VOLUME 580 October 2025
F Prime deep water double-fingered concrete slips from 30’ to 100’.
F Guest berthing available for a weekend or any day getaway.
F Complete bathroom and shower facility, heated and tiled.
F Free pump-out station open 24/7.
F Full-service Marine Center and haul-out facility.
F Free parking.
F Free on-site WiFi.
#255424: Now $7499
1-Step, #47100 .......................Now $16999
2-Steps, #47200 .................... Now $23999 3-Steps, #47300 .................... Now $33999
FLAGSHIP VARNISH by Pettit
Refill Cartridge, #8013543: Now $399 WATER HEATER by Kuuma 120V with heat exchanger. In stock only! 6 gal, #406011: NOW $43999 11 gal, #411011: NOW $52999 Highest UV protection available. Quart
BUTANE STOVE by Sterno
Single burner stainless steel, stove, includes travel case, 7000 BTU.
Stove #8013537 Now $4999
Pint, #12015: NOW $3999 Quart, #2015: NOW $6999 Gallon, #52015: NOW $19999
DECK CLEANER by Star brite Lifts dirt from non-skid deck surfaces. Leaves a non-slippery, protective polymer coating.
1 gallon, #85900: Now $3999 1 quart, #8654: Now $2599
HAMMOCK #19079: Now $1199
64’ BRUCE ROBERTS KETCH, 2000
$170,000
Emery Cove (510) 601-5010
42’
$109,000
San Rafael (415) 686-5665
$89,000
Rafael (415) 453-4770
34’
40’ SALAR 40, 1975
$84,900
Emery Cove (510) 601-5010
$155,000
34’ FISHER PILOTHOUSE KETCH
Thoughtfully designed and beautifully finished inside and out, the Aqua Lodge features fiberglass pontoons, a wood-beamed lofted ceiling, a fully appointed galley, and a full bath with residential-sized fixtures. The main salon is open and bright, while the master stateroom features a panoramic water view and a private deck. With the cost of building on the waterfront ever increasing, the Aqua Lodge is an affordable alternative. We currently have three (3) identical Floating Cottages available at $115,000. each. These are new houseboats that have never been used. With the acquisition of all three one could start a unique Air B&B type business in a nice location.
$49,500 San Rafael (415) 453-4770
$79,000
Emery Cove (510) 601-5010
NOTE: There is no propulsion included. An outboard engine could be installed on the bracket but, these boats are not equipped with any propulsion. They would need to be towed or trucked to their destination.
52’ SANTA CRUZ “LIGHTNING”, 1996
$399,000
Emery Cove (510) 601-5010
40’ HUNTER LEGEND, 1986
$36,500 Emery Cove (510) 601-5010
36’ CHEOY LEE LUDERS, 1970
$60,000 Emery Cove (510) 601-5010
(3) 42' AquaLodge Houseboats 2020 - $115,000 ea. Mark Miner (415) 290-1347
50’ AAGE NIELSON YAWL, 1956
$189,000 Emery Cove (510) 601-5010
40’ PACIFIC SEACRAFT, 1999
$299,000
Alameda (510) 838-1800
44’ DAVIDSON 44, 1980
$149,000
Emery Cove (510) 601-5010
39’ BENETEAU OCEANIS 393, 2002
$89,000 Emery Cove (510) 601-5010
36’ CATALINA MKII, 2007
$115,000 Emery Cove (510) 601-5010
34’ SABRE MKII, 1985 $50,000. Emery Cove (510) 601-5010
34’ JEANNEAU SUN ODYSSEY 349, 2021
Thoughtfully designed and beautifully finished inside and out, the Aqua Lodge features fiberglass pontoons, a wood-beamed lofted ceiling, a fully appointed galley, and a full bath with residential-sized fixtures. The main salon is open and bright, while the master stateroom features a panoramic water view and a private deck. With the cost of building on the waterfront ever increasing, the Aqua Lodge is an affordable alternative. We currently have three (3) identical Floating Cottages available at $115,000. each. These are new houseboats that have never been used. With the acquisition of all three one could start a unique Air B&B type business in a nice location.
$209,000 San Rafael (415) 453-4770
33’ J Boats J/100 “EIGHT BALL”, 2005
$150,000 Emery Cove (510) 601-5010
$44,000 Emery Cove (510) 601-5010
NOTE: There is no propulsion included. An outboard engine could be installed on the bracket but, these boats are not equipped with any propulsion. They would need to be towed or trucked to their destination.
Thoughtfully designed and beautifully finished inside and out, the Aqua Lodge features fiberglass pontoons, a wood-beamed lofted ceiling, a fully appointed galley, and a full bath with residential-sized fixtures. The main salon is open and bright, while the master stateroom features a panoramic water view and a private deck. With the cost of building on the waterfront ever increasing, the Aqua Lodge is an affordable alternative. We currently have three (3) identical Floating Cottages available at $115,000. each. These are new houseboats that have never been used. With the acquisition of all three one could start a unique Air B&B type business in a nice location.
NOTE: There is no propulsion included. An outboard engine could be installed on the bracket but, these boats are not equipped with any propulsion. They would need to be towed or trucked to their destination.
The Oyster 485 is a highly regarded bluewater cruising yacht, blending renowned craftsmanship with performance, comfort, and safety for extended passagemaking. Designed by Holman & Pye and built to Oyster’s exacting standards, the 485 o ers a three-stateroom layout, a secure center cockpit, and a spacious teak interior that exudes warmth and elegance. Her powerful rig, deep cockpit, and robust construction make her equally suited for crossing oceans or exploring coastal waters. With thoughtful design details, ample storage, and systems engineered for ease of handling, the Oyster 485 has earned a reputation for both luxury and o shore capability. Discovery is an immaculately maintained Oyster 485. She has spent much of her life in the Paci c Northwest under the care of very attentive owners. Actively sailed in the summer season, then stored for the winter under a full cover with canvas and sails removed, her gelcoat sparkles and the condition of her beautiful interior woodwork appears as a much newer boat.
38
Oct. 2-5 — Buccaneer Days, Two Harbors, Santa Catalina Island. Live music, gruel & grog, costume contest, treasure hunt. For ages 21+. Info, www.visitcatalinaisland.com
Oct. 3-5 — Westsail Rendezvous, Pier 39, San Francisco. WOA, www.westsail.org/event-6289629.
Oct. 4 — PortFest, Redwood City, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Live music, kids' activities, splash zone, food trucks, vendors, tours. Free. Info, www.redwoodcityport.com/portfest2025
Oct. 4 — Launching Our Legacy, Call of the Sea Gala, St. Francis YC, San Francisco. Matthew Turner ship tours, 5-6 p.m.; gala, 6-9 p.m. Online silent auction. $295 includes tour, dinner & wine. Info, www.callofthesea.org
Oct. 4-5 — Advanced First Aid/CPR, Port Townsend, WA. $435. Info, www.maritimemedicalguides.org.
Oct. 4-25 — Small Boat Sailing, South Beach Harbor, San Francisco, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, weather permitting. Free, but pre-register. BAADS, www.baads.org/sailing
Oct. 5-13 — Fleet Week, San Francisco. Parade of Ships, 10/10. Air Show, 10/10-12. Info, www.fleetweeksf.org.
Oct. 5-26 — Keelboat Sailing, South Beach Harbor, San Francisco, noon-5 p.m. Sundays, weather permitting. Free, but sign up in advance. BAADS, www.baads.org/sailing.
Oct. 6 — Full Harvest Moon on a Moonday.
Oct. 9 — Single Sailors Association Mixer, Oakland YC, Alameda, 5-9 p.m. Info, www.singlesailors.org
Oct. 9-14 — Colombian three-masted barque ARC Gloria visits San Francisco. She'll participate in Fleet Week. Info, https://sailtraininginternational.org/vessel/gloria.
Oct. 9-12 — Annapolis Sailboat Show, MD. World's largest sailboat show. Info, www.annapolissailboatshow.com
Oct. 11 — Marine Electrical Systems workshop, Spaulding Marine Center, Sausalito, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. With Clark Beek. $85. Info, www.spauldingcenter.org
Oct. 11 — Boarded! Pirate Adventure, aboard San Salvador, Maritime Museum, San Diego, 10:30 a.m. or 12:45 p.m. $35-$85. Info, www.sdmaritime.org.
Oct. 11-12 — International Safety at Sea Seminar, Encinal YC, Alameda. In-water exercises, flares, firefighting, MOB recovery, more. $340. PCYC, www.pacificcup.org
Oct. 11-12 — Advanced First Aid/CPR, Seattle Sailing Club, WA. $435. Info, www.maritimemedicalguides.org.
Oct. 12 — 2nd Sunday Work Party, Sausalito Community Boating Center, 9 a.m.-noon. Info, secretary@cassgidley.org
Oct. 14 — Myron Spaulding presentation, Spaulding Marine Center, Sausalito, 6-7 p.m. With historian Michael Wiener. $10. Info, www.spauldingcenter.org.
Oct. 18 — Boat Auction & Marine Gear Sale, Coast Community College District, Costa Mesa. Registration: 7:30 a.m.; gear sale: 8 a.m.; live auction: 9 a.m. Preview day: 10/17, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Info, (949) 645-9412.
Oct. 18 — Treasure Island Time Machine, Treasure Island Museum, 7-10 p.m. 50th anniversary; live music, swing dance lessons, vintage attire, food & drinks for sale, Sailing Science Center exhibits. $50-$65. Info, www.treasureislandmuseum.org.
Oct. 18-19 — Moby Dick 24-Hour Marathon, San Francisco Maritime Museum, noon-noon. Sign up to read a chapter. Free. Info, https://maritime.org/md2025
Oct. 19 — The Art and Evolution of Freda's Rig, Spaulding Marine Center, Sausalito, 10-11:30 a.m. With master rigger
Our patented woven Vectran® sailcloth performs like the laminates with the durability of Dacron®, especially in roller furling applications. In fact, Vectran® is lighter, lower stretch, and retains its shape over a longer life than any sailcloth we've ever offered to cruising sailors. That's because Hood Vectran® is woven, not laminated to Mylar ® film. And you can be sure that each sail we roll out is built by hand, with the same care and craftsmanship that has been the Hood hallmark for 50 years. To discuss your sailcloth needs – whether our state-of-the-art Vectran ® or our soft, tight-weave Dacron® – give us a call today.
New Sails
Sail Repairs: anybrand
Furling Cover Replacements
Pickup and Delivery
Courtney J. Andersen. Free. Info, www.spauldingcenter.org.
Oct. 24-26 — Celestial Navigation Demystified class, San Diego. Tim, tnbrill@gmail.com
Oct. 25-26 — Advanced First Aid/CPR for Mariners, Spaulding Marine Center, Sausalito. With Maritime Medical Guides. $435. Info, www.spauldingcenter.org.
Oct. 26 — Open House/Free Sail, Cal Sailing Club, Berkeley Marina, 1-3 p.m. CSC, www.cal-sailing.org
Oct. 26 — The Wild Side Art Show & Sale, Newport Harbor YC, Newport Beach, 2:30-4 p.m. NHYC, www.nhyc.org.
Oct. 31 — Halloween.
Oct. 31 — Welcome Cruisers, Downwind Marine, San Diego, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Raffles, sales. Info, www.sandiegomarine.com
Nov. 3-15 — Baja Ha-Ha XXXI, San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, with stops in Turtle Bay, Bahia Santa Maria & Mag Bay. Info, www.baja-haha.com
Nov. 7 — Noon Sight Clinic, Turtle Bay, Baja California Sur, 11:30 a.m. Info, fishmeal@gmail.com
Nov. 8 — Intro to Marine Corrosion, Spaulding Marine Center, Sausalito, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. With marine electrician Malcolm Morgan. $85. Info, www.spauldingcenter.org
Nov. 8-9 — Sea Glass & Ocean Art Festival, Cocoanut Grove, Santa Cruz, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $5 entry. Info, https:// sites.google.com/view/santacruzseaglass-oceanartfest. Racing
Oct. 3-4 — Little Ensenada International Yacht Race from San Diego. SWYC, www.southwesternyc.org.
Oct. 3-5 — Express 27 Nationals. EYC, www.encinal.org.
Oct. 3-5 — Beneteau 36.7 NAs. SDYC, www.sdyc.org.
Oct. 4 — Totally Dinghy. RYC, www.richmondyc.org.
Oct. 4 — Twin Island #3. SYC, www.sausalitoyachtclub.org.
Oct. 4 — Women's Championship Series #3 Bonita Regatta. YRA, www.yra.org.
Oct. 4 — Auxiliary Cup. SFYC, www.sfyc.org.
Oct. 4 — Champions Race. BenYC, www.beniciayachtclub.org.
Oct. 4, Nov. 1 — Fall Races. SSC, www.stocktonsc.org.
Oct. 4-5 — Vallejo 1-2. To Vallejo singlehanded Saturday; doublehanded VYC-RYC Sunday. SSS, www.sfbaysss.org.
Oct. 4-5 — Vanguard 15 Round the Island/Jeff Knowles Perpetual at TI & ACSC. Fleet 53, https://vanguard15.org.
Oct. 4-5 — BAYS Winter #1 (youth)/USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival. SCYC, www.scyc.org.
Oct. 4-5 — Match Race Invitational/College Match Race PCCs. SDYC, www.sdyc.org.
Oct. 5 — Fall Classic. SYC, www.sausalitoyachtclub.org.
Oct. 5 — PHRF Fall 4 & 5. MPYC, www.mpyc.org.
Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26, Nov. 2 — Chowder Series. BYC, www. berkeleyyc.org.
Oct. 6 — Regata Todos Santos, Ensenada. Club Náutico Baja, www.clubnauticobaja.mx.
Oct. 10-12 — LEMWOD Challenge. LBYC, www.lbyc.org.
Oct. 11 — Champion of Champions. BVBC, www.bvbc.org.
Oct. 11 — Barth Regatta. CPYC/SeqYC, www.sequoiayc.org.
Oct. 11 — Kettenburg & Classic Yacht Regatta. SDYC, www.sdyc.org.
Oct. 11, 19, Nov. 1 — Bender Series on Tomales Bay. InvYC, www.invernessyachtclub.org.
Oct. 11, Nov. 8 — Fall Series. CYC, www.cyc.org.
Oct. 11-12 — Sea Otter Regatta. MPYC, www.mpyc.org.
Oct. 11-12 — Zongo Race. Morro Bay YC, www.mbyc.net.
Oct. 12 — El Toro Stampede. RYC, www.richmondyc.org.
Oct. 17-19 — International Masters Regatta in San Diego. SDYC, www.sdyc.org.
Oct. 18 — Oktoberfest. OYC, www.oaklandyachtclub.net.
Oct. 18 — Red Rock Regatta. TYC, www.tyc.org.
Oct. 18 — Jessica Cup for classic wooden boats. StFYC, www.stfyc.com.
Oct. 18 — Fall Fun Regatta. ACSC, www.sailalameda.org.
Oct. 18 — Fall One Design #3. SCYC, www.scyc.org.
Oct. 18-19 — Fall Invitational for Alerion 28s, Folkboats, J/88s, Knarrs, Moore 24s and Stars. StFYC, www.stfyc.com.
Oct. 18-19 — Stoney Burke Collegiate Regatta. RYC/Cal, www.richmondyc.org.
Oct. 18-19 — Middle School Regatta/BAYS Winter #2. PYSF, www.pysf.us.
Oct. 19 — Jack & Jill + 1 triplehanded women skippers' race. IYC, www.iyc.org.
Oct. 19 — Joe Logan for Mercurys. StFYC, www.stfyc.com.
Oct. 19 — Round the Island Race. SFYC, www.sfyc.org.
Oct. 19 — One Design Fall 5 & 6. MPYC, www.mpyc.org.
Oct. 24-26 — San Diego Lipton Cup. SDYC, www.sdyc.org.
Oct. 25 — Fall Shorteez Regatta. CPYC, www.cpyc.com.
Oct. 25 — Pumpkin Roundup. HMBYC, www.hmbyc.org.
Oct. 25-26 — Great Pumpkin Regatta. Theme: Pirates of the Caribbean. RYC, www.richmondyc.org.
Oct. 25-26 — Fall Dinghy for 29ers, 5O5s, 420s, ILCAs & RS Fevas; RS Tera NAs. StFYC, www.stfyc.com.
Oct. 25-26 — New Wave Regatta. SFYC, www.sfyc.org.
Oct. 25-26 — Mercury Invitational. MPYC, www.mpyc.org.
Oct. 26 — Fall SCORE #3. SCYC, www.scyc.org.
Oct. 26 — Kelp Cup. MPYC, www.mpyc.org.
Oct. 31-Nov. 2 — Butler Cup. LBYC, www.lbyc.org.
Nov. 1 — Seaweed Soup #1. GGYC, www.ggyc.org.
Nov. 1 — Jack Frost #1. EYC, www.encinal.org.
Nov. 1 — Commodore's Cup. CPYC, www.cpyc.com.
Nov. 1 — Die Hard Regatta. HMBYC, www.hmbyc.org.
Nov. 1 — Día de los Dinghies in Moss Landing. ElkYC, www.elkhornyc.org.
Nov. 1 — Crew's Revenge. MPYC, www.mpyc.org.
Nov. 1-2 — Team Race Invitational. StFYC, www.stfyc.com.
Nov. 1-2 — BAYS/NorCal High School Regatta. EYC, www. encinal.org.
Nov. 2 — Doublehanded Midwinters #1. YRA, www.yra.org.
Nov. 2 — Chili Midwinter Series Race #1. SYC, www. sausalitoyachtclub.org.
Nov. 8 — RegattaPRO Winter One Design #1. SYC, www. sausalitoyachtclub.org.
Nov. 8 — Frost Bite #1. BenYC, www.beniciayachtclub.org.
Nov. 8 — Drumstick Race on Tomales Bay. InvYC, www. invernessyachtclub.org.
Nov. 8 — Hot Rum Series #1. SDYC, www.sdyc.org.
Nov. 8-9 — Midwinters #1. BYC, www.berkeleyyc.org.
Nov. 8-9 — Women's Team Race. SFYC, www.sfyc.org.
Nov. 9 — Island Days #1. IYC, www.iyc.org.
Nov. 9 — Winter #1. SeqYC, www.sequoiayc.org.
Remaining Beer Can Series
CAL SAILING CLUB — Sunday morning dinghy races, year round, intraclub only. Info, www.cal-sailing.org.
COYOTE POINT YC — Sunset Sail: every Wednesday night through 10/1. John, (650) 703-5621 or www.cpyc.com.
KONOCTI BAY SC — OSIRs (Old Salts in Retirement) every Wednesday, year round. Info, www.kbsail.org
LAKE WASHINGTON SC — Thursday nights through 10/30. Mark, owing78@yahoo.com or www.lwsailing.org. MONTEREY PENINSULA YC — Sunset Series: Wednesday nights through 10/8. Info, www.mpyc.org SANTA CRUZ YC — Tuesday & Wednesday nights through 10/29. Info, www.scyc.org. SEQUOIA YC — Sunset Series: Wednesday nights through 10/1. Info, www.sequoiayc.org or www.jibeset.net
Please send your calendar items by the 10th of the month to calendar@latitude38.com. Please, no phone-ins! Calendar listings are for marine-related events that are free or don't cost much to attend. The Calendar is not meant to support commercial enterprises.
October Weekend Tides
Predictions for Station 9414290, San Francisco (Golden Gate) date/day time/ht. time/ht. time/ht. time/ht. LOW HIGH LOW HIGH 10/04
10/12Sun 0535/4.6 0942/3.4
October Weekend Currents
NOAA Predictions for .88 NM NE of the Golden Gate Bridge
date/day
10/04Sat 0201/1.6E 0520 0842/3.0F 1153 1434/1.8E 1744 2051/2.4F 2346
10/05Sun 0244/1.7E 0558 0921/3.3F 1221 1510/2.2E 1838 2142/2.8F
10/11Sat 0146/3.4F 0521 0736/0.9E 0951 1333/2.8F 1556 1849/3.0E 2310
10/12Sun 0241/3.2F 0627 0845/0.8E 1048 1428/2.3F 1647 1939/2.5E
10/13Mon 0004 0341/2.9F 0738 0957/0.8E 1204 1531/1.9F 1750 2045/1.9E
10/18Sat 0207/1.5E 0521 0832/3.4F 1147 1449/2.1E 1836 2111/2.6F
10/19Sun 0016 0251/1.4E 0558 0912/3.5F 1220 1530/2.3E 1924 2201/2.7F
10/25Sat 0129/2.6F 0529 0723/0.6E 0903 1246/2.0F 1506 1801/2.3E 2223
10/26Sun 0212/2.5F 0623 0813/0.5E 0944 1325/1.7F 1541 1833/2.0E 2251
Source: https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov
Dirty fuel is the most common cause of diesel
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⇑⇓ I'M DROPPING EVERYTHING AND DOING THE HA-HA, TAKE TWO (EIGHT YEARS LATER)
My name is Cheryl Yutzy. I'm 28 and currently finishing up my paramedic program. It's been a dream of mine for over a decade to crew in the Baja Ha-Ha Rally.
Back in 2017, my sister and I attempted to join the rally, but due to some poor planning on my part, we only made it as far as the Sausalito Crew Party. (I mistakenly thought the crew-finding party was in San Diego and booked our flights accordingly — lesson learned!) Richard was kind enough to write an article about our story at the time [the September 2017 'Lectronic Latitude: Young Farmers Want to Crew on Ha-Ha. I've come a long way since then in both my preparation skills and sailing experience.
I understand the HaHa bigwigs typically don't write crew articles and encourage crew and skippers to use the Crew List — which I've done. That said, I also believe that if you don't ask, the answer is always no!
I recently read that this could be the final Baja Ha-Ha Rally, and that really lit a fire in me. I'm determined to finally check this dream off my list, and I'm hoping this message might reach someone who's inspired to help make that happen.
Unlike last time, I now have hands-on sailing experience. I learned to sail in the Chesapeake Bay aboard the 80-ft schooner Woodwind, where I worked as a deckhand for a summer season. I later joined the yachting industry in South Florida. While my time there was cut short due to the 2020 lockdowns, I gained valuable experience and sea time!
I'll be attending the Sausalito Crew Party on September 4 and would love the chance to connect in person. Thank you!
Cheryl Yutzy Humboldt County
Cheryl! — It was great seeing you a few weeks ago at the Crew Party in Sausalito. We'll never forget when you and sister Machelle whirlwinded into the same party back in 2017, looking for a ride for the Ha-Ha. Here's what the Grand Poobah (aka Richard Spindler, aka the founder of Latitude 38) wrote back in 2017:
"Sisters Cheryl and Machelle Yutzy of Pennslyania were, in the Grand Poobah's estimation, the most hilarious potential Baja Ha-Ha crew at the Fall Crew List Party on September 6 in Sausalito. They'd called the Poobah up the previous day wanting to know exactly where the Crew List Party was going to be in San Diego. They were shocked to discover it
wasn't in San Diego, as big sister Machelle had thought, but in the Bay Area."
Twenty-year-old Cheryl handed the Poobah her business card, which read, "Cheryl Yutzy: The Jane of All Trades, Young & Ambitious." For those of you who are looking for high-energy, albeit inexperienced crew, here's how she de scribed herself: 'My name is Cheryl. I'm 20 [now 28] and an environmental activist who loves to surf and live simple. The energetic little sister with all the great ideas.'" See above for Cheryl's card this year.
Cheryl handed us a beautifully designed card this year (see photo above) that read "Cheryl Yutzy: Happy to Hustle." At the crew party, she told us some variation of "I'm going to Mexico no matter what!"
Then we heard from Cheryl less than a week later: "Just wanted to update you that I DID find a boat. Very excited!" Well done, Cheryl. Your energy paid off!
⇑⇓ SHOULD YOU DO THE LAST BAJA HA-HA?
My wife and I like our solitude in anchorages. W not the partygoer types. So we were somewhat reluctant to do the Ha-Ha as the first part of our six-month cruise in Mexico. But we did it in 2006, and we are very glad we did. For one thing, once we signed up, it gave us a deadline and we had to get out of the mode of thinking, "Ther thing we need to do to the boat before we leave." As far as crowds, once you're out on the ocean, it is not crowded! There were many hours of sailing where we saw no one else. As for the beach parties, we basically went to two of them in Turtle Bay and Bahia Santa Maria, and guess what: They were fun. There was also the security of having a VHF net and people who could help if help was needed. In Cabo, we hit Squid Roe. It was all good, even for us non-party people.
Introducing LS Photon, a revolutionary fiber rigging system designed to easily replace wire rigging. Incredibly strong, durable, and ultra light, it offers all the high performance benefits of fiber rigging while using common wire fittings.
Roger Briggs Central Coast
Roger was commenting on the August 15 'Lectronic with the same name as this letter.
⇑⇓ I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO IT AND MAYBE I WILL THIS YEAR, BUREAUCRACY ASIDE
It's a Bay Area bucket list sailing event. If you have done everything else on the West Coast then it's on the short list. I've been wanting to do it for decades and have done the whole Crew List Party route to try and find the right boat. There is a chance I will do it this last year on [a friend's] boat, assuming he can deal with a huge TIP [Temporary Import Permit] problem.
Hopefully I will see you all there.
Greg Clausen Pacific Northwest
32' Westsail 1974 $35,000
48' Tollycraft Cockpit 1979 $54,500 (Twin diesels)
⇑⇓ YOU'VE SAID, "THIS MIGHT BE THE LAST ONE" BEFORE. WHY SHOULD I BELIEVE YOU?
Ah, yes, the "… this is the last Ha-Ha…" drumbeat now comes with a disclaimer on perhaps someone else will take it up. You folks never give up stirring up more entries whenever the numbers don't look too good. Just let this thing die peacefully and with a modicum of grace.
Orlando
Ah, yes, Orlando — The bizarrely conspiratorial, "You must be up to something nefarious" comment regarding the pending retirement of the Grand Poobah. We're not sure that the Ha-Ha has ever really needed to "stir up" more entries, but hey, whatever floats your boat.
46' Falcon Cutter $18,500 (New Engine)
37' Fisher Pilothouse Ketch 1977 $54,900 Visit www.yatco.com/company/napa-valley-1220 for more information
• We are uniquely positioned to haul your boat
• We carefully haul you on our Brownell Hydraulic trailer. NO STRAPS!
• We safely store your boat on Brownell boat stands supplied by us!
• We have some of the best weather for drying out your boat.
• We have seasoned professionals that can field your calls or work on your boat.
• We have a safe environment for your boat.
• We have very reasonable rates Come visit us – let's talk!
⇑⇓ A MUST-DO SAILING EXPERIENCE
We did it in '07 and '11 in our Catalina 42 MkI, and again in '13 on a Lagoon 38 with one of our closest friends.
It's a must-do for anyone who wants to have a fantastic sailing experience and meet some wonder ful people. It looks like this may be the last one so don't miss it. If you're looking for the right boat, my Catalina 42 is for sale and ready to head back to Mexico in the Ha-Ha.
John Foy Destiny, Catalina 42 Alameda/Banderas Bay
John — Oh no, not Destiny! The '07 Ha-Ha was a blast with so many new friends made, especially John and Gilly!!
Chuck Vanderboom Boomerang, F-31 SoCal
Chuck — It was a tough decision to sell the boat but that time eventually comes around. The '07 Ha-Ha was the best!
John Foy
Marina • Boatyard • Chandlery • Brokerage
for 1200 Milton Road • Napa, CA 94559 (707) 252-8011 • Fax (707) 252-0851
⇑⇓ A ONE-HA-HA MINIMUM
Everyone should do at least one. I've done two! The people you meet and the beauty of the sea will make you want to do it again and again! I will never forget my experience and the wonder ful, beautiful people I have met
along the way.
Jane Roy Adios, Columbia 43 Portland
⇑⇓ YOU CAN'T SAIL JUST ONE
We did it 2013 then continued cruising for three years in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean before ending up in Florida. If we weren't so far away, we'd definitely do it again!
Richard James Inverness
Readers — A lot of people have asked us: "Is this really the final Baja Ha-Ha?" We're quite sure it's the last Ha-Ha Richard and Doña will do, but who knows if he'll find a successor who meets their standards for excellence in organization, fun and safety?
⇑⇓ IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE HA-HA, THEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TIPS
For complicated reasons, I unintentionally let our boat TIP expire in July without renewing it. I'm trying to find out what is the smart way to proceed to make it legal again. (We are not selling!) We imported temporarily at the US border in 2015 and are currently in our garage in Quintana Roo. If anyone can point me to someone who could help resolve this legitimately, I would greatly appreciate it.
Lise Lingo
Lise was commenting on the March 2017 'Lectronic: Tere's Tips on Temporary Import Permits by Richard Spindler.
Lise — If you search "TIPS" on our Latitude 38 home page, you will find a few articles about TIPS. There's also information on TIPS in this year's First Timers Guide to Mexico on page 25.
Thanks, Latitude. My concern is that the boat (a wakeboat and trailer) has been in Mexico legally for 10 years and is still in Mexico. I don't know the best way to proceed, I saw the suggestion from Tere in the March 2017 article that people with TIP problems talk to her before going to aduana.
I've looked through all the articles you suggest, and the guide. The questions I have are whether I need to cancel the TIP that has expired or if expiration automatically cancels it, and whether I can get a new TIP while the boat is physically in Mexico.
Lise
Lise — That sounds like a unique situation and one that we can't guide you on. But please let us know how it tur ns out as it might help inform other people's experiences.
⇑⇓ LOCAL YOUTH SAILORS SHINE IN BENICIA THURSDAY NIGHT RACE
Thank you, Latitude, for featuring this event. It was no small feat to host nearly 50 Sea Scouts and the Benicia Yacht Club Nautical Group. The racers deserve a lot of credit. As almost half of the Sea Scouts also got to crew in the Beer Can Race, it brought the event full circle. Credit has to
go to Randy Norman, the leader of the Nautica Group, along with his wife Eve for organizing this very successful event. Armand
Ar mand was commenting on the August 13 'LL with the same name as this letter.
⇑⇓ PRAISE THE SCOUTS
What a great group of young sailors the San Francisco Sea Scout crew of Viking is! It was a privilege to host this crew and I'm just amazed at the skills and abilities of these teenage seamen. This was a great opportunity for Benicia Yacht Club.
Randy Norman
⇑⇓ SAILORS CHOOSE THEIR OWN COURSE IN INAUGURAL NAVIGATOR'S RACE
Congratulations to Sun Dragon. We heard that you had planned to race with a crew, but ended up having to singlehand it and were very impressed aboard Elise with your handling of wind and tides all on your own. A welldeserved win!
Mariane
Mariane was commenting on the August 11 'Lectronic Latitude with the same name as this letter.
⇑⇓ A LABOR DAY SALUTE TO THE MARITIME TRADES
Many of the people I've interviewed for my documentary Wind in Their Sails: Death and Resurrection, have brought up Wayne's name. He is clearly passionate about the restoration of classic wooden sailboats. It's a shame he's being forced out of L.A., but there are many people here who look at his moving to Stockton as a big plus for keeping our wooden sailboats alive and sailing.
Vince Casalaina Berkeley
Vince was commenting on the September 1 'LL with the same name as this letter.
In the good news/bad news department of celebrating the marine trades, we heard from Southern California master craftsman Wayne Ettel, of the Maritime Preservation Trust, who is well known for high-level wooden boat
the West Coast, including the schooner Mayan.
The bad news is that the Maritime Preservation Trust has been evicted from its shop in the Port of Los Angeles and Wayne had to move his waterfront business. Along with his eviction, the Port of Los Angeles has impounded two classic boats in his care.
The good news is that Wayne has found space in the old Stephens Brothers Boat Builders building in Stockton and is in the process of setting up the new shop there. Wayne is both a master woodworker and a passionate proponent of preserving our historical maritime heritage.
