Slippery When Wet

There is a secret spot in HI that boasts the world's largest slip and slide. Sssshh, don't telll anyone I told you about it. Enjoy.

Surfski

You love the downhill and you love big waves. So why not combine the two. Here are the results.

Pure

"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

Weekend Pics

It was a beautiful weekend in Norcal with temps in the mid 70's. A little too warm for this time of year. Had some old chums out for a sail on Saturday with winds in the 10-12 range, it was perfect spinnaker weather. We had a great run from Sausalito to Emeryville with the speedo hitting 7. Sunday was even nicer and I did a nice long bike ride in the hills and then we celebrated my son's 15th birthday. Great weekend!

Big Mistake, Big Crash

Kool Kat

Natural Phenomenons

In this blog I have talked about the northern lights and green flashes. I found a few more cool aspects in our natural surrounding in an online article. Have you ever heard of Cappucino Coast or Fire Rainbows? Me neither. So here you go, click here.

The Perfect Winter Sail

Sunday was amazing. My swim buddy, best friend Dave came out from Stockton to join me and Kona. We hoped to meet up with several other boats at Angel. No wind for the start so we motor towards Angel for 30 minutes. Then the wind comes up and it's 8-10 and we are making way under sail. The sun is bright and warm, it's about 60 and I mention to Dave that many times it's warmer in the winter when sailing the bay, and much cooler in the summer. He agrees. Our friends are both on the west side of Angel asking about the wind on the east side where we are. It's building to 12 and perfect, come on over. We continue north on a beautiful tack towards San Quentin. I start to set up the spinnaker for the run home. We tack and bring down the jib. I have Dave raise the sock and we are heading home. Really nice sail home in these better than summer conditions. We gybe the spinnaker once and then it's time to bring her down. After a small wrap, we get her down for a fast run home. As we locked up the boat, we both agreed it's going to be tuff to top this sail!!!

Not the best vid but you get the idea. Glorious!

Most Beautiful Boat I Have Seen

Go full screen!

100 ft Chrisco from Luca Brenta YD on Vimeo.

Go Fly a Kite

Crash Test Dummies

Via North American Sailor

Pics of the Week

Looks like a beautiful weekend for sailing!

Around The Americas

Around the Americas is a 25,000 mile sailing circumnavigation of the American continents with the mission of inspiring, educating, and engaging citizens of the Americas to protect our fragile oceans. Follow them as they sail from Seattle northward to the Artic Circle and all the way around the Horn and back home. You won't believe what you will see!

Somewhere in the Maldives

Click the pic to see a much larger view.

Here is what Lonely Planet has to say about this tropical paradise: Perhaps the ultimate in long haul luxury, the Maldives is currently enjoying incredible growth again having bounced back from a series of disasters in the past few years including the coral bleaching wrought by el Niño and the horror of the 2004 tsunami. Indeed, so superior are its beaches, so cobalt blue its waters and so warm its welcome that the country has become a byword for paradise whether it be for honeymooners, sun worshippers or divers.
A geological eccentricity nestled in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the Maldives are a series of ancient coral reefs that grew up around the sides of towering prehistoric volcanoes. These immense structures have long since sunk into the ocean, leaving behind coral islands of incredible natural beauty, now themselves being colonised by travellers seeking unbridled pampering and romance, from the modernity of Male’ to the idyllic paradise of the Southern Atolls. The Maldives demands the attention of anyone looking for a uniquely indulgent break, breathtaking nature and sheer beauty that stays with you long after your tan has faded.

First Vid of an A-Cup Boat

This is the first of the winged boats in the 45' class. The ones that will race in SF in 2013 will be 72'. Now that's gonna be something!

Profile of a Sailor

You get blown up in the war and luckily recover. After some ups and downs, you decide to sail around the world. You buy a boat and lose it in a storm off the coast of California. A passing freighter plucks you off the boat and continues on its way to china. You land in a strange place with nothing and no way to get home. You work and sail for a bit and then decide to ride a bike across the Continent and to the Atlantic. You make 7000+ mile journey only to have your bike stolen. You make it back to Cali and decide to race in Pacific Cup as a singlehander. On your way home, you lose your keel 800 miles from the Gate and still make it home safely. I wish I could spin a yarn this fantastic but truth is sometimes stranger than a yarn about a mythical sailor. Outside Mag and Tim Zimmerman have just printed an article about Ronnie Simpson who did all those crazy things above and more. I have been following his story since he landed in China. You can read the amazing facts about his life and times here. His next big goal is to sail the Vendee Globe in 2020! Good luck Ronnie but I don't think you need it.

Pic of the Day

Amazing Move by Sailor

Flood of the Month

Are you ready to buy a used boat?

Our Newport 30 "Addiction" will turn 30 this year!

Is the summer of 2011 your time for a new to you boat? If it is, this is the time to start formulating a plan of action. Maybe you think that boat ownership is too expensive (I pay $3 a day to own my 30' sailboat on the San Francisco Bay), too time consuming (yes it does take time, however it can be rewarding if you love it), or maybe too much trouble to consider (depends). It can be all those things, but if you get a great boat that brings you good times and fun, it will all be worth it. When I decided it was time to make the leap ten years ago, I spoke to friends who owned boats to determine all the costs involved (about $5k per year ($400/month)for our boat). I then went out and found three like minded friends and we purchased a $15k sailboat that was going on 20 years young. We got lucky and found a boat with a great engine, was a reputable bay boat from a respected company and it was ready to sail. Over the years, we have upgraded a few key components like adding a roller furler, upgrading the stereo and adding awesome cockpit speakers, and a used main sail for $100 from a racing boat. The costs I have mentioned do not include the biannual haulouts to paint the bottom and light maintenance on the boat (about $1500 every 2 years). We now have 5 partners and each pay $100 per month. This more than covers our monthly costs and the extra goes into the kitty for anything that might come up. I manage the financial side and have become the project and maintenance manager as well as I sail the boat the most and I enjoy doing it. I have also learned a great deal over the years. So there you have it. The cost of ownership is high if you never use your boat. But if you head out two-three times a month, you have a great way to get you out on the water and share your time with good friends. For a detailed account of the boat buying experience, the folks at Messing About in Sailboats have put together a terrific boat buying guide that will make your job that much easier. Click here for a downloadable guide. Also click here for one man's opinion on buying a first boat and a breakdown of some good first boats.

