lightning strike. Another great safety and distress device is the handheld Spot Satellite Messenger, which allows you to post your position, show your track, tell friends/authorities whether you're all right or need help, and more. While the handheld Spot Satellite Messenger is waterproof and powered by its own batteries, it does have some shortcomings. If you check its coverage area, you'll see that it's worthless for the last part of a trip to Hawaii, everywhere in the South Pacific, and in parts of the rest of the oceanic world In the Tasman Sea, where Niña was apparently lost, it can take up to 20 minutes for a Spot Messenger message to be sent. If the schooner had suffered a sudden failure, and had a Spot, the message may not have gotten out. However, had they had a Spot and been using a Spot's tracking feature, family, friends and A Spot is not a substitute rescue agencies would have known for an EPIRB. almost exactly where the schooner was until the device stopped sending information. This would have allowed authorities to pinpoint their search rather than try to search hundreds of thousands of square miles of ocean. Latitude highly recommends that everyone who goes offshore — and especially those who participate in the Baja Ha-Ha — carry both an EPIRB and a Spot Messenger. In fact, we think they are both so conducive to safety and pinpointing rescue searches that one or the other should be mandatory for offshore boats. Plus, the Spot will help the government with one of its primary functions, which is knowing where you are and what you are doing at all times.
WEBB LOGG
WYLIECAT 40
LETTERS
Safe, fun, fast. Race, cruise, or charter.
bearmark YACHTS B R OK E R A G E B O AT S Wyliecat SRV “Baylis” 65 2004 Skookum CC ketch 47 1972 Jeanneau DS 42 2008 Island Packet SP Cruiser 41 2007 Wyliecat 40 2013 Wylie 39 1985 1D35, one design 35 2000 Hanse 350 35 2008 Sea Ray Sundancer 34 2001 Bristol 31.1 31 1983 Wyliecat 30 30 2013 Wyliecat 30 (1/2-share) 30 2001 Herreshoff ketch, a “10” 30 1962 Bertram, with trailer 25 1969 Osprey pilothouse 24 2002 Charter the Wyliecat 65 Derek M. Baylis for all the great 2013 events. Book now!
310 Harbor Drive, 2nd Floor, Sausalito, CA 415/332/6585 Larry R. Mayne, broker B-02871 John Saul, bearmarkyachts@gmail.com Page 28 • • August, 2013
⇑⇓OUR MARINA IS GOING TO THE DOGS I would like to open a discussion about the growing number of dogs in our marina. There are 15 liveaboard boats on our dock, and with last week's arrival of two more dogs, the canine total was brought to eight. With 275 liveaboard slips in the marina, the math adds up to 145 dogs walking our docks. To that we have to add the number of city residents who bring their dogs to walk the pathway that skirts our marina. I believe that our marina is being overwhelmed by dogs, and ours isn't the only one. Marinas are places to keep your boat when you’re not at sea. They should be a pristine environment for boats, where the boat can be enjoyed, maintained and readied for the next outing. By the way, in the 10 years I've been in my marina, not one of the liveaboard boats with dogs has ever left the slip — except for their annual inspection when they have to. That should tell you something. There is one guy who tries to guilt everybody into petting his dog every time anyone passes, only to have it roll over on its back and display its pink 'woody'. “Come on," says the owner, "show Buster a little love.” One lady dog owner lets her dog lick the inside of her mouth. She refers to it as "being kissed." I think she needs to get some help. Then there is the 10-dog butt-sniffing party at the top of the ramp. They are all tangled in their leashes so you have to work to get out of the gate. Then there is the fucking Chihuahua that comes out of nowhere to the anchor roller when you walk by and scares the shit out of you with that high-pitched yelp. What about the times when you're walking back to your boat at night and don't realize that you've stepped in some