⇑⇓ TO THOSE WHO CARRY ON THE WORK
My best hopes for Wayne in his new business! It's a shame that he isn't closer, and in a deep-water location. Perhaps a silver lining is that he'll hopefully be able to hire, train and retain good shipwrights for a trade that needs new blood to build and maintain classic wooden vessels.
Also, a shout-out to Ross Sommer and son Andrew, Charlie Edwards, Gram and Uriel at Richardson Bay Boatworks & Ways, who carry on the work!
Richard vonEhrenkrook
Can o'Whoopass, Cal 20 Marin
⇑⇓ WANT TO LIVE ON THE WATER? PROVE THAT YOU KNOW HOW TO SAIL
Sadly, so many pieces of the working waterfront are be ing destroyed only to be replaced by people who only enjoy "looking at the water." Some of us think that being able to ably handle a sailboat should be a requirement for anyone who aspires to own waterfront property. Can't sail? Can't buy! Seems like a perfectly reasonable requirement.
Beau Vrolyk
Schooner Mayan Santa Cruz
Beau — Nice idea, but you know they wouldn't all buy mid-size Hunters and Beneteaus? How about an annual property tax to subsidize wooden boat maintenance for working vessels?
Richard vonEhrenkrook
⇑⇓ TO BOLDLY GO …
You printed that sailing solo around the globe was akin to going to the moon. Both were accomplished around the same time. Sir Robin Knox-Johnston completed his solo cir cumnavigation on April 22, 1969; Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969.
Oronoco Pearson Ariel Sausalito
⇑⇓ AN EPIC JOURNEY BECOMES 'THE UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE'
I have sailed wooden boats on the Bay for a while now and helped to build Matthew Turner, back in the day. I saw (literally) firsthand, at 7 years old, how wooden sailboats can change your ordinary life to a "It's a sailor's life for me."
I think that this book and Josh's story will continue to intrigue and inspire future students and sailors toward their devotion to the ocean.
Chris Burke Latitude Nation
⇑⇓ "MY NAME IS LEO, I'M A BOATBUILDER AND A SAILOR WHO RESTORED 'TALLY HO'"
It's not every day that you get bright sun and just enough breeze to make it fun under the Golden Gate Bridge. Hopefully, Leo will have some time to meet and greet those of us that have followed his work on Tally Ho
Vince Casalaina His second letter this Letters
Vince was commenting on the August 22 'LL with the same name as this letter.
⇑⇓ TALLY HO GOT ME THINKING ABOUT A BOAT I ONCE OWNED, LOVED, AND HAD TO SAY GOODBYE TO
I have been following the Tally Ho project for a few years. I was particularly interested as I briefly owned the Bristol Channel pilot cutter Grisette in 1966-67. I purchased her in Ala Wai Harbor, Waikiki, to sell later. I was sure she was worth more than the $12,000 asking price in California. I had $13K. The four crew and I had a magical 17-day passage to Santa Cruz.
When we arrived, I had 34 cents left. I got a job right away to pay the $62 slip rent in Santa Cruz harbor. (There were plenty of slips in those days). I sold her five months later with very mixed feelings. I had grown to love her, but had neither the skills nor the money to keep her. I would love to share a picture of her from 1911 (she was built in 1904) but can't figure out how to do so. She sailed out of Sausalito for many years in the '70s and '80s.
Tom Carr
⇑⇓ BIG FAN. THE NEXT ROUND IS ON ME
This is a truly great story that is rare. Leo gathered the resources and team to make the restoration of Tally Ho happen. The amount of work necessary to essentially rebuild this yacht from scratch is so hard to find outside of rich men's boatyards. So many classics have rotted and then
been scrapped. It warms my heart to see a story of the re verse. Leo is welcome anytime at the Sausalito Yacht Club! And yes, I will buy the drinks.
Peter Le Lievre
⇑⇓ ALWAYS DESERVING OF A SHOUT
I spent many hours lear ning and teaching at the Cal Sailing Club back in the day. It's a really great program for the public and growing the life skill of sailing. What RecWell used to be (I think) was right next door.
It's a great corner of the Bay and wonderful spot to learn to sail!
Doug Hansen
Doug was commenting on the August 22 'Lectronic Latitude: UCB's RecWell Makes Sailing Easy and Fun in Berkeley.
⇑⇓ WHATEVER HAPPENED TO EXPRESS 37 HULL #63?
Although I'd heard some of it firsthand from Darrel Louis, it was great to read his recounting of the recovery of Carl and the project. [Barry is referring to the August issue's feature story with the same name as this letter.] I wish him — and the project — great success.
Darrel briefly mentions his ownership of a Santana 35. Darrel, Edna and Lucie, fleet members and owners of AWB, 50-50 and Wide Load (Bea Mewesed), epitomized Corinthian sailing and mentored me and many newbie weekend sailors into racing on the Bay and beyond some 35-ish years ago. (I remember him lusting over the Express 37 then!) I owe a debt of gratitude to them, and try to pay it forward. Great competition on the water, and epic fun off the water.
Installations & Repowers
Contact us to discuss your questions
I look forward to seeing Carl sailing on the Bay! Good luck with the project, Darrel!
Barry Demak Oakland
⇑⇓ THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR
That dang Andy [Schwenk] hooked me up with an SC27 sitting next to a dumpster with chainsaw and crew on standby for disposal. He told me, with no notice, that we had 24 hours and 2,000 miles to cover if we wanted to save her. We did indeed.
Thanks Andy.
After that, I went upside down for several years getting her good. Currently she's the Anacortes Yacht Club's defending distance-racing champion.
Jeff Shay Hulme
⇑⇓ THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR
Tell Andy Schwenk to race his Express 37; the fleet needs him and all the others. Not enough entries for this weekend for a fleet at San Francisco YC.
Curtis Brown
Curtis — I have a lot of major work to complete on Eclipse; New shrouds and new headstay needed; I'm prepping the deck for new nonskid coat; engine still needs work.
I'm hoping to have her out for Rolex again.
Sandy Andersen Wertanen Eclipse, Express 37 Latitude Nation
⇑⇓ A RANDOM THOUGHT ABOUT ALTERNATORS
The power demands are too much for alternator upgrades that most boats carry. Many have two alternators, including a 140-Amp or larger unit. I have experienced half a dozen trips when we woke up to the awful smell of an alternator meltdown. I'm sure this problem will eventually be resolved, but until then, use will need to be limited to what is required for safe passagemaking.
David Hardy
⇑⇓ THE NEXT GENERATION LOVES PRINT
My 2-year -old son Louis has enjoyed looking at the photos of all kinds of boats in the pages of the latest Latitude.
He is really interested in the ads for the outboards — good copy on that one.
But his favorite of all this past issue was the Caption Contest(!) with the poor fellow falling of f during launch. Louis couldn't stop checking on this guy, and said, "Man fall down. Uh oh!" I don't know if it would have won the Caption Contest(!), but it's a late entry, regardless. Thanks Latitude!
Chris Childers Latitude Nation
⇑⇓ NEW QUESTIONS ABOUT AN OLD BOAT
What brand was Gordon's original 39-ft boat? I understand Sundown was fiberglass and factory-made. We were acquaintances, and I interviewed him not long before he died. I'd asked him about his sailing days and he quickly dismissed it and said the islands (likely Georgian Bay), "Moved around too much and got in the way."
Paul Kellogg Planet Ocean
Paul was commenting on the May 2023 'Lectronic: Another Singer/Sailor Crosses the Bar: Gordon Lightfoot 19382023.
⇑⇓ A SOURCE OF WEALTH OR PROFIT THAT MAY BE EXHAUSTED IF IT IS MISUSED
Golden Goose looks like a New Zealand-built boat of kauri [wood]. The Brin Wilson boatyard turned out boats that looked similar to it. A Brin Wilson boat I've been involved with of late, Ruffian, is one such boat. She is a former active racing boat on the Bay that some of your readers may remember. Her present owner saved her from the wrecking ball a few years ago and is struggling to bring her back to her former beauty. She is presently in Oakland Fifth Avenue Marina. Tom Carr
His second letter this Letters
⇑⇓ IS SAILING MISSING IN MARINA DEL REY HARBOR'S FUTURE?
Beware! If the pirates that took over Dana Point are involved in any way with what is going on with Marina del Rey, boaters must rise up. They will destroy any affordability left for boaters who are not the wealthiest of the wealthy. Slip fees will be going to levels that you cannot even imagine.
This outfit [the Dana Point Harbor Partners (DPHP)] is from Newport Beach and may have a plan to become the "Marina King" of coastal California. Just read up on how Orange County gave this company a 66-year master lease on Dana Point and made the marina unaffordable for anyone but the super-wealthy.
Many boaters who had been in Dana Point for over 30 years had to find a new home.
Ralph
Ralph was commenting on the August 8 'Lectronic Latitude with the same name as this letter.
With more than 20 Marina del Rey leases — including marinas, hotels and various businesses — ending in the next seven years, the Los Angeles Department of Beaches and Harbors sees a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine the future of Marina del Rey. And although a sailboat is in the department's logo, it's harder to find sailing on the department's website.
Now is the time for those involved in the Marina del Rey boating community to connect to the unfolding public process of rethinking the Marina del Rey waterfront.
If you live in Marina del Rey or SoCal — or if you're elsewhere in the sailing community but like to write well-crafted letters to waterfront municipalities imploring them to see the value in recreational sailing and boating — please make your voice heard in support of a vibrant, affordable place for sailing on the "reimagined" MDR waterfront.
⇑⇓ SHOW YOUR HAND
It will come down to who holds the cards, developers or sailors. (A minority private equity group has been buying up beachfront property at an accelerated pace.) The lack of affordable slips is only going to worsen. And our numbers grow thin!
Ken Brinkley
⇑⇓ THEN VS. NOW
Growing up in Marina del Rey, it was a much different harbor that catered to sailing and yachting, and the promotion and growth thereof. There were dinghy races all day throughout the harbor. Wednesday night beer can races would finish all the way at the end of the main channel in front of the California Yacht Club. And city code only allowed to build as high as two stories.
Now, it's a dif ferent picture. Condominiums and apartments tower above the fingers and channel. If you can find wind anywhere in the harbor, you're lucky. They've built boat slips in the main channel, almost obliterating the turning basin at the end — though they haven't made it too small as I can still spin my Force 50 under full sail!
I imagine the future is going to be a reduction in available boat slips in favor of any real estate development they can inflict upon the area. Your opening words of "numerous marine businesses" now represents a dwindling few. There are far more women's boutiques than chandleries, yacht services or marine supplies combined, and that just can't be the future of Marina del Rey.
That's the real horizon of yachting in California.
David Barten SoCal
David — West Marine is the reason for the dwindling Marine supply businesses. It had nothing to do with women's boutiques. They're just filling in the gaps.
And "obliterated" the tur ning basin? C'mon, man. The CYC sunset series still finishes in front of the California Yacht Club docks every Wednesday, with 70-plus racers between April and September.
Our family first started sailing in 1966 on our dad's Cal 25. We were members of the original Windjammer Yacht Club 60 years later. I have lived on my sailboat in Marina del Rey since 2003.
I love MDR.
Changes are always expected in life.
Jeffry Matzdorff
Between the Sheets, Hallberg-Rassy 62 Marina del Rey
⇑⇓ SCHOOLS ABOUND?
The last time I was in MDR, there were multiple sailing schools, UCLA sailing and multiple sail-charter companies and YCs with sail as a key activity. The American Sailing Association's corporate offices, once an in-harbor tenant, are still marina-adjacent.
Jim Heffelfinger
all who are sailing the Pacific Coast of Mexico
⇑⇓ YES, BUT …
Marina del Rey has a very active sailboat fleet. There are just as many or more boats sailing into and out of MDR as there are motoring. And you are correct; we have more sailing schools in MDR than in S.F. Bay, all within two miles of the breakwall. It is a moderate place to sail and the best harbor to depart for Catalina Island's Two Harbors area.
Bluewater Sailing
Bluewater — Yes, but the problem, as implied in the [August 8] article, is that there are many forces in play — politicians, developers — that are working against the boating pastime and industry at large and continuing to move it toward less accessibility to boating.
MDR serves a population arguably 2.5+ times larger than the entire Bay Area. It's not about sailing vs. power, the Bay Area vs L.A. There is only so much publicly available waterfront for watersports, and our politicians don't see waterfront recreational boating accessibility as a priority. We have the same issues in the Bay Area, but they are split up amongst many municipalities, developers and marina owners. There is an obvious "flushing sound" as even the most sought-after marinas that once had 10-year waiting lists now have immediate vacancies.
Barry Demak His second letter this Letters
⇑⇓ ETIQUETTE FIRST, EXISTENTIAL THREATS SECOND They need to pick up their fenders!
Rob Wallace Newport Beach
⇑⇓ MARITIME YOUTH AND LEADERS FIGHT TO SAVE S.F.'S GASHOUSE COVE FUEL DOCK
I am both a licensed boat captain (USCG 50 ton) and a Registered Nurse. The Gas House Cove fuel dock, located in the San Francisco Marina near the St. Francis Yacht Club, provides a vital service for recreational boaters. More importantly, it is essential fueling infrastructure for emergency service vessels — including the US Coast Guard and San Francisco Fire Department boats. These agencies rely on convenient access to fuel in order to respond quickly to
Does anyone really think that there shouldn't be at least one fuel dock on the San Francisco waterfront? "I think the coasties will have something to say about this," said one reader. We agree! How has the Coast Guard, SFFD, SFPD, the bar pilots, and numerous other state and federal agencies not shut down any plan that would shut down the Gashouse Cove fuel dock? By the way, Gas House Cove Marina has been in operation for over 50 years and is one of the city's oldest woman-owned businesses.
urgent situations, such as search and rescue missions. Additionally, restoring the small-boat mooring slips (under 35 feet) in East Cove is critical to supporting youth sailing programs. Groups such as the San Francisco Sea Scouts, including the S.F. Vikings — the 2023 National Champion Sea Scout Club — depend on smaller moorings for training, education, and safe access to the water. Thank you to the all the decision makers! Save the fuel dock!
Katie Thompson
Katie was commenting on the September 12 'Lectronic with the same name as this letter. Captain Maggie Hallahan, a leader with the S.F. Sea Scouts' Makani Maritime Explorers, brought to our attention the threat hanging over San Francisco's Gashouse Cove fuel dock, the city's last remaining marine fuel dock. She wrote:
"The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department (SFRP) is advancing a plan that threatens Gashouse Cove by falsely claiming the fuel dock must be removed for the PG&E cleanup. In fact, the California Water Board has confirmed that PG&E's cleanup does not require removing the dock. It can remain in place, saving taxpayers money."
⇑⇓ OUR WATER. OUR CHOICE
Thanks for the article. As a sailor, I'm pretty disappointed in what's going on with "our water." And it's usually somebody on land that initiates it.
John Lundquist
⇑⇓ FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE
The fuel dock in Gashouse Cove needs to be kept and maintained. A number of years ago when coming back from a sailing trip, we were very low on fuel (fumes actually). Without the great staff at the fuel dock our return to the Bay Area would have been way more complicated and expensive.
Mark Littlefield Aerie, CS36 Bay Area
⇑⇓
The Sea Scouts don't meet in or use the space except maybe as a point to visit; their boats and meeting hall are at Aquatic Park. Given the number of neighboring marinas and access to refueling locations in the Bay (Berkeley, Sausalito, Alameda) the fuel dock should be kept.
⇑⇓
Jon Gillespie
What if the fire tug that saved the Marina in 1989 had needed fuel that day?
Dave Noce South Bay
I saw the other letters where people were telling their stories, and felt compelled to add mine.
In 1974, I came from New Jersey to California where my friends had boats in King Harbor, Redondo Beach, SoCal. I had never seen anything so beautiful as all the sailboats against the Pacific blue canvas!
Shortly after, we sailed to Catalina — my very first sail! — and stayed two months. I was in heaven! Ocean my floor, sky my ceiling, cliffs my walls. I was utterly enchanted! I have been in love with sailing ever since. I am now on my eighth and last sailboat, having gone up to 40-ft and back down to the present 28-ft Islander, as dictated by slip fees. I've sailed up and down SoCal and spent many summers on the island.
I didn't get to do bluewater, but did sail to Puerta Vallarta and the Sea of Cortez as well as in the BVI. I've booked bunks on tall ships in Europe, Canada, the Canaries and Caribbean, and will harbor hop in northwest Spain in Septtember Now I am happily berthed in Dana Point.
Nothing in this world has given me as much joy as sailing, and I will continue to be on the water as long as I am able. It completes me!
Barbara McKenna
As some of you may know, I have been navigating the challenging waters of glioblastoma brain cancer, and sadly, the time has come for me to say my goodbyes.
Throughout my time on the ocean, our vibrant sailing community has been a beacon of joy and camaraderie. The exhilarating races, the festive events, and the shared moments of laughter and connection have filled my life with unparalleled richness.
As I am preparing to embark on my final voyage, I want to express my deepest thanks to my fellow racers, the sponsoring yacht clubs, YRA, and the race committees that make it all happen. Your friendship and support have been invaluable, and the experiences we have shared will forever be etched in my heart. Though I am setting off sooner than expected, I leave with a profound sense of peace and a heart full of gratitude, for a life well-lived, the gift of a wonderful family, great friends, and cherished memories.
Thank you for being a part of my jour ney and for making it so extraordinary. May you all continue to find joy, adventure, and companionship on the open waters.
Farewell and Following Seas.
Nick Sands Escapade, Sabre 402 Sausalito
P.S.: "Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." — Mark Twain
Have a comment? Email us at editorial@latitude38.com We wish Nick Sands fair winds and following seas on his final voyage.
Handsup if you've ever been in the position illustrated by the August Caption Contest(!). We've certainly had to lean in once or twice and await the tide change, but never in company. Where are all the crew? Did everyone gather aboard the boat on the right? Is that why they're all leaning that way? At least they've stacked themselves orderly by size. Winner and top 10 below.
"Sure, 'Raft with me,' he said. 'Done it hundreds of times,' he said. 'It'll be great,' he said. Last time I listen to him." — Scott Henry.
"Leaning in for success." — David Gray.
"Bill never understood why his port and starboard shrouds both failed during the next storm." — Kelvin Meeks.
"That party last night was so fun!" — Shirwin Smith.
"Oh, captain, again: On what did you base the anchor rode scope calculations?" — David.
"Shame on those left-leaning sailors. They're all so shallow … heh." — Gary Morrison.
"Three sloppy sloops suddenly slipping sideways into the soft sand of the shore.
Anyone care to 'kedge your bets' on what comes next?" — Eben Kermit.
"The Pips were in good form as they awaited the arrival of SV Gladys Knight." — Richard vonEhrenkrook.
"'A single 10-pound mushroom for all three boats; are you sure?' 'Yeah, it'll be just fine once the tide goes out.'" — Lee Panza.
"Room at the mark!" — James Rutherford.
"She's a little sluggish, but she's built solid." — Kevin Hendricks.
"To reach a port we must set sail. Sail, not tie at anchor. Sail, not drift."— Franklin D. Roosevelt
It's not often that the start of a race begins with the competitors at anchor, sails lowered and all crew members inside the cabin. This unusual setup marked the start of the 2025 San Francisco Bay Navigator's Race, a time-bracketed competition where competitors sail their own course across a web of prescribed sailing "legs" on the Bay, attempting to cover the most PHRF-corrected miles between the prescribed times of 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Ten crews lined up to start at their choice of four locations, with some choosing a point just east of Angel Island and others starting from just outside Aquatic Park. The first four hours of the race were sailed during a flood tide, and the last two with a mild ebb tide, along with the usual Slot wind speeds of 20-25 knots from the west. After the start, competitors quickly split up to sail their own chosen courses, with the race rules allowing a leg to be repeated only once. The finish line was set up at the entrance to the Berkeley Marina, requiring a last-minute jibe in heavy air as boats raced into the marina fairway at top speeds!
The San Francisco Bay Navigator's Race was created and organized by Berkeley Yacht Club member Evan McDonald. Evan was looking for a race that would appeal to those wanting a novel sailing challenge. He found his inspiration in the Prince Henry Navigator Race run by the Narragansett Bay's Twenty Hundred Club. That race features seven start lines, a course at the discretion of the sailor across a web of allowed sailing legs between navigation marks, a fixed sailing time window, and the goal of sailing the most corrected miles within a time window. Deciding that Bay Area sailors might like the puzzle, Evan imported and modified the race to fit S.F. Bay, thereby creating the inaugural Navigator's Race.
Frank van Diggelen of the Santa Cruz Yacht Club entered the unusual race and singlehanded his Sunfast 3300 Sun Dragon. "Think Three Bridge Fiasco on acid," Frank wrote of the August 9 event, describing it as a mind-boggling format.
"Sail from your chosen start location (A, B, C, or D) past as many of the listed marks as you like, but using only the red lines as routes and traveling no red line more than twice," he said. "Finish at Berkeley Yacht Club between 1500 and 1530, or face time penalties or DQ. Longest distance adjusted for handicap wins. Adding to the fun, the start is from anchor, and there's a five-minute motoring allowance to help at the start, although it may be used, incrementally, anytime."
Frank chose start location C, Aquatic Cove, for the easy anchorage. "This tur ned out great because the sandy bottom meant the anchor came up perfectly clean — no sticky mud to clean off! Caliente joined me in Aquatic Cove while most others chose Angel Island (B)."
Frank said his pre-race strategy was to reach as much as possible to maximize VMG, such as routes and loops in the North Bay. "As it turned out, reality changed this plan very quickly into a much better approach — sail where the wind is. As soon as I ventured close to Sausalito, or north of Angel Island, the wind shut off. The beauty of this race is that you can decide, 'Let's not go to that mark,' turn around, and choose something easier. Also, a couple of minutes of saved engine allowance really helped in getting around Mark 19 in current and little wind."
Sun Dragon found her wind in the Slot and enjoyed classic summer conditions in the high 20s. All finishers found the target time window of 1500 to 1530, while Sun Dragon squeezed a few more miles out of the course in the last hour and took a chance bagging an extra couple continued on outside column of next sightings page
Commodore Tompkins sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge in early September, as he's done hundreds of times before in his legendary sailing life, but there was a sense of finality on this last one. With only a 36-hour stop at Wake Island, the Commodore, along with two crew, sailed a 48-day, 4,500-mile passage aboard his beloved Wylie 39 Flashgirl to complete an 11,000-mile trip started last February.
We visited with a visibly thin Commodore Tompkins, who was briefly in the hospital after tying the boat up back in Richmond. Exhausted and recovering after the long trip, Commodore stated, "I'm done," meaning he's ready to hang up his sea boots and it's time to sell Flashgirl. Interested? Contact Dick Enersen at dick@enersen.org
San Francisco Bay Navigator's Results: Monohulls: 1. 'Sun Dragon', Sunfast 3300, 34.30 NM; 2. 'Elise', C&C 40-2, 28.64 NM; 3. 'Arch Angel', Antrim 27, 28.60 NM (handicap-adjusted distances). Multihull: 1. 'Caliente', Explorer 44, 29.34 NM. Full results at www.jibeset.net
Commodore and Dick made clear, "There is no asking price, no broker, no commission, and comparables will be impossible to find. It is also fair to say that a deal will hinge more on the cut of your jib than the amount of your offer."
The stoic Commodore explained his 11,000-mile trip from San Francisco to Pohnpei, Micronesia, and back at age 93 was inspired by an emotional connection he and his late wife Nancy developed years ago with a young boy who helped them as they cruised through the island. The couple decided to fund the boy's schooling. On this recent trip, Tompkins found that the boy had since moved to the US. It seemed that the Commodore's last mission was fulfilled.
of legs and finishing with exactly one second to spare, Frank said.
Crew interviews were unanimously positive, although many complained of arm cramping from trimming halfway through, with lots of tacking required. Buzz Blackett and Jim Antrim of Arch Angel decided their choice to go north from Angel Island turned out to be an error as they were faced with having to tack in light air coming back against the incoming flood.
Most crews realized that the race required a dedicated navigator. Pre-race plans quickly morphed into decision-making on the race course that required local knowledge about sections of the Bay that few had sailed during their normal competitions, with new insights gained about wind direction changes near the city and islands.
Despite what Frank described as fiendishly unusual race rules, everyone appeared to have enjoyed the day. "If you've enjoyed the chaotic adventure of the Three Bridge Fiasco, and want 10 times more of the same, with wind," Franks adds, "come and do the second Navigator's Race next year."
— gerry gragg
Clockwise from bottom left: Course options for the inaugural S.F. Bay Navigator's Race; actual courses sailed; 'Caliente' was the lone multihull; race creator/ organizer Evan McDonald shows the preliminary results; 'Sun Dragon' flies home and into first place with one second to spare.
Though once the epicenter of sailboat building, today, there are very few boats built on the West Coast. When we do find a boatbuilder on the Pacific, such as Mark McCuddy of Sea Hawk Sailboats in Portland, Oregon, who's building a new Wylie 80, it's like finding buried treasure.
Steve Rander approached me in early May of 2022 with a boat project in the works. He believed our newly acquired shop would be just the spot for building a Tom Wylie-designed 80-ft racer/cruiser. Later that month, I visited with the gentleman who had commissioned Tom to do the preliminary design work and drawings. I realized this project was much farther along than I thought. The owner — who currently owns and campaigns the Wylie-designed, Rander-built, 70-ft tillersteered sled Rage — told me that he had three non-negotiables for the new boat:
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It's a good time for mariners to pay attention to the climate ashore. The dramatic changes in Washington are disrupting many of the federal agencies that have kept mariners safe for over a century. The advent of GPS, AIS, Starlink and other technology has made things easier, but we don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. NOAA and the USCG have both been asked to make cuts that could af fect weather forecasting, navigational buoys, weather buoys and other assets both commercial and recreational mariners count on. Insurance companies also get concerned if weather warning systems are degraded.
Mile Buoy off of Santa Cruz was on the chopping block, but was saved after an outcry from the many boaters who count on the marker as a safe waypoint off the California coast. Expensive, well-equipped boats may have all they need to stay safe, but smaller boats, including kayaks, that lack the sophisticated electronics of larger yachts, can get lost in the fog.
Of fshore weather buoys show wave heights and period that are crucial to understanding ocean conditions and marine forecasts. The proposed changes offer a time for public comment. Speak up!
Tom Wylie would be the designer.
Steve Rander would be the builder
The boat would be steered with a tiller!
The project faced challenges right from the start. Could we assemble a crew that could get this project done in a timely manner? COVID was still fresh in our memory and there were still bottlenecks in terms of getting materials on time and cost-effectively. The proposed shop had good bones, but left much to be desired from a comfort and cleanliness standpoint.
As the principal builder, Steve had the experience and the confidence to get the project going, and to his credit, he quickly assembled a talented crew around him. He drew people from the sailing community, a few experienced shipwrights, a few retired professionals, some recent high school graduates and some talented local carpenters who wanted to be involved in a Rander boatbuilding project. We cleaned and organized the shop and insulated and updated the lighting. Finally, we installed a modern HVAC system, making building year-round both possible and comfortable. Simultaneously, Steve and his crew were cleaning, tuning, and updating the equipment in the shop.
Today, the project is well underway! The boat is painted, the interior is mostly in place, deck hardware is being attached, and systems are being installed in the boat. We have a lot of finishing work to do. (Does anybody want to sand?)
The boat wouldn't have been possible without the support of a community of West Coast sailors and experts in the marine industry. Tom Wylie has access to a huge database of specialists when it comes to building a West Coast sled, including Don Whelan, who has been invaluable in helping us coordinate and work with experts from all over the country. Roger Brown consulted with Tom to make sure we met standards with the correct engineering. Harrison Marine in San Diego and San Diego Yacht Riggers built custom parts and put together the running rigging. Larry Tuttle of Waterat built a beautiful carbon fiber rudder and tiller. Our keel was custom-built in Mexico by Duro Keel. Bill Columbo with Doyle put together the sail package. Dave Hulse of Offshore Spars in Michigan built the spar and boom. The standing rigging was manufactured in Sri Lanka. We've had numerous custom parts built in Europe.
It's truly been a global project!
Additionally, Peter King has been on the boat to design the electronics package. Bruce Schwab with Ocean Planet Energy designed the battery system for the boat. We had Campbell Rivers in from Rhode Island to give us updates on the latest developments in carbon fiber lay up technology and coach us in new techniques for producing the strongest and lightest layups possible. Schooner Creek Boat Works has been a great help, and we plan to launch and commission the boat from their waterfront soon.
Apologies for the many others I haven't included.
When building a custom 80-ft sailboat, timelines can be vague at best. We feel fairly confident that this yet-to-be-named sailing machine will be gracing the waters of the PacNW and heading toward Hawaii in 2026. It's been a fantastic project to be a part of, and the amount of enthusiasm from the local and not-so-local sailing communities has really been rewarding. If you find yourself in Portland, don't hesitate to stop by and stick your head in. Walk through the door of Sexton's Chandlery on Jantzen Beach and tell the crew you'd like to see "The Boat." We enjoy showing her off!
— mark mccuddy
Dock Neighbors sure are entertaining. Everyone with a boat at a marina has a Dock Neighbor. They come and go like bad weather. Our boat, the Dawn Trader, a '73 Morgan Out Island, was tied to the infamous 700 dock at Harbor Island West Marina in San Diego. The far end of the 700 dock was a floating indefatigable party — tables, chairs, BBQs, and of course, booze and loud music. One salty soul with a hyena-like laugh could be heard 24/7. I knew exactly where he was, like the bell in Avalon Harbor. Marriages were lost to the dock fiestas and late-night margaritas. That group of eight boats was more entertaining than any TV sitcom, just way more perverse.
But the other dockmates on 700 were outstanding friends and mariners. Neil and Kathy, unlike the heathens at the far end, were devout Mormons who had six or eight kids with a set of twins in the mix. Neil owned a catering company and was a master chef. He often cooked amazing dockside meals — desserts, appetizers, cookies (YUM!), snacks, etc. His boat was a Hunter 33. He lived in Barstow and his catering business served Las Vegas. They were the best dock neighbors ever. Food was our bond, sailing was our passion. Neil and Kathy slept on their boat for long weekends. They religiously sailed the nearby San Diego Bay and Pacific Ocean.
Neil and Kathy were having coffee on the 700 dock. I was with the oldest liveaboard on the 700 dock. His name was Royal. He'd circled the sun 78 times and was a complete sailor. He crossed the Pacific Ocean several times, sailed in the Far East and lived on boats in Hawaii and Mexico. He may have been in the Navy at some point, though he had long hair and a beard in his older age and was always puffing on a cigarette. His gift to the 700 dock was his ability to make teak on boats glisten. He charged $200 to make the wood rails on our boat shine better than new. Five coats of varnish was a mere start for Royal's work.
Royal was telling me about cruising in Mexico, when Neil and Kathy came over to chat. (That's what dock neighbors do.) Neil reported that he'd had major engine troubles the day prior. As the story goes, they sailed the Bay for hours in their Hunter. They had come back to the marina and the engine would not start. Not a turn or sound from down below. DEAD. So Neil and Kathy sailed their precious Hunter seaside condo back to her slip. Neil said, "I am nervous as can be." One, he had never sailed into his slip. Two, he did not want to damage the other neighbors' boats. He sailed forward into our finger of the 700/800 dock and was heading at a cement dock piling. A man stood on the dock. Neil thought he was saved, but NO! "That guy didn't move a finger to help us." Neil confessed that he yelled un-Christian words at the man who refused to help. "Hey, dumbshit, what the F@#k is your problem?"
Royal interjected, "You mean you cursed out Blind Bob?" Neil was appalled. First, he'd used profane speech, second, he'd cussed out a blind man. We laughed as loudly as you could imagine, but with not half the decibels of the hyena guy.