Lastly, here was my criteria for buying our boat:
Stand up head room below
30' minimum (good for groups up to 6 folks but also easy to single hand)
2500 lbs. in keel for stability
legal head
inboard diesel engine
sloop with spinnaker (if the spinnaker has a sock, all the better)
sleep four comfortably for week long trips

Good luck!!

AC FAQ

Lat38 has posted a FAQ webpage on the Americas Cup. Check it here.

Cruising the Sea of Cortez

Chugging across the glassy blue Sea of Cortez, several questions come to mind when you realize "a couple of dolphins" on the distant horizon are actually a bochinche, an organized, roiling feeding frenzy with untold hundreds of the playful mammals with the evil grin.

First, who came up with the Spanish word for a "dolphin feeding orgy"? And, more importantly: Are we gonna need a bigger boat?

Nearly seventy years after novelist John Steinbeck and marine biologist Ed Ricketts published their book about a wild and compelling expedition on the Western Flyer into this 700-mile slice up Mexico's left flank, the best way to experience the gulf and its Galapagos-like islands still is the way they did it: in a small ship.

It's clear from the book "Log from the Sea of Cortez" that this remote region only really reveals its secrets to travelers willing to make close contact, which explains how I came to be on a 70-passenger Lindblad Expeditions ship, the National Geographic Sea Bird, exploring stunning and forbidding land and sea - including some that hasn't changed since Ricketts and Steinbeck sailed through.

Continue reading here.

A Beautiful Winter Sail

Paul, Mario and I went out on Sunday for one of those classic winter sails on the bay. The wind was about 10 knots from the north when we started. My goal was to teach Paul how to rig the spinnaker with our new sock. We had a beautiful run even though the wind died just as we hoisted. It was still a wonderful day on the bay!!

Wall of Music

Here is a cool way to listen to music on the web. Uwall will display album covers of popular artists along with many genres. Click on the pic and the album opens a window with all the songs in video format from youtube. Check it out here.

"Oldest Sporting Event That No One Has Seen"

The Americas Cup had it's coming out party yesterday at City Hall and the sailing elite were there along with many of the City's top brass. Mr. Ellison was there as well to talk about the cup. Although it may be optimistic, he said there may be as many as 14 teams on the water for the racing. It can easily cost $100M to run one of these campaigns. That's a lot of coin my friend. One of my favorite sailing writers was at the celebration and files this report.

Santana

One of my favorite boats on the bay is the Santana. A wood schooner built back in the 30's, her lines are as impressive as her history. She had many owners over the years, however, her most famous was Humphrey Bogart. He hosted the elite of Hollywood on his yacht and won many races. She is now in the hands of one of the partners of the boatyard KKMI here in the bay area. She has been painstakingly restored to her original glory and now sails the bay. Here is a great vid on the history of this storied vessel.
Thanks Tim at Wetass

New Bike

In my quest to keep in shape for our journey to New Zealand in a few years, I purchased a new bike to replace my 10 year old mountain bike. There has been a huge shift in bike production over the last few years that I was not aware of. Gary Fisher decided to increase the size of the rims from 26" to 29". At first, folks thought he was nuts. Soon it took off an now everyone in the biz is putting out a 29er. They go faster and climb easier. I purchased a Rock Hopper Expert with hydralic brakes and front suspension and am very impressed with this bike. Currently, I am riding about 2500 miles a year and have a great 10 mile hilly loop thru Coyote hills Park. It's an awesome ride with huge climbs and fast downhills. Along with my running and swimming, I hope to be in fine shape for the 2 year trip I am planning once my son graduates from college in 2018.

Sail Charter, La Paz

In March, we will be heading to La Paz for some more cruising in Mexico. The boat is a 41 foot Morgan that will take us into some very nice anchorages over a weeks time. 4 out of 5 of our boat partners will be heading out along with another sailing friend. We plan to do alot of relaxing along with snorkeling, hiking, kayaking and some great food and drink. The cost of the charter is down right reasonable and La Paz is pretty easy to get to from the bay Area. If you have an need for adventure, take a look at the charter website.

Hey There Sailor

Burning Man 2010

Useing Google Earth to Navigate the Oceans

Google Earth is an amazing tool you can use when sailing in your home waters or anywhere else in the world. Using the Ruler function, click here and then pull the cursor to the spot you want to go and it will show the distance in nautical miles. If there is a land mass to go around, just change the setting and plot your course. Currently a sailor from Google is sailing around the world on his cat. He has been blogging about the virtues of this awesome tool on his popular blog. One aspect most folks don't realize, you can use many of the features without the need for an internet connection as long you preload the info before you go offline. You can read his tips and insights here.

And Now For Something Completely Different...

We celebrated New Years in Tahoe at a beautiful cabin in Truckee with friends. There were six teens with us and I needed an idea to engage them on New Years Eve. My son Connor and I came up with an idea: all the kids could submit on paper their two favorite Youtube vids and the parents would pick their favorite with a vote. The video below won hands down and was also the favorite of all the kids. We were all ROTFL!!! You will love it too and the surprise was no one had seen it yet. Connor was the winner. Enjoy!

This is HUGE - A-Cup in SF

Sailors from around the world rejoiced at the news the the America's Cup is coming to San Francisco in 2013. This is the biggest sailing event in the world and now it will be in our home waters. This will not be your fathers America's Cup as the boats are 72' cats that can race at speeds up to 30 knots. This will be the Grand Prix of sailing. With the natural amphitheater the bay provides, it will open up the races to thousands of spectators on land. Our waterfront will become the destination it was meant to be. And sailing will benefit with the amount of interest that only these races can create. Never in the nautical history of SF has their been bigger news than this. Thank-you Golden Gate Yacht Club and thank-you Mr. Ellison! We can't wait for the races to begin!!

