La Paz to Loreto

I met Joel and his boat Akela (Bristal Channel Cutter 29') at the 2022 Baja Haha. Our cruise from San Diego to Cabo ended shorty after the first night out when the water pump on the engine failed. We sailed back to Ensanada to find parts and I flew home. He found the part and continued to La Paz. With huricane season upon us, he needed to move the boat north to San Carlos. I joined him for the sail last week and we headed up the coast about 125 miles to Loreto. The Sea of Cortez (east side of Baja) is unusually beautiful and filled with wild life underwater. There are a ton of anchorages along the way and we hit the hot spots. Isla San Francisco, Los Gatos, Agua Verde to name a few. We averaged about 22 miles a day and took it very easy. There was very little wind so we motored in very lonely waters. Saw a few boats but not many. Once we got to Loreto, we meet up with a bunch of friends at a resort for dinner and fun. I flew out the next day and the boat is currently in San Carlos for the huricane season (June-November). I hope to rejoin the skipper for the return to La Paz in the fall.

Foil Surfing with Kai

I am getting ready to depart for La Paz to met my Haha friend Joel for a sailing adventure. He owns a 29' Bristal Channel cutter that he will leave in MX for a few years while he commutes back and forth to LA. We have a 12 day cruise planned up the Sea of Cortez to Loreto. It's only 120 miles so we will have lots of time to relax and enjoy these amazing waters. This will be my 10th sailing adventure in Mexico. I have some friends staying in Loreto and hopefully we will cross paths. Can't wait to get back to some warm water and hot weather. It's been perrty cool this spring in SF.

San Francisco Sail GP Highlights and Finale

We made it out both Friday and Saturday for the racing. Friday they were warming up and Saturday we saw 3 races. Exciting stuff! Winds were in the mid teens both days. Sunday was a few races and the finals. Check it out!

when the Big Boyz Fail

In a few weeks I will head to La Paz to meet my Haha buddy Joel for a 12 day sail. I joined Joel on last years Baja Haha. We only got about 70 miles down the coast when the water pump on the engine failed. We sailed into Ensanada to find the part and ended up back in San Diego to get it. At that point I flew home. Joel got the engine fixed and made it 850 mile to La Paz. I plan to meet him in La Paz and move the boat up the coast to Loreto (about (120 miles). We plan to sail the islands and enjoy the beauty of this magical place. I depart on May 20.

The Whale That is Stuck in the Bay

A Grey Whale has been hanging around the bay for over 70 days setting a new record. I have seen the whale about 10 times over the last 3 months. Usually between Angel and Alcatraz. This is unusual and the migration from Mexico to Alaska is taking place but most whales don't come in the bay. I have oficially named him Wally and hope to see him again soon!

Where have the bloggers gone? Celebrating 18 years of Bonehead Moves!

I purchased my first keel boat way back in 2000. I started reading all about sailing and lots cool sailing blogs. My hero's were Proper Course, Wetass Chronicles, Frogma, and Horse's Mouth to name a few. They have all left the game and moved on (Horse still posts every few months). Me, I am still sailing hard (3-4 times a week) and blogging a few times a month. The highlight of the blog came when we did our 7 month voyage to Mexico and back to SF. That was amazing! The boat was awesome, the crew delightful and 25 friends and family meeting us along the way. Now we have the video blogs on Youtube. So many it is hard to keep track. My two favorites are La Vagabond and Sailing Doodles. There are so many others! Most feature a beautiful woman or two and lots of thong bikinis. Someone encouraged me to do a video blog and I told them no one wants to watch a bunch of old men motoring around Mexican waters. I think I am correct. This blog is getting close to 3000 entries and one million visits. Not bad for a guy with a dog, a boat and a dream.

Ocean Race Highlights - Southern Ocean

A Lucky Sailor!

Here’s one I will never forget. We were sailing up the Malacca Straits in a loose company of fellow cruisers and headed for the island Kupang off the west coast of Malaysia. The weather was benign and we were able to anchor our ketch Clover in a snug cove surrounded by lush tropical jungle. Not long after we had the anchor down, a good friend, a singled woman aboard her 27-foot sloop, motored into the anchorage and slowly circled us. “Have I got a story to tell,” she called out. So, we invited her over for cocktails and dinner. Five hours earlier, she had been running up the straits in a calm following breeze, wearing only a bikini bottom as she often did in warm weather. She went to the mast to hoist her staysail, gave the halyard a great pull and, since the halyard was not attached to the sail, it ran free propelling her backwards and over the lifelines into the water. She was still holding the halyard as the boat continued to sail away steered by the wind vane. She could hold on, but not hand over hand against the force of the water to get back to the boat. What to do? Not far away she saw a fisherman in his small motorboat and she made the decision to do the only think she could do, she let go of the line. Swimming will all her force toward the boat, she stopped several times to call out and, luckily, the fisherman eventually heard her. He motored to her and helped this half-naked English amazon into his boat. Not sharing any language, our friend managed to make him understand that the little boat sailing away was hers and she needed to be returned to it. He did so but wasn’t happy about it. A blond mermaid emerging from the sea was surreal to him. When they got alongside her boat, he followed our friend aboard and began demanding payment. She offered him a little money from her cruising kitty but he wanted more. Now, seriously afraid for her well-being, alone on her boat with a Malaysian fisherman far from the shore, our friend gave him all she had and then insisted he leave. He did and she was alright, just barely. Shaking and on the verge of tears, she boiled the kettle and made herself a cup of tea. She said after all, “I don’t ever get really traumatized, I just have another cup of tea.” That stiff upper lip served her well and three years later she finished a safe and seamanlike circumnavigation. No, I will never forget her special tale of survival or that very special woman.

Is Sailboat Ownership Worth It?

By Matt P. If you like having money in your bank account, don't own a sailboat! This is countered by the following... “Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” ― Kenneth Grahame , The Wind in the Willows Owning a sailboat is not the choice of the sane. From a pure logic and economic perspective, a sailboat is packaged insanity. It will cost you more than you can possibly imagine, it will never give back any value close to what you put into it and it will demand more from you than the worst spouse imaginable. But treated well she will be your most loyal friend and take you to places where dreams are made of and stories are told from. And where others will long with envy at the tales that trail in the water leaves behind. If I was sane and rational, and I usually am, I wouldn't own a sailboat. The pure financial aspect doesn't make sense. It would be cheaper for me to charter a boat for the times I've sailed on my boat and even then, the costs of doing so work out to the hundreds of dollars per hour. Why do I do it? For the convenience of having my boat when I want it, where I want and on my schedule. And for the fact that she is "mine". Sharing a boat with someone else or using the one bought and paid for by others is like having a turn with the town prostitute. Eventually everyone will know her good points and bad points and the locals know who's been out dallying with her. Boats are best when they are monogamous. Just you and them. It's ok to bring friends out with them to play and socialize but she goes home with you. I love watching starry-eyed people at the sailboat show, giddy about the dream and talking about all the things they will do with a boat. Good boat brokers don't sell boats; they sell dreams. They are weavers of fantasy, beguiling liars telling tales of faraway lands. And it works! I'm on my fourth boat. But I shake my head and smile at the dreamers. They'll learn soon enough... ...that there are worse things to do with your money than buy a sailboat. In the end you may come to regret the purchase and may eventually get rid of her. We all eventually do. The two best days of a sailor’s life are the day you buy her and the day you sell her. But the days in between count too. And those are the ones you will remember fondly long after the money is gone and the boat has found a new home. And you won't begrudge them a bit. Years and memories will fade but the brightest will always be those days among the waves. Don't allow a sailboat into your life! Because once that bug bites hard enough it won't let you go. You'll be a slave to wind and the water. Addicted, entranced, enraptured. And you will be taken as far as you'll allow your soul to wander and your dreams will carry you. It is most definitely not worth it to own a sailboat! You have been warned.