Neil said he was going to bake Blind Bob a cake to apologize for his mistaken rant. Royal and I went back to his story of how he cruised Mexico with a wealthy family that hired him as a full-time crew. Yes, Royal earned money to cruise the Sea of Cortez. He said it was as good as life gets. Royal would continue to spark my imagination with tales of Banderas Bay, Mazatlan and beyond.
Dock neighbors sure make it interesting. But the best are those that own catering companies. YUM!
captain tom luneau, sv todo bueno
The Seven Seas Cruising Association (SSCA) is introducing its own AI service for members. "HAL" (Hybrid Applied Layer, LLC's HAL-CORE) is a maritime AI partner designed specifically for cruisers. It's not a chartplotter or navigation system, but rather an AI assistant for nav information.
Running inside ChatGPT, HAL is reportedly based on curated government sources, maritime-specific, and is up to date. It controls the time, sources and data it uses, ensuring that answers are valid. With HAL, on their mobile or laptop in one window, members can review the latest navigation updates (LNMs, ATONs, dredging notices)
in one fused view; use Android/Apple/Windows; use cell internet service or Starlink; access Coast Pilot and Light List data in one text view; use unique commands to view port and location/customs information from government data systems; and run short "Did You Know?" briefings for smallboat operations. In advanced mode, HAL can also support inventory.
HAL was released to a limited number of SSCA members for testing and was due for full release in September at the Chesapeake GAM. You can watch a presentation here: www.bit.ly/3I1CUs4. — latitude / monica
Seattle Yacht Club member Dan Barr wrote a few weeks ago with some exciting news — albeit old news. "With great pleasure, I am forwarding you names of four members of the Seattle Yacht Club I believe are missing from Latitude 38's West Coast Circumnavigators' List, which I think should be included, from our list of nine Seattle Yacht Club circumnavigators we have identified."
We've added the following names to the list: Lawrence Killam, Graybeard, 1971, Cruising Club of America Circumnavigation; Richard McCurdy, Active Light, 1977–82; Behan, Jamie, Niall, Mairen and Siobhán Gifford, Totem, 2008–18, Cruising Club of America and Ocean Cruising Club circumnavigation awards; James Utzschneider, Jenna, Leo and Hazel Miller, Sophie, 2012–2021. Adding these four circumnavigating vessels brings the list total to 396. Please let us know if we've missed any others!
— latitude
A yacht club fire. Living by the Bay, but never on it. A mountain girl becomes a captain. Will they find gold at the LA 28 Olympics? What makes sailors tick is not just the miles they log or the trophies they collect. A few recent Good Jibes podcast episodes uncover the unique paths within sailing with a common thread.
John Hamilton, the vice commodore of California Yacht Club, thought that the Isthmus of Catalina was the perfect place to learn windsurfing when he was 16. Hours later, lost in the shipping channel as the sun set, he learned what most of us eventually discover: The sea rewards resilience more than bravado.
That theme carried into his reflections on the devastating fire that consumed the California Yacht Club's clubhouse. Trophies, memorabilia and irreplaceable history were lost. Yet what stood out in his voice was not despair, but determination. The members are rebuilding, proving that resilience is as vital to a yacht club as it is to a
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Sailing legend and San Francisco native Paul Cayard won his second career Star world championship in September, topping a 101-boat fleet in Split, Croatia. Cayard sailed with German crew Frithjof Kleen, who won his third Star title as a crew.
Cayard's sailing career needs no introduction: multiple Olympic Games, multiple world championships, involvement in multiple America's Cups — his résumé is long.
Cayard won his first Star world title in 1988 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and finished on the podium multiple times. Most recently, he was third in the 2022 Star Worlds and fourth in 2024.
"Big emotions for sure," said Cayard, per the Star Class's official press release. "You know, it's really hard to believe. We made it very difficult on ourselves, and of course that's kind of the way I do things. But we stuck together through the tough times. Every team here had to deal with challenges, and we had a few yesterday and today, but we came back because we sailed smart and trusted each other. It's surreal to win 37 years after my first title. With a long career in sailing, America's Cups, [and] round-theworld races, the Star has always been a constant for me. Winning it again is incredibly special."
— latitude / fritz
singlehanded sailor caught in the breeze.
A dif ferent slice of that spirit shows up in the stories of the women behind the Northern California Women's Sailing Seminar. For Eileen Zedd, Shelli Bohrer and Laurie Briggs, sailing was not something passed down through generations. It was discovered later in life — sometimes after long breaks or hesitant starts. What kept them engaged was not just the boats, but the people.
Their message is clear: The sailing community can be the dif ference between staying ashore and setting sail. In a sport that can seem intimidating from the outside, the Women's Sailing Seminar has become a beacon, lowering barriers and creating an environment where newcomers feel supported. Their stories remind us that while the ocean is vast, sailing is at its best when it feels like a small, welcoming village.
Captain Kira Maixner grew up in Colorado, where the mountains dominated her horizon. Yet even far from the ocean, she felt drawn to the sight of sails skimming across a lake. Her journey took her through Italy and Southeast Asia, and finally, San Francisco Bay. She did not come from a sailing family. She did not have childhood summers spent on the water. What she had was curiosity, and she followed it all the way to a captain's license and becoming a racer and sailing instructor.
Her story proves something powerful: Sailing does not belong to any one type of person or background. Whether you are born wrapped in a yacht club burgee or discover sailing on a whim, the ocean welcomes curiosity and rewards those who lean into it.
And then there are sailors like Nikki Barnes and Ryan Squires, who joined Good Jibes for a live recording at Alamitos Bay Yacht Club. Both are campaigning for the 2028 Summer Olympics in L.A., chasing not just medals but the chance to represent the United States on the world stage. They're working hard with coach Stu McNay and also gave a shout-out to coach Steve Hunt from San Diego.
Their stories are full of grit: capsizes in heavy seas, chipped teeth and relentless training sessions. What is striking is that their passion is not only for personal achievement, but also for inspiring others. They coach, they mentor, and they share openly about the challenges of balancing ambition with resilience. Listening to them, you realize that greatness is not just about standing on a podium. It is about pushing yourself to the edge of possibility and inviting others to rise with you.
Sailing is not about where you come from, how you start, or whether you are chasing trophies or sunsets. It is about transformation. Every sailor has a moment, whether in a capsize, a seminar, a chance encounter at a Crew List Party, or a quiet delivery watch, when something clicks. In that moment, they are not just sailing. They are becoming sailors. This is the power of Good Jibes. It captures voices that sound a lot like our own and reminds us why we keep casting off lines. It brings us back to the feeling of summer even as fall arrives, keeping the joy of sailing alive when daylight fades earlier and our boats see fewer miles.
If you would like to be a guest on Good Jibes, or if you know someone whose sailing journey deserves to be heard, we would love to hear from you. Email us at ryan@latitude38.com with your ideas, nominations, or pitches.
Good Jibes is for the community, and your voice just might be the next one our listeners hear.
— ryan foland good jibes podcast host socal correspondent
The2025 Rolex Big Boat Series (RBBS) was sailed between September 11 and 14 at the St. Francis Yacht Club (StFYC), the 61st edition of perhaps one of the most anticipated annual events on the Bay Area's racing calendar.
While the wind steadily built throughout last year's RBBS, culminating with a Sunday Bay tour that saw gusts in the high 30s, this year's Big Boat Series was much more of a light-wind affair. Thursday's racing saw breeze around 10 knots for most of the day, building into the low teens during the Bay-tour race. Friday was even weirder, with the buoy race sailed in well under 10 knots of breeze that once again only built into the mid-teens. Both Thursday and Friday's racing was almost exclusively in flood. With the light wind and adverse current, upwinds were long wars of attrition, where patience and focus were paramount.
Saturday and Sunday saw more classic Big Boat Series conditions, with breeze starting in the mid teens and then building to around 20 knots. Both days saw early ebb building into flood during the Bay-tour races.
This year's Big Boat Series featured only six classes, as opposed to last year's seven. The classics division didn't make an appearance. While this was disappointing, and the classics division hopes to make a comeback in next year's edition, it also opened up the Cityfront course for the ORC and one-design fleets.
The regatta featured three one-design fleets (J/105, J/88 and Express 37) and three ORC fleets (A, B, and C). The race committee used two starting areas: a Treasure Island starting line and an Alcatraz starting line. Each fleet sailed seven races across the four days, with one-design and ORC fleets alternating who was at each starting area each day. The one designs started the regatta at the Treasure Island line on Thursday with the ORC fleets at Alcatraz, and then alternated throughout the regatta.
In addition to all of the on-water action, the usual off-water festivities that come with Big Boat Series were in full swing, highlighted by the Friday night Mount Gay Rum Party.
Bruce Stone & Nicole Breault
The biggest fleet in the regatta by far with 27 boats saw incredibly variable racing, with the seven races being won by seven different boats. Every boat except for the eventual winners, Bruce Stone and Nicole Breault's Arbitrage (StFYC), had a finish outside the top 10. The win at Big Boat Series marks the couple's first RBBS win in the J/105 fleet since 2014. Stone skippered the team, with Breault, who recently won the US Women's Match Racing Championship for a record fifth time, as tactician.
"I think the key is just being on the starting line and being able to catch the first shift and sailing clean," Stone tells Latitude. "Probably one end was favored or the other end was favored by a little bit, but it was a very, very high high going to a not very low low. I think the anxiety of being on the favored end of the line was less important than catching the first pressure off the line. If we can sail fast and flat, then we are good. In the last few regattas I hadn't been getting the best starts, so I just said 'OK, I've just got to shoot the lights out and make sure that I'm on the starting line.'"
"It really feels good when you come across the line in first," Breault says, in reference to their bullet in the second race of the regatta. "Winning that race the first day was a moment where there was suddenly hope that maybe we're a team that is really in this. The next day we had solid results with a three/
three, and it was just a matter of avoiding anything big and disastrous that could really hurt us. From that point forward, if we could just stay with the front group we were good on points and maybe this would go our way."
"We had great trimming from a super team," Stone continues. "We got brand-new sails, and we have a new design cut for our boat, which is basically an AP design cut with heavier fabric so it can range up into heavier air. In the full gauge of conditions, we were able to have a lower gear in the heavier air there than the lighter sails."
Arbitrage finished with a tally of 29 points, 10 ahead of Ryan Simmons' Blackhawk (SFYC) in second place. Blackhawk had won the RBBS J/105 fleet the past two years, and in four of the past five Big Boat Series. Blackhawk was fast and consistent throughout most of the regatta, but a 12thplace finish in race one hurt.
Going into the final Bay-tour race on Sunday, Arbitrage held a six-point lead over Tim Russell's Ne*Ne (SFYC), who was in second going into the final race, and a seven-point lead over Blackhawk in third. With all of the volatility in the fleet throughout the regatta, it was far from a guaranteed victory lap for Arbitrage. The start of the final race all but assured Stone and Breault's victory: With Ne*Ne called OCS and Blackhawk flushed off the start line, Arbitrage got a clean, mid-line start. Stone and Breault cruised to a fourth in the final race, with Blackhawk finishing seventh to jump Ne*Ne (working back to a 10th after the OCS) for second place.
"There's no doubt that it feels so good to win in this fleet because this fleet is so good," a very happy Breault tells us. "The level of competition and the hunger of the people that race in this fleet is ever present. Nobody ever lets you off easy. It's just great racing, and I'm really really proud of everybody."
The J/88 fleet was won by a familiar face in convincing fashion, with Brice Dunwoodie's Ravenette (StFYC) nearly recording a picket fence in the sevenboat fleet. Ravenette won all but one race, with his only non-bullet being a third-place finish in race six of the event for a total of just nine points.
"We have really good crew work," Dunwoodie tells Latitude. "Lots and lots of hours together that came through for this regatta, and we had really nice conditions. There was a little bit less randomness, so I think our consistency came through and really helped us stay on top."
While the scoreline would show that Ravenette dominated the fleet, Dunwoodie reflects on the increase in
competition in the J/88 fleet from Big Boat Series to Big Boat Series, stating, "We're up huge notches in terms of performance across the fleet. The level of competition, even though we did really well, there was a lot of dogfighting going on at places like the top of the course."
Second place in the J/88 fleet was another familiar podium face in the form of Tom Thayer's Speedwell (RYC),
with a total of 17 points for the regatta. Speedwell won race six, the only race not won by Ravenette. Speedwell finished outside the top two only twice, recording fourth-place finishes in races three and five.
Third place went to Dave Corbin's Butcher (SBYC), recording 26 points, and just edging Steven Gordon's Inconceivable (SBYC), who finished with 27 points for the final podium spot.
Express 37 Fleet: Winner –'Loca Motion' (MPYC), Mark Chaffey & Heidi Hall
The Express 37 fleet was the only one-design fleet that saw a repeat winner from the 2024 RBBS. The Express fleet saw significant growth in participation this year, up to nine boats from just five last year. The eventual and repeat winners remained the same, however, with Mark Chaffey and Heidi Hall's Loca Motion (MPYC) taking the win with 16 points from the seven races.
"I think it's just the most fabulous racing that we do all year long," Hall reflects to Latitude. "We come up here and we get big wind. You know we're from Monterey. We don't normally see this kind of breeze and intense racing. We don't have any one-design racing, so for us it's a big highlight to race boaton-boat against nine fantastic skippers and be within boat lengths of each other at each mark rounding."
Loca Motion, who had recorded a picket fence in the smaller Express 37 fleet last year, saw a far greater challenge from the rest of the fleet. The Monterey-based boat won the first two races of the event, but didn't win another race after that. Despite that, they still finished in the top three in every race aside from a fourth in race four to finish on top by four points. Coming in second was Andy Schwenk's Spindrift V (RYC) with 20 points. While Schwenk never won a race, he and his team finished every single race between second and fourth place.
Brendan Busch's Spy vs. Spy (RYC) rounded out the Express 37 podium with 23 points, including bullets in races four and five.
"The key moment today was that we got passed by three boats and then won our position back by going in by the Cityfront," Hall tells Latitude when asked about a key moment in the regatta. "We didn't think there was going to be much current relief there, but there was, so we just had to go with it. The crew hiked hard and it was just enough."
ORC A Fleet: Winner – Infinity 52 'Zeus' (CYCA/RSYC), Michael Firmin Zeus (CYCA/RSYC), a spectacular Infinity 52 helmed by Michael Firmin, dominated the five-boat ORC A fleet, recording the only picket fence in the regatta over the seven races. Second place in ORC A was the beloved and longtime Big Boat Series participant Bill Lee Custom 68 Merlin (StFYC), driven by Chip Merlin. Merlin finished
with 18 points, finishing second in four of seven races. This put the legendary boat just one point clear of Kimo Winterboom's Andrews 56 Halawa (StFYC) with 19 points.
"It's a great offshore boat; we've been campaigning for about two-anda-half years," Firmin tells Latitude of Zeus. "We commissioned the boat here before the last Transpac two years ago. We've always wanted to come back. I live down the Peninsula, so I love San Francisco. The boat has gone around the planet."
A special moment in the ORC A fleet was that in the sixth race of the event, Saturday's Bay-tour race, the ORC A racers were sent out to Point Bonita, marking the first time in 20 years that a Big Boat Series race has gone out to Bonita.
"We loved [going out to Point Bonita,]" Firmin tells us. "There were plenty of factors. We banged the left, [Merlin] banged the right. We came really close to Merlin and we were basically boat-toboat with them. We love going offshore, so for us, cracking the sheets with a little bit of twist and driving the boat hard through heavy swells, the boat performs really well. Once we got around the windward can we went straight down and launched that puppy."
Zeus ripping downwind through the Bay was a truly spectacular sight both for onlookers on shore and for sailors on other boats. Hopefully the Infinity 52 and her Australian crew will return to future Big Boat Series.
'Zeus' recorded a picket fence, the only RBBS competitor to do so this year.
ORC B Fleet: Winner –J/111 'Skeleton Key' (StFYC/SFYC/NYYC), Peter Wagner
The biggest ORC fleet was ORC B, and it was won by a familiar face on the RBBS podium. Peter Wagner's J/111 Skeleton Key (StFYC/SFYC/NYYC) took home the win and the only ORC Rolex wristwatch. Skeleton Key finished with 11 points, winning four of the seven races.
"Friday was a challenging day; the Capes are always a handful for us," Wagner tells Latitude. "They really showed their form on that day, but it was great to be able to bounce back and get our act together on Saturday and Sunday."
This year's ORC B class featured two Cape 31s, spectacular, skiff-like keelboats originally designed in South Africa. The Capes dominated last year's ORC B division, but this year in the lighter wind Wagner and his Skeleton Key crew were able to best Sitella (HYC) in second place with 17 points and M2 (SDYC/NYYC) in third with 20 points, to take home the Rolex.
On competing with the Capes, Wagner tells us, "It definitely makes a difference which breeze bands come in, and there is a breeze band where they're planing and we're not and it's really difficult, but overall it tends to balance out."
"The boats were well sailed; there were a lot of really close races," Wagner continues. "Four of the races were decided by five seconds or less, so I think that the ORC system is working well."
The only returning ORC winner from last year's RBBS won his division once again, with Zach Berkowitz and his crew on the J/100 Feather winning the ORC C division. The smallest of the boats in the ORC C division, Feather is an incredibly well sailed boat. Berkowitz and team won the first three races of the regatta on rating, and spent significant amounts of time ahead of boats with longer waterlines. The team finished with 12 points from seven races, finishing outside the top two only in the final race.
"Pretty similar class this year vs. last year; the difference was that last year was more ebb-tide sailing compared to more flood this year," Berkowitz tells Latitude. "The winds were obviously lighter the last day. The competition
was about the same, and it's always fun to sail against guys like [the J/120] Peregrine with Tad Lacey, who was my sailing instructor. That's always fun."
Second-place ORC C went to John Arens and his J/109 Reverie (CYC), the recently crowned J/109 North American Champions, with 15 points. Third place went to the aforementioned Peregrine (SFYC) with 16 points, driven by Mike O'Callaghan. Tad Lacey, who as mentioned above was Berkowitz's sailing instructor, was on board Peregrine and sailing his 44th Big Boat Series this year.
"It was another great Big Boat Series and the team on Feather had a great time," Hoel Menard, Berkowitz's 21-year-old tactician, tells us. "I feel very lucky to sail with so much talent on the boat and be able to learn from my teammates. Sailing in a flood on the Bay is always very hard but also very rewarding. I look forward to next year and the ORC North Americans!"
"Zach put together a great team with sailors from all different backgrounds in the sport, each bringing their own unique experience and skills," bowman Max Roth tells us. "The highlight of the regatta was the reach from Diablo under the bridge in big breeze with the A3 and staysail up. The best part about our team was how well we worked together: Communication from bow to stern was impeccable."
"It's a good group of guys," Berkowitz says of his winning team. "I've got a great team. It's basically the same people as last year. We did a little bit of work on the boat, and talked about it a lot. The real deal was that I've got a great mix of young and old people on
the boat. Two guys over 60, myself and Chris Steinfeld. We've got two guys in their 30s, and I've got two guys in their 20s, and it's the kids, Hoel Menard and [bowman] Max Roth that are very, very active in sailing, and they're bringing
their racing experience to the team, and it's a great gel. Nothing like good speed, a reasonable rating, great teamwork, and boat prep to come out with a win."
latitude / fritz
Rolex Big Boat Series, 9/10-14, StFYC
J/105 — 1) Arbitrage, StFYC, Bruce Stone & Nicole Breault, 29 points; 2) Blackhawk, SFYC, Ryan Simmons, 39; 3) Ne*Ne, SFYC, Tim Russell, 41; 4) Donkey Jack, StFYC, Rolf Kaiser & Justin Oberbauer, 44; 5) Akula, SSS, Doug Bailey, 45. (27 boats)
J/88 — 1) Ravenette, StFYC, Brice Dunwoodie, 9 points; 2) Speedwell, RYC, Tom Thayer, 17; 3) Butcher, SBYC, Dave Corbin, 26. (7 boats)
Express 37 — 1) Loca Motion, MPYC, Mark Chaffey & Heidi Hall, 16 points; 2) Spindrift V, RYC, Andy Schwenk, 20; 3) Spy vs. Spy, RYC, Brendan Busch, 23. (9 boats)
ORC A — 1) Zeus, Infinity 52, CYCA/RSYS, Michael Firmin, 7 points; 2) Merlin, Bill Lee Custom 68, StFYC, Chip Merlin, 18; 3) Halawa, Andrews 56, StFYC, Kimo Winterbottom, 19 (5 boats)
ORC B — 1) Skeleton Key, J/111, StFYC/ SFYC/NYYC, Peter Wagner, 11 points; 2) Sitella, Cape 31, HamptonYC, Ian Hill, 17; 3) M2, Cape 31, SDYC/NYYC, Marc McMorris, 20. (9 boats)
ORC C — 1) Feather, J/100, StFYC, Zach Berkowitz, 12 points; 2) Reverie, J/109, CYC, John Arens, 15; 3) Peregrine, J/120, SFYC, Mike O'Callaghan, 16. (8 boats)
Full results at rolexbigboatseries.com
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The Baja Ha-Ha is the 750-mile cruisers' rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, with R&R stops along the way at funky Turtle Bay and spectacular Bahia Santa Maria.
Nearly 4,000 boats and 10,000 sailors have done a Ha-Ha. Most participants are long-time sailors but first-timers to Mexico. Fleets are also sprinkled with repeat offenders. Several skippers have done 10 or more.
Boats from 27 to 100' can enter the Ha-Ha, though historically the average has been 42 feet. The average number of crew is four, although couples are not unusual. At least one member of the crew has to have offshore experience.
The goal of every Ha-Ha is for everyone to have a great time sailing and meeting other cruisers while making a safe passage down the coast of Baja. If you have a boat and a hunger for adventure, think about signing up for this year's 31st running. Visit www.bajahaha.com.
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our Baja Ha-Ha Beach Fiesta Sunday, November 23
Late October — Downwind Marine Welcome Cruisers Party and Vendor Fair with wholesale discount pricing all day at Downwind Marine
During October — Evening Cruising Seminars at Downwind Marine at 6 p.m.
November 2, 8:30- 9:15 a.m. – Skipper check-in.
November 2, 9:30- 11 a.m. –– Skippers' meeting. West Marine,1250 Rosecrans. November 2, 1 p.m. – The Annual Ha-Ha Halloween Costume Party and BBQ. West Marine, 1250 Rosecrans.
November 3, 10 a.m. Monday – Baja HaHa Kick-Off Parade.
November 3, 11 a.m. Monday – Start of Leg One for all boats off Coronado Road
November 6, 2 p.m. – Daytime – BHH baseball game at Turtle Bay.
November 7, Evening: Restaurant hopping, such as it is, in Turtle Bay November 7, Noon-ish. Friday – Famous Turtle Bay Beach Picnic Party until sundown
November 8, 9 a.m. Saturday – Start of Leg Two to Bahia Santa Maria.
November 10, Monday – Bahia Santa Maria Day; a layday for relaxing and exploring.
November 11, Tuesday – Hiking, beach walking, sports, and the annual Rock ‘n’ Roll Beach Party, sponsored by the local fisherfolk.
November 12, 7 a.m. Wednesday – Start of Leg Three from Bahia Santa Maria to Cabo San Lucas.
November 13, 7:30 p.m. Thursday –Dance Party at Squid Roe.
November 14, noon. Friday – Cabo San Lucas Beach Party
November 15 – 6 p.m. Saturday – Awards presentations hosted by Cabo Marina. November 23, 4-7 p.m. – La Paz Beach Party at La Costa Restaurant.
At the time of this writing, 128 boats had registered for the 31st annual Baja Ha-Ha Cruisers Rally to Mexico. While this is by no means a record (that stands at 196 in 2010), it's only three boats shy of last year's total of 131. And while the official closing date for registering passed on September 3, we know someone who knows someone who heard that sailors could still join the fleet after this date. So we expect this year's numbers to change before the November 3 kick-off parade and launch in San Diego. The only catch is that the late entrants may not get their mug and backstory included in the official Meet the Fleet booklet, and they might miss out on some of the Ha-Ha swag. But hey, they will be cruising to Mexico!
Meanwhile, here's another group of sailors who got in early and sent in their photos and a few lines about who they are:
Athena — Spencer 1330
Steve & Kristy Whale
Vancouver, BC/Revelstoke, BC Steve, 48, is an avalanche technician and mountain-rescue guy. He's the first avalanche technician we've had on the Ha-Ha. Spouse Kristy is a heavy-equipment operator. I believe she's the first female heavy-equipment operator we've had on the Ha-Ha.
"We've been sailing for five years," the couple report. "While we're fairly new to sailing, we've spent the last three summers on our boat/boats fulltime. We're flying at the sailing life with reckless abandon.
"Our first boat was a Hinterholler 31, Niagara, which we owned for two years. We've now owned our 1976 Spencer, with the cool baby-blue hull, for three years."
Lest anyone think that a quality boat from 1976 is too old to cruise on, the Poobah points out that Restless, a Cal 40 built in 1966, just took overall honors in the ultra-competitive Transpac from Los Angeles to Honolulu.
"While this will be our first Ha-Ha, last summer we circumnavigated Vancouver Island.
"Our plan is to winter in Mexico, then head across the Pacific in April, with New Zealand being our ultimate destination. Steve is from New Zealand.
"While Athena might be 49 years old, she is our dream boat. A beach with surf in Tahiti would be our ultimate destination.
"Kiwi sailing legend Peter Blake is our sailing hero, and our favorite dessert is strawberry milkshakes.
"We've quit our jobs, rented out the house, and are trying to sail across the planet on a budget of cheap beer, beans, rice and fish. We're looking forward to meeting the group and having a few laughs on the Ha-Ha. We're guided by our favorite quote: ‘What's the worst that can happen?'"
Frisky — Maverick 400 Cat
David & Linda Witham
Ventura
David, 80, is a retired engineer, while Linda is a retired financial planner. They will have two crew: Dean Prophet, 69, a retired teacher, and Cathy Lewis.
David has been sailing for 65 years, which is longer than most Ha-Ha participants have been alive. That means he started in the days before radar was common on boats, before EPIRBs, before SatNav, let alone GPS, before AIS, and before Starlink, before electric winches, etc.
In those 65 years he's owned 20 boats. He and Linda acquired Frisky,
which was built in South Africa in 2017 to a Phil Southwell design. David's longest passage is 3,000 miles from Ascension Island in the South Atlantic to Trinidad in the Caribbean. But that only hints at the couple's offshore experience. They cruised for nine years, during which time they spent three years in the Med, and crossed the Atlantic three times.
Frisky is the couple's dream boat, and they intend to spend the winter in the Sea of Cortez, although their dream would be to cruise around Tahiti.
Ice cream is their favorite dessert.
Sausalito/San Francisco
Wly, 69, occupation not given, will be sailing south with spouse Remi (Bob), 65, occupation also not given. There will be one other person aboard.
Wly, who also goes by Lee, has been sailing for 40 years. Gokuraku, which is the abode of Amitabha Buddha, or paradise, is the couple's third boat, which they've owned for six years. What's different about the 2004 Tim Jackett design? "She's beautiful!" Wly says.
Wly's longest passage to date is only 40 miles, so the Ha-Ha will stretch the duo's boundaries. After the Ha-Ha, they plan to continue on to their dream destination, Puerto Vallarta. They already have their dream boat.
John Kreschmer is Wly's sailing hero. John has done over 100 boat deliveries in the past 25 years, has written several sailing books, is a contributing editor to Sailing magazine, and puts on offshore sail-training classes.
Wly and Remi are both right-handed, and for dessert they like baked Alaska, a dessert consisting of ice cream and sponge cake topped with browned
meringue. The dish is made of ice cream placed in a pie dish lined with slices of sponge cake. Baked Alaska was created to celebrate the purchase of Alaska from the Russian empire in 1867.
Since the Ha-Ha fleet is headed to Mexico, everyone should know the favorite Mexican desserts are tres leches cake, churros, flan, arroz con leche, Mexican wedding cookies, and cheesecake bars.
Iris — Jeanneau 51
John Sheppard & Jennifer Beard
Seattle, WA
John, 59, and spouse Jennifer are both retired from outdoor retail and technology leadership careers and have been living life on the water in the Pacific Northwest with their labradoodles Penny and Sailor.
"This is the last winter we'll spend on the hook in the Pacific Northwest," they declare. "After the Ha-Ha, we'll be heading farther south to cruise Latin America, then the Caribbean."
At the age of 16, John and a friend impulsively pooled their money and bought a beat-up Hobie Cat. It ignited a lifelong journey for all things sailing and maritime.
"That beat-up cat was only the first of many boats I've owned, from racing dinghies to powerboats to bluewater cruisers. I've had over 40 years of experience sailing in hundreds of races — often on winning boats — crossing oceans, and cruising many of the world's most beautiful destinations and waters.
"While in semi-retirement, I've worked as a professional merchant mariner (holding a USCG/STCW 500 Ton Masters License) and as a boating educator. I love sharing my passion and knowledge."
Jennifer has been sailing for 15 years, with the 2019 Van Isle 360 being her longest offshore jaunt. She earned her 50 Ton Masters License and OUPV NC in October 2024. She relishes living small and off the grid in beautiful natural places, and has a passion for treating folks to delicious things from the galley.
LiaH 2O — Hunter 460
Brookings, OR/Burney, CA
Jody, 51, is a retired firefighter, while spouse Lane has retired from nursing. Their crew will be brother Evan Hughes, 49, retired from railroad and retail management, and Annaleis Groh, 33, a nurse.
"Lane and I, high school sweethearts who have been together for 33 years now, are new to sailing, having only indoctrinated ourselves three years ago with ASA sailing classes and a couple of charters in the Florida Keys to 'make sure' this was what we wanted. Both of us have been water dogs our entire lives, growing up houseboating and skiing on local lakes. We have owned several ski boats, but LiaH2O (Lee-AhHo) is our first sailboat.
"After four long months of traveling to Southern California, we surveyed and purchased our sailboat in October 2023. LiaH2O is a well-maintained 2000 Hunter 460 that had some of the typical issues after 25 years of cruising. We have personally fixed those issues and outfitted her to be the perfect ocean cruiser for our needs.
"This will be our first Ha-Ha, having lear ned about the rally when we first began sailing. Our longest passage to date has been five days, motoring north
along the West Coast from Long Beach to Crescent City. After the Ha-Ha, we plan to spend several months in the Sea of Cortez, scuba diving, relaxing, and sailing around while enjoying the Baja culture. Then it's south for the Panama Canal, where we will spend the next year cruising through the Caribbean and Bahamas.
"Our dream destination is anywhere we can have epic scuba dives, such as French Polynesia. We haven't had enough experience to have a dream boat yet, but the Delos 2.0 catamaran would be a nice platform.
"We don't have any sailing heroes, but we love Kenny Chesney's saying, 'Live a life worth living.' Our favorite dessert is ice cream." Dark chocolate for Jody and something minty or peanut buttery for Lane. Lane is left-handed, while Jody is right-handed.
"Jody and Lane are actually our nicknames, as we were christened Joseph and Lelania.
"We retired this summer and have two kids who both served in the Army. We'll be cruising with our chocolate labrador Piper, named after our Piper Cherokee airplane that we had to sell to make room for sailing."
Nirvana — Taswell 49
John & Teresa Koontz
Santa Barbara
John, 61, is a recently retired account manager specializing in test and measurements for the likes of SpaceX, St. Jude Medical, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman. Teresa is a retired teacher and special program coordinator who, after living in Spain, is passionate about speaking Spanish.
Teresa grew up on the water, spending summers deep-sea fishing and water skiing on a Skipjack. John introduced her to sailing, and there was an immediate connection. Their family has cruised together since the kids were born, first on their Tayana 37 ketch Cherokee and now aboard Nirvana, their much more luxurious Taswell All Seasons 49.
