You may have forgotten this one?
I am a big Robin Wright fan. She does a great job in this movie. If memory serves, there is a Newport sailboat towards the end of the movie. Guess I will have to watch it again.
H2uh0 - Bonehead Moves on the Water from SF Bay and Beyond!
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Best of H2uh0 - Sailing to The Wall (May 2012)
Friday was a special day. Roger Waters was performing The Wall at
AT&T Park. The Wall was released over 30 years ago and is
considered a rock and roll masterpiece. I have listened to many of the
songs hundreds of times yet never understood the meaning of the album. I
searched the web and found a site that breaks down each song.
If you enjoy Pink Floyd, you should check it out. The album is about
Roger's life: the loss of his father in WW2, teachers bullying him, rock
and roll super stardom, a cheating spouse and much more. All these
aspects lead him to build a wall around himself and then he finally
breaks the wall down.
I had invited my best bud Frank to join me for the show. Since the show was at the ball park, I decided the only way to do this was to sail to the show and use the boat as our celebration platform. I had planned a leisurely sail to the park with a departure around 1pm but fate would have none of it. I was at an appointment when my wife called to say their was a rattle snake in the house. She discovered it when Kona started barking at it in the kitchen. Animal control was called and they came and took it away. The problem was, had Kona been bit? A call to the vet told us that he would need to be under supervision for the next 12 hours. My wife had an appointment that could not be missed so I was pressed into action to watch him while she went to the appointment. That delayed me by 3 hours, but you do what you gotta do! Kona was fine and I made it to the boat by 4pm. I had planned to meet Frank about 5:45 so off I went. The wind was blowing 25 as I exited the channel. Our little 13 horse Yanmar barely got me out to the end of the channel and then a bit of jib went out and I was off to the races. I had to tack a few times to line myself up to get under the Bay Bridge. Once under, the wind and waves calmed down and I had a nice sail to the park. I tied off the boat to look up and see Frank walking down the pier. Perfect timing. We motor over to McCovey Cove and set the hook. I had hoped to get a slip at South Beach but this is a popular thing to do and there were no slips available. I broke out some nice French Champagne and we chatted as the boat swung in the wind. The stadium is off to starboard. After a nice hour or so, I pull out the double kayak and off we go to the show. We arrive, find our seats and admire the WALL! It is gigantic! We are facing the out field and the wall stretches from outfield foul pole to outfield foul poll. This is also the length of the stage. Amazing. It's 2/3's built with the middle of it not yet finished. The show begins and the sold out stadium erupts with thunderous applause and fireworks from the stage. The wild part is that the wall is the largest video screen ever made. It comes alive with images, movies, the band, everything. I really cannot do justice in describing this part because it is so awesome. As the concert goes along, so does the building of the wall. During the second half the wall explodes into many pieces and is gone. This is done thru video images and the wall is still there and the amazing images continue. This was the best concert of my life. And I am a true concert fan having attended over 500 shows over the years. State of the art masterpiece!!! If this show comes to your town, don't miss it.
Frank heads home and I head to the boat. By this time, there are a dozen boats in the cove. They are hanging out getting the echoes of the music from afar. I get back on board, put some music on and settle in for a night on the hook. In the morning, I am up early and the wind is still in the 20's. Don't you love these wind patterns of the bay area? I head out with jib again and in a short while we are sailing towards the fog shrouded Angel Island. My boat partners are heading out today for a sail, so I don't have all day to get back. We are on a nice beam reach and I pullout the Coleman for some tea and blue berry pancakes in the cockpit. I am mostly in the lee of Angel so the wind is light and the food is great. Just as I hit the wind line to head back, I take everything below and sail home. Back in the sun, I have a perfect reach to the harbor. What an amazing experience. Even though sailing there is alot of work and time, it is always worth it. Wish you were here! ; ~}
This is from the Sandy Relief Show, no Wall this time.
