Sunday Sail to Angel Island

Weather was not looking good as I headed to the boat in Emeryville.  On the way, I had to turn on the windshield wipers.  The crew of Travis, Courtney, Mirra and Peter were waiting for Kona and I to arrive.  As we walked the dock, a huge round of thunder rolled thru the marina.  Very unusual for May.  We boarded the boat, went over some safety procedures and hit the water.  The wind was from the south and very light.  We drifted for a while and then she picked up.  We were off towards Angel Island.  Nice winds even in the lee as we made our way to Raccoon Strait.  The strait is named after the HMS Raccoon which scuttled their Navy boat here in the early 1800's.  We decided on a Bocce game over in Ayala Cove at the island.  We headed over to the lawn and I refreshed everyone on the nuances of this great game.  We had some laughs and fun as we mastered the art form of Jungle Bocce.  Back to the boat for some light wind sailing back to the marina.  We were back at the dock about 6 for cleanup and pulling the boat back in order.  Kona fell for Courtney and followed her all around the boat.  At the end he was asleep in her lap and happy as a clam in mud.  Great sail with Travis from the first Haha in 2010!

Bonehead Move of the Week

Bareboat Charter - 7 days in Belize!

Greeting from beautiful Belize!  We are on a 7 day bare boat charter with 6 crew from the Bay Area.  We arrived at the Sunsail Base in Placencia on Sunday afternoon.  After a 3 hour shuttle ride and provisioning in Placencia, we were ready to board the boat.  She is a 38 foot cat with all the amenities.  After loading the boat and getting settled were were all very tired after a long red eye flight from California.  Sleep came quickly and we all rested comfortably.

Monday morning we had a few boat issues to sort out with the biggest being the oven/stove.  A very nice gentleman came out and replaced the solenoid which had failed.  Next we were off to the chart briefing.  The pictures of the cays we would be visiting got us excited and ready to hit the water.  At 11:30 we shoved off for our first stop at Wippari Cay.  It was a 3 hour motor and we were feeling groovy.  We snagged the mooring ball and everyone jump into the Belizian water for the first time.  Temp was about 85 and perfect.  I went for a long swim towards the island and loved it.  Back to the boat for some hammock time in the bow and then I prepared dinner for the crew with prep help from Ali.  The pasta primavera was great as was the red wine.  We finished the night on the trampoline talking and listening to some great tunes.  A dip before revealed phosphorescence in the water, which I love as it looks like fireflies in the water, same color too.

Ed. note:  the pronunciation of cay is key.

After some coffee and more swimming, we are now headed to South Water Cay on a broad reach at about 5 knots in some mellow winds!  We continued our beautiful sail thru lunch.  We had a great auto pilot and once we set our course in the 15-18 knot winds, it was a dream.  The boat held the course and off we went at 5-6 knots.  I turned the helm over to Wayne and went below for a glorious 1 hour nap.  Our destination is South Water Cay (pronounced key).  A question came up what is the difference between a cay and an island.  Our skipper answered that a cay is built up from the reefs and is mostly coral.  We anchored about 3 and put out two anchors just in case.  Soon we were on our way to the island and looking for ice and cold beer.  We found the beer but they were out of ice.  Had a nice conversation with the bartender and I felt the warmth of the Belizean people.    After a few, we headed back for dinner. A refuge official came by to collect fees for anchoring.  He asked if we needed anything and we told him ice.  He took off to find some for us and in a short time he was back with a bucket full.   He said he would give us more but he needed the ice to preserve evidence for a trial against poachers.  They illegally obtained a large amount of conch and were going to be fined a hefty amount.  We said goodbye and proceeded with a grilled chicken dinner and great conversation.  Later I hooked in my iPad to the sound system and we watched the delightful Life of Pi.  I was definitely moved.

After a great nights sleep and some weird dreams, we prepared for our first of two dives.  Our first dive will be with Avadon Divers.  They are rendezvousing with us at our boat. At a bit after 0930 they arrived.  We jumped on board for our 3 tank dive.  They were about 15 folks already on board and anxious to dive.  My first dive was a check out dive as I had not been diving since 2008 in the BVI's.  There were 5 of us assigned with dive master Arthur.  We went over the basics and then set off for a 15 foot dive thru the reef.  Lobster, octopus, tarpon and lots of reef fish.  Along the way a spotted eagle ray came into view.  Beautiful, easy dive and then we waited for the boat to pick us up.  On our second dive, I was assigned to Moses.  We were headed down on the second largest reef in the world, the Meso American Reef.  We descended to 60' feet and glided slowly above the shoulder of the reef.  The nice thing about our dive master was how slow he went.  Many of the dives I have been on have felt rushed and too fast.  Mo was sloow.  I loved it. Half way thru, I noticed that when I took a breath, the flow of air would cut off towards the end of my breath.  That's frightening.  I got Mo's attention and we buddy breathed for about 15 mins.  He motioned for me to go back to my reg and I shook my head no and handed him my reg.  He then noticed that my tank was only half open.  He adjusted the valve and I was good to go.  We finished the dive with a 3 minute safety stop which is SOP.  After lunch we headed out once more. I added some more weight and the last dive was the most comfortable and relaxed of the three.  We had an excellent dive and we saw tons of reef fish and several lobster.  Great dives and we will see the same group on a different part of the ref on Saturday.  Back on the boat for some napping, swimming and cold beer.  At 1830, we departed for dinner ashore.  The Blue Marlin lodge has some friendly staff and a nice dock to hang out on.  After a shrimp dinner and some red wine, John and I played a game of the pool.  It was one of my poorest showing ever but we had some laughs.  Back at the boat, the conversation continued about favorite bands, concerts and songs.  We ended with a long talk about the Beatles.  I was asked my favorite 2 songs by them, that's easy: Mother Natures Son and Blackbird.  Ali mentioned Dear Prudence.  I mentioned that I knew who they were singing about.  They were going thru there Ravi phase and visiting the Maharajah in India and they ran into Mia Farrow and her sister.  Prudence was cute but shy and the song was about her not joining in on the fun.  You just never know where this blog is going to take you!

