From the Archives

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Ball Park Sail

McCovey Cove on a "busy" day.

I had plans to meet some friends at the Giants game on Friday night. Got up to the boat around 2:30 and it was blowing 20-25kts. Had a great run to Angel with the boat steering herself and me enjoying this fine day on the bay. As I tacked towards the city the wind was over 30 and I had a very small jib up along with the full main. I usually I like to have a slip at South Beach for the game but tonight they were booked up with a visiting boat club in town for the weekend. So instead, I planned to anchor in McCovey Cove (right where the homers hit the water) and then paddle to the game. I arrived about 5:30 and cleaned things up and then relaxed a little before my friends arrived. At 6:45 I paddled over and stowed the kayak and headed over to the game. The Giants ended up losing in the 13th but we were there to witness the first triple play by the Giants at home in 28 years! I said goodnight to my friends and headed back to the boat. Just as I got settled the fireworks show began just off the stern of the boat. I was able to stand at the bottom of the stairs and watch the show out of the wind. It was really spectacular! At that point I decided to spend the night in McCovey Cove. Put on some music and relaxed in the salon. Slept like a baby and then went for a sunrise sail with tea and blueberry pancakes in the cockpit as I sailed up the city front. Finished that up just as I hit the big wind line just past Pier 39 at 7am. Had a great sail home and then took a nap on the boat before I headed home at 11am. What a nice little adventure to start the weekend!

North Shore

Newport 30 Owners Review

Debbie has put together a nice review of the Newport 30 MKIII.
Newport Sailboats were built by Capital Yachts, Inc. from 1971 to 1996 in Harbor City California. This review will focus on the Newport 30-III, our is a 1985 Newport 30 III.

The Newport 30-III came with either a standard keel (5′ 2″) or shoal draft keel (4′ 0″). The ballast on the Newport is a solid lead and alloy keel. Galvanized iron keel bolts are permanently locked in place by positioning them in the keel at the time it’s poured. An epoxy adhesive is applied to the top of the keel before it is bolted to the keel recess in the hull. Fiberglass cloth is bonded over the entire joined area to further seal it. A resin filler mixture is poured into the keel recess and allowed to harden. This means the keel bolts and nuts are now permanently locked and should never have water come in contact with them. Sail-away displacement averaged 8,500 lbs.

They came standard with a 2-cycle diesel engine. There are times when you could wish for a slightly larger engine but our Universal diesel is proving to be a good little workhorse. We average a half a gallon per hour with ours and given the cost of fuel these days that feels pretty good.

The hull to deck is bonded and bolted with an anodized toe rail. The toe rail is a nice additional detail that Capital Yachts did and isn’t always found on older boats of similar make and size. The anchor locker is at the bow and self contained so you don’t have foul smells venturing into the V-berth.

The mast is deck stepped and an optional item at production time was the jib roller furling. Our Newport 30 came with the roller furling option and lines led to the cockpit. Yes, you loose a bit in sail shape with a furler however if you’re not going to race then it’s much nicer to stay in the cockpit when working the sail.

A boom vang and masthead fly are two extremely important optional items that were offered. It’s hard to know the wind direction and a mast head fly will always be pointing in the direction the wind is coming FROM. It’s nice to quickly glance up to figure out the proper trim or a course change.

A boom vang, which will hold the boom horizontal when off the wind, will come with some of these older boats. If it was dealer installed is would most likely be rigged from the boom to a bail at the base of the mast so it doesn’t have to be down rigged when gybing. This is an added safety feature in case of an accidental gybe the boom would swing over without lifting up and maybe catching the leech of the mainsail on the leeward spreader.

Pedestal steering was another option other wise you’ll find a tiller. If you buy a Newport 30 III with wheel steering, periodically check for loosened bolts and cable tension. Also look for wear or ‘fish’ hooks on the cable and replace as necessary. Three or four time a year, depending upon the frequency of use, lightly oil the chain, pedestal shaft bearings and sheave bearings with a 3-in-one oil as part of your maintenance routine.

Swim ladders on the stern were another option. They make getting back aboard much more convenient. If you’ve not read yet about how to have a safer swim ladder than maybe you should.

The cabin is well laid out and the 10′ 8″ beam gives you more space inside than the average 30 footer plus those of you who are tall will appreciate the extra headroom. The salon is open as the dinette table folds and stores against the bulkhead and when in place and opened it will comfortably seat six adults. The V-berth comes with a teak door for privacy and with the center insert of the V-berth removed offers a nice amount of room to change clothes.

The head is just aft of the V-berth and is nice in size. The standard was a vanity with storage outboard and below, shower with foot pump (ours is upgraded to pressure water), toilet with holding tank and manual discharge in approved areas, teak door with mirror.

The port settee slides out to form a double berth and there is a single berth to starboard. Ample stowage can be found both behind and under these. The teak interior is beautiful and classic giving warmth to the cabin.

The aft galley came standard with a serving island, double stainless steel sink, gimbaled stove and icebox. For this size boat the galley is well sized as it gives the cook enough room to work comfortably. They came with an icebox and we did an ice box conversion and now have a 12 volt fridge which is really nice.

