On a Roll This AM...Pics of the Weekend

Water Polo in the Cove

Cal is renovating their stadium so the football games are being played at the Giant's stadium.  Yeaterday before the Cal game, they had a water polo exhibition in McCovey Cove before the game.  What a cool idea!

Intense

Get Ready to Rock!

Bigger is Better

WHY - Wally Hermès Yacht - Full Movie - The best free videos are right here

Overnight Sail

My best bud Tex bought a sail boat a few years ago and I never get to sail with him anymore.  That all changed Wednesday as I hooked up with Tex and my other best bud Dave.  We headed out about 10:30 for the ball park to take in an afternoon game against the Padres.  There were no guest berths available, so I decided to anchor in McCovey cove and kayak to the game.  I had dropped the crew off nearby.  I set the anchor well and backed down on it to make sure she would hold steady.  Arrived at the game and saw my friends and we sat down to enjoy a win by the Giants.  We could easily see the boat in the cove so no worries.  We then took off for Angel Island for the night.  The day had been foggy but when we arrived at Ayela Cove, the sun was bright for our game of bocce in the picnic area.  Tex won one and so we headed to the somewhat new mooring field.  We set the bow towards the strait so we would not bounce around.  Had a lovely dinner from the BBQ and enjoyed lots of stories and laughter.  Next morning we were up for pancakes and tea.  We made it home at noon and what a great trip with my best friends!!

Sunday Sail

Took Murray, Ryan, Oona and Kona out for a memorable sail on Sunday. Ryan provided some great homebrew and the winds were perfect. We headed for Tiburon for lunch and anchored at Paradise Cove. Ryan and Kona went for a swim to the beach. Then we headed up Raccoon Strait toward the Gate. It was a perfect day to stick our nose out the Gate and we did. For the run home, we hoisted our beautiful spinnaker. We got to the dock very tired so Kona and I took a nap for a few hours. It was a glorious day and we all had a ball.

Volvo Ocean Race Promo

Baja Haha Here I Come!!

I attended the crew party last night for the Haha and it could be compared to
feeding frenzy. There were only about 8 or so skippers looking for
crew and about 50 sailors looking for a ride. I lucked out and met a
couple at the reg desk who arrived late. I introduced myself and we
hit it off. They have invited me to join them in San Diego for the
trip to Cabo!! I have been bummed out this week and I could not
figure out why. When I received their email today at 6pm, all the
weight was lifted and I realized it was because I had not found a boat
yet!

What is really cool is they are sailing a ....wait for it... an
Islander 36!! This is the boat that I am considering purchasing for
my trip to NZ in a few years. How cool is that? I am very excited
and can't wait to get underway. Be on the look out for blog entries from the voyage.
We depart on October 24!! Wish me a bon voyage!

Close Call

Went out for a day sail on Friday with a few friends. We had a windy run to the lee of Angel and then the wind dropped and the temps were fine. We had some lunch and then headed back. The wind was just starting to pick up when we heard a bang. I turned the wheel and it kept right on spinning. We lost a steering cable. I went below and grabbed the emergency tiller and attached it. The attachment is aft of the wheel so there is very little room to maneuver it and very little torque to turn the rudder. We reduced sail and stated heading the four miles to the slip. It was gusting over 30 and we had to release the main from time to time to reduce pressure. I was very glad I was not out there on a solo sail. We got to the channel and headed into the marina safely. What a huge relief to be dockside again.

On Saturday I headed up to the boat to attempt to fix the broken cable. I pulled out the remains of the old one and headed to the hardware store looking to replace it. I found the 3/16" wire I needed and Tony helped me put in the loop I needed for the chain connection. Over at the boat, I slipped the wire on the chain and went down under to connect the wire to the quadrant. Having never done this, it turned out to be a great learning experience. I finally got her connected and took her for a 30 minute sail outside the channel in 25+ winds. All is good. In reading about the the steering system, I learned that you should inspect the cables twice a year and replace them every 5 years. In looking at the old cable, this may have been original cable from 30 years ago. Hard to say. Just glad I was able to get her in and fix her quickly. My partners are heading out today!

Too Much Fun!

Holiday Weekend Sailing

(click any pic for a larger view)

The weekend is shaping up nicely for some sailing on our 30' sloop Addiction. One of the guys going out is Dave. Dave went with me on our first big trip on the bay way back in 2001. It was just a two day bay trip, but because it was the first one, memories still linger. I hope to take them out the Gate today. Then on Saturday, I have a full boat going out toward Tiburon. Warm temps and maybe some swimming are in order. Hope to see you out there!

