Pics of the Day

Toad Rock, Java. The only two guys in the water all day.

The jump at Steamer's Lane, Santa Cruz, CA
Click the pic for a larger view.

New Porsche Ad Campaign

Click the pic!

Picture Show: Northern Lights

I have seen the northern lights once in British Columbia. It was an awe inspiring moment in my life. This solar energy occurrence is one of the most amazing phenomena I have ever seen. Here is what causes the spectacular light shows: The Sun's magnetic field throws charged particles from its atmosphere out into space. As these particles near the Earth they are pulled in by its magnetic field, which pulls them down to the magnetic poles. Before they can reach the Earth, the charged particles hit the Earth's atmosphere and collide with the gases found there. The reaction between those particles and the gases creates energy, and the energy is given off as light - the Northern Lights. Here is a link to a site with some breath taking
photos.

New Sailing Speed Record 54.10k

Speed sail records falls like domino brick in the Luderitz Speed Challenge 2010. Alex Caizergues has set a new World Speed Sailing Record at 54.10 knots on a 500 meter run. That’s over 100 km/h an a board with a kite.

Most of the speed junkies in the sailing world are gathered in Namibia for the Luderitz Speed Challenge 2010. This is the place where records have fallen before, and this week amazing things have happened again.

Last year French Alexandre Caizergues became the fastest kiteboarder in the planet with an average speed of 50.98 knots in 501 meters. The World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC) ratified the new World Record.

Tuesday October 12th he did it again with his kite. He averaged 54.10 knot over a 500 meter course. The record has to be ratified by the WSSRC before it’s final.

Hot to Trot

Something Wild

We headed out to see the Blue Angels yesterday and it was fab! Seven intrepid souls on a vast bay with these precision flyers. We had an nice sail out towards Angel and then tacked toward the city at the start of the show. The tack lasted the entire show and it was breath taking. We headed back and it was time to spread my father in laws ashes. Dick had passed in a freak fall earlier this year. We had some nice words about him and some tears. He loved sailing the bay aboard the Addiction. So long my friend. It was a great day to be on the water with my friends.

Bone Move of the Week

Tri

They don't make these anymore but boy it looks like fun!

You and Your Johnson

Boat Name FAIL - watch more funny videos

Cool Promo

Fast is Fun!

After the boat was lost during a record attempt in 2008, they rebuilt it an came back to claim the world speed record for a vessel under sail in 2009. Wonder what they are up to this year?

Two Weeks and Counting

We depart for the Baja Haha in less than two weeks! Boat Count: 190 People Count: 600
Fun Meter: Off the charts! The trip will take 11 days as we have several stops on the way down the coast. The distance from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas is about 750 miles. Here is a breakdown of what our trip looks like if we have some decent winds for our 36' cat:

San Diego to Turtle Bay
382mi @ 8kts = 48 hrs
We will most likely make a noon approach.
We will swing on the hook Wed & Thur night

Turtle Bay to Santa Maria
224mi @ 8kts = 28 hrs
We will again make a noon approach
We will swing on the hook Sun/Mon/Tue night

Santa Maria to Cabo
194mi @ 8 kts = 24 hrs
This will be a mid-morning approach

8 knots is optimistic but we have a fast boat. Once we get to Cabo, the party continues at Squid Row and a bunch of beach parties. Getting excited for our two week journey down the coast!!

Weekend Pics

Let's Go Boating!

Have a Better Weekend Than These Guys!

Pic of the Week

Sailing Maniacs!

Hold Fast from Moxie Marlinspike on Vimeo.

The story of a man with a dream. Long but well done! He buys a piece of rotting fiberglass, fixes it up and sails it to the Caribbean. Enjoy!

Dolphin Bubble Rings

Cool Time Lapse

Full Moon Sails

Had a couple great late afternoon sails over the weekend that segwayed into moon rise sails as I was coming in. Nice sunsets too. The bay area has been hit by a heat wave that has taken temps into triple digits. The good news is that the wind is still blowing on the bay and I was out there to enjoy it. My golden Kona came with and we had some great times. The heat will last one more day and then the fog makes it's way back into the bay and that means even more wind!

Here's a clip from last weekends race on the bay.

Vendee Globe Race

The next race is still 2 years away. This vid shows how extreme it is and the stress the sailors have to deal with. Check it out.

Never Fart in a Dry Suit

Pics of the Week

Jaws Chaos

Talk Like A Pirate Day

Join the fun!

On The Beach

Lucky!

Sex with a Whale

Received this note from a fellow Haha'er on his way to San Diego via San Francisco.

"Well after thirty years of sailing I had my first close encounter with a whale and lived to tell the story. We were sailing across Monterey Bay about 30 NM west of Moss Landing.

We started seeing Blue Whales, Ocras and dolphins. The Orcas apparently hunt the Blue Whale Calfs in this areas and there was a lot of activity and we steered to avoid the whales.

