Here's to a great, happy and healthy New Year!
Here is a look back at the sailing highlights of the year from Pressure Drop.
H2uh0 - Bonehead Moves on the Water from SF Bay and Beyond!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Pics of the Year
Here's to a great, happy and healthy New Year!
Here is a look back at the sailing highlights of the year from Pressure Drop.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Start Planning Your Adventures for Next Year
We are pulling together a week long charter out of La Paz, Mexico with some friends for next March. Should be a ton of fun in the sun. Start dreaming and get your 2011 adventures on the cal. This vid will get you excited about your next tropical vacation!
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Bonehead Move of the Year! The Whale Wins
The only reason the boat survives...she has a steel hull. Looking forward to more bonehead moves in 2011. Happy New Year to all!
Monday, December 20, 2010
New Cruising Boat with a "twist"
This boat has a very cool feature. The wole galley can be shifted to the high side when more ballast is required. Check the vid!
How cool is that?
How cool is that?
Look Up - Lunar Eclipse Tonight
A rare event not seen in 372 years will occur early Tuesday morning, when a total lunar eclipse coincides with the winter solstice. While you can't see the solstice, the eclipse promises to be an amazing spectacle.
And if that's not enough, a minor meteor shower is expected to send a few shooting stars through the darkened sky during the height of the eclipse.
Weather permitting, viewers in North and South America, as well as the northern and western parts of Europe, and a small area of northeast Asia should get a great view of the total eclipse of the moon.
On the East Coast of North America, the lunar eclipse begins half an hour after midnight on Tuesday; on the West Coast, it begins around 9:30 p.m. PST Monday. In all cases, the lunar eclipse will be observable before the moon sets in the west just as the sun is rising in the east. Maximum eclipse – the really cool part when the moon is totally in shadow – is at 3:17 a.m. EST/12:17 a.m. PST. [Complete Lunar Eclipse Guide]
How it works
During a total lunar eclipse, the Earth gets between the full moon and the sun, blocking the sun's light from bouncing off the lunar surface. A lunar eclipse can only occur at full moon, but since the three objects are not all exactly in the same plane in space, not every full moon produces an eclipse.
Monday's eclipse is particularly special because it also aligns with solstice – the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, and the summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. Winter solstice marks the official beginning of winter. The sun is at its lowest in our sky because the North Pole of our tilted planet is pointing away from it.
Winter solstice is also the shortest day of the year, with the longest night. That means that it should be darker Monday night than any other night this year in the Northern Hemisphere. And because of the lunar eclipse, the moon's light will be dimmed as well, meaning this night will be even darker.
Winter solstice has not coincided with a total lunar eclipse since 1638, according to NASA.
And if that's not enough, a minor meteor shower is expected to send a few shooting stars through the darkened sky during the height of the eclipse.
Weather permitting, viewers in North and South America, as well as the northern and western parts of Europe, and a small area of northeast Asia should get a great view of the total eclipse of the moon.
On the East Coast of North America, the lunar eclipse begins half an hour after midnight on Tuesday; on the West Coast, it begins around 9:30 p.m. PST Monday. In all cases, the lunar eclipse will be observable before the moon sets in the west just as the sun is rising in the east. Maximum eclipse – the really cool part when the moon is totally in shadow – is at 3:17 a.m. EST/12:17 a.m. PST. [Complete Lunar Eclipse Guide]
How it works
During a total lunar eclipse, the Earth gets between the full moon and the sun, blocking the sun's light from bouncing off the lunar surface. A lunar eclipse can only occur at full moon, but since the three objects are not all exactly in the same plane in space, not every full moon produces an eclipse.
Monday's eclipse is particularly special because it also aligns with solstice – the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, and the summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. Winter solstice marks the official beginning of winter. The sun is at its lowest in our sky because the North Pole of our tilted planet is pointing away from it.
Winter solstice is also the shortest day of the year, with the longest night. That means that it should be darker Monday night than any other night this year in the Northern Hemisphere. And because of the lunar eclipse, the moon's light will be dimmed as well, meaning this night will be even darker.
Winter solstice has not coincided with a total lunar eclipse since 1638, according to NASA.
2010 - A Look Back at my Sailing Highlights
Another amazing year of sailing the SF bay and beyond! Here are some of the highlights:
Sailing down the coast of Baja Sur on the 36' cat Rainbow and having the time of my life. If you are thinking about joining the Ha Ha next year, I highly recommend it
Sailing to the Farallon Islands for the first time
A three day sail up the Petaluma River with my best bud Tex and Kona
Full moon night sails
Kaboom with a great crew and the night sail home
Boat Improvements: A spinnaker sock!