The nav-station was well thought out for this size boat. The nav seat is body formed and the chart table slides away when not in use. There is a teak drawer below the table and a chart light above. It is a comfortable work area and nearly disappears when one needs to use the quarter berth.

They have fresh water storage for about 70 gallons and the fuel tank holds about 30 gallons. There have been some issues with blisters but they have been easy to fix at least on ours. The Newport 30 III is a nice coastal cruiser with a big boat feel.

Leap From 25 Miles Up Fails

He has worked on this project of jumping from space for over 20 years. Spent $20M on the preparation and when it's time to leave, his still inflating balloon floats away without him. Sounds like a bonehead move to me! Read the full story, here.

Divers Survive 19 hours at Sea

Two divers were left behind in shark infested waters in the Great Barrier Reef area. Not panicing was the key to their survival. Read the full story here.

Mac Attack

As you know, I am a Mac lover (since 84) and I found a cool navigation set-up that is very functional for less than $1k. A mac-mini running MacENC and a touch pad screen. I just purchased a several year old mac-mini from a friend for $100 so this system could be set up for a lot less than a grand. Check the details here.

Flickr World

This is one of the coolest web pages I have ever seen!! You type in a tag and the pics start floating onto the screen to create a huge globe of hundreds of cool pics from flickr. Then click on any of the pics to make it bigger. Click again and you will be taken to the flickr page where the photo lives. Just for fun type in "burningman" and see what happens.

T-Lapse SF Bay

This footage was recorded overlooking the SF Bay on Saturday, March 1, 2008. You'll see lots of races and of course the big freighters. Check this very cool vid, here..

Ko Phi Phi Dive - Thailand

Some of the most awesome diving we ever did was off the islands of Phuket. This video will give an idea of how wonderful it is. On one dive we saw 8 Lion Fish. You will also see the ubiquitous Clown Fish. Check it out and learn how to scuba so you can enjoy these wonders!

Embrace The Extreme

Slednecks 9 - A funny movie is a click away

Boat Repo

I have been seeing more and more big motor yachts for sale at our marina. Many with price tags of over $250k. Many folks can't afford their monthly payments or the cost of fuel for a weekend on the bay. The following article was featured on Sailing Anarchy about folks that can no longer afford their big and small boats. Read on.

Pic of the Day

Caught in a very low tide!

Mono vs. Cat

I have always been a monohull sailor and the reason for it is you can feel the boat in the water, you have much more awareness of the boat, wind and water on a monohull. However, there are lots of folks who swear by cats and love them for their speed, comfort (especially at anchor where they don't rock like a mono) and the fact that you can put a drink down in 20 knots of wind and it will still be there 10 minutes later. Now that's a cool feature. The other feature that cats have over a monohull is the amount of room and space on a cat. Loads of it. The downside of a cat is that you are paying double and sometimes triple the cost of a similar size mono. I found an old video on Wetass of a very fast cat chasing a very fast monohull. Guess who won the race?

Rented EPIRB Saves Lives

The owner and captain of a 48-foot charter sailboat credits a rented BoatUS Emergency Beacon (EPIRB)for helping save four lives when their boat struck a submerged object early on the morning of Tuesday, May 13, about 200 miles east of Brunswick, GA. The charter sailboat, the S/V Wolf, had been in transit to Bayshore, New Jersey.

The collision with the unknown object led to significant damage of Wolf, allowing it to take on water. Emergency efforts to stem the flow failed and bilge pumps could not keep up with the volume of water entering, leading Captain Paul Doughty to activate the beacon at approximately 5:00 AM.

Fifteen minutes later Captain Doughty called a May Day on a satellite phone to the USCG rescue center, which notified Doughty and his crew of three aboard Wolf that the EPIRB signal had already been identified and that the USCG Cutter Reliance had been directed to the foundering sailboat’s location. As luck would have it, the Reliance was just six miles from Wolf’s location.

Upon arrival at the stricken charter boat, the Reliance’s crew dropped a Rescue Assistance Vessel over the side and safely removed all four mariners. As the seas were nearly 10-feet, it was determined to be too dangerous to make further salvage attempts. With its interior now full of water and only its cabin top remaining above the waves, the sailboat was left to the mercy of the depths.

“It was amazing,” says Capt. Doughty, who has rented BoatUS EPIRBs on several previous occasions. The $750 EPIRBs can be rented from the Foundation for as little as $40 a week. “Shortly after I got off the satellite phone, the cutter was there. The EPIRB was instrumental in saving our lives. It just goes to show how important planning for this very thing is,” he added.

Don't Try This at Home!

The Meaning of the Song: American Pie

Remember This One?

Slo Mo

See more funny videos at CollegeHumor

Sailing Resources

Our boat, "Addiction". Click the pic for a much larger view.