Lastly, the band name Pink Floyd, Where did it come from? Well, they had a bunch of names prior to PF. Mega Death, Tea Set, and more. They were over at Syd's flat trying to come up with a name. Frustrated, Syd says, "I am going to grab two albums from my collection and we are going to come up with a name". The first was an obscure blues guy named Floyd Council. The second was Pink Anderson, a blues guy from the 30's. Now they could have called themselves the Council Anderson Band but history would not let them. Pretty cool trivia, me thinks.
I had invited my best bud Frank to join me for the show. Since the show was at the ball park, I decided the only way to do this was to sail to the show and use the boat as our celebration platform. I had planned a leisurely sail to the park with a departure around 1pm but fate would have none of it. I was at an appointment when my wife called to say their was a rattle snake in the house. She discovered it when Kona started barking at it in the kitchen. Animal control was called and they came and took it away. The problem was, had Kona been bit? A call to the vet told us that he would need to be under supervision for the next 12 hours. My wife had an appointment that could not be missed so I was pressed into action to watch him while she went to the appointment. That delayed me by 3 hours, but you do what you gotta do! Kona was fine and I made it to the boat by 4pm. I had planned to meet Frank about 5:45 so off I went. The wind was blowing 25 as I exited the channel. Our little 13 horse Yanmar barely got me out to the end of the channel and then a bit of jib went out and I was off to the races. I had to tack a few times to line myself up to get under the Bay Bridge. Once under, the wind and waves calmed down and I had a nice sail to the park. I tied off the boat to look up and see Frank walking down the pier. Perfect timing. We motor over to McCovey Cove and set the hook. I had hoped to get a slip at South Beach but this is a popular thing to do and there were no slips available. I broke out some nice French Champagne and we chatted as the boat swung in the wind. The stadium is off to starboard. After a nice hour or so, I pull out the double kayak and off we go to the show. We arrive, find our seats and admire the WALL! It is gigantic! We are facing the out field and the wall stretches from outfield foul pole to outfield foul poll. This is also the length of the stage. Amazing. It's 2/3's built with the middle of it not yet finished. The show begins and the sold out stadium erupts with thunderous applause and fireworks from the stage. The wild part is that the wall is the largest video screen ever made. It comes alive with images, movies, the band, everything. I really cannot do justice in describing this part because it is so awesome. As the concert goes along, so does the building of the wall. During the second half the wall explodes into many pieces and is gone. This is done thru video images and the wall is still there and the amazing images continue. This was the best concert of my life. And I am a true concert fan having attended over 500 shows over the years. State of the art masterpiece!!! If this show comes to your town, don't miss it.
Frank heads home and I head to the boat. By this time, there are a dozen boats in the cove. They are hanging out getting the echoes of the music from afar. I get back on board, put some music on and settle in for a night on the hook. In the morning, I am up early and the wind is still in the 20's. Don't you love these wind patterns of the bay area? I head out with jib again and in a short while we are sailing towards the fog shrouded Angel Island. My boat partners are heading out today for a sail, so I don't have all day to get back. We are on a nice beam reach and I pullout the Coleman for some tea and blue berry pancakes in the cockpit. I am mostly in the lee of Angel so the wind is light and the food is great. Just as I hit the wind line to head back, I take everything below and sail home. Back in the sun, I have a perfect reach to the harbor. What an amazing experience. Even though sailing there is alot of work and time, it is always worth it. Wish you were here! ; ~}
This is from the Sandy Relief Show, no Wall this time.
Lastly, the band name Pink Floyd, Where did it come from? Well, they had a bunch of names prior to PF. Mega Death, Tea Set, and more. They were over at Syd's flat trying to come up with a name. Frustrated, Syd says, "I am going to grab two albums from my collection and we are going to come up with a name". The first was an obscure blues guy named Floyd Council. The second was Pink Anderson, a blues guy from the 30's. Now they could have called themselves the Council Anderson Band but history would not let them. Pretty cool trivia, me thinks.
