comment, the Oracle boat is a trimaran.  In the 2013 race, they are using similar hard wing technology for the main, but the boats will be catamarans, and "only" 72' in length (they expect top speeds at 35-40 knots and lots of wipeouts).  The 2010 Oracle boat was an immense 90' x 90' with a mast height of 230 or so feet.  So tall, it wouldn't even fit under the Golden Gate Bridge at low tide.  Looking forward to 2013!  Racing begins on July 4th.

Sailing Solo

Over the last 12 years, I have sailed our 30' Newport over 200 times as a single hander.  At first the task was daunting.  Trim, navigate, tack, raise the sails as the boat self steers and hopefully stays into the wind (but not always).  But after learning the ropes (pun intended), I am a very confident single hander.  There is nothing like a sail on the bay with just Kona (dog) and me riding the wind and hanging on the the "Addiction" for an afternoon sail on the windy SF bay.  Here is another perspective on solo sailing with a buddy on another boat sailing with you down the coast.  Click here to read the article.

Do Not Try to Sail the California Coast in Winter!

I received an email from a fellow Newport owner about a month ago.  Seems he had just purchased a 27' Newport and was heading north to SF from LA.  I replied that that was a dangerous proposition at this time of year and not a good idea.  He replied he had to and that he would be careful.  Read below the email exchange and the almost sinking of his boat in monster waves.

hi Craig  rey in la here and just got my self a Newport 27 i am just hanging by my sheer wiil to stay awake to replace my just ruined lap top I GOT TO LA with a back pack..... 2 wks ago
But new pal bought me a Newport 27 off e bay last week ...I am REY hello to all ..age 59, 30 yrs ago i had a ship go down under me 300 miles off cape cod I alone survived
Ive spent the last 28 yrs in the Arizona desert ,,as I try to type this its 3 am ..and I've been awake working on my new to me 1975 Newport 27 non stop 6 days now .I can barely see the fonts,shes got a yammar diesel,Ive no idea what one , i took her from LA to Catalina island a week ago for 2 days with my pal ,all-most hit the fuel dock when i lost reverse gear
made in to LA break water and all most got run over by a big black freighter bearing down on us outa  the dark at ..blasting his horns ,i went hard a port and to flank under sale,,,scared the hell outa me    
, I've rewired her found we were on fire as the last guy who had her ran a rubber fuel line on the exhaust manifold,ive got no place to live a board her after tuesday here ,so i plan to sail to frisco and anchor there ,untill i get us both squared away ,the pros say it will take me a month if i make it at all ..Ill sail all of it as Ive got not much fuel ,shes lookng good ,but shes has got a way to go in the ugly dept ,till shes like new..
I plan to got with stronger chain plates and wire then move to Thailand ..
Id like to ask for advice ,has any one gone blue water with one? I hate the tiller and am looking for a pedesal helm
and a stove ( beans all week over the oil lamp ), Ive got crappy brown jib and a new huge genoa,want to put a sink and shower in the head and some sort of cabin heater ,,
Shes not my dads 120 ft trumphy,I grew up on but I am thrilled with her, would lve to know every thing i can
about them ,, I forgot the laptop with all my charts was under a cracked hatch,so scratch on tough book ,,Ive been flat out 20 hrs now reading every
thing i can on this yacht and sailing north this time of year ive got a bd on a lap top replacement in 5 hrs .but pls write or call me at my pals till monday or  mail me and ill call you   wish to ASK YOU TO PLS LET ME KNOW WHATS UP  AT THE BAY .IVE ONLY BEEN ABLE TO GET A30 DAY LIVE ABOARD SLIP  OR SHOULD I JUST GO TO SAUICLITO many thx rey
ps I've got a vhf flares and a rubber pool raft ..and too many dam beans

My Response:

 Hello Rey,

The 27 is a small boat for a winter cruise up the coast.  Be very prudent with the weather and duck in before a blow.  We lost a Newport 30 off Ocean Beach (in SF) a few years ago as they got to close to the breakers.  Make sure you have charts and talk to folks before coming in the Gate.  It's a bit tricky and hopefully more experienced sailors will chime in with details.  Also watch the tides when coming in.  Slack going to a flood is best.  Ebbs can be impossible sometimes.  Stay away from water depths below 30 feet.  There are anchorages up here and when it's not storming, Richardson Bay is a possibility.  I don't think I would be venturing north on a Newport 27 in the winter.  The weather may seem mild, but I suspect the big waves of winter are still heading our way.   Best of luck and I hope someone talks you out of coming north this time of year.  It's not the best idea and can be very dangerous.