Sailing is a big part of my life and I love being out on the bay. Yesterday I had one of those magic moments that I love so much. I woke up about 5am and headed up to the boat for a sunrise sail. The wind was blowing over 20 in spots and I had to reef the jib as I sailed for sunny Sausalito. As I got to the far side of Angel the sun broke thru the fog. I had tea and raspberry pancakes going in the cockpit. Everywhere around me was foggy except the sun was shinning bright on Sausalito. The fog was thundering down the hill and it was just me and some distant fishing boats as I hove to for breakfast. So sweet! On the way back I had a perfect angle on the wind as it pulled me towards the San Francisco skyline. I locked the wheel and headed up on deck and had an amazing sail towards the city as she basked in the sunshine. It was a beautiful moment in my sailing life!

There are few sites that I frequent when I am going sailing and when I want to bring myself up to date in the sailing world.

For the local forecast, realtime wind on the bay as well as tide predictions, I go to windandtides.com

If I want an overview of the bay wind conitions (as well as many other places where there are sailors and wind), I go to sailflow.com

The best sailing mag on the west coast is Latitude 38. If you sign up for 'Lectronic Latitude, they will send you a thrice weekly email update on happenings around the bay and around the world. Sign up here.

So those are my top three. Check them out!

47% of all Statistics are BS!

Check this article for more info. Click here.

Flyin'

Dead Show & KABOOM!

30 years ago, I was traveling across the country headed for college at UNLV from the east coast. I was driving with my roommate Bob, who suggested we stop by to see the Grateful Dead show at Red Rocks outside Denver. So we headed in to see a band that I had heard about but I did not know their music. We had a great time. The folks at the show were very friendly and giving. The music was awesome as well. So that started my ongoing relationship with the Dead. Since they are from the Bay Area, there were lots of opportunities to see them at the Greek, Stanford, Shoreline and Kaiser. Yes, I am a Deadhead! So when Rachel (Bob's wife) called and asked if I could meet them in Denver and surprise Bob at the Phil Lesh Shows, I jumped at the chance. I flew to Denver and gave Bob a great thrill as we don't see each other that much as he lives in Montana. Little did I realize that Phil has put together a great band featuring vocalist/guitarist Jackie Green. The band plays mostly old Dead songs and all my favs! Went to two shows and we had a blast. They are in SF next week and if you enjoy songs like Sugar Magnolia, Trucking, Casey Jones and Uncle John's Band, then you should go to the shows at the Warfield!!

Tonight, we are back in SF for the KABOOM fireworks show on the bay. We will have 10 folks out on our boat for dinner and fun! Can't wait!

Top 20 Leno Headlines

One Year Later - 1000 Days at Sea

Reid has spent over a year sailing his schooner over the seas in his quest for 1000 days at sea. If you have been following his story, his young lady friend jumped ship about 8 months into the journey. Reid soldiers on without her and I can imagine he is one tired dude as he manages a ship that would normally take a crew of 4-5 to sail. Here is an entry from earlier this week.

A light gale with waves from the west picked up and the NE waves from the five day storm kept coming. It was a wild ride and a good thing I had double reefs in both my foresails when the squalls came through. I felt like Paul Revere with a mission and a message as I rode through the night and waved appreciation at the patches of stars that showed up through the ragged clouds. Before dark I was geared up and moving around the schooner and studying her from different vantage points, so from the pilot house during the night as I heard different noises, I felt confident we weren't breaking things. Before dawn the cresent moon floated like a boat above the eastern horizon. In the morning I did feel like a horseback rider who had ridden through the night catching snatches of sleep on the run. As I checked the deck before coffee I patted my foremast on the brow and said “You did good”. The first thing I saw was a rainbow behind us to the west and our first Pacific flying fish on deck. The Schooner Anne gallops inexorably onwards knowing there's no stopping. Both of us are nursing a little fatigue, pulled reigns and sore muscles and the migration of the yearning is longer than we have experienced. We ride great forces of nature through time and our timing and positioning are still good, thank goodness.

618 more days to go!

For more on Reid's journey, click here.

BVI Slideshow

Our BVI trip is online in a slideshow format. You will see some pics from the Full Moon Party at Trellis Bay, the yacht, the crew and some of our adventures. To see the pics, click here.

That Sinking Feeling

Not sure who has the right of way here. (Click the pic for a larger image).

A maiden voyage is typically a memorable event. But four Bay Area residents will certainly never forget their first sail aboard Elenaki, their fiberglass-hulled Folkboat which sank off Sausalito yesterday. Boat partners Jim McKee and Markos Kounalakis with his five- and six-year-old boys set out from Sausalito Yacht Harbor after christening Elenaki, when at about 12:30 p.m. they noticed the boat's freeboard diminishing.

"We did not have a lot of reaction time," Kounalakis said. "As I went down to grab the radio, the interior was already full of water — the boat sank within 30 seconds."

A passing good samaritan heard Elenaki's mayday and picked the four out of the water in what Kounalakis said was about a minute and a half. "The man and his wife pulled it off with great alacrity," he said. "By the time we were aboard, the Coast Guard had already been called and showed up within five minutes." Once aboard they were treated to blankets and towels. Kounalakis told us he'd first learned to sail while a graduate student in Sweden in 1980 — fittingly on a Folkboat, albeit a wooden one. He said that on Sunday they'd made sure all the seacocks were closed prior to departing the dock. He couldn't be sure of the source of the leak, but suspected it was in the outboard-motor well — which housed a brand new outboard no less. Currently he's working on salvaging the boat, which is sitting on her keel with sails still up and showing, just inside the Richardson Bay Channel entrance dolphin.