I was sitting in the cockpit daydreaming when I saw something on the port side of the boat. It took a second and then I realised that it was a whale. The creature had rolled on its back and I swear was humping my boat.

I yelled to my crewman to turn right and the whale touched or kinda slapped the port quarter. Then whale drifted by the boat and just off the transom lifted it's tail in the air and disappeared. The tail was as wide as my dinghy is long (10.5').

No damage or injuries, but I am wondering if my boat lost her virginity to a whale."

Tom Jeremiason
S/V Camelot
C470-145
Home Port: San Francisco, CA
Curretly located: Santa Barbara, CA
www.sailingcamelot.us

Aquarium Perfection

Kuroshio Sea - 2nd largest aquarium tank in the world - (song is Please don't go by Barcelona) from Jon Rawlinson on Vimeo.

Go full screen!

Pic of the Day

Have a great weekend and go sailing!

AIS App for the iPhone

Sailors are rejoicing at the number of apps available for mariners. From charts to currents and tides, GPS and now AIS. AIS stands for Automatic Identification System. All large ship are required to have a transponder and broadcast important info about their origin, destination, speed, etc. With Ship Finder, you can have all the vital info about a passing ship at your fingertips. When on the bay during the day, I can use it to determine which course the ship will head when coming thru the Gate. At night, it can keep me informed of ships headed my direction. A detailed map appears on screen with all the ships in the local area. When I touch the ship I want info on, a detailed report comes up instantly. It won't help you with small boats on the bay as most donot yet have this device or if they do, they are only receiving info and not transmitting. There is a free version available as well as a $5 version which I recommend if you plan to use it on the water. It is worth it and can be an amazing tool for the serious mariner.

Pics of the Day

Hotel room in the Maldives.

Way Cool = 20 Knots on a Wally

Overnight Sail

The Baja Ha Ha cruiser rally fleet is headed out of San Diego on October 25th. We are expecting 200 sailboats and 600 sailors for the 17th annual cruise down the 750 mile coast of Baja California. I will be heading to Mexico with the fleet on a boat named Rainbow, a 36' cat. We had a training sail this past weekend that took us 40 miles out onto the ocean for an overnight sail. It was wild and windy as we exited the bay with the wind in the low twenties for the majority of the trip. Four of us are onboard on 4 hour shifts, with two on watch at all times. The waves were 4-8 feet but not breaking. The day was gray and it was doubtful we would see the sun. We held a southwest course out the Gate that did not allow us to spot the Farallones. As the afternoon came to an end, the skies cleared and the sun and blue sky shone our way. I mentioned that I have seen three green flashes in my life (a huge shaft of green light shoots from the sunset, only visible over the ocean) and that we should begin a quest to catch one on the trip. We were having a wild ride with boat speed around 9 knots in large waves but the boat was handling it well with the course we were on. Only 2000 miles to Hawaii if we held course! No, no, let's stay focused. I went below to prepare some Pumpkin Bisque for the crew. All is fine until I start on the main course of Mango Salmon. We had heaved to, slowing the boat down, but not really changing the motion. I ran up on deck to feed the fish for the first time in my boating life. I headed back to the galley not feeling 100%. I was able to complete the meal and then went to the bunk for some rest. My next watch was from 2300-0300. The midnight watch. The boat had remained heaved to and we were in fine shape. Watch out for boats and slowly head towards San Francisco at 2-3 knots. At 30 miles off the coast, we could see a multitude of stars and the Milky Way streamed across the sky. Very impressive. The Skipper Cliff, came on deck at 2pm and we decided to douse the main as the wind was hitting 27 at times. We went down to jib alone and started our journey back to the city. As I went off watch, I could see lots of bioluminesence behind the boat. Almost looking like fireflies on the stern. I went off into a deep sleep as the boat headed west. Morning comes early and I am back on deck at 0700. The Gate is ahead and we head in on a nice flood. Breakfast prep is not a problem as the seas are calm. We finish up with a nice sail on the bay. Cliff has done a masterful job at setting up a strong and capable boat. It going to be a sweet sail to the Cape!

When in Drought

Before this weeks huricane, the north east had almost 30 days of light winds. The windsurfers were jones'in! If you love windsurfing, check out the Puffman.

Flat water is fast water.

Crazy Boat Crashes

Here is a link to a site that has put some of the top boat crashes all in one place. Over the years I have featured many of these but there are some that I have never seen. Check it out here.

Going on a Baja Ha Ha training sail this weekend. It an overnight sail on the ocean. Should be a blast and a half. Full report on Monday. Enjoy your holiday weekend!
Here is a kite crash, one of my favs!

You Want Sex?!