Monday, April 13, 2015
Hot Cat Goes Foiling
The Gun Boat is one of the coolest cats in town. Now they have made it even better and faster with foils. This boat is gonna cost you a close to a mill, but it will be worth it! I saw one with a pizza oven and a huge wine cellar. Who do I make the check out to? This is a 40' cat.
Sailing Scenes from a Movie, Pt. 5
Dead Calm is a great thriller with Nicole Kidman and Sam Shepard. The couple are out for a cruise when a mysterious ship along with one of the crew appears nearby. I won't give away the rest but implore to watch this great movie. If you download Time4popcorn, you can watch it (as well as a boat load of other movies) for free.
The Perfect Husband
A blast from the past. Had a great sunset sail last night after a wonderful weekend in Carmel with friends and Kona's sister. Headed out about 6 into 20 knots and sunny. Put out the jib for some sweet no hands on the wheel sailing. Nobody out so I had the east bay to myself. It was a nice night to be out and the sunset was perfect. Back about 9 to button up the boat. Had a couple hoots and hollers it was sooo sublime.
Friday, April 10, 2015
Sail Scenes from a Movie, Pt. 4
Actually this is the full movie. Starring Kevin Costner, the planet has been covered by water and the remaining human race is water bound. The trimaran is so tricked out. It's worth it just see how he can single hand this monster as well as the cool tricks he has up his sleeve. Check it out!
BVI Trip Highlights
Looking back over the last 10 years of H2uh0, my favorite charter so far has been our trip to the BVI's. A 57 foot cat (brand spanking new at the time) for a week of fun was the call. My sisters and their husbands joined us for the 2008 charter. Here are the highlights:
1. Having a captain and chef aboard was wonderful. The food was always a treat and always topnotch. Having a captain allowed us to do and see twice as much, as he new where to go and what to skip. I know if I had been doing his job, it could have been more stress than I wanted.
2. Our Red Stripe Regatta at Bitter End Yacht Club was a blast and a lot of laughs. A beautiful spot as well.
3. Everyone on the cat got along and had fun. Our whole crew and boat crew were a great match. It may have been the best trip ever taken in the BVI. I am checking the records and will let you know.
4. Sailing to and from Anegada. Both days we started off with low winds in the forecast. Both days we had fabulous sails with great weather.
5. The boat! What an amazing yacht. The sound system was Bose and there was a nice set of speakers under the first spreader. My favorite spot was laying on the hammock in the bow with the remote in my hand. We had a great selection of music and I could control the volume from the hammock. Our state room had a very large bed that allowed me to stretch out (I am 6'6"). We ate in the stern deck area at a table that accommodated us all.
6. The three dives we did were awesome. The highlight of course was the wreck of the Rhone and diving thru the hull of this famous sunken ship.
We truly had a trip that exceeded all my expectations. Everything came together and we are very thankful for such an epic adventure in the BVI's. We highly recommend Voyage Yacht Charters for assisting in the planning phase and for providing an outstanding boat and crew. Special thanks goes to Denis an Rita for all their hard work and for all the fun and great days on the azure waters of this very special place. Now go visit, ya'all!!!
1. Having a captain and chef aboard was wonderful. The food was always a treat and always topnotch. Having a captain allowed us to do and see twice as much, as he new where to go and what to skip. I know if I had been doing his job, it could have been more stress than I wanted.
2. Our Red Stripe Regatta at Bitter End Yacht Club was a blast and a lot of laughs. A beautiful spot as well.
3. Everyone on the cat got along and had fun. Our whole crew and boat crew were a great match. It may have been the best trip ever taken in the BVI. I am checking the records and will let you know.
4. Sailing to and from Anegada. Both days we started off with low winds in the forecast. Both days we had fabulous sails with great weather.
