FLOWERS ARE BLOOMING, THE WEATHER IS WARMING UP, and boating season has officially arrived. Now is the perfect time to decide where your boat will call home.
You could rent a slip anywhere… but why settle for ordinary when you can have exceptional?
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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.
And much more...
Directory of Grand Marina Tenants
The FinesT sails Begin
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
Outbound 46 with Hood Vektron Full Batten Mainsail, 140% Genoa, and Solent Jib
Min ö is a highly upgraded and lightly used/well maintained Leopard 45. She features a balance of o shore capable performance with re ned onboard comfort with design re ecting a clear brief: e cient passagemaking, intuitive systems, and a calm, light- lled interior that rewards extended time aboard. The deck plan is clean and secure for short-handed operation, with well-designed sail handling that can be accomplished by electric winches at the raised helm station. Her salon features fantastic views to the outside from the galley and settee, plus fully enclosed forward and aft cockpits that are an extension to the interior in all but the worst conditions (the aft cockpit can be heated by the Webasto hydronic heater). Her threestateroom, three-head layout provides luxurious accommodations, with ample light in the cabins from overhead hatches and hull side windows.
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.
34’ JEANNEAU SUN ODYSSEY 349, 2021
$209,000 San Rafael (415) 453-4770
RUBICON YACHTS RUBICON YACHTS
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.
RUBICON YACHTS
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.
Go With the Best
Winning rigging engineered for performance, safety and value
Winning rigging engineered for performance, safety and value.
CALENDAR
'If I could find a better rigger I'd do it. Scott dedication to getting the best out of every race boat, whether on the water as a sailor or off the water installing the most advanced and successful race rigging available, is the reason we keep coming back. The Easom team's hard work, skill and expertise keeps Pyewacket right where we want her - out front!' Roy Pat Disney, owner, Pyewacket
with purchase of North Sails from Scott Easom. Call today for details.
Your trusted source of exclusive Marlow lines.
Your trusted source of exclusive Marlow lines.
Non-Race
Apr. 1 — April Fools Day.
Apr. 1 — Full Pink Moon on a Wednesday.
Apr. 2 — Corinthian Speaker Series, CYC, Tiburon, 7 p.m. With author Steve Thomas. Free. RSVP, speakers@cyc.org
Apr. 4 — Southern CA Dockwalker Training, Silver Gate YC, San Diego, 10 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Free. DBW Boating Clean and Green, https://dbw.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=29199
Apr. 4-25 — Small Boat Sailing, South Beach Harbor, San Francisco, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, weather permitting. Free, but preregister. BAADS, www.baads.org/sailing.
Apr. 5-26 — Keelboat Sailing, South Beach Harbor, San Francisco, noon-5 p.m. Sundays, weather permitting. Free, but preregister. BAADS, www.baads.org/sailing
Apr. 9 — Northern CA Dockwalker Training, online, 9-11:45 a.m. Free. DBW Boating Clean and Green, https:// dbw.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=29199.
Apr. 11 — Sailing4 Parkinson's Cruise-Out & Black Tie Fund-raiser, Corinthian YC, Tiburon. Benefiting the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research & Parkinson Association of Northern California. Info, www.sailing4parkinsons.org
Apr. 18 — Sail a Small Boat Day, Richmond YC, 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Free; free hot dogs. RYC, www.richmondyc.org
Apr. 18 — Opening Day on the Strait, Benicia YC & Marina, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Decorated boat parade, 1:30 p.m. Live music, kids' area, food & drinks. Free admission. BenYC, https://beniciayachtclub.org/upcoming-events
Apr. 18 — Northern CA Dockwalker Training, Oakland YC, Alameda, 10 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Free. DBW Boating Clean and Green, https://dbw.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=29199.
Apr. 18-19 — Watersports Merit Badge Clinic, Boathouse, Shoreline Lake, Mountain View, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. With Scouting America Pacific Skyline Council. Info, www.shorelinelake.com.
Apr. 22 — Earth Day.
Apr. 23 — Southern CA Dockwalker Refresher, online, 2-3:30 p.m. Free. DBW Boating Clean and Green, https:// dbw.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=29199.
Apr. 23 — Corinthian Speaker Series, CYC, Tiburon, 7 p.m. With Ron Epstein on Sydney Hobart, Take II. Free. RSVP, speakers@cyc.org
Apr. 25 — Tall Ship Celebration, Bay Model Visitor Center, Sausalito, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tours of Matthew Turner & Bay Model, rope-making demo, marine science, educational activities, live music. Call of the Sea, www.callofthesea.org.
Easom Racing and Rigging 1230 Brickyard Cove Rd. Suite 102 • Point Richmond, CA (510) 232-SAIL (7245) seasom@sbcglobal.net
Apr. 25 — Northern CA Dockwalker Refresher, online, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. DBW Boating Clean and Green, https:// dbw.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=29199
Apr. 25 — Opening Day on Lake Washington in West Sacramento. LWSC, www.lwsailing.org
This summer, book 6 nights and enjoy your 7th for only US$500!*
*100% of 7th-night proceeds support Oceana's work protecting Belize's barrier reef. *Offer valid until November 15, 2026. Conditions apply.
CALENDAR
Apr. 26 — Opening Day on the Bay. Theme: Legends & Myths of the Deep. Info, https://picya.org.
May 1 — Concert Series, Spaulding Marine Center, Sausalito, 6-9 p.m. With Michèle Walther in the One-WomanOrchestra. $20. Info, www.spauldingcenter.org
May 1 — Southern CA Dockwalker Training, Ventura West Marina, 10 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Free. DBW Boating Clean and Green, https://dbw.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=29199.
May 2 — Swap Meet, Stockton Sailing Club, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Rain or shine. SSC, www.stocktonsc.org
May 2 — Opening Day in Moss Landing. ElkYC, www. elkhornyachtclub.org
&
berths
May 2 — Southern CA Dockwalker Training, Marina del Rey YC, 10 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Free. DBW Boating Clean and Green, https://dbw.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=29199.
May 3 — Safety at Sea with Hands On, Encinal YC, Alameda. PCYC, https://admin.pacificcup.org/course/sas.
May 7 — Northern CA Dockwalker Refresher, online, 2-3:30 p.m. Free. DBW Boating Clean and Green, https:// dbw.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=29199.
May 14 — Corinthian Speaker Series, CYC, Tiburon, 7 p.m. With David Helvarg, founder of Blue Frontier. Free. RSVP, speakers@cyc.org
Racing
Apr. 1 — J/22 Spring Series. StFYC, www.stfyc.com.
Apr. 4 — Spring Series. FLYC, www.flyc.org.
Apr. 4 — Anne McCormack Women's Invitational Cup. SFYC, www.sfyc.org.
Apr. 4 — Andy Byrd Memorial Race. CPYC, www.cpyc.com.
Apr. 4 — Spring Regatta. SeqYC, www.sequoiayc.org.
Apr. 4 — Commodore's Regatta. SCYC, www.scyc.org.
Apr. 4, May 9 — Spring Saturday Series. EYC, www. encinal.org.
Apr. 4, May 9 — North Bay Series. VYC, www.vyc.org.
Apr. 5 — Estuary Cup. EYC, www.encinal.org.
Apr. 11 — Wheeler Regatta/YRA Bay Series #2. BYC, www. berkeleyyc.org, www.yra.org
Apr. 11 — DH Farallones. BAMA, www.sfbama.org.
Apr. 11 — Bullship Race. Sausalito to San Francisco in El Toros. RYC, www.richmondyc.org.
Apr. 11 — Laser, Sunfish & Open Midwinters/Learn to Race. LWSC, www.lwsailing.org
Apr. 12 — Champion of Champions. SCYC, www.scyc.org. Apr. 12 — One Design Spring 3-4. MPYC, www.mpyc.org.
PHOTO BY: ARIANNA CUNHA
ON THE G
Protect our waters from avoidable pollutants and harmful bacteria. Next time nature calls, or your holding tank is full, Get On Board with the Pumpout Nav app to find the nearest floating restroom, pumpout or dump station. Download it today.
for 1200 Milton Road • Napa, CA 94559 (707) 252-8011 • Fax (707) 252-0851 www.napavalleymarina.com
TAHOE YC — Spring Laser Series: Monday nights, 5/257/6. Spring Beer Can Series: Wednesday nights, 5/27-7/15. Mike, (925) 708-3374 or www.tahoeyc.com.
TIBURON YC — Friday nights, 5/8-6/12 & 7/24-8/28.
Berkeley Marina’s newest D & E docks are nearly complete purpose-built for modern boaters. Enjoy brand-new construction, free slipholder parking, rounded cap finger docks, and modern 30A & 50A shore power pedestals.
F & G Docks are getting redecked this winter, and O & K Docks upgraded pedestals have just gone in. With stunning views of the bay, skyline, and bridges plus dining, hotels, coffee, parks, clubs, recreation, boat yard, and shopping just steps away you ’ re perfectly positioned for your next season on the water. Sign up today and get 2 months free!
Rob, (415) 577-7199 or www.tyc.org — Wednesday nights, 4/1-9/30. Mark, (916) www.vyc.org or www.jibeset.net
In the Tropics — Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race. www.nosa.org. — Tahiti-Moorea Sailing Rendez-vous. Info, www. tahiti-moorea-sailing-rdv.com. — Pacific Cup Starts. San Francisco-Kaneohe, https://pacificcup.org. — Little Ensenada International Yacht Race. SWYC, www.southwesternyc.org. — Baja Ha-Ha XXXII cruising rally. San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. Info, www.baja-haha.com.
Please send your calendar items by the 10th of the month 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.
April Weekend Tides
Predictions for Station 9414290, San Francisco (Golden Gate) date/day time/ht. time/ht. time/ht. time/ht.
April Weekend Currents
NOAA Predictions for .88 NM NE of the Golden Gate Bridge
Lind Marine is proud to announce it has launched an entire NEW FLEET of marina and homeowner dredging equipment.
Lind Marine Added Capabilities
Fleet of 4 new dump scows designed to fit in all marinas and homeowner docks
New electric clam shell dredge, ABS loadline, designed to dig out slips up to 90’ long
Pile driving, dock repair, seawall repair and installation
In house permitting department
Survey boat with brand new state of the art single beam system Small and large vessel salvage
Full service shipyard
LETTERS
⇑⇓ … TO SHOW OFF OUR SKILLS AND COMMAND OF THE SEAS
Nothing like the undeveloped frontal cortex of an adolescent male to create havoc on a sailboat.
Fifty-two years ago, our regular summer job was to deliver the family sailboat, a C&C 30, to the Delta. We departed IYC at about nine in the morning, and by the time we passed Olympic Circle, it was blowing a steady 20 knots, with gusts to what, 30? We ran wing-and-wing down San Pablo Bay — a perfect sleigh ride — with a few moments of planing down waves. It was too breezy for a spinnaker, but plenty of fun for the three of us "veteran" sailors. We blasted through the Carquinez Strait.
By Pittsburg, we steered left into the Sacramento River, but by then the wind had dropped considerably. Someone called for a spinnaker. Highway 160, between Antioch and Rio Vista, was in view and next to the river, and there was Father in his car. He was our ride back to Alameda. He saw us, we saw him. He probably waved. It was definitely time to put the spinny up now to show off our skills and command of the seas. There was now less than 10 knots of wind. It was a little dicey, but the river was flat and as smooth as a lake. The jib was dropped, the spinnaker went up, and the boat stepped up in speed. Instantly Aeolus decided to send his greetings. A huge gust knocked us down — probably a thermal spinning off the Montezuma Hills.
To keep from falling overboard, everyone grabbed what they could: safety lines, stanchions, a winch. With the mast only a few degrees short of horizontal, the portside cockpit submerged and the portside spinny cam cleat buried. But no MOB.
So far, so good.
