CHANGES With reports this month from Migration's Pacific Rim circumnavigation, Alsager's maiden voyage south, the cruising situation in the Gulf of Thailand, the adventures of Mexican sailor Tulia Gonzalez, and Cruise Notes. Migration — Cross 46 Trimaran Bruce Balan and Alene Rice Tying The Pacific Rim Knot (Long Beach) We begin this month's Changes in Latitudes with a doff of the editorial hat to Bruce Balan and Alene Rice of the Cross 46
Bruce and Alene of 'Migration' just completed a Pacific Rim circumnavigation.
Migration, who are (briefly) back in the Bay Area after completing a 12-year, 50,000mile circumnavigation of the Pacific via Japan and the Aleutians. It was way back in June 2005 that Migration sailed to the Bay Area from her homeport of Long Beach. She departed our local waters that September, and crossed her outbound track at Point Reyes on December 13, 2017. In between, Bruce and Alene visited 27 countries by boat ("That includes Alaska," says Bruce, "which is really its own country"), and a few more by land travel. The farthest they got 'down under' was 41.38°S — in Cook Strait off New Zealand — and the farthest north at the top of
the world, Prince William Sound, Alaska. To the east, 98.20°E in Thailand, and 78°W in the Rio Sabana, Panama. Favorite stops included Easter Island, the Tuamotus and Japan (where Migration was built in 1969). A not-so-favorite one? Thailand, where Migration went through a two-year refit that should have taken half that long. (The litany of collapsing tents, crooked contractors, stolen paint, a military coup(!) and other trials were partially chronicled in past Changes.) But in the end, the job gave new life (and a new Gram Schweikertdesigned rudder) to the now 49-year-old boat. No matter how many hulls you sail, if you dream of cruising, Migration's website (www.brucebalan.com/migrations) is a good read — with one caveat: The newest entry is from mid-2016! "We have found that living this life is more fun than writing about it," says Bruce. Spoken like a true cruiser! As you read this, Migration will have been hauled in Napa for routine maintenance and paint. Bruce and Alene have used these past couple of months to catch up with friends. But not for long. Sometime this month, they'll be heading back out — for Southern California, Mexico this fall and back to French Polynesia in the spring of 2019. — latitude/jr 1/8/18
Alsager — 42-ft steel sloop Stolze Family Starting the Cruising Dream (Sausalito) Our cruise started in Sausalito in the middle of October, and since my wife, Tanja, and 3½-year-old son Mats (and dog, Like, far out, man. Back in June 2015, Enya of 'Mojo' turned 18 and Alene turned N o a h ) a r e 52, so they celebrated their combined '70th' birthday together, complete with a '70s new to coastal sailing, we hippie theme. From left to right: Ondene, Mia, Enya, Alene, Bruce. made a point of harbor hopping. Our steel ex-racer -turnedcruising-boat Alsager turns 50 in 2018, and since her old engine looks the part, we try to sail whenever possible.
Fortunately, she does that very well. My greenhorns fared well, though no one enjoyed the breezeless mornings because of the rolling. We are all much happier with some cloth up. We are also all happier with my decision to invite my old friend 'Kruiser' along, since he has some passagemaking experience. It helps smooth out those times when Mats requires Tanja's attention and I'm left to tend Alsager alone. Kruiser is an expat Canadian currently based in Nicaragua. He is a former professional athlete turned pro gambler. He is also an avid surfer, fisherman — and chef. We really enjoyed the trip down the California coast. We had no moon and the phosphorescence was amazing. At times it looked like we were being torpedoed by dolphins, which helped to take Tanja's mind off her fear of night sailing. We had some engine overheating issues, which we were able to sort out in San Diego, but have been plagued with an ignition switch that