On July 20, 1969, commander of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module, Neil Armstrong was the first person to set foot on the moon. His first words after stepping on the moon, "That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind", were televised to Earth and heard by millions. But just before he re-entered the lander, he made the enigmatic remark:

"Good luck, Mr. Gorsky." Many people at NASA thought it was a casual remark concerning some rival Soviet Cosmonaut. However, upon checking, there was no Gorsky in either the Russian or American space programs. Over the years many people questioned Armstrong as to what the "Good luck Mr. Gorsky" statement meant, but Armstrong always just smiled. On July 5, 1995, in Tampa Bay, Florida, while answering questions following a speech, a reporter brought up the 26 year old question to Armstrong. This time he finally responded. Mr. Gorsky had died and so Neil Armstrong felt he could answer the question.

In 1938 when he was a kid in a small Midwest town, he was playing baseball with a friend in the backyard. His friend hit a fly ball, which landed in his neighbor’s yard by the bedroom windows. His neighbors were Mr. and Mrs. Gorsky.

As he leaned down to pick up the ball, young Armstrong heard Mrs. Gorsky shouting at Mr. Gorsky. "Sex! You want sex?! You’ll get sex when the kid next door walks on the moon!"

We Loved Petaluma!

My best bud Tex and I headed up the Petaluma River on Sunday for a three day sojourn. We had an very nice early morning sail up the central bay in about 12 knots of wind. I prepared some coffee and scrambled eggs as we went under the Richmond Bridge and Tex took the helm. We pass the two small islands called The Sisters and decided to stop for a swim at McNears Beach. Found a rocky beach and took Kona in for a rest stop. Back onboard we headed for the river entrance. There is a long string of nav markers that guide you into the river mouth. At this point we are motor sailing with just the main up. We enter the river and have a nice cruise with the wind mostly on our nose. Once on the river, its a 10 mile ride through vineyards and farms. There is plenty of depth all the way up and we had no problems. We arrived at the draw bridge at the appointed time of 4:30. You must call Public Works 4 days in advance to have the draw bridge raised on a weekend. It leads right into the turning basin in the heart of downtown. We tied up and almost had the dock to ourselves. We had a fun dinner with a friends sister and her family at Dempsey's which is right on the basin. 6 year old Emma loved the boat. The next morning we took a walking tour of the town. We found a nice book store and the market to restock our ice supply. After lunch, we headed off on our bikes to Lagunitas Brewery for a tour and tasting. About a 3 mile ride, the day was perfect. We arrived and were told the next tour was in an hour. Contemplating our next move, I noticed something on my tires. 30-40 white thorns were in my front tire and it was flat. Same with my back tire. I look at the other bike and the same thing! 4 flat tires. We tried to get somebody to take us back to the basin but no luck. Finally we decided on a cab. Back at the boat, we get the tube repair kit out and start fixing the tubes. We soon run out of patches and decide to buy 4 new tubes. Bummer. Once we are cleaned up and the bikes are back in order, we prepare the boat and food for the arrival of our old friend Denise. She brings another friend and we sit down for stories and a Chinese chicken salad. I had put on a red check table cloth and candles and the boat had a nice glow to it. Some folks from another boat came over and we had some more stories below. Fun night! We are up early the next morning to meet the bridge tender at 8am. Without a hitch, the bridge goes up and we head back down river to the bay. We realize quickly that our water tank is empty. There are a bunch of dishes from last nights party that need to be cleaned. I get creative and rig up the sun shower above the sink. Works like a charm. More eggs and coffee and it's another beautiful day with temps in the low 70's. The river is empty as we make our way down. Back on the bay, we head over to the sandy side of McNear's. Kona and I swim in for a romp in the sand. Warm and lovely! Back at the boat, I dive down to see how close the keel is to the bay bottom. The depth gauge says 6'6". I dive down and its more like 6' or less. Time to recalibrate the depth meter. We have a most excellent sail in the San Pablo Bay with winds in the 12 knot range. Finally make it under the Richmond and soon we are flying in 25 knot winds across the slot. Small jib and main up we are doing 8 knots to finish the trip to Emeryville. What a nice welcome home. We clean up the boat and by 8:30pm we are headed home. It was another outstanding adventure up another storied waterway on the bay!!

Heading up The Petaluma River

My good buddy Tex and I have had many sailing adventures on the bay and delta over the last 10 years. This weekend we will be heading up river on the Petaluma for the first time. It about a 30 mile sail to get there. We end up in downtown Petaluma which has turned into a bustling theater, dinning and watering hole district. We will be on the water for three days. Be on the lookout for updates from the boat. Should be an awesome trip!

Flynnstone Flip

Flynn Novak - Flynnstone Flip from Matuse Inc. on Vimeo.

45 Moments in NASA History

Here is a great multimedia presentation of some of great and not so great moments in NASA's history. From the first moon landing to the first monkey in space, it's all here. Click this link to see the site.

Ronnie Makes it Back

(See the post below for the back info on Ronnie)

Here is the latest:
This thread is entertaining.