The starboard spinny sheet remained high and dry, out of reach for those of us who preferred to hang on. The boat righted itself, the spinnaker caught the wind without prodding, and we were underway again, whether we liked it or not. We knocked down a second time, but his time one of us had the presence of mind to release the starboard sheet at the cam, though not without consequence. The line exploded at the tail winch, and in all the turmoil had gotten wrapped around Kathy W's bikinied midriff. The resulting circumferential rope burn was as nasty as the
Good news/bad news about knockdowns in the Delta (seen here in the 2017 Delta Ditch Run): The good news is that they're not uncommon, so don't take it as an affront to your seamanship skills. The bad news? See the good news.
LETTERS
circumferential bruise. I'm still wincing today. (Eternal apologies, Kathy, wherever you are.)
Now back in control, we glance over at Father who is scowling and shaking his head.
Scott
and Bill Sibbett
Crinan, C&C 30 Latitude Nation
LETTERS
⇑⇓ WE WERE WRONG
My late husband and I sailed our Catalina 27 from Dana Point to San Francisco in 1974. We were in our mid-20s and my late husband had taken a new job in San Mateo, so we decided to sail our boat to our new home in Foster City. We had taken a Power Squadron class and USCG Auxiliary boating safety class and we felt ready for our cruise up the California coast.
Wow! We were really wrong!
We had a number of crazy adventures during that 11-day cruise. A copy of the Coast Pilot book was very helpful in describing the conditions and currents along the coastline. Somehow, we actually did sail up the coast without drowning or destroying our boat.
Nancy R. Peterson
⇑⇓ SAILING IN YOUR 20S, A DOUBLE ENTENDRE
You can do a lot of great cruising in your 20s.
Our first experience was an early prototype of the Moore 24, which my wife and I sailed from Santa Cruz to Honolulu in 17 days in 1975. (That boat is still sailing and will soon be getting a refit.)
Sadly, we couldn't find any photos of David and Mrs. Ingalls's numerous bluewater cruises on 20-ft boats, but pictured here is John Tysell and Gwynne Crouse on the Cal 3-30 'Soufriere'. The couple sailed from San Diego to San Francisco in 1979. (Search "Sailing California Coast in the '70s, Parts 1 and 2," on the Latitude website.)
The second experience started as a Bahama 25 bare hull, which I finished for passagemaking with a cold-molded deck and cabin. That boat left from Portland in 1981 and went down the coast. (There was an interview and photo spread in Cabo by the Grand Poobah in a well-known sailing magazine.) We got as far as Manzanillo, then through French Polynesia, the Cooks, Tonga, the Samoas and New Zealand over the course of a two-and-a-half-year cruise. The next boat, an Ultimate 20, was super-fun, but we stayed much closer to shore. (There was later a cruise in a larger boat, but that strays off of the subject.)
No regrets about the 20s. They didn't cost much and enabled us to do our cruising when we were young.
David Ingalls
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2001 Tayana Vancouver 42
The Tayana 42 Vancouver is established as a serious and proper offshore yacht. An extensive refit means she’s ready for the Baja Ha-Ha and bluewater cruising. Asking $150,000 Call Nick Friedman 310-748-5409
JOHN TYSELL
WHALE POINT
LETTERS
Epoxy 32oz #19454 $4999
126.6oz #19452 $11099 Hardener
7oz: Fast #19457 or Slow #19456 $3299
27.5oz: Fast #19459 or Slow #19458 $5999
6 gal, #406011: NOW $59999 11 gal, #411011: NOW $69999
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non-slippery, protective polymer coating. 1 gallon, #85900: Now $5299 1 quart, #8654: Now $2599
⇑⇓ WHY SAIL?
For me, it's a Zen thing. The best time is sunset out in S.F. Bay; I sail back and forth between Alcatraz and Angel Island looking out toward the Golden Gate Bridge.
Folks will ask me, "Dave, what do you do out there?" I respond with, "I excel at going nowhere slowly!"
David Fritz
David was commenting on the March 4 'Lectronic Latitude with the same name as this letter.
⇑⇓ … BECAUSE IT'S THERE
"Why sail" is not a stupid question, but I will counter: Why not sail?
I'm the cruiser type. The strategy and expertise of racing impresses me, but just watching and feeling the boat move through the water is enough for me. I think I once calculated 0.06 knots going into an anchorage. All sailing is good sailing. I've never had a bad experience sailing — until I bought a newer boat, but I fixed it.
John Lundquist
⇑⇓ THE ERROR AND EDUCATION OF OUR WAYS
Fabulous writing! [By Richard vonEhrenkrook in the March 4 'Lectronic: Tales From the Can — SSS Corinthian: The Exquisite Torture Sandwich.]
Thanks for making the race come alive again and teaching us the error(s?) of our ways on the course. This means the most coming from the smallest yet mightiest of us all. Three cheers for the 'Can'!
Kristen Splash
Why sail? The reasons are too numerous to name, but witnessing moments such as these — a squall on the Pacific as witnessed on a passage from California to Hawaii in November 2025 — are high on the list for some of us.
Beer cans are a place to learn, have fun, and — if you're
LETTERS
LETTERS
⇑⇓ WHOOPSY ON THE WHOOPASS
Hi Richard — My apologies for SR nearly colliding with CO'W after rounding Blackaller. It was a new discovery for me that the tiller pilot struggles to hold a course with the spinnaker up when it's gusty and bumpy. I am in awe at your skill with navigating the current/wind fields. You must have gained a mile on the way to Bob Klein while I floundered in the Angel Island whirlpools. Watch and learn. Thank you.
Jay McCutchen
Surf Rat, Santa Cruz 27 Bay Area
⇑⇓ THE RESULTS AND INFLATION
My crew told me, when she read my draft, that we actually placed fourth in doublehanded spin monohull, not fifth. C Cubed took first, by a lot; Shaman was second; Raven was third. The altitude must have gone to my head.
Richard
vonEhrenkrook
Can O'Whoopass Tiburon
Readers — Here's an excerpt from the aforementioned 'LL by Mr. vonEhrenkrook: "Having gone the wrong way in January's SSS Three Bridge Fiasco, crew Rachel Porter and I were hell bound to redeem our name in Saturday's SSS Corinthian Race. After the start was postponed, attempted, postponed, and then went into sequence (to the applause of the racers; one radio input was, 'You don't have to apologize for doing the right thing'), the doublehanded fleets got down to business."
⇑⇓ THE PREVIOUS WRITER SPEAKING EXISTENTIALLY ABOUT AGE AND A FAMOUS BAY AREA SAILOR
As a racer approaching 70, two things come to mind: The beauty of the fact that sailing, and sailboat racing, is mostly a mental event, and one can be all they can be into their 80s. Witness my friend Harold Easom, who destroyed, up to the point of transition.
said.
The second is that the key to winning is not just being precise as much as being joyful, grateful and flexible. That
Paul Cayard and Frithjof Kleen capped off a banner year in the Star class by winning the 99th edition of the Bacardi Cup in South Florida on March 7. For Cayard, 66, it was his first-ever Bacardi Cup victory following some 45 years of competing in the event. "Winning the Bacardi Cup completes my Star class résumé," Cayard
LETTERS
frees one to be precise, without being dogmatic. It seems that Paul [Cayard], who has embraced joy throughout his sailing life, still has the keys to the kingdom.
Richard vonEhrenkrook
Richard was commenting on the March 11 'Lectronic Latitude: Cayard and Kleen Continue Star Run To Win Bacardi Cup.
⇑⇓ SPEAKING OF JOYFUL RACING AND THE VENERABLE CAL 20 …
Half Moon Bay Yacht Club has a fleet of Cal 20s that members maintain and use in our cozy little harbor. We have lots of fun with Friday night racing and a regular schedule of races. Go to www.hmbyc.org.
Stan Martin
⇑⇓ PREPARATION, IN SAILING OR OTHERWISE
I am sending this article to my granddaughter — who is not yet a sailor — because it conveys precious perspective on that dramatic change from high school to university, no matter your chosen activity.
John McNeill
John was commenting on the the February 27 'Lectronic Latitude: Blake Oberbauer Navigates the Transition Into College Sailing, by Chloe Eenmaa. Here's an excerpt from that article: By the time Tiburon sailor Blake Oberbauer arrived in Hanover, New Hampshire, this past fall, she already had years of planning behind her.
She had been thinking about college sailing since middle school, mapping out a path that would eventually lead her to New England. Now a freshman on the Dartmouth sailing team, she's discovered that the experience is about much more than just racing.
⇑⇓ THE TRIBE
Well said, Blake, and well covered, Chloe.
Whatever school they choose, whether the sailing team is varsity or club, the freshman arrives with a tribe waiting and ready.
Kimball Livingston San Francisco
MICHAEL FIALA
Before heading to Dartmouth, Blake Oberbauer was captain of the Redwood High School sailing team. She led the Giants to four NorCal regional wins in the 2024 season.
LETTERS
⇑⇓ WILL AI WIN THE PACIFIC CUP?
I am not a fan of AI.
I enjoy a life where people are unique, and make decisions from their own minds. With AI, people — and the world where we live — will eventually become the same in a perfectly boring place. The world will not be interesting if individuals have no use for their own unique and interesting minds. That would be a shame. I feel sorry for the future.
Memo was commenting on the February 16 'Lectronic with the same name as this letter, written by Pacific Cup brass Michael Moradzadeh. In that story, he said, "For the racer and voyage planner, AI-assisted polar generation and routing are already available for a modest fee from PredictWind or others. You can even get AI to help write your blog posts as you cheerily tell folks on land about your adventures. Just over the horizon, however, things may not be so cheery."
"Starlink gives racers the ability to bring AI's 'brain power' with them so that AI and advanced instrumentation could easily destroy the fun. Imagine a race where each crew has a headset and gets instructions — 'TRIM' or 'TWO DEGREES to PORT' every few seconds. The boat performs perfectly to her polars, winning the race."
⇑⇓ SHOUTOUT TO THE "FUN RACE TO HAWAII"
I am writing to give kudos to Pacific Cup! Not only is it a very fun race to Hawaii, it's also a serious, competitive race. The Pac Cup has set this up to help both serious racers and those who are doing the crossing for the first time. The mentoring and checklist are superb and help any boat to ensure the boxes are checked for a safe, competitive and fun time!
Velina
Barnes Second Wind, Sabre 426 Richmond
⇑⇓ THE OAKLAND ESTUARY … AGAIN
I ran the Lake Merritt Sailing Club located at the Jack London Aquatic Center from 2004 to October 2006. At that time, it was a beautiful and vibrant youth center and sailing
LETTERS
The biennial Pacific Cup brings boats big and small to the starting line. Here's an example of the very big (and the very beamy), as the 139-ft 'Mari-Cha IV' exits San Francisco Bay at the start of the 2004 Pacific Cup.
club. What's happened in the Estuary may be the saddest thing I've ever seen a community allow to take place.
I can't say I will ever regret leaving JLAC to sail to Hawaii that year, but I sure am sorry for the citizens of Oakland for losing an amazing community center and Estuary.
James Lane Cetacea, Baba 30 Planet Ocean
James was commenting on the December 2025 'Lectronic: Estuary Anchor-Outs, Raft-Ups, and Wrecks — The Problem Keeps Growing. The following comments come from a series of articles written late last year.
⇑⇓ DEBATING … AGAIN … WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE PROBLEM OF DERELICT BOATS IN THE ESTUARY
A major contributor to the derelict-boat problem is that the DMV requires payment of all outstanding fees and fines before a repaired or refurbished boat can have a new owner. Abandoned but serviceable boats often have several years of unpaid DMV fees, which make them sadly uneconomic to purchase. So they remain abandoned until they sink. It's a huge problem.
Steven C Kahlich
•
Normally we run images of half-sunken boats littering the Oakland Estuary in these threads (and there will be at least one), but despite the East Bay shoreline's many problems, there is plenty of positivity there, too. Columbia 5.5s spar on the Estuary in 2023.
Steve — Someday soon (and I hate saying this cuz I don't want to give out ideas like this to the DMV), there may be a "disposal fee" added to each boat registration, just like buying a TV at Best Buy where you need to prepay the ewaste fee. I'm only saying this because they must be thinking along these lines already. I hope we can come up with a solution before that becomes reality.