As for Kounalakis, who's published Washington Monthly Magazine for the last seven years, and has a nationally-syndicated weekly radio show on XM station POTUS '08, he doesn't sound discouraged by Sunday's adventure. "This is not the bookend," he said. "There is more to come and more adventures to be had — and we want all of them to be above waterline."

From Latitude 38

Tricks

Top Rock Songs

What do "A Day in the Life", "Crossroads", and "Born to be Wild" have in common? They are all part of a list called "The 100 Greatest Rock Songs". Check it here.

Pic of the Day

Kite Boat Sails to Hawaii

It was a muggy Sunday morning on Maui's western tip. The gleaming Pacific lapped at ruins of the old pier at Mala Wharf. A deceptively quiet morning, there was no blaring indicator that a green-movement milestone was about to be achieved.

Like any morning on the island, day trippers poised at boat launches, backing their boats into the water, tying and untying knots, and dusting off their sea legs. Many likely groaned at the dent fuel would put into their wallets.

But not Dan Tracy and crew, who were gearing up to sail from Maui to Molokai in a kite-powered, 24-foot Corsair trimaran. While Tracy and crew have taken the boat out before — and even made the news for catching a 20-pound ono while fishing from the boat — this was the first inter-island voyage for the unique vessel. With the water at Mala Wharf "perfectly calm," conditions looked ideal.

The kite apparatus, which Maine native and lifelong sailor/fisherman Tracy designed and built, looks absolutely nothing like any watercraft outside the imagination.

"This is the most complicated, sophisticated apparatus outside of 'Waterworld' that you'll see," said crewmember Brian Thomas, who has been sailing since before he was born (his mother having been an avid sailor), as he helped prepare the kite for its unprecedented voyage.

There is no mast. Instead, an elaborate array of ropes, pulleys, and a giant hand-cranked winch sits atop an elevated area of the boat. This is how the 18-square-foot kite is controlled. Everything, including, of course, a chair for the driver, is attached to a rotating platform that allows the driver to harness the wind from any direction.

An outboard engine helps the boat into and out of harbors and assists the kite in times of low wind. Other than that, Tracy's boat relies solely on wind.

The kite's high elevation allows it to catch stronger, steadier wind than a conventional sail, which makes for quicker travel time.

Tacking across the wind of the Pailolo Channel — a waterway that is known to be rough — Sunday morning, the boat reached a top speed of more than 11 knots. The kite pulled the boat slightly up out of the water, easing the blow of the roughest chop. Tracy sat at the wheel as the other crewmembers — Thomas and Maui Community College Sustainability Club President Chris Taylor — took turns working other parts of the vessel. The crew and passengers glided over high swells with ease, talking story and catching sea spray. Sharing a Molokai papaya, they attempted pirate jokes and talked politics.

The crew made it to Molokai's East End in less than three hours' time before dropping off a passenger and heading back to Maui.

Hopping out of the boat, Tracy's elation was apparent as his feet touched Molokai sand.

Roundtrip, Tracy, said, the boat used a total of three gallons of gas; less than half of what it would normally take.

Of course, this isn't it for the Tracy's kite sail. There are other courses to chart, and implements to develop, he says, if he is to take this technology worldwide.

German company Skysails is also currently looking into using a similar technology to power cargo vessels and super-yachts.

In the beginning, all Tracy wanted was "a clearer deck for running a fishing boat" than a standard catamaran could offer. Now his idea has caught the eye of green-thinking individuals and corporations worldwide.

Tracy's kite boat might help make the oil slick rainbows that strangle the surface of stagnant waterways a thing of the past. It may change the sound and smell of a summer day.

As for a name for his boat, Tracy is waiting for the right one, but it will definitely be in Hawaiian.

Chain Surfing - Watch!

Ski Team: Impossible

Shredin'

Surfer dude!

Solo Sailor Rolled Near Cape Horn

Glenn Wakefield, Canadian sailing adventurer who was attempting to be the first American to sail 'the wrong way' solo around the world, has rolled his boat and - after several days - made the decision to abandon his attempt in the Southern Ocean on the approach to Cape Horn. Wakefield started his sailing journey in September 2007, and was seven months into his trip, due to finish in July this year. The project had taken four years in the planning. When his Offshore 40ft sloop built by Cheoy Lee in Hong Kong rolled, it sustained major damage, and Glenn suffered concussion in the incident. Glenn recovered, but the boat's damage was severe. While still watertight and the mast still standing, the yacht had lost the dodger and a hatch cover. The boat also has discharged batteries, severely damaged self steering equipment and an inoperable engine. It had also lost its life raft and solar panels. The boat is extremely wet below from the roll, and water is now entering the boat through the missing hatch cover and down the companionway. At the time of the rollover the wind speed was 50 knots, in a 6 meter swell. It took Glenn several days to make the decision, at first maintaining that he could continue.