Didn't sleep so well and in the middle of the night a box fell that woke everyone up.  No big deal and I dropped into a dream sleep of wars, delivering furniture and more. Gorgeous morning of coffee and my specialty of blueberry pancakes.  We take off in a couple mins for Pelican Cay.  Had a great sail out of the cay and to the south heading at 5-6 knots down the channel with the wind hovering at 15-18 knots.  A beautiful sail indeed! When I first considered cruising Belize, i heard about the skinny water and that cats were recommended. Now that I have sailed here, I realize that there are also some major portions with plenty of depth. There are some very shallow areas but they are not as prevalent as I was lead to believe.  We had to access the anchorage from the south and then head north.  We wound thru the cays and then found the Hide Away anchorage.  We swam over to nearby reef that was no too exciting but ok.  Then we headed out on the dink for a look around the anchorage.  We saw a dock with a sign on it and headed a short ways.  We were greeted by the owner Dustin.  He welcomed us to his island in paradise.  We headed upstairs thru the swamp that makes up most of the low lying cays in the area.  He had built board walks all through the cay to get to the bar/restaurant, home, guest house and dock.  We ordered a round of margaritas and shortly were toasting to our new found friends, Dustin and Kim and their 6 mos. baby girl, Ama.

Dustin our host.

He and his wife had bought the island 5 years hence.  They toiled and brought every piece of lumber and nails from the mainland an hour away.  They had built it using local woods and help from the Mennonites.  Two years later they had their first customers just as they ran out of money. Beers were served to some young Belgian women and set them on a course of opening a restaurant and a guest cottage.  They get a steady stream of customers during the 6 month cruising season from Nov.-May.  We made a reservation for 7 and noticed the boat had dragged a bit.  We repositioned closer to the mangroves as another Moorings boat settled in next to us.  We also dropped the secondary anchor just to be safe.  I settled into the hammock for a nap and a beer.

We arrived promptly at 7 and our host was waiting to tie up our line.  Dinner was waiting and served shortly after opening the wine.  The dinner was fresh conk, snapper, rice and a squash mix.  Our desert was made by our crewmember/chef de cuisine, Ali.  She did a wonderful job of prepping, cooking, helping in the galley.  She served a banana, chocolate chip bread pudding.  Delicious!  Dustin and Kim sat near us and continued their amazing life story.  During hurricane season, they head to FLA and work in the fishing/hospitality industry.  They also have a nice sail boat called Naked Tyme.  Dustin was familiar with our boat named Liberty Dream 2 out of Nice, France.  The meal was amazing and we had a great playlist (thanks Ali) on the Bose speaker that I had brought along.  What a great evening and we all enjoyed bringing another fun couple into the mix.  One of their big concerns of the recent arrival of cruise ships in the area.   Belize is just starting to hit it's tourist stride and tourism is it's largest industry.  We finished the night and headed back to the yacht.  After a nightcap in the bow, we headed for our bunks.

In the morning, we headed out for a short snorkel and then pulled up anchor.  I was also able to find a shackle for our main halyard from the Moorings boat next door.  I accidentally dropped the previous shackle in the drink.  We took off for a wonderful sail on a broad reach on our way to Hatchet Cay.  The winds blow 15-18 every day and the sailing is easy and fun.

What a great sail!  We arrived at the lovely resort island about 1500.  We jumped in the dink and headed over.  We met some folks getting off a boat that had just returned from a whale shark dive.  Apparently, they feed during the full moon.  How many did they see?  None.  Bummer.  We had tried to sign up for the whale dive but they were all full.  We hit the bar for a cold one and some WIFI.  I asked several folks where  they were from and everyone said Calgary.  We headed back to the boat and took off for a short snorkel into a beautiful coral garden.  Some nice fish in places.  For dinner we had a nice dish that Ali and Shelly prepared.  The Thai Curry was amazing.  The moon rise was great and we enjoyed the hammock in the foredeck with some great tunes and talked about the formation of the moon.  The popular theory is that a huge asteroid hit the earth as it was forming and the debris eventually coalesced into the moon over ions of time.  It was a windy, gorgeous night and it was difficult to leave the deck for bed.

 Ali and Shelly

On our last day, Saturday, we are heading out to the reef for a two tank dive.  The dive boat arrived and we took off for the first dive.  We jumped in and went down to 60 feet.  The dive was ok but the highlight came when we surfaced.  A pod of dolphins was right below the boat and close.  There were 20 or more hanging out for 5-8 minutes.  Wow.  During our stop, a very large turtle came by.  I was hoping to see one.  The second dive started with my reg going nuts on the surface.  Air was flowing freely and I lost 1000 lbs.  Because of this my dive was very short.  As I waited for the rest of my crewmates, a downpour of rain hit us.  We headed back to our boat for a 2 hour motor back to Whiperay Cay.  Dinner is coming up in our last anchorage.

Shelly and Ali did another boat cooking masterpiece:  Crab enchiladas!  We had a great evening of conversation and where the next charter would be?  We discussed a future trip to the Grenadines.  I have had several friends cruise there and they had nothing but great reviews.  Wayne gave it a hearty endorsement as well.  It rained overnight with several showers.

I went for my morning swim and a Remora fish was trying to parasite on me.  I had to keep brushing him off me.  We headed to the Sunsail base and soon were on our way to the airport.

We had a devil of a time with the fridge and it would not keep our food cold.  The gals did a lot of unneeded work and were none too happy.  On the plus side, Belize is a beautiful cruising ground.  There were only a few other boats and tons of fish and wildlife.  Navigating the waters takes great care as there are dangers in the reefs.  We were very fortunate to have Wayne as our Skipper as he has tons of experience and is a sailing instructor as well.  Thank-you Wayne for being a great skipper and friend! A very memorable trip and I hope to return and hit the north side of the reef.  Our adventure was unbelizable!

Water in Zero Gravity

Departing for our bareboat charter - Belize!

On Saturday we will take off for a 7 day trip in Belize.  Our crew of 6 will sail on a 38 ft cat out of Placencia.  5 of the 6 are looking forward to some great scuba.  My friend Wayne will be the skipper as he is a skilled instructor and has chartered around the world.  It's great as it will give me time to relax and enjoy.  I will be keeping a log and will post it to this blog upon our return to California on the 29th of April.  I have been trying to get to this reef system for a couple years and now the wait is over.  In case you don't know this, the reef we will be diving on is the second largest barrier reef in the world.  Can you name the first?

California's Most Beautiful Lake

Over the last 33 years of living in California, I have been to Lake Tahoe over 60 times for skiing, boating, family fun, visiting my best friend from childhood, and I have biked around the 72 mile circumference.  It does not get much more beautiful than this.  It is at an elevation of 6200 feet and is over 1500 feet deep.  I can tell you from experience that it is very cold for swimming, even in summer.  The Flume Trail on the east side is mountain bike nirvana and I have biked the trail a half a dozen times.  It is considered the most beautiful mountain bike trail in the west. (although it can be dangerous in spots as 1000' cliffs abound).  The skiing in the area resorts is amazing and I have had the best skiing days of my life here.  If you have never been, please add a trip to the lake to your bucket list. Behold the majesty of the heavenly body of water!

