heather richard's tall (ship) ambitions

Leaf through history books and you will likely be hard-pressed to find mention of a female as captain of a tall ship. According to San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, "Seagoing careers were closed to women during the sailing ship era. A woman might disguise herself as a man and assume a fictitious name; but if she was discovered, her career would be over. The only way for most women to take part in running a merchant vessel before 1900, when sailing ships reigned supreme, was through marriage or by being the captain's daughter." For San Francisco Bay sailors and fans of tall ships, we have three ladies in training to helm the Bay's only resident working tall ship — one has called Sausalito her home for more than 23 years.

Heather Richard will soon be the newest female to helm the Matthew Turner, a Call of the Sea (COTS) tall ship.

"Adrian McCullough, former captain and director ships operations, set the stage early for women to serve in leadership roles on the ship," Richard notes. McCullough's efforts also attracted female captains Rebecca Johnson (a native of Texas) and Cassie Sleeper (native of Long Beach, California). Whereas these two ladies came up the ranks via linear formal training, Heather shaped a path to the helm by tapping years of extensive insight gained by sailing many types of vessels, acquiring a wide scope of skills, and having ample San Francisco Bay smarts. "I am very familiar with water and sailing conditions for the Bay and outside the Gate. I know the timing, tides and traffic." She also brings umpteen years of experience working with customers and crew. And, perhaps most importantly, she has developed a safety skills set and foresight that can help avoid or anticipate a vessel's mechanical or maintenance failure.

The traditional pathway for leadership on a tall ship generally takes one of two routes: 1) completing a maritime academy education, followed by industry training, or 2) following an on board apprentice track, which includes gaining skills and knowledge while working up the ranks from deckhand to captain. "Neither of those pathways were available to me," Richard says. "Things have changed over the years, and opportunities are opening up for females. Progressive organizations such as Call of the Sea keep a level playing field for males and females; talent is recognized. My perception is that young women who come on board [COTS's] vessels — whether for social sailing or educational programs — take note that females are at the helm, calling the deck, or going aloft. Seeing ladies in leadership roles on a tall ship does matter! When I was coming up the ranks, I did not have a female role model. It's not only empowering, but helps attract talent to an industry long dominated by men."

In recent weeks, Richard has greatly increased her scope of responsibility toward that firm footing squarely at the helm of Matthew Turner. Whereas she has been helming Call of the Sea's other vessel, the schooner Seaward, for several years, there is plenty to learn on Matthew Turner; for example, correct vernacular and commands. "Case in point, the proper lingo required to turn a square-rigged ship while sailing downwind is not 'call for a jibe'. I need to say, 'Prepare to wear ship', she notes. MT has a far more complex sail plan with square sails, plus a mainmast with a height of 100-ft. On top of this, the vessel has an incredibly complicated electronic propulsion system. Matthew Turner extends 132-ft and counts a 25-ft beam; she weighs in at 175 tons. (Seaward is 82-ft.) In April, Richard will learn how to run the larger vessel's deck and call commands. When not on the ship, she is familiarizing herself with tall ship terminology, learning about "clewing up," how to "cast your brails," and more.

"One of the things about being on a tall ship is that you have to overcome any fear of heights," smiles Richard, who loves climbing to gain added perspective. She casually points out that while she was growing up, neighbors often felt compelled to telephone her parents and let them know she was far up a tree — again. As captain, Richard will eventually oversee a crew of between six and 12, plus passengers. For the 2023 season, COTS will welcome guests for camp days, youth and adult overnight sailing adventures, charters, and education and immersion programs. Richard helped

The departure of Paul Cayard from the role of executive director of the US Olympic Sailing Team has created confusion and frustration among the elite ranks of competitive US sailors, athletes, supporters and donors — as well as the 2024 Olympic aspirants. In the world of competitive sailing, there's probably no higher achievement than medaling in the Olympics. The United States once dominated sailing in the summer games, holding the honor of the country with the most Olympic sailing medals; Great Britain now holds the title with 64 medals to the US's 61.

There were high hopes when, in March 2021, US Sailing announced that Bay Area National Sailing Hall of Fame sailor Paul Cayard would be executive director of US

Olympic Sailing. But after barely two years — and in the midst of a restructuring by US Sailing — Cayard announced his resignation in February, leaving US Olympic hopes in jeopardy.

Many commentators have pointed to a fundamental flaw in the structure of the US Olympic Sailing Team, which operates under the auspices of US Sailing as the national governing body of the entire sport of competitive sailing. Internal tensions created by many competing missions have been recognized for years but, to date, appear unresolved.