The tentative dates for an America’s Cup in 2013 are July 13-September 1 for the Louis Vuitton Challenger Selection and the Defender Selection (if we have multiple defense candidates). Match dates are September 7-22, 2013. The racing area, loosely defined, lies between the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge. It's going to be HUGE!

A Look Back at 2010

Looks great in full screen mode!
Via Sailing News TV

Pics of the Year

Here's to a great, happy and healthy New Year!

Here is a look back at the sailing highlights of the year from Pressure Drop.

Start Planning Your Adventures for Next Year

We are pulling together a week long charter out of La Paz, Mexico with some friends for next March. Should be a ton of fun in the sun. Start dreaming and get your 2011 adventures on the cal. This vid will get you excited about your next tropical vacation!

Bonehead Move of the Year! The Whale Wins

The only reason the boat survives...she has a steel hull. Looking forward to more bonehead moves in 2011. Happy New Year to all!

New Cruising Boat with a "twist"

This boat has a very cool feature. The wole galley can be shifted to the high side when more ballast is required. Check the vid!

How cool is that?

Look Up - Lunar Eclipse Tonight

A rare event not seen in 372 years will occur early Tuesday morning, when a total lunar eclipse coincides with the winter solstice. While you can't see the solstice, the eclipse promises to be an amazing spectacle.

And if that's not enough, a minor meteor shower is expected to send a few shooting stars through the darkened sky during the height of the eclipse.

Weather permitting, viewers in North and South America, as well as the northern and western parts of Europe, and a small area of northeast Asia should get a great view of the total eclipse of the moon.

On the East Coast of North America, the lunar eclipse begins half an hour after midnight on Tuesday; on the West Coast, it begins around 9:30 p.m. PST Monday. In all cases, the lunar eclipse will be observable before the moon sets in the west just as the sun is rising in the east. Maximum eclipse – the really cool part when the moon is totally in shadow – is at 3:17 a.m. EST/12:17 a.m. PST. [Complete Lunar Eclipse Guide]

How it works

During a total lunar eclipse, the Earth gets between the full moon and the sun, blocking the sun's light from bouncing off the lunar surface. A lunar eclipse can only occur at full moon, but since the three objects are not all exactly in the same plane in space, not every full moon produces an eclipse.

Monday's eclipse is particularly special because it also aligns with solstice – the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, and the summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. Winter solstice marks the official beginning of winter. The sun is at its lowest in our sky because the North Pole of our tilted planet is pointing away from it.

Winter solstice is also the shortest day of the year, with the longest night. That means that it should be darker Monday night than any other night this year in the Northern Hemisphere. And because of the lunar eclipse, the moon's light will be dimmed as well, meaning this night will be even darker.

Winter solstice has not coincided with a total lunar eclipse since 1638, according to NASA.

2010 - A Look Back at my Sailing Highlights

Another amazing year of sailing the SF bay and beyond! Here are some of the highlights:

Sailing down the coast of Baja Sur on the 36' cat Rainbow and having the time of my life. If you are thinking about joining the Ha Ha next year, I highly recommend it

Sailing to the Farallon Islands for the first time

A three day sail up the Petaluma River with my best bud Tex and Kona

Full moon night sails

Kaboom with a great crew and the night sail home

Boat Improvements: A spinnaker sock!

A sail in the rain to the Giants game and then over to Angel for dinner and an overnight with Andy

Sailing out the Gate

Michael Franti with Dave and then a sail to SF to pick up my sis and her fam for a day sail to Angel

Sailing to Jack London for the boat show and the Baja Haha reunion. The night sail home was memorable as well

A warm wind sail with some of the Baja crew and then dinner at the SF yacht club coupled with a great night sail home

Blue Angel sail with some great friends

Sailing to the Giants games and a World Series Crown

Sailing with my Dad on Lake Sunapee, NH

Over night sail on Rainbow outside the gate and feeding the fish for the very first time

My friend Ryan and his home brew kegs for some great sailing off Tiburon

Swimming with Kona

Sailing with Kendell up to Paradise Cove and a beach picnic with his girls

Our boat performed flawlessly this year. We are heading into the next decade of ownership of our Newport 30 and look forward to another great year in 2011. Some of the thoughts for next year are: La Paz Cruise on a 41' Morgan with friends, Baja Haha II, a saill adventure to Tomales Bay, Cruising with Olivier on his brand new Hunter 41 and many day sails with friends. Should be another spectacular year!

Sailing with the Sock

Took some friends out for a mid December sail on the bay yesterday. I have been aching for a spinnaker sock for many months and we finally found a used one for $200. I was excited to try it out so we set sail for Tiburon with our 5 person crew and Kona. The wind was light to begin with but quickly built to 12 knots as we reached past Angel and towards Sausalito. It was an overcast day with the sun breaking thru only momentarily here and there. We stopped at Sam's for a stroll and a shot of Don Julio. Soon we were heading home and the sock was raised. Raisa was on the sock halyard and I was in the cockpit on the sheets. The sock was raised and the chute was a little twisted but she went up perfectly and what a lovely sight. My friend Dave raised his eye brow a bit when I mentioned putting the chute up. We have had more than a few misadventures on previous sails. As we headed towards Berkeley she was pulling us along at 5+ knots in about 10 knots of wind. I was loving it! We went thru the cut of the pier and the sock dropped perfectly again over the chute and it was time for a sunset drift. It was glorious. I am sooo happy with our new sock!!! An important tool for any cruising boat.