My Favorite Surfer Dude

History Lesson: Ayala, First Sailor to Sail into the SF Bay

Sailors first began to sail the west coast way back in the 1500's. They sailed by the entrance of SF Bay for over 250 years, before a Spanish exploror sailed his boat into the bay in 1775. The first report about San Francisco Bay came from Sgt. José Francisco Ortega (1734-98). Ortega, who had been born in Mexico and served in the army, was with the Portolá expedition in 1769-70. When Portolás party was looking for Monterey Bay in 1769, they went north to what is now the San Francisco Peninsula. There, on November 1, Sgt. Ortega met some Indians who seemed to be telling him that there was a ship anchored to the north. When Ortega went to investigate, he saw a large, unknown body of water blocking his way. Ortega followed the shoreline far enough to see that the water stretched far to the north. Portolá was not interested in the discovery. He wrote: “I did not linger there, nor did I see anything worthy of description there, save only a labyrinth of bays and channels which inundate the territory.” This was the shallow southern end of the bay. Father Crespí saw more possibilities. He wrote: “It is a very large and fine harbor, such that not only all the navy of our most Catholic Majesty but those of all Europe could take shelter in.” Portolá left California in 1770 after establishing the Monterey presidio (fort). Lt. Fages, who was in charge there, did some exploring around San Francisco Bay in 1771-72. While scouting on the east side of the bay, he saw the Golden Gate entrance. It was about this time that the name Bahia de San Francisco (Bay of San Francisco) began to be used. The explorers thought the new bay was an estuary of the smaller bay to the north (now called Drake’s Bay) which had been called San Francisco Bay by Sebastián Cermeño in 1595. AYALA’S JOURNEY Ayala was in Mexico in the spring of 1775. An expedition was being readied to sail from San Blas (Mexico) to Alta (Upper) California. Three ships would make the journey: the frigate Santiago, the schooner Sonora, and the San Carlos, which had been part of the Sacred Expedition to San Diego in 1769. The mission of the San Carlos was to sail into San Francisco Bay. The other two ships were to continue north along the coast, searching for a Northwest Passage across the continent. Ayala was to be the captain of the Sonora. Just before sailing, however, the captain of the San Carlos had a mental breakdown and Ayala took over as captain of that ship. The San Carlos carried a cargo of dried meat, garlic, red peppers, and live chickens and cows, and a crew of 23. The San Carlos reached Monterey Bay near the end of June 1775. Planning his exploration into the great bay, Ayala had the ship’s carpenter make a canoe from a big redwood tree. On August 4, 1775, the San Carlos was at the entrance to San Francisco Bay. The water was choppy and looked dangerous. Knowing that a small boat had more chance in choppy seas, Ayala sent a group of sailors in the canoe with instructions to row through the opening, into the bay. If the canoe got through, Ayala would follow with the ship. In charge of this canoe was a young navigator named José Cañizares. He had been on the overland part of the Sacred Expedition from Baja (Lower) California to San Diego in 1769, and had remained in San Diego. Now he was serving as Ayala’s pilot. Hours went by, and there was no sign of the canoe returning. About an hour before dark, Ayala decided to take the ship through the entrance anyway. He managed this safely, and anchored near the shore. In the morning, Cañizares and the crew of the canoe were there. Ayala then found a good harbor for the San Carlos at an island in the bay where there was a supply of wood and water. Ayala explored the bay for 40 days, making drawings and descriptions as well as making friends with the local indian tribes. He named Angel Island and Alcatraz Island (though the island he called Alcatraz is now Yerba Buena Island and the name Alcatraz was transferred to another island). He had hoped to find a passage from the north end of San Francisco Bay out to Drake’s Bay, but none existed. He did find the mouth of the Sacramento River emptying into the bay at the north end. He described the salt marshes at the south end of the bay, and the groves of oak trees on the hills to the east of the bay. Before leaving San Francisco Bay, Ayala put up a wooden cross near the bluff where they had anchored the first night. Beneath it he buried a message about their exploration. He then sailed the San Carlos out through the Golden Gate on September 17, 1775. WHAT HE ACCOMPLISHED Ayala was the first to sail a ship through the Golden Gate and into San Francisco Bay. He made the first charts of the bay, taking soundings to determine the depth of the bay at 485 places. LATER YEARS Ayala and the San Carlos went back to Monterey, and then on to Mexico. The other two ships in the fleet had gone north, one of them as far as Alaska, but found no Northwest Passage across the continent. They met Ayala in Monterey and the three ships returned together to Mexico.

Ocean Race Drone from Leg 3

I love the reaction of the crew when they see how cool the boat looks from above sailing along at just under 30 knots of boat speed.

J Class Crash

This happened in Antigua a few years ago. Apperently the skipper on the boat that got hit swung the stern around towards the other boat and they collided. Had he stayed on course, there may not hve been a collision. These boats are so big and their rudders are small and don't respond very well. The racer that went overboard suffered some broken ribs and survived.

Sailboat Sinks in South Pacific after Encounter with Whale

Ealier this week a sail boat was 13 days into a 20 day passage to the Islands. They encountered a whale and the boat sunk. Mayday was announced and within 10 hours another sailboat resuced them from their life raft. Read the full account here: https://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/2023/03/15/#sailboat-sinks-rammed-by-whale-pacific

My New Favorite Song!

I am not a musician however I am a music lover, also know as a melomaniac. I found this song on a cool station on SirusXM called Coffee House Classics, acoustic songs from the 90's and 2000's. The song is 47 years in the making. It was recorded after a near death accident by Bob Dylan and members of The Band. Here is the history of the song: Bob Dylan is universally regarded as one of the world’s most popular and acclaimed songwriters, musicians and performers, having sold more than 125 million albums and performed literally thousands of shows around the world spanning six decades. His influence and impact on our culture is unparalleled, and his artistic output of recordings and songs are both cultural landmarks and the genesis of countless great songwriters and musicians that have emerged in the decades since Dylan exploded onto the global stage. Among Dylan’s many cultural milestones, the legendary Basement Tapes – dozens of songs written and recorded by Dylan in 1967, backed by members of his touring ensemble who would later achieve their own fame as The Band – have long fascinated and enticed successive generations of musicians, fans and cultural critics alike. Having transformed music and culture during the preceding five years, Dylan had reached unparalleled heights by 1966 through the release of three historic albums, the groundbreaking single, “Like A Rolling Stone,” a controversial and legendary ‘electric’ performance at the Newport Folk Festival and wildly polarizing tours of the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom. Dylan’s mercurial rise and prodigious body of work in that decade came to an abrupt end in July, 1966 when he was reported to be nearly killed in a motorcycle accident in upstate New York. Recovering from his injuries and away from the public eye for the first time in years, Dylan ensconced himself, along with Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson (and later, Levon Helm), in the basement of a small house in West Saugerties, New York – dubbed “Big Pink” by the group. This collective recorded more than a hundred songs over the next several months – traditional covers, wry and humorous ditties, off-the cuff performances and, most important, dozens of newly-written Bob Dylan songs, including future classics “I Shall Be Released,” “The Mighty Quinn” and “You Ain’t Going Nowhere. When rumors and rare acetates of some of these recordings began surfacing, it created a curiosity strong enough to fuel an entirely new segment of the music business: the bootleg record. In 1969 an album mysteriously titled Great White Wonder began showing up in record shops around the country, and the music from that summer of 1967 started seeping into the fabric of our culture and penetrating the souls of music lovers everywhere. With each passing year, more and more fans sought out this rare contraband, desperate to hear new music from the legendary Bob Dylan. The actual recordings, however, remained commercially unavailable until 1975, when Columbia Records released a scant 16 of them on The Basement Tapes album. Lost On The River: The New Basement Tapes is a music event 47 years in the making. The album celebrates the discovery of never-seen Bob Dylan lyrics from that legendary 1967 period and marks a creative highpoint for the album’s participants – Burnett, Costello, Giddens, Goldsmith, James and Mumford – who have brought them to life nearly 50 years later. As Burnett explains, “What transpired during those two weeks was amazing for all of us. There was a deep well of generosity and support in the studio at all times, which reflected the tremendous trust and generosity shown by Bob in sharing these lyrics with us in the first place.” Marcus Mumford is the vocalist on this song.

