SIGHTINGS bated breath possible,” says Superintendent Dave Matthews. But in an effort to offload unused assets, the park’s 56-ft 1956 Marinet landing craft will be offered up for auction on December 9. If you’d like to take a look at it, contact Gerald O’Reilly at (415) 435-1748. In the meantime, don’t let the beautiful fall weather go by without visiting your favorite state park while you still can — 25 Bay Area parks are vulnerable, including China Camp and Angel Island. — ladonna
too young — cont’d to singlehand a 40-footer in 50-ft waves and hurricane-force winds? And do Abby and Jessica really have the mechanical skills to repair all the systems that will inevitably break during a nonstop attempt? Don't get us wrong, Abby seems like a lovely girl and we wish her the best of luck. We just don't want to see her teenage fantasy morph into a horrible tragedy. When our old friend Harry Heckel, Jr. completed the first of two solo circumnavigations at the age of 78, we thought he got a raw deal from the folks at the Guinness Book of World Records. They refused to acknowledge it, stating that they didn't want to 'encourage such behavior'. Now that the focus is on the younger end of the spectrum, we're starting to see the wisdom in such an attitude. — andy
LATITUDE / LADONNA
“Can I play too?” — When this five-and-ahalf-year-old heard that Abby and Laura were planning to solo circumnavigate, she started brushing up on her nav skills. “I want that record!” she was heard to snarl.
October, 2009 •
Latitude 38
• Page 77