5. The boat! What an amazing yacht. The sound system was Bose and there was a nice set of speakers under the first spreader. My favorite spot was laying on the hammock in the bow with the remote in my hand. We had a great selection of music and I could control the volume from the hammock. Our state room had a very large bed that allowed me to stretch out (I am 6'6"). We ate in the stern deck area at a table that accommodated us all.
6. The three dives we did were awesome. The highlight of course was the wreck of the Rhone and diving thru the hull of this famous sunken ship.
We truly had a trip that exceeded all my expectations. Everything came together and we are very thankful for such an epic adventure in the BVI's. We highly recommend Voyage Yacht Charters for assisting in the planning phase and for providing an outstanding boat and crew. Special thanks goes to Denis an Rita for all their hard work and for all the fun and great days on the azure waters of this very special place. Now go visit, ya'all!!!
Tuesday, April 07, 2015
Sailing Scenes From A Movie, Pt. 3
Wind was one of the first full length movie based on sailing. If you haven't seen Wind, we highly recommend it.
Bonehead Move of the Year - 2011
Best of H2uh0
Top Captions Contest:
"So what part of 'starboard' don't you understand, you big red behemoth?" — Walter Conner.
"Tanker Foils Yachts Attempt to Steal Ships Anchor." — Jak Ayres
"And now our top nominee for the Sailor's Darwin Award is. . ." or "Sailor's cure for constipation" — Dan Begonia
"Diagnosis: Crew suffers from acute case of SFB (shit for brains)." — Patrick Okey
"In the immortal words of Jim Kilroy, 'Mass times velocity equals right-of-way.'" — Chris Ericksen
"Vessel limited in her ability to maneuver runs down vessel limited in her ability to think." — Tim Schaaf
"Captain to crew, “hold my beer, watch this!" — Jim Van Cleve
"Does insurance cover new underwear?" — Bob C.
"Sometimes it sucks to be the frontrunner! — Ken Fouts
And our favorite: "Artist Cristo attempts to wrap a supertanker in pink," submitted by Paul Clausen.
Top Captions Contest:
"So what part of 'starboard' don't you understand, you big red behemoth?" — Walter Conner.
"Tanker Foils Yachts Attempt to Steal Ships Anchor." — Jak Ayres
"And now our top nominee for the Sailor's Darwin Award is. . ." or "Sailor's cure for constipation" — Dan Begonia
"Diagnosis: Crew suffers from acute case of SFB (shit for brains)." — Patrick Okey
"In the immortal words of Jim Kilroy, 'Mass times velocity equals right-of-way.'" — Chris Ericksen
"Vessel limited in her ability to maneuver runs down vessel limited in her ability to think." — Tim Schaaf
"Captain to crew, “hold my beer, watch this!" — Jim Van Cleve
"Does insurance cover new underwear?" — Bob C.
"Sometimes it sucks to be the frontrunner! — Ken Fouts
And our favorite: "Artist Cristo attempts to wrap a supertanker in pink," submitted by Paul Clausen.
Sunday, April 05, 2015
Where Does the Term Knot Come From?
Looking back at 10 years of H2uh0...
As you know, sailors have been doing their thing for thousands of years. From the primitive animal skin that may have been used to propel a man on a log to modern day yachts that can approach 40 knots on the open sea, we have some very archaic sailing terms that have been with us for a long time. How did they originate? Simple terms like cockpit, shroud and cunningham. Let's take a look at a term we all use when we go sailing. "How fast is the boat moving thru the water?" "7 knots", comes the reply. Knots refers to nautical miles. It corresponds approximately to one minute of latitude along any meridian. For our discussion today, we are looking for the origin of the word "knots". The term knot and log originally are derived from the practice of using a "log" tied to a knotted rope as a method of gauging speed of a ship. The log would be thrown into the water and the rope trailed behind the ship. The number of knots that passed off the ship and into the water in a given time (from an hourglass) would determine the speed in "knots". Is that cool or what? It's fun to tell your sailing friends this story when out sailing. They will be amazed at your in depth knowledge of the sailing world!