Inside the latest IMOCA60

The Ocean Race is well underway and these boat are flying around the planet at 25 knots and more. Take a tour of the latest technologies and design with Team Malizia. Here is an look at racing these boats from the inside. They are capable of 600 miles in 24 hours! This is Team 11th Hour.

Out the Gate with Hana

We took off about 2pm with a 10 knot breeze from the south. As storms approach the Bay Area, the wind always comes from the south. This is a pefect set up for going out the Gate. The tide was flooding so that conditions were ideal, as if you get in trouble out there, the tide will push you back into the bay and not the ocean. Within a couple hours, we were sailing out towards the Pacific. Good tunes, lots of gusts to over 20 and a very memorable sail. Did I mention I was the only boat out on a Monday? For us in Northern Califonia, summer begins with Daylight Savings and what a great start to my favorite season!

Been Gone and Now Back in Action

A few vacations stacked up that were very fun indeed. Two weeks ago we got caught in that monster storm in Lake Tahoe. Hana and her two siblings, along with our best friends headed up to Tahoe just before the storm hit. We got snowed in for three days and 50 inches of snow. The roads were all closed for very good reason. We got a break in the storm and the roads opend and we took off for home. We made the best of it and the dogs loved the snow. Then it was off to Arizona with the boys for a little spring traing games with the Giants and the A's in Scottsdale. We rented a house and attended three games in 70 degree weather. More storms at home and no sailing so it was a perfect time to get away. In Lake Tahoe, we are passing all records for snow at this time of year. Several ski resorts are reporting over 600 inches of snow. That's 50 feet! This bodes well for our water supply in California. Another big storm is due to arrive on Tuesday. The hits just keep on coming with the storm door wide open and much more wet stuff on its way.

SailGP in Sydney

The races were close and exciting. Then the freak storm came and one of the wings took off in the storm causing lots of damage. Never thought I would ever see something like this!

Netflix Sailing Movie: True Spirit

I followed her voyage around the world back in 2009/10 pretty closely. I did not know about that last storm. I enjoyed the movie and thought the lead did a great job. Check it out

Unreal Video: The Death Zone, Mt. Everest

I have a friend who is thinking about climbing this 29,000 foot mountain. After watching this video he had second thoughts about the summit. Would you attempt such a climb? Here is some info to digest: It costs about $50k - $60k to hire guides and sherpas to help you summit. It takes about 6-8 weeks on the mountain to get to the top. Most folks take a year to get in the best shape of their life for the climb. About 6,000 folks have made to the top. About 350 people have died making the attempt. Most die on the way down. Most of their bodies are still on the mountain. On summit day, there can be long lines of people trying to get to the top. A traffic jam on top of Everest! About 700-800 people attempt the climb each year. Only 50% will summit. There is alot of suffering on this climb due to length of time at high elevation and lack of proper rest. The brain won't sleep when it does not have enough oxygen. Full screen only!

Amazzzing Sail

Hana and I took off with a favorable tide and light winds on Wednesday. Winds were 8-10kt which is perfect for a winter sail. Boat speed was 3-5k and the water surface was smooth. Heading towards the city we spotted 2 whales near Angel Island in about 40 feet of water. That's rare, however after 40 years of sailing, I have seen about a dozen. Three sailboats were around me, they tacked towards the city and I took off in great winds towards Red Rock and the only boat for miles. Another tack towards Angel and we hit the beach for some fun. I am loving the 10kt days on the bay and there have been many. This week I will sail 5 out of 7 days (wife out of town!). Cowabunga!

Bonehead Move of the Week

Up in Oregon, a man stole a motor yacht and tried to head to sea. The boat ran into trouble at the river bar and the Coast Guard was called. As a rescue swimmer attempted to get to the boat, a huge wave hit the boat with the man standing near the aft of the boat. Both rescuer and man were rescued and the man on the boat later arrested.

Growndswell - the movie

Celebrating 40 years of Sailing the Bay!

Way back in 1983, I started sailing the SF bay. My friend Jeff would rent boats and invite friends to go sailing. I had no idea back then it would become my passion later in life. In 84, I moved in with my girlfriend into an apartment overlooking a big lagoon. A friend let me borrow his windsurfer for the summer and I was hooked. Eventually I purchased my own board and started sailing the bay and delta. I loved the speed and freedom. In 2000, I purchased my first keel boat. The "Addiction" (what an appropriate name!) was a 30 foot sloop that would take us all over the bay as well as the Napa and Petaluma Rivers. I sailed her hard for 17 years and she was a joy even in the big winds of the bay. My dream was to sail to Australia after retirement. It would take a year to get to Sydney. My best friend Tex was game and we sailed together weekly for many years. I sold the Addiction in August of 2017 and purchased a beautiful 40 foot sloop for the voyage. In the midst of refitting her and upgrading the electronics on "Aquarius", my wife asks that I shorten the trip to 7 months. I agree and we target an adventure deep into Mexico and then back to SF. We take off a few days into retirement in September 2018 and head down the California coast. The Channel Islands, Santa Barbara and San Diego held many highlights for us. We spent several weeks in each location with friends visiting along the way. We arrived in Mexico in November and hit our southern most point in March 2020. Zihuantenejo is a beautiful harbor and all of the locals were friendly and warm the entire trip. We headed north in early March and arrived under the Golden Gate in mid April after a most successful voyage. The boat and crew did an awesome job and I could not have been happier. Fast forward to today and boat lives up near Berekely and she is sailed weekly. I found my passion and my life is full of sunshine and seagulls. The SF Bay is one of the greatest sailing venues in the world. With 25 knot winds all summer and a bit mellower in the winter, I am one happy sailor!! Here is some nice drone footage of the bay. This is not my boat but "Wild Card" is looking good in the vid.