Tahoe Blue from Josh Michaels on Vimeo.
Full screen me please!

The Best Speech You've Never Heard

In this 70 year old comedy, Charlie Chaplin plays the role of a poor Jewish barber mistaken for Adolph Hitler. This is a speech Charlie gives at the end of the movie that seems like it fits pretty well with the events of the world today.  The movie is called The Great Dictator.


One Of The Greatest Speeches Ever Made - Watch More Funny Videos

Bonehead Move of the Week

We depart in about a week for our sail charter/SCUBA adventure in Belize.  Really looking forward to warm water and cold beverages.

Cool View from the Space Station

Pic of the Day

Simple Trick for Tethering Phone to Computer

Wifi is everywhere these days...except on the boat.  Our marina offers wifi but it is too weak and spotty to rely on.  The phone signal on the boat is strong but who wants to surf the web on a phone?  You could pay one of the major carriers a boat load for the privilege of tethering your phone but you already give them a good portion of your paycheck.  I found a nice little way to make it happen for a fraction of the cost and you don't have to jailbreak your phone.  By using http://tether.com/ you can have blazing speeds (LTE makes a huge difference) on your computer, watch movies and more.  The cost is $30 and now you can surf anywhere.  Be sure to follow the directions closely and you finally have access when and where you want it.  Works with iPhone, Blackberry and Android.

Pics of the Week

You can see all 100 pics here.

Foiling Fools - Oracle 17 @ twice the speed of the wind

Test Drive Prank w/ Jeff Gordon

 
This one made me laugh out loud.

Double Code Red

I don't think I have to tell you to go full screen.

Shipwrecked in the Indian Ocean

Here is a sad story of running into two hurricanes out at sea and the importance of keeping an eye on the weather after you have left port.  Click here.

Big Fun H2O Style

Too much FUN!

Just Picked Up My Google Glass

Watch to the end!

Grey Poupon "The Lost Footage"

One of my favorite jokes is to sail by another boat and say, "Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?"  Found this on Youtube, enjoy!

Two Sails are better than none!

Wanted to put these in writing as both were very special.  On Friday, Dave and I headed out for what turned out to be a very nice sail to the City.  We met around 11am and we out there by 11:30.  The winds were light but freshened up within the hour.  We were in 15 knots in no time and headed for Sausalito.  Once over there, we hove to for lunch.  The wind was closer to 20 and we are heading back.  Great wind got us back to the barn quickly. 

On Sunday I arrived up at the boat at 1:30 and took off with Kona aboard.  The wind piped up to 18 pretty quickly and we were off.  Got out past the pier and the boat was doing a masterful job of sailing herself on jib alone.  Plenty of wind to keep us at 5 to 6 knots.  I continued on to the lee of Angel but tacked before we got out of the wind.  Out towards Angel for sunset and then a very nice dark return to the docks about 8pm.  The vid below is from Sunday and no I did not lose the hat!  Thank-you Addiction for a safe and memorable weekend!

Carib 600 and some Awesome Boats

From a little race down near Antigua.  Some classic boats in the 100' range head to this race year after year.  Be sure to go full screen and if you have an Apple TV, push it to the really big screen!

Off to sail today and should see some America's Cup boats screaming by.  Will try to get some vid to post here over the weekend.

Epic Session at Jaws

Bonehead Move # 324

This boat did not realize the tug was pulling the barge and next thing you know the Coast Guard is pulling the crew from the water.  This happens more than you might think.  Be careful out there!

Newport Raft Up - Saturday, March 2

I am organizing a raft up of Newport Sailboats on Saturday, March 2 at Clipper Cove.  Our last get together was almost 4 years ago.  It's time for another round.  This is a great opportunity to meet the other skippers and see how they have set up their boats.  Sail to the cove around 4pm and get set up for a wonderful night on the bay.   Bring your own food and drink and let's raft up!

So Amazing!

Took out some friends (Andy and Nicko) on Wednesday for the first foggy sail of the year.  Fog when we got to the boat, however by 1pm it had cleared and the fog had lined up at the Gate.  The winds shot up to 18 knots and we were flying...until Oracle 17 (72') flew by us going twice the speed of the wind.  There were also half a dozen of the 45' cats playing out there getting ready for the Red Bull Challenge.  It was a fantastic day to be out and way cool to see the America's Cup boat.

Go full screen on this amazing video from Team Oracle.

New Dodger for our Boat!

We have had an old dodger that was slowly disintegrating over the last few years.  We had Pacific Crest Canvas of Alameda replace the canvas portion and add several stabilizing struts.  The results are amazing.  Being able to see thru the windows is something we could not do on the old dodger.  They did a terrific job and we highly recommend them if you need to replace or add a new dodger.  Here are some pics taken today after Kona and I picked up the boat.

Click the pic for a bigger view.

Pics of the Week

Click the pic for a bigger view.

Sailing in 70 Knots - Vid

I have sailed in 50 knots (on my boat on the bay) but would not dream of trying this.  Then again, I am not one of the top ten windsurfers in the world.  Check it out full screen.

Make Sure the Crew Knows What To Do!

Some years ago a sailor took his non-sailing girlfriend cruising out into the Pacific Ocean from San Diego for the day. After a pleasant few hours they turned for home. Unexpectedly, in mild weather, he fell overboard. The girlfriend knew so little about the boat that she froze and didn't call for help until the boat washed up on a beach. The sailor was never seen again.

You may be overboard, but also you may be incapacitated. What is the minimum that your sailing partner should know when they go sailing with you? Obviously, as the true story above (which sends prickles up my spine every time I hear or tell it) demonstrates, they should know enough to operate the boat and some of its simple functions, alone.

Here is a check-list of skills that your sailing partner needs to know as a minimum to go sailing together:

General boat handling, in case you are incapacitated. They should know:

1. How to get the sails down, how to sail simply and conservatively.

2. How to lower and raise an anchor.

3. How to steer a simple compass course

4. How to set the autopilot or windvane if you have one.

5. How to start and stop the engine safely.

6. How to heave-to.

7. Where the flares and life jackets are located for emergencies

8. How to boil water on the stove safely.

9. Where the bilge pumps are located and what they do.

10. How to operate the SSB or VHF radio, dependant on where you are sailing.

Then, for the all important MOB situation:
(yes, I know, it's NOT going to happen to you - but that's why, on my count watching the statistics mount, more than 10 people a year are lost in MOB situations in relatively calm water):

1. As specified above, they should know how to use the radio, specially on emergency frequencies, and where the MOB button is located. They should know how to set off the boat's EPIRB.