Roger Anderson
Steve — Well, hypothetically, let's imagine that a government agency is empowered to aggressively go after boat owners to pay for incidents like this. Now, imagine that every time a boat that you sold years ago washes up on shore, this agency comes after you because whoever you sold it to never reported their purchase. Would you believe that this solves the problem?
LETTERS
LETTERS
⇑⇓ ONE PARTICULAR BOAT'S STORY
Who put the main up? [We're not sure.]
Could the boat be sold to someone that wanted a project? It doesn't seem to be covered by mold and algae like most abandoned boats. If not, money could have been made trying to sell stuff off the boat if it were deemed abandoned, such as winches, chain, anchors, dinghy, radios, EPIRBs, bbqs, valves, spare parts, etc. Once stripped, the boat could be drained of environmental problems and towed to a safe place to sink it or the Navy/ USCG could have gun practice.
This boat, seen here in November 2025, was anchored off Coast Guard Island in the Oakland Estuary for months before it went adrift into the shoreline and began to sink, appar ently unattended. This vessel exem plifies the hands-off attitude adopted by local, state and federal agencies, allowing these types of vessels to proliferate and fester.
With a good anchor and chain, it might make a good race marker for a yacht club, as long as it stayed lit properly at night with a solar-powered light (and bilge pump), etc. As it is, the county will probably pay $400K to have a contractor cut it up and bring it to a landfill, then raise every one's taxes to pay for that.
Roger Anderson
Roger was commenting on the November 2025 'LL: Agen cies and Sailboat Adrift on the Oakland Estuary
⇑⇓ NOT THE ANSWER!
The camp-outs and derelict problem is a blight, nuisance and hazard that — for most of us — encroaches on the right to enjoyment of the public areas. A couple of years ago, the public launch ramp and parking lot at Vallejo was complete ly taken over by these same types. I found it depressing and never want to go back there.
Part of the problem is lack of political will to confront the issue — and a tough hand is needed to nip the problem in the bud, or the derelict communities will grow and become more aggressive and entitled. And to homeless advocates: Anchor-out encampments are not the answer!
David Whaley
⇑⇓ DOES SOCAL HAVE THE ANSWER?
In Southern California, specifically San Diego, an effort by Dean West (current president of the CYBA) to work with marinas that have derelict boats in highly desirable spaces, along with the county, to remove them means new tax rev enue for the county, with new (read tax-paying) boat owners looking for a slip. It also saves the "salvage" costs that we all pay for.
One would hope that a similar effort might be made on S.F. Bay to save these catastrophes from happening.
Mik Maguire
LETTERS
⇑⇓ THE PRODUCT IS THE PROBLEM
I'm in the middle of trying to dispose of a 16-ft fiberglass runabout. Rather than post it on Craigslist to end up as more trash in the Estuary, I'm trying to dispose of it — but I'm not getting anywhere. Does anyone have info on where to tow a boat for proper disposal? This might help other boats out there, too.
Range lr
We do not have a lot of information on boat disposal, though we do know that when a big grant is awarded to various government entities, some people surrender their vessels for "free" disposal. (Those grants are taxpayer money.)
We'll let our readers know if we hear of anything.
⇑⇓ A COMMENT ON OUR COVERAGE OF JOHN SWEENEY AND POINT BUCKLER ISLAND
Is it just me, or is this article basically a press release for Sweeney dressed up as journalism? We get pages of his accusations, his feelings, his narrative, his AI-assisted hero arc — but not a single quote from the agencies he's accusing. No BCDC. No Water Board. No Army Corps. No scientists. Not even the Land Trust that now owns the island.
If you're going to publish a story about a decade of lawsuits, environmental rulings, and allegations of fraud, maybe — bare minimum — talk to the people on the other side of the lawsuits. Otherwise it's not reporting, it's fan fiction.
Bill Price
Bill was commenting on the December 2025 'Lectronic Latitude: John Sweeney Files New Point Buckler Island Lawsuits. Mr. Sweeney was also a recent guest on our Good Jibes podcast.
We could have done more, Bill. Any story that touches on years of litigation, environmental regulation and accusations of wrongdoing benefits from hearing from all the parties involved. Ideally, that would include the agencies that you mentioned and others who have been involved in decisions about the island. Our readers deserve that context.
Doing even this kind of basic, what-both-sides-said journalism takes a lot of time and resources that Latitude simply does not have. In this case, the December 2025 'Lectronic focused on Sweeney's account of the dispute and his experience navigating a long regulatory process — a perspective that's part of the story, but (as you note) isn't the entire story.
A recent SFGATE article about Point Buckler notes that
Point Buckler Island has been a controversial piece of marshland that touches on broader questions about private property rights, environmental protection, public access to the Bay and the role of government agencies in regulating sensitive wetlands.
agencies concluded Sweeney's construction — including le vees and other structures — damaged sensitive tidal wet lands and violated environmental rules. The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board maintains that its actions were enforcement, not a land grab. "The water board doesn't grab land," the board's executive officer Eileen White told SFGATE. "We don't want to grab land. Our mission is to preserve, enhance and restore the Bay Area's water re sources." Since January 2025, the island has been auctioned and purchased by the John Muir Land Trust, which says it intends to remove the levees and restore natural tidal flows to the marsh.
We acknowledge the competing narratives: Sweeney's view that he was unfairly targeted by regulators, and the po sition of agencies and conservation groups that their actions were driven by environmental protection and compliance with the law. We hope that publishing letters like yours helps shed light on the other side of the story.
⇑⇓ TREASURE ISLAND MARINA MODERNIZATION TEAM EYES FIRST WORK BEGINNING IN JUNE
This story [the November 2025 with the same name as this letter] reads like a press release from the developers. I remain highly skeptical that this will be the resounding success stated in the article. The island may end up with a beautiful marina, but at the cost of ev erything else the cove had been used for.
have been waiting to see what will emerge from a multi-milliondollar development, seen in a rendering above, on Treasure Island. Will the Treasure Island Sailing Center reopen? Will Clipper Cove remain open to raft-ups? Will the marina have slips for smaller boats?
⇑⇓ WHAT WILL BECOME OF CLIPPER COVE?
This plan destroys an anchorage that is one of the best and most beloved by Bay Area sailors. Hundreds have gathered here over the years and cherish it as a place that builds friendships and serves as a hub for sailing culture. This plan is not what sailors want. It marks the sad end of an era that favors economic development over culture and magic.
Lish
⇑⇓ TISC?
What about the youth sailing club that has been there forever?
Richard Angelis
⇑⇓ WHITE ELEPHANT DEJA-VU IN BERKELEY?
Who wouldn't love having a convenient, low-cost
Sailors
SAN J U AN ISLAND S
Evergreen-studded islands, abundant wildlife and peaceful anchorages. Experienced or new to sailing, we can help you discover the joys of cruising the beautiful San Juan Islands! Beginner to advanced liveaboard courses. Monohull and catamaran bareboat charters. Guided otillas too!
LETTERS
SAILING4PARKINSONS
REGATTA
Berkeley ferry to sightsee around the Bay? Plus having the security of knowing such a ferry will be available to transport emergency response staff and equipment across the Bay in the event of a major quake and bridge collapse?
However, as usual with politically driven planning, the devil is in the details.
We continue to be told that recreational enjoyment of the Berkeley Marina will not be impacted by converting the existing (barricaded in 2015) 3,000-foot public recreational pier into a high-capacity ferry commuter terminal. Also, that the bulk of the pier/ferry costs will be borne by WETA.
Unfortunately, city staff and WETA proponents are being disingenuous, at best. Their own documentation portends dramatic restrictions on recreational access and parking. In addition, Berkeley residents and visitors accessing this regional public resource will be expected to subsidize ferry operations to the tune of over $5 million annually, which is documented in WETA's own records while being denied by city staff. (Reference WETA's 2022 Berkeley Business Plan.) Also well documented is the requirement for Berkeley to fund all shoreside improvements for the ferry, along with tens of millions for the much-shortened pier itself.
Fortunately, there is a better approach, although one studiously ignored or discounted by WETA and Berkeley leadership. That approach would be to berth smaller ferries within the marina harbor at existing docks. Doing so would eliminate the majority of projected capital costs, while ensuring this White Elephant doesn't turn into an albatross around park users' necks for decades to come. However, whenever such an approach has been suggested, it is immediately rejected by WETA leadership ("Our Board would never approve."), primarily citing the ongoing desire for high-capacity vessels (250+ passengers) and minimized docking/maneuvering time.
Apparently, saving tens of millions in capital costs, providing a service that is more accessible and flexible, and minimizing environmental impact (decreased dredging, etc), does not hold sway with WETA or Berkeley's leadership.
Meanwhile, our residents face ongoing deterioration of the marina and are being told that the only way to save the marina is to have it commercialized.
Again, the facts belie that justification. Several California
The Berkeley Pier has been closed to the public since 2015 due to structural deterioration. Current proposals to convert the pier into a ferry terminal have sparked debate over transportation access, marina funding, and the future of public recreation along Berkeley's waterfront.
LETTERS
cities have experienced the loss of iconic municipal piers, only to have them quickly rebuilt/replaced. In Berkeley's case, we could have replaced our 3,000-foot pier for less than $30 million — without selling out the soul of this "Crown Jewel" of Berkeley's public parks, as former May or Arreguin termed it, while simultaneously ensuring the pier remained shuttered. If you ask "Where would the City get that funding?" half of that $30 million was already ear marked by Senator Skinner in 2022, only to have those funds "repurposed" in part to pay consultants to envision a commercialized waterfront.
So, please look behind the Green Curtain before you jump on this bandwagon. Ask questions such as, "Exactly how many riders would be accommodated, in comparison with actual BART and AC Transit ridership?" That ques tion alone will document how inefficient this investment will be, particularly in light of BART's economic woes. Another question might be "Why are electric ferries being promised, when WETA's own planning documents don't commit to their use on the Berkeley route?"
Your Berkeley descendants will appreciate your concern for their environment and financial security, as well as on going access to this important regional park resource.
WANT TO SAIL WANT TO SAIL ANT HAWAII? HAWAII?
⇑⇓ CARTEL VIOLENCE ERUPTS IN PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO
I arrived PV on Saturday [February 21] to join my HaHa boat on a sojourn to Z-Town. On Sunday morning, we walked through town to provision and saw a burning bus across from the marina. We continued on and saw empty streets and sidewalks.
It was very eerie.
We got to the store, still not knowing what was going on. I requested a cab, but they told me there were none available. Finally we heard the news. We have been sheltering in place since at the marina. Only one restaurant is open in the area. Everything is mostly closed on Monday as well.
Craig Russell
I'm here in the middle of it; today, Monday, is calm with signs of life again.
Greg Clausen
Craig and Greg are commenting on the February 23 'LL with the same name as this letter. On February 22, violence erupted in Puerto Vallarta — fires set to cars, buses, gas stations and other highway infrastructure — after the killing of the drug lord Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, aka 'El Mencho'.
When we spoke with Latitude founder Richard Spindler in Punta Mita, he reported that the attacks have avoided killing civilians and that people had been allowed to leave before cars and buses were set ablaze. Spindler noted that cartels are also dependent on tourism and don't want to kill the goose that lays the golden egg. "The cartels remain very disciplined and clearly are avoiding injuring people," he said.
Craig Chamberlain of Novamar Insurance, who was down at his offices in Puerto Vallarta, told Latitude that he was carjacked at gunpoint on Sunday the 22nd. Fortunately, like
LETTERS
everyone else, he was allowed to flee and seek shelter in a hotel. The San Diego to Puerto Vallarta Race was subsequently canceled.
⇑⇓ WHO IS BUYING WHAT FROM WHO AND WHO IS BENEFITING HOW?
Spindler said, "The cartels are also dependent on tourism and don't want to kill the goose that lays the golden egg. The cartels remain very disciplined and clearly are avoiding injuring people." Is he saying the tourists are among the buyers of the products the cartel distributes?