His intention was to make his way through Drake Passage and round Cape Horn at a distance of about 100 nautical miles. Once around Cape Horn, Glenn was to head out about 1000 miles into the Pacific and then up the coast of Chile recrossing the equator at about 135 degrees. From there he was to sail north to Hawaii and then east to the west coast of British Columbia returning to the Straits of Juan de Fuca and his home port of Victoria in July of 2008

Top 500 Songs

Someone has put together a playlist of the Rolling Stone mag's top 500 rock & roll songs. Take a listen.

Teahupoo 360

What a neat concept. Put a 360 degree cam on a surfboard and then surf thru the hottest wave on the planet. Check it here.

Mad World on an iPhone

Cool vid of someone playing the Tears for Fears song on an iPhone.
Click here.

Radiohead Meets Microcosmos

BVI Wrap Up

It's a long way to SF from the BVI. We departed Beef Island at 10:30am and arrived home at 11pm (PDT) (2am BVI time). But we made it without any delays.

I wanted to tell you about my personal highlights of the trip:
1. Having a captain and chef aboard was wonderful. The food was always a treat and always topnotch. Having a captain allowed us to do and see twice as much, as he new where to go and what to skip. I know if I had been doing his job, it could have been more stress than I wanted.
2. Our Red Strip Regatta at Bitter End Yacht Club was a blast and a lot of laughs. A beautiful spot as well.
3. Everyone on the cat got along and had fun. Our whole crew and boat crew were a great match. It may have been the best trip ever taken in the BVI. I am checking the records and will let you know.
4. Sailing to and from Anegada. Both days we started off with low winds in the forecast. Both days we had fabulous sails with great weather.
5. The boat! What an amazing yacht. The sound system was Bose and there was a nice set of speakers under the first spreader. My favorite spot was laying on the hammock in the bow with the remote in my hand. We had a great selection of music and I could control the volume from the hammock. Our state room had a very large bed that allowed me to stretch out (I am 6'6"). We ate in the stern deck area at a table that accommodated us all.
6. The three dives we did were awesome. The highlight of course was the wreck of the Rhone.

We truly had a trip that exceeded all my expectations. Everything came together and we are very thankful for such an epic adventure in the BVI's. We highly recommend Sailingdirections.com for assisting in the planning phase and Voyage Yacht Charters for an outstanding boat and crew. Special thanks goes to Denis an Rita for all their hard work and for all the fun and great days on the azure waters of this very special place. Now go visit, ya'all!!!

Paradise

We spent the night at Salt Island. Early in the morn, we were tied to a mooring ball above the most famous wreck dive in the BVI. The 310' RMS Rhone went down in 1867 after a huge hurricane swept the area. Many died as the SOP of the day was to was to lash the passengers and crew to their beds. She sank quickly in about 30'-80' of water. The bow is still somewhat intact and one of the highlights of the dive. We dropped down to the bow and the vis was amazing at well over 100'. We quickly swam into the hull and thru a very large passageway which was the major corridor of the ship. I love diving caves so this was cool. We continued and saw a plethora of fish and sea life. This was one of the top dives in my life and I have been to many of the top dive spots around the world. We saw all the major sections and it was really beautiful. Next was a nice lunch on Peter Island in a lovely cafe. After, I swam out to the boat and saw my first Caribbean turtle. We headed over to Painted Walls for our last dive. Really neat rock formations, fish, another turtle and an arch to swim thru. Then it was nap time as we motored over to Norman island and the caves. We had a nice anchorage almost to ourselves. Dinner was filet mignon kabobs over rice noodles with our last of the sixty six bottles of wine that we brought for the trip. Yes we have some serious wine drinkers in our group!! Then we had a trip to the famous Willy T's floating pirate bar. We stuck around for a few and then headed back to boat as our group was pretty tired. When we arrived back at the boat, Rita (our gourmet chef) had put together a DVD of our trip set to sailing music. Really nice look back on all the fun we had over the last week. What a fab trip!!! Opps gotta go. The famous caves of Norman Island are calling to me like the sirens and Ulysses. Just got back from the snorkel and it just gets better and better. We are sailing into port as I type so I will wrap up the trip with the highlights upon my return to San Fran. Aloha!

The Deep

The RMS Rhone is where we are diving today. Remember this great movie?

Sublime

Yesterday we had a visit to The Baths. We arrived at 9am with a breakfast of Eggs Benedict and Bloody Mary's. Not too shabby. We swam in and this is an impressive display of granite. Apparently, a volcano deposited the non-native rocks to this location many ions ago. The lava has eroded away leaving house size boulders strewn about. The beach was pretty crowded as this is the most popular attraction in the BVI. We hiked through the rocks to Devil's Bay and then had a swim. Very cool hike but not very comfortable for a guy who is 6'6". In one instance you have to squat down to get into the small passage ways. I made it and it was worth it. The highlight for me was the snorkeling amongst the rocks. Beautiful fish, a ray and incredible formations of both coral and rock. We did the entire length of The Baths and it was fantastic. Very surgey but worth it. For dinner, the chef prepared a curry shrimp with snow peas that was scrumptious. Along with mojitos made with Panamanian rum. After a game of liars dice we hit the tramp in front of the boat for a peek at the Southern Cross and some shooting stars. If you haven't noticed we are having a fabulous time. Our crew is really making sure we are happy and having the time of our lives!!