MLK Day with 10@10

Our local rock station used to honor MLK day with a musical tribute on 10@10. KFOG is long gone but another DJ picked up the 10@10 show and even got the original host, Dave Morey involved. The tag line was "10 great songs from one great year." Here is a show from Soundwaves copying the 10@10 formula and featuring MLK. Listen and learn! There are about 400 other 10@10's on Soundwaves for you to enjoy. https://www.mixcloud.com/soundwavesFM/soundwaves-1010-108-mlk/

Massive Waves Slam California

Having lived near the ocean in the Bay Area for 40 years, I have seen my share of storms and waves. The storms started rolling in New Year's Eve and have not stopped since. And this is after many years of drought. Our biggest reservoirs have been storing less than 45% of their capacity. Trees and forests are dying due to the drought. Fires are raging in the summer and causing our skies to darken at mid day. California is struggling to say the least. Now with the onslaught of these storms, we struggle more. Yes we need the water but this has been too much. Towns being wiped out by waves, flooding, homes inundated with water, thousands of trees down due to satuated soil, rivers surging over their banks, people found dead in their cars when they drove in water that got too deep, and the list goes on. Today is Friday the 13th and it is still raining with 3 more storms on the way. They say it will be clear in a week or so and that will be none too soon. Lastly, the good news, the snow pack in the Sierra Nevada, which provides our drinking water, is over 200% at the moment. We are expecing another 8 feet in the coming days. Mammouth Mountain ski resort closed earlier this week due to too much snow. 440 inches have fallen, which is twice as much as all season last year. We still have 2.5 more months of snow to go! ve

The Ocean Race Begins in 3 Days

Since 1973, The Ocean Race has provided the ultimate test of a team and a human adventure like no other. Over four decades it has kept an almost mythical hold over some of the greatest sailors and been the proving ground for the legends of our sport. 

 The Ocean Race is often described as the longest and toughest professional sporting event in the world, sailing’s toughest team challenge and one of the sport’s Big Three events, alongside the Olympic Games and America’s Cup. To truly understand the race, though, it’s better to think of it in a way the athletes who take part will recognise immediately. Put simply, The Ocean Race is an obsession, and many of the world's best sailors have dedicated years, even decades of their lives trying to win it. Take Sir Peter Blake, who competed in the first edition of what was then the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1973-74 and came back again and again until he finally conquered his Everest, securing an overwhelming victory with Steinlager 2 in 1989-90. Only then was he able to fully turn his attention to other projects. The race sits, just as it always has, at the intersection of human adventure, and world-class competition. Thanks to the work of the Onboard Reporters embedded with every team, fans are given a unique insight into just what it takes to win a race that is relentless in its demands – as teams give everything they have, 24 hours a day, in pursuit of the tiny advantages that can make all the difference. The race’s concept is simple: it’s a round-the-clock pursuit of competitive edge and the ultimate ocean marathon, pitting the sport’s best sailors against each other across the world’s toughest waters. It’s relentless: the importance of winning, the adventure of life on board, the transformative effect on the sailors — all of these combine to give the race its power and depth. The last edition of the race was the closest in history, with three teams virtually tied, approaching the finish line. After 126 days of racing spread across 11 legs, the winning margin for Charles Caudrelier’s Dongfeng Race Team was only 16 minutes. The top three teams were separated by just four points. A total of 2.5 million people visited the Race Villages during the 2017-18 event, getting a first-hand taste of the action. Millions more followed the action on our digital platforms, television and via the news as the race set new high-marks for international coverage. Now we enter a new era as the event continues to evolve. Two classes will compete in the 2022-23 edition of the race with the addition of the high-tech, foiling IMOCA 60 class adding a design and technical element. The one-design VO65 fleet will race on its third lap of the planet in 2022, with an emphasis on competition, youth and crew diversity. Following the success of our ground-breaking and award-winning sustainability efforts in the last race, sustainability will continue to be a core value of the race as we go forward, as we redouble our efforts to restore ocean health and lead, inspire and engage on this critical issue. The next edition of The Ocean Race will start from Alicante, Spain on 15 January 2023.

Best Sail of the Year!

Welcome to 2023! New Year’s Day turned out to be a spectacular sailing day! Winds were forecasted to be 10-15 with gusts to 30. We got the 10-15 but otherwise sunny and mild. The winds move to the north in the winter and make some very long tacks towards Red Rock. We had a huge rainstorm the day before and so I was on the lookout for debris but found little in my way. Hana and I set out at 11:30 just as the wind was coming up. No ferries, tankers or barges all day! We had a fabulous run up to Paradise Cove and Scott’s House. Hana was itching for the beach so I threw a stick overboard, she fetched it and was on the beach in no time. I soon followed in the kayak. After a nice lunch in the cockpit we headed back under motor. As we got to the Berkeley Pier, the wind picked up and we sailed her in as the sun set. What a way to begin another fine sailing season on the SF Bay. 2023 will mark my 40th year of sailing the Bay!!!!

2022 - A look back at our amazing year!

2022 was off the hook! We had a bunch of travel that had been postponed due to restrictions and it all came to fruition this year. Also, in my 4th year of retirement, my sailing days increased as did the pleasure of being out there both solo and with friends. It may have been the best year of my life! New motto: At 64...there is so much more! My family is doing great and my wife is happy too. Here are some of the highlights: Finished up 2021 with a trip to the Galapagos. We took 8 friends with us for a voyage to the islands of Darwin.  Our ship was an old whaling vessel that had been converted into a luxury cruiser.  30 guests and 20 crew made the trip memorable.  The guides that took out exploring each day were awesome.  They loved showing off their islands and passing on their intimate knowledge of the flora and fauna.  The weather was great as was the food and drink.  Next up was a sailboat charter out of La Paz, MX.  5 guy friends and a 40 foot cat took us to some incredible islands for snorkeling and kayaking.  We had a breath taking first night with an amazing sunset and conversation.  More fun ensued until we were ready to depart.  Three of us tested positive for Covid and had to quarantine at a Cabo hotel for 5 days.  Next it was on to the BVI's for a 60' cat charter with 3 other couples.  These are friends of 35 years and we let the good times roll.  With a chef and captain, the only orders I was giving was for more boat drinks!  The Baths and Soggy Dollar were the highlights.  Our last big adventure was 12 days of safari in the Serengeti of Africa.  I must say the animals seem to be thriving and we saw it all.  4 camps with great guides to show us the best that Africa has to offer.   Beside the two sail charters,  I had lots of time to hit the SF Bay for some rip roaring good times.  Our 40' Jeanneau is doing well and sailing like a champ.  I took out loads of friends and dogs as well as lots of solo sails on the Bay.  We also sailed to a few Giants games where we park the boat in a slip next to the ballpark and head in for some fun.  Most sails include a stop at the beach for a swim with our golden Hana.  She loves to swim to the beach and romp around.  Our Bluetooth anchoring system is a dream and makes it very easy to anchor from the cockpit.  I am loving retirement and keeping very busy.  Here is to another fantastic year in 2023!  Cheers. 

McCovey Cove at the Giants ballpark on a good day to catch a homer into the water!

How Much Do The Top Sailing Channels Earn?

Race Start - Sydney Hobart

Race begins at the 28:36 mark.