Cayard released a statement saying, "Unfortunately, over the past couple of months, the US Sailing Association and I

launch Girls Aloft in 2020, a half-day session catering specifically to young women and girls ages 12-24, offering hands-on ship handling, navigation, and more. "This program is near and dear to my heart. It's just the sort of thing that I would've loved to attend when I was a girl."

Alan Olson, project director and founder of Call of the Sea, solicited Heather's input during the design phase for Matthew Turner in 2010. She has been sailing on the vessel since 2020. "I live in Galilee Harbor, a member-run cooperative which is filled with maritime tradespersons. This location lies immediately over the wreck of the Galilee, a brigantine built in 1891 and designed by Matthew Turner" that delivered parcels between San Francisco and Tahiti. "Being in this spot inspires me and reminds me of the good fortune I have to be a part of the Matthew Turner crew."

On the water since age 4, Richard reveals that her life has always been close to boats. "One of my earliest memories was of a lovely little wooden Sunfish with a rainbow sail." Richard's youth was spent on the Great Lakes with scows; a later move to Boston drew her to Community Boating on the Charles River. In the early '90s, she started her high school's first

sailing team, followed by training beside the MIT team. Despite her East Coast roots, and living on a boat adjacent the USS Constitution, Heather decided to head west, coaching summer sailing at the St. Francis Yacht Club. "I became hooked by conditions on the Bay. The energy is hard to resist, whether I am coaching or just spending time on the water. Wing foiling, which has become my current watersport passion."

During the 2013 America's Cup, Richard served as a captain for charter companies such as Schooner Gas Light, and also joined with Brad Webb's USA 76 charter crew. Richard serves on the board of directors for Spaulding Wooden Boat Center, and operates her 10-year-old charter business, Fine Day for Sailing. Heather is also a mom preserving home balance for her three children, each of whom has secured water-based jobs; the oldest girl is a local diver. As her kids grow into the maritime industry, Heather's own career is about to expand to the newest tall ship on San Francisco Bay. Look for Heather Richard at the helm of Matthew Turner this summer!

— martha blanchfield

Clockwise from top left: The Cal 29 '=Librium' inadvertently stayed at the Coast Guard dock in Vallejo recently, much to the chagrin of a sheriff's deputy; '=Librium' navigates a bit of fog; the Cal 29 'Bluejacket', seen here sailing out of Berkeley, is the main photo on the Cal 29 Wikipedia page. Inset: Jay Lundquist and a friend.

had a complete breakdown on several levels. The process of resolution was not good and ultimately unsuccessful. Despite my passion for our mission and my perseverance, I can no longer work with US Sailing. In 2020, I was told that trying to build a successful Olympic Team, within US Sailing, would be very challenging. Changing the processes, culture and support for the Team is an extremely difficult task. We are just starting to make gains. Raising two or three times the amount of money ever raised in the USA, to support that goal, is also a difficult task. Starting and building an endowment, so that future leaders will have something to rely on financially, is another tall order.

"Ultimately, the relationship with US Sailing proved to be one that I could not cope with. It pains me to admit that as I did sail around the world twice, and generally feel pretty capable of dealing with adversity. I want to emphasize my gratitude for your support, trust and confidence in me. Know that we made significant progress in the movement to get the USA back to the top of the podium. I remain interested in our mission and supporting athletes. Maybe this will take a different form in time.

"It has been my honor and privilege to work with my staff and for all the great

I learned to sail with my father, Brigham Lundquist, on San Francisco Bay in 1970. It has turned out to be the greatest gift he ever gave me, excluding life itself. At 17, I made the choice of mountains over the sea. I have stayed in the mountains for many years.

At 55, I bought a Santana 22 for use on Lake Almanor in Northeastern California. After a few years, I began to miss the sea; I really like ocean swells. So I hatched a plan to return.

Plan A: Take a Santana 22 to Bodega Bay during the winter.

As I prepared for my winters in Bodega Bay, the vehicle to pull the boat died. After due consideration, I decided, "Hell, Santana 22s are pretty cheap. I'll just buy another boat in the Bay and sail it up. One of my very intelligent daughters said, "So, Dad, you have no car and you're going to buy a boat?"