2. They should know how to disconnect and throw over your danbuoy or life ring

3. They must know how to start the engine, and douse the sails. Even if they know how to steer the boat, unless they are a seasoned helmsman they will probably not be able to return the boat to you, so the previous two points become vital.

How well prepared are YOU for the possibility that you will, at some time in the future, be incapacitated or missing and need your partner to maximise your chances of a happy outcome?

by Des Ryan via Sail World

Another January Day on The Bay

Heading to Charter: Belize!

Last year I tried to get a group together to head to a week long charter in Belize.  Time was short and it did not come together.  This year, I got a little earlier start and used the Meet Up Group "Got Wind and Water" to help me fill in the crew of six.  It worked!  In mid April we will head to the small town of Placencia and take off on a 38' cat for a week of diving and fun.  Belize is in the heart of the second largest reef in the world.  The fish life and beauty is unmatched.  Check back for a blow by blow of the trip when April rolls around.  This is my third charter (BVI in 2008 and La Paz in 2010).  Sunsail has a base there and we will sail a bare boat charter out into the turquoise waters of the Caribbean.  Can't wait!

Tour of the San Francisco Bay

We recently added some new partners to our sailing partnership and hopefully this chart will open some new spots to explore.  Over the last 12 years of extensive cruising on the bay, I have discovered some very cool spots to head to for day sails and overnights.  None of these spots are new, it can just take years to find them all.  Here is a brief overview of some of my favs.  Be sure to click on the pic for a full view.  Now get out there and enjoy this beautiful water world!

In Case You Missed It: Led Zep Honored in DC

From the Kennedy Center In DC, the Prez honors one of rock and rolls greatest.  Definitely watch the intro by Jack Black and then watch "Stairway to Heaven" in vid #2.  Enjoy.

Two New Water Products

Call now!  Operators are standing by!

Men Who Ride Mountains - This Sunday

Surf’s up this weekend off the coast of Half Moon Bay, as officials Wednesday declared Sunday game day for the Mavericks Invitational, a world-renowned big-wave surf contest.
This is a big deal for the coast, as it has not held a Mavericks contest since 2010 because Mother Nature failed to produce ideal conditions.
“We’re really excited that we actually have a swell,” contest co-founder Jeff Clark said. “This is the biggest swell we’ve had for a couple years.”
This weekend’s event will bring to coastal shores 24 expert surfers and a ton of fanfare.
The two-dozen chosen surfers are those deemed most skilled from around the world. The contest is held a half-mile off the coast of Half Moon Bay at the Mavericks break.
Contest conditions are extreme, with waves in past years as high as 50 feet, strong currents, frigid water and jagged rocks. Clark said the conditions are extremely dangerous, and the surfers put to good use their year-round training regimens.
When asked how high the waves from this swell will be, Clark immediately responded “big.”
“We’re hoping for at least 30-foot range, but the ocean does what it wants and it’s not going to give you that perfect storm every year,” he said.

If you would like to watch the contest, the best place is right on your computer.  Contest starts 8am Pacific.  You can watch it here.

Bonehead Moves of the Year!

Got lucky the last few years in coming up with the top bonehead move.  This year I could not find the one that really stuck out.  Here is last years winner, hands down.



That was an easy one to pick.  What was the skipper thinking???

 Let's be careful out on the water in 2013!

I selected this post to be featured on my blog’s page at Blog Nation.

Blue Water Boats

When thinking about my sail to New Zealand and Australia in a few years, one of the biggest decisions I will make is the boat.  What makes for a solid blue water cruiser?  There are many factors to consider:

Length: 36-42'
Reliable self steering
Emergency equipment (life raft, epirb, hand held VHF, etc.)
Communication devices (HF radio, VHF, SAT phone)
Radar
Chartplotter
Good sleeping accomodations and lee cloths
Spinnaker
Bimini
Lots of storage
The list goes on and on

When the time comes, I plan to be open minded and to look at many boats.  My budget is in $100k range so there are lots of possibilities.  Check out this site for considerations for your next big cruise.  It shows a list and reviews on capable blue water boats.

Ladies & Gentlemen, 10@10 Radio Show

For the last 30 years, our local rock station, KFOG, has hosted the 10@10 Radio Show.  Each weekday, a random year is selected, followed by “ten great songs from one great year”, in addition to classic commercials, news broadcasts and clips from popular TV programs.  If you love rock music from the 60's thru the 90's and beyond, you will love this program.  I have been a big radio listener all my life, so this show can strike up nostalgia for me pretty often.  10@10 is my all time favorite radio program and I have been listening since the 80's!!  One of the cool things KFOG does is post a weeks worth of the recorded shows on their website. Here you can listen to the show, see the playlists and harken back to maybe a highlight year in your life and relive it musically.  To listen to last weeks shows, click here.  
Here is last weeks most popular playlist.  Have Fun!!

Friday December 28, 2012   -  1975

1.       ZZ Top – Tush

2.       Jigsaw – Sky High

3.       Little Feat – All That You Dream

4.       Hot Chocolate – You Sexy Thing

5.       Crosby-Nash – To The Last Whale (a fav of mine!)

6.       Paul Simon – Gone At Last

7.       War – Why Can’t We Be Friends?

8.       Paul McCartney – Venus and Mars/Rock Show

9.       Leon Russell – Back to the Island (another fav here and a sailing theme: islands)

10.   John Lennon – Stand By Me

Google Year in Review

Enjoy!

Happy Holidays to all Sailors!

I was looking back on my Christmas blog post from 2011 and it listed my sailing goals for 2012.  Here are last years goals with a dollar sign next to the ones I accomplished:

Some of my sailing goals for this year (2012):
Fix the base of our corroded mast $$
Take more friends out on the bay for a day sail $
Sail to Tomales Bay
Enjoy the next round of promo races on the bay in preparation for the Americas Cup $
Partner Sail
More spinnaker runs $
Sail on other friends boats $
Baja Haha 19 $
Delta Trip $

Our boat partnership had some turnover this year as two partners (one on board for 7 years and the other for 6) left.  Sorry to see them go as one was a friend from grade school back east but he only went out a few times per year.  The good news is, we just completed signing our 3rd new partner for a total of 6 partners.  We decided to take on one more to help us pay for a new dodger.  His equity share will cover the cost of the new dodger.