Jose Kanusee
Jose — Yes, but not necessarily in the way you're thinking. Apparently, the cartels "tax" many of the shop owners and businesses that serve tourists and thus receive tourism income indirectly. We're sure there is some percentage of tourists buying weed, or harder drugs, on the street, but most tourists would have no idea if or when money might find its way to the cartels.
however.
⇑⇓ THE CONTAINMENT OF THE VIOLENCE
It certainly wasn't the best day around here, but the violence that people are talking about up north did not hurt a single citizen. Yes, 56 people died during the capture of the cartel head — 25 national guardsmen and one other armed forces personnel; the rest were cartel guys. Nobody got hurt in PV and today we are enjoying normal life.
Pascal Picot
Canada, but all the arms used by the cartels come from right here in the USA. So who is fomenting violence? The Swiss?
David Paul
Supply and demand — plenty of both here in the States. It's all a business to the top and down to the local peddler, It's sad, but true.
I'm thankful for sailboats!
⇑⇓ THE DEPTHS OF THE RACKET
To piggyback on this thread:
I think it is worth noting that timeshares, which have known cartel associations, also benefit from the tourist traffic in Puerto Vallarta and other areas of Mexico. I'm not one to tell people how they should live their lives, but it is very well known that the cartels can get years of money out of people who invest in timeshares in any number of ways.
So that is a very golden goose.
Charity Palmatier Mexico
⇑⇓ THE DEPTHS OF THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND
The drugs are consumed here in the US, Europe and
Morgan Soller
⇑⇓ A FEW MORE MEMORIES FOR CLUB NAUTIQUE
"A sailor is an artist whose canvas is the wind."
I joined Club Nautique in 2013 and earned my US Sailing Association College Membership #719912A Active Member through 2024, as well as:
Certification #70023 Basic Keelboat, Skipper
Certification #30420 Basic Cruising, Skipper
Certification #19215 Bare Boat Cruising, Skipper
I chartered nearly every boat in the fleet over eight years, from Colgate 26s to Beneteau 38s to Jeanneau 40s, including the Sun Odyseey 52 Blue Moon, the largest boat in the fleet at the time. The boats were all maintained in excellent condition due to a gentleman named Colin Williams, who kept us all safe with excellent boat maintenance. He was also a great mentor. Sadly, Colin Williams passed away on his boat earlier this year.
We had the best instructors. Stuart Hunter was my bareboat instructor, and I'll never forget the four days we spent out on the Bay learning night sailing, anchoring and emergency night drills in 20+knot winds. We had to retrieve a blue flashing beacon — it was awesome!
My best memories to this day are with Club Nautique. Their training set me up for the last stage of my sailing career teaching youth sailing camps at Klamath Yacht Club in Klamath Falls, Oregon, for the past four years. I've retired from sailing since then, but the loss of Club Nautique weighs heavily on my mind.
Roberto Almodobar Oregon
⇑⇓ AN UNEXPECTED DOWNFALL
I sailed with Club Nautique for decades, since 1995. In its heyday, Club Nautique had locations in Coyote Point as well as SoCal, including Marina del Rey, Santa Monica and on Balboa Island in Newport Beach. The Club had the best boats that were well maintained.
I did not expect such a sudden downfall. I shall miss them. We now have to find alternative places to sail. (One of them is the Spinnaker Sailing operating out of Pier 40
Initial reports said that the Puerto Vallarta Costco had been closed, which proved to be false. A few trucks around the building were torched,
Roberto Almodobar, the author of this letter, said his best memories are with Club Nautique.
LETTERS
in San Francisco.) I feel so sorry for all who had ongoing classes and certifications that might be lost.
Thomas Herter
⇑⇓ MONEY, RECEIPTS AND SWEAT EQUITY: THE NAGGING PROBLEM OF INSURING OLD BOATS
I've owned Alicia's Wrath, a 1977 Downeast 32, since 1998. Starting in 2014, I have rebuilt this vessel stem to stern — seacocks/bonding, AC/DC, propane, a new motor, standing rigging, (yes, bowsprit included), electronics, etc. It's a safe, 47-year-old boat.
Today's laws, bylaws and port policies encourage and promote the acts of spending money until it's right. A survey is $1,200+, various non-safety-related repairs, or produce a receipt — otherwise known as insurance fraud — to make the paperwork look good to satisfy the "additional insured" clause. In other words, make the paperwork jive with the underwriter; in other words, the marinas need to ensure you establish a business relationship with another private business whose decisions often have to do with their economic health, not the safety of your boat.
Let's talk about surveys for a moment. My 2021 survey was good enough for BoatUS. My March 2025 survey was not, though it was the same surveyor. Between '21 and '23, I did the repairs mentioned above, and added Dyneema lifelines (missing in the '21 survey). However, the '25 survey had an item, A-1 Per 33 CFR 159, stating that when operating in a no-discharge zone such as the Salish Sea, a Y-valve that comes before the holding tank and/or the MSD discharge thru-hull must be secured in the no-discharge position. If I were an insurance adjustor reading this survey, I would draw the assumption that Alicia's Wrath has a Y-valve in the outlet of the holding tank that is not properly seized, and that the skipper is probably not a good sailor. But alas, Alicia's Wrath's head and holding tank — replaced in 1999 — has a nine-gallon holding tank and its outlet is hosed directly to a deck fitting. There is no Y valve. There are several other factually false statements that will be addressed in court, but I digress. (A letter on that in the future.)
However, there is a remedy: The guy who says, "Come by and I'll write up receipts to say it's fixed," for a price, of course. Again, that is basically insurance fraud. I'm not giving in to that. But I am up against a 50-year cutoff for my current insurance to drop me — regardless of safety.
I am writing my legislator in Washington state. There are boats that are getting old and need proper care and end-oflife handling. My boat is more appreciated in the Turlock, Lodi or Milpitas Yacht Clubs. It's the White Trash hot rod that reliably gets 4.5 kts at 2,200 rpm and burns one liter per hour.
What my legislator needs to understand is that boats do need to be safe, so, like many states that inspect cars for safety, the USCG Aux should — in addition to their general safety checklist — offer an "insurable safety" checklist. Boats that pass this test should be mandated insurable by companies that insure boats. Put the onus on the companies to satisfy the finances, provided there is a fair assessment of the product to be insured.
All of this talk about just throwing money at the problem or letting the boats break up on the rocks is a product
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• WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE: MARKET/DELI, LAUNDROMAT, RESTAURANT
LETTERS
of applying yacht club think — that is, seeing the problem through the lens of the prestige and glamour of yachting, not the practical sense of boating safety.
Alicia's Wrath is not pretty. But neither are a lot of Jeeps you'll find on the Rubicon. Please stop criminalizing the boaters who tend to keeping their boats safe and operable.
John Lynker
Alicia's Wrath, Downeast 32 Everett, Washington
John — Your letter highlights an accelerating problem in the marine market. Many of the great plastic classics built in the '60s, '70s and '80s are "aging out," and insurance companies are dropping their coverage on these vessels and they can no longer get a slip in a marina.
Though there are certainly some meticulously maintained older boats, such as yours, there are also several factors likely at play: Older boats may generate more claims, insurers are facing losses across multiple lines of business, and investors are demanding higher returns. We also suspect that the replacement of knowledgeable human agents with automated systems has made nuanced judgments about older vessels more difficult. And, to be fair, many older boats have not been well maintained and do pose a real insurance risk. Because they are often inexpensive, they can also end up in the hands of less experienced sailors.
We see this time and again in the Oakland Estuary, paving the way for a fleet of derelict vessels.
However, good insurance agents and surveyors can evaluate boats — and their owners — and offer informed guidance on what is and isn't a reasonable risk. As consolidation and automation reshape the industry, those nuanced judgments are increasingly replaced by broad data-driven rules. The result appears to be a preference for simply excluding boats from the 1960s, '70s and '80s and focusing instead on newer vessels with higher values and premiums.
That's a loss for sailing and for intrepid young sailors who want to take on a project. After selling our 1974 Ranger 33 and buying our 1989 Sabre 38 Mk II we feel that we've made a massive upgrade. The Ranger Summer Sailstice served the young family who bought her; they now have her for sale in the Latitude 38 Classifieds partly because they bought an even older boat, the wooden Yankee 30 Flotsam. (Our family also co-owns and continues to sail a 1964 Rhodes 19 and a 1966 Pearson Ensign.)
It's hard to imagine the loss of all the boats from the '60s, '70s and '80s. We already hear stories about empty slips here in the Bay. For now, we look forward to the local Bay View Boat Club Plastic Classic Regatta for vintage boats from the '60s to '99, coming up on July 11. We hope to see many Plastic Classics out there. They represent the majority of boats sailing today — by far!
WhenLatitude 38 roving reporter Christine Weaver spotted this kayak in Monterey Harbor recently, she suggested that perhaps the kayak belonged to Salvador Dali. Other readers agree, though more readers were thinking it was symbolic in other ways. "Kayak Dysfunction," wrote David Emberson. George Hughes had the answer: "There's a pill for that." Alistair Murray suggested, "That kayak needs painting with Viagra!" But the Boat Geeks thought there was nothing to fix: "Kayaks by Flaccid, Inc."
"Bernie's kayak manufacturing business failed spectacularly, due to a poor choice in cutting corners in the molding fabrication — with Silly Putty." — Kelvin Meeks.
"Looks like my computer keyboard after I put it in the oven to dry it out." — Jim Hancock.
"Honey, maybe you should sit in the front next time." — Dan Knox.
"Limited-edition Salvador Dali kayak for sale. Unsigned." — Eben Kermit.
"Just testing the water. Brrr — still too cold!" — Bob Martin.
"Johnny was very excited about the launch of his new self-propelled submarine. Although he was having trouble finding a co-pilot and investors." — Mark Caplin.
"Kelly Kayak longed to be a Scuba Diver but missed the
— taylor.thomas.h. "Inverted-Bow Kayak (rare find) — All offers considered."
Winner: "That was the first, and last, time Chad tried to deliver a hot pot of stew for DoorDash to an anchor-out." — Michael Simon.
SIGHTINGS
a cruise through northern spain sdyc forced to
I frequently get bunks on boats in Europe through Venture Sailing Holidays. These have been some of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. As an avid fan of Patrick O'Brian and Aubrey/Maturin novels, I felt compelled to go to A Coruña, on the northwest corner of Spain, for a 12-day harbor-hopping trip south.
Sept. 7, 2025: I arrive after three flights from San Diego. It was a drizzly morning in this surprisingly green area. With charter starting tomorrow, I make my way out to Torre de Hercules, an 180-foot-tall lighthouse originally built by the Romans around 50 CE to guide their ships to Britain — a huge structure that was rebuilt in the 1700s.
Sept. 8: I leave the hotel and walk to the marina side of town to find Cherokee, my home for the next 12 days. Most traditional Coruña buildings are white and about four to five stories high with the balconies glassed in so they shimmer. Coruña — which is called the "City of Glass" — is a wealthy, major port of the north. I board Cherokee, a 65ft sailboat with Dutch captain Yunke and a mate, as well as four other Dutch guests. My cabin mate, Ahhe, is a real miller who ran a water windmill in Holland for many years. The captain warns us about the orcas frequently attacking boats, and checks the app GT Orca, which tallies sightings and physical encounters.
Sept. 9: Camariñas: We depart A Coruña past Torre de Hercules under rainy skies, which develop into Force 6 with 10-foot seas. The rain in Spain does not fall mainly on the plain, it fell on us the 55 miles to Camariñas. We tack out 20 miles for a favorable angle to harbor. The boat, crew and I were OK, but the guests were not. The coast is forbidding with huge cliffs. We anchor in a snug bay for the night.
Sept. 10: Muxia. After a quiet night on the hook, we have a lively, rainy sail into Muxia across a bay of dolphins and breaking waves. I walk up to Santuario da Virxe da Barca (Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Boat), a small church facing the sea about 10 feet from rocks and filled with boat models. There are sweeping views of the rough, agitated coast aptly called Costa da Morte (Coast of Death), which yields terrific scallops in the aerated water for a great meal with Albarino vino.