First off, i've got to make it very much publicly known that I probably could not (and would not) have done this without Ed McCoy. There is not a better bperson that I could have been on the boat with in such a shitty situation. He is one of my best friends, and we got along better during and now after the ordeal than even before. He is a delivery skipper/ skilled racer/ general sailboat bad ass. I've been sailing for 2.5 years. That's it. Whenever you're new to a sport, you have to have a mentor and a role model and for me, it's Ed. He was the first and only person I ever approached about doing this delivery with. If not him, I probably would have returned solo as well. So thanks dude.

Having said that, there were a few things in this thread I would address:

Water ballast was disabled for race, and was not able to be used.

Boat is stable like a motherfucker. Scot Jutson designed a good boat in my opinion. Something on the boat failed. Was it corroded keel bolts? Shitty welds? Bad construction? Previous groundings? Hell if I know. It broke, but the boat itself is in my opinion a good boat and a well built one at that. I put 5,000 ocean miles on that boat this summer, mostly solo, and I usually pounded the shit out of it. Never felt anything less than rock solid until last Wednesday night. We will haul out tomorrow and maybe learn something from it. Boat is getting a new keel, designed by another respected Mount Gay 30 designer and *should* be back in action for next year's Bermuda 1-2. If not, SHTP 2012.

Major, major props and gratitude to everyone who showed up to greet us at the gate. Garrett Greenhalgh and Drew Harper (my employers at Spinnaker Sailing) greeted us in the SC 50 with thai food and booze. Ladonna and Rob fro Latitude are great friends, and Adam, Ben, Lucy, Gary and all the SHTP community was just awesome in coming to greet us. That really meant a lot to me. And like someone else said about Don, the boat's owner. Yeah, he's one of the good guys. I was pissed off for some reason about the keel falling off, but we sat down and talked in private today and I feel a lot better about things. The guy is a great guy and afforded me a great life experience this summer. So thanks to everyone.

As you can see, on this day i'm happy to be alive and I just love everything and everyone. That shit was traumatic (in my mind), but we pulled through. The stress alone made me drop 10 pounds in the last week.

Moths are Cool!

Full screen!

A Brief History of the Internet

It all stated in 62'! Click here for the infograph.

This Just In...

More Bad Luck For Ronnie

Poor Ronnie. Here's a guy who gets seriously injured in the Iraq War. Because of his injuries he is sent home. He gets a job and tries to find his way. But something is missing and he needs to find it. He decides to buy a boat and sail to Hawaii. He does the minimum to get the boat ready. He has some crew but decides he has to go and leaves for his first ocean passage alone on an untested boat. He also departs at the tail end of hurricane season here on the west coast. A few days after his departure from San Diego, he gets hit with the remnants of a Cat 4 hurricane and loses his rudder in terrible conditions. Rescued by a freighter heading for China, he ends up there with nothing and no way to get back home. But Ronnie never gives up! He sails and races in China and makes the most of it. He finally makes a plan to bike across the continent to the UK. Not just any continent, but the biggest continent of all...8,700 miles later he pedals to a pub to make another plan. He wants to sail in the Single Handed Transpac. He gets some sponsors, finds a boat that is lent to him for the race. Prepares the boat hopefully with more diligence than the one he lost off San Diego and sails out the Gate. Waves are steep and the wind is in the 30's as he reaches the Farallones. He does well in the race and ends up 2nd in his division and 6th overall. He celebrates and makes some amazing friends as he finally reaches his goal of sailing to Hawaii. Now he is headed back to SF and guess what?? No, not the rudder this time. He loses his friggin KEEL! Some how, some way, Ronnie is prevailing and headed our way. They lost the keel 800 miles out, a freighter dropped some fuel for them and they have a little bit of jib out as they cruise at 5.5 knots. Here is the latest report from Ronnie that I received this morning:
August 16, 2010- 228 miles to San Fran
1 more night down, and *hopefully* only two more nights to go. As you can tell, the nights freak me out a bit more than the days. Things are still more or less going okay aboard Warrior's Wish. We've had to bleed the motor several times. We checked all of our work regarding fuel filter swap, previous bleeding, etc. Everything seems tight, but due to constant vibration, (or something), it seems there is a very small air leak. Motor sounds very starved and loses power for several minutes. Definitely seems like a fuel issue. Motor itself is fine. The starvation/ power loss either works itself out naturally in 5 minutes, as it did once yesterday, or requires bleeding, as we've done 3 times in the past 2 days. The motor generally stays running throughout the entire ordeal. Either way, she's purring right along right now and we're making a steady 5.5 knots with the jib up. Definitely looking forward to getting back to San Francisco. I think we both want showers, thai curry chicken, and beer. Everything after that is just in the details.
Our ETA is beginning to become more defined. Looking at Wednesday morning's flood tide. Slack is at 0349, max flood is 0706 and slack is 1011. Fortunately, the ebb tide after that is a mild one, so we have some leeway (no pun intended, hahaha). We would like to have a boat on the scene to meet us outside the gate and escort us in if that is possible. With the gnarly currents at the Golden Gate, if the motor craps out, we're done. Either into the South Tower or the lee shore. Too much leeward drift with no keel. I think we can do it ourselves, I just want a power boat as back up in case we need a tow. Please contact RJ if you know of someone who can help with this. I would prefer to not have Coast Guard on scene as I don't feel it's an emergency. Good luck Ronnie! We will keep a light on for you! Here's a link to his website.