The other item I did not accomplish was a trip to Tomales Bay.  This is an ocean run up the coast about 40 miles.  With no official life raft, no radar for fog and a few other key factors, I decided it would be prudent to continue with our bay sailing and not chance a potentially rough trip on the ocean.  I will wait a few years until I have my New Zealand bound boat that is designed for ocean sailing.

Here are my sailing goals for 2013!!
Add new dodger
New starboard cockpit winch
More night sails
Take a bunch of friends out to see the America's Cup races on the bay
Plan a bare boat trip to Belize with friends
Take a 5 day trip up to Napa with bikes for winery tours and tasting
Organize a partner sail
Organize a Newport 30 overnight raft up in Clipper Cove

Here is a look back at the highlights of 2012:
Baja Haha 19 rally from San Diego to Cabo on Second Sun with John and crew
Delta Trip with Arnie (getting stuck in the mud for almost 3 hours was not a highlight)
Sausalito sojourn with Kona in December and southerly storm winds
America's Cup races in August and October
Giants day games with a sail to and from the game with my buddy John
Sailing to AT&T park for The Wall concert with Frank and spending the night in McCovey Cove
Watching the fastest sailboat in the world sail the bay!
Signing up 3 new partners
Celebrating the GG Bridge's 75th birthday with the crews from Fearless and Willin
Sailing twice in Hawaii on two separate trips
Spending a quiet night on a mooring ball at Ayala Cove with just me and then sailing home w/o engine
Seeing an AC 72 sail the bay

That was a fun look back!  Here's to a great 2013 and all the fun and excitement we are going have sailing on the most beautiful bay in the world!  I hope you will be getting out on the water as well. 

The start of leg 3 off Santa Maria on the Baja Haha

Best of 2012 Extreme Sports

It's that time of year for the best of vids.  Here are three that I know you extremists will enjoy.  I also threw in a best of Youtube as well.  Happy Holidays!

Sojourn to Sausalito

Just back from a 4 day trip to Sausalito.  Kona and I took off on a rainy Monday morning.  By the time we got to the boat around 12noon, the weather was unstable and rain loomed to the north, there was no rain at the marina.  We loaded up and set of for our 6 mile journey.  The wind was about 12 and perfect.  We tacked out to the end of the pier and headed west to Schoonmaker Point Marina.  We pulled in about 4pm and found our spot inside the lagoon.  Took Kona for a walk and he loved romping on the beach at the marina.  Headed back to the boat for dinner and a quiet night.

Tuesday the wind was up early as we generally get clearing winds after a big storm.  My friend John showed about noon and we took off.  The tides were looking good so we headed out the  Golden Gate for an afternoon of 20-30 knot breezes.  It was very wild out there.  Once a big tanker cleared we had the strait to ourselves.  The Addiction was doing great and loving the waves and wind.  The sky was clear and it was a beautiful day to be outside the Gate.  What a great sail!  We headed in about 4pm and hung out on the boat enjoying some nice conversation and wine.  We also got in a qiuck Bocce game on the beach before dark. We had dinner at Le Garage, a restaurant right in the marina.  My nephew Dan joined us from Santa Rosa.

Wednesday was supposed to be a hiking day but John was not doing well after some mussels from last night.  I took a walk down to the store to pick up some provisions and on the way, we stopped at the Bay Model.  Kona waited paitently as I toured a giant 3D model of the bay.  It really is amazing to see all the landmarks as though you were 12,000 feet in the air.  Free too.  Back to the boat and off to a very light afternoon of tacking out near Angel Island.  Winds were less than 10 however it was nice to relax and enjoy the warm sun.  I really hit the weather window between storms!  Had a quiet night in the marina.

Thursday arrived and its time to head home.  The wind is blasting again from the south as another storm is approaching.  It was weird to be sail upwind all the way home as it usually a mellow downwind.  I had to fight the whole way but with just the jib up, I could let the boat steer herself and I could enjoy the sights and the wind on my face.  Great sailing and the boat did an amazing job.  In 4 hours we were back in the marina.  Noticed the bildge was not kicking in so had to replace it.  All in all another great trip to my favorite marina/town.

Unnerving

I had a dolphin swim up to me on time on the Monterey Bay.  I was standing in ankle deep water when I saw him approaching.  I stood there and he swam right up between my legs.  I turned him around and he swam away.  Not sure why he did that!

In Case of Pirates

Just before the Haha, I attended a seminar on cruising in Mexico.  The topic of pirates came up and the folks putting on the seminar said piracy was very rare in Mexico.   However, the conversation continued and the subject of guns was discussed briefly.  Everyone agreed that this was not they way to go as there are so many problems with checking in and out of countries and declaring that you have a gun.  Alternatives where discussed and this is where it got interesting.  The lecturer brought up an idea I had never heard of.  He said the best non lethal defense was wasp spray.  What?  Yes, wasp spray.  The cans are highly pressurized and can shoot 20 -30 feet in a long precise spray.  Legal, non lethal and very disabling when you get someone in the face.  Hopefully, you will never need to use this tactic, but I wanted to share this idea and see if there are any other thoughts from other cruisers.  Send me a note!

A Look Back at the World Series

San Francisco Giants 2012 Postseason Highlight REEL from Maniego Media on Vimeo.

Quote of the Day

This could also apply to boats?

Fastest Sailboat in the World!!!

more fun here:

2012 Baja Haha Trip was Awesome!

The Baja Haha is in its 19th year and this is my 3rd trip in a row down the coast. Last year the boat I was on ran into bad weather and could not make the starting line. I flew from San Francisco to San Diego anyway and at the last minute found another boat and had an amazing adventure with three other guys on a 57' steel cutter. The year before I joined a catamaran from my marina and joined the boat in SD for an amazing and fast trip down the coast with a skipper who did everything by the book. Learned a lot and had a great trip.

I was looking forward to this years adventure with the crew of Odyssey. Ken and Danita choose me and my friend John to help the bring the boat from San Diego to Cabo. They had some boat issues that delayed their departure and for the second year in a row, the boat did not make it down. I convinced John that we should go anyway and try to jump on a boat. He agreed and off to San Diego we went. We arrived on Friday for our Monday departure. As soon as we arrived, we started knocking on hulls and asking if any crew positions were available. No luck on Friday, so we would start again on Saturday and hit the main marina looking for haha boats.