Origins of Pirate Words and Expressions

[Source: Today I Found Out]

Giants Chapionship Run Back on the Airwaves

I missed the World Series due to my Haha trip in Mexico. CSNBA will be replaying some of the best games on cable TV. If you missed any, here is the schedule:

Schedule of Giants Playoff Games Re-Aired on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area with KNBR Audio

REPLAY DATE -- GAME

Dec. 9 at 8 PM -- NLDS Game 1
*Tim Lincecum strikes out 14 Braves

Dec. 11 at 7 PM -- NLCS Game 4
*Juan Uribe hits walk-off sac fly

Dec. 15 at 7 PM -- NLCS Game 6
*Juan Uribe hits go ahead HR in 8th, Giants win NL pennant

Dec. 17 at 7 PM -- World Series Game 1
*Freddy Sanchez, Giants rip Cliff Lee

Dec. 23 at 7:30 PM -- World Series Game 4
*Madison Bumgarner eight shutout innings

Dec. 24 at 8 PM -- World Series Game 5
*Giants win first World Series since 1954


Read more: Comcast SportsNet Bay Area Presents “Giants Orange October: The Authentic Edition” Chronicling the Team's World Championship Run with Audio from the KNBR Broadcasts
Tune to SportsNet Central at 6, 10:30 and midnight on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area for more on this story

Pic of the Day

Windsurf Trailer

The Windsurfing Movie II Official Trailer from Poor Boyz Productions on Vimeo.

Extreme

The Lights

Boneheads of the Month

What were they thinking and who is that crazy hanging on the boom. Glad they made it..barely!

Crash Test Dummies

Pics of the Week

Be sure to click on the pic for a dramatic view of this epic picture.

A Very Cool California Concert

Coachelletta from Sam O'Hare on Vimeo.

Go to full screen as this is hi-def madness!

Bonehead Move of the Week

Via SF Chronical - What appeared to be a harrowing story of survival emerged from Suisun Bay on Monday - that of a wayward rafter who spent five days stranded on a deserted island nibbling on vitamins and native plants and fashioning a crude "SOS" sign until the U.S. Coast Guard rescued him.

But after returning to shore, Brian "Goat Man" Hopper added a twist to the tale. He admitted that he failed to make use of a key piece of equipment during his stay on Roe Island north of Concord: a cellular telephone.

"I was embarrassed to be stranded on an island," Hopper, a 54-year-old artist from Encino (Los Angeles County), told The Chronicle. "I thought I could fix my boat and make it to land. ... I didn't want to spend the taxpayers' money to have the Coast Guard come rescue some stupid guy."

But on Monday morning, the Coast Guard did collect Hopper on a 25-foot boat after receiving a call from one of his friends - a man Hopper had telephoned directly.

Rescuers pieced together clues from Hopper - that he could see Naval vessels and could hear reveille, a military bugle call, every morning - and determined he must be near the Concord Naval Weapons Station. The Coast Guard also worked with Hopper's cell phone provider to triangulate his signal.

After finding him waving a red flag, the Coast Guard learned that the victim had gotten stranded after an unusual adventure.

Hopper, nicknamed Goat Man for his ability to scale mountainsides, said he started out Wednesday morning on the Sacramento River, where he loaded a $300 inflatable raft with camping supplies, two burritos, a bag of vitamins, a Bible and a mannequin of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"This trip was a campaign," Hopper explained. "I wanted to bring more attention to social diseases."

Hopper hoped to make it to the Golden Gate Bridge, but disaster struck when his raft sprang a leak in Suisun Bay, east of the Benicia Bridge. He said he managed to guide the sinking vessel to shore, then figured he'd make camp on the island until he fixed the raft.

"He was lucky to make it to shore," said Lt. j.g. Laura Williams, a Coast Guard spokeswoman. "In those weather conditions, it's cold, the water is very cold, and it can be really dangerous."

Hopper said he tried to scout the island for life, but high winds pushed him around, making walking difficult. He slept the first night in a tent and spent the next morning gathering chunks of Styrofoam to plug his raft's leak. The Contra Costa County shoreline was about a mile away.

"I couldn't fix it the first day so I just figured I'd spend another night, even though I was out of food," Hopper said, referring to his burritos. "Thought I'd go to work and try it again in the morning."

The next night the island was pounded with driving rain and thunderstorms.

"The weather," Hopper said, "was not working with my needs."

By the fourth day, Hopper said, he began to worry that his energy was decreasing too quickly. He had picked mustard flowers, eaten the last of his vitamins and used duct tape to write "SOS" on a red tablecloth that he hung in a tree.

Still, his cell phone remained idle. He hoped a passing boat would scoop him up, making a 911 call unnecessary.

As he saw white clouds billow from refineries in the distance, he thought to fan his own smoky fire, hoping an overhead plane would take notice.

At night, to calm himself, Hopper read his Bible. In the mornings, there was the bugle call to wake him - a sound he assumed was coming from battleships he could see to the west.

"I did all the things I saw on TV," Hopper said. "I did everything I could to ensure my safety."

On Monday morning, Hopper finally used his cell phone - to call a cousin in Northridge.

Shawn Reeves, 51, said in an interview that Hopper didn't ask him to call authorities but described his worsening situation. Reeves got a sinking feeling that his relative was in real trouble.

"I could hear it in his voice," Reeves said. "This was a guy I grew up with: If he said he was hungry and needed help, he really needed it."

Reeves said Hopper once lived in a cave in Nevada for three months, had walked through Death Valley and had made a Northern California forest his home for an entire year. "When we found him," Reeves said, "he was naked and fishing in a stream ... He's been living off the land for at least 20 years."

After scarfing down a burrito he bought at the Martinez Marina on Monday in a bid to regain his strength, Hopper said was glad his cousin called in the Coast Guard. And, looking back, Hopper said he should have called 911.

"It was," he said, "the right thing to do."