I'm not sure what lured me from Craigslist to Latitude 38. There was a boat for sale at $999 — it was a Cal 29; I learned to sail on a Cal 25. My emotions took over. If my knife didn't go through the bulkhead near the chainplates, it was a done deal. The facilitator of the sale, Gordon, didn't see me stabbing the boat, but stopped the tour to ask, "Should I continue?" with a tone that suggested I may not want to buy the boat.

I said yes. The boat is old, but so am I, and I'm not dead yet.

Gordon was very helpful. It was a difficult sale with the DMV; I wanted new stickers on the boat to dress it up a bit. The 47-year-old boat looked like the kind that people abandon at marinas — or elsewhere. Gordon worked very hard to get the Atomic 4 going again. I appreciated that man.

Gordon was helping to get the boat sold for a widow who had been dutifully paying slip fees at Treasure Island for eight years after losing her husband. I wanted to know more about this boat's past; I heard it was once used to take kids in Oakland sailing — a worthwhile thing to do.

Plan B: Take the =Librium as far up the Sacramento River as possible to create short drive times from Plumas County to work on the boat.

As I putted through San Pablo Bay with a jury-rigged outboard in the dark of night, I changed my mind. There is the Napa River, too. I tried frantically to call my other daughter about someone she knew with a boat on the Napa River. She must have been on a date.

So, at Vallejo, I turned north and set my mind to getting some gas. It was at midnight or 1 a.m. that I entered the Vallejo Marina to hunt down their gas dock. A sign had led me to the second entrance. I headed toward the most lit-up spot there was. The dock was lit up like a stadium.

I tied up and walked around the dock, opening little sheds looking for some pumps. They were empty, and the dock had these funny-looking ramps to allow you to drive a (power) boat onto the dock. My dad and I did that once in the Cal 25 at our slip in Alameda.

At this point, I was feeling like I could sleep, so I did.

The dock was on the starboard side of the boat, which I had never seen, so after my morning coffee, I set out with brush and bucket to shine up my new boat. Someone coming into their slip asked, "Did you know you are on the Coast Guard dock?" I said no, and continued to scrub the boat. I guess I was a little embarrassed by the appearance of the boat, and figured there was no sense in trying to outrun the Coast Guard, so I hung around. Finally, when I was ready to go and was laying out some line to help leave the dock, it was blowing really good. The jury-rigged outboard wasn't going to cut it.

Two sheriff's deputies and two Coast Guard officers unlocked the gate and entered the dock. One of the deputies began to ream me out like I was white trash trying to abandon my boat. The reaming seemed to take a lot of time and was rather unpleasant. But I did learn some things. When the deputy finished the reaming, he turned to the Coast Guard and asked, "Is there anything you would like to add to that?" They declined.

I think they felt sorry for me because of the behavior of the sheriff's deputy. I hope he's retired now. I like the Coast Guard. All the ones I've ever talked to acted like they were Customer Service for Homeland Security and wanted to do something nice for me. And I love buying boats.

— jay lundquist

The bad news, at least as perceived as such by some, is that so many Americans and Canadians are now cruising Mexico and that between November and April, it's sometimes, if not often, impossible to get a slip. During the Christmas and New Year's holidays, for example, there were a couple of slips available in Mazatlan, but nowhere else on the entire Pacific Coast of Mexico.

Nada. Zip. Nothing.

Even in early March, the 356-berth Marina Riviera Nayarit in La Cruz had a waiting list of 30 boats. Not that any other marina had more than a couple of open berths, if any. Marina de La Paz had a couple of slips that were open for a day or two.

The lack of slips has some future Mexico cruisers freaking out. There are two reasons they shouldn't:

The first is that you don't need a slip to be able to cruise. Take the example of cruising the Caribbean. In more than 35 years of my having various boats from 30- to 71-ft in the Caribbean, I've only had a berth for a total of about 30 nights. And I don't believe I've used one in the past 15 years. It's not that we couldn't get a berth; we didn't want one.

Or take the example of the Med, where we once read that during the summer, there are one-third more boats in the water than there are slips. When my Ocean 71 Big O did a summer in the Med 30 years ago, she was only in a slip for a handful of days — mostly in Monaco, because it was so cool, and it was only $56 a night back then. Not having a slip wasn't a problem. These days, a slip in the Med or Adriatic will cost you a fortune.

The beauty of Mexico is that there are an incredible number of great places to anchor out, from the Pacific coast of Baja to the Sea of Cortez, to mainland Mexico. And there are countless great places you can anchor not even listed in the cruising guides.

While Marina de La Paz may be packed, there is room to anchor just off it. Or perhaps, better still, at the fabulous nearby islands.