There are 150 boats signed up for this years 750 mile journey from SD to Cabo. There must be an opening somewhere. On Saturday, we rented bikes and headed off to Cabrillo Marina about 2 miles away. We arrived and could see about 25 Baja Haha burgees flying in the marina. This was our chance. We worked the docks and met many of the skippers and crew. No one had any space. If they were not around, we left a note with our contact info. We had hit all the docks and were on our last boat when we met Andy and Kate. They were traveling to Pamama on their 43 Young Sun cutter. They have a 16 month old boy on board as well. They were happy to have us join them and help them get the boat down the coast. They were just getting ready to depart for Seaworld and asked us to join them in the evening to discuss the trip. We did and all looked good at our meeting. I told them John and I would assist them in provisioning the boat, do the cooking, clean the dishes and stand watch. I showed them the menus I had prepared and they were very happy. We would meet Sunday night after dinner and we would help prepare the boat for the next mornings departure. We arrived, stowed our gear and did a few chores. We had provisioned and stored the food earlier in the day. At midnight, we hit the hay and as I have discovered with older boats, the sleeping cushions are very uncomfortable. Luckily I had brought a thermarest and that helped.


Up at 7 for more preparations and we are off the dock at 9:30 for the parade to the starting line. There is a fire boat shooting water, cannons firing and the whole fleet heading into the Pacific. It's a beautiful morning and there is a breeze of 8-10 knots. We hit the starting line and head south. The boat is from 1984 and she is a 20 ton cruiser. Andy and his wife have traveled from Seattle to join the rally. They have been on the water for a month of their six month cruise. After the Panama Canal, they will ship the boat back up north. I am amazed at how well they work together and make this trip work. Kate is awesome and works very hard tending to her boy Nathan and he is amazing as well.


We head past the Coronado Islands and raise the spinnaker, main and stay sail. We are having a wonderful ride with about 2300 square feet of canvas up. I prepare breakfast of eggs and fruit and we are enjoying the breeze and 5.5 knots on the speedo. We set up a watch schedule of 3 hours each so that means 9 hours between watches. Great. Same as last year. I have the 3-6 watch in both the am and the pm. My watch comes up and it is delightful. The self steering is doing the work and I get to watch for other boats and adjust our position from time to time. I do that by pushing the buttons and not the wheel. We have lots of confidence in our skipper as he is a rocket scientist for Boeing. He is also an accomplished sailor and instructor. I hope to learn a few things from him along the way. During my watch, I head down to the galley to prepare dinner of pasta and salad. We have a sunset dinner in the cockpit with a glass of wine. My back is to the sun and we miss the green flash! Hope there will be more. After dinner, I head down to my bunk to rest and get ready for my next watch. At 0245, I am up and preparing for my full moon watch. I take over from Kate and have a very nice time on deck. The boat is moving well and the stars are shinning. The only problem is we are in a bit of a fog bank. We have radar and AIS which shows us where other boats are. I can see the moon but not much ahead. I check the radar every 15 mins. We are looking good. About 0430, the fog clears and we are fine. At 0600, John comes up and I head for the bunk. We have another beautiful day and the wind is building. It's up to about 15 and we are moving. I take a nap after lunch and then up for my watch. We have speakers in the cockpit which is great. My iPod is filled 17500 songs so we have plenty of variety. My watch goes fast and soon I am preparing a nice meal of chicken, veggies and rice. After dinner, I join John during his watch and we are cruising effortlessly at 6 knots with the moon shimmering on the water. It's a beautiful moment. I head to bed shortly after.


Up for my 0300 watch and it is lumpy and rough. We have the jib up and are hand steering. It's a long 3 hours but also fun. Several boats nearby and I am trying to keep the boat on our heading but with the wind direction it is tough. As John comes up at 0600, we prepare to gybe. Success. I head down for more sleep. I awake at 0730 to a bunch of commotion. We have two tuna on the line. I head up on deck but everything is taken care of. I head back down for a bit more sleep as last night was one of the roughest I have ever had on a boat. The boat was rocking so bad in the cross swells that we had to pull up the lee cloths. These stop you from rolling out of your bunk. I wake at 1000 and am bit groggy. The tuna is being prepared and in a short time we have fresh tuna sandwiches. Delicious. After lunch, we all spend time in the cockpit talking about all sorts of subjects. Nathan is active and walking around the boat. He is tethered in and very safe. After a few hours, I head down and take a much needed nap. Up for my watch and we are approaching the finish line of leg one. The skipper prepares a wonderful tuna over pasta dinner and we have a feast listening to Dire Strats. After a cool sunset on Halloween night, I head down to get some more rest. One note on the sunset, as it hit the horizon behind some clouds, it actually looked like a big scarey pumpkin setting over the ocean. We hope to arrive in Turtle Bay at sunrise.


We arrived at Turtle bay at 0530 and promptly went back to bed. Up about 0830 and had an oatmeal breakfast. Lots of chores were accomplished and soon we were on a panga to the fishing village. This is a dirt road town of about 2500 folks. Dusty does not really describe how this town looks. No yards, just dust. We walked down the beach to a restaurant overlooking the bay and had lunch with some fellow cruisers. One of the gentleman at our table was the famous bay area charter skipper known as Captain Kirk. He asked which boat we were from. Second Sun. He said he knew the boat from an incident at Point Conception. A boat had lost her engine and asked for a tow. Second Sun came to the rescue. During the tow, Sun lost her engine as well and Witch Doctor hit her causing damage to Suns stern. He said he had heard that Doctor attempted the rounding two more times and had to be rescued two more times. Boneheads! We headed over to the annual rally softball game. Lots of fun and laughter ensued as the game is just for fun. Then it was off to dinner with some new friends and the crew from Sun. Back to the boat and after two nights of little sleep, we drifted off quickly.


Friday we headed to the beach party with about 400 of our fellow hahaers. It was an overcast day but still very nice. We set up the vball net and got a beer. Slowly the cruisers show and the pot luck lunch begins. Kate had prepared a delicious apple pie. All sorts of food and tons of fresh fish. One boat had caught 48 fish and shared 20 lbs at the party. Saw lots of old friends and made many more, a nice new activity was a talent show. One group did an amazing Maori dance. Another did a song about the haha. All in all, a nice new addition. After the party I joined the Moontide crew and we ended up at the jam session on Exodus. Brand new 40 foot cat with all the amenities. There was about 15 folks and my skipper Andy even showed up. Lots of great tunes and singing. Andy is an excellent musician playing the guitar and fiddle. One of the best nights of all the hahas!!! Up at 0600 to prepare the boat for departure. The winds are light and we have a rolling start. After some tuna sandwiches for lunch, we start to get a 10 knot breeze and the spinnaker and main are up. This leg is about 240 miles to Santa Maria Bay. This my favorite stop on the Haha.