How many knots is this yacht going?
As you know, sailors have been doing their thing for thousands of years. From the primitive animal skin that may have been used to propel a man on a log to modern day yachts that can approach 40 knots on the open sea, we have some very archaic sailing terms that have been with us for a long time. How did they originate? Simple terms like cockpit, shroud and cunningham. Let's take a look at a term we all use when we go sailing. "How fast is the boat moving thru the water?" "7 knots", comes the reply. Knots refers to nautical miles. It corresponds approximately to one minute of latitude along any meridian. For our discussion today, we are looking for the origin of the word "knots". The term knot and log originally are derived from the practice of using a "log" tied to a knotted rope as a method of gauging speed of a ship. The log would be thrown into the water and the rope trailed behind the ship. The number of knots that passed off the ship and into the water in a given time (from an hourglass) would determine the speed in "knots". Is that cool or what? It's fun to tell your sailing friends this story when out sailing. They will be amazed at your in depth knowledge of the sailing world!
How many knots is this yacht going?
Saturday, April 04, 2015
Join Us for a Sail on the Addiction!
In celebration of 10 years of H2uh0, we are offering a sail aboard our very fine sailing vessel Addiction. We will do a day sail out to Angel Island with lunch and if you are brave enough, a swim to the beach. Our boat is such a sweet ride so please don't pass up this opportunity. No experience needed! Just a big smile and a sense of wonder. The wind is free and so is this sojourn. RSVP by sending me a note in the comment section. Kona will be joining as well. Heck, if no one responds, I will still go sailing and enjoy this amazing bay and boat.
Yesterday I was busy signing up a new partner on our boat. One of our partners enjoyed bay sailing so much, he decided to buy his own, a Pearson 33 in fine shape. Good luck Tom.
Here is a candidate for Bonehead Move of the Month! Not the boat owner but the bridge tender.
Yesterday I was busy signing up a new partner on our boat. One of our partners enjoyed bay sailing so much, he decided to buy his own, a Pearson 33 in fine shape. Good luck Tom.
Here is a candidate for Bonehead Move of the Month! Not the boat owner but the bridge tender.
Thursday, April 02, 2015
Celebrating Ten Years of H2uh0
This is kind of a big deal. There are not many bloggers that last a year! They say a blogger's year is equal to a dog year so in this case we are turning 70! Feels like it. Other sailing bloggers that have been going this long include the Tillerman at Proper Course and the Horse's Mouth, Joe. Congrats to them! Heck, they gave me some motovation to get started. What really inspired me was a couple accidents on the bay. The most famous of the two was the Santana 22 that got caught at the south tower of the GGB. Their boat got caught in a huge breaking wave and they were rescued but the boat was at the bottom. It was all caught on film by a surf photo guy. I thought, why not do a blog about people making mistakes on the water so we can learn from them. Bonehead Moves on the Water was born. The site has evolved over the years, but we still are running with the main theme.
To celebrate this momentous occaision, we will be looking back at some of the top posts. There have been well over 2000! It going to be fun and I hope you will stick around. On Friday, I will have a big announcement to make! Keep sailing and stay safe!
So here we go with a blast from the past.
