About Last Week...

Not sure why I have not written this report earlier but here goes: Made it over to pick up John at Sam's in Tiburon.  It was a gorgeous day and the wind was in the 20's.  We sailed to the city front and there were the America's Cup boats racing away.  There were lots of spectator boats so we sailed just outside them and took in what we could of the racing.  As we were heading north along the course I saw something I never thought I would see with my own eyes...cruising by in a cloud of spray was the fastest boat in the world, l’Hydroptère DCNS (check out their site http://hydroptere.com/).  It was a blogger/sailors dream come true.  The boat is waiting for a weather window to break the LA to Honolulu record of 4 days and change.  They got tired of windless LA so they shot up the coast for some good old SF blastings.  It was amazing to watch this boat top out at 35 knots right in front of us.  I heard that with some stronger winds on Saturday, they hit 45 without a problem.  Surely they did not men to upstage the AC but in fact, they blew them out of the water!!!  We sailed back to Sam's for dinner and then I headed to Angel Island for the night.

After getting situated on the moorings, not easy if you are alone with a front and end tie off, I slipped into a deep slumber.  As I was the only boat in the anchorage, I felt a little bit that the famous explorer Juan de Ayala, he being the first to sail a ship into the SF Bay back in August of 1775.  He spent his first night in this cove.  How cool.  Woke up in the morning to get ready for the event I was hosting for a local company.  I was supplying the drinks and fun for a group of 20.  Lunch was being catered by the cafe on the island.  Another glorious day and the group took the ferry over for the 11am arrival from Palo Alto.  We had a ton of fun playing Frisbee golf and bocce after lunch.  The group went for a hike and my buddy John showed up with a couple ladies and they had a picnic too.  After the hike it was on to volleyball for the group and I departed.  The engine was not receiving fuel so after some trouble shooting I decided to slip the lines and sail her home without the engine.  Off the dock with out a problem, I sailed out the strait and into a huge lee behind Angel.  I got stuck for an hour trying to get to the wind.  Finally it filled in and I took off like a rocket on a perfect reach for the end of the pier.  I was heading in about 7 and the wind was way down in the low teens.  I needed that wind to get me into the slip.  I made it into the harbor and there was just enough to get me down the fairway and into the slip without the engine.  It was a thing of beauty!  Exhausted, I cleaned up and then headed home.  It was an adventure to remember and cherish!  Thank you, Addiction!!!

Heading to the America's Cup Today

My buddy John and I are sailing out to the course today.  Winds will be in the mid twenties for the 2:05 start.  Eleven boats will be racing and it should be a great day.  Tonight I plan to moor in Ayala Cove at Angel Island.  On Friday, I have an event I am hosting fora local company on Angel Island.  Lunch, games and fun with about 20 folks.  Should be a great way to start the weekend.

Partnership Available on our Newport 30

Please contact me if you are interested.  Here is the CL ad:

We have owned Addiction for 12 years and are offering an equity share at $3000. We have a total of 5 partners and one is leaving the partnership. We offer low cost sailing on a proven bay boat from 1981. Monthly costs are $100 per person or $3 a day to sail in the most beautiful bay in the world. You should have bay sailing experience and know that when the wind is blowing 30-35 in the slot, you know how to handle it. This is a great opportunity to get out on the bay for all the America's Cup action. The boat features a jib roller furler, spinnaker, legal head, sleeps 3-4, wheel steering, a fin keel and a spade rudder. Good ground tackle, speed and depth meters, and has taken anything the bay has thrown out at her. Please contact me if you are interested in seeing the boat and taking her for a spin. She is an amazing boat. Minimum 1 year commitment. For pictures and more info, please visit: http://addiction30.tripod.com/

You can contact me via email at fungod at gmail.com

Delta was a Blast!

Been back over a week and still thinking about the delta. My boat partner Arnie and a friend sailed up from the bay and had some wild spinnaker runs getting up to Sugar Barge Resort.  I met them there and we had some big fun in the sloughs in and around the San Joaquin  River.