Had a great day with winds near twenty in the afternoon. Beautiful weather and warm all the way till after dinner. We were under spinnaker all day and I saw 7 knots a few times. After a steak and veggie dinner, I hit the hay and watch the sci fi thriller Prometheus. My 0300 watch was sublime. Light winds, no boats around and some blues on the stereo. Saw a great shooting star. Morning is clear and light winds. We are motoring. I am off to prepare breakfast.
Motored a good part of the day. About 4 we raised the chute and we are doing 4.5 right now. Has a nice pasta and Brussels sprout dinner. Also hung my hammock in the boat and took a nice two hour nap. Lovely.


We arrive in Santa Maria at 1400 with a brilliant full sail into the bay. The mouth of the bay is a good 5 miles wide. We sail across most of it. The winds are at 15 and perfect. Finally a beam reach after all the downwind. The boat performs masterfully. We tack and the fleet is in front of us. This is a beautiful stop with no town or infrastructure. Just a few fisherman on the river. We get the hook down and the swimming begins. I swim over to Exodus to thank them for a grat jam session. They offer me a beer and I decline. I was there only to show my gratitude. I swim back, being on the lookout for any motor boats that might not see me. There is the annual party in the evening on Moontide and Talyon. Moontide did not make it last year so the boat I was on hosted this event. We show up promptly at 1900 and the party is in full swing. Meeting lots of cool folks and some with big cruising plans ahead. The party swells to 80 folks and the cat is full. The wind is blowing 30 but it is very warm. I see some old friends and have a great time. At 2230, we head home for some sleep. We stay dry even though the wind is pumping. In the morning, I jump in for a 0630 dip. I come to the surface and the sun is poping up for my first Haha sunrise of the trip and the water is perfect. Pancakes for breakfast and then I go for a long swim around the anchorage and introduce myself to several boats. They love the fact that I am swimming over to say good morning. I head back after an hour or so and prepare to depart for the party. The weather is blue skies and 80 or so. The fisherman and their wives have prepared a meal for the fleet and the band is warming up. We are on a small bluff overlooking the entire bay with the beach below. I grab a bite to eat and say hello to few of the skippers that I met knocking on hulls. The volleyball net arrives and I set it up with assistance from a young guy named Wilson. I head back to the party and say more hellow's. My skipper from last year is there and I buy him a beer. He is crewing on the Patrica Belle. I meet another skipper who just outfitted a boat and he gives me some advice on my pending sail to New Zealand. It's a fantastic party and everyone is in fine spirits. I make my way down to the volleyball game and we lose a best of 3 but I make some new friends and we have a ball. I donated the net to the fleet two years ago and it is still in great shape. We finish off the party and head back to the boat for a quick dinner. We need to get about up at 0530 for a 0700 departure so I am in bed after dinner. This day is also my 19th wedding anniversary so we toast to that.


Up early and off to the starting line. Before everyone is up, I go for a skinny dip and checkout the bioluminescence. It's beautiful. No wind as we motor south for a 170 mile leg to Cabo San Lucas. We motor till about 1630 and then pull up the spinnaker and hit 6.5 knots. It lasts about 2 hours and then we are back to motoring. We did have a nice curry dinner and some white wine. Resting now for my last watch at 0300.


My last watch on Second Sun was a motor sail with a beautiful star filled night. Venus, Jupitar and Sirius loom large. At the western horizon, I see a line of 26 Haha boats. I head to the bow and let the auto pilot do her thing. As I stare into the darkness ahead, I can almost make out the lights of Cabo San Lucas. I think about the three Haha's I have been on and this one may have been my favorite. Great crew, wonderful weather and the fleet has been very kind to me. I have made some new friends and enjoyed some spectacular sailing. Had a couple midnight watches that were the best of my life. I finished off my watch at 0600 and we arrive in Cabo about 1230. Boat chores complete and we wish our Captain and his wife fair winds. Another Haha under my belt. I am so happy I made the trip and that I brought my friend John along for the ride. Thank you Latitude 38 for another successful rally to the Cape!!!!

Gales, Whales and the Baja Ha-Ha by sail444

Video: Oralcle's Pitchpole and Aftermath

Gettting Ready to Depart for the Baja Haha

We depart on Friday to meet our Cabo bound boat for a 750 mile sail down Baja coast from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas.  This will be my 3rd trip in a row.  We have almost 150 boats going and 500 folks.  The itinerary has sailing for three days to Turtle Bay, a small fishing village.  We stay for 2 days and end with a huge beach party.  Then another 3 days of sailing to Santa Maria Bay.  This beautiful bay is huge and only a few fisherman live on a nearby river.  The families of these fisherman throw us another beach party with a band and great food.  Our last sail is about 24 hours to Cabo where we have a few more events and then my friend John (who is also crewing with me on the same boat) and I will fly back home.  Our boat will continue around the planet on a 5 year lap.  I will be keeping a log and will post upon my return to this blog.  The trip takes 2 weeks so look for it mid November.  I leave you with a few vids that will knock your socks off.  Wish me a bon voyage.

Video: Oracle AC boat badly damaged in pitchpole

Oracle's 72' AC boat pitchpoled in the SF bay and was badly damaged.  Raw video here.

AC boat floats off, Rescuer wants $200k

The French 45' AC cat broke it's mooring and floated to a nearby island in the SF bay.  A local boater saw it on the rocks and towed it in on his Whaler.  Now he wants lots of money for his salvage rights.  The French say $25k is the reward for their "outdated" cat.  Interesting story.  Read the full account here.

Busiest Weekend of the Year for Bay Area

Just returning from a family trip to France and Spain.  Great weather, fantastic food and drink and fun for all.  Thanks Cyn and Ray!  We will be sailing on the bay today to kick off Fleet Week activities that include the Blue Angels Air Show, bookended by fleet racing with the America's Cup 45's.  The show and racing continue through the weekend.  We also have two play off games between the Giants and Reds, SF 49'ers play Buffalo on Sunday, the hugely popular and free Hardly, Strictly Bluegrass Fest, a Madonna Show in San Jose, Castro Street Fair, and the Italian Heritage Parade in North Beach.  The weather looks seasonable for this time of year and no rain is forecast.  It's going to be crazy...and fun!