Preparing for My First Ocean Passage (October 2010)
As I put the final touches on the departure for my trip to San Diego and on to meeting the boat that will take me down the coast of Mexico, I think about all the water adventures I have had that have lead me to this point. My love for the water started when I learned to swim at 3, joined the swim team at 4, water skiing and boating on the Chesapeake as a boy, learning to surf at 10, swimming on scholarship at UNLV, moving to Carmel, CA at 21, surfing the Pacific coast, moving to the bay area and sailing with friends on a rented sailboat, learning to windsurf in Foster City and then the bay and delta, houseboat trips to Shasta, Don Pedro and Oroville, receiving a Sunfish from my future wife for my birthday, moving up to a wooden dory in 1999, and finally buying a 30' sailboat for bay adventures ten years ago this month, and sailing that boat once a week or more for the last ten years! It has been an amazing adventure indeed. The Baja Ha Ha sailing rally starts in 5 days and I will be on a 36' cat with a crew of four. 200 boats and 600 sunshine seeking sailors will set sail for Cabo San Lucas on Monday, October 25 at 11am. The journey will take us 750 miles down the Baja coast. The first 330 mile leg will take us to Turtle Bay for a two day stopover to rest, relax, fix broken parts and have a beach party. Then it's off for a 220 mile leg to Bahia Santa Maria for another beach potluck and fun. I am bringing the volleyball net and bocce. Our last leg will be 180 miles to Cabo for another round of beach events. We will have a car there and will spend a day at Palmia and San Jose del Cabo. I return on the 6th of November to celebrate my 17th wedding anniversary. I will be blogging down the coast but will not be able to upload our adventures until we get to Cabo due to the remoteness of our route. I am looking forward to seeing the stars and planets in a very dark setting, watching dolphins dance in our bow wave, drinking that first beer in Turtle Bay, meeting 600 friendly folks, and seeing the arch at the end of the Cape as we round the corner into Cabo. Please check back and take a look at the fun and the laughs we plan to share on this beautiful sail down the coast of Baja Sur!
To celebrate this momentous occaision, we will be looking back at some of the top posts. There have been well over 2000! It going to be fun and I hope you will stick around. On Friday, I will have a big announcement to make! Keep sailing and stay safe!
So here we go with a blast from the past.
Preparing for My First Ocean Passage (October 2010)
As I put the final touches on the departure for my trip to San Diego and on to meeting the boat that will take me down the coast of Mexico, I think about all the water adventures I have had that have lead me to this point. My love for the water started when I learned to swim at 3, joined the swim team at 4, water skiing and boating on the Chesapeake as a boy, learning to surf at 10, swimming on scholarship at UNLV, moving to Carmel, CA at 21, surfing the Pacific coast, moving to the bay area and sailing with friends on a rented sailboat, learning to windsurf in Foster City and then the bay and delta, houseboat trips to Shasta, Don Pedro and Oroville, receiving a Sunfish from my future wife for my birthday, moving up to a wooden dory in 1999, and finally buying a 30' sailboat for bay adventures ten years ago this month, and sailing that boat once a week or more for the last ten years! It has been an amazing adventure indeed. The Baja Ha Ha sailing rally starts in 5 days and I will be on a 36' cat with a crew of four. 200 boats and 600 sunshine seeking sailors will set sail for Cabo San Lucas on Monday, October 25 at 11am. The journey will take us 750 miles down the Baja coast. The first 330 mile leg will take us to Turtle Bay for a two day stopover to rest, relax, fix broken parts and have a beach party. Then it's off for a 220 mile leg to Bahia Santa Maria for another beach potluck and fun. I am bringing the volleyball net and bocce. Our last leg will be 180 miles to Cabo for another round of beach events. We will have a car there and will spend a day at Palmia and San Jose del Cabo. I return on the 6th of November to celebrate my 17th wedding anniversary. I will be blogging down the coast but will not be able to upload our adventures until we get to Cabo due to the remoteness of our route. I am looking forward to seeing the stars and planets in a very dark setting, watching dolphins dance in our bow wave, drinking that first beer in Turtle Bay, meeting 600 friendly folks, and seeing the arch at the end of the Cape as we round the corner into Cabo. Please check back and take a look at the fun and the laughs we plan to share on this beautiful sail down the coast of Baja Sur!
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Great Sailing Scenes From a Movie, Pt. 1
Go full screen!
Here is the first in our series of sailing scenes in famous movies. Thomas Crown Affair is a classic movie with great acting and adventure. In the movie, Pierce Bronson plays a rich playboy who steals art for fun. This is a remake of a 1968 film of the same name. More movies coming your way in April.