Epic

We departed Anegada with little wind in the forecast. It looked as though we had a long motor ahead of us. We cleared the reefs and guess what? Wind! It started at about 15 and peaked at 21!! We were flying at over 10kts. Our destination was Bitter End Yacht Club where we would pick up a mooring ball. We had to make a few tacks to get there and I helped with the sheets. Our boat is over 42 tons so it takes a good breeze to get us going. Don't even think about flying a hull. We arrived about 1pm and this is one beautiful part of Virgin Gorda. After a fine lunch of fish tacos (mahi mahi) we headed to the beach to rent a Hobie. We were told that we could have the 16' for a half our but that it had to be back by 4:30 for the beer can race. We did a tack across the bay and back and hit over 10kts. My brother in law Tom was taking us into the beach and your editor pulled a bonehead move! We were almost at the beach and I had given Tom instructions on how to slow the boat down before hitting the beach. We didn't slow down and we headed for a collision with another boat on the beach. I jumped off the bow and a line wrapped around my foot and I did a face plant on the beach and we hit the other boat. Oh boy. My pride was wounded but I was OK as was the other boat. We wanted to continue sailing but to do that we had to enter the race. I convinced Tom we should and we did. We had a small Hobie Wave that is cat rigged. We hit the starting line and had to sail to the upwind to the mark. There were four kinds of boats racing and we were the slowest. We hit the first mark in a tight rounding with 7 year old Jimmy in an Optimist. We had the angle and were closest to the mark, but Jimmy was right there and he hit us. I told him I would be protesting! :~} We rounded the down wind mark and as you passed the committee boat they handed you a beer! We headed up to the upwind mark clearly in last pace so I decided on a crew change. We headed to the Mothership and picked up two more crew. We joined in the second race midway through and now we are winning! Not for long as a Laser passed us on the down wind leg. We picked up three more beers and got ready for the last race. We hit the first mark and then sailed back by Secret Oasis. Dropped off one crew and then headed to the beach. As we were headed in, the last boat passed and the guy yelled "DFL". What does that mean? We got in to the beach and I asked him and he said "dead f**king last". And that we were. What a blast. Dinner was braised lamb and some Silver Oak Cab to finish the day. What a great day! Thursday we head to The Baths!

Gorgeous

We had our longest sail of the trip yesterday with 12-14 knot winds and SOG of 7-8kts. It was a fabulous sail to Anegada. The coral atoll is very low lying and has produced some very major wrecks (300) over the years. We got in no problem about 2:30, had lunch and sprint off to Loblolly Bay for some wonderful snorkeling. So many neat coral formations and amazing fish. Our best snorkel yet. Then it was back to the boat for hors d's and some margaritas. We had reservations at Potter's at 7:30. Fresh lobster is their specialty and we feasted. For desert they brought out a cool birthday cake with candles. Bridget and I are celebrating our 50th birthdays and hence this great trip with family and friends. Today we head back to Virgin Gorda and set ourselves up for a trip to the Baths. Can't wait!

More Cow Bell!

My next boat name!

Nirvana

Click the map for a larger version.

Yesterday was a great day! We set out from Trellis Bay for some diving. Heading towards Virgin Gorda we could see the Baths in the distance. We arrived at a little bay and went off the The Chimney for a snorkel. Very nice rock formations and a good amount of fish. After lunch we did our first dive at the Invisables. 25-35 feet of depth and a nice pinnacle to circumnavigate. I didn't have enough weight on my belt so it was tuff staying down. I'll put more on for the next dive on the Rhone (wreck dive). For dinner we headed to Lee Bay on Great Camanoe Island. A delicious swordfish along with some wild rice for dinner and then a spirited conversation about 9-11 and more. Today we are off to Anegada for some snorkel and lobster dinner. Ciao for now.

Stunning

We woke up in a quiet anchorage with a perfect round deserted island just off the bow. We paddled over to explore and swim. The water is so blue and so warm. After breakfast we were hoping for wind. And we got some! About 15 knots off the beam. What a great sail. The captain said it was one of his best on this boat. We snorkeled at Monkey Cove and then had a nice lunch on board. Our destination for the night is the full moon party in Trellis Bay. After a nice dinner, we headed to the party. A steel drum band was banging it out. I requested Hot, Hot , Hot and they dove right in. The party went nuts with me leading the congo line and going right into a limbo contest. Yes we are having too much fun. Stilt walkers, fires on the water, and great folks having fun. What a great night. We finished up with a nice moonlight ride around the area.

Today we are off for some scuba in the area of the Dogs. More updates soon!

