Pics of the week

Had a nice midnight sail on Friday to celebrate Tex's b-day.  On Sunday had a full boat with John, Ileene, Chris, Mike, and Roger. Out to Angel Island and Craig's Cove.  Winds in the 20's.  Beautiful day.

Seal Falls in Love with Woman

Seal meets girl. Seal falls in love with girl. The end. from Bob Dobalina on Vimeo.

Look, Up in the Sky!

Drones and GoPro are the latest craze on water and land.  They are changing our world faster than we know.  I recently read a story about a sub $500 pocket drone that should be hitting the market soon.  Some folks love these things (owners) and others hate them (invasion of privacy).  I think they are pretty cool.  But say you are in an anchorage in the tropics and there are a few boats there.  Someone puts up his drone to come over and check you out.  Not cool.

 Here is a new toy to take with you on your cruise.



Stopped by the Lat38 crew party last night and met some nice folks.  One character I met had sailed the world twice and had his boat there.  He told me stories of his travels and that he advocated carrying a shotgun on his boats.  He had used it several times when intruders came on board.  The results were not pretty.  Anyway, had a great time and ran into some old and new friends.

America's Cup 2017 - Honolulu?

The SF Chron released an interview with Larry Ellison about the direction of the next cup.  Boat info, prerace info and the location of the next competition.  Nothing is set in stone yet, but we are getting closer.   Read the full story here.

Broach and Rescue

Be safe!

One more...

So Cool - Mast Walk

The famous keel walk below.



These canting keels make this possible.  With the weight of the keel that can be moved to leeward and windward, the boat can be heeled over like no other boat and allow these amazing stunts to happen.

Sailing Movies

Sure, you've seen Captain Ron, All is Lost and maybe Water World twice.  However, there are a ton of movies from the 40's, 50's and 60's you have never heard of.  Here is a list of all movies that feature sailing.  From the buccaneers to racing, you will be glued to the TV for hours!

My top three:

Wind, Dead Calm, Water World

Check the complete list here.

Bonehead Move of the Week.

 A 45-year-old San Diego woman launched the raft from Monterey Harbor Tuesday afternoon with the intent of catching a tranquil sunset.

Things went wrong, however, when strong winds picked up and blew the small boat into the open ocean, where the engine fell off and punctured the boat, according to CBS.

The woman reportedly fired flares into the air, but heavy fog likely masked them from any would-be rescuers, leaving the woman to cling to the partially submerged raft for 15 hours.

She was spotted by a fishing boat Wednesday morning and eventually rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard about two miles off Lover’s Point Park.

“She maintained the will to survive,” said Capt. Barry Perkins of the Monterey Fire Department. “The fact that she had a life jacket on ensured her survival.”

The woman was taken to a local hospital with hypothermia, but is expected to be released within 48 hours, CBS reported.

Cool Rescue

Getting a bit of rain in NorCal this week.  Couple feet of snow in the mountains.  Going skiing next week!

Bonehead Move of the Month

Skip to the 2:15 mark and hold on.  Full screen please.

Mt Everest of Sailing - Rounding Cape Horn

Got Horn?

A great story...

A few years back we were heading towards Tiburon and came upon a lovely cove with a beach.  On the beach was a beautiful Spanish style home with a pool right on the beach.  Kona needed a swim and so we headed to the beach.  Someone was swimming in the pool so we headed over for intros.  I introduced myself and the gentleman said hello and introed me to his small son, also in the pool.  He said, Would you like to join us in the pool? No thanks I am pretty sandy.  Well can I fix you a drink?  No we have plenty on the boat.  Then he says, well why don't you head upstairs and make love to my wife?  Man this guy is

awesome.  I declined but what a nice guy.  We still sail to this cove and I am still swimming to this beach.  I stopped by last summer and the guy and his son came out to the beach to see Kona.  I asked him if anyone else swims over to the beach?  Nope, you are the only one!  Ha!

Thursday Pics

Very Fast Tri

Skip to the 1:30 mark for the real deal.  Full screen!

