WHALE POINT

LETTERS

M A R I N E & H A R dWA R E C O.

A FAmily Owned & OperAted Business FOr three GenerAtiOns

If you don't mind rounding up a crew, the Vanguard is a great choice. The boats themselves get up on a plane fairly easily, and they have just two sails, so there's no need to mess with a spinnaker. The SF fleet, which started on the Estuary in 1998 with just 8 boats, now has more than 50 active boats racing year round. They draw everyone from advanced beginners to former college All-Americans. Their evening fleet and team racing series between April and September in Clipper Cove are as popular for their on-the-water action as for the social scene. Plus they race in other venues around Northern California throughout the season. For more info, go to their great website, www.vanguard15.com.

Marine parts & accessories, pLUs a coMpLete hardware store

"discount prices without the attitude" Marine waLKer 8'-10' Dinghy siLver Inflatables Very affordable. Converts from row boat to sailboat to motorboat. Polypropylene hull. Comes with oars. Sail kit optional. Rib

10' Dinghy: $995

00

8' speci al $699 00

igLoo cooLer All-Terrain

Length..Width......Max ..... Floor ...... now 7’8” ... 4’1” . 2.7hp .. Roll-up .....$699 8’2” ... 4’3” .... 4hp .. Roll-up .....$799 9’8” .......5’ . 9.9hp ...Wood ..$1199

MoeLLer OIL CHANGER 5 qt container, self-priming pump, 3 sizes of hose to fit your dipstick!

Now this is the man cooler! 100 qty • now $11999 120 qty • now $14799

List $109.99

now $6999

preMiuM Fenders saFety with FREE Fender Line Ladder by Plastimo Blue, Black, Green or Maroon 5.5” x 20”: now $1499 6.5” x 23”: now $2199

4-step West $114.99

whale pt $9999

power inverters weather radio by Black & Decker by Stormtracker Perfect for the car, charge your laptop, cell phone, etc. 100 Watt • now 200 Watt • now 400 Watt • now 750 Watt • now

$2199 $2599 $3999 $7999

FM weather alert radio with hand crank recharger.

now $7999

205 Cutting Blvd, Corner of 2nd, Richmond 510-233-1988 • FAx 233-1989 Mon-Sat: 8:30am - 5pm • Sun: 10am - 4pm Email: whalepoint@acehardware.com

Page 60 •

Latitude 38

• July, 2007

'LECTRONIC / RICHARD

Sail

⇑⇓THE COST OF CRUISING IN MEXICO I've been reading the ongoing discussions about the cost of cruising in Mexico, and can report that my brother and I set a budget of $750/month for our six months in the Sea of Cortez. We were easily able to stay within it. It's true, we now have some deferred maintenance expenses, boat insurance and medical insurance, but even with those included, it sure w o u l d be possible at between $1,000 to $1,250 a month Puerto Escondido wasn't the best place to be this spring, — espeas the moorings aren't cheap and the water was cold. cially if you have your medical covered like my brother does. Those government jobs! One item that helped reduce our monthly cruising costs was being able to acquire the majority of our protein by spearfishing. We met many cruisers who had spearguns, but didn't have the knowledge or experience to be successful using them. My brother and I, however, were able to get at least four fish dinners a week by spearfishing, and often provided the main course at beach barbecues with other cruisers. We spent the entire cruising season in the Sea of Cortez, and from January onward were at Loreto or to the north. The locals all said that this year was windier and cooler than normal. From our previous trips to Baja in the winter, we'd have to agree with them. In fact, several times in January we fired up the Webasto heater in the morning. We spent early April to early May cruising from Santa Rosalia up to Bahia de Los Angeles, and I don't remember any really warm days — although at times the weather was pleasant. It wasn't until we got down to San Carlos in mid-May that the air and water temperatures warmed up. We left for the U.S. on June 1, but will be returning to the Sea in November. From then on we'll explore south, as we don't want to have to use that Webasto again. Steve Albert Far Fetched, Beneteau Oceanis 390 Grants Pass, OR Steve — Thanks for the report on your cruising costs. While it's possible to live on $1,000/month, all expenses included, it would be misleading for anyone to suggest this is the norm. Most couples probably spend closer to $1,500 to $3,000 a