Worst Day in 55 Years of Sailing

The former owner and editor of Latitude 38, Richard Spindler, owns a huge 63' cat that sails mostly in Mexico these days. Here is his summery of his worst day ever: My worst day in 55 years of sailing? I think so. And it was supposed to be such a great day, with us on Profligate going up against Fred and Judy’s all-conquering Serendipity 43 Wings, Randy and Sally-Christine’s Wylie 65 Convergence, and about 20 other boats. To add insult to injury, the event was the Pirates for Pupils Spinnaker Run for Charity from Punta Mita to Paradise Marina, an event I started and have done countless times. It’s always a downwind sail in which, unlike the light-air upwind races, Profligate can shine. The morning started great, with the very young local kids putting on a dance performance for members of the fleet. Doña was in heaven, dancing and hugging all the little kids. But she wouldn’t be in heaven for long. As I motored Profligate upwind to raise the main, we were getting closer to the shore by the Punta Mita restaurants. We were having some issues with the lazy jacks, which meant it was taking longer to get the main up, which meant we kept getting closer to shore. But I know the area well, and judged that we were still in deep enough water. My judgment was proven wrong as Profligate slammed to an abrupt halt from about five knots when the starboard daggerboard crunched into one of the big rocks that are scattered around the otherwise sand bottom. While Profligate came to a complete stop, the 11 crewmembers didn’t. Some were tossed into bulkheads or knocked off their feet. But Doña, who had been leaning on the seagull striker, suffered the most. When Profligate stopped, she kept right on going. Right off the front of the boat. It wasn’t the most enjoyable swim of her life, as the current was pretty strong and she’s not the strongest swimmer. She never did get far from Profligate, still grinding her daggerboard on the rock, but it was easiest for a panga to fish her out of the water. Over the years we’ve seen a lot of very large “boat bites” during boat-bite contests in the Baja Ha-Ha. But when we got back to the condo that night, we discovered that Doña had the biggest boat bite we’ve ever seen. It’s a wicked-looking hematoma about the size of Rhode Island, right on her bum. And it was swollen. Striking the rock, and Doña’s going overboard, weren’t the end of our troubles. I’d invested a small fortune in some upgraded halyards and sheet stoppers that are a little bit different from the ones we had before. They are still a little confusing, too, so — and I still don’t know quite how — after we had the spinnaker up for a few minutes the spinny halyard slipped about 35 feet. We were shrimping! We tried to hoist the spinnaker back up, but that merely succeeded in getting the chute caught under both sides of the starboard hull. Merde! Not only was it the end of that old chute’s life, it took a lot of work on the part of the crew to retrieve it. Ultimately we got another chute up and had some decent sailing, but by this time Fred and Judy, and Randy and Sally-Christine, were so far ahead we couldn’t have seen them with the Hubble telescope. So we headed for the barn. Mind you, hitting the rock, Doña’s going overboard, and shrimping the chute were only the highlights of a day when pretty much everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Even the autopilot decided to stop working. Merde! Merde! Merde! When Doña was in the water, she was surrounded by bits of foam and fiberglass, the source of which could only be the bottom of Profligate‘s starboard daggerboard, now firmly embedded in the crash box. It’s likely going to need a haulout to get that daggerboard out, although we’ll try other methods. Hopefully it will be another 50 years before we have another day of sailing so awful.

Gnarly Wipeouts on Huge Waves

Bonehead Move of the Year!

Two sailors departed NJ recently on a 30 foot sailboat and got in trouble with the weather off Cape Hatteras. They lost their mast in a terrible storm and drifted north for 10 days. Out of food, out of water and ready to die when a tanker spotted them and made a rescue. Heading down the east coast to Florida this late in the season is not a wise idea. Not knowing there was a storm coming as they passed the most dangerous cape on the east coast was a bad mistake. Not having enough water is a terrible place to be. No emergency beacon either. These guys did not have a clue about what they were doing. They should have taken the intercoastal waterway and dodged the storm or gone into port had they known about it. They barely escaped disaster by sipping water out of their water packed bean cans. I hope this will be their last voyage! Glad they are safe. https://www.insider.com/two-men-pet-dog-rescued-missing-at-sea-days-2022-12

Top 25 sailing Blogs

Here is a list from the Adventure Junkies: Scuttlebutt, Sailing Anarchy, Sail World, Sailing World, Cruising World, Sailing Totem, Yachting Monthly, 48 North, Nauticed, Sailing Britican, XS Sailing, Rooster Sailing, First Class Sailing, 59 Degrees North, Yachtrubyrose, Sailing Europe, Danielis Yachting, Laser Sailing, Cream Puff, Dinghy Dreams, Live Free 2 Sail Fast, Bluefoot Travel, Coastapus, Escape Under Sail, Sailing To Win. Here is the original article with links to the blogs: https://www.theadventurejunkies.com/best-sailing-blogs/

A Voyage to the Line Islands on a Gun Boat

I featured this 4 part adventure a while ago but it is so good I have to run it again. John John Florence has been on top of the surfing game for a while now. He has fallen hard for sailing and wants to do an open ocean expedition. He and some buds take off for a one month odyssey. I really enjoyed rewatching this vid plus I love Gun boats!

The Big Waves at Nazare Explained

Here is a link to an article that explains why the waves are so big at this epic surf spot. https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/oceanography/waves-nazare.htm

Why the 1979 Fastnet Race was so Deadly

A Sad Lesson

I have heard this story too many times: A husband and wife take off on an around the planet cruise of a lifetime. The husband has prepared the boat and is a knowledgeable sailor. In his haste, he neglects to tell his wife the basics of the boat. They are far from shore when he falls off the boat. His wife has no idea how to turn the boat around and save him. The boat sails away with a very sad, frantic and remorseful wife sailing into the sunset with no idea how to even save herself. Showing your partner the basics of the boat and how to rescue the skipper with man overboard drilss is so very important. Even on a day sail. You can read the details here: https://trinidadexpress.com/newsextra/this-yacht-will-never-sail-again/article_20d12be6-6ad4-11ed-8664-5fa24c0ed283.html

The Tale of a Dog by John Muir

I ran across a wonderful story by naturalist John Muir. During one of his trips to Alaska in the late 1800's, he came upon a dog that joined him in a boating adventure. Muir is an amzing story teller and this adventure is riviting. Here is a taste of the story: On our trip he soon proved himself a queer character--odd, concealed, independent, keeping invincibly quiet, and doing many little puzzling things that piqued my curiosity. As we sailed week after week through the long intricate channels and inlets among the innumerable islands and mountains of the coast, he spent most of the dull days in sluggish ease, motionless, and apparently as unobserving as if in deep sleep. But I discovered that somehow he always knew what was going on. When the Indians were about to shoot at ducks or seals, or when anything along the shore was exciting our attention, he would rest his chin on the edge of the canoe and calmly look out like a dreamy-eyed tourist. And when he heard us talking about making a landing, he immediately roused himself to see what sort of a place we were coming to, and made ready to jump overboard and swim ashore as soon as the canoe neared the beach. Then, with a vigorous shake to get rid of the brine in his hair, he ran into the woods to hunt small game. But though always the first out of the canoe, he was always the last to get into it. When we were ready to start he could never be found, and refused to come to our call. We soon found out, however, that though we could not see him at such times, he saw us, and from the cover of the briers and huckleberry bushes in the fringe of the woods was watching the canoe with wary eye. For as soon as we were fairly off he came trotting down the beach, plunged into the surf, and swam after us, knowing well that we would cease rowing and take him in. When the contrary little vagabond came alongside, he was lifted by the neck, held at arm's length a moment to drip, and dropped aboard. We tried to cure him of this trick by compelling him to swim a long way, as if we had a mind to abandon him; but this did no good; the longer the swim the better he seemed to like it. I hope you will read the entire story here https://vault.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/writings/stickeen/the_story_of_a_dog.aspx

Out The Gate

On Sunday I took some neighbors out for a sail along with their dog. The temps here on the bay are in the 60's and very nice when you get in out of any wind. We hit Clipper Cove and took the dogs to the beach. They loved it. Back on board the champagne was flowing. We hit the point and there was a bit of wind. Once we got going the wind changed direction and we were in a perfect position to head out the gate without tacking. This does not happen very often. Soon it was 12-15kts and we were flying. We made all the way to Pt. Bonita for a look up and down the coast. Beautiful. I only get out this way once in a while as the tides and the wind have to alighn. Heading back we kept the sails up but needed to motor sail. We came back in after dark to a happy crew and happy dogs. A day for the record books for sure. I told my friends that this was the sail of the year! That is saying alot as I sail 120-140 days a year!