Pics From the Archives

Sail to the Farallones

On Sunday our Baja Haha crew boarded Rainbow for my first ever trip to the Gulf of the Farallones. The islands sit over 20 miles outside the Gate. One of our crew stated that the islands sits on a plate that over the last billion or so years, has crept all the way from Baja. That is amazing! We practiced our man overboard drills along the way. The skipper Cliff, told us about a rescue he made during a race. A freak wave threw two sailors into the water as they headed back from the the islands. Cliff saw what happened and was able to rescue them without mishap. The boat kept sailing and was lost. Cliff received a medal of honor and lots of recognition. Anyway, we made to the islands and it was very cool to be out there. Not much to see but lo an behold, as we tacked to head back, a huge gray whale surfaced just in front of the boat. What a sight! He surfaced a few more time before disappearing behind us. We put up the spinnaker for the ride home and as we approached the Gate, the winds peaked at 23 knots and we were flying aboard our 36 Crowther cat. Speeds in the double digits were the norm for a good part of the ride home. The sun came out and it was beautiful inside the bay. It was a 12 hour sail and a great one at that. Our next adventure on Rainbow is a overnight training sail outside the Gate again over Labor Day weekend. More fun on the high seas!!

Buying My Ticket to the HaHa!!

Looks like I will be going on the Baja HaHa! We are making plans for provisioning the boat and the schedule down the coast. I am super excited as this will be my first ocean passage. It will take about 12 days to get down the coast from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. We have several stops to rest, relax and have a beach party if the waves cooperate. We head out the Gate this weekend for a training sail. I will be updating this blog as we go. Read all about the HaHa here.

Gales, Whales and the Baja Ha-Ha (Movie Trailer) from Sailing Guy on Vimeo.

Why is it called a Head?

Marine toilets are known as the head, this being the name given to them on the old wooden sailing ships, as they were located in the ships head right at the bow. They were placed each side of the bowsprit and used by the officers and crew, with only the captain having his own toilet.

I first heard this term used whilst serving my time as a marine fitter in Harland and Wolff Belfast. Since then I have been to sea as a Ships Engineer and we all called the marine toilet the head or heads, the name deriving from the days of the wooden sailing ships, when the heads were placed up for’d.

This is a marine article regarding the origin of the marine toilet being known as the head; here we will have a light-hearted look at its history. However, in the middle of a dark night, on a rough sea I am sure going to the loo, and having your nether regions splashed by cold seawater was anything but lighthearted.

We begin then with a brief look at the history of the ship's head.

In the days of sailing ships, the forerunner of today’s marine toilet was known as the head or heads as there were normally two of them, some of them being enclosed in a shelter like our old outhouse toilets.

They were located on each side of the bowsprit, which was an integral part of the ship’s bow, overlooked only by the figurehead at the head of the ship, and this is how the marine toilets become known as the head. Incidentally, the word head came from a Roman galley, where the prow with the armor and battering ram was sometimes referred to as the beak’s head.

The heads on the sailing ships were used only by the crew and officers, with the Captain having his own private head below the "poop deck" (no pun intended) near his stern cabin.

Reasons for the Location of the Head

The reasons for locating the heads so far for’d are listed below:

* Smells

Smells emanating from the heads would be blown away from the deck of the ship by the following winds; that were normally from aft, as the ship sailed before the wind.

* Keeping the Heads' Outflows Clean

Because the heads were right at the bow slanting inwards, the waves constantly splashing seawater upwards would wash any accumulation of waste from the port and starboard planking, whilst also keeping the gratings used as a toilet seat and the surrounding deck area well washed.

* Using the Lee or Windward Head

The sailors were encouraged to use the lee side head in rough seas or windy conditions as this also stopped the accumulation of waste sticking to the sides of the bow.

* Fo’c’sle Head

Later on as the ships were developed, a fo'c' sle head was built under the fo'c' sle deck. It was originally a sail and rope store, but some of the sailors preferred to sleep and mess here rather than down below. So the heads were kept in their location being handy for them to use.

Now you know!

.Source

Cat Crash

Full screen looks good.

I could do this all day!

Great Article: Plastiki

The world needs men and women who do great things: lead nations, invent new devices, discover miracle cures - all those things that make our lives better. But we also need adventurers, people who do things for the hell of it, who sail off beyond the far horizon to prove some point or other.