Sept. 11: Cape Finisterre. We exit Muxia under rainy skies and big swells breaking 30 feet away. There are frequent showers on the foggy coast, but the seas flatten in the afternoon. We sail to Fisterra on Cape Finisterre, a small harbor with small fishing boats. We are warned by locals at the docks about low tide. Little Castelo de Carlos has a fishing museum featuring whale vertebrae. I return to Cherokee for another vegetarian meal with many carbohydrates. At 11:30 p.m., the captain must move the boat to mooring as there is less than two feet under the keel, and falling. Thank goodness for anchor alarms!
Sept. 12: Muros. We depart under fair skies, past a huge headland with a big lighthouse. It gets light late here (8:30), as the corner of Spain above Portugal is in the same time zone as Madrid. The seas are flat with light winds up a large bay and ria (estuary) to Muros — busier than sleepy Fisterra. We encounter small common dolphins and a minke whale. After dinner on board, I go into town for the biggest serving of the best mussels of my life! Late morning light = late evening; it's light until 10 p.m. The Spanish are cheery and chattery! There aren't many non-native tourists here and not many villages, either.
Sept. 13: A Illa de Arousa. A night without rain! This area of Spain seems similar to the climate of Ireland. Tired of hard bread for breakfast, I head into town for a chocolate pastry. We depart under fair skies/small seas through a rocky, treacherous entrance. We arrive at anchorage near an island in a huge bay surrounded by mussel farms.
With the killing of 'El Mencho' in Mexico on February 22, just days before the start of the 2026 San Diego to Puerto Vallarta International Yacht Race, volunteers and staff at San Diego YC were compelled to cancel the 70-year-old ocean race, but pivoted decisively at the last minute, turning disruption into opportunity.
SDYC created the inaugural San Diego Ocean Racing Series.
"There was a brief — but intense — halfhour after we canceled the PV Race when we began sketching out what an alternate format could look like," SDYC waterfront director Jeff Johnson said. Early ideas
Clockwise from top left: Captain Yunke was a good sailor and a great sport; Scallops in Muros, Spain; A Coruña, the shimmering "City of Glass"; the Galicia coast in northwest Spain can be treacherous; author Barbara McKenna; Torre de Hercules was originally built in 50 CE.
pivot on pv race
ranged from a traditional overnight race to more ambitious coastal options. Each presented logistical hurdles. Ultimately, the team shifted to a Friday-through-Sunday offshore day-race format, preserving the Shelter Island sendoffs and shoreside traditions while building distinct courses tailored to the forecast.
A round trip to North Coronado Island became Friday's "Mini-Mex"; Saturday's "Welcome to San Diego" framed the channel entrance and Coronado Bridge; and Sunday's "Longitude" race offered tunable distances and strategic depth.
spain — continued
We hunker down in the enclosed cockpit as soft rain falls again.
Sept. 14/15: Combarro. Misty skies line the way to Ria de Pontavedra, where we see a large fleet of Optis raced by kids far out in the bay. Finally, we see palm trees instead of pine. The town is famous for hórreos, stone sheds built on stilts for grain storage. It's more touristy but there aren't many foreigners. Prices are great, seafood is cheap, wine is terrific. The next day, Ahhe and I explore trails along the bay lined with eucalyptus trees and oyster beds, and come across three little water mills, which delight my wind-miller companion. After a long walk, we stop in a café for cider and the owner gives us beans with pork in tiny bowl. The people are so friendly and relaxed. Back to Combarro for dinner on the waterfront with a fireworks display.
Sept. 15: Islas Cíes. Capt. Yunke is very capable and stays at the wheel for hours. My boatmates are nice enough and will talk to me
spain — continued
briefly, but converse in Dutch among themselves. I'm feeling isolated. Dolphins accompany us, but no trouble with orcas — though we check reports daily as there are interactions almost every day.
We sail dead south to Islas Cíes in gentle conditions and anchor on an island about six miles off the mainland. Cíes is three small islands, with the main island very similar to Catalina — no cars or hotels, and restaurants for day trippers from the mainland. Steep hills offer magnificent views on the Atlantic side of a steep, rocky shoreline in contrast to the placid bay. We motor across to the empty anchorage of Cangas. The night is chilly, rolly and wakeful.
Sept. 16: Baiona. We have a lovely sail back through Islas Cies to the open Atlantic on easy seas into Baiona marina, with many big yachts under the Baiona fortress. Built in 1200 CE, it's now a posh hotel. The town looks more Galician with traditional glass windows.
continued on outside column of next sightings page
sdyc's pivot — cont.
"In the end, each course delivered a distinct challenge," Johnson noted, "and competitors enjoyed three full days of racing — with the parties after racing to match."
By Sunday afternoon, with boats returning to the dock and stories already circulating on the front deck, it was clear that what had begun as a last-minute solution had evolved into a regatta with its own distinct identity. "I am so proud of our team at SDYC with the success of the hometown regatta," said PV26 regatta chair Joanne O'Dea. "I'm grateful to the teams that stayed and competed in the weekend's events."
sign up for opening day
Get your ship together by getting your ship out of its slip on Opening Day on the Bay, Sunday, April 26, featuring the traditional blessing of vessels.
"Myths and Legends" is this year's theme of the more than 100-year-old Bay Area tradition — but one myth must be busted: the belief that most people never take their boats out on the Bay.
Opening Day has long been the official unofficial kickoff to the sailing season. It offers boats the chance to be part of a parade celebrating sailing and the end of winter. Though we sail year-round here in Califorcontinued in middle column of next sightings page
Clockwise from top left: The Islander 36 'Geja' in the Med; Andrew Vik on the 2006 Baja Ha-Ha; 'Geja' has spent lots of time in Croatia; and Venice; 'Geja' and a scooper plane in Croatia; Croatian locals.
spain — continued
Sept. 17: Vigo. We sail to Vigo, a hilly town with a busy port, and have a toast and farewell dinner. There's a heartfelt goodbye to my cabin mate Ahhe.
Sept. 18: I'm ready to head inland to Santiago de Compostela. We sailed a total of 222 miles, and 10 Galician harbors in 12 days! What a fantastic voyage!
— barbara mckenna, islander 28, la vida, dana point
legendary med cruiser up for sail
"Yes, I'm selling my beloved Geja, which I bought sight unseen in 2008 through the pages of Latitude 38," wrote Andrew Vik, who has been a regular and somewhat legendary contributor for nearly two decades. The US-flagged, 1976 Islander 36 Geja (pronounced "Gaya") is currently listed in Latitude's Classy Classifieds; the boat is located in Croatia, well-equipped and ready to cruise the Dalmatian coast and the Mediterranean.
"She has plenty of life left in her, fully equipped and ready to go for more seasons to come," Andrew said. He has spent 15 summers sailing Geja 13,000 miles to nine Mediterranean countries and two continents. He has written several dispatches for Changes in Latitudes and been a guest on the Good Jibes podcast.
Andrew disclosed that the 50-year-old Geja is in need of some love. "She is 'aesthetically challenged,'" he said. "The hull above the waterline has long needed a paint job. The toe rails leak in a couple of spots — a very common issue. I've taken the Band-Aid approach by caulking their edges from the outside, but at some point they should be removed and properly re-caulked, a weekend job for two if things go smoothly," Andrew explained. "Even with these issues present since my purchase in 2008, they haven't prevented me from safely and comfortably voyaging thousands of miles through the Med."
Geja had been something of a Latitude darling long before Andrew came into the picture, and had a number of owners who were part of Latitude Nation. The boat's exploits became centered in the Mediterranean. Dick and Shirley Sandys of Palo Alto cruised the Islander 36 most of the way around the world over a 15-year period. Dick passed away around 2006 and Shirley put the boat, which was in Spain at the time, up for sale in Latitude for just $10,000. The Bottrells grabbed Geja and cruised for seven months in the Med in 2007.
"Like the Bottrells, I'm in my 30s," Andrew wrote in 2008. "But unlike them, I’m not married and therefore won’t have the benefit of a permanent crew. I expect that many friends and family members will join me." Over the years, Andrew welcomed more than 90 different "like-minded" friends, family and acquaintances as crew. "To me, 'likeminded' means someone in their 20s or 30s, male or female, who is not opposed to mooring next to, and going into, those crazy Mediterranean discothèques. But some sailing skills would be nice, too."
Andrew continued Geja's Mediterranean legacy. "I've been busy scouring various online cruising logs of the Med and making the Google Earth view of the Med a permanent fixture on my computer monitor," he wrote in 2008. Having owned Geja for what amounts to half of his life, Andrew said she has given him more than a lifetime's worth of adventure and is excited to see an "equally passionate owner" take her over.
— latitude
death and resurrection
Since announcing his documentary Wind in Their Sails: Death and Resurrection in 2024, Bay Area producer Vincent Casalaina has been collecting footage and interviews about classic wooden sailboats and the people who care for them.
"It's a story grounded deep in my past," Vince said, recalling a childhood visit to the tall ship Balclutha shortly after it arrived at the San Francisco Maritime Museum in 1954. The experience stuck. Decades later, as fiberglass, synthetic sails and foiling have reshaped the sailing, Casalaina says there's still nothing "quite so awe-inspiring" as a classic wooden boat under sail.
Casalaina reports that draft editing is scheduled for September, with a rough cut expected early next year. He is currently raising $50,000 to prepare the project for editing, and has begun sharing excerpts from interviews with owners and stewards of historic vessels, offering an early glimpse into the stories at the heart of the film.
opening day —
nia — and though it was 85 degrees here in the Bay Area in March — Opening Day is a chance/excuse to work on the boat, shake out the kinks, and go sailing for the sake of sailing. Prove the myth wrong and register your boat for the Pacific Inter-Club Yacht Association (PICYA) parade along the Cityfront at www.picya.org. By all means, dress up yourselves and your ship. Break out the blue blazers and Nantucket reds. Go mermaid, Neptune or sea monster. Embrace the theatrics. Blessings abound. You can sail along the Cityfront on the 26th, or be blessed in Raccoon Strait by the 'God Squad' anchored off the Corinthian Yacht Club.
Top: Mark Sanders and 'Hurrica'. Bottom: Beau Vrolyk and the Schooner 'Mayan'. Both vessels are featured in an upcoming documentary exploring the "Death and Resurrection" of classic wooden boats. SHARON
L38 spring crew party
Our Spring Crew List Party in March was a total blast. We estimate that more than 250 people showed up at the Golden Gate Yacht Club to make sailing connections and enjoy a really good party.
Thank you to everyone who made it out — and on a Thursday night!
There have been great crew party success stories over the years, from casual racing in beer cans to overseas charters. If you missed the party, that doesn't mean you missed the boat. You can sign up on the Crew List anytime. Go to www.latitude38. com/crewlist. Find a boat, find crew and find good friends and good times, anytime, with Latitude 38
resurrection — continued
Mark Sanders, Hurrica V
I had been on the hunt for a classic sailboat for years, never finding exactly what I wanted. I knew about Hurrica V, a beautiful Charles Nicholson ketch built in 1924 and lying in Sydney, Australia. That's far away, but I watched her for several years before finally making an offer. It was rejected, and I put it out of mind.
A year later, while preparing to travel to the Gold Coast via Sydney, I called the broker to see if he could arrange a visit — she was that special. On arrival, I spent a full day on the boat pulling up floorboards and crawling into all the hard-to-get-to spaces. I had done this many times before, always finding that the more I dug, the worse it got. But Hurrica was different: The more I dug, the better she looked.
The next morning, I met owner Steve Gunns, and we spent another full day together aboard. He had completed the best restoration I had ever seen, taking seven years. It was clear he had poured everything into the boat, with the goal of making her better than new and capable of lasting another hundred years.
Being an engineer myself, we hit it off and spent hours talking. We parted in good spirits, and to my surprise, a few months later the broker called to revisit my original offer. It was clear that choosing the next steward of the boat mattered deeply, and I was told, "You're the kind of guy we would like to have it."