Monday, March 30, 2015
The Weather is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful
Oh what a lovely weekend in Norcal. 70's sunny and windy. Went out to Craig's Cove a couple times for swimming and beach time. I had been there a week ago and lost a kayak paddle. Long story but when I swam up to the beach a week later, there was the paddle. My lucky day! The beach is next to a steep cliff on Angel. No way to get there except a swim or kayak. The highest wind we saw over the weekend was 22 knots off of Pt. Blunt on Angel. Did you know that all the points and top of Angel are named after a military ship's officers? The British ship, called HMS Raccoon, was sinking in the early 1800's and they beached on Angel Island for repairs. The water way also bears their name: Racoon Strait. Be sure to share that when someone asks, "Why do they call it Raccoon Strait?"
Have a great week! We at H2uh0 are gearing up for a big month in April. We are celebrating 10 years of H2uh0 with a look back at our most popular posts as well as the new stuff. Hope you will stick around for the party! We will also be offering a ride on our sweet boat Addiction to a few lucky readers. So come on, let's party like it's 1999!
Have a great week! We at H2uh0 are gearing up for a big month in April. We are celebrating 10 years of H2uh0 with a look back at our most popular posts as well as the new stuff. Hope you will stick around for the party! We will also be offering a ride on our sweet boat Addiction to a few lucky readers. So come on, let's party like it's 1999!
Friday, March 27, 2015
Monday, March 23, 2015
Hurricane Marie vs. The Wedge
August 2014
The winds are back on the bay! We go through a lull in winter as the winds mellow out to 5-10 from December to March. The spring winds can be some of the biggest of the year. We are getting close to that time, however Sunday was just perfect with 10-15 knots and some good friends on board. We hit the channel shortly after 11 and started our cruise to Angel Island. A bocce challenge would take us to Ayala Cove and the beautiful picnic grounds. We hit the course and a highly contested game commenced. On the run home, we hoisted the kite and were off on a 6 knot run to the barn. What a memorable day. The boat is in great shape for the big winds of summer! Thanks to Mike, Ryan, Hannah, John and Summer.
Our two main repairs are complete and the Addiction is in race ready condition. We had a wire banging inside the mast that was like having a guy with a hammer banging on the mast during a sail. Not a very peaceful setting when you are trying to be one with the boat. Then the traveler car was not in the best of shape. With a 30 year old boat, sometimes you run into parts that have not been removed in all that time. In this case, it was the end of the traveler track. It seemed the screws were cemented to the end piece and would not budge. We drilled the screws out and removed the car from the track. From there, Murray took the car home and rebuilt it. Now its strong again and ready to do it's job. Halaluya brother. I am a happy sailor now that the repairs are complete.
This our 30 year old spinnaker still pushing us along at fast speeds. Mostly used to get us home quick at the end of the day. And what a great way to end the day.
Friday, March 20, 2015
Promote Our Sport Of Sailing (or let it die a slow death)
Beginning with the transformation from wood to fiberglass boats, our sport of sailing went through a tremendous growth period in the early 70's. At that time, some 12 million folks went sailing at least once a year in the US. The building of boats became big business and the west coast was a hot bed for manufactures. There was a downturn in the 80's when a luxury tax of 10% was included on boats selling for $100k or more. Hundreds of boat builders had a stake driven into the hull of their business and sank as a result. Towards the the turn of the century, boating has taken a huge hit due to the computer revolution and the Internet as well as economic realities. Now only 4 million folks have sailed one time per year and just over a million have sailed more than 7 times per year. That's a huge drop. Is sailing dying? Well, the numbers speak for themselves. In 2001, a gentleman from Northern California and Latitude 38 started a sailing campaign that has sparked a small resurgence in sailing. It's called Summer Sailstice and it happens right around the official start of summer. Marinas, yacht clubs and sailing organizations throw huge events that revolve around getting on the water. I went to one a few years ago on Treasure Island. We had a blast walking the grounds, bumping into a few friends and making some new ones. One of the cool events was the boat building contest. Teams were given the raw materials and they were charged with building a boat that could go from A to B without sinking. And they did it in a few hours. Brilliant!