Baja Haha 18

The Baja Haha is about 7 weeks away and I am stilling trying to get on a boat. After all the fun I had last year, how could I miss it? The Crew List Party is coming up and that may be my best bet. If you have a crew position open or know of someone, please send me a note at fungod at gmail.com.
Last year I cooked and provisioned the boat Rainbow. We had a blast! Hope to see you in San Diego for the rally start!!

Groupama @ 37 Knots

Franck Cammas Groupama 3 2010 Jules Verne Trophy Attempt Fast Sailing at 37 Knots! - Amazing videos are here

Sojourn to Sausalito

Just back from a two day trip to Sausalito and we had some great sailing and adventures to boot. I departed mid day on Monday from Emeryville and the wind was blowing 26 knots. Had a nice run to Angel Island and then it calmed down to 12 knots from the south west so that I could run right up Raccoon strait without tacking. It was a beautiful moment. Made it over to Schoonmaker Marina and took Kona for a swim at the beach. Next it was off to dinner and a walk thru town. Next morning, I cooked up some blueberry pancakes and then met up with John for a sail. We had some time so we headed for Clipper Cove for lunch and a swim to the beach with Kona. It was a perfect day and beautiful in the cove. Next it was over to Pier 1.5 in SF. Took a little walk and then back to the boat. Then it was off to the Giants game. We had reserved a berth at South Beach and headed in. Great seats and tons of fun. I was in short sleeves for most of the game as the temps were mild which is rare. Based on that, we did not think there would be much wind. Boy were we wrong. It was blowing 30 in the slot and socked in with fog. We could not see a thing as we blasted thru at 7 knots. After 30 minutes of fog, we could start to see the lights of Sausalito and our destination. What an amazing day! On Wednesday, I headed back home with a great run to the barn. Can't wait to do it all again!

Pics of the Day

Tillerman Would Be Proud

Monster Multis

Rambler on a Good Day

As many of you know, Rambler lost her keel during the Fastnet Race and was lost. All crew were rescued. Here is a vid of better days on this rocket ship doing 25 knots in St. Barts. Enjoy this sweet clip.

Embracing the Extreme

Go full screen and turn it up!

25 Years to Build a Classic

AC Maddness

Bonehead Move of the Month

Top Captions Contest:

"So what part of 'starboard' don't you understand, you big red behemoth?" — Walter Conner.

"Tanker Foils Yachts Attempt to Steal Ships Anchor." — Jak Ayres

"And now our top nominee for the Sailor's Darwin Award is. . ." or "Sailor's cure for constipation" — Dan Begonia

"Diagnosis: Crew suffers from acute case of SFB (shit for brains)." — Patrick Okey

"In the immortal words of Jim Kilroy, 'Mass times velocity equals right-of-way.'" — Chris Ericksen

"Vessel limited in her ability to maneuver runs down vessel limited in her ability to think." — Tim Schaaf

"Captain to crew, “hold my beer, watch this!" — Jim Van Cleve

"Does insurance cover new underwear?" — Bob C.

"Sometimes it sucks to be the frontrunner! — Ken Fouts

And our favorite: "Artist Cristo attempts to wrap a supertanker in pink," submitted by Paul Clausen.

Pics of the Day

My boy Kona who just turned three!

Soul of the Sea

Mav's on a Great Day

Get Some Air

Awesome Weekend Sails

Had some very nice sails last weekend. Started with a sunset sail with Dave and a few of his friends. Started out preety foggy as we left the dock. After an hour or so it cleared and we had a very nice sail out to Raccoon. Sunday I took the Conmys out and the winds were moderate and we had a very fun sail. Made it to Scott's cove for lunch and then a perfect sail home. Monday I had Travis and Steven out and it was blowing much harder. We only had the jib up and that was plenty. Lots of good times and plenty of wind. Might go for a solo sail this weekend. Cheers.

Big Ship Launches

Top Jumps of All Time

Some Adrenline to Get Your Weekend Started

Spotify is Live in the US

For those living under a rock, the greatest music service this planet has ever seen, has finally jumped thru all the legal hoops and is online now. Spotify has been availble overseas and folks have been enjoying this free/paid service like no other. 15 million songs are just waiting to be played on your desktop as well as many mobile devices (paid). For $9.99/month you can have it all. I just joined, picked the Premium package, downloaded the app and I am off and running! I am also hooked in with my iphone and can take it anywhere. You have got to check it out! Click here for more info. Start rocking out now!

360 view of the Discovery Cockpit

And we thought boating was complicated! See this great view of the cockpit.

Full Screen Only!

DARK SIDE OF THE LENS from Astray Films on Vimeo.

Watch this amazing view of our watery world. Full screen only!!!

