H2uh0 Turns 20!!

If you can find another sailing blog 20 years old, I hope you will tell me who it is. All my heros and those that encouraged me along the way are long gone. Wetass, Frogma, Proper Course, my2fish, and Horse's Mouth have all gone below the surface and sunk. So why am I still here?? The fact is I love everything about sailing. From my thousands of day sails over the last 25 years, to chartering in exotic locations (we depart for Croatia in a few weeks) to taking my dog and friends out on the SF bay, to my 8 Baja Haha's, my 7 month voyage deep into Mexico and back, and lastly to owning the boat of my dreams (40' Jeanneau). As a retiree, I am sailing 3-4 times a week with Hana (dog) and friends. My inspiration for starting the blog was a couple of sailing accidents on the bay on a weekend in 2005. I brainstormed the name and my thought was we could learn from other's mistakes. The blog has veered in to music, sailing history, chartering, some of my life stories, burning man, astronomy and of course, bonehead moves on the water. I am currently 66 and hope to continue sailing well into my 70's and maybe more. Who knows? Thanks to the 1,326,118 and more visitors to my site. And here to the 1000+ guests I have had aboard my boats. Here is my toast to all of you: Here's to wooden ships, fiberglass ships and steel ships. And here is to the most important ships of all. Friendships! Here is my favorite sailing quote: "Something about sailing a boat brings so many senses and sensations into play that it's very difficult to pinpoint what it is specifically that makes me like it so much: the sight of sails and sheets overhanging the water; the foam and spray flying as the bow cuts the water; the motion of the boat; the physical and mental ballet necessary to handle the boat correctly. A sailboat might just be the most beautiful, sensuous and intelligent blend of man/machine/and elements that exists in the world today. The relationship between the three is the most harmonious I have experienced so far. Besides, you can have a beer while you do it". --anonymous

Sail GP in Trouble after Dismasting

They have cancelled Rio and hope to be back on the water in June. This is the third dismasting in the fleet this year. Hopefully they can get it resolved before the NY dates in June.

Tahiti Charter was Amazing!

We arrived in Raiatea in the early morning to check in for our week long adventure. Our crew consisted of my sailing/swimming friend Barry, and two other couples. All had sailing experience and a great attitude. We did a bit of provisioning and then were were off in the mid afternoon. We spent the afternoon checking out the controls of our almost new Leopard 45. We got the sails up in light winds and headed for our first overnight destination. After a fine meal we turned on the generator and got the A/C going. We needed it as it was over 80 degrees and little wind. In the morning we sailed to Bora Bora. It was about 40 miles but it went very quickly. In this part of the sailing world the markers are reversed so red right returning does not work. We sailed smoothly and soon we were on a new island and tied to a mooring ball. That night we had dinner at the Bora Bora Yacht Club. It gave us a chance to meet the rest of the 3 boat flotilla. Our leader Daniel was seated next to me and we had lots of sailing experiences to share as well as some laughs too. The next morning were off to our next detination about 9 miles away. The water was shallow so we formed a line to follow our lead boat. When we arrived in Fareone Bay we were stunned by the amazing water color. Jumping in for a swim the water temp is a perfect 80. A little snoreling ensued and we were feeling very tropical. The next day we swam with some sharks and eagle rays. Beautiful. At noon, we headed to shore for lunch at a small compound. Mahi Mahi was the main course and it was delicious. Back to Fareone that afternoon. In the morning, we departed for Taha'a and a new anchorage. We were invited to dinner and dancers on the island. As we anchored, I saw a red hulled boat from our marina in Emeryville. I yelled hello and hoped to hook up with them later. Another group dinner and more fun. The next day it was short sail to a river entrance. Barry and I took the dingy into this tropical pardise. So pretty! I was blown away with the flora along tis stretch of water. Dinner on board and we cooked up some tuna steaks prepared with coconut sauce. Our last day we did a 3 hour race out to a mark and back to the island. Our next anchorage was in very shallow water (4 ft) but it worked. After some snorkeling we headed to a pot luck dinner with all the crews. We were a hit with the tunes and a large pot of spaghetti. In the morning it was a two hour motor back to the base and a flight to SF. We had 9 hours to kill so we hit up one of our friends staying at a fancy hotel and spent the afternoon having lunch and and hanging out at the pool. For those that have not chartered in these waters, I say go! We worked with Moorings and they did an outstanding job. They even came out to the boat twice to make some minor repairs. These are some of the most beautiful islands I have ever visited. And trust me when I say, I have been to many islands. Thanks to all for making this a very memorable expedition to paradise.