There are also many fine anchorages next to marinas or just off cities. Think Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, San Carlos, La Cruz, Barra, Zihua, and Acapulco. It's an embarrassment of berthing riches. And in the case of Tenacatita Bay, there are major cruiser anchor-out communities in what some consider the middle of nowhere.

The second bit of good news is that it's much easier to live on the hook these days than it's ever been.

Boats are bigger. You rarely see modern-day Pardeys cruising the world on 24-footers, or the average-size cruising boat being a cramped 32-ft. The average boat in recent Baja Ha-Ha's has been 44-ft. Then there are the catamarans, which are almost like having your own country.

And today's more efficient boat systems provide far more comfort and independence. Thanks to solar panels, few don't have enough electricity these days, particularly if backed up by the double redundancy of a diesel engine and a Honda portable generator. And lithium batteries are proving to be a game-changer for those who can afford them.

It's a rare boat today that doesn't have a good refrigeration/freezer system. And few things tickle me more than the fact that I make my beloved ice cubes using the power of the sun. Many boats now have watermakers, and an increasing number are decadent enough to have air conditioning.

For many, the welcome elephant in the anchored-out world is Starlink. For less than $100 a month in Mexico, you can be completely connected to the world. It connects you to your family for practically nothing and offers all the entertainment options of being back in San Jose or wherever you are from. We know cruising kids who have weekly Zoom meetings with fellow students at their schools back home.

Work from the boat while in Mexico? Many people are doing it, as they can make big-time US wages while living in a pleasant but low-budget Mexico.

Arbitrage, anyone?

We've heard a couple of people say, "We're going to put off cruising in Mexico for a couple of years, until it gets less crowded." With all due continued on outside column of next sightings page

athletes of the USA who have so much potential. I wish them all the best!"

In an email to the Associted Press, Bay Area sailor and current US Sailing board president Richard Jepsen said that Cayard was "offered the ability to continue to support the team by, among other things, providing valuable input into its direction and leading the important fundraising efforts. He declined, and we respect his decision."

Following Cayard's departure, team leadership and coaching talent was further eroded by the resignations of high-performance coaches James Lyne, Leandro Spi-

na, Luther Carpenter, and Charlie McKee, as well as resignations from the US Sailing Foundation.

We know that well-intentioned people can have differing opinions, but the mass resignations have left US Olympic sailors caught in the middle. US Sailing remains committed to getting American athletes back to the podium while offering conflicting visions. With the Paris Olympics just a year and a half away, everyone continues to support the sailors and their ultimate goal of medaling in the Olympic Games.

— latitude / john

respect, we think they are misreading the tea leaves.

With living and/or working on a boat in Mexico being so much easier and better than ever before, and with the cost of living so much less expensive than in the States, what's not to like? Did we mention a less stressful life and low-cost medical and dental care?

So no matter if the US economy is getting better or worse, we think the cruising boat population in Mexico is going to continue to increase, and certainly not decrease.

But it's also true that many cruisers need a berth at some time. This is particularly true during the holidays, when many cruisers want to fly home to be with family. The solution? Make your reservations early. Today is not too early. As for 'commuter cruisers', it's doubly important that you make your plans and reservations early.

— richard spindler

No slips in Mexico? ¡No problemo! The greatest anchorages in the world await you around every corner. Clockwise from left: 'Balam', a Fountaine Pajot Saba 50, cruises past Espiritu Santo; anchored-out somewhere on the Sea of Cortez, not far from La Paz; Marina de La Paz is often packed, but there's plenty of room to anchor off the docks, or perhaps better still, at the fabulous nearby islands; Kirk Wagner's Beneteau 393 'Freedom' and another boat anchored somewhere in Baja California.

If all of the people and interests who can say "no" are appeased, there will be a pedestrian/bike bridge with a 30-ish-foot deck-to-water clearance height between Alameda's Posey Tube area and the west side of Jack London Square. Little, if any, maritime community involvement in the design, placement and operation of the bridge was apparent in the presentation, save US Coast Guard input, which planners say was given from the beginning (as far back as 2002), because the Coast Guard has ships stationed near the end of the Estuary; any bridge design has to be dynamic, or a drawbridge, to accommodate the Coast Guard ships.