Bliss

This place is what a sailors dreams are made of. Warm, clear water, nice blue sky, and the landscape is stunning! We arrived at Voyage Yachts in Sopers Hole on Tortola without a hitch at 12noon. Our catamaran is amazing. Almost new, she has a great layout and is very comfy for the 10 of us. My two sisters and their husbands, Mark and Mary, Bridget (my wife) as well as the captain and chef are on board. Our first stop was a lovely beach on Jost Van Dyke. It's so nice to have a captain to take care of the details. After many bay and delta trips, I can appreciate the work that goes into a sailing adventure. It great to kick back and have another Painkiller while the captain sets the hook. We hit the beach and the Soggy Dollar was our first stop. Famous for their libations, we got a round and immediately commenced a spirited game Jungle Bocce. Shortly thereafter we headed back to the boat for a lovely dinner of pecan encrusted salmon over angel hair pasta. The evening flew by and we finished with a jam session on the trampoline up front. With Dennis on the guitar, and my sis Cyn on the flute, we sang and listened under an almost full moon. A perfect evening! Today we will head to Trellis Bay and get situated for the famous full moon party there. Throw in some sailing and snorkeling and we are looking pretty. TTFN!

Bon Voyage!

We depart for the BVI' on Friday for 10 days of epic sailing, scuba, fine foods and maybe a pain killer or three. This will be my first trip and very first sailing vacation. I have been dreaming about it for a very long time. Our 58' cat, Secret Oasis, is awaiting our arrival and she is pulling on her mooring lines ready to go!

Since our boat has onboard WIFI, I will be blogging about the trip right here on H2uh0. Look for updates and hopefully some cool pics from paradise. So check back in as we board the yacht on Saturday with a full moon party on Sunday.

Snowboarding an Avalanche

The Sailing Channel

By chance, I found a cool site for sailors that features videos covering a wide range of subjects. The vid i watched was about a very unique sailing couple you may already know about: Lin and Larry Pardey. They have sailed over 200,000 miles together on an engine less, home made boat. The video is about storm tactics. Sail on over to The Sailing Channel and check out more vids.

Crazy Fun

Jumping Jehosephats!

The Voyage of Swell

Liz Clark is a 20 something sailor that is currently sailing the world in search of the perfect wave. She has found it many places already with no one out except her. What do you expect when you have a sailboat to get you to the most remote parts of the world? She left Santa Barbara two years ago and is now in the South Pacific. She is sailing solo at the moment but continues to meet cool folks who help her and ride the swell with her. Catch up with this great writer and surfer in her latest adventure.

Fail

2008 Billabong Global Wave Challenge

On Friday they will announce the winners from this year. The categories are, Ride of the Year, Tube of the Year, Monster Paddle, and Monster Tube. The top riders will be in LA for the ceremony. The vid below is for the nominees for Ride of the Year ($50k to the winner!). Go to the Billabong XXL site to see all of the nominees from all the categories. Cowabunga!!

Wind - The Movie

Some call it the best sailing movie ever.

Audi Tri

Roots

The stand up paddle board is huge in Hawaii right now. Our boy Laird Hamilton gave it exposure and now it's the cool way to go. This was an early Hawaiian invention that is making a big comeback. Give it a try!

Sailing Pic of the Day

SV Sea Eagle a 1969 Privateer on SF Bay this past weekend.

Aussie 18 Action

My First Mate - A Tribute

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Sierra Nevada passed into the sunset on Friday surrounded by his family. My 16 year old golden retriever was the best sailing buddy a guy could ask for. We have been sailing together since he was 4 months old. He was always eager to jump on board and go on another adventure. If it was a sun set sail or a 5 day trip on the Delta, Sierra loved to feel the wind and saying hello to the seals that swam by. He was a gentle, loving and very intelligent dog that will live in my heart forever. I will miss you boy!

Bob Hope - Great Line

Crash!

Bonehead Move of the Day

Boat Is Too Tall For Bridge - Watch more free videos

Light View

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Goliath Grouper - Pic of the Week!

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And you thought Britney had it bad.

Fool'em All

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Here's a quick and fun prank to play on your co-workers or friends for Fool's Day. When they go off to lunch, download this desktop photo and install it on their computer. When they return, apologize for the accident and say you have ordered them another. Let me know if it works!

Faster is Funner

Pool Slips and Falls

Free Diving with the Mammals

Gitana 13 to Japan

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The 110 foot cat has departed the bay and is off on an another record breaking run across the Pacific. Having just broken the old clipper route from New York to SF, the weather gods are smiling on the crew as they reel off mile after mile at speeds peaking in the 30 knot range. The boys at Lat38 had the ride of their life when they went out for a spin on this amazing record breaker. With wind speeds in the 15's, they went under the Gate and the boat explodes to 30 knots as they cracked off the main. Could you imagine? Wish I had an invite! Read the full report here.
Also, while you are there, sign up for 'Lectronic Laitude. The thrice weekly west coast sailing info email that will keep you up to date on the sailing world as it happens. It's free and fun!

Three Years

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H2uh0 had it's humble beginings 3 years ago this month. Several boat accidents in one weekend on the bay inspired me to start this blog. They say a blogger's year is like a dog year so that means I am closer to 21 blog years old! Not bad. Here is a look back at the blog when I first started, compliments of archive.org. Hope you all are enjoying the posts and keep coming back for more. I am off for a ski week during spring break and will return the end of March! Be sure to check out the archives and listen to h2uh0 radio on the right. Happy vernal equinox!