Dolphin vs. Porpoise

We see many sea creatures while sailing the SF Bay.  One that we see more and more of are porpoises.  My crew is always asking me the difference between them and dolphins.  Here is a short answer:
People use the terms dolphins, porpoises, and whales to describe marine mammals belonging to the order Cetacea (from the Greek work ketos, “large sea creature”), and often use them interchangeably. The orca, or killer whale, for example, is actually the largest member of the dolphin family.
Dolphins are by far more prevalent than porpoises. Most scientists agree that there are 32 dolphin species (plus five closely related species of river dolphin) and only six porpoise species.
So what’s the difference? It essentially comes down to their faces (who can forget Flipper’s famous “grin”?), their fins, and their figures. Dolphins tend to have prominent, elongated “beaks” and cone-shaped teeth, while porpoises have smaller mouths and spade-shaped teeth. The dolphin’s hooked or curved dorsal fin (the one in the middle of the animal’s back) also differs from the porpoise’s triangular dorsal fin. Generally speaking, dolphin bodies are leaner, and porpoises’ are portly.
Dolphins are also more talkative than porpoises. Dolphins make whistling sounds through their blowholes to communicate with one another underwater. Scientists are pretty sure that porpoises do not do this, and some think this may be due to structural differences in the porpoise’s blowhole.
Dolphins and porpoises have many similarities, one of which is their extreme intelligence. Both have large, complex brains and a structure in their foreheads, called the melon, with which they generate sonar (sound waves) to navigate their underwater world.  Dolphins are one of the few species that have sex for fun!  Can you name the other two?
It is likely that more (or fewer) differences between dolphins and porpoises will be revealed as researchers continue to investigate these intriguing sentinels of the sea.

A Billionaire's Yacht

Too bad she is not a sailboat!  Oh...here's one!

Have a Great Holiday Weekend!

Pics of the Day

NTSB Report - The Sinking of the Tall Ship Bounty

The captain of the the Tall Ship Bounty decides to set sail in to the eye of the hurricane.  However this is no ordinary hurricane, this is Super Storm Sandy!  1000 miles wide with winds approaching well over 90 mph and the biggest storm to hit the east coast in a very long time.  Ultimately, the ship sank at the height of the storm off Cape Hatteras.   After well more than a year, the NTSB has released their report on the incident.  Click here to read the report.

Meanwhile...in Atlanta

New Theory on Titanic Sinking

It amazing to me how many times conspiracy theories pop up in big stories.  The sinking of the Titanic is no different.  Three ships were built for White Star: Olympic, Titanic and Gigantic.  The Olympic had a unfortunate run and hit several boats over the years.  The last accident was so bad that they would need to scrap the boat and take a huge loss that would put them out of biz.  Instead, the boss, J. P. Morgan, decides to make some minor repairs and switch nameplates with the Titanic and such and send the Olympic to a watery grave 2.5 miles below the ocean surface.  Instead of losing the investment, they receive the insurance money and all is well... for them.  Their plan was to have another boat in the vicinity to pick up the the crew and passengers once the ship started sinking.  Due to a bonehead move, the skipper of the rescue boat got the coordinates wrong and was too far away to make the rescue.  I am not making this up folks!  This is a fascinating story and I want you to click here and read the full account.

America's Cup 2017 - St. Somewhere

Via SF Chronicle

San Francisco's red ink from the 34th America's Cup doubled Monday, with updated figures showing the city lost $11.5 million hosting the event.
Preliminary figures released in December showed the regatta had cost taxpayers at least $5.5 million, but that number did not include expenses for the Port of San Francisco, a city department with its own budget funded by rent revenue from its property, not taxes.
The Cup and two related exhibition matches in 2012 had a net cost to the port of $5.5 million, and their cost to the general fund, the city's main spending account, was revised upward to $6 million, according to a new report by the Board of Supervisors budget and legislative analyst. That meant the event cost the city a total of $11.5 million.
The latest analysis, requested by Supervisor John Avalos, a critic of the regatta, also presented a mixed picture on the economic benefits for San Franciscans, finding that officials failed to track local hiring and the inclusion of small businesses during the 2012 events. During the 2013 competitions, however, more than half of the 953 people hired under contracts with race organizers were San Franciscans.
The new findings come as Mayor Ed Lee's administration has reached an impasse in negotiations with software billionaire Larry Ellison's Oracle Team USA sailing club about hosting the next Cup in 2017.