Two sets of friends also joined us.  Mark and Diane for Sunday and most of Monday.  And my Baja Buddy John for Wednesday and Thursday.  The nice thing about joining the Delt Doo Dah Rally is that a good part of the time, you are at the resorts, your food for breakfast and dinner is prepared by the restaurants and you do not have to cook and clean up after every meal.  So we had more time to hang and meet our fellow boaters.  Met another owner of a Newport 30 and he said he bought his boat based on my blog and recommendation on the build quality of these affordable boats.

Highlights - Beach party with the group off of Sugar Barge.  The Malibu Breezes were excellent.  Meeting some of the families that joined the group.  Potato Slough hang time.  Salmon dinner on the slough.  Full moon rise over the delta.  Being on the boat for a good three days.

The low point was getting stuck for 3 hours outside King Island.  Arnie decided to take a side slough and we ended up in 3 feet of water.  We draw 5.  We used the old kedging trick but with all the weeds it was tough to get a good hold on the bottom.  This made us 2 hours late in picking up John.

I departed on Thursday and Arnie sailed her home with some help from another boat partner, Paul.

It was a great couple days in the delta with a big thanks to Latitude 38 for throwing a great rally!

Delta Bound 2012

The Addiction crew is gearing up for a week long trip up to the delta with the 4th Annual Delta Doo Dah.  The event is organized by Latitude 38 Magazine.  50 boats and over 200 folks will head north east up the bay and into the San Joaquin River.  There will be beach parties, themed dinner parties and plenty of free time to explore the area.  This will be our 5th trip to the delta, however it has been 4 years since we have had the boat up in that area.  There are 1000 miles of waterway up there, along with warm fresh water coming down out of the Sierra Nevada mountains.  And there is great wind at times.  We have also had many adventures getting stuck and using the kedging technique to get us out of trouble.  When you get stuck in the shallow mud, we get in the kayak with the anchor and take it back to the deep water and winch ourselves out of trouble.  Hopefully, we will not have to worry about that.  You can check out our itinerary here.

Puma: 70' Sled

World Record Attempt: LA - HI

l’Hydroptère DCNS is looking for a weather window in an attempt the break the 4 day and 19 hour record from LA to Oahu record.  This boat does not sail...it flies!  They will need to average 20 knots per hour to break the record.  The boat can do 40 in the right conditions.  Check out their website and be sure to hit the British flag for the english version.

Pics of the Week

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Olympics Most Memorable Moments

Being a competitive swimmer thru college, I have a strong bond with the summer Olympics.  From Mark Spitz 7 golds in 76 to Phelps 8 golds in 08, my sport has been in the spotlight for many years.  Here is a list of the most iconic moments of the modern era.

Michael Phelps wins eight gold medals (Beijing 2008)
Phelps laid out a program that on paper looked nearly impossible: eight swimming events in nine days. By winning eight gold medals, Phelps became the most decorated athlete at a single Olympic Games. And more than one of his races came down to the last possible instant. Just ask Milorad Cavic.
Kerri Strug vaults with injured ankle (Atlanta 1996)
Believing the U.S. needed her vault to clinch the team gold, Strug limped to the runway on a left ankle she'd injured moments earlier. Running with one good ankle, she completed the vault, stood on one leg, then fell to the ground. Turns out the U.S. didn't need Strug's score, but we all remember the effort much more than the particulars of the score.
Muhammad Ali lights cauldron (Atlanta 1996)