Beatles Rooftop Concert

The Beatles finally made it to iTunes this week. So why did it take this long for the powers that be in charge to finally say yes to legal digital downloads? Me thinks it was the almighty dollar and that Apple (the computer folks not the record folks) wanted a little too big piece of the pie. The good news is, if your a fan, now is the time to dive back into the music. Just before the band broke up, they recorded their last live performance on a rooftop in central London on their Savile Row Apple headquarters. The date was January 30, 1969. Now let's head to said rooftop for the show!!

Skiffs!

Home Made Spacecraft Goes Miles into Space

Homemade Spacecraft from Luke Geissbuhler on Vimeo.

Hammock Heaven

Shark Whisperer

Go to the two minute mark to see the amazing climax!

Awesomeness Abounds!

Clipper Race 2011-2012

The next race starts in August with 450 participants.
Go here if you would like to get more info.

From the Archives: Over the Top!

I woke up on Sunday morning about 5:30 and took a look at the wind online. It was over 30 and gusting to almost 50 at Angel. I headed up to the boat and fixed a nice french toast breakfast. At around 8am, I headed out with all my foulies on after taking a good look at the south wind. It looked like an above average summer day as far as wind speed. As I entered the channel, I put out a little bit of jib to help me out. As I hit the end of the channel it was already at 30 knots. We (me and the boat) blasted straight out and the speedo was hitting 6.5 to 7 with just a sliver of a jib. Gusts were in the 40 range easy. About half way out, I noticed that with the wind direction and the current, we were in a lee shore with the Berkeley Pier. I needed to keep an eye on that. I let out a little more jib to give me a little more power. As I reached the end of the pier, the winds were easily topping 50 in the gusts. The boat was handling it well. It was only getting wilder so it was time to tack. Getting the boat to turn into the wind is no easy task with this much pressure on the boat. I got her around and needed to trim in the sheets and make sure the boat got going back into the wind. No easy task and I was huffing and puffing as I finished the tack. This was the windiest day I have ever been out on!! And I was loving it. Knowing that we had recently refreshed all the standing rigging gave me confidence that the rig could take the pounding. Going back in, I didn't have to worry about the pier as I was headed away from it on this tack. Hey what's this, blue sky to the south and the rain is letting up a little. The wind keep building with each tack and each tack became more difficult. I did about eight tacks out and back to the end of the pier and then to the channel makers. About 1.5 miles each way. At 9:30 I felt as if I had accomplished my mission and headed back to the slip. I was motoring into the wind and just praying our little 14 horse diesel would get me back in. She did of course and I am happy to say it was a great feeling to know our little boat could handle the monster winds of this storm! I would say the winds were 30-40 with gusts to 50 in the area I was sailing. It was an awesome feeling to be out there in that weather!

We are gonna need a crane for that crane!

Icing on the Cake - Our last day in Cabo

We met up with our crew on Friday morn, our last full day in Cabo. At 10 we were picked up by a driver who would take us Cabo's finest resort, Palmilla. My crew mate Dave had some friends who owned a seaside villa and the margs are waiting for us. We head out about 15 miles and arrive at this gated heaven. Once inside we are welcomed with drinks and food on the patio. It's a perfect day as we see the wide expanse of Costa Azul. After a few rounds of drinks and lots of guacamole, we head down to the beach for a dip and some bocce. Then we take a tour of this open air home and it is lovely. Owned by a former DA in SF, we are humbled by the set up and views. Awesome. Soon we are off to a side trip to San Jose del Cabo. Very cute town and we visit the Tropicana Hotel. Classic place with great margs! We stumble thru town and find a fine tequila distributor with some almond flavored anejo. Very fine indeed. At the appointed time we head back to the house. The chef has prepared a fine fresh tuna dinner and the owners have arrived. We sit down to a splendid dinner and enjoy the conversation. It has been a magnificent way to wrap up our journey down the coast of Baja. We head back to the hotel and head to bed as we depart early for the airport and back to the city by the bay.

My adventure on the Baja Haha 17 was one of excitement, joy, discovery and happiness. This was my first ocean passage and what an amazing adventure we had. I want to thank the skipper and crew of our boat for the safe, fun, and fast passage we had. And to all the folks on the trip that made it so much fun. Maybe I'll see you on the next Haha??

If you would like to see a nice slide show of the trip, go here.

Santa Maria Beach Party

We spent a very nice night in the anchorage and then about 0800 the crew starts looking for coffee and food. At 1000, I am headed to the beach for the day's festivities. The locals are preparing a feast for us. A band from La Paz (4 hours away) will provide the music. I catch a panga and head to the beach to meet the volleyball folks. It's another beautiful day with a light breeze. We get the net up and play a few rounds. There is some great taunting going on from both sides of the net. We win one and lose one. Soon it's lunch time and we are first in line for the food. Shrimp, fish, rice, beans and fresh tortillas. Very nice. I catch up with a few folks and then spend the rest of the afternoon playing volleyball. Our team did not lose another game the rest of the afternoon. We played until the tide came in and knocked down the net at 5pm. It was one of the funnest afternoons of volleyball I have ever played. I had brought a top of the line beach net and everyone had a great time. At the end of the day, I donated the net so future Hahaers could enjoy this great game. Headed over to some friends boat for some spaghetti and wine. Back to Rainbow at 9 and everyone is asleep or resting. I decide to go for a night swim. I jump in and the water lights up with bioluminescence. My whole body is glowing. I push off the boat and it is amazing. The tiny plankton get excited with movement and light up a bright green. It is so cool! I decide to swim over to boat about 400 yards away. Its a gorgeous, still night and an amazing swim. As far as land based activities, today was the best day of the trip! Can you tell I am having too much fun???