5 race sites on table

Russell Coutts, the CEO of Ellison's sailing team, recently said the organization is looking at five U.S. locations as possible host sites, including San Francisco, San Diego and Hawaii. The winning race syndicate gets to determine the location and boat type for the next Cup, and Ellison's team, sponsored by San Francisco's Golden Gate Yacht Club, has won back-to-back contests.
Hosting sailing's oldest competition, though, did not turn into the financial windfall that organizers and city officials had hoped for. Buffeted by the global economic crisis, few teams were willing to spend the $100 million or more needed to field a competitive team in new, 72-foot, high-tech catamarans used last year.
Projections in 2010 that the races would create $1.4 billion in economic impact for San Francisco fell well short. Instead the figure was $364 million, according to a wrap-up economic impact study by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute released in December. That figure rises to more than $550 million if the long-planned construction of a new cruise ship terminal, which the regatta served as a catalyst to finally get built, is factored in. This new report does not include the impact of the cruise ship terminal because it assumes that it would have been built anyway.
The $1.4 billion figure was based on 15 teams competing, but only four did.
Fundraising also came up short. A committee of civic leaders led by Recreation and Park Commission President Mark Buell sought to raise up to $32 million to cover city costs but ended up with only $12 million. About $8.7 million went to city coffers, according to the latest report. The rest went to cover other obligations under the hosting agreement or was paid elsewhere at the city's direction, including to benefit a nonprofit youth sailing center on Treasure Island for public school children, said Kyri McClellan, CEO of the committee.

Venue rent debated

In total, the city spent $20.5 million out of its general fund. That was reduced by the $8.7 million from Buell's committee and $5.8 million in new tax revenue from the events.
In the negotiations to hold the Cup in San Francisco a second time, the Oracle team has objected to paying rent for venue space that was provided for free last time and being compelled to pay union rates for labor, people involved in the negotiations said.
The new report from Budget and Legislative Analyst Harvey Rose's office, though, specifically calls for the city to charge rent and to ensure the event authority complies "with local hire and prevailing wage requirements for all events covered by the agreement."
"The mayor is looking to come to an agreement with the event authority that is rooted in lessons learned from these past few years," said Lee's spokeswoman, Christine Falvey. "That means a tighter race schedule, more teams, a significant economic impact to San Francisco and an agreement that protects the city's bottom line."
Coutts and others point to the economic benefits, saying the regatta creates thousands of jobs, brings business to local companies and showcases the host city on TV to viewers around the world.
The report found that 517 San Francisco residents were employed in 2013 through contracts with race organizers, known as the America's Cup Event Authority.

Hiring goals, union rates

The event authority met the goal of having 50 percent of the new hires on its contracts be San Francisco residents in 2013, but not in the area of temporary installation work, where only 87 of the 252 people hired to set up grandstands and other structures were from the city, the report found. No information was available for two preliminary races in 2012.
The issue became a political flash point for the Local 22 Carpenters Union, which picketed for weeks outside City Hall and race organizers' offices.
The event authority also failed to pay union-level wages as it had agreed to do, a city audit showed, and was assessed more than $400,000 in back wages. The city also is still trying to verify the number of local small businesses that got some of the 328 event authority contracts. So far, it has found six with a special certification from the city verifying their status as small businesses, according to the report, but there may be more.
That wasn't good enough, said Avalos, the progressive supervisor who commissioned the report.
"Harvey's report shows that the event authority and the Lee administration are really committed to the 'trickle' in 'trickle-down economics,' " Avalos said. "Given the cost to the city and failure on commitments to small businesses and local workers, I'd say it wasn't worth it."

Pics Of the Week

 

Northern California is receiving some much needed rain this weekend.  The storm door is open!

Amazing Sail Out The Gate

Saturday was sunny and beautiful with light winds.  The crew (Hillary and his sons, Dave, John and Alajandro) were all jacked for a great sail.  We hit the bay and there was no wind.  We motored out towards Angel.  As soon as I made the call to head to the beach, we saw wind ahead.  How can you see wind the crew asks?  Looking at the water, it appears darker than the water with no wind.  The reason it appears darker is pretty cool.  The wind moves across the water creating small waves.  These stepper the waves (i.e. the more wind) the less light reflected and the darker the water.  The more wind the darker the water which is very easy to see in gusty conditions.  We are sailing towards Sausalito chatting and loving the 12 knot breeze.  One of Hilary's sons is at the stern and mentions there is a boat coming at us.  I see a shadow and order the helmsman to fall off.  We barely miss an older lady who was going to keep her course until we hit her!  She was politely saying "Starboard" as we almost hit her.  John had not seen her as the sails were blocking his vision.  It would have been a mess if we had hit her 25' Hunter.  Yes she had the right of way, however, she needed to adjust her course if there was any chance of a collision.  That was close!  As it turned out, we barley missed her and had one of the best sails ever!   We made it out the Gate in about 14 knots of wind.  The wind angle was perfect so we sailed straight out to the Pacific.  What a feeling to be in the ocean.  Everyone loved it. It just keeps getting better and better!