A sail in the rain to the Giants game and then over to Angel for dinner and an overnight with Andy
Sailing out the Gate
Michael Franti with Dave and then a sail to SF to pick up my sis and her fam for a day sail to Angel
Sailing to Jack London for the boat show and the Baja Haha reunion. The night sail home was memorable as well
A warm wind sail with some of the Baja crew and then dinner at the SF yacht club coupled with a great night sail home
Blue Angel sail with some great friends
Sailing to the Giants games and a World Series Crown
Sailing with my Dad on Lake Sunapee, NH
Over night sail on Rainbow outside the gate and feeding the fish for the very first time
My friend Ryan and his home brew kegs for some great sailing off Tiburon
Swimming with Kona
Sailing with Kendell up to Paradise Cove and a beach picnic with his girls
Our boat performed flawlessly this year. We are heading into the next decade of ownership of our Newport 30 and look forward to another great year in 2011. Some of the thoughts for next year are: La Paz Cruise on a 41' Morgan with friends, Baja Haha II, a saill adventure to Tomales Bay, Cruising with Olivier on his brand new Hunter 41 and many day sails with friends. Should be another spectacular year!
Sailing down the coast of Baja Sur on the 36' cat Rainbow and having the time of my life. If you are thinking about joining the Ha Ha next year, I highly recommend it
Sailing to the Farallon Islands for the first time
A three day sail up the Petaluma River with my best bud Tex and Kona
Full moon night sails
Kaboom with a great crew and the night sail home
Boat Improvements: A spinnaker sock!
A sail in the rain to the Giants game and then over to Angel for dinner and an overnight with Andy
Sailing out the Gate
Michael Franti with Dave and then a sail to SF to pick up my sis and her fam for a day sail to Angel
Sailing to Jack London for the boat show and the Baja Haha reunion. The night sail home was memorable as well
A warm wind sail with some of the Baja crew and then dinner at the SF yacht club coupled with a great night sail home
Blue Angel sail with some great friends
Sailing to the Giants games and a World Series Crown
Sailing with my Dad on Lake Sunapee, NH
Over night sail on Rainbow outside the gate and feeding the fish for the very first time
My friend Ryan and his home brew kegs for some great sailing off Tiburon
Swimming with Kona
Sailing with Kendell up to Paradise Cove and a beach picnic with his girls
Our boat performed flawlessly this year. We are heading into the next decade of ownership of our Newport 30 and look forward to another great year in 2011. Some of the thoughts for next year are: La Paz Cruise on a 41' Morgan with friends, Baja Haha II, a saill adventure to Tomales Bay, Cruising with Olivier on his brand new Hunter 41 and many day sails with friends. Should be another spectacular year!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Sailing with the Sock
Took some friends out for a mid December sail on the bay yesterday. I have been aching for a spinnaker sock for many months and we finally found a used one for $200. I was excited to try it out so we set sail for Tiburon with our 5 person crew and Kona. The wind was light to begin with but quickly built to 12 knots as we reached past Angel and towards Sausalito. It was an overcast day with the sun breaking thru only momentarily here and there. We stopped at Sam's for a stroll and a shot of Don Julio. Soon we were heading home and the sock was raised. Raisa was on the sock halyard and I was in the cockpit on the sheets. The sock was raised and the chute was a little twisted but she went up perfectly and what a lovely sight. My friend Dave raised his eye brow a bit when I mentioned putting the chute up. We have had more than a few misadventures on previous sails. As we headed towards Berkeley she was pulling us along at 5+ knots in about 10 knots of wind. I was loving it! We went thru the cut of the pier and the sock dropped perfectly again over the chute and it was time for a sunset drift. It was glorious. I am sooo happy with our new sock!!! An important tool for any cruising boat.
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Giants Chapionship Run Back on the Airwaves
I missed the World Series due to my Haha trip in Mexico. CSNBA will be replaying some of the best games on cable TV. If you missed any, here is the schedule:
Schedule of Giants Playoff Games Re-Aired on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area with KNBR Audio
REPLAY DATE -- GAME
Dec. 9 at 8 PM -- NLDS Game 1
*Tim Lincecum strikes out 14 Braves
Dec. 11 at 7 PM -- NLCS Game 4
*Juan Uribe hits walk-off sac fly
Dec. 15 at 7 PM -- NLCS Game 6
*Juan Uribe hits go ahead HR in 8th, Giants win NL pennant
Dec. 17 at 7 PM -- World Series Game 1
*Freddy Sanchez, Giants rip Cliff Lee
Dec. 23 at 7:30 PM -- World Series Game 4
*Madison Bumgarner eight shutout innings
Dec. 24 at 8 PM -- World Series Game 5
*Giants win first World Series since 1954
Read more: Comcast SportsNet Bay Area Presents “Giants Orange October: The Authentic Edition” Chronicling the Team's World Championship Run with Audio from the KNBR Broadcasts
Tune to SportsNet Central at 6, 10:30 and midnight on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area for more on this story
Schedule of Giants Playoff Games Re-Aired on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area with KNBR Audio
REPLAY DATE -- GAME
Dec. 9 at 8 PM -- NLDS Game 1
*Tim Lincecum strikes out 14 Braves
Dec. 11 at 7 PM -- NLCS Game 4
*Juan Uribe hits walk-off sac fly
Dec. 15 at 7 PM -- NLCS Game 6
*Juan Uribe hits go ahead HR in 8th, Giants win NL pennant
Dec. 17 at 7 PM -- World Series Game 1
*Freddy Sanchez, Giants rip Cliff Lee
Dec. 23 at 7:30 PM -- World Series Game 4
*Madison Bumgarner eight shutout innings
Dec. 24 at 8 PM -- World Series Game 5
*Giants win first World Series since 1954
Read more: Comcast SportsNet Bay Area Presents “Giants Orange October: The Authentic Edition” Chronicling the Team's World Championship Run with Audio from the KNBR Broadcasts
Tune to SportsNet Central at 6, 10:30 and midnight on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area for more on this story
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Boneheads of the Month
What were they thinking and who is that crazy hanging on the boom. Glad they made it..barely!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
A Very Cool California Concert
Coachelletta from Sam O'Hare on Vimeo.