David de Rothschild, a tall, rangy man with a plummy English accent, scion of the famous British banking family, is one of those people. He and a crew of five others have just completed an amazing voyage, sailing a strange-looking craft made of 12,500 plastic bottles from the Golden Gate to Sydney. The 8,000-mile trip took four months.

The point, he said, was to show the world that the "shocking and unnecessary use" of disposable plastic harms the oceans' health.

De Rothschild believed that by building a boat of tough plastic, with floatation supplied by liter-size bottles filled with carbon dioxide, he could call attention to plastic waste in the ocean. He called it "a message in a bottle".

Continue reading here.

August Sailing

We had a busy week last week with sailing and many events with the Too Much Fun Club. Wine tasting in Napa and lots of groovy folks! Had some maintenance on the boat too. I changed the impeller and had some issues getting the pump to prime. Saturday morning it was still not priming and for the first time in 10 years, I had to cancel a day trip with friends. I did some research on the web and found an interesting solution that may help others. The impeller moves water from the bay into the engine to keep it cool. It spins and spins and it had made some indentations on the cover. In my research, a few of the suggestions were to turn the cover over so it can use the smooth surface to create a seal and start moving the water. I did that and it worked like a charm. Sometimes it as simple as that.

The weather in Northern California has been nothing short of spectacular. Fog in the morn, Sunny by 11am and then 70's every day. They say this has been the mildest summer in 40 years! Perfect temps at night. My theory is that as the valley heats up, it is bringing in more cool air and keeping it mild near the bay. Great for sailing too!

My August looks great for more sailing adventures and working towards the Baja Ha Ha. On the 14th, I will be sailing out the Gate on Rainbow (36' cat) and hopefully the boat I will join for the rally. On Labor Day weekend we will do an overnight on the ocean and go way out past the Farallones. I also hope to head up the Petaluma River for a couple day trip with my friend Tex. Lots of day sails and a trip to the ballgame. Should be a great month of sails on both the Addiction and Rainbow!

What is it that makes us love sailing so much?

After having caught the sailing bug back in the early 1980's, I have become more and more addicted to sailing. I think about the things that attract me to the sport. Being on the water is a big part of it. Also where I sail is an attraction. Some say the sailing on our SF bay is some of the best in the world. Not only from a wind standpoint (it blows 20-35 most every day, less in the winter) but from a beauty standpoint as well. The thing that I love about sailing is that there are so many elements in play when you are sailing the bay with friends, the music is on, the wildness of the wind and waves, the sun sparkling on the distant water, this invisible force pushing you and your boat along a watery cloud, and then finally getting to your destination safe and dry. Here is one of my favorite sailing quotes:

"Something about sailing a boat brings so many senses and sensations into play that it's very difficult to pinpoint what it is specifically that makes me like it so much: the sight of sails and sheets overhanging the water; the foam and spray flying as the bow cuts the water; the motion of the boat; the physical and mental ballet necessary to handle the boat correctly. A sailboat might just be the most beautiful, sensuous and intelligent blend of man/machine/and elements that exists in the world today. The relationship between the three is the most harmonious I have experienced so far. Besides you can have a beer while you do it". --anonymous

So what is it that you like about sailing?? Maybe you have sailed the world, maybe you have been on a boat only once. What was it that you enjoyed and what are the elements that draw you to the water. Please tell us about it and leave a comment. And fair seas to you if you do!

Cool Kite Boat

The Kite Sailing Kitano Yacht designed by Stefani Krucke introduces kite sailing technology to the leisure sailing yacht class and benefits from the many advantages that technology has to offer. One of them being the constant and stronger wind speeds found at higher altitudes.

Compared to a normal sail the kite has less surface area but still generates enough force so that even a gentle breeze lifts the hull to a planing speed. Equipped with a hydraulically operated centerboard, even sailing in shallow water and littorals are possible without risk.

The Yacht itself can house and home up to 8 passengers with the latest in luxury any client would love. On top of that, it’s totally green so even treehuggers can step off land once in awhile. For more info, go here.

Wipeouts

You may want to mute the sound and put on your favorite surfing tune!


One more:

Heart Pounding Sailing

Be sure to go full screen with this lovely vid from St. Barts, BWI.

Amazing Photo

Saw this on Sailing Anarchy

No one was hurt (including the whale) but the boat suffered some major damage.

Liz Clark Interview

Liz is currently in the South Pacific surfing and sailing her way around the world on a Cal 40. She has spent the last year or so fixing a leak on her boat. To read her interview, click here.

Hail Storm

Thunder from Down Under

Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?

Sailing Movies

Last night I re-watched White Squall and started thinking about some of the other movies that feature sailing. Here are some of my favorites:
Wind - Great Coppola movie.


Captain Ron is a classic!


Water World has an awesome cat with a trick kite.