New Edition of Lat38

The latest issue is out and you should download it to your favorite device.  I am sure there will be more info on the impounding of over 300 boats for two months in Mexico over a $50 permit (that most of the boats had in their possession).  You can download it here.

Is this the year you buy your first sail boat?

When we purchased our Newport 30 a dozen years ago, we had no idea how much fun and pleasure she would bring into our lives.  Day sails, night sails, weekend trips and week long trips have been a ton of fun and the beauty of the SF bay has taken our hearts.  If you have been dreaming of buying a boat to get you on the water, this is your year.  The market is very soft for buyers.  Sellers are taking a bath on their former boats and it's very possible to pick a nice 30 footer for under $10k.  Islander, Catalina, Pearson, Rawson, and Cals are all boats that will take care of you on the water and be a joy to sail.  In my experience, 30 feet is a magic number for sail boats.  They can hold a bunch of gear, loads of friends and will get you where you are headed.  Start looking on Craigslist, check Latitude 38 and go to marinas and see if they have a board with classifieds for the marina.  There are a ton of online resources to help you along the way and checklists that will help you find that perfect for you boat.  Go look at the boats and once you find it, get a professional to survey and then take her for a sail.  If your funds are limited or you just are not ready to put down all that cash, get some partners involved.  We have six partners involved in our boat and we each pay $100 per month and sail her like crazy.  Here was my criteria for choosing our first boat:  30 feet, legal head, sleeps 4, diesel, 6'4" headroom, wheel steering, and ready to sail.  Our 1981 Newport had all these qualities and more: a dodger, good sails, and a spinnaker.  The point is, it takes about $6500 (can be more if she needs repairs) a year to take care of all the expenses (insurance, bottom cleaning, repairs and slip fees).  Even splitting that in half with one good friend, you are on your way to making a positive lifestyle choice that will change your life!  I looked at 2 other boats before we bought the "Addiction".  Many people can take 2 years to find their $10k boat.  I say that's 2 years 2 long!  Get one, make the adjustments/repairs you need and go sailing!!!  You will thank me later.

Our 1981 Newport 30 III during the Vallejo Race under full sail. Circa 2003.  We purchased her for $16k in 2000.  In the current boat market, we might get $10k if we were to sell her (we are not).

Abandoning the Boat - A Story of Survival

A cat off the Virgina coast has steering issues and more.  The expreienced crew cannot find a fix and has to jump in a helo for rescue.  Read the story here.

Why is the Mavericks Wave so Gnarly?

Weekend Update

So I made it up to the SF Boat Show on Saturday morning and was able to see the Beneteau Oceanis 41.  This is the boat I hope to sail to New Zealand and Australia in 2018.  I will be on a bit more modest budget and pick up something from the late 90's or early 2000's.  What a fantastic boat.  3 cabins, beautiful cockpit and lots of storage.  I hope to purchase the boat in 2016 so still a lot of other boats to look at and consider.

 Saturday night our event company (Too Much Fun Club) put together a fantastic event for a local company for 250 guests.  Great food, casino and I DJ'ed the party.  I had those folks rocking!  Being an event planner is fun and challenging.  Also being the DJ is awesome because I get to interact with the party goers.  And play their favorite songs.  It was a great night.

Sunday we had a special day on the water.  Saturday was the famous Three Bridge Fiasco on the bay.  350+ boats on the water and they have to hit the marks at all three of the main bridges on the bay (Richmond, Golden Gate and Bay).  However, they can go any direction they want.  Saturday there was zero wind on the bay and the racers struggled to make even one bridge.  Sunday was completely different.  There was a light breeze when we hit the end of the channel and we were doing under 3 knots.  As we hit the Angel Island area it piped up and were were doing 5 knots in about 12 knots of wind.  Then it started hitting the high teens and we were doing 7.  Took out an old friend Jere and Arnie and John rounded out the crew.  Kona was along for the ride as well.  The difference in the wind was due to the first appearance of fog in

the the new year!  It came in slow and made all the difference in our boat speed and fun!  Another great day on the bay!