Their crew will be sons Morgan Koontz, 28, a technical sales engineer; and Dylan Koontz, 21, an aircraft mechanic assistant. The sons love cruising so much that they will drop everything to join any trip from their home port in Santa Barbara. Fishing, scuba, snorkeling, paddleboarding, hiking, card games, and guitar are a few onboard pastimes for the crew. The family has dreamed about the day they would sail together beyond California waters, and at last that day has come!
No couch potato, John's passion is boat work, including renovation,
fabrication, electrical, and brightwork as well as system design and installation. Following the purchase of Nirvana in 2019, he spearheaded a comprehensive refit. In addition to extensive diesel service, all 23 thru-hulls, all plumbing, and many of the electrical and systems were replaced. Recently John designed and built a custom fiberglass hardtop and partial hard enclosure. The year before, he was the commodore of the Santa Barbara YC.
T eresa is no couch potato either. She's a health and workout enthusiast who instructs water aerobics at two different Santa Barbara health clubs. She also volunteers at the Santa Barbara YC as a photographer, and is a member of the entertainment committee and vice president of the Women's Group.
The family has their dream boat. Their dream destination is Tahiti, the largest of the Society Islands and the economic, cultural, and political center of French Polynesia.
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Thedozen or so sailor profiles we have shared in this and the September issue are by no means a comprehensive representation of the folks heading south this year. Along with those you've already met in these pages, there's an eclectic group of salty individuals from healthcare executives to business owners to product managers, retired service personnel, engineers, tech gurus, financial planners, realtors and more. There's even a camel trainer!
Regardless of what someone did or continues to do to earn their living, the one common thread is the desire to throw off the docklines and head offshore for the sandy shores of Mexico. And it's not just the destination, as the cliché goes, it really is about the journey. Ha-Ha sailors comprise a fleet of well over 100 like-minded souls casting their cares to the wind for the opportunity to spend 10 days sailing the seas in company of other sailors. What could possibly be better than that?
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Theurgency in the distress caller's voice had me reaching to turn up the volume on my VHF as a reflex — "Mayday, mayday, mayday … we are taking on water fast!" There was an unmistakable note of panic in the caller's tone that was more than compelling. "This one sounds legit," I thought. I studied the screen on my VHF as if it could offer more details of the mayday.
I envisioned what the captain must be going through at this moment, trying to keep his composure while describing an active sinking event for crew and vessel. I leaned closer toward my VHF and throttled down, not wanting to miss the next crucial details.
"Vessel in distress, what is your vessel type, location, how many persons on board, and are all passengers wearing life jackets?" the Coast Guard radio operator queried.
"Marin Islands," was the location given by the mayday caller. I was unfamiliar with that particular geographical designation, yet there are two small hilltop islands I pass along the channel to my base at Loch Lomond Marina off San Rafael. My head began to swivel to locate any vessel in sight that might be in distress. The Coast Guard asked the vessel for lat/long coordinates, but the captain indicated that he did not have GPS to comply. My position at this particular moment was about one mile north of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.
Earlier that Sunday morning, June 1, I had motored off alone at 7:30 a.m. on my Jeanneau 36.2 Pretty Naho from my home port in San Rafael to Sausalito for fuel. The day's wind and sea conditions were unexpectedly heavy, with 35-knot gusts. Bare-poling through
Crew from the sinking boat moments after leaping onto 'Pretty Naho'.
Raccoon Strait, I soon found myself punching through swells of heights I'd only encountered outside the Gate.
As I rounded the point off Tiburon and approached the Sausalito channel that would take me to the fuel docks, I realized it might be reckless to try to navigate the channel and close quarters of the fuel dock singlehanded. Today's was a negative tide, and the thought of running aground from this morning's strong gusts was in the back of my mind.
I tur ned upwind, away from the channel, setting the autopilot to hopefully hold me long enough to raise the main for at least a broad reach home. The autopilot, however, was overpowered by the heavy gusts, and a batten got caught up on a lazy-jack line before I could override it. It turned into a struggle to free the batten and reef for the downwind run back through Raccoon Strait.
I noted unusual whitecap activity that appeared to grow more powerful as I sailed under the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge two hours later. The challenge now at hand would be a trip to the mast to bring down the final section of mainsail by hand. The heavier gusts, swells and chop demanded a stronger grip and calculated footing at the mast. The time of the first "mayday" call, 1:40 p.m., found me circling at the entrance to the channel leading to my marina while the flood current slowly crept in.
The distressed-vessel captain described more detail to the Coast Guard. "We are taking on water fast through a big hole in our stern," he stated, his voice more alarmed than before.
While my instruments were now displaying gusts up to 30 knots, I wondered if the distressed vessel was somehow exposed to the same conditions.
"We are four passengers including myself. We are on a 26ft sailboat with a white hull and blue flag above the boom," the captain continued. "We are all wearing PFDs."
I now realized that the only boat near me was the boat in distress, about 300 yards off my starboard beam. I could see the captain using
a handheld VHF radio that was in sequence with the mayday dialogue to the Coast Guard, his boat hobby-horsing heavily in the extreme gusts and rolling chop. Strangely, I could not detect any indication of urgency from the crew. I noted four passengers seated, with no one attempting to stand or signal any kind of distress. I looked around me to see what other traffic might be near that could better assist with extra hands. Being singlehanded, I didn't necessarily feel capable of offering assistance.
I had received sailing instruction years back, completing two liveaboard courses in Antigua and Mallorca respectively, enough for bareboat certification. I've sailed much of Europe, the Caribbean, the South Pacific and Southeast Asia. However, I've considered myself only experienced enough to be dangerous, and by no means qualified for a crew rescue off a sinking boat in extreme gusts and unrelenting chop. Especially alone. Today I would be tapped on the shoulder to offer some kind of assistance to a crew that was likely going to want to abandon ship.
I reached down for the binnaclemounted VHF mic inches away from my wheel; waited for a pause in the radio traffic and began transmitting what only seemed proper at the moment. "Coast Guard, this is sailing vessel Pretty Naho. I have a visual on distressed vessel taking on water a few hundred yards from me. Over," I announced.
"Vessel responding to mayday of sinking vessel, are you able to offer assistance?" the Coast Guard radio operator queried.
I had impulsively begun throttling forward before the request. "Affirmative. Approaching distressed vessel now. Over," I replied.
"Copy that. Please provide status updates."
Because there was no visual distress signal from the crew, I did not automatically assume that they would want to leave the boat, perhaps requesting only a tow, which I could not offer in these conditions.
"Captain of distressed sailboat; do you want to come aboard my boat?" I radioed.
There was no delay in his answer. "Yes, please, ASAP. My outboard motor
was too heavy for the transom and tore a hole the size of a football. We are taking on water fast," he responded.
From a distance the boat looked seaworthy, but as I neared I could see that its stern was riding low in the water, while a Honda outboard engine bobbed on a tether in the water directly behind the hole that had once been its mounting location.
"I will need you to get all the fenders you have out on both port and starboard and I need you to open up all lifelines as well," I instructed. I left my cockpit at that moment to do the same, engaging the autopilot into the wind to buy 60 seconds away from the helm.
I began to process a rough strategy. If I could position my boat upwind and abeam of the sinking boat, leaving the vessel in my lee, I might be able to minimize some of the impact from the hulls. Hull-to-hull contact was unavoidable, and timing would be paramount to have the crew climb aboard. The crippled vessel had much less freeboard than mine, which meant a large step up. But the heavy rocking motion of the two hulls from the agitated swells would bring the decks together at the
same height for a fraction of a second for each rolling rise and fall.
I tried to close of f all external stimuli, including the Coast Guard's repeated status update requests. I hadn't advised that I was alone during the rescue attempt — I simply had to ignore the radio traffic without exception. My focus was positioning my boat upwind while factoring in wind angle and the drift of the disabled sailboat.
My first attempt was to put my port to their starboard from upwind, but the wind began to swing the other vessel's bow away. I immediately saw that this was going to be tougher than anticipated as the vessel's bow ended up at a right angle. The more I tried to correct with rudder and thrust inputs, the more the two boats drifted apart. The strong gusts were constantly shifting direction. As I broke away for a fresh approach, I saw dismay in the faces of the crew. I yelled across that I was coming back around, hopefully instilling some degree of reassurance.
This time I attempted to come in port-to-port, but as the winds swung the two boats apart, I realized that my reverse thrust would not hold me in place. The two boats never came closer than 15 feet apart. Each incomplete approach was a personal failure. The crew had every right to doubt my capabilities by this point. I tried to sound upbeat and in control by yelling across to them with a voice of authority. "I'm going to circle around into the wind and put my starboard to your port. Do not try to come aboard until we are holding with good contact."
Somethingwas different about my next approach. My upwind angle and boat speed brought the two hulls together as if magnetized, holding the connection with delicate forward and reverse thrust inputs.
I was unsure how long I could hold the two hulls together, yelling loudly, "This is really dangerous! The hulls could crush an arm or a leg. I can't leave the helm to help. Captain, you need to carefully time the step over for each passenger. Please, take your time and wait for the right moment! Again, this is really dangerous!"
I was hoping that at a minimum, my instructions would create some kind of over-the-top caution while making the step over. The two male crew members timed the first step over, helping a young woman passenger without incident. Then the second passenger, followed by the third, all taking the time needed to calculate and execute the step across onto my boat. The smaller
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boat's toe rail was dragging up and down my hull, but it didn't matter, as we were now just down to the captain to climb aboard. He shook my hand and smiled as he found a seat among his crew in the cockpit aboard Pretty Naho
I pressed the throttle firmly ahead with the rudder hard over to break connection with the stricken vessel. In seconds we were clear and safe from danger or damage.
As we pulled away from the sinking vessel, I saw why I had had so much trouble coming alongside. I now had to turn hard to port unexpectedly to avoid the anchor line off his bow, which would have hit my keel and possibly fouled my propeller. I hadn't noticed the anchor rode and never saw it being deployed while approaching or attempting to come alongside. It must have been the swinging motion from side to side on the anchor that had made coming alongside such a challenge.
After clearing the anchor rode, I remembered the series of Coast Guard status requests that I hadn't been able to respond to.
"Coast Guard this is Pretty Naho. I have all crew members from the sinking sailboat safely aboard. We are inbound to Loch Lomond Marina. Over," I declared.
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"Thank you for your assistance getting the crew to safety," replied the radio operator.
One of the men was suf fering terribly from seasickness, seeking refuge over the toe rail. In an attempt to divert attention, I asked the captain if he had tried to use his bilge pump. He indicated that it was out of service, but that water was coming in too fast for it to have helped.
His boat was a 26-ft daysailer built in 1966. He disclosed that he had just installed a larger outboard motor. He soon realized, on this first outing with the new engine, that the transom could not support the weight of the engine; it tore a large hole in his stern, causing the rapid ingress of sea water. I asked if he had towing service. He said that he did not. The depth under my keel in the area of the rescue was approximately 40 feet. I estimated the sunken boat's mast to be roughly 32 feet, which would put the masthead about 8 feet
below the surface at low tide.
Once docked, I escorted the crew toward Andy's Market, where they could get refreshed and likely request a ride. Although still rather quiet and perhaps somewhat traumatized, the group expressed sincere gratitude for my help.
A catamaran skipper who was nearby watching and even recording some of the drama, reached out to me days later to say that they passed by the location later in the day and did not see any sign of the sinking boat. I still have no confirmation on the boat's status. If it did sink, it becomes a navigation hazard while releasing oil and other toxins for years.
After all the tossing and banging of hulls, Pretty Naho came through it with just a gelcoat scrape that she will wear like a badge. To this day I have no idea if my strategy was the right approach, or if there could have been a safer way to get the crew off. But I am certain of this: Seamanship isn't proven in calm seas, or in neatly executed drills. It is revealed in the perilous moments when you make critical decisions, when failure carries real consequences, and when the only thing keeping four strangers from treading water may be your judgment, nerve, and resolve.
— steve fenton
marine conditions. Whether you’re plugged in overnight or staying aboard for the season,
Thegood news is the bolts to the Hydrovane are tight on the inside of the hull. The other side of the coin is that I am hauling along through swells in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and I am not sure how I will extract my body from the lazarette! Maybe more interesting is how I got into this situation …
My long-held goal has been to sail across the Pacific. With planning, and discussions at home and work, I had the opportunity to take off from Memorial Day to Labor Day 2025. Below is my "messy, mistake-riddled, missedchances" experience. This flawed approach may be useful to those planning a similar sail, or may simply be entertainment as you realize what not to do.
In order to get hold of the dream before it evaporated, I channeled the concept that big trips start with simple steps. For me, it was key to merge the three P's and hopefully build a successful trip: Plan the concept, prep the boat, pick the people.
PLAN: After many early iterations, the final version laid out a three-month trip with the mantra of "start where you are, use what you have, do what you can." Spreadsheets on time of year, average wind, distances, average speed turned to days needed, etc. were built. While a three-month plan does not allow for all the awesome side trips one reads about, it allowed me to throw off the dock lines, which may be the hardest part of a successful trip. The plan envisioned heading down the coast from S.F. to SoCal and heading offshore to the Marquesas, the Tuamotus, Tahiti, Tonga, Fiji, and then Australia.
Greg's daughter Jen (left) joined the crew in Santa Barbara.
ALL PHOTOS SV MIMOSA
PREPPING THE BOAT: Mimosa is my 1989 J/40. The name was inspired by an Irish ancestor's boat and is also the name of the left star in the Southern Cross constellation. Taking an objective view, I realized I had a boat that was great on the Bay, had made it to Hawaii and back, but needed some serious attention for this adventure. Fortunately, the S.F. Bay Area is full of knowledgeable and helpful sailors and craftsmen.
Basic principles are keep the water out, the mast up, and the keel and rudder attached. To this end, I began a spreadsheet with those goals, and which continued to expand with a list of projects to be completed at the top and finished items at the bottom. Such lists can be daunting, so I put down all that had been done in '21 for the HI run under the "Accomplished" column!
Step one was to sort out the steering and rudder bearings. The steering quadrant had snapped as I sailed up Raccoon Strait one sunny after noon; hence the priority. Fortunately, I'd had the emergency tiller close at hand and was able to return to the dock with only minimal heart palpitations while learning that the emergency steering devices are awkward! A new quadrant and rebuilt upper and lower rudder bearings completed that step.
Next order of business: Keep the water out. The sail to Hawaii in 2021 had been pleasantly downwind, but the return exposed some leaky ports to be fixed. The J/Boat owners' group and J/ Boats HQ were quite helpful. However, when the company that makes your boat has come out with the "new and improved" version, you know replacement parts will be a challenge. KKMI Sausalito's Mitch came to the rescue with some innovative work that solved the issue. For the keel, the yard marked the big bolts in the bilge and then tried to torque the keel. With no movement we were good on that front. Given this, it was tempting to think I was all done, but the prep party was really just beginning.
In order to keep the mast upright, we needed a full check on the mast, rigging and chainplates. Fortunately, the
rigging/chainplates had been replaced prior to the Hawaii trip, so while needing to be re-checked, they were largely in good shape. Nonetheless, out came the mast. We repaired a small crack and regrooved the spreaders beneath the end caps. Professional independent rigger Andy McCormick was terrific on this portion of the project as well as for many other items.
ENGINE: While sailing is the goal, it was time to focus on the engine. The original had a bit over 2,000 hours, but the real issue was it clearly had not been well treated by previous owners (and once by me as well). I had been nursing it along for years, but for a major adventure, it needed to be replaced.
Mistake: Throwing good money after bad instead of replacing as age/use started winning the battle.
Solution: Hans at List Marine did a great job installing a new Yanmar JH40, and both my wallet and stress levels were slightly lighter.
View from the Trip: Absolutely critical to have it in top working order, and be able to do basic maintenance.
SAIL PLAN: For the '21 HI trip, I had a new North main, an older jib and a second-hand asymmetrical that exploded in the first 20 minutes of use. I decided to keep the North main, worked with Will P. at Quantum Sails to create a new 130% genoa, and bought a new cruising asymmetric in a snuffer.
Mistake: Buying a second-hand, older asymmetric previous trip.
Solution: Working with good local sail lofts and sail warehouses...
T rip View: Mainsail with a good reefing system and easily deployed asymmetric are very useful. A whisker pole to keep the jib out would have been a good investment.
HEAVY WEATHER: My main had two reefs that reduced by 20% and 38%. I decided to add a third and rig the reef lines to the first and third reef, bypassing the second. I had read accounts on how to have three reefs work, but they seemed quite challenging unless you have the available channels in the boom. End result: two reefs (20% and 60%), a Gale Sail from ATN and a Shark Drogue. North Sails (Aimee D. and
Seadon) were very helpful rejiggering the main I had purchased from them, and the Shark has great engineering. Don't think the Gale Sail is worth it, as deploying when really needed would be very hard.
Mistake: Adding piecemeal instead of all together at one time.
Solution: Paying up per sail added, with the same ever-lightening wallet.
T rip View: Move the outhaul out of the boom and rig three mainsail reefs. Use roller-furler headsail to minimize sail as needed.
VANE/AUTOPILOT: I added a Hydrovane, which I can't recommend highly enough. An impressive tool and no electric draw made this addition extremely popular. It's key to verify it has room to flop every direction of sail including deep downwind.
Mistake: Not thinking through all the implications of a new gadget when bimini added.
Solution: A new "stubby" vane and a slightly lighter wallet for my carelessness. Sarah at Windvane was very informative.
LIFERAFT: Like many sailors, I have that one irrational fear constantly on the periphery of my mind. Mine is the fear of hitting a semi-submerged container, which necessitates abandoning ship into a life raft. Questions include expected duration in raft, type of boarding ladder/platform used, insulated floors/independent tubes, deployment, ditch bag, placement, etc. Although it was tempting to put it in the lazarette for ease when not needed, I decided I would feel pretty dumb if we could not easily lift it out as the boat went over on its side. Stern rail or coach top are other options.
Mistake: Overthinking the decision, as most top brands have similar features and my decision was largely based on guessing what would work best if ever needed.
Solution: Speaking in person with Sal at his shop in Alameda.
T rip view: Lashed down on side coach rails works well.
DINGHY: Once in port, your dinghy is your car. Trade-offs include size of boat, soft versus hard bottom, and outboard. I had a lightly used Achilles 10-ft dinghy made out of Hypalon, which had a hybrid floor stiffened by air stringers. So I decided to use it. For the outboard I ruled out electric, as it was unclear if there would be mechanics to help in the islands. Then it was used or new, and two- or four-stroke.
Mistake: Not testing out a hardbottom version and not testing various outboards on the dinghy I owned.
Solution: Utilized existing soft-bottom Achilles 10-footer with a two-stroke Mercury purchased second-hand, and tuned up by Sausalito Bill on Liberty Ship Way. It resides on the stern rail.
T rip View: Long-term cruisers predominantly use short, hard-bottom V-shaped Highfield brand with generous horsepower gas engines, enabling quick planing and staying dry.
COMMUNICATIONS: This one is now very easy: Buy Starlink and have Iridium GO! as a backup.
Mistake: Spending hours on this decision, not waiting as late as possible as prices dropped.
Solution: Purchased a used Starlink v2 that had been converted to DC and installed it.
T rip View: Starlink is great; the Mini works fine. Have a backup and realize SL draws a lot of power.
REFRIGERATION: Solid refrigeration makes meals much better. I used the original refrigeration box with an updated Frigo compressor unit by Anders at Swedish Marine. For the freezer, instead of crowding that original box, I decided to add a mobile freezer unit. This is lashed down on the galley floor under the dining table.
Mistake: Undervaluing how important refrigeration is, and what a change it can make to the food planning.
Solution: Purchased a Dometic CFX 3 35L mobile freezer and hooked into the DC system.
T rip View: Frigo great, Dometic worked great for three weeks and then stopped working at all, so I would not recommend it.
ANCHORING: Discussions take on the tone of religious or political debates with devotees to their brands. Depths and floor material vary dramatically with a mix of sand, coral and mud. This leads to discussions on type of anchor, how much scope one needs, and anchor chain versus rope.
Mistake: Thinking I would be in dramatic situations with huge drop offs.
Solution: Spade galvanized-steel 55-lb with 200 feet of 3/8-inch chain and another 225 feet of nylon rope spliced on.
T rip View: Depths at the main areas of interest are rarely more than 50 feet. Bottom holding is good, so most top brands work fine, and 100 feet of chain with 200-ft rode would easily cover everything I experienced.
PICK THE PEOPLE: Now it was time to turn to those who would join the adventure. In order to find the right crew for this trip, I discussed this at length with my wife, our children, extended family and friends. My wife Suzanne happily joins in for a daysail on S.F. Bay, as well as supporting my sailing hobby, but she was not too keen on a long ocean passage. Our three sons, whom I would have loved to join me, were busy with their own unfolding lives. Next came siblings, extended family and sailing friends who showed strong initial interest; however, this group became smaller as reality intruded. Fortunately, two brothers were able to join, which was great. The puzzle of putting the crew fully in place is a challenge — skills, attitude, availability. But we assembled a great crew.
Mistake: Thinking initial interest would equate to availability.
Solution: Relying on family and old friends.
T rip View: Sailing skills are important, but attitude and compatibility are paramount.
LAST THOUGHTS: Start at least a year in advance; target projects to be done three months prior to departure for testing; be driven regarding the end goal but very flexible on the path to arrive there; realize that visions of turquoise water fuel the dream, but prep needs equal attention. Lastly, get ready to spend more time and money than is rational as the sailing gods are just prepping you for yard delays, increased bills, etc.
— ken austin
"Whydoesn't she answer?" I said out loud as I looked at the clock over the desk in my home office. Lee almost always responds to text messages instantly, so this was unusual for her.
I was making late night crew calls via email and text messages for the upcoming weekend regatta, and had to see if Lee could be on board to call tactics before asking the other "tacticians" farther down on my list.
Lee Helm is also a known night owl, so the lateness of the hour was no excuse. I decided to take drastic action, and made a voice call.
"Yo, Max!" Lee answered immediately.
"Did you see my text messages?" I asked.
"Negative. No spare cycles to check inbound right now. I'm like, taking the online test for the California Boater Card, and since they make you wait for an agonizing couple of minutes before they let you move on to the next easy question, I'm also taking the test for the RBS certificate at the same time, on a different login. The RBS test also punishes you with time delay before letting you move on to the next question."
"RBS?" I asked.
"Responsible Beverage Service. Back in a minute, have to answer a test question," she said.
She was back in much less than a minute. "I need the RBS cert to work as a bartender, even at your yacht club. It's like, not so bad if you do two of these brain-dead online tests simultaneously, alternating between two different accounts."
What happens when an alcohol server serves alcohol to a minor after inspecting a fake ID and reasonably concluding it to be valid?
1. The alcohol server is automatically guilty
2. The alcohol server has a defense against prosecution
3. The alcohol server has no defense against prosecution
4. The alcohol server faces immediate suspension
"Oh, that's the bartender card," I recalled. "Yes, you really do need that. Even our club members need it just to pour themselves a beer. But the Boater Card?"
"They wanted me to show one just
last month at Lake Merritt, to rent a Capri for an hour when I was at a party at the Lake Merritt Boat House. The Capri is the version of the Lido 14 with a ballast keel — it's, like, the safest sailboat ever, but they wanted to see my card."
"That's like asking a cardiologist if they can show that they'd taken a CPR class," I said.
"I did eventually talk my way in by showing my cards from US Sailing and the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. And by the way, sailing on Lake Merritt is a lot of fun," I said.
A legally acceptable ID has which characteristic?
1. Issued by a private company
2. Printed online
3. Created by a local organization
4. Issued by a government agency
"It has some historical significance," I said. "A whole generation of some of the most successful Bay Area racing sailors started there."
"I also need the card for the Ha-Ha," Lee continued. "Mexican customs requires two crew on each boat with a Coast Guard license or a state Boater Card. Hold on, next Boater Card question is up. Back soon."
"There's a lot of space between those two boating credentials," I remarked when Lee was back on the phone.
"But like, neither one includes any kind of skill test," Lee complained. "There's a 'sea time' requirement for the Coast Guard, but that doesn't mean that your licensed captain even knows not to stand up in a canoe."
"T rue enough," I said. "I know some Coast Guard ratings who can't back a boat into a double-finger berth without their precious three-axis joystick and a bow thruster, even at slack tide and five knots of wind."
"The red flag for me," Lee added, "is when they insist on setting their chartplotter to 'course up' instead of 'north up.'"
Lee's line went silent as she answered another test question, and I made a mental note to myself to change my own course plotter to "north up" before Lee came aboard.
"I can see why a skill test would be impractical," I said when she was back, "with all the variations in vessel type and operating conditions. It's not like the DMV road test, where the variations are much more limited. Probably better to have no skill test than a wildly inconsistent one, so no one will make false assumptions."
"I don't know," Lee argued. "We manage to give a pretty good skill test at the university sailing club. The wind has to be well over 10 knots, and the boats are dinghies that can capsize. And like, what I've found after a couple of years of administering these tests is that I can tell whether someone will pass or fail in the first 20 seconds after casting off the dock line."
"What's the marker for that?" I asked, thinking that one of these years I might actually get around to getting checked out on some of the sailing club's more interesting boats.
"The first thing I ask them is to sail close-hauled," Lee explained after another brief absence to answer the next bartending question. "If they sheet the main all the way in, use the hiking stick without being told to, and slide their butt out onto the rail to hike out, then they will almost always pass. If they don't have the muscle memory to balance the sheet, the steering via hiking stick, and their weight against the puffs, or if they prove that they have no idea what the main should look like for sailing upwind, then we go right back to the dock."
"What does the rest of your test look like if they pass that first screening?" I asked.
"Small circles around a mark is my favorite exercise." Lee began a detailed narrative of her sailing test protocol. "That way I see them tack, jibe, and, like, mega-important, think ahead of the boat with each revolution. At first the circles are big and the upwind leg has a corner where they tack, but I talk them in closer until the skid mark in the water is a tight circle with the buoy
Which condition is associated with alcohol-impaired driving?
1. Impaired judgement
2. Impaired motor coordination
3. Unsteady walking
4. Slowed reaction time
5. All of the above
right in the center. While they're concentrating on getting this right, I raise the centerboard, sheet the jib way in, and try to heel the boat a little to windward to remove any remaining weather helm. Like, they never seem to notice,
real person overboard, so there's some cheating possible when the boat stops a little short of the drifting buoy. Back in a sec, gotta answer another bartender question…
even if I have to push their knee out of the way to get to the centerboard controls. Then when it's time for the next tack, the boat just skids sideways, and it's amazing how many otherwise good novice sailors can't figure out what's wrong till I put the board down and they can feel the difference. Be right back, hold on."
"You're tough," I said, but Lee was already off the line.
"That's not all," she said after another short delay to document her boating or bartending chops. She was clearly enjoying simply talking about how she gives a sailing skill test. "For the MOB drill, I don't just throw out a buoy. They've practiced that a zillion times. Instead I point to a racing mark way upwind, I say 'that's the MOB,' and I can see if they can plan an upwind route and know how to judge a layline. It's a much better test with a fixed mark instead of the MOB practice buoy, which drifts downwind faster than a
38 / JOHN
"Then we run downwind past the sailing club docks," she continued a few seconds later, "and while they're trying to sail wing-and-wing singlehanded — something they probably never tried before — I sneak the centerboard up again, and ask them to show me one more good jibe. That's when I hang on the new leeward shroud. Works best with the boat a little by the lee, and I cause a capsize. Back soon, now it's the Boater Card's turn." She was back in even less time than she'd needed for the previous test question.
"The student, if they're good, thinks they can stay dry by going over the high side and onto the centerboard before the mast even hits the water. But no centerboard!"
"You really are tough."
"While they swim around to the cockpit to un-retract the centerboard, I'm swimming away with the bailing bucket. They right the boat, which, if it's one of the club's older dinghies, comes up full of water. That's when I wave the bailing bucket at them from
Which factors must be taken into account in determining a safe speed?
1. Conditions of visibility and traffic density
2. The draft in relation to the available depth of water and the maneuverability of the vessel
3. Conditions of wind, sea and current, and the proximity of navigational hazards
4. All of the above
a few boatlengths to windward, forcing them to sail the swamped boat back to me."
"That's more than tough. That's vicious," I said.
"Once I'm back aboard, I tell them
not to bail the water out just yet; let's do one more jibe in front of the club, to see how it handles with a thousand pounds of water inside. Just when we're a little by the lee, I run up to the bow. Our older boats have forward buoyancy tanks that are only half the hull depth, so water can run all the way up to a sort of forepeak in the bow. It's like, there's so much free surface that pitch stability is about zero. This is the Grand Finale of the show. The water all sloshes forward, the bow goes down, and we perform a perfect pitchpole. When it's done right, the boat comes up with mud on the bow."
"You are beyond vicious. You are sadistic!"
What is affixed to a boat, attached to the transom on the starboard side above the waterline, to prove that it was built in accordance with the construction requirements?
1. The HIN (Hull Identification Number)
2. The certificate of ownership
3. The capacity plate
4. The registration
What type of propulsion are PWC usually equipped with?
1. Inboard engines
2. Outboard engines
3. Stern drive
4. Jet drives
The following symptoms are related to which condition: slow pulse, confusion, drowsiness, lack of coordination?
1. Insomnia
2. Heat stroke
3. Hypothermia
4. Carbon monoxide poisoning
The use of foul language is an example of:
1. Suspension of alcohol license
2. Disciplinary action
3. Lowering inhibitions
4. Blood alcohol concentration
"That's when I tell them they passed," Lee admitted. "Even though I knew it all along."
"And novice sailors still ask you to
give them the test?"
"All the time," Lee sighed. "I guess I'll have to make it look even more
What class of fire extinguisher will extinguish flammable liquids such as gasoline?
1. Class A
2. Class B
3. Class C
4. Class D
difficult. Excuse me while I answer another question about bartending." — max ebb
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Late August and early September is a fast and furious time for racing along the West Coast. While StFYC's Rolex Big Boat Series (see the features section) is the main attraction, there was plenty of other exciting racing, including the Phyllis Kleinman Swiftsure Regatta, the YRA Drake's Bay Offshore Regatta, the 55th International Knarr Championship, the Snipe Hemisphere and Asia Championships, and much more. Read all about it in the Racing Sheet, and see regatta results in the Box Scores.
The Phyllis Kleinman Swiftsure Regatta is often described as a rehearsal for the Rolex Big Boat Series (RBBS). Most of the boats that sail in RBBS also sail in Swiftsure. The St. Francis Yacht Club (StFYC) Race Committee uses many of the courses also featured during Big Boat, including the marathon Bay-tour courses.
This year's edition of the regatta was hosted by StFYC on August 23 and 24, and featured five different classes. Though the regatta is not quite the marathon that RBBS is — only two days of racing as opposed to four — the days are longer. Though the Big Boat Series Bay-tour courses are generally longer, it's only two races per day, whereas Swiftsure sees three races per day, culminating in a Bay tour and the signature StFYC race deck finish.
The PHRF, ORC, J/105, and J/88 fleets all sailed on a course in the Slot between Treasure Island and Alcatraz, while the Folkboats sailed on a Cityfront course. Every fleet except for the J/105 fleet had a drop available. The ORC and PHRF fleets were started at the same time.
All of the fleets sailing in the Slot sailed a standard, two-lap course for the first two races on both Saturday and Sunday. The third and final race
of each day was a Bay-tour race that started off the same line, but then saw a drag race toward the Cityfront and a long upwind to a mark-set bot a bit past Anita Rock. A quick lap down to the #6 Phil Perkins buoy and back up to the same mark was followed by a quick sprint down to the StFYC race deck.
The J/105 fleet was by far the largest of the weekend, with 25 boats on the line. Donkey Jack (StFYC), co-owned by Justin Oberbauer and Rolf Kaiser, was victorious, with Kaiser driving. They totaled 15 points from the six races, with just one finish outside the top three (a fourth).