My family and I have enjoyed Hurrica immensely ever since, sailing her from Sydney to Brisbane, then on to Mexico and San Francisco Bay. The relationship with the previous owner has endured as well — he has a standing invitation to sail her in California whenever the mood strikes. I think he needed to know the boat would be appreciated for what it is: a true masterpiece.
Hurrica has since raced on San Francisco Bay with crews of up to 20 and has twice been named Best of Show at the Master Mariners Regatta.
Beau Vrolyk, Mayan
We had started out thinking we would buy a powerboat in the Pacific Northwest. As we flew home from Seattle, I said, "There is no way I'm going to burn 30 or 40 gallons an hour just to get somewhere a little faster. If we're going seven knots anyway — which is what we usually ended up doing — we might as well get a sailboat."
I had always wanted an Alden schooner, so we looked at a dozen of them across Europe and the United States. Like most boats of that vintage, they ranged from excellent to rough, and many had been rebuilt more than once. I even had an offer in on a 64-footer in San Diego, but the survey revealed enough issues to give me pause.
A friend suggested I speak with boatbuilder Wayne Ettel, who came down from Los Angeles to take a look. He showed up in white pants and a collared shirt, and I remember thinking he wasn't about to crawl through bilges dressed like that.
He didn't even step aboard. He just said, "I know this boat. Why don't we go to lunch?"
Over lunch, he asked what I was really looking for. I told him I had four grandchildren and wanted something that could carry kids, sail well enough to be engaging, but not so hard-edged that it would be unsafe. He said, "Then this is ridiculous. Why don't you buy David Crosby's boat, Mayan?" Wayne had rebuilt the hull and deck from 2003 to 2005, so he knew the boat inside and out.
I told him I hadn't pursued it because the asking price was three
times what I thought it was worth. Wayne said, "Write David a letter. Include your sailing résumé. And send it on paper — not electronically." Two days later, David called and said, "Come down to Santa Barbara and let's talk." There were a few hiccups, but the rest is history. I bought Mayan and have cruised and raced her for many years."
To learn more about the documentary, visit windintheirsailsdoc. com. Support the project at imageintegration.allyrafundraising.com/ — latitude
maddy garcia, latitude's newest crew
In early March, we bade fair winds to our sales and marketing manager of six years, Nicki Bennett, and welcomed aboard her successor, Maddy Garcia. While we wish Nicki all the best in her next
continued on outside column of next sightings page
schooner bill of rights
The schooner Bill of Rights, a historic tall ship homeported in Chula Vista, is facing eviction from its berth at the city's marina, potentially forcing out a longtime sail-training platform with deep volunteer roots and part of local maritime heritage.
In March, the South Bayfront Sailing Association, which owns and operates Bill of Rights, was served a notice, with a May 5 deadline to vacate its berth. Captain Don Johnson told NBC News that SBFSA had not been given a clear reason for the lease termination.
"Supporters believe the loss of the schooner from the Chula Vista marina would remove one of the region's few active tall
Welcome aboard, Maddy Garcia! "I would have never guessed that my experience in tech would evolve into an opportunity to work in an industry that I am passionate about," said our new sales and marketing manager.
faces eviction in socal
ships dedicated to education, training and community service," SBFSA wrote.
They've launched a public petition urging marina management and city leaders to reconsider and allow the schooner to remain at her current berth. "Bill of Rights has been instrumental in thousands of people's lives," including youth sailors and community members who have trained aboard the ship, the petitions reads.
Supporters are asking residents throughout San Diego County, and especially those in Chula Vista, to: Sign the petition supporting the schooner's continued berth; contact Chula Vista mayor John McCann and city officials; share their
maddy garcia — continued
adventures — and expect to still see her around the Bay — we're excited to have Maddy join our crew and look forward to working alongside her. No stranger to sailing, Maddy even claims Viking heritage, which we imagine serves her well on the water and beyond.
We invite Latitude Nation to welcome aboard our newest crewmember. We'll let Maddy tell her own life-sailing story:
"Born and raised in Los Angeles, I grew up loving everything aquatic — swimming, surfing and working at the beach. My sailing journey started during my senior year at UCLA. Being half Norwegian, I walked into my first practice confident that some of my Viking blood would kick in. It did not. Instead, I learned the hard way that sailing an FJ while barefoot and in shorts meant slipping and falling with every tack. While I ended the first practice with cuts, scrapes and a slightly bruised ego, I was completely in love with sailing. The chaos of skippers shouting, the anxiety of avoiding getting hit by the boom, and the complete confusion of all the terms being thrown around captivated me.
"My skipper that day was San Francisco Yacht Club sailor Madeline Kuhn, and once we stepped back on the dock I told her I wanted to go back out and try again. In 2021, I moved to S.F. to work in tech and began learning about big-boat sailing. I fell deeper in love with all of it and would be out on the water any chance I could get. To my surprise, my two worlds collided when Madeline Kuhn reached out to me about a job opening at Latitude 38.
"I would have never guessed that my experience in tech would evolve into an opportunity to work in an industry that I am passionate about. Over the years, I have completed ASA 101–103 certifications through Modern Sailing, and am currently working toward 104. My goal is to obtain my ICC to sail the Mediterranean, with the dream of competing in the Clipper circumnavigation race one day.
"Although sailing intimidated me at first, I'm glad to have taken the plunge on that first college practice. Without it, I never would've met many inspiring people and challenged myself beyond belief. I'm excited to now be a part of the community here at Latitude 38!"
Now a month into the job, Maddy has proved to be a quick learner and enthusiastic supporter of all things sailing. She's been on the road visiting customers, welcomed hundreds to our crew party at the Golden Gate Yacht Club, joined Jon Price for some daysails on the Bay after making the connection from our crew list (before joining Latitude), and is busy absorbing the myriad details that make a monthly magazine and regular digital newsletters possible.
Some of Maddy's days start with her taking a cold plunge in the Bay, but all of them start with her connecting people, sailors and businesses to sailing through Latitude 38's many channels. To hear more about Maddy's sailing life, you can listen to our Good Jibes podcast #233, where she dives in deep about her refreshing story of connecting with sailing.
Fun fact: At our first team meeting, Maddy confirmed her sailing status by sharing that she owns a Sam's mug, acquired directly from Sam's of Tiburon in her early days on the water.
How many can attest to that?
All mugs aside, we're excited to see what the future holds for Maddy, both in the office and on the water.
If your customers are sailors, they're probably reading this story. To reach them and support local sailing coverage, email Maddy at maddy@latitude38.com to put together an advertising plan with Latitude 38. She's also always open to crewing, so if there's wind, she's in! — latitude
SIGHTINGS
captain conner goes overboard
This is an event that took place in 2015, on a lake. Conner's mother Amy was a bit worried, but let him go sailing with me anyway.
It was his first time sailing.
On one leg of the trip, there was a fair breeze — about 15 knots — coming from the northeast. It wasn't too bouncy, offering a port tack heeled at about 30 degrees — nothing significant. Conner went to the foredeck to explore the boat. For his own amusement, he hung from the lifelines, letting his feet and legs drift/dangle across the deck using gravity and the motion of the boat lurching through the waves. He appeared to have it figured out pretty well and was having a good time. And it was fun to watch.
My amusement is watching the water around the boat — the leeside stern. I glanced down at the water passing the lee side of the boat at about 6 knots. Then I heard a thump, and Conner went by the boat at about 6 knots. That ended my sightseeing.
I jibed to stay under the man overboard. I didn't want to tack up and be on top of him before having a chance to tend sails and gear so I could devote myself to getting him back on the boat (a Santana 22). There were just the two of us on the boat. (Well, now just one.) He was obviously OK, no injuries from the fall and we started having a conversation. No swells, just waves. Temperatures were mild in the 70s, and the water temperature was probably close to the same, so I wasn't worried. Conner was wearing a life jacket and could talk, his airway was open. We were on a lake.
The man overboard was fine with the state of things until he surmised the possibility that I, and the boat, could be blown to the other side of the lake. This didn't take him very long to figure out. It was simple physics, but he wasn't too privy to the concept of tacking, yet. So, he started screaming. Poor kid, he was a bit out of his element.
I got to him in about two tacks. (At the time, it seemed to take longer.) The closer I got, the calmer he became.
Using the slack mainsheet to haul him up into the cockpit seemed like a real novel idea to Conner. (He told me so.) But you use what you've got. Although it was a mild day I put him in the cabin with a blanket. Hypothermia is not to be trifled with, and getting back home for dry clothes was going to be an hour or so sail.
Conner was a good 7-year-old kid at the time, and a bit lackadaisical, but in a good way. He lost a shoe, but cheerfully concluded it would provide a "good home for a fish." He is an eternal optimist. He was totally cool with the situation by the time we got back to the marina, and he is willing to go again next summer. I'll have him work the foredeck again and practice tacking too (in case I go overboard). He lives 780 miles away from the Pacific Ocean.
Conner was awarded the rank of Captain by Admiral Capt'n Grampa in 2015 and is scheduled to resume sailing lessons in 2026 — hopefully on the ocean.
I wasn't punished too severely, but was interrogated at great length.
The whole thing made perfect sense to me and it was pretty simple: Conner hadn't been hanging on tight enough. It's not like we were sailing out the Gate at full ebb south of the South Tower. I was just letting him have a little fun, and I'd made him wear a life jacket. When the father, Brad, found out about it over the phone, he stated the obvious. "That's not good," he said.
The mom, Amy, took it pretty well.
Next summer, I'll try to coax Conner onto some salt water. His only bill of rights —
personal stories and support for the vessel; and attend community meetings and events advocating for maritime heritage.
Bill of Rights is a gaff-rigged schooner built in 1971, modeled after 19th century American pilot and revenue cutters. She was built in South Bristol, Maine, by Capt. Joseph M. Davis Jr. and master shipwright Harvey Gamage. The vessel has sailed extensively along the West Coast. Its presence in Chula Vista has made it a recognizable part of the waterfront, where it's served the local community, for years.
Scenes from John Lundquist's sailing haven on an alpine lake. His grandson Conner, far right, took an unexpected drop in the drink, but Conner is already game to get back out there.
Support Local Sailing! Contribute to Lat 38
capt. conner —
request is that we stay in sight of land.
The SV Brig (hull #27), originally hailing from San Francisco Bay, is no longer with us. It has been replaced by SV Crazy J (hull #573), both Santana 22s.
I miss the Brig, which was better built. I sorta blew up Crazy J in Bodega Bay, but repairs have been made. You've got to have the right boat. There is lake sailing, Bay sailing and ocean sailing.
Personally, I like the ocean.
A quick word about life jackets. I once put one on just before jumping overboard to rescue a kayak that had gotten away. I was on the hook, and swam very hard, but couldn't catch it. Halfway back to shore, I was glad I was wearing one. Sometimes they don't seem necessary, but going overboard is rarely planned.
Stay safe, but go sailing.
— john lundquist
Scan the QR code to contribute to Latitude 38. Thanks for your support!
BAJA HA-HA — CRAZY RUCKUS
As the Baja Ha-Ha "Newbah" Chuck Skewes settles into his role as the new Grand Poobah, he reflects on his first and subsequent thoughts about what the Ha-Ha means to sailors.
WhenI first heard of the Baja Ha-Ha, I was not really sure what it was. Shortly afterward, I started racing sailboats down the coast to Cabo, Puerto Vallarta and other destinations. It wasn't until 2013 that I decided to do the Baja Ha-Ha.
Prior to joining, I'd thought it was mostly a party and a crazy ruckus heading down the coast, leaving a trail of turmoil in its wake among the small communities that lie on the Pacific coast of the Baja Peninsula. I had even heard of other people who thought the same. Some were purposely traveling on either end of the Baja Ha-Ha so they would not be caught up in it.
In 2013, a couple of my friends who had just bought a 48-ft sailboat and were planning on sailing until they decided they were tired of it, wanted to do the Baja Ha-Ha and asked if I would like to join them for that part. They wanted more experienced hands on board until they felt confident in traveling with just the two of them.
arrived in Turtle Bay a day later. This is when I realized why the event was so popular, and its value to anyone sailing south.