We are up early at 0500 to prepare the boat for Leg 3 and our destination of Cabo San Lucas. It's about 180 miles. There is a bit of a breeze as 170 boats head out for the start. The wind dies and we start motoring. We are near Magdelana Bay and there are lots of whale sightings. We have not seen a whale on this trip. I go off watch at 1100 and take a nice nap. During my nap, one of the boats catches and releases a 180 lbs. Marlin! Grilled pork loin for dinner that featured another green flash and a whale sighting! The wind has died and it looks like we will be motoring thru the night. Up at 0700 and we are nearing the Cape! There are reports of a strange, strong wind in Cabo. It is coming from the south east and is something Cabo never sees. It is causing alot of problems inside the marina. There were plans to have alot of boats raft together inside the marina, but due to the wind and waves, this will not happen. A bunch of boats lose their spots and will have to anchor in the bay. At 10am we approach Cabo Falso. This is about 2 miles from Lands End. The wind is in the low 20's and the waves are huge. We are down to our last couple miles and all hell has broken loose. The boat is rocking and for the first time, water is coming over the bow and into the cockpit. We are soaking but the water is 80 and the sun is warm. We cross the finish line and a cheer goes out. We finally make it around the corner and Cabo San Lucas spreads out before us. My first visit was a surfing safari back in October 1982, almost 30 years ago. Back then it was a sleepy fishing village with one disco. Now the town has grown into a major tourist mecca that sells mostly t-shirts and trinkets...and a ton of hotels, bars and restaurants. We make it in and start the process of refueling the boat and filling up the 5 gallon fuel jugs. I don't have any plans, so I tell the skipper that I will stick around and help him get settled. The other two crew head to the hotel for a nice shower and a marg! We are hoping for a slip but with the winds taking away alot of them, it doesn't look good. We call the organizer once more and it is not good news. He tells us to anchor in the bay. We are about to head out and one of the boats hails us and asks us to bring beer to them in the anchorage. I am sure racking up the karma points! I grab some beer from the store and we head out. The boat is a brand new 57' boat called "Perfect Wave". The crew is waiting for us with a fishing net. The seas are wild and I am not sure we can pull this off without some damage to both boats. We make one approach and nearly take them out! On the next pass, we make a perfect hand off and there is a $20 pinned to the net that I grab as we make the hand off. They thank us for our trouble and we head down the beach. We try to anchor near them but it does not work out so I pull up the 100 feet of chain and we move on. Ground tackle on a big boat is heavy and I am nearly spent after a long trip. I tell the skipper we need to get it right the next time. We head way down the beach and there is the Cal 29 bouncing in the surf. We find a spot and drop the anchor again. She holds and I jump in the water for a nice swim. I have an hour before I need to get off the boat, however the wind is so high, they have closed the harbor so no pangas are running. My only option is to swim. I lay down to rest and recover from the last few hours. We get a call from the docks saying there is a slip available. My eyes roll at the thought of pulling up the anchor for a second time. The skipper says yes to the slip and up to the bow I go. The wind is 18 knots by now and this is going to a nightmare! I start pulling and after a while I switch with the skipper and now he is pulling and I am driving. We had over 200' out and we are both exhausted. Finally we get it back on the roller and pull away. That was difficult!! We head in and there is a question if our 22' beam is going to fit. We are going to need a shoe horn to get in. We tie up and make it by inches. We have to raft up to another boat and they give us a hand. They warn us not to make any sudden moves as they have German Shepards on board. This is the same dog that bit another cruiser at Santa Maria. I can't wait to get off the boat. I grab my backpack and I am off and safe. I head over to meet up with the crew and tell them about our ordeal and then head to the hotel. I need a beer! I head to the pool and there is a restaurant and bar. I order some beer and fish tacos and think about our amazing journey down the coast. Head to the room for a shower and some email. The it's over to Squid Row for some dancing with the fleet members. My crew is there as well as some of the friends I have made. By 9, the place is rocking and we are having a blast on the dance floor. Everybody is buying me beer and shots! What a cool thing to know most of the folks on the dance floor! At about 11pm I head back and hit the hay. What an ending to the trip...but wait, we still have one more highlight that I can't wait to tell you about! Please come back!

Night Time Approach of Bahia Santa Maria

Surfing on our cat at almost 18 knots! 10-31-10

Had a nice nap during my off watch and upon stepping on deck for my 1500 watch, the crew informs me we had caught a large yellow tail tuna. The filet's were in the cooler and waiting to be marinated. Fresh fish is always a treat. Winds were in the mid teens and we are cruising right along. I took the helm for a good long while as we neared the finish line of leg 2. I calculated our 24 hour run and it was just shy of 200 miles! Our second one of the trip. We had an awesome dinner at sunset and I mentioned to the crew that the conditions were perfect for a green flash. Five minutes later were had a brief green flash over the wave tops. Our VHF is on 24/7 and many of the other boats in the fleet chimed in that they had seen it as well. It can happen at sunset and sunrise and is caused by the refraction of the light over the horizon. I estimate that I see it about once every 100 sunsets that I watch, so it does not happen very often and is very cool so keep an eye out if you are looking at a sunset over the ocean. Dinner was rice pilaf, broccoli and fresh tuna. The skippers wife had put together goodie bags for the crew for Halloween and we got our chocolate fix. Nice. As I type we are sailing into the anchorage and getting ready for three nights on the hook at Santa Maria. There is nothing here but a beautiful bay, a small fishing camp and 600 Haha'ers and their boats. Let's have some fun!