Baja Haha Bummer!

Made it down to San Diego on Friday. I had the whole weekend to find a boat for the Haha. I hit the police dock and no one is looking for crew. Next day, I rented a jet ski for a tour of the local anchorages. The Haha boats are over 3 miles away so the jet ski got me there quick. No takers after hitting a dozen boats. Headed to the kick off party on Sunday and still no one looking for crew. I was getting concerned. Finally, I hooked up with Akela at the last minute at the party. His crew had cold feet and created a spot for me. We took off Monday and things were going great. We passed Ensenada and a few hours later the water pump on the engine failed. No more engine. We decided our best option was to sail back to Ensanda 60 miles and look for parts. We made it in with a tow the last mile. We found the part in San Diego. We took a car there. Joel got the parts and I headed back to SF on the plane. Joel and I hit it off and are life long friends. This would have been my 7th Haha. Maybe next year! Good luck to the fleet! When we were driving up the coast winds were in the high 20's on Thursday.

Baja Haha here I come!

Heading out on Friday to San Diego and hope to join a boat for the 750 mile run to Cabo with 130 boats and 450 friendly folks. I arrive on Friday and begin knocking on hulls to find a ride. This will be my 7th Haha. The first leg is about 350 miles to Turtle Bay, asleepy fishing village in the middle of nowhere. We have a big beach party there. The next leg is about 250 miles to Santa Maria and another bash on a bluff overlooking the fleet. Then an overnight run to Cabo. More celebrations! One of the many highlights was 1000 dolphins around our boat in 2010. A few years later, I felt it was a perfect time for the green flash so I announced my thought over the radio to the fleet. Several cruisers doubted me and one said he had been looking for 40 years and not seen it. As the sun went down, a huge green flash occured. No one could believe it. Wish me a bon voyage!

The Duke!

Coming soon to streaming! Ambassador of Aloha. Surfer of the Century. Six-time medal winner over the course of a 20-year Olympic career in swimming and water polo. Credited with popularizing surfing the world over. Actor. Lifesaver (literally saved eight drowning men at one time in Newport Beach). Rider of (presumably) the longest wave in modern times (1 1/8 miles). Sheriff of Honolulu (for 13 straight elections). Continue reading here: https://www.adventure-journal.com/2022/03/historical-badass-duke-kahanamoku-ambassador-of-aloha/

Download The Mag - The West Coasts' Finest Sailing Mag

Go to latitude38.com for the free download. October is looking like a sailing month indeed. Our transmission got replaced and she is running well. The part came from Lithuania on Ebay and fit perfectly. Back on the water! This week is Fleet Week (Blue Angels) and I plan to take some folks out. Then we are off to Monterey for a week. Tex will join me for a harbor hop down the coast (Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz and Monterey) with day sails in between to each destination. Then at the end of October, I will fly down to San Diego and join the Baja Haha. I knock on hulls until I find a boat. On October 31, 140 boats and 500 friendly folk will depart for the 750 mile run down the Baja coast to Cabo San Lucas. Two stops along the way for some beach parties. This will be my 7th time on the Haha! I can't wait and will surley have some tall tales to tell. Bon voyage!

TedTalk - R2AK

Golden Globe Race

In September 2022, Kirsten Neuschäfer will line up at the start of the Golden Globe Race, a solo, unassisted, non-stop single-handed race around the world. This retro race is run on the anniversary of the first Golden Globe Race in 1968/9, which was won by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, who became the first person to sail solo, non-stop around the world. Entrants are limited to sailing similar yachts and equipment to what was available to Sir Robin in that first race. That means sailing without modern technology or the benefit of satellite-based navigation aids. In contrast to the current professional world of elite ocean racing, this edition travels back to a time known as the ‘Golden Age’ of solo sailing. The only woman entered in this edition of the race, Kirsten has been sailing dinghies since her childhood, and became a professional sailor in 2006. Undertaking many inter-continental sailboat deliveries, she has over 150,000 nautical miles of sailing experience. In 2015, she began working for Skip Novak on his Pelagic Expeditions to South Georgia, The Antarctic Peninsula, Patagonia and the Falklands. Kirsten has sailed several film crews down to capture the beauty of the Antarctic, taking the National Geographic series “Wild_Life Resurrection Island with Bertie Gregory” and the BBC series “Seven Worlds, One Planet” to remote South Georgia. When she was just 22, Kirsten cycled on her own from Europe, across the entire African continent, back home to South Africa. The trip brought trials and tribulations but was life-enriching in every sense, giving her the deepest appreciation of Africa and its people. The Golden Globe Race sets out from Les Sables-d’Olonne, France on September 4th, 2022, and follows a route down the Atlantic, eastwards around the Southern Ocean via the five Great Capes, and back to France – a distance of over 30,000 nautical miles. It will involve seven to nine months at sea. This is a race of attrition, luck, seamanship… and adventure! Small yachts in the Southern Ocean are extremely vulnerable, and it will require self reliance and tremendous strength of character and self belief to reach the finish. This short film tells the story of her extraordinary journey to the start line of the Golden Globe Race 2022.

Men Are So Simple

Boat won't start...can't figure out why.

R2AK - The Movie

As you may know I love the spirit of this race. It's a 750 mile dash up the "river" from Pt. Townsend to Ketchikan, AK. There are very few rules which is on purpose. The biggest being that there are no motors, only humum inovation to keep the boat moving when there is no wind. The race started back in 2015 so by now there is tons of footage to make a movie. The movie is currently making its rounds in the multiplexes but you can also rent it and stream it on the big screen thru airplay. Contact is: ian@r2akthemoviedotcom $20 If you are at all interested please rent it and enjoy. It is a great look at a very unique race thru the wilds of Canada and the Inside Passage. Winner gets $10k, second place: a beautiful set of steak knives!

Best of Nazare

Burning Man!

I love that vid! I have been very fortunate to find a group of like minded folks at the Burn. Our camp consisted of 49 friendly folks in a great setting. Our RV's circled the camp which housed our awesome art car the Bioluminesent Slug, a fire pit and canopies with netting to keep the dust out. We spent our days touring the playa, heading to parties, dancing to the hottest DJ's on the planet and dodging dust storms. Each night we had a group dinner that was filled with great food and conversation. The weather was one of the best in recent years. The morning were usually cloud covered, falling to blue skies and then a bit of wind and dust in the afternoon. The evening were spectacular with mild temps and no wind. When you enter the playa at night you are blown away by all the LED lights on the people, the art cars and the bikes. Like Vegas on steroids. On the night of the burn, we headed to the playa. Everything was perfect. As soon as the sunset, the wind gods came alive with an amazing dust storm and violent winds. After 30 minutes, it began to mellow and the burn was on. Pretty amazing indeed. On our way out, we got caught in a 8+ hour delay at the gate. Someone was lost so they closed the gate. Took about 15 hours to get home. If you are thinking about joining the tribes next year, I would say go and have the metamorphosis of your life! This report was from 2016. My third burn.

Boat Follies

I don't usually post these vids as they are ubiquitous on Youtube. I watched this one and I could not resist. There must be a few million in damages here. Hope they all had insurance.

From the Achives: The boat that started our foiling craze!

The Hydroptere is an amazing foiling boat that really started it all. Take a look back at how it all began along with their many failures and success. We saw this boat on the bay back in 2013 when they stopped by while training for a record run to Hawaii (they ran in to some trouble and did not break the record of 4 days and change). The French eventually sold the boat to a group in Richmond. They were getting the boat ready and the lead guy died of a heart attack and things have slowed to a crawl. Have not heard from them in a while although I can still see some of their containers in Richmond near KKMI. Hope they get back on their feet, er foil!