"Our approach to this event was just to continue to improve as a team and sail the boat as optimally as possible," Oberbauer tells Latitude. "We've been lucky to have a very strong, consistent crew with good boat handling. We've been getting stronger with each event — we went fourth-third-third-second over the last four events — and we just wanted to see that continue. Also. we were sailing with our Big Boat Series team, and we really looked at this as our chance to lock it in. It takes way more than just being prepared to win in this fleet. Major kudos to Tucker Hersam for great tactics and race strategy, and Rolf for keeping us fast in some tricky situations. It was absolutely a full-team effort.
Brice Dunwoodie and his 'Ravenette' team were victorious in the J/88 fleet. Right: 'Donkey Jack', owned by Rolf Kaiser and Justin Oberbauer, was victorious in the J/105 fleet.
"We didn't have the best of starts, especially the last race of each day, but we were always in the mix," Oberbauer continues. "On Saturday, we broke our outhaul one minute into the race and had to sail the entire third race with the main jerry-rigged and way too full, but we had a strategy for the race and kept our patience and ended up with a third place when it could have been an easy double digit if we weren't patient. The high point for me was race five. The first downwind leg we were leading but had a bad set and allowed Blackhawk to get to our left. They found good wind, and when they came back on starboard we were behind. We jibed on their wind just above the layline to the right gate into an overlap position and were able to work our way in front of them and gain room at the mark. It was a nailbiter for half the downwind leg and took quite a bit of focus and patience, but Rolf sailed it perfectly."
The J/88 fleet, the other one-design fleet on the T reasure Island starting line, was significantly smaller than the J/105 fleet, with just seven boats. Brice Dunwoodie and his team on Ravenette (StFYC) was victorious, nearly recording a picket fence. Their drop score was a second.
"As usual, the Bay presented a range of wind, current and traffic conditions that kept us on our toes and introduced a fair bit of randomness across the course," Dunwoodie tells us. "The fleet continues to grow and advance, with boats once at the back of the pack starting to challenge mid-pack, and top of the pack changes often. It's never been more fun and competitive to sail the 88 on the Bay!
"We've had a pretty consistent crew over the last four years, which has really helped us improve performance, limit equipment wear and tear, and keep shouting to a minimum," Dunwoodie continues. "This weekend presented a special
challenge and opportunity — our wind sensor/anemometer failed at the end of the day Saturday. Rather than go to great lengths to repair or replace it, we decided to sail off the compass only. Everyone aligned around a minimum of data points and a maximum of butt feel, and left polar performance tables behind. I've now been asked if we can tape over the instruments for future racing."
— fritz
SWIFTSURE, StFYC, 8/22-23 (6r/1t)
FOLKBOATS — 1) Polperro, Peter Jeal, 5 points; 2) Sabrina, Chandler Grenier, 15; 3) Thea, Anderson/Horsch/Schafer/Strumph, 16. (7 boats)
J/105 — 1) Donkey Jack, Rolf Kaiser/Justin Oberbauer, 15 points; 2) Blackhawk, Ryan Simmons, 19; 3) Ne*Ne, Tim Russell, 21; 4) Mojo, Jeff Littfin, 32; 5) Godot 2.0, Phillip Laby, 43. (25 boats)
J/88 — 1) Ravenette, Brice Dunwoodie, 5 points; 2) Speedwell, Tom Thayer, 10; 3) Fly, Tom Richman, 18. (7 boats)
ORC — 1) Skeleton Key, J/111, Peter Wagner, 7 points; 2) Peregrine, J/120, Randy Smith, 8; 3) Swift Ness, J/111, Nesrin Basoz, 14. (9 boats)
PHRF — 1) Peregrine, 5 points; 2) Chance, J/120, Barry Lewis, 11; 3) Swift Ness, 13. (9 boats)
Full results at www.stfyc.com
Afternoon Wind Blows Belvedere Beauties, Saturday, August 23
Since 2008, the San Francisco Yacht Club has hosted the Belvedere Classic Regatta and Great San Francisco Schooner Race. On a day when sun gave way to fog, racers started in the vicinity of Point Knox. From there, they took a scoot to Blossom Rock, headed northeast for a rounding, hit the return front side of Alcatraz, then powered to finish in the same location as the start. Early hours showed 8- to 12-knot winds, but the fog brought equal bluster, so late-day gusts easily reached the 20s.
A consistent contender, the Lapworth-designed Dasher 32 Neja (MMBA) earned a win in Classics One. Skipper Jim Borger recounts, "At marker eight while beating, the crew gradually caught up with the IOD Fjaer. We were in second by the time we passed along front of Alcatraz. Fjaer did a spinnaker set. It was boat-for-boat, but we prevailed." Richard and Mark Pearce own the sleek 33-ft open-cockpit daysailer Fjaer (SFYC). The crew reports it was a tough battle, "nip and tuck," with final moments of close action. Pulling up into third was Brian Boyd aboard Hana (MMBA), the Farallone Clipper.
Late in the day, elsewhere at play, Phyllis Kleinman Swiftsure racers were
underway, being batted every which way, while made-for-the-Bay, beautiful Bird boats held sway. In Classic Two, victorious yet again was #17 Cuckoo (MMBA). Speaking on behalf of skipper/owner Bill Claussen, Carl Fleming said, "This was a great race with neckand-neck racing. Congratulations to Oriole and both skippers for a day well sailed."
Lachlan and Jock MacLean brought Bird #11 Oriole (SFYC) over the line to second, followed by Bryan Kemnitzer on 30-ft Knarr Wintersmoon (SFYC). Also racing (placing fourth), Will Campbell offered a shout-out to Rob Fenner, who brought a refreshed Kittiwake (SYC) to her first start line in a long while. Working diligently to rebuild the Bird fleet, Campbell says Kittiwake has a 1929 build, same as his vessel Hummingbird (MMBA). The Bird is the oldest one-design class on the West Coast of the United States.
Vessels in the Schooner Division started last. It's tough to come from behind, especially when crossing the line up to one hour later than the competition. Such was the situation for 2024 trophy holder Call of the Sea/Seaward (SFYC); in 2025, Kennett Wadsworth of Wiletie (PSPYC) earned the gold for his 52-ft LOA 1927 Schock staysail schooner. Second over was Jeff Hawkins and the hunter-green custom-build gaffrig schooner Jakatan (None). Designed specifically for S.F. Bay conditions, she was constructed in Sidney, British Columbia. Earning third in a field of six was Gold Star (PSPYC/MMBA) and Jim Cullen. Last-to-place competitors are not normally recognized, but organizers wished to once again recognize the Roxy crew and Jack and Sean Reynolds. At prize-giving, following a brief recount of this crew's heroic actions saving a life at the Master Mariners Memorial Day Weekend regatta, a bottle of Haitian rum was bestowed.
Race chairs John Swain, Alan Olson and Angie Lackey Olson reported that the 2025 version had a record turnout. A three-part series, the other matchups are the Master Mariners Regatta in May and the Jessica Cup in October. — martha blanchfield
SFYC BELVEDERE CLASSIC REGATTA & GREAT SF SCHOONER RACE, 8/23
CLASSICS 1 — 1) Neja, Lapworth 32, Jim Borger; 2) Fjaer, IOD, Richard & Mark Pearce; 3) Hana, Farallone Clipper, Brian Boyd. (7 boats)
CLASSICS 2 — 1) Cuckoo, Bird, Bill Claussen; 2) Oriole, Bird, Lachlan & Jock MacLean; 3) Wintersmoon, Knarr, Bryan Kemnitzer. (8 boats)
SCHOONER — 1) Wiletie, Kennett Wadsworth; 2) Jakatan, Jeff Hawkins; 3) Gold Star, Jim Cullen. (6 boats) Full results at www.sfyc.org
With starting times around 9 a.m., it would be an early start to a two-day adventure race. Drake's Bay — part of the offshore series put on by the YRA — takes you from just outside the Golden Gate Yacht Club, passing under the Golden Gate Bridge, upwind to Point Bonita, then out of the Bay entrance and heading about 30 miles north to Drake's Bay. After anchoring overnight, boats race back to the Bay the following day.
There are many strategies for this race, and just as many weather predictions. Our plan for the weather was to study what the predictions showed, but sail the wind we were in.
The two days of sailing were not as advertised by the predictions. Saturday started with a fair amount of fog, limited visibility, and steady wind. We armed Duende with a full main and #3 jib. Normally I say it ain't no fun if we don't use the #1. There are usually some comments from the foredeck and skipper about my going up front then. Which I politely decline. In all honesty, with the wind forecast for over 15-20 knots on the way out, I was fine with a #3 jib. I just wanted to see the foredeck get their foulies in a bunch.
Our crew is truly unique. We have a 16-year-old skipper who races with his dad. Our youngest sailor is 9 years old. I handle mainsheet and spinnaker, as well as whatever else needs attention.
The wind under the Golden Gate provided steady pressure for the teams to pop out of the Bay and turn north. It was a tack war heading out, and then the boats split into groups. Some went outside heading northwest, some went inside along the coast, and some like us tried to thread the needle. A quick check on AIS showed everyone having issues.
We were becalmed for a few hours Saturday, and did our best to make some kind of progress to our mark, often going nowhere fast. We tried different sail combinations without any luck. It seemed that whoever could spend the least amount of time in the wind holes would have the best chance to win.
We planned to go up the middle and sail the wind we were in. This elementary plan paid off as we threaded the needles, hopping from one puff of air to
another until we made the finish line. Some puffs were bigger than others, and some lasted longer than others. No matter how you sliced it, getting to Drake's at any time was a win in my book.
Once we'd crossed the finish line, we took some time to pick a nice spot near a shelf to anchor in about 20 feet. We had heard the stories about Drake's on the hook and came prepared with a heavy anchor with 70 feet of chain and a 200-foot line.
The evening was quite nice and relatively flat. We made dinner, told stories, and slowly transformed the boat to sleeping mode. Tomorrow would come fast, and I was ready to get a nice 20 knots on the spinnaker for a fast and thrilling ride home.
Mor ning did come fast, and brought a heavy marine layer. Jet-boiled coffee, bacon, and greasy-bacon eggs were on the breakfast menu. The food was worthy of a Michelin star after the race to get there yesterday. We had our work cut out today to get home.
The start of the race took place in 10 boat lengths of visibility. Once we all got started, it was back into the great Pacific. Calculating how many hours were left, I was thinking we might get back to Alameda before dark. Then boom. Silence. I looked around and could see we were in the middle of a windless hole.
The hole seemed to grow, and seemed to mock us as we watched wind lines tease us. We would battle with this hole for more than three hours. We checked AIS and saw everyone else having the same issues.
Slowly, the wind transition would complete and some pressure finally developed. Looked like it would be a drag race to the finish now. Our goal was to stay close to CruzSea Baby; he was in our division and a talented skipper.
The wind picked up down the Bay entrance toward Point Bonita. Our plan was simple: Ride the lightening breeze in with our full mainsail and spinnaker. Duende has a very pleasant disposition in these types of conditions, and we pushed to the finish with all of the sails up full.
This was a great race. We got first in both directions. There was a little bit of everything. Sometimes, no matter how much preparation you do, the weather
and Mother Nature will keep you guessing and pushing you to your limits. The offshore racing community is a small but talented group of sailors. It is an honor to sail among them.
— fer nando rosero
YRA DRAKE'S BAY 1, 8/16
PHRO 1 — 1) Latency, J/99, Camille Moussette; 2) Defiant, J/133, Shane Riehl; 3) Swift Ness, J/111, Nesrin Basoz. (8 boats)
PHRO 2 — 1) Duende, Cal 40, Philip Lavelle; 2) Avion, Bianca 414, Thomas Abbott; 3) CruzSea Baby, Beneteau 10r, Brian Turner. (6 boats)
MULTIHULL — 1) Round Midnight, Explorer 44, Rick Waltonsmith; 2) Greyhound, F-22, Evan McDonald. (2 boats)
YRA DRAKE'S BAY 2, 8/17
PHRO 1 — 1) Swift Ness; 2) Talisman, Beneteau First, Mark English; 3) Defiant. (8 boats)
PHRO 2 — 1) Duende; 2) CruzSea Baby; 3) Dorit, Beneteau 38.1, Kirk Denebeim. (5 boats)
MULTIHULL — 1) Round Midnight; 2) Greyhound. (2 boats)
Full results at yra.org
The 74th Labor Day Regatta at Stillwater Yacht Club was a challenging series, to say the least, but the Mercury fleet showed its strength with 15 boats on the starting line.
Saturday, August 23, brought overcast skies and very light wind. The PRO started us in a reasonable wind, but that soon changed to almost drifting. Throughout the regatta, each side of the course had its moments. First left, then right had better wind. Then left, then right; you get the idea. After two races, the wind shut off and ended racing for the day.
Saturday night's dinner on the pier was once again excellent. Great food and drink, but the camaraderie of the Mercury class was the highlight of the evening. The Lanzafame family band treated us all to some great, original songs.
Sunday was much of the same. The courses were shortened, but we finished three races. The sun came out early in the afternoon, making it obvious why Carmel is a worldwide destination. Mike Burch on Jade (CBYC) picked the wind shifts and best side of the course most often. Although he didn't win any races, he was a picture of consistency and earned his overall first place. After Burch, Don Whelan (SDYC), David
West (RYC) and John Ravizza (StFYC) were separated by two points. It was difficult sailing in the light, sometimes non-existent and shifty breeze. It was a very typical Mercury regatta where experienced skippers came out on top.
Thank you to the Stillwater Yacht Club. Dick Clark and Chip Wood were responsible for conducting the races on the water, assisted by the mark boat crew of Jack and Patti McAleer and Richard Beach.
— scott jenson
MERCURY LABOR DAY REGATTA, STILLWATER YC, 8/23-24 (5r/0t)
1) Jade, Mike & Kristen Burch, 19 points; 2) No Name, Don Whelan/Jack Henry, 25; 3) Space Invader, David West/Chris Krueger, 26. (15 boats)
Full results at www.sycpb.org
CYC's Team 'Reverie' Wins J/109 North Americans
The prospect of sailing J/109 North Americans always seemed like a bridge too far for the Reverie program. These things typically live on the East Coast, which means either trailering across the country, or chartering and shipping sails, gear, and people.
I know, because we'd taken Reverie to Southern California for the Pacific Coast Championship last year. That was a great, successful experience, but we were sailing in waters I grew up in. So when it was announced that the 2025 North Americans would be in Chicago, that caught my attention. That felt like a more manageable trip. It might also mean sailing in shorts and T-shirts. The regatta gave us the chance to mix it up with an extremely competitive J/109 fleet and a two-time defending champion.
I talked with Seadon Wijsen at North Sails. He knows the area. He was game to run tactics. We mostly had the sail inventory, given we sail the same oversized kites in S.F. that the local fleet uses.
I called Ray Douglas, the Great Lakes J/109 fleet captain. Ray was enthusiastic about getting the Reverie team to Chicago. He also connected me with Chris and Kim Chatain, the owners of Daybreak, a well-kept, lightly raced local boat. Chris was gearing up for the Mac, but wasn't planning on North Americans, which worked perfectly. The Chatains told us, "The bottom is new, and you can do what you want with her."
So what the hell, we pulled the trigger.
Let me tell you about my crew — Jim Coburn – main; Randall Lesley –trim; Eric Breedlove – pit; Paul DeMers – mast; Ben Burbridge – bow. Along with Gregg Golembeski, who handled shore logistics for us, they comprise the mainstay Reverie crew. We've been sailing together for five years, and we've got the boat going well. Hugo Knef, John Duys, and Ed Conti deserve mention as important crew that couldn't make the trip. My wife, Molie Malone, is our biggest cheerleader. The only thing better than a great crew is a great crew that become great friends.
Rounding out the sailing roster in Chicago were Seadon on tactics, and Kim Chatain. Seadon, Kim and the Reverie crew blended seamlessly.
We arrived a couple of days early to rig and tune the boat and practice.
Day one began under AP for at least a couple of hours. The breeze filled to 8-10 knots with flat water. The first race didn't start well; OCS. Dead last at the weather mark. Luckily, we were sailing double sausages, and we worked our way back into it, scratching out a fourth.
In race two we redeemed ourselves: solid start, sharp execution, and a second place. At the end of the day, we
were in third overall, three points off the lead, but not feeling great about how we'd sailed.
The fleet numbered nine boats, including Growth Spurt (Stamford Yacht Club/NYYC) crew, two-time defending champs from Connecticut, chartering Northstar. Ray Douglas, a former champion, campaigned his boat Courageous (Anchorage Yacht Club).
Day two was muggy and hot with a westerly that built from 8-12 knots to about 15-17 by the end of the day. We sailed mostly error-free, but some big shifts did not go our way. We logged nine points: 5, 3, 1. The good news is that the other boats had similar outcomes, so we were still within striking distance, being two points behind Northstar.
Going into the final day, the math was simple: a minimum of two races scheduled and we trailed by two points. We needed two bullets. We pulled it off. The only wrinkle was that the races went off so well, the race committee put on a third race to capture that lost race from day one. Going into what was now the last race, we had built a four-point lead over Northstar, so our plan was to sail clean and cover.
The conditions on day three felt more like day one — cooler weather, with the big difference of a building breeze that was now gusting to 22 knots as we started race three. With the breeze on and the championship on the line, everyone came out swinging in the last race.
We had a clean start, but things definitely got spicy from there. We largely stayed out of trouble, but we limped across the line with a seventh and a protest flag flying. We were not alone; at least four of the nine boats flew protest flags. Eventually, as often happens, paperwork turned into conversations, conversations turned into handshakes, and all the protests were withdrawn. When the dust cleared, we had a first overall — by a single point. We capped the night the way any proper victory should be capped: steaks, martinis, and oysters.
North Americans was incredibly gratifying and serves as proof that if you put in the work, surround yourself with the right people, and keep fighting even when you're dead last at the weather mark — sometimes it all comes together.
— john arens
VERVE CUP INSHORE & J/109 NATIONALS, Chicago YC, 8/22-24
2.4mR OD — 1) No Name, Shawn Brennan/ Rudy Trejo, 6 points; 2) Jameson, Brian Bell, 10; 3) Spirit, Matt Koblenzer, 11. (7 boats)
COLGATE 26 — 1) No Name, Emily Gildea, 6 points; 2) Naked Dance, Dana Smith, 13; 3) Recess, James McLaughlin, 13. (4 boats)
ETCHELLS — 1) DixiLi, Fred Joosten, 6 points; 2) Julia, Richard Kaiser, 17; 3) Patriot, Bill Fox, 17. (5 boats)
J/70 — 1) Stampede, Bruno Pasquinelli, 24 points; 2) Empeiria, John Heaton, 26; 3) TAZ, Chris Shoendorf, 27. (13 boats)
J/109 — 1) Daybreak, John Arens, 24 points; 2) Growth Spurt, John Greifzu Jr., 25; 3) Tumbler, Evan Jahn, 26. (9 boats)
SONAR — 1) Nicholas Chesemore, 7 points; 2) Martin Sandoval, 16; 3) Ted Towey, 18. (9 boats)
Full results at www.chicagoyachtclub.org
S.F. Bay Knarrs Sail IKC in Denmark — First American Boat Finishes Fourth
Between August 24 and 30, the 55th edition of the Inter national Knarr Championship (IKC) was sailed in Rungsted, Denmark, just north of Copenhagen. Six San Francisco Bay Knarr teams made the trip across the pond to sail in the storied event, which is raced every year and rotates among San Francisco, Denmark and Norway. (Last year's IKC was hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club.)
The highest-placing San Francisco Bay skipper was Jon Perkins (StFYC), finishing fourth out of 33 teams and sailing with his brother Chris and Larry Swift. The trio finished with 44 points (including drops) from nine races. Fifteen races were planned, but only nine were sailed due to lack of wind on two of the days.
The home-waters advantage was clear in Denmark, with teams from the Kongelig Dansk Yachtklub (KDY, Royal Danish Yacht Club in English) sweeping the top three. After Perkins' team, the next-highest-placing non-Danish boat was Don Jesberg's team VIVA (SFYC) in 14th. The highest placing Norwegian team was 19th.
The regatta was won by Henrik Søderland's (KDY) team with 29 points. Kristian Kjærgaard (KDY) and David Holm (KDY) tied for second with 34 points, Kjærgaard owning the tiebreaker.
"It was very, very shifty," Larry Swift, who trimmed jib for Jon Perkins, tells Latitude. "You could go to the left and get the right shift, and go to the right and the left shift. The starts were all very light. Coming from San Francisco, it was a completely different boat setup: cabin-top winches, really light setup with big, round sails … the setup for me as a jib trimmer was really round sails with more ease than I would have ever expected. It was cool to sail that way because it was so different from what we always do; you know, it's usually just trim the jib and start hiking in the Bay.
"It was very tactical," Swift continues. "You had to get a good start. JP did a phenomenal job of getting us off the line. We only had one bad start, from which we salvaged a 10th. We did win a race, so that was definitely a highlight … we had a great start, we went to the right side, we weren't winning the race halfway up the beat, but three-quarters of the way up the beat we jumped a guy and held out in front."
While the IKC is of ficially a onedesign regatta, historically it has been that in name only. With a mix of wooden and fiberglass hulls, and privately owned sails that go into rotation for
the IKC every year, the IKC has never been truly one design. This year's edition may have been the closest it ever has been to being a true one-design regatta, as the host Danes did everything in their power to level the playing field as much as possible. The regatta also leaned heavily on technology, which had its own effect on the racing.
"It was very hard to start because everyone used the Vakaros system," Swift tells us. "Everyone was on the line every race. There were no general recalls, there were only a couple of boats OCS in one race; everyone was using it to their advantage. The mark-set bots meant the gate always felt square. It's a great system … for one-design fleets, the Europeans are leading on technology. They had mark-set bots, drones, Vakaros … they used a three-boatlength circle function on the Vakaros; at one point they used the first technology to put the starting line on the film."
"The camaraderie [is] what really makes that regatta, you see people in Norway, Denmark, and San Francisco. It's the same usual suspects every time, and it's great to see them in different venues. The Danes were amazing. We had three Danes ahead of us and about 14 Danes behind us before the next
American boat — just an amazing regatta and honored to be with [Chris and John] and we're happy with our results. While it's a fourth, it was a very hardfought fourth-placed finish. No nonDane has ever won in Denmark. The American teams did really, really well; nobody should be bummed about their placing because it was so hard to sail in that regatta. There were some people that were bummed afterward. You're here in Denmark sailing. It's super hard. It makes you a better sailor. This is why you sail in different venues, so you can translate it to a light-air race, or transfer it to another class of boat.
"Henrik has done so much for the Knarr fleet … he's put so much thought and time into the fleet and the regatta," Swift says of this year's winner, Søderland. "He sailed 50 days this year. He and his crew deserved to win, and it showed. There were some heavy hitters there. Jens [Christensen], who won last year, he's top notch; they all worked so hard on getting the boats fair. The hospitality was off the charts. After the awards ceremony — we stayed there until 1:30 a.m. It was one of the best regattas I've ever sailed."
— fritz
IKC, 8/24-30 (9r/2t
1) Henrik Søderlund, DEN, 29 points; 2) Kristian Kjaergaard, DEN, 34; 3) David Holm, DEN, 34; 4) Jon Perkins, USA, 44; 5) Soeren Pehrsson, DEN, 46. (33 boats)
Full results at www.knarr.us
Americans Dominate Snipe Hemispheres at SDYC
The San Diego Yacht Club (SDYC) hosted the 2025 Snipe Western Hemisphere and Asian Championship between September 1 and 5, with the American duo of Justin Callahan and Trevor Davis cruising to a dominant win. Nine races were sailed, with each boat getting two drops throughout the course of the regatta. Callahan and Davis totaled just 16 points (including drops), 12 ahead of second-place Ernesto Rodriguez and Marina Cano (USA) with 28.
SDYC hosted 27 teams from eight different countries for the regatta, with American teams sweeping the top three spots on the podium and five of the top six spots. Callahan, the reigning ICSA College Sailor of the Year at Harvard University, and Davis, who sailed at Tufts and graduated in 2024, won the regatta with their consistency. They never finished a race lower than seventh, including their two drops.
"This is Trevor's and my first Westerns together," Callahan says, per the SDYC press release on the regatta. "We could not be more ecstatic. A big thanks to the entire fleet for coming out and sailing against us and with us, and working together as a fleet to continue to get better. I would love to go to the Worlds in Spain 100%. I know it would be a great challenge to do that, so it's definitely on the horizon for sure."
While second-place Rodriguez and Cano won more races than Callahan and Davis — four, compared to Callahan and Davis's two, all in succession in the final four races of the regatta — their early results kept them from making things closer with the other American duo. Rodriguez and Cano's two drops were a DNF in race two and a 19 in race four, which forced them to keep a 14 from race one.
Arthur Blodgett and Grace Howie (USA) rounded out the top three with 32 points, finishing third in five of the nine races. Mário Tinoco and Catarina Glashester (Brazil) were the highestfinishing non-American boat in fourth, totaling 34 points.
"The South Bay typically has 2-5 knots more wind and is generally more left in direction because of the land effect presented by the long strand of beach to the south," Regatta PRO Jeff Johnson says in SDYC's official press release from the regatta. "The ocean, although only two miles as the seagull flies from the South Bay venue, is generally less windy due to winds dispersing across the Coronado Roads and from a more right direction because of Point Loma. The first two days of the Westerns, the venue was set in the South Bay. Some competitors appreciated the flat water, no kelp, [and] breezy race course that South Bay offers. For days three, four, and five, the venue was scheduled in the ocean venue 2.5 miles southeast of Point Loma. This seems to be the overall favorite of the competitors. The start area was moved for races five and six (Thursday) due to commercial and military ships anchored in or near the venue. But races six and seven (Friday), the venue was wide open. Competitors had clear water for miles in all directions."
"We sailed just one regatta together
each year and have gone off and done different sailing separately," says Davis of his and Callahan's victory, again per the SDYC press release. "To come back together for this and win was great. For Worlds? There's a lot of great contenders and we want to put the best team together that we can."
— fritz
StFYC USWMRC, 8/14-16
J/22 — 1) Nicole Breault; 2) Lindsey Baab; 3) Molly Carapiet. (10 boats)
Full results at www.stfyc.com
HMBYC VICE COMMODORE'S REGATTA, 8/16
ILCA FLEET — 1) Al Sargent, 9 points; 2) Chris Simenstad, 17; 3) David LaPier, 20 (10 boats)
CAL 20 — 1) Merlin, Bubin/Pevyhouse/Phillips, 6 points; 2) Argo, Tengelsen/Cowgill/Cowgill, 8; 3) Cactus Flower, Slater/McGee/Hage/ Sanchez, 14. (7 boats)
Full results at www.hmbyc.org
SCYC FALL ONE DESIGN #1, 8/17 (3r/0t)
MOORE 24 — 1) Pegasus, Philippe Kahn, 3 points. (1 boat)
SC27 — 1) Jersey Girl, Karen Gosling, 6 points; 2) Duet, Edward Star/Garrett Koontz, 6; 3) Water Dragon, Derek Weitz/John Neville, 12. (9 boats)
SANTANA 22 — 1) Kitten, Laird Henkel, 3 points; 2) Hot Tuna, Peter Putt, 7; 3) Odonata, Chris Hofmann, 10. (4 boats)
Full results at www.scyc.org
TAHOE YC GAR WOODS RACE, 8/17
DIVISION 1 — 1) August Ice, Kelsey Ferris/ Greg Felich. (1 boat)
DIVISION 2 — 1) Tasha, Chay McIntosh; 2) Blue Dream, Ryan Conner. (2 boats)
DIVISION 3 — 1) Vol de Nuit, Robert Jordan; 2) Fired Up!, John Morrison; 3) Poopsie, Jason Roach. (4 boats)
Full results at www.tahoeyc.com
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PNW JUNIOR OLYMPIC SAILING FESTIVAL, SEATTLE YC, 8/23-24
C420 — 1) Henry Tuttle/Oliver Fogarty, 7 points; 2) Bailey Rainbolt/Aspen Merrill, 9; 3) Andrew Dolle/Jocelyn Emery, 16; 4) Gus Stannard/ Griffin Adams, 19; 5) Desmond Lathrop/Simon Carter, 24. (16 boats)
FJ — 1) Emmett Beadnall/Theo Sommer, 5 points; 2) Alex Bluth/Dominick Erickson, 14; 3) Madeline & Adele Murphy, 18. (12 boats)
ILCA 4 — 1) Sebastian Samano, 4 points; 2) Reagan Starke, 11; 3) Siri Biswas, 13; 4) Callen Niebuhr, 23. (18 boats)
ILCA 6 — 1) Alice Wan, 8 points; 2) Sebastien LeRoy, 8; 3) Simone Reck, 18; 4) Danielle ChengSun, 20; 5) Alan Timms, 20. (26 boats)
OPTIMIST — 1) Steve Nguyen, 8 points; 2) Calvin Agnetta, 11; 3) William Tian, 11; 4) Ben Shanley, 12; 5) Kate Schmidt, 16. (38 boats) Full results at www.seattleyachtclub.org
FALL SCORE SERIES, SCYC, 8/24
FLEET A — 1) Heartbeat, Wylie 46, Ryan Schuyler/Lou Pambianco; 2) Outrageous, Olson 40, Richard Linkemyer; 3) Animal, Sydney 38, Craig French. (5 boats)
FLEET B — 1) Hijinx 2.0, Express 34, Brad Sampson; 2) Flexi Flyer, Soverel 33, Joe Wagster/Mark Merritt; 3) Interlude, SC27, Todd Austin. (8 boats)
Full results at www.scyc.org
SNIPE WESTERN HEMISPHERE & ASIAN CHAMPIONSHIP, SDYC, 9/2-6 (9r2t)
1) Justin Callahan/Trevor Davis, USA, Senior, 16 points; 2) Ernesto Rodriguez/Marina Cano, USA, Master, 28; 3) Arthur Blodgett/Grace Howie, USA, Senior, 32; 4) Mário Tinoco/Catarina Glashester, Brazil, Senior, 34; 5) Enrique Quintero/Lorena Fundora, USA, Senior, 45. (27 boats) Full results at www.snipe.org
PresYC BAXTER-JUDSON SERIES RACE STANDINGS, 8/24 (5r/0t)
PHRF NON-SPINNAKER — 1) Streaker, J/105, Greg Arkus, 8 points; 2) Albricias, Santana 22, Jose Quinteiro, 10; 3) National Biscuit, Schumacher 36, Dennis Webb, 19. (4 boats)
Full results at www.presidioyachtclub.org
JAZZ CUP, SBYC, 8/30
OVERALL — 1) Flight Risk, T650, Ben Landon; 2) Flight, J/24, Rosanne Scholl; 3) Evil Octopus, J/24, Jasper Van Vliet; 4) Tenacious Cuttlefish, J/24, Brandon Mercer; 5) Downtown Uproar, J/24, Darren Cumming. (70 boats)
Full results at www.southbeachyachtclub.org
HYC REDWOOD REGATTA, 8/30-9/1 (7r/1t)
HP DINGHY — 1) J. Denton, Vanguard 15, 9 points; 2) Ian Klitza, Lido 14, 11; 3) Tom Gast, Thistle, 18. (9 boats)
HOBIE 16 — 1) Matthew Lambert, 10 points; 2) Bryan Simpson, 12; 3) Wesley Hodges, 12. (8 boats)
LP DINGHY — 1) Allen Gallegos, 8 points; 2) JD Brown, 14; 3) Jordan King, 17. (4 boats)
MULTIHULL — 1) David Peltier, Hobie 20, 8 points; 2) Andy Townley, Hobie 18, 9; 3) Todd Morril, 17. (4 boats)
SNIPE — 1) Andy Meyerpeter, 7 points; 2) Tom Hunt, 13; 3) Christopher Watt, 14. (3 boats) WAVE — 1) Michael Montague, 10 points; 2) Jim Sajdak, 13; 3) Ronald Katz, 13. (4 boats)
Full results at www.humboldtyachtclub.org
With reports this month on the start of Iwa's trip from Alaska to Mexico; Alegria's departure from Mexico after six seasons there; how the owners of John Muir finance their cruising as they go; and a bucketful of Cruise Notes
Iwa — Beneteau 47.7
Robert and Heid Rivard
Juneau to Cabo — Part 1
Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii
Robert and Heid bought 'Iwa' in Sausalito in 2021. They spent two years sailing and prepping the boat in their home Hawaiian waters before heading north in 2023.