Our first morning in Santa Maria was filled with shock and disbelief. A solo cruiser from San Francisco had run his boat up on the beach on the other side of the point. We heard he had fallen asleep at the helm and his auto pilot steered him into the surf. How very sad. Word went out that we needed to help him and volunteers were needed. The crew on Rainbow was up for the adventure and in short order were on our way to the rescue. We jumped into the dingy and headed up the Santa Maria River about a mile or so. From there it was over land and a 5-6 mile hike to the beach. We arrived at the stricken vessel named Tachyon and 30 or so Hahaers were stripping the boat of all the supplies, hardware and equipment. It was a sad sight indeed. The owner was there and had given the word to salvage as much as possible. With so many folks already on the scene, there was not much we could do. We stayed for about an hour and then headed back. There is a small chance that the boat could be pulled out on an extreme high tide on Thursday. We got back to the boat and Sea Chaser was headed in to the bay after the crossing from Turtle Bay. The father/daughter crew had been beat up pretty bad in the tiny Cal 2-27. Even though is was a difficult sail for them, they still had a smile and made us laugh with their stories and insights. We invited them to stay for dinner and we talked about their adventure all the down the the coast from Coos Bay, Oregon. We gave them a special treat of ice cream and carrot cake for dessert and we all enjoyed that a bunch. After dinner, three of the larger boats hosted a party. A great time was had by all and I got to met some more of the fleet. The main boat was 47 foot cat that was sailed by a crew of five. The skipper, Bill, had it down. He had 4 ladies as crew. They sailed the boat and he worked the radio and relaxed while his crew sail the boat. He did not stand one watch during the trip. How cool is that? Will get some rest for the beach party tomorrow.

The Cup Will Come To SF

The SF Board of Supervisors has made a bold move to host the cup on the Bay! Read about the latest developments here..

Extreme is my Middle Name

Down the Line to Bahia Santa Maria

Day 6 - The Rainbow crew was up early for the 8am departure for Santa Maria. There was a bit of wind as we weighed anchor at 0730. The fleet is heading for a rolling start as the wind is light. We are allowed to motor until the predicted 10-15 knot winds fill in. The sky is overcast but the sun is out to the north. We bid a fond ado to Turtle Bay as we head to the mouth of the bay. Lots of spinnakers are already up but there is little wind. The decision is made that the fleet can motor without penalty. The winds donot fill in until about 1545 and at that time it's blowing about 10-12 knots (we have been motoring for 8 hours). The rolling start ends at 1600 and the chute goes up. The wind slowly increases to 15 knots and starts touching 20 before sunset at 1800. Now we are cooking. Lots of boats are catching fish but we only catch some kelp on our line. It was a pretty big piece of kelp, however. Lots of whale sightings too. We have a nice sunset during the end of my watch and it looks to be a very nice night for star gazing as the moon won't be up till after midnight. We are hoping for some good winds to move us down the course towards our next stop.

I have had two amazing watches over the last 12 hours. My night watch starts at 2300 each day. I come on deck and the stars are brilliant . The moon will come up later and in the meantime, the Milky Way is above us. The wind is in the high teens and we are moving along at 7 knots. The seas are pretty flat and the spinnaker is driving us down the course towards Santa Maria Bay. Having a nice chat with Dave and talking about his previous two Haha's. He is a seasoned sailor and this is his first voyage on a cat. He is loving the speed and the down wind capabilities of the boat. And did I mention the speed? He goes off watch and and the skipper comes on deck. He makes a few adjustments and the wheel becomes lite as a feather. We are having a beautiful ride as the red half moon rises slowly in the east. With the moon light shining on the water we are having one of the smoothest runs yet. A dream sail for sure. Off the port stern, I hear the sound of dolphins breathing. Soon they are jumping around the boat and splashing in the moon light. This is the moment I was hoping for. This is magic! Soon I see three shooting stars across the sky. The boat is moving like we are on rails. The skipper agrees that this is a peak moment on the trip. I savor my time on watch and finally at 0300 my watch ends and I go below for a sound sleep. There is a big difference on the sleep side of things on a cat, compared to a mono hull. The cat is flat and you can really get some great sleep. Even at 10-11 knots. On a mono hull you are constantly being pushed from side to side in these conditions. It's easy to become sleep deprived on a mono. I am back on deck at 0700 and the wind is in the low 20's and the seas are lumpy. The sky is clear and it's going to be an awesome watch. The boat is averaging 8 knots with the speedo hitting 10 and 11 on some of the surfs. We are passing mono hulls left and right and the spinnaker has been up for 15 hours. We are flying! I take the helm and it is really getting comfortable for me, even at these speeds. Dave is talking about his perfect boat that he hopes to take around some day. I soak it in as he is the voice of experience. Morning roll call for the fleet is at 0800 and one of the boats has had a wrapped spinnaker for the last 10 hours. Ouch! The skipper mentions that one way to solve the issue is to take a flare and burn the sucker. That will clear up the problem quick! Another boat hit something and is having trouble with vibrations from the prop shaft. All others are fine. We continue on thru a gybe of the chute and the average speed jumps up to 10 knots. What a run. We are about 60 miles from our finish line and on to the next round of beach events!! Need I say we are having a blast as we rumble down the coast of Baja Sur!!

Turtle Bay - First Stop on Baja Haha 17

Sleeping great on our cat as I have my own stateroom. My berth is 6'5' in length which is perfect for me as that is also my height. After we finish straightening up the boat, we head off for shore. We jump onto the pier and waiting just off the beach is an ambulance. One of our fleet members has dislocated his hip and is being ferried into the beach for transport to the hospital. We head up to the beach side bar overlooking the harbor and order Pacificos all around. We are joined by two other cruisers and we introduce ourselves. These guys are not having fun. They joined a boat in Santa Cruz, CA and the skipper has not been the peach they were hoping for. He has a C & C 34 and they have had to trouble shoot the boat all they way down the coast. The owner/skipper thinks he has a grasp on how to sail his boat but according to them, he would not have made it much past Monterey if not for them. They are about to jump ship. They vented and told many stories about his incompetence. Many were very funny. We thanked our lucky stars we have a great skipper and a rock solid boat. Let's hope it continues. After a few cold cervezes, we headed into town for a shower. Then over to the baseball game that Latitude 38 had put together. The teens from Turtle Bay played an inning and then the Cabo Pee Wee team and then all the cruisers. It was a great turn out and every one had a blast. Then it was off to the real deal and the World Series in a local bar. We met up with a father/ daughter crew on a Cal 29 and they barley made it down the coast. Big winds and big seas had unnerved them and they were not in very good spirits. We bought them a beer and tried to give them some moral support. Then it was onto the game and a 7 run 8th inning by the Giants finished of the Rangers and the Giants are up 2-0 as the series moves on to Texas. Finished up the night talking with a new friend from Vancouver, Doug and then headed back to the boat. Really looking forward to the beach party on Friday.