Dead Calm is a cliff hanger.


And White Squall


And here is the newest one about sailing that will be in multiplex near you at the end of the month.


What are your favs?

Saturday Sail with a Ha Ha Boat

I was lucky enough to join a 36 cat for a sail with a bunch of folks looking to crew on the Baja Ha Ha.We set off for a run out the Gate at 9:00am. Five on board and the wind was 12-14. We tacked out the Gate about 12:30 or so with a flood tide. It was very calm with little swell. We made it out and I was surprised at how nice it was. Winds were about 10-12 with a small swell as we headed up the coast towards Muir Beach. At Muir, we tacked out for the Lightbucket nav marker. There was an announcement on 16 that the Pacific Cup boats would be sailing out the Gate towards Hawaii. The leading boat was Limit and she was cranking by with her 60' waterline. The rest of the fleet was well behind. We set the spinnaker and started our trip back. The wind was still light. We sailed under the bridge and the wind picked up dramatically. Cliff has a great set up with his kite and in no time we were flying down the bay. At this point I was driving and as we got around Treasure, the wind was in the high 20's and we hit 14.5 on the meter and I was at the helm. It was a nice thrill and gave us a glimpse of what this mighty cat could do on a run down the coast. It was a great sail and I hope to join the boat for a trip to the Cape!

Time Lapse X 2

The Letter

Dear Sirs,

It is with regret and haste that I write this letter to you; regret that such a small misunderstanding could lead to the following circumstances, and haste in order that you will get this report before you form your own preconceived opinions from reports in the international press, for I am sure that they will tend to over-dramatize the affair.

We had just picked up the pilot, and the apprentice had returned from changing the 'G' flag for the 'H', and being his first trip was having difficulty in rolling the 'G' flag up. I therefore proceeded to show him how, coming to the last part I told him to 'let go'. The lad, although willing, is not too bright, necessitating my having to repeat the order in a sharper tone.

At this moment the Chief Officer appeared from the chartroom, having been plotting the vessel's progress, and thinking that it was the anchors that were being referred to, repeated the 'let go' to the Third Officer on the forecastle. The port anchor, having been cleared away, but not walked out, was promptly let go. The effect of letting the anchor drop from the 'pipe' while the vessel was proceeding at full harbour speed proved too much for the windlass brake, and the entire length of the port cable was pulled out 'by the roots'. I fear that the damage to the chain locker may be extensive. The braking effect of the port anchor naturally caused the vessel to sheer in that direction, right towards the swing bridge that spans a tributary to the river up which we were proceeding.

The swing bridge operator showed great presence of mind by opening the bridge for my vessel. Unfortunately he did not think to stop the vehicular traffic. The result being that the bridge partly opened and deposited a Volkswagen, two cyclists and a cattle truck on the foredeck. My ship's company are at present rounding up the contents of the latter, which from the noise I would say were pigs. In his efforts to stop the progress of the vessel the Third Officer dropped the starboard anchor, too late to be of practical use for it fell on the swing bridge operator's control cabin.

After the port anchor was let go and the vessel started to sheer I gave a double ring Full Astern on the Engine Room Telegraph, and personally rang the Engine Room to order maximum astern revolutions. I was informed that the temperature was 83 degrees, and was asked if there was a film tonight. My reply would not add constructively to this report.

Up to now I have confined my report to the activities at the forward end of my vessel. Down aft they were having their own problems. At the moment the port anchor was let go, the Second Officer was supervising the making fast of the aft tug, and was lowering the ship's towing spring down into the tug.

The sudden braking effect of the port anchor caused the tug to 'run in under' the stern of my vessel, just at the moment when the propeller was answering my double ring Full Astern. The prompt action of the Second Officer in securing the shipboard end of the towing spring delayed the sinking of the tug by some minutes thereby allowing the safe abandoning of that vessel.

It is strange, but at the very same moment of letting go the port anchor there was a power cut ashore. The fact that we were passing over a 'cable area' at that time may suggest that we may have touched something on the river bed. It is perhaps lucky that the high tension cables brought down by the foremast were not live, possibly being replaced by the underwater cable, but owing to the shore blackout it is impossible to say where the pylon fell.

It never fails to amaze me, the actions and behavior of foreigners during moments of minor crisis. The pilot for instance, is at this moment huddled in the corner of my day cabin, alternately crooning to himself and crying after having consumed a bottle of gin in a time that is worthy of inclusion in the Guinness Book of Records. The tug captain on the other hand reacted violently and had to forcibly be restrained by the Steward, who has him handcuffed in the ship's hospital while he is telling me to do impossible things with my ship and my person.

I enclose the names and addresses of the drivers, and insurance companies of the vehicles on my foredeck, which the Third Officer collected after his somewhat hurried evacuation of the forecastle. These particulars will enable you to claim back the damage that they did to the railings of number one hold.