We spent winter 2023-24 in Auke Bay (Statter Harbor), a little north of Juneau, Alaska — and got exactly what we were looking for: cold temps and snow, lots of it. We tied up our docklines in September and didn't untie them again until we left in April 2024. We spent the winter hooked up to 30amp shore power, running two small heaters, one in the forward head and one in the aft lazarette, to keep the water lines from freezing. But our main heating source was our Refleks diesel drip heater. Through the winter we burned a total of 215 gallons of diesel, filling the day tank by jerry jugs every few days. Besides cold temps, we also battled humidity and ran a dehumidifier nonstop, emptying 2-3 gallons of water per day.
Over those eight months we shut the heater off only three times for cleaning. The diesel stove kept the cabin tolerable, never warm, but comfortable enough. We would keep it on medium to high during the day, keeping our main saloon around 62°F, with much colder temps on the floor. We would then turn it down at night to save fuel, sleeping under a heavy down blanket, bringing the cabin temp down to around 40. In the mornings, whoever was up first would turn up the heater, throw the kettle on top for coffee, then climb back under the covers. Merino wool thermals and thick down got us through the cold spells.
Although it was very cold, the winter snows started rather slowly. We ended up getting our first blizzard around Thanksgiving, then a long dry spell through December. Toward the end of January and early February, we got hit with back-to-back multi-day storms, which dropped around six feet of snow over two weeks. We would shovel the boat three to four times a day, starting right after morning coffee. We'd allow the snow to pile to the level of the lifelines before getting out with a combination of a shovel and broom to clear it.
Outside temps would routinely stay below freezing. During a couple of cold snaps, temps would drop below 10, but luckily we never saw below zero. Most of the winter consisted of short days, with the winter solstice seeing only sixand-a-half hours of sun above the horizon. In reality, our being surrounded by mountains, the sun would only peek out around 11 a.m. and go back into hiding by 2 p.m. That's if there were no clouds, which was not often.
Juneau tur ned out to be a great winter stop for us. We spent it skiing the local Juneau hill of Eaglecrest with our neighbors Patrick and Natalie on Violet Hour and taking the bus up to Pavitt gym almost daily, allowing us endless hot showers and access to a sauna.
As winter progressed and the days slowly began to get longer, we started preparing to depart. We decided April would be our goal. A little on the early side of things, but we had a lot of miles to make in 2024. In the meantime, there were a couple of major in-the-water projects to tackle. I was able to fix our autopilot, which had given up the ghost while coming down from Prince William Sound. A quick disassembly, cleaning and sanding down the magnet allowed the clutch to reconnect.
The other major dif ficulty was water ingress around the rudder post. This one took quite a while to troubleshoot and find the issue. Beneteau uses a rubber neoprene gaiter around the rudder post. When motoring or in heavy seas, the gaiter is designed to keep the water out as the waterline rises in the
stern. After 25 years of use, ours had dried and degraded, allowing water to enter the boat. The fixes were either haul out, drop the rudder, and reinstall the gasket, or what seemed to be the easiest: attach the gasket while the boat stayed in the water. It turned out to be one of those jobs that required two hands where only one could fit. After much loud cursing and contortionism, I was able to make it watertight.
We finally departed on a cold spring morning, crunching through a thin layer of ice that had developed in the calm parts of the harbor. It made us wonder
if maybe April was too early. Our plan was to cruise into Glacier Bay for a bit before permits would be required. We buddy-boated with Violet Hour out of Auke Bay.
Glacier Bay before the summer crowds turned out to be spectacular, although we were only willing to go halfway up to Berg Bay. Currents inside the bay run in the 5- to 7-knot range with huge tidal swings upward of 20 feet. Timing entrances into bays
and inlets is of utmost importance. We spent a few dreary, cold days in Berg Bay with a mixture of snow and rain, with temps at night barely above freezing.
It being early in the season, we were already getting visited by a few moose foraging for food on the shoreline. After a few days, we ended up being chased out by an incoming gale. We chose to moor up to the pier at the ranger station for safety's sake. Choosing safe is
always the best option when you are so far off the grid, especially in the off season. So after a few days in Glacier Bay, we decided to move on and, once again following Violet Hour, went into Icy Strait toward the town of Hoonah. Hoonah is a small Tlingit village that during the summer has a continual rotation of cruise ships propping up the economy.
We anchored in Neka Bay in the southern part of Port Frederick. This was a great hiding hole for us as we sat out another snowy gale. Neka Bay has a shallow, muddy bottom, surrounded on three sides by mountains and good crabbing. We scored and picked up a few big Alaskan dungees for dinner. After a few days and a quick provisioning stop in Hoonah, it was finally time to start making our way south.
The pass down Chatham Strait is quintessential Inside Passage material right in the heart of the ABC islands of Admiralty, Baranof and Chichagof. By this time, you could feel the change in the weather. Our days were getting longer and the sun shone a little bit brighter, warmer and longer.
We stopped in some of the most remote anchorages we'd ever been to. We were all alone in most if not all of the bays. Gut Bay and Red Bluff, on the southeastern end of Baranof Island, were the highlights. Gut Bay, with an entrance only 60 meters wide, spills you into an amphitheater of granite and snow. We anchored in the shadow of Mount Ada towering over us at 4,500 feet. It felt very much off the beaten path. One evening at anchor we were startled awake as an avalanche of rock and snow fell behind us. And then there was Red Bluffs. The twisty, windy entrance once again spilled us into a deserted river drainage where we had the privilege of seeing our first bears of the season. Several times a day, big ol' husky brown bears would make their way down to the river mouth and surrounding areas foraging for food.
— Rob 8/12/25
Next month — South to Oregon and California.
Mike and Katie Gabriel Outside the Comfort Zone
Oakland
After more than six wonderful years cruising Pacific Mexico, we finally took the leap for points farther south. As I write this, we're anchored at Isla Cébaco in Pacific Panama, enjoying the solitude at these remote islands during the lightning-filled rainy season. The decision to leave Mexico wasn't easy. It had quickly become our home after our two-year plan had extended to nearly seven years. We'd become familiar with the welltraveled coastal towns, discovered our own secret uncharted anchorages, become accustomed to the idiosyncrasies of "mañanaland," and developed a tightknit community of friends. But new adventures beckoned, and we yearned for another challenge outside of our comfort zone.
Last year, when the summer heat faded and fall 2024 approached, we decided it was time. We set our sights on Costa Rica, Panama, the Panama Canal, the San Blas Islands, Colombia, and possibly even farther up into the Caribbean.
The list of new places to research brought back many of the same anxieties we'd had leaving California in 2018. Did we do enough to prepare? Would we regret leaving the comfort zones or our community of friendly sailors? Even with the resurgence of these unknowns and what-ifs, we also felt the butterflies of experiencing new countries, new cuisines and new cultures. This time, we also had the advantage of confidence in our abilities, our boat, and our resolve from the years of cruising experience already under our belts.
The areas south of Zihuatanejo to the Panama Canal would all be new to us, and we expected this region to feel less like the cruiser playground
of Mexico and more like a superhighway between two major destinations. There would be several countries along the way to check into and out of, with varying requirements, procedures and reports — and with plenty of cruiseroffered opinions to consider in our decision-making.
What we found is that, while there are plenty of cruisers transiting this area, most are making large hops to or from the Panama Canal. Therefore, the information on anchorages in between can be sparse or outdated. In our style of cruising — slow and remote — this has meant relying on skills learned from finding unmarked anchorages in the Sea of Cortez using satellite images, multiple charts, Navionics, and OpenCPN to explore the often-overlooked coastline and remote islands. We always keep a close eye on the weather with PredictWind and Windy apps to be sure we are prepared as best we can be. Not counting our week spent checking out of the last southern port of Mexico, Chiapas, we have cruised for nearly the past full year without any marina stops along the way. We owe a lot to our trusty anchoring gear.
We said adios to Mexico on March 23. Our first stop was Bahia Fonseca, the bay where the borders of El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua meet. We opted for this location instead of the popular Bahia del Sol, El Salvador, due to the tricky timing of the entry across the bar there, and also knowing we could potentially be stuck in Bahia del Sol for several weeks while awaiting the appropriate conditions to exit.
Our first stop inside Bahia Fonseca was Amapala on Isla Tigre, Honduras. We were immediately pleased with our choice, as it became apparent that very few sailboats visit these parts, and the Hondurans were happy to have us. We were made to feel welcome and safe, with enthusiastic greetings from both officials and residents.
Bahia Fonseca is on the edge of the Golfo de Papagayo and its relentless Papagayo winds that cross over Central America from the Caribbean to the Pacific. It's important to time your crossing to Costa Rica when these winds are on a break — which seems to come for only a couple of days every week or two. In our wait for good conditions, we further explored Fonseca by venturing
up the river estuary to San Lorenzo, Honduras. We were told cruisers hadn't been seen that far up the river since before COVID times. If off-the-beatenpath was what we were looking for, we found it there, anchored among the mangroves, returning constant greetings to passersby who were fascinated and delighted to see a sailboat visiting.
It took an extra week of waiting, and into the first week of April, for the Goldilocks of weather windows to open up for our passage across Papagayo.
We typically attempt to sail as much as we can, even if it means going slow. But the limited timing of the weather windows meant a combination of motoring and sailing so we could keep up
a good passage speed. We also stayed relatively close to shore to avoid unfavorable currents, and to provide protection from the building fetch should winds pipe up offshore. Except for a few hours of unexpected wind on the nose, we found the forecast to be fairly accurate and felt pleased about our choice of window for what can be quite a challenging passage. Next stop, Costa Rica.
Costa Rica marked our first real feeling of being in the tropics: lush landscapes, tropical birds, monkeys in the trees, and very green. After a brief stop to check in at Playa del Coco, we
soon discovered that it isn't the easiest of cruising grounds, with many anchorages exposed to the Pacific swell. If you're looking to get away from the swell, the marinas are probably your best bet; however, the docking fees and insurance requirements can get really expensive — way beyond what's comfortable for our budget.
We spent two months hopping down the coast, splitting our time between the northern half of touristy (and pricey) beach towns with challenging surf landings, to the remote paradise and tranquil waters of Golfo Dulce.
The big shock of Golfo Dulce is that it wasn't frequented by many cruisers. It's a large bay, mostly protected from swell, and a place you can easily relax and explore for as long as you feel the need for remote bliss. This area is also unique in that it is considered a tropical fjord, with deep inlets surrounded by steep mountains, and dense rainforest all around, setting the stage for high levels of biodiversity. We were frequently visited by squawking rainbow macaws flying overhead, and the howler monkeys called to us loudly from the trees. We took many waterfall hikes, and explored miles of river inlets by dinghy. It felt like our own little slice of paradise. After several weeks, it felt hard to leave, but Panama was still calling, so we pressed on.
Fast-forward to now. We're in Pacific Panama, which we've found to be very nice from the first encounter with officials in Boca Chica, who, in an uncommon scenario, came to meet us directly and offered their enthusiastic advice on where to visit and their favorite parts of Panama. It was the first check-in we've ended with smiles and high fives all around!
We are based here for a while, making short sails to coastal towns and remote areas, and land treks to the cloud forests of Boquete and Volcan. As with Mexico, we've enjoyed slowing down again, letting go of schedules, and when we find a place we like, just staying a while. Some of our new favorites have included the Islas Secas, with gin-clear water, and the remote edges of Coiba National Park, with some of the best snorkeling we've ever done.
Mostly unlike Mexico, we've been adjusting to the changes in weather, scheduling our days around the rain and near-daily thunderstorms.
We plan to transit the Panama Canal this winter to immerse ourselves in a new cruising ground: the San Blas Islands. It will be nice to get back into a cruising community again once we're there. We've learned that, for us, cruising is best enjoyed with friends, and finding the balance of adventure, travel, community, and comfort is always our goal. We're thankful for this time in our lives, and we hope to inspire others to follow their similar dreams. Each step is a leap, and each leap moves you forward! — Katie 9/2/25
John Muir — CT-41 ketch
Kristin Hanes and Tom Polling Earning Our Way Sausalito
When I first moved aboard Tom's sailboat in the San Francisco Bay Area 10 years ago, I had no idea how we would ever afford to cast off the lines
and adopt the cruising lifestyle. Sure, we could save up a cruising kitty, but that method took time, and the funds were always at risk of running out. He and I didn't want to worry about finding work when we sailed to the next port, or returning to San Francisco to get temporary jobs.
I wanted a remote income that replenished every month, something that would give us the ultimate freedom. But what??
It was 2016, and I'd just lost my job as a radio news reporter at KGO in San Francisco. I had no idea what to do next to leverage my journalistic skills. Maybe I could be a travel writer? Maybe voiceover work? But nothing felt quite right.
That's when I learned something that would change my life: Blogs can actually make money. I'd stumbled upon an article about a woman who made $100,000 per month blogging while living full-time in her RV. I was blown away. I immediately knew this was the next career path for me.
But like with all new scratch-built careers, starting wasn't easy. The only thing to do was jump in headfirst, learning everything I could about blogging, then starting my own, The Wayward Home, which highlights alternative lifestyles such as living on sailboats, campervans, RVs, and tiny homes. I wanted to provide a community and
inspiration for those who wanted out of — or was it into? — the new American dream.
Even though I was passionate about my subject matter, those beginning months of blogging were tough. At that time, there was no Starlink, and mobile data was costly. I'd leave the boat every morning, go to the café at my gym in Corte Madera, use the Wi-Fi, and work on my blog.
The nuts and bolts of blogging were easy for me. I loved interviewing people and writing their stories. But it was the business of blogging that took many months (OK — years!) to learn.
Through lots of trial, effort, and learning, I finally made it work. Three years after I started The Wayward Home, we left San Francisco to cruise down to Baja, and have been spending winters there ever since. (Summers we spend in our campervan roaming the US!)
Our lifestyle is a dream come true, and I'm so thankful for the blog that could make this all happen.
If you're curious about how blogs make money, here are just a few of the ways:
Ad Revenue — My main income source is through display ads, via the ad network Mediavine. Mediavine is a premium ad network that puts ads right on a blogging site and takes a cut of the earnings. I love this income source because I don't have to do anything like insert code, work with advertisers, etc. Mediavine does everything. I get paid depending on how many people scroll past my ads on a given day.
Affiliate Income — Affiliate income is where I recommend products I use and love, and if someone clicks on my link and buys the product, I get a small commission. I'm talking usually between 3% and 8%. Sometimes, if it's a course or service, the commission is higher, like 20%, but those cases are rare. As you can imagine, I have to sell a lot of products, or more expensive products, to make this work.
Digital Products — I sell a variety of digital products and courses that help people live the van and sailing lifestyles. Many of my courses have to do with making money, which is a top concern for aspiring nomads. I teach people how to make money blogging and with Facebook pages (which work in similar ways to blogs).
Sponsorships — I partner with brands that align with my values, like solar companies, campervan builders, or gear I actually use. Sponsored blog posts, social media content, or email placements help bring in additional income.
Facebook Page Monetization — One of my most surprising income streams is through Facebook. I run three Facebook pages: one on sailboat living, one on van life, and one about nomadic living. I'm part of Meta's content monetization program, which pays me
for posts that go viral. I also use Facebook pages to drive traffic back to my blog, where I can make money from ad revenue and affiliate sales.
The cruising lifestyle has allowed us to save big. When Tom and I moved aboard the boat and started living out of a van in 2016, we did it for one huge reason: to become financially free. Our goal was to live below our means and save as much money as possible. For
years, we have abided by this mission statement. Here's how we make it work.
No Rent or Mortgage — We own John Muir outright, and don't owe much on our Sprinter campervan. That's not to say sailboat living is always cheap. As all cruisers know, there are parts to purchase, marina fees, boatyard fees — and countless other expenditures. So we generally avoid high-end marinas and boatyards. We store and work on
our boat at Cabrales Boatyard in the northern end of the Sea of Cortez, which has very reasonable rates. And of course our general expenses decrease significantly during the six months we spend south of the border, where the cost of living is much more affordable than in the US.
Free/Cheap Anchoring/Camping —
When we travel in our van or on our boat, we usually aim for places where we can stay for free. We love finding boondocking spots in our van and anchoring when we're on the boat. This keeps monthly expenses way down.
Minimalist Lifestyle — Neither of us owns much stuff, and we don't shop for many things unless they're needed. When we do buy something, we get rid of something. Most of the items we buy are boat parts.
DIY Upgrades — Thanks to his extensive background in craftsmanship and the trades, Tom built our campervan from scratch and restored our sailboat. This has saved us a lot of money and makes our life in style possible.
Home Cooking — The majority of meals on John Muir are cooked in the galley. We have a large stove and oven, plus a GoSun solar oven for when we're at anchor. I love making sourdough bread in the solar oven. Preparing our own food saves so much.
When I look back at our jour ney, I realize that affording the cruising lifestyle isn't about being rich. It's about being intentional. For us, that meant creating a blog that brings in income no matter where we drop anchor, living simply, and making choices that keep expenses low.
This lifestyle isn't without challenges, but the trade-off is waking up with gorgeous coves as our backyard and the freedom to spend our time as we please. I love that I no longer have limited vacation time or that I have to sit behind a computer working for someone else.
For anyone dreaming of the cruising lifestyle, know that there are more ways to make it possible sooner rather than later than there have ever been before. It takes creativity, persistence, and a willingness to live differently, but the reward is a life that feels truly your own.
— Kristin 8/24/25 (www.thewaywardhome.com)
Cruise Notes
• Every year, a few boats either can't make it to the start of the Baja HaHa, or can't make it all the way with the rally. Bob and Dawn Millington's San Diegobased Beneteau Sense
46 Work Life Balance was one of the latter. After the boat developed a leak just south of Ensenada, the Millingtons dropped out of the rally. They were able to get the leak fixed quickly, but not in time to catch up with the Ha-Ha, which turned out to be a good thing in that they spent three weeks gradually making their way down the peninsula, stopping at Turtle Bay, Bahia Asuncion, Abreojos, and
Bahia Santa Maria.
"After a brief rest in San Jose del Cabo, we met up with some friends and headed over to the mainland, where we spent the rest of the winter and early spring," says Dawn. "We made it as far south as Barra de Navidad before heading back to the Sea of Cortez for the spring. We did the bash back to Ensenada in May and are currently busy with boat projects in preparation for heading back south to Mexico in November. We plan to spend one more full season in Mexico, with the goal to head to the South Pacific in spring, 2027."
• "Sharlene and I returned home to Vancouver Island, Canada, in May," writes Rob Cormack of the Westerly 43 Cambria. "After our time in Tonga a couple of years ago, we spent a cyclone season in New Zealand, then sailed up to Fiji, where we spent three months. From there we cruised Vanuatu for a couple of months before heading to Australia ahead of the cyclone season.
"After many long discussions, we decided we wanted to keep Cambria and sail her in the Pacific Northwest, so we had her shipped to Ensenada. From there we sailed up the US West Coast back to Vancouver Island. While we haven't completely swallowed the anchor, we are looking forward to reconnecting with friends, family, and the conveniences of land life.
"It's impossible to sum up the trip in a few short paragraphs, but highlights include the warmth and generosity of
More than 4,000 boats and 14,000 sailors have done the 750-mile cruisers rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. Here are some of the main reasons. 1) It’s really, really fun. 2) Superb safety record. 3) You get a Ha-Ha backpack filled with swag at the Halloween costume kick-off party. 4) To a great extent there is safety and shared knowledge in numbers. 5) Daily roll call in ports, professional weather forecast, and net.
6) Six social events in which to make lifelong cruising friends. 7) You’ll be featured in the Ha-Ha bio book. 8) Experienced leadership. Collectively, the three event leaders have transited the Baja coast 100 times. 9) The fleet will able to check into Mexico at Bahia Santa Maria 10) It gives you compelling deadline to leave the dock. And Bonus Reason #11, most cited by past participants, all the new cruising friends you’ll make.
the islanders we met along the way, gliding through the warm, turquoise waters of the Tuamotus, and snorkeling with manta rays and sharks. Vanuatu's natural beauty and the kindness of its people will stay with us forever, as will memories of spending time with old friends in New Zealand and Australia.
"One thing we already miss is the camaraderie and generosity of the cruising community. A few times since returning home, I have found myself scanning the beach in the late afternoon, half-expecting to see fellow cruisers gathering for sundowners.
"Though we miss the war m waters of the South Pacific, we look forward to exploring the rugged and remote coasts of British Columbia and Alaska. There are still many more adventures ahead."
• The Nanaimo, BC-based Saga 43 Stella Blue may have scored the highest mileage of any of last year's Baja
Ha-Ha fleet. Owners Mike Kalil and Stephanie Propp spent last winter exploring the Sea of Cortez and mainland Mexico — then took off for Hawaii.
The crossing from Nuevo Vallarta took 19 days and "was enjoyable, but a bit rougher than we expected," says Steph. They spent six weeks exploring the islands, with friends from Maui and family from the mainland coming aboard to join the fun. One of their favorite spots was Hanalei Bay on Kauai, "where the snorkeling is fabulous."
From there, Steph flew home for a few weeks to recharge, and Mike did a solo passage of 16 days — to Sitka, Alaska! Steph rejoined the boat there,
and the couple spent another five weeks exploring spectacular Glacier Bay National Park.
"What an amazing place! We were also lucky to see several grizzly and black bears from the safety of the boat," she says. "Our time in Alaska also included sightings of many humpback whales, orcas, and countless adorable sea otters! We continued traveling south through the Inside Passage, visiting towns and interesting sites like hot springs along the way. We are currently approaching Sidney, BC, on Vancouver Island, where we will haul out to do some maintenance. September 15 marked the one-year anniversary of moving onto Stella Blue, and we love it so much that we have decided to keep going! ¡Vamos a México!!! ¡Hasta pronto!" (Instagram at stellablue_saga43)
• As most readers (and all 2024 Ha-Ha'ers) will know, incoming bad weather caused the cancellation of
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several post-Ha-Ha events last year, and as recommended, most boats skedaddled to other areas before it hit. One of about 10 boats that decided to stay anchored in Cabo was John McGee and Tom Luneau's San Diego-based Jeanneau 44DS Todo Bueno. "After taking on the storm for three days, we thought of changing the name to Rock and Roll," says Tom, adding, "The fleet made the correct decision to leave."
Things got better after the weather passed. "We sailed to San Jose del Cabo for a week in the marina. Next, it was to CostaBaja, also in the marina, and then to Puerto Escondido for the remainder of the winter. Met many cruisers from
other Ha-Ha boats. Saw dolphins, giant rays, and whales.
"All winter we sailed to pristine beaches on the islands of Danzante, Carmen and Espiritu. Captain Pat Raines calls the islands 'the best cruising in the world,' and I concur. The islands are easy to get to and hard to leave. Snorkeling, sailing and good food made 2024/25 the best winter ever.
"Mango margaritas and lobster at the Hotel Tripui — damn tasty. The chef at our marina cooked up our fresh yellowtail … yum!
"We saw the deserted town of Salinas on Isla del Carmen. We saw thousands of pencil fish at night. We hiked mountains on Isla San Francisco. Then back to La Paz, where we turned the boat over to a captain who brought her back to our snug harbor in San Diego.
"All in all, it was the best of times with old and new friends. Best of luck to all aboard Baja Ha-Ha 31!"
• Do you enjoy Changes in Latitudes? Are you a cruiser? Do you dream of getting some of your adventures published someday? We can make that happen for you. Changes in Latitudes has always been by and for cruisers, and we're always on the lookout for new faces and new voices. All you have to do is send us some thoughts or updates — as little as two or three paragraphs and a couple of photos for a Cruise Note. For Changes 'features,' 1,000ish words with seven or eight photos. For more info, drop an email to Changes editor John Riise at jriise38@gmail.com.