The first morning after being in Turtle Bay, we turned on the radio to listen to the "Net" hosted by Richard Spindler. We tuned into Net on the SSB each morning while underway, for roll call. Participants gave their location; some sailors reported hazards (i.e. fishing nets, whales, etc.). But when we were in port, the Net showed the true spirit of the event.
The Net started with asking if there were any medical emergencies, and then, if anyone had a mechanical problem that would make it impossible or difficult to continue. Several people came on with charging issues, overheating, torn sails, instrument issues and the like. As people brought up their problems, others responded with ways to help. These people would then move to a different channel to work on their issues together. There was almost
I worked until an hour before we left the dock, still not getting involved and seeing how the rally unfolded. We left under drizzle and a light southerly breeze, heading for Turtle Bay. The couple I was sailing with wanted to sail the entire way if possible. The wind picked up from the north the next day and we Chuck (right) helps out with a sail repair on the Ha-Ha.
a 100% success rate in handling the issues. Other subjects covered were where to get fuel and fuel prices; best local food store; how to hail and pay pangas for shore service; where the best dinghy landings are; local customs; and the schedule of organized events. There was a Net each morning at each stop, and each time almost all problems were resolved.
As I am a sailmaker, and had brought a sail repair kit with me, I helped a group with sewing their clew ring back onto their sail. I did not charge for this. Neither did any of the people who were helping others. It was in the spirit of the Ha-Ha to help other cruisers in need. It is common when boating to have something on your boat break or malfunction, and it is impossible to know how to fix everything yourself or to have spares of everything that can go wrong. But when traveling in a larger group, the chance of someone having parts or expertise to get you going again is very high. This is what the Baja Ha-Ha brings to the Mexico-bound cruisers.
There are also the people you meet socially: Boats with kids get to know each other, boats with similar post-HaHa plans and destinations get to know each other. The transfer of knowledge about cruising gets passed on from experienced sailors to the less experienced.
Over the years, we have had a few medical emergencies on the Baja HaHa that would have been very serious had there not been medical professionals in the group and others who had the correct medication or equipment to assist. The boats in need of help were able to continue their trip and do it safely. We even had a woman who broke her arm between Turtle Bay and Bahia Santa Maria. This is a very remote part of the Baja Peninsula. There is really no civilization nearby. A renowned orthopedic surgeon was aboard one of the boats and had even brought castmaking equipment. He was able to put the woman's arm in a cast and keep her comfortable for the rest of the trip to Cabo San Lucas.
There are two organized events in Turtle Bay that engage most, but not all, Baja Ha-Ha participants. First is the Baja Ha-Ha Bazeball Game in which the cruisers and Turtle Bay
This year's rally is a Grateful Dead themed event.
OR SUPPORTIVE CRUISING FLEET?
Little League play a fun few hours of softball. The Turtle Bay kids all turn up and show off their skills. The other event is the Beach Party. This is a fun, old-style picnic on the beach with volleyball and tug of war. The locals set up music, taco stands, and beach bars. Many people go for hikes down the beach. The parties end before sunset, making it easy and safe to get back to your boat for the next morning's early departure.
There is currently one organized event in Bahia Santa Maria: the "Rock
‘n' Roll" party. This is almost everyone's favorite event. The location is extremely remote, with no civilization. It looks just like it did when Cortez discovered it hundreds of years ago. With great difficulty and perseverance, a band from La Paz drives on low-tide beaches, puts their truck on a barge ferry, and finds their way to our location. With a generator and amplifiers they play classic rock on a bluff overlooking the mangroves and moored boats. The local fishermen make fish taco plates and set up a bar with beer to raise money
for their local fishing community. This is so surreal that it defies words. When you are cruising, many things can go wrong. Most of them are minor, but they still can either halt your plans or make your life harder than it needs to be. Beginning your trip south into Mexico with the Baja Ha-Ha gives you a head start and a safer, easier way to embark on your dream voyage to the tropics. A good way to know if an event is worthwhile is to see how many people do it more than once. The Baja HaHa has a huge return group every year.
Pangas are an essential part of Ha-Ha culture. Right: Doing the Ha-Ha wave.
The Ha-Ha beach party at Turtle Bay is always a good time.
Thisyear we are adding a few extras that we tested in 2025 to gauge participants' response. Here is a small list:
1) Beach yoga in the morning at each stopover
2) Organized guided hikes each day at each stopover —
a. Turtle Bay
i. Hike to top of the hill with a 360-degree view (6/10 difficulty, 1.5 miles).
ii. Hike to the cemetery and old church. (2/10 difficulty, 1 mile).
iii. Beach hike (2/10 difficulty, 1–5 miles).
b. Bahia Santa Maria
i. Beach hike — panga drops you off 2.5 miles down the beach and you hike back to the party (3/10 difficulty, mostly because of getting out of the panga on a beach with surf).
ii. Hike to the top of the mountain (8/10 difficulty, 2.5 miles). Incredible 360-degree view of the Pacific Ocean and the Bay.
iii. Hike to surf camp (4/10 difficulty, 3 miles). Hike out to the point and back.
iv. Mangrove Panga Tour — panga ride through an amazing mangrove and all the wildlife that thrives in it.
3) Grateful Dead-themed event. We have been contacted by the Grateful Dead and they would like to be part of the event.
Ask any of the more than 10,000 sailors who have sailed with the Baja Ha-Ha and you'll find out why this is the biggest cruising rally on the West Coast of North America. Visit www.baja-haha.com to join us in 2026! — chuck skewes
Ha-Ha sailors often hit the stage with the band.
Chuck Skewes enjoying the Ha-Ha that changed his perception of the Cruiser's Rally.
NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOUR SAILING SKILLS,
ALL PHOTOS MICHAEL FISCHER
OK,you know this already: How does anyone get better at something? Practice, practice, practice! Practice your tennis serve, over and over. Get into the batting cage and hammer that baseball for hours, over and over. Get tips from the golf pro at the driving range as you swing, again and again, adjusting your posture ever so slightly. Log hours (and hours) in the flight simulator, learning how to react instinctively to unexpected challenges in the air. Practice. It's been proven over the millennia. Indeed, it's really the only way to excel at any sport.
The same thing applies for yacht racing: Practice. Enter as many regattas as you can. Take Dave Perry's racing quiz. Sign up for Dave Dellenbaugh's great Zoom seminars. Binge-watch "The Sailing Frenchman" YouTube series. Go virtual with the online sailing game that is Virtual Regatta. But that's all just preparation — it's not practice. Practice really means getting your boat in the water and racing — and you know it.
What are the obstacles to really getting out on the water to race against competitors and to gain on-the-water experience? To get better? First, time. Second, money. Third, scheduling times to get a regular crew together. Here's an answer to solve those challenges: competing in radio-controlled (RC) model yacht races.
Do you think model yacht racing is just a bunch of crotchety duffers playing with toy boats? If so, you are mistaken, skipper.
Sailing (see Appendix E). It's a whole lot less expensive than taking out your big boat — and in a two-hour racing session on the water, you can sail more than a dozen heats. With competitors breathing down your neck. Competitors who may be as well-versed as you about Rule 18. Or Rule 17, for that matter.
You'll practice how to cross that crowded starting line at speed in a favorable position to lay the first mark. You'll get better at strategies, tactics, and how to read the air. How to better trim your sails with the correct twist for the winds. How to use those telltales for best upwind speed. When to tighten (or loosen) the backstay. You'll learn a lot about the other name for the rudder:
"I like what radio sailing is doing for my big-boat sailing."
your brake! You'll maintain your course in shifting winds with the sheets, not the rudder, on the beat or reach.
You will get practice in boat-handling skills that are directly applicable to the same skills you will need to excel at racing big boats. And you'll be able to practice those skills, a dozen times, over and over in each two-hour outing. You'll find yourself shoulder to shoulder with the other skippers in intense competition.
Ken Read, president of North Sails and a convert to RC boats, said in a recent Sailing World magazine article, "I am totally convinced I am looking at the water better, seeing the breeze, working on the importance of boat balance, and tactically thinking ahead. I like
what radio sailing is doing for my bigboat sailing." Bruce Farr OBE, fabled New Zealand sailor and naval architect: "Someone gave me a radio, and I was hooked!"
Yes, there's a learning curve in eyebrain-hand control. Yes, it'll take some time to learn how to mentally place yourself aboard the boat 50 yards away.
"Things happen quickly in model yachting," says John Christman, international umpire and judge, and club race officer, who also has 40 years of experience as a naval architect and marine engineer. "Time is compressed. In the Victoria class [which he races], boat motions occur almost six times faster than in the original IACC America's Cup class after which its hull is designed. A 100-meter windward-leeward course is the equivalent of a four-mile race on the Cityfront."
As a result, you will find that your response time to situations on the course becomes shorter, and your situational awareness of the course and the fleet has also increased. It's all right there in front of you.
You will enjoy the camaraderie with fellow skippers who are committed to polite, friendly competition; US Sailing's expectations for following the Corinthian spirit and gentlefolks' behavior are rigorously followed in the best of model yacht clubs. Many of the competitors you will meet at model yacht clubs are also (or have been) big-boat sailors themselves, so you won't feel as if you're stepping down. Indeed, you'll feel welcome.
Model yachts have the same physics, the same dynamics and the same sail controls that big boats have. Racing those small yachts utilizes the same tactics, the same on-the-course challenges and the same Racing Rules of Even RC boats have to race in rough seas. Right: RC boats are a great way to hone your racing skills.
In our home waters, Hank Easom sailed his ODOM (one design one meter) RC yacht at Spreckels Lake, San Francisco, and in Marin for more than 25 years. Only 10 days before his death
RC SAILING WILL IMPROVE THEM
in 2023, he sailed his last race in the Golden Gate Yacht Club's midwinter races. He finished first in class, division and overall, and led the closest competitor by 30 minutes. Did his many years of RC racing help him develop that extraordinary big-boat skill? You bet it did.
Donald Weineke, US Sailing national judge and regional race officer, has owned and raced four one-design big boats and is an ODOM RC skipper: "If you think the starting-line tension racing RC boats isn't the same as big-boat racing, I can tell that you've not done it yet. Next time you get a chance to observe or compete in an RC competition, take it!"
Some of the one-design model yacht classes involve model-building skills. That takes time, and not all skippers are interested in building or modifying their RC yachts. For those who are interested in model-building, great! If you're not, there are two options: Purchase or borrow a used boat in a class that is actively raced nearby, or enter (or start) a class that features boats that are ready to race out of the box, like the Dragon Flite 95. This is a very well-made, hardy boat. With its A rig (there are four) and radio, it costs about $600. It has taken the RC racing yacht world by storm in the past five years
and is raced internationally. Just enter Dragon Flite 95 into your search engine and you will see videos of it in action.
As Dick Hunter, a member of the San Francisco Model Yacht Club, puts it, "If you're looking for an easy entry into the world of radio-controlled sailing, the DF95 is a great boat to choose. It is relatively inexpensive, easy to assemble, and the competition is as close to true one-design racing as you can get."
Several years ago, the St. Francis Yacht Club purchased 10 DF95s to enable the best skippers in the different one-design big-boat classes to compete against each other — like the Champion of Champions regattas held in Germany and in this country. For years, the Monterey Bay (big boat) Yacht Club did the same with a fleet of Victoria RC yachts. The US Sailing 2023 Champion of Champions national regatta was sailed with Dragon Flite 95 RC boats.
We're fortunate here in the San Francisco
Bay Area to have a half-dozen active model yacht clubs where you can hone your skills: Marin's Civic Center Lagoon, Foster City, Pinto Lake down by Watsonville, and several clubs in the Sacramento area.
The oldest and best-endowed is the San Francisco Model Yacht Club, based at Spreckels Lake in Golden Gate Park. Here, the ODOM fleet races year-round every Tuesday at noon. Likewise, the smaller Victorias (32 inches LOA) race every Wednesday at noon. Other larger classes — Star 45, Santa Barbara, Infinity, Wheeler — race on weekends.