It's always a mystery: Who will light the Olympic cauldron? On July 19, 1996, Janet Evans made the final pass of the flame to a man that will never need an introduction. With his left hand shaking from the effects of Parkinson's disease, Muhammad Ali clutched the torch with his right hand, raised it, then lit a flame that slowly made its way to ignite the cauldron. Unforgettable.
The Dream Team (Barcelona 1992)
For the first time, NBA players were allowed into the Olympic Games. The result: The Dream Team, a roster that included 11 eventual Hall of Famers and a team whose closest game was a 32-point blowout.
Carl Lewis wins four golds (Los Angeles 1984)
Lewis entered the 1984 Games with one thing in mind: becoming the second person ever to win four track and field golds in a single Olympics. Jesse Owens did it in 1938; Lewis matched him 48 years later.
Nadia Comăneci scored perfect 10s (Montreal 1976)
No gymnast had ever earned a perfect score of 10 until Comăneci turned in a performance on the uneven bars at the 1976 Games that left judges with no choice. Comăneci would earn six more perfect scores and the gold medal.
Bruce Jenner wins the decathlon (Montreal 1976)
Jenner dedicated four years to winning gold in the decathlon in Montreal. The work paid off. Not only did he earn the title as the world's greatest athlete, but he parlayed his two-day performance into a lifetime of celebrity that eventually landed him a seat at the head of the Kardashian's dinner table.
Sugar Ray Leonard leads dominating U.S. boxing performance (Montreal 1976) 
Sugar Ray Leonard launched his Hall of Fame boxing career with a spectacular performance at the 1976 Games in Montreal. En route to winning one of five golds for the Americans, Leonard marched through the '76 Olympic tournament, winning each fight 5-0.
USA-Russia basketball controversial final (Munich 1972)
Since basketball became an Olympic sport in 1936, the USA hadn't lost – until the '72 final against Russia, a game that remains steeped in controversy to this day. Forty years later, members of the U.S. team have still not accepted their silver medals, contending they were cheated out of gold.

Israeli athletes killed by Palestinians (Munich 1972)
On Sept. 5, 1972, a Palestinian terrorist group took members of the Israeli Olympic team hostage in an apartment in the Olympic village. The terrorist group, known as Black September, called for the release of prisoners held in Israeli and German jails. The standoff lasted 21 hours and ended with the death of 10 Israeli athletes and coaches and one German police officer.
Tommie Smith/John Carlos medal stand protest (Mexico City 1968)

T
Tommie Smith (center) and John Carlos (AP)In arguably the most iconic image ever produced from an Olympic Games, Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos thrust their black-gloved fists in the air while standing on the medal podium after having won gold and bronze, respectively, in the 200-meter dash. The purpose of the salute was to represent black unity and power during the civil rights movement in America.
Jesse Owens wins four golds in front of Hitler (Berlin 1936)
It was a moment when sport and politics collided on the world stage – the great American athlete, who happened to be black, performing in front of a man trying to lead a resurgence of Nazi Germany where the superiority of an Arian race was propagandized. Jesse Owens sprinted through Hitler's house and won.
Usain Bolt shatters world records in 100m and 200m (Beijing 2008)
The sprinter with the name to fit ran into the record books, becoming the first since Carl Lewis in 1984 to win Olympic gold in the 100 and 200. In the process, Bolt established world records at both distances and sparked a curiosity as to how much faster he could really go.
The greatest Opening Ceremony show ever (Beijing 2008)
Lasting more than four hours and at a cost of around $100 million, the Opening Ceremony at the Beijing Games featured light shows, fireworks, dancing and some 15,000 participants. It ended with Li Ning, suspended in the air, "running" horizontally around the cornice of the stadium, where he eventually lit the Olympic cauldron.
Marion Jones wins five medals, then forfeits them all (Sydney 2000)
The darling of the 2000 Games after winning five medals, including three golds, Marion Jones became a symbol of all that was wrong in sport after it was revealed she used performance-enhancing drugs.
Michael Johnson's unprecedented double gold (Atlanta 1996)
Sporting a pair of custom-made gold Nikes, Johnson entered the '96 Games in Atlanta with a goal of becoming the first man to win the 200 and 400 meters in the same Olympics. He won the 400 by more than one second, then shattered his own world record by more than 0.3 to win the 200 and complete the unprecedented double.
Florence Griffith-Joyner's double world records (Seoul 1988)
How good was FloJo in 1988? The world records she set en route to winning gold in the 100 and 200 meters still stand today, 24 years later. In a sport where men tend to get most of the attention, FloJo grabbed the spotlight, becoming a role model for women wanting to compete in track and field.
Mary Lou Retton wins gymnastics gold (Los Angeles 1984)
Before 1984, no female gymnast outside of Eastern Europe had won all-around gold. Mary Lou Retton changed that with a perfect vault. And when she hit it and flashed that million-dollar smile, a star was born.
Mary Decker collides with Zola Budd (Los Angeles 1984)
The 3,000 meters played up to its billing as Mary Decker Slaney vs. barefooted Zola Budd. They were running 1-2 just past the halfway point when Budd appeared to step in front of Slaney, who stumbled, fell to the ground in a heap and lay on the infield in agony as the race went on without her. Who was at fault depended on who you were rooting for.
Mark Spitz wins seven golds (Munich 1972)
Michael Phelps' eight-gold medal effort in 2008 was fathomable only because of what Mark Spitz had done 36 years earlier, when he won seven at the '72 Games. It was a redemptive performance from Spitz, who'd predicted he'd win six in the '68 Mexico City Games and came away with two.