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14 FT CLASSIC WHITEHALL SPIRIT SCULLING ROWBOAT 2019. Complete package includes hand-built lapstrake-styled fiberglass hull with built-in buoyancy, one slide seat unit with hinged cast bronze outriggers and gated oarlocks, solid teak finely finished gunwales and fixed seats plus one detachable seat, four bronze traditional oarlock bases, bow eye, stern eyes, custom cast bronze bow and stern fittings. Plus teak floorboards (removable), carbon fiber sculling oars with club-style blade — 9 ft 6 in (pair). Brand-new boat trailer. $20,000 OBO. Cypress, CA admin@mrichardsllc.com (714) 3343445 https://tinyurl.com/bdh2454c
MARINE SAFETY 78-PERSON OPEN LIFEBOAT. Thirty ft. long x 10-ft beam x 4.33 ft deep. Fiberglass construction, Fleming gear. Good used condition (refurbished). Boat is located in Oakland, CA. g.levin@uscombustion.com (208) 7255781 https://tinyurl.com/2wyd2n3v
12 FT SHELLBACK 2000. Wooden rowboat and Shaw & Tenney oars. New trailer. $5,000. Sausalito, CA kraussliz@gmail.com (415) 332-9103
14 FT GIG HARBOR 14 WHITEHALL 2000. New oars, rebuilt sliding seat, forward-facing rowing system, excellent sails and mast/boom/ rigging, new tiller extension, cover, new epoxy and fiberglass/resin in seam areas, new wheels on trailer, newly varnished and completely refurbished. She has all the bells and whistles available. Call or text for more photos. $5,500 OBO. Monterey, CA turnbeaugh123@comcast.net (831) 383-9192
13 FT FEATHERCRAFT FOLDING K-LITE KAYAK. Kayak is in excellent condition and used during our cruise from SF to Mexico. Has an aluminum frame and Hypolon skin. Stores in a backpack and weights 35 pounds. Cost $2700 new. $750. San Carlos svwispern@gmail.com (650) 766-1894
12 FT BALTIK 2006. Inflatable with 20 hp Suzuki outboard with fewer than 25 hrs on the motor. I carefully followed the manufacturer’s instructions for the breakin period and the motor was serviced last summer with no use since then. Hull material is in very good condition; it has been garaged the seven years I have owned it, and it was only used in the summers on Lake Tahoe by the original owner. $4,900 OBO. Sausalito crgoff45@gmail.com
22 FT JBOAT 1997. Freshwater boat — very good condition. Solid 5hp Nissan. Furling jib. Quality Triad trailer. Price includes six months free storage at my ranch. Health requires sale. Let’s talk. $3,000. Lake Sonoma, Healdsburg henson@sonic.net (369) 202-9052
22 FT SANTANA 22 1974. #680 — very good condition freshwater Tahoe boat. Sails: main, jib and genoa. Interior cushions. Includes lightly used 4hp four-stroke Nissan outboard. Heavy-duty Danforth anchor. Upgraded rigging. Custom oneaxle Trail-Rite boat trailer. $2,500 tieslau@volcano.net (209) 304-3410
23 FT RANGER 23 1976. Refit in 2021. Awlgrip hull and topside, Trinidad bottom paint. New standing rigging, tinted tempered glass ports, tri-color masthead lights, mainsail and tiller cover, quarter berth cushions. New hull liner. Equipment: 6hp Nissan 4-stroke outboard, spinnaker and whisker poles, 2 anchors, 4 winches. Electronics: knotmeter, depthsounder, compass, VHF radio, stereo. Sails: jibs (100, 125, 150), spinnaker, main. Additional photos and information available upon request. $12,000. Sausalito, CA rwilsonsf@gmail.com
24 FT MOORE 24 1986. Fresh North 3Di race sails (J1, J2, J3/J4) and crispy North spinnakers (S1.5, S2, S4), new standing rigging, newer mast, carbon pole, Full Tacktick instruments (wind/speed/depth, GPS), NMEA gateway, Torqeedo outboard with spare battery. New Lewmar hatch. New Spinlock tiller extension. New self-tailing winches. Many spares and practice sails. Old trailer suitable for yard or could be brought back to life? Sweet PHRF rating. Ready to race! $25,000. Port Townsend, WA aroostifer@yahoo.com (510) 290-6329
23 FT COLUMBIA 1974. Shoal draft solid boat. Good sails. New asymmetrical spinnaker, CDI roller furler. 8 hp Johnson. Trailer needs work. $790. Auburn, CA blaneyjm@hotmail.com (530) 848-5262
24 FT J/24 1980. Six used J/24s from $2500 to $4500 on trailers. Two in water, two project boats, two very complete. Have used sails, trailers and race gear. $2,500. Valley Springs bonnielopezunr@gmail.com (209) 772-9695
18 FT OPEN 570 2006. Fast, compact sportboat, stable in both light and breezy conditions. Great for racing in one-design fleet, or just having FUN zooming around the bay. Ready to sail off end berth in Sausalito. $10,000. Sausalito swan100391@gmail.com
23 FT BEAR BOAT 1938. Own a piece of San Francisco Bay sailing history! Classic 1938 Bear Boat #8 ‘Pola Bear’, the oldest Bear class boat still standing and sailing proud! New Pineapple main and jib. Fir planked, oak ribs, mahogany cockpit, lead keel, canvas deck. Full cushions. Hitachi 6 hp outboard. Full winter boat cover and spring/summer covers. Mast refinished. Hauled out each year for bottom paint and maintenance. She is simple, perfectly balanced, and sails smooth and quiet. Currently being sailed on Monterey Bay. $8,900 OBO. Moss Landing, CA steve@sequoiafoods.com (831) 2543229
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27 FT CATALINA 27 1977. Roomy down below for a 27-footer, this one has the dinette layout. A sturdy daysailer, she is big enough to handle the Bay’s winds and tides. She was last hauled in 2022 by KKMI. New standing rigging and roller-reefing jib in 2011; new fullbatten mainsail in 2017. Harken roller reefing. Atomic 4 gas inboard starts and runs well. Two batteries. More details at URL. $6,700. Pt. Richmond, CA catalina27ladieschoice@gmail.com https://tinyurl.com/3xtbbjvy
25 FT CATALINA C-250 K 2004. Trailer included. 9.8hp Nissan motor w/electric start. Has only been in fresh water. Navigation system. 250 pop top. Wing keel. Pedestal guard, boom kicker. Furling jib. Bimini. Swinging transom ladder. Wheel steering. Elevated princess seats. Cabin lights, galley, toilet. $21,900. Lake Almanor, CA jamesboland51@gmail.com (530) 394-7579
26 FT ERICSON 26 2 1988. Classic small yacht in excellent condition. Stable and fun. Roller furling jib, wheel, dodger. 10 hp Universal condition in excellent shape. New in 2024: standing rigging, wheel pilot, wireless wind instrument, StackPack. cushions. $15,000 OBO. Point Richmond brianbouch1@gmail.com (707) 6967427
26 FT J BOATS J/80 1994. Two boats available. Great daysailers or club racers. Huge cockpit, high boom, asymmetrical spinnakers. These boats are a delight to sail. Comfortable and stable yet nimble and fast. Mainsail, jib, and spinnaker included with each boat. They have been sitting idle and need new owners to give them a bit of love! Priced well below market, here is your opportunity to get a modern sportboat for a reasonable price. $15,000 Price per each. Alameda wayne@sailing-jworld.com (415) 6062634 https://tinyurl.com/35wuh33n
28 FT MORSE BRISTOL CHANNEL CUTTER 1997. First launched 2010. Full keel fiberglass Lyle Hess design. Yanmar diesel, Ballenger spars, Doyle sails, propane range and heater, chartplotter, autopilot. Very nicely crafted interior. Santa Cruz slip. $60,000. Santa Cruz rhnorberg@gmail.com (831) 426-1032
25 FT GLEN-L 1980. Solid Lake Tahoeonly boat since 2003. New rigging; jib/jib furler added 2023. Honda 8hp with deck control solar panel/electric start. Large galley with custom roof mural by local artist Jesse Declerc. Bluetooth-compatible sound system. Downriggers for fishing, fish finder/depthfinder. Some TLC needed but ready to sail. $18,000. Carnelian Bay, CA rollie@tahoedaves.com (530) 412-1876
27 FT ANTRIM 27 2000. ‘Arch Angel’. Full complement of Quantum sails: 2 mains, 4 spinnakers (one.5 light air), 1 Code 0. 3.5 hp long shaft Mercury outboard. New epoxy bottom paint in 2023. New cockpit seats, nonskid in 2024. Double-axle trailer, newly painted in 2024. Tacktick solar electronic instrument, compass, start timer, depthsounder, speedo. V-berth cushions. Running backstays (not installed). $40,000. Richmond Yacht Club #111 bgriffsail3@gmail.com (775) 772-2428
25 FT MERIT 1983. Well maintained. No bottom paint, dry sailed. Includes: Trailer, Yamaha 4 hp outboard motor. Two 150 genoas and sheets. One #2 genoa. Two mainsails, One good spinnaker, four fair spinnakers, Two spinnaker poles, spinnaker bags and sheets. Standing and running rigging in good condition, internalized halyards. Very motivated to sell. No Scams Please. $2,000. Merced, CA timharden2020@gmail.com (209) 6312264
25 FT OLSON 25 1984. Hull #45. Santa Cruz-built for NorCal conditions. Shipshape and race-ready! Former national champion. North racing sails, Pineapple cruising sails. B&G instruments, Suzuki 2.5 hp outboard. Nice and clean interior. $11,500. Berkeley Marina ancelnicholas@gmail.com (510) 4591337
27 FT BALBOA 1978. Maxi — trailerable. Health forces sale. $7,000. Marina Bay Yacht Harbor, Richmond rtrouble@pacbell.net (775) 677-7503
28 FT PEARSON (AEROMARINE) TRITON 1961. Sausalito-built Triton, solid boat, no coring to worry about. Sails well. Battened main, in good condition. A couple of headsails. Atomic 4 runs and starts right up. Standing rigging replaced in 2019, along with new portlights. Extras can be included for the right price: new Harken furler, ST winches, diesel heater, dinghy, Raymarine i70, etc. $4,500. Alameda oldgoldfarms@gmail.com (805) 7548600
27 FT H-BOAT 1980. A popular racing class in Europe with great sailing characteristics, this 1980 Artekno H-Boat is in excellent condition, with well maintained sails, rigging, electrical, instruments, equipment, and outboard. See website for more details. Motivated seller. $15,000. Berkeley, CA proge@berkeley.edu (831) 818-4769 https://tinyurl.com/5t3f97wu
26 FT FRISCO FLYER CLASS 1960. Teak wooden sloop built by Cheoy Lee. Large cabin and cockpit. Aluminum mast and boom. A great sailboat for a day on the Bay or the weekend. Very good condition. $7,900. Richmond, CA stefroche916@gmail.com
27.93 FT PACIFIC SEACRAFT 25 MK II 1978. Sailboat with excellent trailer and tremendous amount of gear ready for someone handy. New Yanmar 2YM15 with 1.5 hrs, two furlers, six sails, cockpit and interior cushions, two anchors, wind vane self steering and tiller pilot, Furuno radar, propane system parts. Too many parts to list — contact Todd Chandler for link to photos. $18,900. Newport, OR todd@chandlermarineservices.com (541) 992-9289
26 FT YAMAHA 1984. PHRF racer and comfortable cruiser. Interior and exterior maintained in excellent condition by meticulous owner. Yanmar 1gm10 diesel with very low hrs. Garmin chartplotter, Raymarine VHF radio, emergency beacon and many other items. $10,000. Alameda Jnovie@aol.com (415) 271-3441
30 FT NONSUCH CLASSIC 1979. Factory-new motor under 700hrs. Good usable older boat. Fun to sail, comfortable accommodations. Newer chartplotter. Solar, dinghy, spare sail. Well below market price for a Nonsuch. Call for details. $15,000 OBO. Los Angeles tralphkays@gmail.com (916) 410-1934 https://tinyurl.com/wea2sz9f
29 FT ALBIN BALLAD 1978. A very seaworthy racer/cruiser, with six-foot standing headroom, in good condition and ready for long, enjoyable weekend sailing or club racing. Volvo MD6A diesel, folding prop. Sail inventory includes: 125 and 155 roller furling jibs, two mains, and two spinnakers. Selfsteering configuration. Standing and running rigging recently replaced. New bottom paint Apr 2025. USCG documented. $10,900. Vallejo Yacht Club jerrysail40@gmail.com (925) 788-8283
30 FT CATALINA 1984. New Westerbeke M25XPB diesel with less than 50 hrs running time. Standing rigging replaced 2019. New Jabsco toilet replaced 2025. Aft sleeping berth and V-berth forward. A large dinette that converts into a double-wide berth and has a functional galley. Her bottom was repainted in 2024 and is cleaned on a three-month schedule, which makes for smooth Bay sailing. Stereo and TV for lazy days in port. Priced to sell. $12,000 OBO. Grand Marina slip C-20 thomscorpio@att.net (510) 988-8732
30 FT TARTAN 30 1972. Too many upgrades to list. Our son was going to bluewater, but started a family. Sitting for 3 years. Atomic 4. New lifelines, standing rigging, mast step, sails, dodger, stainless gas tank. $10,500. San Rafael dianeirisballard@gmail.com
30 FT OLSON 30 1982. Late model. Includes custom dual-axle trailer and very recent Ballenger double-spreader mast with corresponding rod rigging. Last 20 years in Portland (freshwater). Rigging, stanchions/lifelines, running rigging, winches in excellent condition. Boat has been thoroughly/completely gone through at well-known Elkhorn Composites: A. All three ribs at mast foot replaced with composite elements (boat has substantial jockstrap). B. Three small soft spots in the deck/ cockpit replaced w/composite core/ gelcoat. C. Bottom and keel completely stripped to the gelcoat and keel fiberglassed as necessary. D. Keel bolts torqued/updated. E. New lifting rod threaded end. F. Several coats barrier, two of Pro-Line antifoul (59% Cu). Mucho $$. Not splashed yet. Two good race mains, spinnakers, older jibs. $12,500. Morgan Hill mtown@att.net
30 FT CATALINA 30 MK I 1981. Without question, the most upgraded, well maintained Catalina 30 on the market today. She is turnkey, ready to take you on your next adventure. Combined you are looking at over $45,000 in improvements. Take the best Catalina out there, add 30K of important repairs and upgrades, and here it is. Whether you plan to live aboard, daysail, or go coastal cruising, The ‘Fujin Fighter’ is the Catalina for you. $26,500. San Pedro, CA twebster7676@gmail.com (949) 4444773 https://tinyurl.com/38eyfzwu
30 FT OLSON 30 1980. Hull# 88. Singleowner boat. Comes with trailer. Custom rig and fittings. Lots of sails. $12,000. Boardwalk Marina, Richmond, CA. bruce.heckman@comcast.net (510) 566-4780
31 FT DUFOUR 3800 1983. Inboard engine and rigging need immediate replacement. No known leaks. Sinks and water work. Electricity works, though battery may need replacing. Fiberglass monohull. Rigging: sloop. Keel: fin w/spade rudder. Racer/ cruiser. $9,000 OBO. Santa Cruz, CA natcarsten@yahoo.com
30 FT PACIFIC 30 1982. Designed in the ’20s, built in the ’80s of quality Canadian fiberglass, ‘Ramona’ is 30-ft on deck with elegant overhangs that guarantee compliments every sail. An original “gentleman’s (or gentlewoman’s) daysailer,” ‘Ramona’ has everything you need and nothing you don’t for a comfortable day on the Bay. Why sail a motorhome when all you really need is a sports car? Dependable Yanmar (recent List Marine service), crisp Pineapple sails, new standing rigging (including top of mast), rollaway head, and a great napping berth. Designed by William Roué of legendary ‘Bluenose’ schooner fame. Twentyone-ft waterline, 8-ft beam, 4.5-ft draft, 4700-lb displacement, and one of the sweetest sailers that just happens to be undeniably pretty. $8,250. Richmond rgriffoul@sbcglobal.net (510) 290-0955
30 FT YANKEE ONE CLASSIC WOODEN RACING SLOOP 1949. Master Mariners award-winning sailboat designed by William Starling Burgess and Stone-built. ‘Flame’ was totally restored in 2015. Varnished wood hull. Roller furling. Stainless outboard bracket. 2 spinakers. All new stainless rigging. More photos available. Complete survey in 2023 available. “A Sailor’s Saiboat.” Recently shown at the Master Mariner’s Wooden Boat Show. $49,900 OBO. Richmond stefroche916@gmail.com
31 FT CUSTOM 1965. For Sale: Shadowfox – 31-Foot Ocean Crossing Cruiser Ready to set sail? Shadowfox is a well-maintained 31-foot sailboat perfect for weekend escapes or longer adventures. Priced to sell at $31,200, this vessel offers incredible value for its condition and upgrades. Key Features Length: 31 + feet Year: 1965 Engine: Reliable 20hp Universal diesel, serviced 2023 920 hrs. Sails: New mainsail (2022), roller furling jib several headsails, and spinnakers Electronics: “Autohelm,Chart plotter, VHF, and Ham radio ” Upgrades: recently replaced ROD standing rigging Condition In excellent shape and ready to sail. Meticulously maintained with full service records available. Why Shadowfox? Imagine cruising the coast with the wind in your sails and the freedom of the sea ahead. Whether you’re a seasoned $31,200. San Pedro, Cali kwasiemoto@cox.net 3105288957
33 FT TARTAN 101 2014. Pac Cupready, ocean racer champion, and family cruiser (sleeps 8 comfortably). This is an all-around awesome boat and is turnkey for Pac Cup 2026 (last Pac Cup in 2024). This crew loves this boat, but is looking to move up to a larger boat. Serious inquiries only. S.F. Bay oceanracer@mac.com https://tinyurl. com/yy72zzjw
34 FT CATALINA 1986. Sail-ready in great condition. Perfect for S.F. Bay or Baja liveaboard. Sleeps 6. Mainsail and 120 genoa. Rigged for solo. New Catalina sells for >$200K. Sacrifice 1986 for $29,500. Contact Ed. $29,500. South Beach Harbor, S.F. baycat34@comcast.net (408) 489-7511
33 FT CAL 34/JENSEN MARINE 1970. Maintenance upgrades too many to list, have receipts. Moyer Marine factory refurbished Atomic Four gas engine/reversing gear, new drive shaft, packing gland, cutlass serviced 2021. Extensive haulout 2023. Slip transferable. Ready to sail $14,000 /OBO. Moss Landing, CA wtcurnow@gmail.com
35 FT HALLBERG-RASSY 352 1985. ‘Dovka’ is no ordinary Hallberg-Rassy. Launched in 1985, she has been privately owned and meticulously caredfor by one family since 1990. ‘Dovka’ features seamless glued teak decks and a tall rig. From 2020 to 2023, her current owners undertook a major refit in San Francisco, renewing all major systems including lithium power, expanded solar capacity and upgraded rigging. ‘Dovka’ has proven herself ocean-ready with successful Atlantic and Pacific crossings, including recent voyages from San Francisco to Mexico and across the Pacific to French Polynesia. A 2025 survey confirmed her excellent condition and preparedness for further bluewater passages. Currently located in French Polynesia, ‘Dovka’ can remain there until April 2027 without import requirements. $114,000. Papeete, Tahiti benjaminshaw@gmail.com (202) 4315232 https://tinyurl.com/4f5swzsn
33 FT BENETEAU 1995. SV ‘Tao’ is a well equipped, turnkey Beneteau Oceanis 321 sailboat. Her slip is transferable and she’s easily insurable. She has inboard Yanmar 3gm30f diesel engine with 850 hrs, new mainsail, autopilot, hot water, three-burner stove w/oven, Rocna anchor, and much more. Please visit website for more detailed information, including a video walkthrough of the boat. Please email if interested. $32,999. Emeryville, CA svtao1995@gmail.com https://svtao. com
34 FT ERICSON 34 1989. Dinghy, Autohelm, StackPack, and other extras. Sails in good condition (she goes fast), spinnaker pole and genoa, wheel, compass, speed log, depthfinder, reefing, good winches, radios, music, shower, reefer, etc. Call for questions, condition, specifications, etc. $14,000. Gashouse Cove, S.F. tom.j.martin@gmail.com (650) 324-7489
35 FT SCHOCK SANTANA 35 1979. Many upgrades throughout the years (18hp Yanmar). See website for more pics and videos. A must-see.Vehicle trade more or less value ok. Alameda saylor44@gmail.com (510) 714-9494 http://www.schocksantana35.com
35 FT YORKTOWN 1974. Cruiseready, center cockpit, roller furling, lazy jacks on mainsail, new standing rigging, solar power, Perkins 4-107 with low hrs. New hydraulic transmission, VHF radio with AIS, single sideband radio, chartplotter, radar, 2 anchors, power windlass, water heater, forced air diesel heater, 8-ft inflatable plus many more extras. $12,000. Stockton monty_case@yahoo.com (510) 778-4121
33 FT ALLIED LUDERS 33 1968. Sister ship to Robin Lee Graham’s ‘Dove ll’. Basic electronics. Sails in good shape. Westerbeke 21. 2800 hrs, rebuilt transmission. New cutlass, shaft log hose, packing, exhaust. Rocna, Tigress windlass. Email for more info. $15,000 OBO. San Carlos, Sonora, MX annedslater@gmail.com
32 FT CATALINA 320 1996. Meticulously maintained. New bottom paint April 2025. Great sailing and local cruising boat. New sails in 2023. Very well equipped. Diesel engine, GPS, furling jib, and much more. Selling for late father. $54,000 OBO. Belvedere, CA d1.davidm@gmail.com (435) 901-1013
34 FT CAL 34 1969. Complete refit. Electric conversion 10kW Thunderstruck with 48v 300Ah lithium. New rudder, new bottom paint, new running rigging, new standing rigging, New masthead instruments, lights, antenna. Complete 12v and 110v rewiring. New sails UK sailmaker. New chartplotter: Garmin 9-in. New depth, speed, temp transducer. New lights: interior, spreader, running. New Garmin VHF. New lithium 100Ah house battery. $12,000. Vallejo Yacht Club dream2.5@yahoo.com (707) 486 4782
35 FT J/35 1984. Pacific Cup/Hawaii vet, well maintained, newish B&G electronics, batteries, cabin paint, cushions, shaft, motor work, solar charging. Comfortable in light air, breezy S.F. Bay, ocean crossing. Lots of extra gear, sails, anchors, etc. Designed as offshore one-design, great cruiser, listed in Sailboat Hall of Fame. Quick, stiff and safe. $35,000. Alameda bill.b.parks@gmail.com (510) 507-2107
33 FT CAL 33 1971. Classic olderstyle sloop with modified scoop stern. Strong Volvo diesel 487 hrs. Harken roller furling. Tiller, older sails. Relocating and priced to sell. $5,900 OBO. Emery Cove Yacht Harbor ngolifeart@gmail.com (747) 286-8311
35 FT SCHOCK 1986. Solid boat. Price drop. New main, 3 jibs, 2 spins. Yanmar 2 gm20. Sailed 3 times in 3 years. Call or email for equip list. Contact Tom. $11,500. Vallejo, CA jinkxochs@gmail.com (707) 694-6846
35 FT FANTASIA 35 MK II 1979. In very good condition and ready to go. Most all systems upgraded including standing rigging and lifelines. Above-deck Maxwell windlass, Profurl 4200 genoa furler, ComNav autopilot, Vector AIS, Dometic fridge in updated galley and full stand-up workroom are just some of the features that make so much in a 35-ft boat. Ten-inch pillow top mattress! Runs great! ComNav Commander P2 color autopilot, Octopus hydraulic steering ram, Blue Sky charge controller, new lifelines (2018), new rigging (2018), New Found Metals stainless ports, Garmin chartplotter, Vesper SP160 antenna splitter, Vesper XB-8000 AIS, Standard Horizon AIS/GPS VHF w/remote handset in cockpit, Iverson freestanding bimini, lazy jacks, transom hoist. $39,000. Isleton CA carey.shine@gmail.com (541) 973-9562 https://tinyurl.com/ypssa9ue
32 FT HERRESHOFF 1998. Sail around the world!!. Beautiful, strong cruising cutter. Herreshoff-designed, bowsprit and boomkin, cold-molded hull, full lead keel, spruce spars, sails in great condition (mainsail with 3 reefs; stays’l, jib; 120% Dacron; 120% 1.5 oz. nylon; storm sail; trys’l); Aries wind vane self-steering; 10-ft fiberglass dinghy; no engine; sail into and out of upwind Berkeley berth or use 16-ft oar; 4 anchors (45# 35# 25# CQR, fisherman); windlass. Call Emily 925-899-1546. P.S. Consider adding an electric motor. $15,000. Berkeley, CA ems323@gmail.com 925-899-1546
33 FT PACIFIC SEACRAFT MARIAH 31 1978. Stout boat of legendary strength and seaworthiness. Highly sought-after for bluewater sailing. She is in excellent condition, spartan appointments and in original condition with no modifications. Newer standing rig, crisp sails, fresh bottom job. $32,000. Tiburon sailingfearless@gmail.com (415) 745-2292
38 FT DOWNEASTER 38 1975. Free to a good home. Solid bluewater cutter project. Mostly complete, lots of new parts, needs DIYer with youthful energy to complete. Access available to wood, metal, and upholstery shop to complete the project. Live aboard while working on it? YouTube content opportunity? Low-cost back-hauling to San Carlos, Mexico, is likely the cheapest option to get it back in the water. Mexican TIP in place. $1. Tucson, AZ weswsimpson@yahoo.com (520) 9815540
36 FT UNION 1988. This full-keel, cutter-rigged, Bob Perry design is probably one of the last of these remarkable boats built by Ocean Yachts. She’s an excellent example of the two-person long-distance cruising boat: strong, easy to handle, well equipped, lots of stowage, and in good condition. This traditional design compares favorably with a 38-ft Hans Christian or 37-ft Tayana. Upgrades since ownership include new bottom paint in 2023. New forestays, new bowsprit, new Lewmar 50 winches port and starboard, lazy jacks and StackPack installed, new Yankee sail and staysail, replaced turbocharger, all outside varnish is fresh. Boat is a good value, and we are motivated to sell. Make an offer. $50,000 OBO. Berkeley, CA vincent.diana.marshall@gmail. com (707) 2455270 https://tinyurl. com/26safyw7
36 FT ISLANDER 1978. Purchased in 2005. Good condition. Quantum main and jib with roller furling only a few years old. I only cruise around, but not enough to justify the maintenance. YRA season championships. The Perkins 4-108 starts instantly and is ready to go out as soon as you step on board. Check out the Google Drive link pictures and full history: much work done and inventory. Two spinnakers and Quantum racing main and racing jib (2006). Ten Barients. $30,000. Richmond Yacht Club newtondavid@fhda.edu https://tinyurl. com/4vasdxe5
WYLIE 39 ‘FLASHGIRL’; FOR SALE. Warwick M. Tompkins, Jr. just completed an 11K+ NM tour of the Pacific aboard his Wylie 39 Flashgirl. At age 93, he has decided to come ashore. The vessel is at Richmond Yacht Club. She was launched in 2000. Her hull is a production Wylie 39, but everything else is pure Tompkins, executed over the previous decade. She features a powerful fractional rig, with new standing rigging, water ballast, tiller steering, and a unique,very functional interior. She comes with a very cool, stowable, dinghy/tender. There is no asking price, no broker, no commission, and comparables will be impossible to find. It is also fair to say that a deal will hinge more on the cut of your jib than the amount of your offer. Commodore is facing some health challenges. If you are interested in knowing more, contact dick@enersen.org
38 FT ERICSON 38-200 1989. Beyond Baja Ha-Ha. ‘Sea Dancer’ fully cruise equipped, currently on the hard San Carlos, Mexico. Sailed from Channel Islands December 2023 (surveyed), Cabo, La Paz, Puerto Escondido to San Carlos/Guaymas — good cruising area $50,000 OBO. San Carlos, Sonora, MX gazaboo@yahoo.com (808) 494-6173
39 FT BENETEAU 40.7 2000. New MD30 engine and saildrive, with only 250 hrs. New bottom paint as of 9/5/25. North sails, 3Di Nordac main and 100 jib, 2019, very good condition. Quantum 144 jib, 2020 very good condition. Symmetrical spinnaker, very good condition. Asymmetrical spinnaker, very good condition. BBQ, beacons, emergency gear. Cockpit cover. $133,000. Schoonmaker Marina, Sausalito argo46933@gmail.com (415) 680-0183
38 FT CATALINA 390 2002. Excellent cruiser for family and friends. 150% jib. Mainsail needs work but still in good working condition. Engine replaced five years ago, has very few hrs. Call for an appointment. $117,000. Emeryville, CA daniel@hmfcompany.com (209) 3217524
38 FT HANS CHRISTIAN 38T 1985. SV ‘Sedna’ — currently moored in Sitka, Alaska, after completing a circumnavigation of the Pacific. A true bluewater ocean cruiser— ready for a new owner and her next adventure! Recent survey, upgrade list and current “to-do” list all available upon request. Full keel, cutter rig with Pullman berth and forward head design. Purchased in Mexico in 2016, she underwent a major refit grinding down the hull, removing most of the teak deck. New engine and rigging installed in New Zealand in 2022. Brand-new jib and staysail. Highfield hard-bottom inflatable dinghy purchased in 2022, with Mercury outboard. Great liveaboard, comfortable ocean sailing, beautiful Hans Christian design. $80,000 OBO. Sitka, Alaska sailing.vessel.sedna@gmail.com (907) 209-3327 https://www.sednastories. com/
36 FT ISLANDER 1978. Go on an adventure … cruising the Bay with friends, or go south with your partner; you decide. This boat is ready for some fun in the Bay. Price is negotiable. $33,000 OBO. Alameda I36.zenith@gmail.com https://photos. app.goo.gl/oA7Kmborux5XnmKL8
35.5 FT CAL 36 1966. Offshore cruiser. Westerbeke engine. Recently installed electric toilet and converted rudder to wheel. New headcover. $33,000. San Francisco Pier 39 mikelinda415@gmail.com (415) 3122090
37 FT PACIFIC SEACRAFT 1990. Well maintained with many upgrades! Plenty of recent upgrades across electronics, engine, safety, sails, running and standing rigging, ground tackle. She comes with dinghy, outboard, Monitor windvane, watermaker, solar. ~2,150 hrs on Yanmar. Spinnaker. Diesel heater. Winter boat cover. Pedigreed bluewater cruiser that can also function as a liveaboard. $137,500. Seattle, WA gobillsgary@gmail.com
38 FT HUNTER 386LE 2004. Very clean, freshwater boat. Barrier coat with Interlux 2000. Great Bay or coastal cruiser. Roller-furling main and jib. Cruising spinnaker included. 40 hp Yanmar diesel. $110,000. Rio Vista, Hidden Harbor Marina kmiller@burkettsoffice.com (916) 5081514
36 FT CUSTOM WILEY CUTTER 1978. Sail into history on ‘Wild Spirit’, Tom Wylie’s first cruising boat. She’s carried her owners over 135,000 miles — Mexico, Pacific crossings, Japan. Three no-expense-spared refits and continual upgrades ensure she’s Bristol and fully cruise-ready. $65,000. Puerto Escondido, Baja California Sur, MX svwildspirit78@gmail.com (707) 4849486 http://www.svwildspirit.com
36.5 FT PEARSON KETCH 1977. Cruised Mexico-S.F. Bay. Has B&G plotter, radar, dinghy davits, full dodger, batteries, solar, windlass, roller furler. Excellent small cruising boat. Westerbeke 4-108 ran great. Needs new front oil seal before it will run again. $6,000 (831) 334-1161
FT ALAJUELA 38 1976. ‘Saito’ is a cutter rig that has improved with age under the loving care of her knowledgeable previous owners. This bluewater cruiser is a true ocean voyager with a sweeping full keel for sea-kindliness, speed at sea, and comfortable accommodation. The Alajuela 38 is known for quality engineering and a solid build to take you anywhere in comfort with timeless and unpretentious styling. Volvo Penta D2-55 diesel (55 hp). Fuel tanks: diesel, 48 gal FRP tank integral w/hull, new fuel gauge; plus 9 gal aluminum day tank for diesel heater or reserve for engine. Fuel economy: 0.80 gallons/hour at 2,000 rpm. Dickinson Antarctic diesel heater. Water tanks: 50 gal and 40 gal stainless steel. $68,000 OBO, Trade. Moss Landing, CA mike.sack@sanctuarycruises.com (831) 239-5504
36 FT J/36 1982. Great racer/cruiser. 2021 Quantum Fusion M mainsail, #3 jib, and genoa like new. Raced one season. Forespar carbon spinnakar pole. B&G Zeus 3 chartplotter, radio with cordless hand unit. 2015 upgraded Yanmar 30 hp diesel with 400 hrs. Beam 11.75 ft, draft 6.6 ft. $30,000. Pt. Richmond, CA kmwino@gmail.com (707) 287-6397
38 FT CABO RICO 1979. Cutter rig. Full keel. The good: New 2023 Yanmar engine 55hp 70hrs, folding prop, shaft, cutlass bearing, water heater. Rigging, mainsail, roller furling jib, staysail, Harken roller furling, B&G dome radar, windlass. And more. The bad: Deck needs work, paint and water intrusion, cosmetic work interior. $69,000. Sausalito juancarloscolorado@gmail.com (707) 338-2999
38 FT COMFORT 38 1983. SV ‘Martha Rose’, ketch rig, fiberglass coastal cruiser. Ed Monk design, one owner, 1994 6B Cummins, 3700 hrs., 1000mile range, 2010 4-blade Variprop feathering propeller, 21 Garmin radar/ fish finder, Furuno fish finder, Raymarine autopilot, Spectra Watermaker Ventura 150, 2 Solar panels 3 amps each, wheelhouse, 2 staterooms, one head w/bathtub, 8-ft custom skiff, Suzuki 6 HP 4 stroke outboard interior & exterior videos available “Martha Rose” has cruised as far north as Wrangel Alaska and as far south as Acapulco, Mexico, & conscientiously maintained by a USCG licensed marine engineer owner. If you are searching for a sea kindly boat to cruise near or far this may be the boat for you. $70,000. Columbia River, WA skamokawapete2014@gmail.com
39 FT CAL 40 1964. Legendary Cal 40, built in 1964 and beautifully maintained, groundbreaking performance and timeless lines, is waiting for new adventures. This particular boat has been cared for by an owner who appreciates her pedigree and has invested in key upgrades like new sails, new electronics, autopilot and more. $80,000 0B0. Richmond Yacht Club odilehines@gmail.com (415) 963-2160
39 FT CAL 39-2 1977. ‘Sea Star’ is for sale. A strong race boat suitable for San Francisco Bay conditions. Winner of many local races and well known on the bay, see webpage for details. $38,000 OBO. Stockton, CA bob@bobwalden.com https://tinyurl. com/Buyseastar
39 FT FREYA 2003. Proven famous bluewater cruiser/racer. Every amenity for safety and comfort except air conditioning. Lying San Diego, ready for the Ha-Ha. Turbocharged Yanmar recently rebuilt. Bristol condition. Tall rig, 13 standing riggings, 13 halyards, two autopilots, two chartplotters, windvane steering and much more. Complete suite sails for heavy weather, paraglider spinnaker, Jordan series drogue, Dynaplate grounding to mast, sleeps 6. Watermaker, hydraulic backstay. Email or call. $120,000. San Diego berniekreten@yahoo.com (916) 3356555
36 FT CASCADE 1977. Bluewaterready turnkey sailboat. 55 hrs on new Yanmar 30 hp, navigation autopilot, leather interior hand-carved wood. Dickinson diesel heater, full head with hot shower, full galley and more. Great liveaboard with large V-berth, comes with transferable slip! $25,000 OBO. Newport, OR sureshanjie@yahoo.com Suresh (510) 459-8018or Dustin (808) 756-1389
38 FT CARRERA 38 1987. Imported by Sven Svendsen. 2023, mast removed with new standing rigging installed, two new batteries, two new compasses, new bottom paint, new zincs, new service of the outdrive/prop, hydraulic outhaul, vang and mast bend, twocylinder Volvo recently serviced with oil change/pump/filters, all work done by Svendsen. Two mainsails, two spinnakers, genoa and two roller jibs, spinnaker pole, Ballenger mast and boom. $15,000. Pt. Richmond Marina, CA franzsteinerarchitect@comcast.net (510) 914-1289