America's Cup Documentary

Netflix has released a new vid you should check out. Relive the magic of the 1983 America’s Cup in The Race of the Century, a new episode of Netflix’s Untold Series, available today. The hour-and-a-half documentary tells the story of an underdog group of Australians who set out to dethrone the New York Yacht Club’s 132-year winning streak in the world’s most prestigious sailing race. Directed by Emmy Award-winning brothers Chapman and Maclain Way and produced by Ben Silverman, the film features never-before-seen footage and the expertise of the likes of John Bertrand, Dennis Conner and other key members of the 1983 U.S. and Australian crews. “The 1983 America’s Cup is an incredible story of characters and patriotism,” says Chapman Way. “What really fascinated us was that the competition was less about physical athleticism and more of a test of engineering and intelligence.”

Every Day Phrases from the High Seas

Mind your P's and Q's This expression is used to remind someone to be polite or aware of proper decorum for any given situation. Although the origin of the phrase is contested, one theory is that sailors — one of the main patrons of dockside pubs — would have their "pints" and "quarts" tracked via a tally chart and chalk. Every once in a while, a tipsy bartender would add an extra "P" or "Q" — prompting their patrons to cry foul. By and large This term describes anything generally successful or on the whole — as in, “By and large, we made out well this quarter.” Yet its origins are more specific. Sailors would call a ship “by and large” when it was able to navigate well by sailing directly into the wind (by) with the wind blowing the widest part of the rear of the ship from behind (large). In other words, the definition still carries through. A ship that could navigate winds “by and large” was generally a good ship. Cat’s out of the bag Loose lips sink ships and this classic feline idiom refers to a secret being revealed. One theory suggests that the Royal Navy’s cat o’nine tails, which was a type of whip used for punishment, was stored in a bag to protect it from salty air. If a secret comes out, there would be pain and punishment. On a similar catty note, the expression “not enough room to swing a cat” that refers to close quarters is also linked to naval slang and not having enough space to bring out the whip. Limey Americans love crafting nicknames for different cultures and "limey" was applied to British sailors. The British navy, in an effort to curb scurvy, ensured the crewmen were getting enough vitamin C by serving regular doses of lime juice. Three sheets to the wind If a boat is literally three sheets to the wind, it's in danger of capsizing. "Sheets" in a sailing context refers to ropes that control the trim of the sail. Changing all three sheets to sit sideways to the wind is typically only used in a major storm to help balance the boat. The position of the sheets means things are getting more than a little topsy turvy — just like an inebriated sailor. Pass with flying colors If you breezed through a test, you might use this expression to boast. The phrase references ships, victorious in battle, sailing home with their colors or flags flying quite visibly. Great naval victories might have been more impressive than just passing a driving test, but the spirit is the same. Scuttlebutt This quirky word refers to a rumor or gossip. Back in the early 1900s, sailors would get their drinking water from a “water butt” on the deck of a ship. Just as in modern times, this old-fashioned water cooler was the spot for gossip swaps. Loose cannon A loose cannon is wildly irresponsible and recklessly dangerous — as in a wildly unpredictable cousin, or a cannon freed from its restraints rolling around on a ship deck. Either way, this colloquial phrase spells trouble. Hunky Dory Hunky Dory is an abbreviated version of a street name in Japan known for the services provided to the sailors who visited there. It is meant to mean all is well or perfect. For example: He reassured his teacher that all was hunky-dory and that the project was on track for completion within the given time frame. Shanghai Shanghai is a city in China and was often an area where people were kidnapped and pressed into service on ships. To be Shanghaied is to be taken or betrayed. The Cut of His/Her Jib Jibs are a type of sail, and many ships would fly unique jibs to show their country of origin or what type of ship it was. For example: I always liked the cut of her jib!

Back from Africa

What a glorious trip to the Seringeti. Bridget and I, along with six others took in four different camps and tons of wild animals along the way. I can tell you honestly that it is a long way from California but worth it. We saw all the we wanted and more. The guides and camps with And Beyond were terrific. Some camps were a little rustic and others over the top. We had breakfast in the bush several times and it was great. The food was outstanding in the camps and the staff was always top notch. Several in our group lost passports, wallets and electronics along the way...all got returned. The wildlife is flourishing out there. Millions of widebeasts, tons of lions and so much more. The rihno was tough to find and near our last day we had an encounter to remember. A mother and daughter were roaming the bush and we were about 75 yards away. Very cool. The ride home was exceptional with Lufthansa. Full lie downs with comforter and great service. They even had a bedroom and shower in the lounge for me to take a nap during our layover. Too much fun indeed!

Wing Foiler Action at the Golden Gate

I have had a teriffic summer of sailing this year! Lots to be thankful for and sharing this amazing sport with friends and dogs. I also do alot of solo sails with my golden Hana during the week. A few weeks ago I took a group from Got Wind and Water (meetup) for a nice summer sail to Tiburon. Dropped them at 4 back at the docks of Emeryville. Then took off for an 8 mile sail to Sausalito. I needed to get there before 6:30 to meet my sister (visiting from New Hampshire) for dinner. I made it and paddled over to dinner in the kayak. We had a lovely time. Stayed the night and then a quick sail home in the morning. It keeps getting better! I depart on Friday for a flight to Amsterdam and eventullay Africa for a safari or two. My other sis is joining along with some old friends. Great way to wrap up the summer. In September, Tex will join me for a trip down the coast to Monterey and back to SF. We will habor hop to Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz and then Monterey both up and down the coast. Nice 4-6 hour sails in daylight. You may remeber that Tex was my first mate on our 7 month voyage to Mexico and back in 2018/19. He moved a year ago out of state and I have not seen him since. It will be great to sail with him again. The distance to Monterey is about 90 nautical miles. Looking forward!

Amazing Rescue at Sea

(August 8, 2022) - USCG-licensed captain, instructor and rigging specialist Andy Schwenk (57, Point Richmond, CA) has been brought safely to land by a combination of Coast Guard, Air Force, commercial shipping, and assistance from a fellow yacht. A rapidly-spreading infection required the action. Schwenk's Express 37 Spindrift V had completed the 2022 Pacific Cup from San Francisco to Hawaii, finishing first in her class on July 18. Returning to California, the boat faced heavy weather, damaging their mainsail and leading to an injury to Andy’s ankle, which subsequently became infected. Various elements of Spindrift’s communications tools were also damaged, leading to challenges in getting assistance. A relayed call to Pac Cup race organizers led to the diversion of fellow racer (and division winner) Surprise, a Schumacher 46 owned by Bob and Maryann Hinden and skippered for the return by Robin Jeffers, diverting to transfer antibiotics to Spindrift V. The August 4 transfer at 1:00 am was a “real pro job,” as Andy later texted. Because of Spindrift’s communications problems, many of the communications in this incident were routed through systems that had been established to manage the race itself. “When the boats couldn’t make direct contact, a lot of coordination took place on my iPhone,” commented Principal Race Officer Michael Moradzadeh. The infection progressed, and after a number of consultations with medical advisors at George Washington University (who had been retained to provide medical support) they, and ultimately US Coast Guard, recommend a medical evacuation. Taiwanese oil and chemical tanker FPMC35 diverted from its course to Panama to collect Schwenk (another midnight transfer) on August 5. Two medics parachuted to the FPMC35 from a C130 aircraft and stabilized his condition as the tanker steamed at 12 knots toward San Francisco. On August 7, an airborne flotilla comprising two Blackhawk helicopters, two refuelers, and two C130s combined to collect Schwenk and the medics and deposit them at Moffet Field, who then was transferred to Stanford Hospital where he is reported to be in stable condition. “We’re incredibly grateful for the actions of Surprise, the FPMC35, the Coast Guard and the Air Force, and our consultants at George Washington University’s Maritime Medical Access team,” said Pacific Cup Commodore Jim Quanci. “Without the concerted action of all these responders, Andy’s situation could have been much worse.” A veteran of dozens of crossings and over 300,000 ocean miles, this is the first time Schwenk has had to call for help, and he has expressed his thanks for the support. Spindrift V is proceeding toward the Golden Gate under the command of the remaining crew, including the very experienced Peter English. Travelling at 6.25 knots, Spindrift should arrive in about five days. (via Scuttlebutt)

Foggy and Cold In SF

Adrift from Simon Christen on Vimeo.