The sun comes up bright in Mexico. The day looks perfect and the 12noon start for the beach party is looking good. I cook up some eggs and toast for the crew and we are off to the the beach. It is about a 10 minute ride by panga and it's way down past the anchorage. We arrive an hour early to set up the volleyball and clean the beach. There is lots of plastic and garbage so we take our time and do the right thing. The net goes up, the beers are chilled and the reggae music is playing by the 12 noon start. Some of the locals are supplying the musica and the cervezas. The cruisers are supplying the potluck. It is a blue sky, bright sun day and the temps are in the mid seventies. Soon, lots of folks have arrived and the party is in full swing. We figure a good 300 folks showed up for a grand old time. The food was amazing and I was lucky enough to try some yellow tail that was caught the day before. Along with samples of many more yummy foods. The volleyball game was hot and there was some real talent on the court. We played about 8 games and had some great times. I was the last to leave and what a great day at the beach it was. Back to the boat for some rest and an 0600 wake up for a 0800 departure to Bahia Santa Maria. Can't wait!!

Blue Angels Sail

Just received a vid of a sail we did a month ago with some great friends to see the Blue Angels fly the bay. We did it all that day and had way too much fun!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Leg 1 of the Baja Haha - We Anchor in Turtle Bay

Here is a little compilation vid of the dolphins.


Day 3, Midnight watch was uneventful except for a broken boat. A Corsair 31 tri had lost their bowsprit, their headsail was in the water and they needed tools. One of the bigger cats, Moon Tide went out 40 or so miles to get them the tools they needed. It would be 20 hour diversion for Moon Tide. But that's what we do as mariners. The winds had built to the low twenties and the seas were huge when I went out on deck. We were loving it! We hit a bunch of 12's and a few 13's on the knot meter. The wind was 12-15 most of the night. On the 0700-1100 watch we had 500-600 hundred dolphins feeding all around us. We did a sail change and you could see a dozen under the boat. This was one of the highlights I was looking forward to. I fetched my video cam and went to the bow. What an amazing treat as this was my first time seeing them on a bow wave. That was so cool. Tex, you would have loved it!! I hope to post the vid on h2uh0. We should reach Turtle bay late this evening. That first beer is going to taste great.


The day continues to get nicer and nice. We throw up the chute and we can see Cedros Island in the distance. We are getting close to the finish line of leg 1 and our destination of Turtle bay. After my watch, I head to the trampoline and read and nap in the warm sun. It's starting to feel like Mexico! We are staring to see lots of boats in the area as we head to the finish line. At about 1300 we cross it and celebrate with some Juice Squeeze. I come back on for my last watch at 3 and we are in 10 knots of wind and 3-4 knots of boat speed. It's still 20 miles to the anchorage and we are determined to get there by sail. During the watch I cook up some Thai Chicken, veggie salad and cous cous. I finish my watch at 1900 and head down for a nap. The motor wakes me as we head in to Bahia de Tourtugas! We anchor about 2230 and head for bed. We will have some boat chores in the morning and then a day to explore. But first I will prepare some blueberry/banana pancakes for the crew!

We Have Arrived At The Cape

We have just sailed in from an extraordinary trip! I kept a daily log on board and it will blow you out of the water!! I am in the process of some wrap up events in Cabo (huge parties). I will be posting the logs a day at a time and let the story unfold. Our boat, crew and fleet were all amazing. There was also a bit of bad news as a boat ran up on the beach. Owner is OK. All in all the trip exceeded all my expectations and they were huge. I can't wait to share this amazing journey down the Baja coast with you all.

Here is the log from Day One:

Rally Start -The day started out dreary and wet. There was was lots of activity around the dock as boats were preparing for a parade and a 1100 rally start. We got off the dock 0945. The parade was just off our bow and the wind was in the low teens with partly cloudy skies. We joined the 170-180 or so boats and headed towards the sea and the starting line. The line is between Pt. Loma Lighthouse and the good ship Profligate. We are just about over the line and we tack with 2 minutes to go before the start. We don't make the tack and have to reset and get some speed. The gun sounds and we are headed north instead of with the fleet heading south. Once we have boat speed again, we tack and are off with the fleet. It's amazing to see this many boats going south. The sun is out and we are making 7 knots over the ground and the wind is holding steady at 14. We head offshore about 5 miles and the wind slowly goes down to about 10 later in the day. We decide to throw on the chute around 4pm and try to increase our speed. Once set, we are doing fine when a herd of dolphins surfaces around the boat. In 5 minutes, I see 150 dolphins. What a thrill! As the sun sets, we hear a report of whales ahead. It's dark now, so we just have to hope we don't encounter any. Just in case we do hit a whale, we sleep feet forward. I am now getting ready to get some rest before my next watch at 2300. More soon....

I was on the midnight watch on my first night time ocean passage. What a thrill it was to come out to the cockpit and have the moon and Jupiter shinning bright in the clear sky. The wind was 15 - 20 on a perfect run down the coast. We have the chute up all night and we were on auto pilot. There are always two of us on deck and my watch mate was Dave on this fine evening. We talked a bit and I spent time starring at Jupiter and thinking about the 63 moons that surround this huge planet. I went off watch at 0300 and went right to sleep for 4 hours. Up at 0700 and the wind is up to 20-22 and we are surfing to almost 13 knots. We are about 15 miles off the coast and not many other boats. After some oatmeal and coffee, we get a huge wrap with the chute on the forestay. We finally sort it out and 45 minutes later we throw her up again. I look behind the boat and a tuna is on the fishing line. We are in the middle of sorting some things out and buy the time I get to the line, he is off the hook. I head down below for some reading and relaxing on day 2!