I am closing this preliminary report for I am finding it difficult to concentrate with the sound of police sirens and the flashing lights.
It is sad to think that had the apprentice realized that there is no need to fly pilot flags after dark, none of this would have happened.

Yours truly,


xxxxxxx

Bonehead Move of the Day

SF only US Contender for the A-Cup

If the America's Cup regatta, the world's premier sailing event, returns to this country for its next running, it will be held in San Francisco, sources in the state capital said Wednesday.

The city is expected to get a major boost today in its efforts to host the 34th incarnation of the storied sailing race with software mogul Larry Ellison's BMW Oracle Racing team announcing that San Francisco will be the sole U.S. city under consideration for the next cup race in 2013 or 2014, beating out previous hosts San Diego and Newport, R.I., those sources said.

The move paves the way for San Francisco to try to marshal national support for its effort to hold the series of yacht races whose local economic impact would be topped among sporting events by only the World Cup and the Olympics.

Among other contenders are Valencia, Spain, host of the most recent cup regatta and an undecided locale in Italy.

Mayor Gavin Newsom said early today he was "deeply honored and thrilled."

"We will do whatever it takes to bring this great race to San Francisco," Newsom said. "It is a testament to the unparalleled assets of our city that San Francisco is competing with nations to host the world's most renowned sailing race."The mayor and other city officials have been maneuvering for months to host the 159-year-old race after Ellison's team, sponsored by San Francisco's Golden Gate Yacht Club, captured the cup in February. It was the first time an American team had won the cup in 18 years.

Read more here.

Back from Sunapee

What a great trip to the east coast!! We visited my family in New Hampshire and the first two days had perfect weather. Visited the Lake Sunapee Yacht Club (established in 1902) and they lent me a 420 sailing dingy. These high performance racers can fly. Both times I went out, the wind was pretty decent and the gusts were a blast. On the second sail, my 85 year old father joined in the fun. Sailed for a couple hours each time on this beautiful glacial lake that sits at 1000' near the boarder of Vermont. We also saw two fireworks shows from a boat on consecutive nights to celebrate the 4th. My sis was also celebrating a wedding anniversary so the food was outstanding as was the french wine that my brother in law Ray loves so much. We also made time to golf, swim and hot tub. The last two days were a little hot but heck, we could just jump in the 74 degree water and cool right off.

We returned last night and after a few days of work, I will be sailing an a cat out the Gate with a boat that is going on the Baja Ha Ha. Hopefully, I will impress the skipper and he will invite me for the 750 mile trip down the coast in October. I will keep you posted!

From the Archives - Windsurf Insanity

From August 2007.

Rogers Cancels Swim from Farallones to SF

Sailing to and from the Farallon Islands from San Francisco is a difficult and dangerous endeavor. The Farallons lie about 30 miles of the coast of San Francisco. That 30 miles can be some of the wildest water in the Pacific. And did we mention the great white sharks? Karen Rogers is an ultra swimmer from Lake Tahoe. She is used to the 54 degree water she would encounter during her swim. The thing she didn't count on was the 12 foot waves that prevented her boat from even getting to the islands. Maybe that's a good thing. The swim has been done before, but not for about 40 years. She may try again when the conditions are more favorable. Read the full story here.

Wetass is Back!

After an almost 5 year layoff, Wetass is back! Tim Zimmermann is one of my favorite bloggers/writers. The Wetass got me into the blogging biz way back in 2005. Tim is a professional writer and has an extensive background in politics and adventure writing. Check out his new blog here. We loved you on Twitter, but this is the real deal, welcome back to the blogging world Tim!

Ripping with The Ripper

Cruising New England

The family and I have been out in Boston for the last several days and we have been having a grand old time. Everyone says it's a good idea to start with a Duck Tour during your first visit to Beantown. So we did. Amazing history and great overview of the city on an amphibious bus. The highlight was heading into the water on the Charles River. Lots of sailboats and we almost took one out! The captain of the bus/boat explained that the boats were from the Community Boating Center and that for $1 you can join and learn to sail and sail all summer long. That's amazing! The program started in the 30's and is thriving today. Wish I had access to a program like that when I was a kid. After the tour, we headed to the Museum of Science for some more fun. Yesterday we went on a waterfront Segway tour. What a blast! Technology and history and a tour of the bay. Some awesome boats to behold and it was so cool to breeze around the docks and canals of Boston on a Segway. Then we headed off to Tillerman country. Bristol, RI was our destination. My nephew is a sous chef at a restaurant called Persimmons down near the water on State St. We headed in for a very fine meal and some lovely hospitality from the staff. I even sent the "godfather" a note from the table via email and Tillerman replied! Bristol is a lovely town and the sailing looks fantastic. Today we head off for our annual family reunion at Lake Sunapee in NH. Should be a great 4th of July as we enjoy fireworks on the water. Have a safe and sane July 4th!