Barley hitting the mid 60's in SF. How is your weather today?

The weather is here, wish you were beautiful!

Time to start thinking about a charter or two. I did two this year: La Paz, Mexico and the BVI in the Caribbean. Both were superb and fun! The next two on my wish list are the Whitsundays and Croatia. Bon Voyage! Here is a glimpse of Croatia.

The Big Boys in St. Barts (2015)

Get Tubed with Kai Lenny!

Best waves of the last 15 years hits Maui after a tropical storm passes by. Biggest Teahupoo in 12 years!!

More R2AK

I sure enjoy the reading and videos of this amazing race. The inovations that are used to move the boat when there is no wind never cease to amaze. Plus the amount of heart and courage it takes to finish this 700 mile race. Lots of boats this year hit logs in the middle of the night and had to retire due to the damage from the impact. One team mentioned that when they hit the log, the bioluminesence created was impressive. One guy hit 5 logs in one night! I also love the beauty and solitude this race provides. I just watched a dozen videos of the race from the last few years and here a couple that really stood out. r2ak.com for more or browse youtube.

My Top 10 Favorite Movies

I have watched alot of movies in my almost 64 years. I don't watch many TV shows so instead I watch movies. There was a 25+ year period where my wife and I would go to a movie a week. I guess you would call me a movie buff! I started a list of movies that I love and realized quickly that there were alot more than 10. Here they are in no particular order. Oh Brother Where Art Thou, 5th Element, A Fish Called Wanda, Limitless, Wild Things, Intolerable Cruelty, V for Vendetta, Sideways, High Fidelity, North by North West, Some Like it Hot, ET, Raiders of the Lost Arc, Romancing the Stone, Something About Mary, Heartbreak Kid, Basic Instinct, Big Labowski, Matrix, Dark Knight, Get Out, Back to the Future, Yesterday, Edge of Tomorrow, Terminator 2, Body Double, Talented Mr. Ripley, Flirting with Disaster, American Beauty, Inception, Dead Poets Society, Born Yesterday, Midnight in Paris, I Care A lot

R2AK is Back!

The race to Alaska started a few weeks ago and is still going! The race begins in Port Townsend, WA with a check out leg to Victoria, BC. From there it continues up the inside passage to Ketchican, AK (700 miles). The catch is that no motors are allowed and the currents can be 14 knots against you! First prize is $10k, second is a set of steak knives (remember the famous speech in Glengery Glen Ross, Alec Balwin?). The crazy part about the race is that it can include rowers, paddle boards, and such. The cool part is the inovation on the boats use to create propulsion with oars, bike paddlewheels and so much more. This was the first year that teams could go west around Vancouver Island out into the Pacific. That is exactly what the winners did. Check the site for updates and great reads. https://r2ak.com/

Champs Again! GS Warriors

I started watching the Warriors back in the 2000's when they could barely win 30 games a season. The coaching position was a revolving door and they had Baron Davis hitting 3's left and right. Fast forward to the Curry Era and we are winning championships! I really enjoy watching these guys and the joy they bring to the floor. Now the question is, how long can we sustain this level of play and win another one? Time will tell.

Confirmed! Largest wave ever surfed! 86 feet (video)

Full Screen only! It has now been officially confirmed that Sebastian Steudtner (Germany) broke the world record for biggest wave ever surfed, when he tore across the face of an 86 f00t wave at Nazaré on October 29, 2020. This new record tops Brazilian big-wave froth lord, Rodrigo Koxa’s previous effort of 80 foot, set on November 9, 2017. Cowabunga, indeed!

Top Gun Goes Sailing on SF Bay

This is typical windy day in the summer on SF Bay. From April to early September we can expect these conditions most days. It is nice to get behind Angel Island for a break from the 25-30 knot winds. This is when we anchor and swim to the beach!

Back to Maui for some Sailing!

We have a nice time share over on the westside of Maui. We were there in September for my birthday. We are heading back this weekend for another adventure with a couple of friends. It should be an active week with sailing, SCUBA, snorkeling and some hammock time. I have been sailing a bunch this spring on the bay and it has been heavenly. On Monday, winds were in the low 30's for most of the afternoon. When it blows this hard, I usually head under the bay bridge for a mellower ride. Not this time as the wind was just as strong but the waves were a little smaller. Had a run up the city front and over to Angel Island for a trip to the beach with Hana. We spent the night in Kona Cove and I put out 100' of chain to make sure the tide did not affect us too much. Back to the beach in the morning and Hana scared up a coyote on the beach. She ran around the corner chasing it and thankfully came back in about 30 seconds as she hit the rocky side beach. Glad she decide not to join the pack! Couple more sails this week and then off to the isalnds!

Mavericks Big Wave Contest Moves to Video

The contest that started in 1999, has not been run in years due to many factors. However, Jeff Clark (origial Mav rider from the beginning) has moved this years contest to vid only. It gives a much broader view of the waves and the athelets. Instead of a one day contest on a mercurial wave, the contest runs from November to April. Winners recieve $5000, some of which goes to the photo person. Check the vid and get stoked! Move to 11:30 for the awards.

A Voyage to Savor!

We have just returned from 10 days in the Virgin Islands. We spent a few days on St. Thomas (USVI) at a house with a spectacular view of the Caribbean Sea. Then is was off to Tortola (BVI) for our 7 day charter aboard Promiscuis, a 58 foot Leopard catamaran. The captain and chef did a fantastic job of keeping us happy and saitiated. We visited all the major hot spots with the highlights being the Soggy Dollar, the Baths, sailing to and from Anegada and snorkeling. The weather was fantastic as we had 20+ on the knot meter when we sailed. 12 years ago we had 12-15 during the same time period so this was a nice surprise. We were joined by 3 other couples that we have known since the 80's. We had a long day of travel coming home but it was all worth it. Good to be back. Our boat is getting some bottom paint this week and the adventure continues this weekend with more excursions on the bay! Here is a video that depics the adventures we had to the old world.

Sailing to 80 knots!

We are celebrating 17 years of bonehead moves on the water! That's pretty amazing. In that span of time, I have enjoyed some of the sweetest times of my life thru sailing. Here are some highlights: a 7 month voyage to Mexico and back to SF. Six Baja Haha's. Chartering in BVI's, Belize, La Paz (2), Grenedines, and on Monday we head back to the BVI's on a 58' cat with a captain and chef abaord. Thousands of sails on our Newport 30 (17 years) and our latest, a Jeanneau 40 (5 years). I could not not be much happier with our current boat. We installed a bluetooth anchor system recently for stress free anchoring from the cockpit. It doesn't get much better than this! Heading out today for one last sail before a sailing vacation. Bon voyage to us and 8 friends!