Everything is a Remix

A very clever look at movies and music from an unusual perspective. Starting with Led Zepplin and how they took elements of songs from famous artists and made the songs their own, to George Lucas using scenes from other famous films and incorporating them into Star Wars. This is a very cool look at remixing our favorite works of art. Hell, this blog is a remix! Here is Part 1 and I highly recommend Part 2 and Part 3. Check it here.

Everything is a Remix Part 1 from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo.

Pics of the Day

Click the pic for a larger view.

Cinemagraphs are Very Cool

Take a picture and then add movement to the mix. Check out this cool technique here.

Yacht of the Week

We don't normally feature motor yachts on these pages, but this one is pretty compelling. At almost 140', this yacht will turn some heads. She has some very futuristic lines and a minimalistic feel down below. Although top speed is in the low 20's, this carbon fiber philly will get you there in style. I think this boat would be awesome with a mast and cutter rig. Ballast would be needed, but she could go as fast under sail as she would with the iron genny. If you like boat porn, check out more pics and the stats on this one of a kind yacht.

Check out that cool steering wheel!

Via Sailing Anarchy

The Future of Computing?

g-speak overview 1828121108 from john underkoffler on Vimeo.

Fish Frenzy

via Handbreit

Pics of the Day

Sailing the Bay on Fast Boat

Ocelot Crewed Farallons 2011 from rob blackmore on Vimeo.

AC on the Bay

Loving Audio Galaxy - Cloud Music

I have been using Audiogalaxy for a couple months now and I have been very impressed with this free service. There is something so cool about having access to your music where ever you go. My music library is way to large to carry with me, so AG solves the problem by letting me store over 100k songs in the cloud. Why wait for Apple, why waste time with Google and Amazon when you can have access to AG whenever. I do a 10 mile loop on my bike every morning thru canyons and hills and the music (playing on my iPhone) almost never skips or stops. You can also stream it using Airplay all over your house. Don't wait another day. Go get this awesome piece of heaven. If you have multiple libraries to draw from, set up multiple accounts and rock out!

Video of the Day

Cool Pics

Top pic is the shuttle lift off.

Awesome Sunset Sail

It's been a busy spring with weekends full of travel and activities since mid April. Had a chance for a sunset sail the other day and I took it. Got up to the boat around 6pm and the wind was perfect at 15-18 knots. Headed thru the cut in the Berkeley Pier with just a full jib up. We took off towards Tiburon and had a very nice run into the shadow of Angel. A tack there and then a run towards the city. Kona is on board and down below. Most boats have headed to the barn so I have the bay to myself. I tack once more and get ready for the sunset. Wind is still pumping but a little lighter now. Our boat just turned 30 years young and she is still an amazing sailing machine. The sun sets behind Mt. Tam and we head for the harbor for a nice little slumber on board. Summer is here and it's time for much more sailing in my future.

Pics of the Week

Click any pic for a better view. Now head to the water and have some fun!

My Next Sport

Bad Day at the Boat Yard

AC Pitchpole - Opps!

Local politicians, dignataries and the the press got a close up view of the AC 45's racing across the bay. Shortly after the VIP's left the race course, this is what happened.

AC Boats on the SF Bay

Getting excited about the America's Cup even though it's still 2 years away. This week, two of the 45' cats will be on the bay practicing and going over the proposed route of the race. Next year they break out the 75' cats that will be used in the Cup. This will be a nice appetizer! Here is some footage to wet your whistle!

Be Careful Out There

Our sailmaker Rui Luis of Rooster Sails passed over the weekend in a boating accident. He was moving from boat to boat and slipped into the Oakland Estuary on Sunday. Another boater saw him fall in and quickly came to his aid. Back on the dock, he was talking and responsive. He died shortly there after as his heart could not take the stress. I am so very sad. He was a great guy and helped me keep our sails in order. 48 years young and gone too soon. Rest in peace my friend. Make it a priority to be safe on the water and whatever you do.

Cool Time Lapse

El Cielo de Canarias / Canary sky - Tenerife from Daniel López on Vimeo.

Wavski

Tour of the Galaxy

Very Funny

Waterspoat Off Australian Coast

Pics of the Week

Enjoy the Holiday!

Bonehead Move of the Week

Perfect landing!

Blo Me Away

Top Boat Names

Found this list over at Boat US. Be sure to click the pic for a bigger view. One of my favs from Seinfeld: Serenity Now!

River Run - Hawaiian Style

A Waste of Time or Really Cool?