People were polite, which helps a lot. There is a body of work available at www.estuarybridge.org, but it took a hard question at the end to get this out in the conversation. There seems to be an air of good intentions, though perhaps too much shorthand and assumed "a priori" knowledge by those who have been working this daily for some time. The absence of continued on outside column of next sightings page

In early March, the City of Oakland unanimously passed a "nuisance vessel ordinance" to address the growing number of illegal anchor-outs in the Oakland Estuary.

"I'm told that this is the first ordinance of its kind dealing with illegally anchored inhabited vessels anywhere in the nation," said Brock de Lappe, a former harbormaster for Almar Marinas in the Oakland Estuary. De Lappe was instrumental in a $7 million Estuary cleanup in 2013, and has been advocating for action since the proliferation of anchor-outs over the past several years. The majority of vessels are clustered in the southeast corner of the Estuary, between

Union Point Marina and Coast Guard Island. (The Coast Guard recently submitted a proposal for a "security zone extending 50 yards into the navigable waters of the Oakland Estuary.")

The ordinance could not be more timely. On March 21, as the nuisance vessel ordinance was approved for final passage by the City of Oakland, yet another bomb cyclone tore through the Bay Area, with gusts over 70 knots wreaking havoc. Several illegally docked or anchored vessels washed up on shore, with at least one boat sinking in shallow water.

— latitude

3D views in the presentation describing impacts to marinas, existing land users and maritime operations was striking. The Alameda City representative was clear that "doing nothing was not an option" toward enabling free and unimpeded pedestrian/cyclist crossing of "the barrier the Estuary presents." The fact that the Estuary is referenced as "a barrier" says much about the inherent bias away from maritime interests that exists in the current project plan. The Estuary is also a highway for some and a revenue source for many, including the adjacent cities. Solving one community of interest's issue at the expense of another community of interest further divides the entire population — and is simply poor governance.

The 30-ft deck height came up a couple of times as Andrew Thomas (the head of the Planning, Building and Transportation department for the city of Alameda) is very concerned about bridge-landing ramps and tight public lands availability constraints. Several times he commented that a 30-ft-high bridge deck requires 600-ft ramps, while a 60-ft-high bridge deck requires 1,200-ft ramps. A cyclist pointed out that one of the three potential Oakland ramp landings ends up on a railroad track; this seemed like a surprise to the Alameda City rep. I hope the project planners are spending enough time walking the ground potentially impacted — and, by extension, plying the waters potentially impacted.

Much concer n was given to the pedestrian/cyclist experience of using the dark, narrow, underground route in the Posey Tube, as well as how tall an X-story building would need to be climbed if the bridge deck accommodated 70-ft air draft sailboats. The bridge opening was seen as something that could be done on a schedule; stated example: "For 10 minutes at the top of the hour." No consideration for tidal currents, places to land boats while waiting for the bridge, or any of the other Estuary uses such as racing was evident. If a dynamic bridge is to be the only solution sought, then the burden on all of the impacted communities of interest must be equally distributed beyond "10 minutes at the top of the hour".

Sailing and boating have long had image problems — some people see us as privileged rich people. This skewed image could potentially be manipulated into the potential loss or substantive restriction of a major element of the shrinking maritime community on San Francisco Bay.

Several well-spoken comments were made by maritime community members. Few answers were offered, but all questions were acknowledged:

— Options for water taxi/transport systems, as is in other places

— Cable cars/gondolas that move cyclists and pedestrians over the Estuary; could be an attraction, as is in other places

— Challenging the "fact" of a 5-mile detour required by cyclists/pedestrians using either the Posey Tube or the Park Street Bridge

— Reminding the planners that boats are only getting bigger, so the height constraints being used will grow by the time the bridge is built

— Questions were asked regarding security, managing the unhoused already resident in the area, and the like

The Alameda City rep was clear that this project required both state and federal funding; both entities would be responsible for operations and maintenance. I sense and assume this funding constraint is why all nonbridge options were always stated as being "too expensive." No cost/trade study results supporting these cost claims were offered in the presentation. This leads to my further assumption that a non-bridge option would be paid for by local funds and not federal government funds. I would like to know more about how the funding source sways the mode of an Estuarycrossing-solution decision.

The next meeting will focus upon the bridge deck height and other vertical design issues associated with the ramp landings. If the Alameda leaders and their consultants take to heart the voiced concerns of the maritime community, the meeting will also review non-bridge options with their respective pros and cons. We'll see. I hope to be invited to participate.

— marty thamm

Marty is a recreational sailboat owner from Alameda who attended a public Zoom meeting in March to discuss a proposed a pedestrian bridge that would span the Oakland Estuary.