Click on one of the hyperlinks and it will take you to a page with more details and video.  You can even vote for your top three most memorable moments.

Via Yahoo Sports.

SF Awesomeness

Filmed over 4 days in SF.  They must have had one heck of a time getting the permits for this!  Gives you a primer for when you arrive for the America's Cup one year from now!

The Back Loop

More Foils

The song is, You Oughta Know by Sunni Stephens.

In Lake Sunapee with the fam for the holiday.  Beautiful water on 4000 acre lake in NH.  My sister's house is awesome with a French Chateau feel in a lovely, quiet bay.  We have had some wonderful food and some epic wines from the cellar.  Last night we had paella cooked over the outdoor fire place by brother Tom.  Then off to a local production of Oklahoma.  Very fun indeed.  We head back to SF Bay on Sunday.  Hopefully we are set as far as repairing the boat this year.  We have fixed dangerous corrosion at the base of the mast, fixed an engine water leak and recently lost our forestay connection with the boat in 20 knots of wind.  Got it fixed quickly.  Don't think we will be going to Tomales Bay which is about 40 miles up the coast.  Ocean sailing can be a challenge on a very strong boat and right now I think sailing the notoriously strong winds of summer is a safer bet and easier to handle if we get in trouble.  At the end of this month, we have a trip to the delta planned.  Should be fun.  Stay tuned!

Mid Week Sailing

Had two days of weekday sailing this week.  On Tuesday, I took out a group from Meetup.com.  I have a meet up group called Too Much Fun Sailing Club.  Do a search on the web and it is easy to find if you would like to join.  We had a group of 5 for a sail to Clipper Cove for lunch.  Took Kona over to the beach for a romp in the sand.  Then it was off to Raccoon Straits for a look around.  Getting late so we headed home.  Next day it was a sail to the Giants game with another group of 5 including John, Andy, Ginny, and Chris.  We had some great wind to get us there on time.  The Giants were playing the LA Dodgers and we wanted a sweep along with three consecutive shut outs.  The Giants went on to win 3-0 and we were very happy.  Another nice and fast sail home just before sunset.  Good times on the Addiction!!

The Green Room

Almost like returning to the womb.  Only this is a womb with a view!

Broke the tang that connects the forestay to the boat while out sailing.  Getting her repaired and should be back sailing in a day or so.  Our 30 year old boat is starting to show her age.

Another Day in the Salt Mines

5 Peices of Gear You Should Take on a Cruise

Found this tidbit over at Sail World:

1. The New Generation anchor:
We bought a Spade, but there are many other brands on the market – the Manson Superior, the Rocna, the Ultra to name just a few. From the moment we saw the light and changed over, we slept at anchor confidently and peacefully. Not once in all the years since our purchase of that Spade have we ever dragged.
All the weight in the New Generation anchor is concentrated in the point and the clever shape means that the harder it blows the deeper the anchor penetrates. Deep weed is no problem either, because that lethal point keeps heading down and down until it strikes something solid to cling to.
Even though we employed all the other tricks to make sure we anchored securely - heavy gear, good scope (never less than 5:1), snubber, anchor alarm and anchor buddy – the Spade made so much difference it felt as though we were anchored to a two-tonne concrete block.

2. The Code 0 sail:
We thought that a multiple purpose sail (MPS) would be just perfect for downwind sailing, to complement our twin-winged yankee and staysail. We were wrong. Most long-range cruisers are, like us, sailing short-handed, which means that, in order to keep the crew fresh to deal with any emergency at all times, each crew sails single handed, allowing the other to sleep.
Moreover the longer you cruise the less important it seems to sail fast - maybe for avoiding an impending storm, or getting in before dark. An MPS may give you a knot or two extra in speed, but it took two of us to put it up and down – and, particularly when used as a spinnaker, demands attentiveness most of the time.
On the other hand a Code 0 is a spinnaker-weight sail on a light furler hoisted on the spinnaker halyard. It can be unfurled in light winds and furled again quickly when conditions threaten – without involving the other crew.