Sponge Me -The Wedge, SoCal

One More Lat and Att

I went over to the Latitude and Attitude website and lo and behold you can read their magazine online in a magazine like environment. It's similar to the online Latitude 38 if you have seen that. Anywho, to check it out click here.

Pic of the Day

I just love this shot!! Click the pic for a much larger view. Make it your desktop photo.

Lats and Atts

Most of you may know the old salty dog Bob Bitchin of the famous mag "Latitudes and Attitudes". He also has a couple great books out about his travels on his sail boat Lost Soul. Here is a nice video to wet your appetite for maybe your own trip to the BVI's. The second half has some heli views to die for. Go to youtube for more vids from Lats and Atts.

Maltese Falcon: For Sale!

We leave in about a month to head to the Caribbean for a week on a beautiful cat. I have never been to the BVI's and so needless to say I am looking forward to this trip of a lifetime. Maybe we will even see this amazing boat while we sail these beautiful waters. Be looking for a full report in late April!

Crazy Fun

Bonehead!

Top 1000

The UK Guardian has come up with a list of 1000 albums you should be listening to. The list was compiled by readers and many I have never heard of. Check the list here.
Here's a musical tidbit I would like to share with you. Remember that great album cover by The Who, "Who's Next"? Roger and the boys have just finished taking a leak on a very large, wait for it...what is that thing? Do you remember??? That's right, a monolith. Where do we know the monolith from? Kubrick's 2001 movie masterpiece. Seems that Stanley declined their request to direct their amazing movie "Tommy" and so they were pissed off about it, so to speak. If you haven't listened to the album in a while, pull it out this weekend and relisten to one of the all time greatest!

Soul Sail

Crash and Burn

Perfect Wave?

Bubble Rings

Dolphin Play Bubble Rings - video powered by Metacafe

Pic of the Day

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Joost

You may have heard about Joost TV, but have you tried this free service with over 20,000 TV shows? I just watched a documentary on the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Race and it was excellent. Go to Joost.com, download the player and start watching! Here's the link to the sailing documentary. Enjoy!

Manager vs Engineer

A man in a hot air balloon realised he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below. He descended a bit more and shouted,
"Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."

The woman below replied,
"You're in a hot air balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground. You're between 40 and 41 degrees north latitude and between 59 and 60 degrees west longitude."

"You must be an engineer," said the balloonist.

"I am," replied the woman, "How did you know?"

"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct, but I've no idea what to make of your information, and the fact is I'm still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help at all. If anything, you've delayed my trip."

The woman below responded, "You must be in Management."

"I am," replied the balloonist, "but how did you know?"

"Well," said the woman, "you don't know where you are or where you're going. You have risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise, which you've no idea how to keep, and you expect people beneath you to solve your problems. The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it's my fault."

Got Harken?

Pic of the Day

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The striking spiral galaxy M104 is famous for its nearly edge-on profile featuring a broad ring of obscuring dust. Seen in silhouette against a bright bulge of stars, the swath of cosmic dust lanes lends a hat-like appearance to the galaxy in optical images suggesting the more popular moniker, The Sombrero Galaxy. Here, Hubble Space Telescope archival image data has been reprocessed to create this alternative look at the well-known galaxy. The newly developed processing improves the visibility of details otherwise lost in overwhelming glare, in this case allowing features of the galaxy's dust lanes to be followed well into the bright central region. About 50,000 light-years across and 28 million light-years away, M104 is one of the largest galaxies at the southern edge of the Virgo Galaxy Cluster. Source: NASA

Space Jump

Too Cool

Morning Light

A few posts ago, I mentioned the "Morning Light" film project due out this summer. Here is some more info: "Morning Light, a real-life adventure feature film recorded as it happens, whatever happens, will be part of next year's 44th Transpacific Yacht Race to Hawaii in a project led by race veteran Roy E. Disney. Based on the premise of "the youngest crew ever to sail Transpac," the film will chronicle the recruitment, training and performance of sailors as young as 18 through the next race in July of 2007. On their own, they will sail a Transpac 52 called Morning Light---the working title of the film. None will be actors. There will be no script and no preconceived outcome. Disney said, "If we do our job right, I don't care as much whether they win or lose as how they come together as a group and wind up a team in the end. However they do is how they do. But we're giving them the equipment to win." For more info, check out their website here. What was really neat about their finish was that they hit the finish line just minutes after the sunrise. The picture above is from their finish at Diamond Head.

In Case You Missed the Eclipse

Crazy Guy...Yee Haa!

Awesome Meteor

More Bonehead Moves

Pic of the Day

Epic

I found a website from weather.com that looks at weather extremes from an athlete's perspective. It features great video from the land, sea and air. There are some awesome videos from Maverick's, kiting, paddling, sky surfing just to name a few. These are short clips from a show called "Epic" that you can find at the weather channel on your TV. Check the vids here.