Check out this years sailstice site here.
Another way to increase participation is to take a friend sailing. Over the last 14 years since we have owned our 30' sailboat, I estimate I have taken close to 1000 folks out in those years. That's about 70 per year. This weekend I have a crew of 6 heading out into the wild blue yonder. Another way to get involved is to join a Meetup group in your area. In the Bay Area, we have Got Wind and Water of which I am a member. In January, I posted a note on the site on a Wednesday. On Sunday, I had a crew of 8 happy sailors heading out. We had a ball. There are over 1000 folks that want to go sailing in this group. It's a great way to hit the water and when I sail with this group, there is no charge to the crew. If you want to sail the bay and donot own a boat, this is a great way to find out if this is the sport for you.
Check it out here.
Next month, and in honor of my 10th year with this blog, I will offer my readers a chance to join me for a sail on the Addiction. Kona will be joining as well. So get out there and invite family and friends to join you for a sail. Or join a local group and hit the high seas. Let's grow the sport and show folks that getting on the water does not have to break the bank. We have 6 partners on our humble yacht. I like to tell people that I sail the worlds most beautiful bay for $3 per day ( that's right, we each pay only $3 per day at $100 per month per partner).
When I ask folks what it is they like about sailing, most tell me it's being on the water that floats their boat. Some talk about the beauty of the wild life and nature. For me, I connect to my spiritual side with all the beauty the bay has to offer. The sun, the wind, the water all dance before my eyes. The mental ballet of working the boat and the wind. The freedom of escaping the 7 million people that make up the Bay Area. Plus, I can have a beer while I am doing it!
The Addiction heading up river to the Delta in 2012. We had 50 boats and 150 folks join us for the week long Delta Doo Dah.
Check out this years sailstice site here.
Another way to increase participation is to take a friend sailing. Over the last 14 years since we have owned our 30' sailboat, I estimate I have taken close to 1000 folks out in those years. That's about 70 per year. This weekend I have a crew of 6 heading out into the wild blue yonder. Another way to get involved is to join a Meetup group in your area. In the Bay Area, we have Got Wind and Water of which I am a member. In January, I posted a note on the site on a Wednesday. On Sunday, I had a crew of 8 happy sailors heading out. We had a ball. There are over 1000 folks that want to go sailing in this group. It's a great way to hit the water and when I sail with this group, there is no charge to the crew. If you want to sail the bay and donot own a boat, this is a great way to find out if this is the sport for you.
Check it out here.
Next month, and in honor of my 10th year with this blog, I will offer my readers a chance to join me for a sail on the Addiction. Kona will be joining as well. So get out there and invite family and friends to join you for a sail. Or join a local group and hit the high seas. Let's grow the sport and show folks that getting on the water does not have to break the bank. We have 6 partners on our humble yacht. I like to tell people that I sail the worlds most beautiful bay for $3 per day ( that's right, we each pay only $3 per day at $100 per month per partner).
When I ask folks what it is they like about sailing, most tell me it's being on the water that floats their boat. Some talk about the beauty of the wild life and nature. For me, I connect to my spiritual side with all the beauty the bay has to offer. The sun, the wind, the water all dance before my eyes. The mental ballet of working the boat and the wind. The freedom of escaping the 7 million people that make up the Bay Area. Plus, I can have a beer while I am doing it!
The Addiction heading up river to the Delta in 2012. We had 50 boats and 150 folks join us for the week long Delta Doo Dah.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Super Solar Storm
We are in the midst of what is being touted as the strongest Geomagnetic Storm of the 11-year solar cycle! Folks from all over the world sent in their pics from a terrific night of northern light watching. Check the pics here.
My only experience with these light shows was in BC in 85. It was a life changing experience!
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