Boat Show Weekend

McCovey Cove is the site of the first ever SF Boat Show.  It is so cool to check out the top boats and see what the designers have come up with.  Lots of vendors on hand as well as seminars on cruising and more.  Show opens at 10am on Saturday and Sunday.  Also next weekend is the Giants Fanfest and a chance to meet the players and see the clubhouse. Just sayin'.

Ride of the Year - Teahupoo, Tahiti

Here is a look at the ride that won Nathan Fletcher $50k in the 2012 Ride of the Year XXL contest.  He is in the line up today at Mav's.  Good luck out there today boyz!

Mavricks is On!

24 of the world's best big wave riders have assembeled in Half Moon Bay for the next edition of Mavericks Invitational.  A massive swell is heading for Cali from the right direction and will slam ashore Friday morning.  The report I saw said 60' waves.  These may prove to be tough to catch as when they get that big, they are moving too fast for a paddler.  We hope that will not be the case.  Several big wave riders have perished here, so the guys will have their work cut out for them.  The event is not accessable to the public as the area for viewing is small and fragile as well as too far away to really see the action.  If you are interested in watching it on the web, go 
here. Cowabunga!

Love to Soar

DeLorean Hovercraft Visits McCovey Cove

I have featured this car here before.  Hope to see this beauty on the bay with my own eyes sometime.

Cool Pics

 Had a great sail on my friends new to him Islander Freeport 41 ketch yesterday.  He has been working on her, getting her ready and yesterday was the first voyage since he purchased her 3 months ago.  The marina is near the Richmond Bridge and so we sailed in that area.  Wind was perfect at 12-14 from the north and what a smooth ride.  Looking forward to more good times aboard.

 

The easy way to open wine without a corkscrew!

Twice the speed of the wind - Flying Phantom

Pics of the Weekend

Would YOU sail this boat?

Bay of Biscay, southern France.

Trouble Brewing in Mexico

Mexico is an awesome place to go cruising on the west coast.  Beautiful anchorages, warm and friendly locals and abundant wildlife.  About a month ago, a new division of the Mexican IRS descended on a dozen marinas to make sure everyone had their paperwork in order.  If you did not, or you were not on your boat, or if they could not find the HIN numbers, your boat got impounded for up to four months.  Apparently, over 300 boat have been impounded.  To say that active boat owners who's only mistake was to not be on their boat during a random inspection are upset, would not begin to paint a true picture of the frustration these owners are experiencing.  They cannot legally leave the dock at this time.  Cruises to other parts of the world and in Mexico have had to be put on hold as the owners hope someone will intervene and change this outrageous policy.  I hope for Mexico and the owners of these boats, that they resolve this issue in short order.  Someone described Mexico as a country of whims.  This whim needs to be over ...and quickly before Mexico shoots themselves in the foot and ruins nautical tourism.

From Latitude 38:
 We're hoping and praying, for the sake of all cruisers in Mexico and potential cruisers to Mexico, as well as all the nautical tourism businesses — and the owners of impounded boats — that Mexico puts an end to this self-destructive insanity immediately. And furthermore, that they give assurances that similar episodes won't happen again. Mexico has steadily been making life easier and more attractive for cruisers, so let's hope this is an aberration, not the start of a really horrible phase.

Great Announcers!

We may need these guys for the America's Cup 2017!

CollegeHumor's Favorite Funny Videos

Awesomeness

My Home - California

  Into The Atmosphere from Michael Shainblum on Vimeo.

Some of the locations are Mono Lake, Anza Borrego Desert, Alabama Hills, Trona Pinnacles, Big Sur, Mount Laguna, Santa Maria, Yosemite, Gaviota, The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, La Jolla Coves, Santa Ynez, the San Francisco Coast, and the Santa Barbara Mountains.
Directed and Filmed by Michael Shainblum.

Origin of the name: California

California was the name given to a mythical island populated only by beautiful Amazon warriors using gold tools and weapons in the popular early 16th-century romance novel Las Sergas de Esplandián (The Adventures of Esplandián) by Spanish author Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo. This popular Spanish novel was printed in several editions with the earliest surviving edition published about 1510. The novel described the Island of California as being east of the Asian mainland, "very close to the side of the Terrestrial Paradise; and it is peopled by women, without any man among them, for they live in the manner of Amazons." The Island was ruled by Queen Calafia. When the Spanish started exploring the Pacific coast they applied this name on their maps to what is now called the Baja California Peninsula they originally thought was an island. Once the name was on the maps it stuck.

via Wikipedia

Bass Strait Kicks Some Ass in the Hobart