Concept Yacht

A winner of the 2011 “Dreamboat” Millennium Yacht Design Award, this brave interpretation of the motor boat concept by designer Hyun-Seok Kim was inspired by all of the natural beauty and fun activities found at sea. Tofi’s unconventional shape and unique furnishings compliment it’s far-out exterior and spaceship aesthetic, stimulating the imagination on board, while features like the hide-away diving board and safety buoy system promote fun in the water. More pics here.

Light the Candles = Six Years For H2uh0

And what a ride it's been. 2005 was the year and there were only a few sailing voices in the the blogosphere. Tillerman, Horse's Mouth and Tim Zimmerman were my hero's and inspired me to start this blog. Now there are so many voices it's hard to hear anymore! At this point I am transitioning to another point in my life. I am sailing like a crazy person on the bay and in Mexico (I depart this weekend to hang with my buds in Puerto Vallarta and sail Banderas Bay) as well as working towards my goal of sailing to New Zealand in 7 years. In pursuit of that goal I will sail in the Baja Haha several more times. This summer, I plan to sail up to Tomales Bay for a week. And there will be a lot more chartering in Mexico and the BVI's. The next big jump will be finding the boat to get me across the Pacific. That will be an adventure! But not for several more years. In the meantime, I will keep sailing our Newport 30 on the bay and beyond. I will continue to post on this blog as well as start a new blog that will be a resource for the trip across the pond. Thanks everyone for visiting over the years and for your comments. Sailing is the celebration of life!

Stream From the Cloud for free

Ever since Google purchased and shut down Simplify, I have been looking for a way to stream music from my home computer to my phone when away from the house. Amazon has a new service that does not work with iPhones and Apple is prepping their cloud service, but in the meatime, I need a solution. I found a great one in Audo Galaxy. Download the app to your computer and phone. Sync up your iTunes lib to the cloud and you are good to go. It's easy and you'll being able to get to all that music thru your iPhone or Android phone. There is something cool about streaming music to where ever you are and I think it is a very neat evolution in technology.

Sponge!

Not So Fun

Went out for a solo sunset sail the other day and man was it cold and miserable. The wind was up and a cold fog was rolling in from the Pacific. I tacked towards the Berkeley Pier and got behind the dodger after letting out just a little bit of jib. The wind was in the high 20's and biting at every piece of exposed skin. I tack and look back at the channel makers and I have not gained much headway. The wind won't let me move forward. Most of the boats are already in for the day and I am the only boat I can see at the moment. Who else would be crazy enough to be out in this? I hit the next tack and head back towards the pier. I have a pretty high tolerence for cold winds on the bay but this is bad. I am not having much fun. I could put on the warm gloves and hat I carry on board. I could huddle under the dodger to attempt to hold off the cold. I have been out about an hour and start thinking about heading in. This is the first time I have ever thought about coming home early as I am a diehard sailor. I still had another hour to sail but the cold has changed my mind and I head for the warmth of the harbor. Once back at the dock, I pour myself a large draw of Don Julio in our grande snifter and sit back in the saloon and enjoy our new interior speakers and a little Jack Johnson. It's days like this that make you appreciate being tied to the dock...and safe and warm.

DAY 3: EXTREME! A major collision, 4 capsizes, 1 broken mast.

The Trials of a Solo Sailor

Lee Winters has been solo sailing out of Texas for the last two years on a voyage to help the children of the world. He did not have very much background in the ways of the sea but found a great boat, worked hard on her to get her ready and then set off. Here is a great video of his first leg thru the Gulf of Mexico to Isla Mujeres, MX. You get a good feel of the terror, frustration and lack of sleep that you encounter on a solo voyage. He has made it all the way to NZ! For more, go to his website.

Sailing Solo Across the Gulf of Mexico from Lee Winters on Vimeo.

Ouch!

Bonehead Move of the Week

Boat Show at Jack London this Weekend

Don't miss the the biggest sail boat show on the west coast this weekend at Jack London Square in Oakland. First there is a Baja Haha Reunion on Friday at 6pm. Free beer and munchies. There will also be lots of free seminars going on each day. And don't forget to kick some tires of the new sailboats and multi hulls. I am meeting a friend on Sunday to look at the new catamarans. He hopes to buy soon and put it in the charter trade in the BVI's. Looking forward to more time down their on his new boat! Read all the details at the source.

Fixated on Fifty

Here is a look back at some heroic attempts at reaching the mythic 50 knot barrier on water. The current record of 55 knots is held by a windsurfer, Robert Douglas. For a wiki look at the history of speed, go here.

Outdoor Film Fest

The weather in Norcal is turning balmy with 80's the norm. It's time to get outside and do the voodoo that you do! I found a site that features a bunch of inspiring outdoor films. Here is an example:



To view the rest of these films, go here.

Spring break is next week and that means some skiing is in order. We are heading to Mammoth!