Go to full screen as this is hi-def madness!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Bonehead Move of the Week
Via SF Chronical - What appeared to be a harrowing story of survival emerged from Suisun Bay on Monday - that of a wayward rafter who spent five days stranded on a deserted island nibbling on vitamins and native plants and fashioning a crude "SOS" sign until the U.S. Coast Guard rescued him.
But after returning to shore, Brian "Goat Man" Hopper added a twist to the tale. He admitted that he failed to make use of a key piece of equipment during his stay on Roe Island north of Concord: a cellular telephone.
"I was embarrassed to be stranded on an island," Hopper, a 54-year-old artist from Encino (Los Angeles County), told The Chronicle. "I thought I could fix my boat and make it to land. ... I didn't want to spend the taxpayers' money to have the Coast Guard come rescue some stupid guy."
But on Monday morning, the Coast Guard did collect Hopper on a 25-foot boat after receiving a call from one of his friends - a man Hopper had telephoned directly.
Rescuers pieced together clues from Hopper - that he could see Naval vessels and could hear reveille, a military bugle call, every morning - and determined he must be near the Concord Naval Weapons Station. The Coast Guard also worked with Hopper's cell phone provider to triangulate his signal.
After finding him waving a red flag, the Coast Guard learned that the victim had gotten stranded after an unusual adventure.
Hopper, nicknamed Goat Man for his ability to scale mountainsides, said he started out Wednesday morning on the Sacramento River, where he loaded a $300 inflatable raft with camping supplies, two burritos, a bag of vitamins, a Bible and a mannequin of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"This trip was a campaign," Hopper explained. "I wanted to bring more attention to social diseases."
Hopper hoped to make it to the Golden Gate Bridge, but disaster struck when his raft sprang a leak in Suisun Bay, east of the Benicia Bridge. He said he managed to guide the sinking vessel to shore, then figured he'd make camp on the island until he fixed the raft.
"He was lucky to make it to shore," said Lt. j.g. Laura Williams, a Coast Guard spokeswoman. "In those weather conditions, it's cold, the water is very cold, and it can be really dangerous."
Hopper said he tried to scout the island for life, but high winds pushed him around, making walking difficult. He slept the first night in a tent and spent the next morning gathering chunks of Styrofoam to plug his raft's leak. The Contra Costa County shoreline was about a mile away.
"I couldn't fix it the first day so I just figured I'd spend another night, even though I was out of food," Hopper said, referring to his burritos. "Thought I'd go to work and try it again in the morning."
The next night the island was pounded with driving rain and thunderstorms.
"The weather," Hopper said, "was not working with my needs."
By the fourth day, Hopper said, he began to worry that his energy was decreasing too quickly. He had picked mustard flowers, eaten the last of his vitamins and used duct tape to write "SOS" on a red tablecloth that he hung in a tree.
Still, his cell phone remained idle. He hoped a passing boat would scoop him up, making a 911 call unnecessary.
As he saw white clouds billow from refineries in the distance, he thought to fan his own smoky fire, hoping an overhead plane would take notice.
At night, to calm himself, Hopper read his Bible. In the mornings, there was the bugle call to wake him - a sound he assumed was coming from battleships he could see to the west.
"I did all the things I saw on TV," Hopper said. "I did everything I could to ensure my safety."
On Monday morning, Hopper finally used his cell phone - to call a cousin in Northridge.
Shawn Reeves, 51, said in an interview that Hopper didn't ask him to call authorities but described his worsening situation. Reeves got a sinking feeling that his relative was in real trouble.