About a month later, email from Rey (forgive the upper case)

BOUGHT A NEWPORT 27 FROM E BAY, THE YAMMAR QUIT ON DAY THREE AND I WENT TO SAIL ONLY....NOW... LA HARBOUR IS NOT SAIL FRIENDLY
NOW I AM BARELY ALIVE ,,I GOT NO BAD WEATHER REPORTS ON A STORM AND IT WAS A NICE SUNNY DAY OFF SANTA BARBARA,CHECKED IT EVER 3 HRS,
AS I SAILED FOR SAN FRAN ,SOME 400 MILES AND 30 DAYS AWAY AFTER 5 HRS .... I RAN SMACK INTO 30 FT WAVES AND 60 KNOT WINDS...IT PICKED MY 27 FT NEWPORT SLOOP CLEAR OUTA THE WATER ,THIS WAS WORSE THAN THE MOVIE A" PERFECT STORM" AS FAR AS THE SEA HITTING ME, I FOUGHT FOR MY LIFE 10 HRS UNTIL ,I HAD TO CRAWL TO THE BOW AND REEL BACK THE GENOA WHEN THE 1/2 INCH NYLON LINE SNAPPED LIKE A 45 GOING OFF ,,CAUSING THE SAIL TO RUN WILD AS I PLUNGED UP AND DOWN 10 TO 15 FT EVEN UNDER THE WAVES IN 60 MPH WINDS AND 30 FT WAVES,THEN CUTTING LOSE MY LIFE LINE WHEN IT BECAME FOULED ON A CLEAT..( A REAL BIG NO NO !) HOLDING ON WITH ONE HAND I SURVIVED IT IT RIPPED OFF A SNEAKER AND SOCK AND 1/2 MY FOUL WEATHER GEAR THE RIGGING AND SAILS GAVE WAY EVEN RIPPED APART A BIG MASTER PAD LOCK I JURY RIGGED TO THE BOOM ,,SAILS GONE, ENGINE DOWN, IT BROKE OFF THE BOOM AND BENT THE STEEL MAST THEN I COULDN'T GET THE COAST GUARD ON THE RADIO SHE DAM NEAR ROLLED MANY TIMES ..SMASHING ME AROUND THE CABIN AS CAN GOODS AND GEAR BROKE LOOSE BELTED ME ... SEA AND WIND WAS SO STRONG ,THEY AT LAST FOUND ME ( OUTA FLARES ) AND TOWED ME INTO MARINA DEL REY WHERE I SOLD HER 9,000$ WORTH OF NICE BOAT FOR 250$ AND WALKED AWAY..... TO A JUG OF RUM
I STILL HAVE FULL USE OF HERE WHEN REPAIRED SOME TIME I WILL GO BACK OUT ON HER JUST ABOUT FU**KIN NEVER TIME ....
I WILL GET ..A 40 TON STEEL HULL AND DO IT AGAIN AFTER I HEAL UP,,,, CAPT REY

Lucky to walk away with his life!

David Crosby's Mayan For Sale

The legendary Mayan, which has been the 40-year muse to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musician David Crosby. Bob Craven, yacht broker, tours the life and times of this John Alden designed schooner, now for sale, in this beautiful video.  If you have a cool mil sitting around, you could be sailing her in St Barts soon.

Bonehead Move

Makes me appreciate that all I have to worry about when exiting the harbor is too much wind.

Every Sailing Movie Ever Made - Here

Over the last month I rewatched two great sailing movies:  Waterworld and Dead Calm.  I enjoyed seeing them again, especially from a sailing standpoint.  There is one shot in Waterworld with Costner halfway up the mast at sunset and his 50 foot trimaran blasting towards the horizon.  Check it out.  So you like sailing movies too I hope.  I found a list of all the sailing movies ever made and wanted to share the list with the visitors of my blog.  You can view it here.    Enjoy!