3. The DIY watermaker:
We left home with a watermaker. It took up a huge amount of storage space on the yacht, had cost the previous owner a lot of money, but had only a modest output of water. With all the other expensive gear we were putting on the boat, spending around another $10,000 on a better watermaker was something we thought we could do without.
It was months later when we discovered, courtesy of a roving sailor, that we could have, for a mere $2000 or thereabouts, made our own watermaker with an output of 100 litres an hour.
An added advantage of this was that this DIY watermaker did not have to be constructed in one unit, but its parts could be apportioned around the boat in convenient small locations. Follow the diagram shown or Google for other versions.

4. The salt water tap:
What a boon this little beauty was when added to our boat.

Best operated with a foot pump (don't forget to carry a spare), it gives an unlimited supply of water to either swab the decks (eliminating the need to pull buckets up from the ocean), cook vegetables, rinse the plates or a wide range of other minor tasks where it doesn't matter if the water is salty or not.

Don't leave home without one!


5. The 'Med Hook':
This natty little hook is named after the place were it was invented, the Mediterranean, but it is useful anywhere at all where you are likely to have your anchor tangled with another boat's. The first time our anchor became tangled with another it was a comedy of errors that amused everyone in the anchorage – if only we'd had a Med Hook!
Two lines are attached to the hook, one for lowering it in the hook position, and another for tripping it so that it releases the chain it has been carrying. It is particularly handy in crowded anchorages where another boat has laid over your boat and then gone touring for a few days.
When you want to leave, you simply slip the Med Hook down the other boat's chain, lift the chain while you retrieve your own anchor, and then use the trip line to release the chain. You'll never have to wake the crew of another boat again when you want to leave early in the morning! 

Super Yachts in St. Barts

Had a very nice sail out to Angel Island with my friend Kiwoba.  Winds in the low 20's on the way over along with a gorgeous day.  Anchored in Craig's Cove again to get Kona over to the beach.  As I stood on the beach, the boat was in a different position and Kiwoba was up at the anchor.  A motor boat offered to take me back to my boat so I took them up on their offer and we made it out to the boat.  The anchor had picked up and Kiwoba had reset it with a hard yank on the rode.  We reanchored closer to the beach and I swam back in to get Kona.  He had been playing on the beach with two girls from the motor boat.  They were about 5 or so and wanted to get back to the boat.  One of the girls said she couldn't swim and needed help.  I had her grab Kona's tail and he swam her back to the boat.  It was a sweet moment.  The sail home was fast as the wind was up.  We returned shortly after 5 and Kiwoba was on her way.  I had some time so I returned for a sunset sail and came in after dark.  Had a short night onboard as I was tired.  Hit the hay and then took care of some painting projects in the morning.  Almost thought about going out again but the wind was gusting to over 30 and it looked pretty nasty out there.  Got some work done and headed home.

Here is the vid of our sail from Kiwoba:

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Pics of the Week

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Great Day on the SF Bay

With our water leak down to a few drops, I took out a crew of 5 (geoff, elsa, julia, brian and kathy) for a spectacular day of sailing.  The wind was perfect, the crew was in good spirits and the sky a brilliant blue.  We tacked our way out to the end of the Berkeley Pier and made our way to Angel Island.  The wind was in the low 20's and we had a reefed jib up along with the main sail.  We were trucking along at 6 knots under blue skies and no fog in sight.  We stopped at Craig's Cove on Angel for a very nice lunch and swim into the beach with Kona.  It was my first swim of the year in the bay.  64 degrees water temp.  After lunch we headed up Raccoon Strait for a beautiful couple tacks.  Everyone was digging the sights and the tunes.  We zipped back to Emeryville and were back in the dock shortly after 6pm.  What a great day with friends old and new!

We're gonna need a bigger boat!