"I could hear it in his voice," Reeves said. "This was a guy I grew up with: If he said he was hungry and needed help, he really needed it."
Reeves said Hopper once lived in a cave in Nevada for three months, had walked through Death Valley and had made a Northern California forest his home for an entire year. "When we found him," Reeves said, "he was naked and fishing in a stream ... He's been living off the land for at least 20 years."
After scarfing down a burrito he bought at the Martinez Marina on Monday in a bid to regain his strength, Hopper said was glad his cousin called in the Coast Guard. And, looking back, Hopper said he should have called 911.
"It was," he said, "the right thing to do."
But after returning to shore, Brian "Goat Man" Hopper added a twist to the tale. He admitted that he failed to make use of a key piece of equipment during his stay on Roe Island north of Concord: a cellular telephone.
"I was embarrassed to be stranded on an island," Hopper, a 54-year-old artist from Encino (Los Angeles County), told The Chronicle. "I thought I could fix my boat and make it to land. ... I didn't want to spend the taxpayers' money to have the Coast Guard come rescue some stupid guy."
But on Monday morning, the Coast Guard did collect Hopper on a 25-foot boat after receiving a call from one of his friends - a man Hopper had telephoned directly.
Rescuers pieced together clues from Hopper - that he could see Naval vessels and could hear reveille, a military bugle call, every morning - and determined he must be near the Concord Naval Weapons Station. The Coast Guard also worked with Hopper's cell phone provider to triangulate his signal.
After finding him waving a red flag, the Coast Guard learned that the victim had gotten stranded after an unusual adventure.
Hopper, nicknamed Goat Man for his ability to scale mountainsides, said he started out Wednesday morning on the Sacramento River, where he loaded a $300 inflatable raft with camping supplies, two burritos, a bag of vitamins, a Bible and a mannequin of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"This trip was a campaign," Hopper explained. "I wanted to bring more attention to social diseases."
Hopper hoped to make it to the Golden Gate Bridge, but disaster struck when his raft sprang a leak in Suisun Bay, east of the Benicia Bridge. He said he managed to guide the sinking vessel to shore, then figured he'd make camp on the island until he fixed the raft.
"He was lucky to make it to shore," said Lt. j.g. Laura Williams, a Coast Guard spokeswoman. "In those weather conditions, it's cold, the water is very cold, and it can be really dangerous."
Hopper said he tried to scout the island for life, but high winds pushed him around, making walking difficult. He slept the first night in a tent and spent the next morning gathering chunks of Styrofoam to plug his raft's leak. The Contra Costa County shoreline was about a mile away.
"I couldn't fix it the first day so I just figured I'd spend another night, even though I was out of food," Hopper said, referring to his burritos. "Thought I'd go to work and try it again in the morning."
The next night the island was pounded with driving rain and thunderstorms.
"The weather," Hopper said, "was not working with my needs."
By the fourth day, Hopper said, he began to worry that his energy was decreasing too quickly. He had picked mustard flowers, eaten the last of his vitamins and used duct tape to write "SOS" on a red tablecloth that he hung in a tree.
Still, his cell phone remained idle. He hoped a passing boat would scoop him up, making a 911 call unnecessary.
As he saw white clouds billow from refineries in the distance, he thought to fan his own smoky fire, hoping an overhead plane would take notice.
At night, to calm himself, Hopper read his Bible. In the mornings, there was the bugle call to wake him - a sound he assumed was coming from battleships he could see to the west.
"I did all the things I saw on TV," Hopper said. "I did everything I could to ensure my safety."
On Monday morning, Hopper finally used his cell phone - to call a cousin in Northridge.
Shawn Reeves, 51, said in an interview that Hopper didn't ask him to call authorities but described his worsening situation. Reeves got a sinking feeling that his relative was in real trouble.
"I could hear it in his voice," Reeves said. "This was a guy I grew up with: If he said he was hungry and needed help, he really needed it."
Reeves said Hopper once lived in a cave in Nevada for three months, had walked through Death Valley and had made a Northern California forest his home for an entire year. "When we found him," Reeves said, "he was naked and fishing in a stream ... He's been living off the land for at least 20 years."
After scarfing down a burrito he bought at the Martinez Marina on Monday in a bid to regain his strength, Hopper said was glad his cousin called in the Coast Guard. And, looking back, Hopper said he should have called 911.
"It was," he said, "the right thing to do."
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Beatles Rooftop Concert
The Beatles finally made it to iTunes this week. So why did it take this long for the powers that be in charge to finally say yes to legal digital downloads? Me thinks it was the almighty dollar and that Apple (the computer folks not the record folks) wanted a little too big piece of the pie. The good news is, if your a fan, now is the time to dive back into the music. Just before the band broke up, they recorded their last live performance on a rooftop in central London on their Savile Row Apple headquarters. The date was January 30, 1969. Now let's head to said rooftop for the show!!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
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