The Importance of Having a Dream

A while back I was telling a friend about my dream to one day sail to New Zealand.  I am very passionate about my dream and how I am going to go about it.  I then asked my friend if he had any dreams?  He said he had never thought about it.  I was a little taken aback at his response.  I mentioned that dreams and goals are very important and that he should take some time to think about what is important to him and think about what he wants to accomplish in the future.  My sailing dream is so important to me.  It inspires me to learn everything I can about the proper care and feeding of a boat.  It gives me a reason to seek new knowledge about the sailing world which encompasses such a wide spectrum of knowledge and experience.  Have you thought about your dreams lately?  Get crazy and think about the one or two things that will make your life complete.  I have been dreaming about this for about 10 or more years.  It will take another 6 to complete the as I am not departing until 2018.  In the meantime, I am taking baby steps by sailing the Baja Haha, chartering in different locations, reading and planning and lastly, getting out on the Addiction for all sorts of adventures.  I hope I can inspire you to start making a plan to make your dreams come true.  Cowabunga!

Sailing is Awesome!

What a great vid.  Now get out there and do some sailing.  We are heading out on Thursday to celebrate a birthday or two.

Two Sails are better than One

Headed up to the boat Thursday night with hope that our fuel delivery issues were over.  She started but died so I tried to bleed the engine and she started right up.  Still having issues I guess.  The previous week I had taken a part the fuel system to figure out the problem.  Thought I had cleared things up but maybe not.  The engine struggled to get me out the channel for a night sail but we made it.  As I headed out the 2 miles to the end of the Berkeley Pier,  the wind continued to build to 25 knots at 10pm.  Got about halfway to Angel and decided not to push my luck as the waves were pretty big.  Got back towards the channel and the wind was dying.  Tried the engine but no go.  Another sail her into the slip.  Hope I can make it.  As I rounded the corner and into the harbor, I had both sails up to give me the horsepower to get back to the slip.  Getting closer I dropped the main so now I can furl the jib from the cockpit.  There is but a whisper of wind pushing me down the fairway to my slip.  I furl the jib at just the right moment and drop into the slip no problem.  That's the second time in a month I have had to sail her in w/o the engine.  Glad I made it and I will attack the problem in the morning.

After a walk with Kona and some breakfast, I decide I need to replace the fuel filter/water separator.  I pull it and head to Sven's for the replacement.  Not an easy job but I get her in there, prime the lines and she starts right up.  Let's go sailing.  We need to test the new system.  We head to Angel again and as I round the corner to head over to Treasure, I see L'Hydroptere mid bay ripping by at 35 knots.  Amazing boat!  Over to Clipper Cove in about 20 knots of wind and a beautiful sail.  Kona and I go for a nice end of the summer swim and he is loving it.  We make it back around 7pm and I drift off into a 3 hour nap in the v-berth.  What a great couple of sails and I think we are good to go with the new filter.

Barely Legal

Cool Vids

The first one is about a seal who falls in love with a lady on the beach.  The second is talking about the universe and how were are all made of stars.  Both are worth a look.

Birthday week next week and I am planning a sail with friends to celebrate.  54 and there is SO much more!

Hunky Dory to a New Home

I purchased this 16 foot dory in January of 1999.  She was my first real sailboat and man could she sail.  Perfect for the lakes and sloughs in the area.  Once I got comfortable, I started taking her on the bay many times.  I would drop her in at San Leandro and had some amazing runs.  My first golden retriever Sierra and I would head out for some great times and fun sailing on this classic dory with a 505 sloop rig.  I had not sailed her in a year as I have been focusing on our 30' Newport and having a ball sailing her.  So I figured, if I did not sail her this past summer I would pass her on to someone else.  I put an ad in the local CL boat section and within an hour had 3-4 bites.  Nick contacted me and said his daughter was really getting into sailing and he wanted to see the boat.  He showed up at my door and I instantly recognized him.  We had met on the 2010 Baja Haha.  He had his family on a small cat and we were in the same division of the rally to Cabo.  What a small world.  We prepared the boat for travel and off he went.  It was sad as Kona and I watched her drive away.  Some of the adventures I had with her include Lake Del Valle (my fav!), Newark sloughs, Quarry Lakes, Tahoe, Shoreline, Redwood Shores, Redwood City sloughs, San Leandro, Lake Elizabeth, Oakland Estuary, and several others.  The last time I took her out, I almost got arrested for naked sailing.  A fisherman called the cops as I was au natural and the cops showed up.  I think they laughed at the guy for calling them out for my major crimes against humanity, cause they drove away as quick as they got there.  I will miss the Hunky and cherish the time that Sierra and I were sailing in the sloughs and a local newspaper took two pics of us that ended up on the cover.  So cool that I had it framed.  Loved that Hunky Dory.  Good news is she is just 20 minutes away and at a friends house!

Baja Haha 19 Here I Come!!!

I attended the crew list party for the Haha on Wednesday.  I spoke to a few skippers and gave out my resume.  I received a call this morning from Ken on Odyssey this morning that I had been selected as crew.  Their boat is a Islander 41 ketch that will take them around the planet over the next 5 years.  I will join them in San Diego for the 750 mile run down the coast to Cabo with 500 like minded individuals on 180 other boats, at the end of October.  My friend John from the 2010 Haha will round out the crew of 4.  This will be my third Haha in a row.  I am looking forward to another exciting adventure down the Baja coast!

San Francisco: Center of the Sailing Universe

Lately all the cool sailing happenings have been taking place in SF.  Between the America's Cup, L'Hydroptere, the skiff racing and my own amazing sail on Sunday, SF seems to be the center of the sailing universe.  On Friday the St Francis YC hosted the 14th annual Bridge to Bridge run.  All the fastest boats, skiffs,  cats, kites and boarders get together for a 4 mile race from the Golden Gate to the Bay Bridge.  An all out downwind sprint.  L'Hydroptere did the course before everyone else and the crew was disappointed they only hit 37 in 20 knots of wind.  The kiters won the actual race and good on them.  See the race in the vid below.

On Sunday we were hitting 7 knots on our speedo and humming along thru the fog and it was amazing.  We had a nice run up to Tiburon and lunch there.  After, we tore up Raccoon and then headed home.  Another beautiful day on our wonderful bay!