40 FT OLSON 40 1982. Estate sale — fire-sale price. The price is obviously not the most important. We are trying to close the estate. Already have a boat and just want to find a good owner who will use this beautiful boat. Full listing at La Paz Yachts link but purchased in 2022 and completely refit at Berkeley Marine Center. Set up to cruise with roller furling jib, main on track, life raft, Autohelm, new plumbing, electronics, etc. Dad sailed it to La Paz and intended to cruise the Sea of Cortez and then head to the Marquesas but passed away. The boat is ready to go for the right owner. $30,000. La Paz, MX oliverkell16@gmail.com (978) 846-1614 https://tinyurl.com/tke3399y
40 FT JEANNEAU SUN ODYSSEY 40 2003. ‘Stardust’ is now on the market due to the health of the owner. The first owner had her for 20 years and outfitted her for bluewater adventures: Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska. His preparation and modifications were thoughtful and professionally executed. I have owned her since March 2023 and sailed her around the Salish Sea and in club racing on Wednesdays. She is in excellent condition, has superior handling characteristics, is both weatherly and relatively fast, easily singlehanded, can sleep 7, and is warm and comfortable below — the best all-around boat one can imagine. $135,000. Tacoma, WA dstromquist@comcast.net (360) 6069043
44 FT NORDIC 44 1982. This is a classic ocean cruiser, currently undergoing a restoration. Extensive time and money have been invested over the past three years to update it, including fully refurbished engine, updated port lights, fresh bottom and boom paint; decking, stove, interior cushions, and mattresses replaced, chainplates refurbished. Working main and jib sails. Known for their offshore performance, Nordic 44s are solid, proven ocean yachts. This boat has great bones and is nearly ready to sail — just needs someone with vision to complete the restoration. Most of the hard work is done, making this a fantastic opportunity for a serious sailor. Currently berthed in the Tiburon area with a long-term reasonably priced slip. $83,500. Tiburon (415) 720-0075
44 FT GULFSTAR SLOOP 1979. ‘Footloose’ has been recently upgraded with new paint (5 coats of Awlgrip), new upholstery, all new thru-hulls, new dodger (canvas and plastic), new drapes, new Force 10 propane stove, new Raritan toilet, teak and holly sole freshly varnished (5 coats), new bottom paint and zincs. She has complete set of Raymarine electronics, including hidef radar, autopilot, E7 multifunction display, depthfinder and navigation. Also has AIS send and receive. New Beta 403 diesel (replaced Perkins diesel 2017). $70,000 OBO. VYC Vallejo, CA fcgmc@lmi.net (707) 330-7712
42 FT SABRE 426 2004. Santa Cruz, Hawaii, or Tahiti, this yacht will take you there quickly and in style. Many upgrades since 2021 including new standing and running rigging, sails, electronics, autopilot, Hydrovane, Watt & Sea. Email for details. $295,000. Sausalito, CA fold.states1p@icloud.com
44 FT RELIANCE 44 1988. If you’re in the market for a capable, safe, and wellprepared offshore cruising boat, your search ends here. ‘Canise’ offers exceptionally high build quality, storage, and safe offshore navigation. Modified full keel with cutaway forefoot provides the benefits of good directional stability and a responsive helm. She is in very good condition and priced to sell. Roller furling head and cutter sails, inboom roller furling. Recent upgrades in 2021/2022 include Rocna anchor system, Monitor windvane, self-righting life raft (re-certified 2025), watermaker, solar, drogue, dinghy, outboard, etc. New chainplates (2025). Full cover. Fully cruise-equipped and ready for her next adventure. Email for details and additional photos. $130,000. Paradise Village, Puerto Vallarta, MX keith@mariposatraining.com (510) 387-8130
42 FT FUJI 35 1974. Beautiful, wellequipped offshore cruising ketch in great condition with hybrid electric and diesel propulsion. Ready for adventure. Lots of recent upgrades: StackPacks, solar, wind turbine, Hydrovane selfsteering system. new electrical system. Impeccable wood trim interior. Well maintained. 35-ft of fiberglass, 42-ft with bowsprit and dinghy davits. Check out more at URL. $45,000 Open to Partnership. Alameda, CA HopeBoatAlameda@gmail.com (510) 929-4119 http://www.tinyurl.com/ Hope-the-boat
44 FT FREEDOM 44 1984. Built in 1984 by Tillotson Pearson in Newport, RI, this stable, easy-to-handle openocean cruiser is a rare gem designed by Garry Hoyt and Ted Hood. Known for comfort and solid performance, only a few dozen were made. ‘Coyote’ is clean, operable, and ready for local adventures. While fully sailable, she truly shines in the hands of a dedicated owner ready to invest time and care. A sought-after classic for knowledgeable sailors. $40,000. Alameda, CA rosebutterfield@gmail.com https:// tinyurl.com/dcfh3fx9
49 FT SAMSON C-DEUCE KETCH 2012. ‘Dancing Dolphin’ was built by Howard White and many expert craftsmen over a span of 40 years. Equipped with a 371 GMC diesel with a new transmission. She was built for cruising. Regular haulouts have been in Santa Cruz. Handling is easy with bow thrusters and new cutlass bearing. Rigging done by John Hansen, Pacific Rigging and Electronics by Beckman Marine. Spacious interior, beautiful finishes, large work space and storage. Looking for a buyer to live out our dreams. $100,000. Pillar Point Harbor, Half Moon Bay howardandkathywhite@gmail.com (650) 728-3149
40 FT ENDEAVOUR 40 1983. In excellent condition. The boat is in a slip at Marina Real in San Carlos, Sonora, MX. My wife and I have owned the boat for 10 years. The engine is a 2005 Yanmar 4JH4E 54hp with 1649 hrs. The included inflatable is a 2011 hard-bottom 10.4-ft Achilles with a 15hp Yamaha 2 cycle outboard. The Doyle mainsail was purchased new about 6 years ago. See URL for 200 pics I dumped into my AMZ photos. Equipment: See listing url pictures with previous pictures of Yacht world listing from 10 years ago. Most of the listed equipment is still with the boat. Payment by US bank to bank transfer only. No cash or check. $52,000. San Carlos, MX rode7runner@yahoo.com (520) 4012352 https://tinyurl.com/32twna5z
47 FT WYLIECAT 48 2000. If you like to sail fast without working hard; if you like to sail without waiting for a crew to show up; if you prefer to avoid “whiteknuckle” stressful sailing; if you don’t want to worry about shrouds, stays, rigging; if you think simple is safe; if you don’t want to duck the boom; if you don’t want to spend $400K+ on a new one, then this is the boat for you!!! Well maintained and caredfor, ‘Ahava’ is for sale, or is it sail? $115,000 OBO. San Francisco Marina mksabra@aol.com (415) 320-2233 https://tinyurl.com/bdhxxk5p
43 FT CUSTOM SCHOCK KETCH 1973. Professionally built of mahogany over oak, ‘Debonair’ has been lovingly maintained and extensively upgraded. A seaworthy passagemaker, ‘Debonair’ recently completed a 16,000-mile Pacific tour. From rig to sails, systems to safety, ‘Debonair’s voyageready. $63,900. Port Hadlock, WA ketchdebonair@gmail.com https:// tinyurl.com/2s36wtce
42 FT VAN DE STADT REBEL 42 1977. English-built boat, sailed across the Atlantic shorthanded with no problems. Great sea boat. New standing rigging and lifelines 2024, Perkins 4.108 diesel with BorgWarner V-drive, regularly maintained, works great. New slab-reefing mainsail 2022 and six foresails. In great sailing condition, needs modern electronics. Electric Lofrans windlass and self-tailing 44 Lewmar cockpit winches. Hydraulic steering with wheel. Recent lead acid batteries. Gimbaled gas cooker with oven. Manual and electric bilge pumps. $30,000. Channel Islands Harbor, CA philip.vaughan@gmail.com (626) 4758522
47 FT TED CARPENTIER LIDO SHIPYARD 1957. Ketch with 11-ft beam, 7-ft draft. Hull is strip-planked tongue and grooved. This vessel was built by naval architect Ted Carpentier, who also worked as an engineer for Hughes Aircraft and was a personal friend of Howard Huges. It was custom-built for the CEO of United Airlines (the original spinnaker is in United Airlines colors). I have owned this boat since 1996. The interior has been refinished, Elco EN7000 motor installed, teak deck and a new carbon fiber mast and boom and new toilet are ready to be installed. Coast Guard Vessel documented. She is a fine vessel in the San Francisco Bay area. $85,000 OBO. San Francisco Bay Area vksbo@hotmail.com (510) 967-8421
49 FT CUSTOM CHOATE PETERSON SLOOP 1988. Solid performance racer/cruiser. Spacious headroom, storage, large galley and main saloon, with roomy aft cabin and separate head. Rod rigging, great winches and running rigging layout. $70,000 OBO or Trade. Sausalito, CA libertyshipmarina@comcast.net (415) 613-3665
48 FT SUNCOAST 1980. Type of vessel: ketch. Estimated speed: 10 kt power, 6-8 kt sail. Built Netherlands 1980. Time of lay-up: fall 2012. Hull: length 48-ft, beam 15-ft, draft 7-ft. Frames: varied dimensional steel. Topsides single skin steel plate, 1/4″ thick estimated; bottom single skin steel plate, 1/4″ thick estimated; deck and bulkheads steel plate. Hull layout: V-berth, forward head, forward triple berth, settee/berth, chart station, galley, captain’s berth, engine/ machinery/maintenance room, after master bath, after head, straight inboard diesel engine auxiliary powered. New bow thruster (2010), electronics, autopilot, forward underwater sonar. Six-cyl Leyland diesel, midline, 350 gal water, 250 gal fuel. Pictures at website. $54,900. Cleveland, OH maudeij@yahoo.com.au (954) 2352527 http://guapasailboat.com
55 FT HERRESHOFF MARCO POLO 1997. Schooner with ferrocement hull, three cabins, galley, and ample storage. Features multiple sails, spacious deck, and 91hp motor needing batteries/TLC. Motivated sale. $6,500 OBO. Redwood City kin.wong1231@gmail.com (510) 4212418
52 FT BENETEAU 52.3 2006. Owner’s version. Buy in Mexico and save broker commission and sales tax. Start your cruise with fat pockets. Title and funds transfer in the US. Located in Barra de Navidad. $250,000. Barra de Navidad, MX (360) 317-4722
60 FT CUSTOM CREALOCK 1997. Just back from NZ! This 60-ft steel schooner will take you anywhere you want to go. Available to view in Tiburon. $185,000 OBO. Tiburon otterkicks@gmail.com (707) 499-9414 https://schoonershellback.com
46 FT FELLOWS & STEWART YAWL 1931. ‘Cheerio II’, 1931 46-ft yawl, formerly owned by actor Errol Flynn. Three-time winner of her class in the Newport to Ensenada Race; first to finish in the 2024 McNish Classic Yacht Race; winner of “Best Represented Theme” in the 2025 Newport Beach Wooden Boat Festival. Google “Cheerio II” for photos, videos, and articles about the boat, a SoCal classic! Recent survey available. $100,000 OBO. Channel Islands Harbor jmcnish@earthlink.net (510) 846-4178 https://tinyurl.com/2bsw8djr
32 FT FRIENDSHIP SLOOP 1947. Built by Paul Luke in Boothbay, ME. Well found, excellent shape; longleaf yellow pine on oak. Teak decks. Sails: main, staysail, jib and drifter. All gear and 11-ft Achilles incl. Sails like a dream. $19,000. Ventura, CA peterwoodboats@gmail.com
34 FT LABRUZZI 1917. Built in San Francisco in 1917 by Alphonz LaBruzzi, this classic Bay cruiser has been award-winning in the Classic Yacht Association. Well maintained in a covered slip in San Rafael, this vessel has recently been hauled for a bottom job and other work, bringing her to excellent condition. Current survey is available. Powered by Isuzu diesel with low hrs. Illness forces sale. $20,000 OBO. San Rafael Yacht Harbor stickypatoo@gmail.com (707) 882-1726
33 FT LAURENT GILES WANDERER
III 1958. Second hull built to the design made famous by the Hiscocks. Offshore pedigree, 2020 refit including full bottom recaulking. Additional $20K in improvements in the last five years. Transferable slip in Monterey Harbor. $29,000 OBO. Monterey, CA nathan.m.goodman@gmail.com
38 FT HENRY J. Gielow Cutter 1935. Rebuilt over 14 years, ready to sail, member of the Master Mariners. Email for photo spread and comprehensive narrative. $49,500. Sierra Point Marina, Brisbane, CA richardsalvini@yahoo.com (650) 9964215
18 FT SOLCAT 18 1967. Boat and sails good condition, trailer needs a bit of work. $200. Auburn, CA blaneyjm@hotmail.com (530) 848-5262
44 FT CHRIS WHITE EXPLORER
44 2000. Hate motoring? This is your boat. Well equipped for cruising. Start your cruise at a prime Mexico cruising destination, beautiful Barra de Navidad. Fast, fun, strong, safe. Recent mainsail and standing rigging. $159,900. Barra de Navidad, MX k9bonzer@yahoo.com
31 FT CORSAIR F31 1996. The F-31 remains one of the most influential production folding trimarans ever created, beloved for its fast yet accessible sailing experience. $72,955. San Francisco/Brisbane mevered@gmail.com (415) 745-0384 http://www.corsairf31.com
27 FT SCOUT 275 DORADO 2017. Ready for cruising, fishing, and all watersport activities. Numerous lounging options, telescopic swim ladder, custom fiberglass hardtop, and outstanding fishing features make this a versatile, family-friendly vessel. Multiple aftermarket upgrades include Garmin radar, fishing rod rocket launcher, and custom removable center bow cushion for maximum lounging. Other features: Bluetooth stereo with JL Audio upgrade, electric head upgrade, 152-quart cooler, cockpit sink, LED underwater and cockpit lighting, foldaway stern seat, in-floor fish boxes with pump, rod holders, outriggers, tackle drawers, nine-gallon waste tank, 14-gallon freshwater tank, and 25-gallon bait well. Boat has been drydocked and shrink-wrapped annually, and all required and recommended service/maintenance completed (all records available). Bow and cockpit cover, lines, fenders, life preservers included. $148,500. Half Moon Bay, CA leslienordin@gmail.com (781) 385-9352
53 FT HATTERAS 53 MOTOR YACHT 1978. Perfect Bay Area liveaboard or Tinsley/Delta escape. With 360-degree views, huge sundeck and main salon. Three cabins, three fresh water heads. Consistently upgraded and well maintained. Email for info. $129,950. San Francisco Bay Area hatteras53MY@yahoo.com
41.6 FT RIVERCITY FLOATING HOME 2004. FHA 1544 in Tiburon. Best offer above min price of $180k. After Oct. 10, 2025. One bedroom one bath. Aluminum plate hull nice and tight. Possible slip at Tiburon YC for qualifying boaters. Scheduled for haul out Best offer over $180,000. Oct 10 th. Contact Joel 415 235 7447. perfect for a private Dock. 14 X 41.5 $180,000. Tiburon YC e.stancil53@gmail.com (650) 771-1945
41 FT ROUGHWATER 41 PILOTHOUSE 1985. A must-see! Cleanly maintained/upgraded. Single Detroit diesel sips while making swift way. Superb coastal cruiser — fishing/diving/living. Comfortably sleeps eight. Two heads, shower, storage, great galley/saloon, huge stateroom aft, roomy forward stateroom w/half bath. Clean and ready. U.S. $79,950.00 cladyo7seas@gmail.com (310) 4301769
19 FT WELLCRAFT CENTER CONSOLE &; SLIP 1995. 1995 Wellcraft Center Console. Clean, solid hull. 2017 Yamaha 115 engine $10,000. Marina Green, San Francisco tbaeder@gmail.com (401) 226-3329
DEHLER 34 RACER-CRUISER. $300 monthly plus semiannual boat maintenance fee. No-equity partnership — 35-ft Dutch-built racercruiser sailboat (Dehler 34 Optima 101 1986), tiller, all-teak interior, nearnew standing and running rigging, recent haulout, Yanmar (1900+ hrs). Boat buyout option available. Locals only. $300. SF South Beach Harbor valtaft@gmail.com (650) 670-5300
SAUSALITO PARTNERSHIP CAL 39 MKII. Established partnership seeking new equity partners to sail our classic yacht on a turnkey basis. All maintenance tasks handled by local manager. Prime Sausalito slip. $500/mo each covers all costs after modest buy-in. macdonaldtom4@gmail.com (916) 529-6582
LOOKING FOR BOAT PARTNERSHIP. Looking for partnership on 30-50-ft sailboat, preferably East Bay. Equity and non-equity considered. Have 20+ years of experience sailing on the Bay and chartering internationally. I have partnered successfully on a 31-ft Beneteau for five years. Now I have a small sailing dog that I want to sail with me and the others are allergic. Looking for a clean boat in good condition that is sailed regularly, and responsible, nice sail partners. Berkeley ddodgesf@gmail.com
HAWAII MARINA-FRONT TOWNHOME WITH SLIP. Sail into paradise with this rare 3BR/2BA townhome in Oahu’s gated waterfront Makani Kai Marina — featuring a deeded 34-ft boat slip on stunning Kaneohe Bay. Just minutes from the iconic Sandbar, enjoy instant access to world-class boating, paddling, and fishing. Bright, modern interior with split AC in every room, 27 owned solar panels, and 2 covered parking stalls. No boat? Rent the slip for extra income — slips here are in high demand. Live the island dream in a serene waterfront community. Call Julie Luke, RS-67533. $1,025,000. Kaneohe, HI julie@cadmusproperties.com (808) 3719389 https://tinyurl.com/43u49s4b
FIJI: WATERFRONT FREEHOLD PROPERTY. The perfect Fiji resorthotel investment or a place to build your dream escape. This 19-acre freehold property near Labasa on Vanua Levu offers unbeatable value, natural beauty, and development potential. Adjacent to existing eco-resort! $220,000. Labasa, Fiji framegreg@gmail.com (415) 405-6384 https://tinyurl.com/49mket4d
MAINE COAST COTTAGE FOR RENT.
Enjoy breathtaking sunsets from this lovely 3BR, 1BA home perched above the gentle shore of Beal’s Cove, perfect for kayaking adventures, watching wildlife, and relaxing by the sea as the afternoon light floods the windows. You’ll love exploring all the islands have to offer during the day and retreating to the cottage in the evenings to catch the gorgeous pink, purple and orange hues of a Harpswell sunset. marcia@homesandharbors.com (866)
835-0500 https://tinyurl.com/43475rkj
FREE HOUSE WITH 48-FOOT SLIP IN HAWAII! . Free townhouse with boat slip purchase! OK, not really — but it feels that way. This rare threebedroom, two-bath townhome in Makani Kai Marina includes a deeded slip for your 48-ft boat right on beautiful Kaneohe Bay. Live where you dock, enjoy gated community amenities, and step from your deck to your vessel in minutes. Boat lovers, this is the lifestyle upgrade you’ve been waiting for. Call or email for info. Let’s go sailing! $1,125,000. Kaneohe, HI jc@oceanregroup.com (808) 687-1890 https://tinyurl.com/yn4xhs3k
DRAMATIC WATERFRONT ALAMEDA TOWNHOME. Dramatic waterfront Alameda 3BR/2.5 BA townhome with a private 44-ft deep-water slip attached to the property. An impressive 2,054 sq ft with multiple living spaces all designed to overlook the glistening Ballena Bay. $1,249,000 leah@leahtounger.com (510) 701-6497 https://tinyurl.com/3wdmepyu
42 FOOT OPEN SLIP IN GLEN COVE MARINA. Sub-Let a 42 foot uncovered slip in Glen Cove Marina Vallejo. My husband and I are going cruising and are subletting our 42 foot slip for 450 dollars a month. The marina has brand new bathrooms, showers and a laundry facility. It is a peaceful marina and our neighbors are the best. The marina is being dredged beginning of November so accessibility will be a breeze. $450. Glen Cove Vallejo CA grahamd707@yahoo.com (707) 3302942
AWESOME 50 FT SLIP PIER 39 SAN FRANCISCO. For sale: Stunning city views, 15-ft+ beam, 50-ft length. New cleats, dock box, power pedestal, and hose management. Perfectly located for entire Bay Area coverage and beyond. Very easy access, great maintenance team, parking, and more. $24,000. Slip G-32, Pier 39 Marina greg.rossmann@gjrcap.com (650) 740-0263
EMERY COVE BOAT SLIP FOR RENT. Berths for rent. Emery Cove Yacht Harbor 35-ft = $472.50/month C dock and 40-ft = $540/month E dock. Dockominium-run marina in Emeryville. emerycove.com. Brandnew docks, aluminum with Ipe wood deck, brand-new restrooms, beautiful grounds and just dredged. Great location center of S.F. Bay. Emeryville, CA studio6161@icloud.com http://www. emerycove.com
REDWOOD CITY MARINA SLIPS AVAILABLE. Slips 30’-75’ at great rates! Amenities: parking, bathrooms, laundry, pumpout, free wi-fi, keyless entry. Guest berths also available. Call for availability. 451 Seaport Court, Redwood City, CA 94063 crevay@redwoodcityport.com (650) 3064150 http://www.redwoodcityport.com/ marina
PUERTO VALLARTA BUSINESS FOR SALE. Discover the exciting chance to own ‘YUMMIES Mexico,’ a frozen food sensation with a perfected menu and a loyal customer base aged 40-80. This successful Puerto Vallarta business is now on the market and ready for a new chapter. Explore detailed information on website and FB: https://tinyurl. com/mjb9v9je. La Cruz , Nayarit, MX yummiesbydonyteri@gmail.com 52 (322) 275-3322 http://www.YummiesMexico.com.mx
LATITUDE 38 DELIVERY DRIVER. Be the person everyone loves to see each month! We’re looking for a new Latitude 38 magazine delivery driver to distribute our fresh-off the press monthly issue. Imagine delivering bundles of joy to sailors throughout the Bay Area. This particular vacancy is for the “SF Peninsula” route which, after picking up your magazines in Mill Valley, starts in Richmond and ends in Oakland on Embarcadero. We provide the vehicle. To apply, send your résumé and cover letter with sailing experience by email to Penny with “Latitude Driver” in the subject line. Please, no phone calls! penny@latitude38.com
TEACH SAILING IN SAN FRANCISCO. Spinnaker Sailing SF is hiring sailing instructors and captains. Build your commercial seatime! F/T or P/T aboard our best-maintained fleet of 21-53’ yachts. Midweek/weekend work available, flexible schedule. Work as much as you want!. South Beach Harbor spinnaker.sailing@yahoo.com (415) 543-7333 www.spinnaker-sailing.com/
MEMBERS ACQUISITION AND ENGAGEMENT MANAGER. Club Nautique is the premier sailing school and yacht charter company in the Bay Area, with two locations, in Alameda and Sausalito. We offer classes, sailing and powerboat charters, skippered charters, corporate events, and member events. We are looking for a a Member Acquisition and Engagement Manager in Alameda. This role leads efforts to grow the member base and deepen member involvement, with a focus on onboarding, upgrading, and retention strategies. This role also serves as a primary point of contact for prospective members, guiding them through the inquiry process and converting interest into active memberships. If you are ready to become a valued, contributing member of the Club Nautique team, please send your résumé and cover letter. Alameda michael@clubnautique.net www.tinyurl. com/83sm22aj
EXPERIENCED RIGGER WANTED. Rig shop in business for over 30 years is looking for an experienced rigger to add to our skilled team. Excellent pay is available depending on rigging knowledge. Will accept apprentices if the fit is right. Please email one-page work history and skill set to South Beach Riggers. southbeachriggers@gmail.com (415) 331-3400
NOW HIRING: ASA CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR. SailTime San Francisco seeking certified ASA instructor with current OUPV license. Must be reliable, organized, and excellent communicator. Pay: $30–$40/hr based on certification and experience. Contact us to see our fleet and chat! $40. San Francisco, CA Mollie@sailtime.com (415) 869-2861 https://tinyurl.com/yc8537t5
MARINE MECHANIC POSITION. Come join a professional marine engineering team at the Red and White Fleet. We are looking for an experienced diesel mechanic and/or skilled welder who shares our commitment to safety and quality. This is a full-time position, compensated at $76,000 to $94,000 per year depending on experience and skillset and includes the following benefits: Fully covered healthcare premium — health, dental, and vision. 401(k) with matching. Vacation, (2 weeks years 1 and 2, 3 weeks years 3, 4, and 5, and 4 weeks years 6 and on). Nine holidays. Paid sick time. Employee discount. Professional development assistance. And a great work atmosphere. Please email or visit our website for more info. San Francisco jburgard@redandwhite.com (415) 3412785 https://www.redandwhite.com
MARINE CANVAS INSTALLER POSITION. Part or full time. Compass Canvas is hiring a marine canvas installer to join our team in Richmond, CA. This role offers competitive pay and the opportunity to work on quality marine projects. Requirements: 2+ years experience in the marine industry; detail-oriented and reliable a must; experience with canvas installation is a plus. If you’re experienced, take pride in your work, and want to be part of a dedicated team, we’d love to hear from you. Apply now by sending your résumé to David. Point Richmond david@compass-canvas.com (415) 299-3415 http://compass-canvas.com
JOIN OUR TEAM OF INSTRUCTORS. Spinnaker Sailing in Redwood City is looking for ASA-certified sailing instructors to teach out of our Redwood City Marina location. Part-time, flexible schedules, midweek and/or weekends. Please contact Rich or Bob by phone or email. Redwood City Marina office@spinnakersailing.com (650) 363-1390 https://tinyurl.com/y7b2587
A Well Misspent Youth 24 www.tinyurl.com/4d883ax2
Alameda Marina / Pacific Shops Inc. 12 www.alamedamarina.net/ ATN 25 www.atninc.com
Baja Ha-Ha Beach Party .................. 85 www.vivalapaz.net
Baja Ha-Ha Rally 82 www.baja-haha.com
Baja Ha-Ha Sponsor Page .......... 52.53 www.latitude38.com/headingsouth
Berkeley Marina 16 www.berkeley-marina.com
Berkeley Marine Center .................. 26 www.berkeleymarine.com
Boat Yard at Grand Marina, The .......17 www.boatyardgm.com
Brisbane Marina ............................. 58 www.brisbaneca.org/marina
SAILING SCIENCE CENTER – CONTRACT AND VOLUNTEER POSITIONS OPEN. Community Engagement Coordinator, Graphic Artist, Photographer(s) wanted as contractors or volunteers. Volunteer docents wanted for educational science exhibitions. Ask about other roles. info@sailingscience.org (510) 390-5727 www.sailingscience.org
LICENSED CAPTAIN WANTED. Wanted: Licensed Captain with towing endorsement for TowBoatUS./Vessel Assist on the San Francisco Bay and Delta. Preferred if you live by SF waterfront, Alameda or Bethel Island areas. towboatus.bay.delta@gmail.com (925) 382-4422 www.towboatusdelta.com
Cruising Yachts 98 www.cruisingyachts.net
DeWitt Studio ................................. 98 www.jimdewitt.com
Downwind Marine 63 www.downwindmarine.com
Emery Cove Yacht Harbor ............... 35 www.emerycove.com
Fisheries Supply Co. ........................ 59 www.fisheriessupply.com
Gianola Canvas Products ................ 32 www.gianolacanvas.com
Grand Marina .................................. 2 www.grandmarina.com
Harbor Island West Marina ............. 84 www.harborislandwest.com
Haven Boatworks ............................ 63 www.havenboatworks.com
Helmut’s Marine Service ................. 23 www.helmutsmarine.com
LATITUDE 38 ‘AMBASSADOR’;. Latitude 38 is seeking an “Ambassador.” The ideal candidate is a sailor based in the SF Bay Area, is friendly, outgoing, well-organized and a self-starter with excellent communication skills. They are someone who can work independently as well as manage a team of volunteers. An ambassador encourages enthusiasm, understands the scope and goal of a project and is able to appreciate, respect and organize a team of volunteers to execute a project with efficiency and eagerness. This is an ideal position for someone who is financially secure and looking to stay active and social, and is excited to be part of our vibrant sailing community. Meet and greet the great people who help us distribute the magazine. Read about a few of them here: www.latitude38.com/ lectronic/meet-great-people. Email Penny with AMBASSADOR in the subject line. This is a volunteer position, but a stipend will be offered. SF Bay Area Penny@latitude38.com
www.hydrovane.com Keenan Filters .................................
www.ktisystems.com
KKMI - Full Service Boatyard ......... 100 www.kkmi.com
Light Speed Advanced Fiber Rigging 19 www.lightspeedrigging.com Lind Marine .................................... 67 www.lindmarine.com
Marine Enterprises .................... 24 www.listmarine.com Marchal Sailmakers ........................ 27 www.marchalsailmakers.com/ Marina de La Paz ........................... 34 www.marinadelapaz.com Marina El Cid ................................. 33 www.elcid.com
TWO HARBORS HARBOR PATROL POSITIONS AVAILABLE. Positions available for 2023 season! Two Harbors Harbor Department, on the west end of Catalina Island. Looking for experienced boat operators for seasonal harbor patrol positions (March–October). Harbor patrol assigns and facilitates the use of 700+ moorings on the west end of Catalina Island and assists with transporting passengers to and from shore. USCG license required for passenger transport, seasonal mooring included for patrol personnel with liveaboard vessels. Rates from $18-$21/hr. Two Harbors, Catalina Jrconner@scico.com (310) 510-4201
CREW POSITION WANTED. Retired carpenter looking for adventure. I would like to find a crew position for the Baja Ha-Ha or sail around the Channel Islands. I have ocean and racing experience and can help with expenses and repairs. Thanks — Michael. Ukiah, CA michael.s.121@att.net (707) 354-4326
PLAN YOUR MEXICAN GETAWAY
NOW. At the gorgeous Cielo Y Mar condos. Located in Punta Mita, 35 minutes from Puerto Vallarta, available to rent from private owner. On the beach, 10 feet from the water, they offer spectacular views of ocean and mountains, the biggest infinity pool in the area, an endless beach, great surf breaks, great fishing, tremendous views of whales, bird life and the islands. While uncrowded and tranquil, just a five-minute walk to several waterfront restaurants. Choose from a spacious, beautifully furnished one- or three-bedroom unit, or an amazing two-story penthouse with lovely shade trellis on the top floor. To reserve, call or email Dona de Mallorca. puntamitabeachfrontcondos@gmail. com (415) 269-5165
Marina Riviera Nayarit 30 www.marinarivieranayarit.com
Modern Sailing School & Club......... 23 www.modernsailing.com
NAOS Yachts 49 www.naosyachts.com
Napa Valley Marina ....................... 20 www.napavalleymarina.com
Ocean Planet Energy 29 www.oceanplanetenergy.com/
Outboard Motor Shop .................... 28 www.outboardmotorshop.com
Oyster Point Marina 31 www.smharbor.com
Paradise Village .............................. 55 www.paradisemexico.com
Port of Redwood City ...................... 29 www.redwoodcityport.com
Powerstride Battery ......................... 33 www.powerstridebattery.com
SPINNAKER FOR SALE. Horizon triradical spinnaker. 0.5 oz., light blue in excellent condition. Luff 52 feet, foot 30 feet. This is from a C&C 40 and is perfect for the Baja Ha-Ha. $600. Santa Cruz pacrimplangrp@gmail.com (831) 8186669
CRUISING GEAR. Commander 3.0 four-person life raft, $1,400. Fortress FX 37 anchor with storage bag, $600. Rode 200 ft. 5/8-in with 50 ft chain, $200. All items new. Contact Terry. Reno ,NV twasik6747@gmail.com (775) 691-9147
SPECTRA CATALINA 340Z 14 GPH WATERMAKER. 12-volt. This watermaker has been fully reconditioned by an authorized Spectra agent. New membrane, new electronics (MPC 5000), new feed pump, remanufactured Clark pump. Saltwater-tested and ready to go. $8,600. Sausalito, CA bill.edinger.spectra@gmail.com (415) 640-2469
Quantum Pacific 48 www.quantum.com
Raiatea Carenage Services..............83 www.raiateacarenage.com
Richard Boland Yacht Sales ............. 99 www.richardbolandyachts.com
Richardson Bay Marina ................... 32 www.richardsonbaymarina.com
Richmond Yacht Club ...................... 66 www.richmondyc.org
Rubicon Yachts....................... 5,6,7,8,9 www.rubiconyachts.com
Sailrite Kits ..................................... 15 www.sailrite.com
San Francisco on the Bay ................ 35 www.sfonthebay.com/list-38
Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors/SAMS ...................................... 26 Svendsen’s Bay Maritime
South Beach Harbor........................22 www.sfport.com/southbeachharbor
MARINE DIESEL ENGINES. Two Mercedes Benz OM636 40hp marine diesels. Bowman heat exchangers. Rebuilt but never run. Also two parted-out OM636 marine engines. Plus two Volvo hydraulic drive systems. $4,000. Ventura CA nfcoetzee@hotmail.com (805) 3205580
LOOKING FOR 24 FT PIVER TRIMARAN ‘NO NAME’;. We’re former owners of the plywood 24-ft Piver trimaran that sailed around the world in the ’70s. The boat’s last known location was San Diego. We’d appreciate hearing from anyone who might know the whereabouts of ‘No Name.’ wolfinds@mindspring.com(415) 8063334
DONATE YOUR BOAT. The Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors strives to make sailing accessible to people with disabilities. BAADS is always on the lookout for donated boats to support its mission. Help an all-volunteer organization while receiving a charitable tax deduction. boatdonations@baads.org (415) 5329831
Bay Maritime 11 www.sbm.baymaritime.com
Yachts .............................. 10 www.swiftsureyachts.com
Moorings 3 www.moorings.com Things Nautical ............................... 34 www.ThingsNautical.com
Ullman Sails San Francisco & Monterey Bay ................................................ 21 www.ullmansails.com/location/ullmansails-san-francisco-and-monterey-bay Ventura Harbor Boatyard ................ 33 www.vhby.com
Westwind Precision Details .............. 28 www.boatdetailing.com
Whale Point Marine Supply ............... 4 www.aceretailer.com/whalepoint Whiting and Associates ................... 33 www.norcalmarinesurveyors.com
Yachtfinders/Windseakers ............... 54 www.yachtfinderswindseakers.com
Marina Village, Alameda Office 510-521-6213 Direct 510-610-6213
2ND
Westpoint Harbor, Redwood City Richard • Svendsen’s, Richmond/Alameda Rob • rbys@aol.com • www.richardbolandyachts.com
Richard: 510-610-6213
Mik: 510-552-7272
Rob: 619-552-6943
Barney: 510-541-1963
David: 781-526-8469
Michael: 831-236-5905
George 415-793-9376
Stephenie 415-299-9780