Skippers line up for a team photo. You can sail a full regatta in a short amount of time.
Did you know you can sail in Golden Gate Park?
NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOUR SAILING SKILLS
You
The schedule can be found online at www.sfmyc.org.
The smaller boats, ODOM and Victoria, are among the most challenging RC boats to sail. Especially in Spreckels Lake's famously shifting winds. Are you ready to meet that challenge? If so, contact Dick Hunter to arrange for a loaner boat to join the ODOM fleet any Tuesday noon: rhunter4@gmail.com. To join the Victoria fleet any Wednesday noontime, contact fleet captain David
Green to get set up with a Club boat: greend1945@gmail.com
Get better, get faster — by racing radio-controlled model yachts. We're hoping to see you at Spreckels soon! — michael fischer
might still get wet on a rainy, foggy day, but not as wet as you would get racing in 25 knots and ebb.
COME VISIT COYOTE POINT MARINA
COYOTE POINT ACTIVITIES:
Park and Recreation Area
CuriOdyssey Museum and Zoo
Coyote Point Yacht Club
Ho’okahi Pu’uwai Outrigger Canoe Club
MARINA SERVICES & AMENITIES:
Fuel dock; gas and diesel available
24/7 pump out station
Berths 24’ to 60’ for lease
Pet friendly trails
A (MOSTLY) GENTLE DELIVERY
Itis not uncommon for people to tell me what a terrific lifestyle I have: Getting paid to drive boats must be the best deal on Earth. Some days it is, many days it isn't; there are days when you earn your wages. Here on the US West Coast, many of the days when you earn your pay fall between October and March. The question is when to pull the trigger and go. And it is not so much the time of year as the predicted wind and sea state. Some vessels stayed out cruising longer than planned, or perhaps the yard project took longer than estimated and now the winter holidays have arrived and the owners are calling and emailing delivery skippers for a winter foray up or down the coast.
of the seas that can develop. Other vessels like the USS Shark, whose cannon came to rest on a beach in Oregon, were simply lost along a lee shore now more renowned for weddings and The Goonies
Deciding a departure used to rely on a combination of watching the barometer, the 11 o'clock news, NOAA weather forecasts, SSB broadcasts out of Point Reyes that allowed you to draw your own map, discussions with
Black-footed albatross, gray whales and Dall's porpoise provide fine company.
Estimates of shipwrecks for the area from San Diego to the Strait of San Juan de Fuca range as high as 7,000 unfortunate vessels. Interestingly, as many as 70 are likely buried beneath the streets of San Francisco, abandoned during the 1849 gold rush and left to founder and eventually be built right over. The majority of these vessels came to grief at the harbor entrances guarded by river bars. The Columbia River Bar is the most notorious, likely due to the fact that it has more traffic, and to the size and power
local fishermen, and whether the bar crossing was open, or closed by the US Coast Guard. Now the modern mariner has myriad free websites and professional weather routers at their disposal. Even so, most pleasure boats simply just stay comfortably in their slips. Though certainly not all. I can tell you, this year there was some fine weather in January and owners who just couldn't wait for the spring flowers to appear before moving their vessels. These vessels require hearty crew with names like Carrick, Megan, and Scott.
Good weather allows for glowing Pacific sunsets.
ALL PHOTOS LISA WILSON EXCEPT WHERE NOTED
Theadventure begins with the flight to the vessel once the weather is determined to be "good enough." Truth be told, it's more the sea state than the predicted winds that needs to be considered. Often the owner's people pick you up at the airport and transport you to the vessel. However, recently the transit was a plane to Portland International, then a train to the Union Station in downtown Portland. The trains arrive at the back of the building and the bus to Astoria departs from the front. The walk around the building was adventuresome even by former Army Ranger standards. Folks openly smoking crack, injecting themselves and one another, or simply lying on the sidewalk. Plus, it was chilly; it was the holidays. Ugh, we can do better. But the bus ride to the coast was a pleasure and we left out of Ilwaco on the Washington side of the Columbia River, just downstream from Dismal Niche, where Lewis and Clark themselves once spent a winter holiday.
Not surprisingly, the liveliest weather of the trip was encountered during the first four hours as we cleared the bar entrance and set sail for San Francisco. This is likely the reason the fuel filters became cloudy and the engine started running rough and eventually shut down. The motion of the vessel likely caused the sediment in the fuel tanks to emulsify into the diesel fuel and clog up the filters. Once in the open ocean, with the sea around us glassy and predicted to remain so for four more days, we were able to drain the debris and get the iron genny started again for a little while, until it shut down again. We notified the USCG at Coos Bay of our situation, swapped the filters once more, and cleared the bar pulling into Giddings Shipyard just past the South Slough Bridge. Going under drawbridges while fighting current with gimpy filters keeps you focused on tasks at hand.
Giddings, famous for their metal fish-boat construction, was as sleepy as a ghost town. I wondered if the owners of the giant diesel pickup trucks in the parking lot, Ford, Chevy and Dodge with all the TRUMP stickers, understood the connection.
OVER A GRAVEYARD OF SHIPS
When the yard crew arrived to work on the boat, an access port was cut in the cabin sole and then the fuel tank. The fuel was removed and filtered, and the tank was physically scrubbed. We reloaded with a fresh box of filters, watched the end of the playoff game as we finished dinner at a local pub, and were underway as the moon rose over a sleepy blue Pacific.
Out at sea the heater kept the pilothouse warm, but the autopilot was accessible only from the cockpit. Every three hours we would swap from the
bunk to the helm seat. Note to self: If you ever let the owner handle the shopping, make sure they inform you that they're on a special diet if carbs, caffeine and sugar are things you prefer in the wheelhouse.
Eachwinter the commercial crabbing fleet waits anxiously for the whales to make their way south prior to being allowed to set their pots. This aims to limit entangling these gentle leviathans. There are also towing lanes set
up offshore to allow commercial traffic to pass unimpeded. Well, there are supposed to be. But as a former fisherman myself, I know the crabbers set where the crabs are…sometimes. For pleasure boats near harbors, it's a labyrinth of hazards, and with the currents, sometimes the buoys are only occasionally visible. This year we got lucky and slipped through without any hassle.
Each harbor has its own personality. Tillamook Bay, Oregon, has the best ice cream by far. When we pulled into Bandon, Oregon, and rang the number for
This Google map reveals the many sandbars that need to be navigated on departing Ilwaco onto the Columbia River. Right: Andy, on the right, with crew Tom Balestreri, left, and Mike Bourgeois, on a delivery from the Pacific Northwest to San Francisco in 2024. Judging by Andy's lack of beard, it must have been warmer weather than on most of his PNW deliveries.
Moving offshore from the PNW coast can lead to spectacular scenery. Inset: Delivery skipper and author of this story Andy Schwenk dons a winter beard for the voyage.
A (MOSTLY) GENTLE DELIVERY
the fuel dock, we were reminded it was NFL playoff Sunday, so we would have to wait till halftime to fill our tanks. And cruising into Eureka, California, we did not even have our mooring lines secured before we were made a generous offer of a prodigious amount of cannabis.
The point here is, just because the days are shorter and the nights are chilly, the trip up or down the coast can be epic. The last two Thanksgiving vacations have been spent underway. Black-footed albatross, gray whales and Dall's porpoise provide fine company to make up for the lack of stuffing.
— andy schwenk
Ed. Note: Andy is a busy marine surveyor, and delivery and charter-boat captain serving the US West Coast. This summer, he plans to complete his 60th (-and-a-half) passage between Hawaii and the US West Coast.
The welcoming lights of the Golden Gate Bridge greet the weary delivery crew.
Ever since I volunteered to serve on a subcommittee of the local chapter of my professional society, I've had to schlep into the city one more day each month for the meetings. I was trying to figure out how to gracefully un-volunteer from this commitment, but that all changed when we settled on a meeting venue that's much better than rotating it among various downtown offices. Now we meet for a late lunch in the plaza behind the San Francisco Ferry Building, over by the Gandhi statue.
Our subcommittee members are scattered all over the Bay Area. The North Bay contingent takes the ferry from Sausalito, Larkspur or Vallejo, the East Bayers ferry in from Oakland, Alameda or Richmond, and the Peninsula folk get the short end of the deal, taking BART to the Embarcadero. One of our company analysts proved what we had already discovered, that the Ferry Building minimized total collective travel time for our group.
Better than that, the ferry ride is always a pleasure. The boat is never more than about one-third full, and it's satisfying to watch the familiar island, headlands and racing marks fly by at 30 knots plus.
But not every passenger is sold on travel by sea. Last time I got in line to board the boat, an elderly woman in front of me in the line was visibly uncomfortable as we watched our ferry approach the dock.
"Uh, look at the way it rocks in the waves," she said to her companion just before she swallowed a small pill. "I know I'm going to be seasick."
Her friend tried to assure that it would be a smooth ride, but the concerned woman was already losing color. She reminded me of some landlubbers I know who feel ill just looking at a large bowl of soup.
My eavesdropping was cut short by the rapid clicks of bicycle gears rolling up behind me, and then a short screech of skidding tires. It was Lee Helm on her bike, coming in way too fast on a short final approach.
"What brings you to the city today?" I asked.
"Yo, Max!" she greeted me as she dismounted. "I like, have a consulting gig on the side. Cool project, can't tell you what it is exactly."
"I'm not surprised that you like the ferry ride," I said.
"My naval architecture 101 prof started our first class session by asserting, like, without evidence, that 'God intended people to travel by ship.'"
"I hear there's a ferry terminal coming to our marina," I said. "I'm really looking forward to making it part of my regular commute."
"I'm fighting it as hard as I can," Lee surprised me with her answer. "And like, so are most of the small-boat sailors, windsurfers, fishers, dog owners, and parents of toddlers that I know."
"What's the problem?" I asked.
"Our marina is a city park," she explained. "The ferry plans call for eight departures every weekday morning, with 400-passenger boats. Even if ridership projections are all wrong — and, like, they always are — and the boats are only half full, that's 1,600 passengers, and at the usual ratio of 0.6 cars per passenger, we'd need parking for 960 cars. The Ferry Authority and the City can only come up with 250 existing spaces — maybe 400 if they reconfigure the lot and knock down a bunch of trees."
"Aren't there enough overflow lots to handle that?" I asked.
"Think it through, Max. The nearest overflow parking lot is the one you use to get to your boat and the yacht club. The City says they can keep ferry passengers out with time limits or timeof-day restrictions, like for example, a three-hour time limit or no parking before, like, 10 a.m."
"I have to assume," I argued, "that
boat owners will get a pass or a sticker that exempts them from those rules."
"Oh, sure," Lee replied. "But what about your crew? Thing is, most people who have boats don't use them alone. Crew, guests, extended family, all have about the same parking requirements as ferry passengers. They arrive early and need a parking space for the whole day. And they bring sea bags and coolers and maybe fishing gear. Not easy on a bus or bike. Like, how are the parking signs going to tell the difference between ferry passengers and sailors?"
"Well, you always come by bike," I pointed out. "But you're right, most of my crew live on the other side of the hill and nowhere near a convenient bus to the marina. I guess they'll have to make their first stop at the harbormaster's office for a one-day parking permit."
"No good for overnight races or a weekend cruise," Lee noted. "And the marina will have to budget to keep the office open on Sunday, and open early. Not in the published cost estimates."
"Maybe the berthers will get some temporary hang tag parking permits to dole out to crew as needed," I proposed.
"The big race boats might need 10 or 12," Lee suggested. "And like, think of the unintended consequences: Savvy commuters will buy cheap old boats, put them in a berth near the ferry dock, get their one free parking permit, and always have a space in their berther parking lots."
"Fine with me as long as they also join the yacht club," I surmised.
"Tight parking has a big negative impact on commute time," Lee continued her rant. "There's research that shows that when there's uncertainty in a commute schedule — like, random time variation in a transit schedule, or in this case, uncertainty about the time it takes to find a parking space — most commuters will allow two standard deviations in their time margin. Sometimes the time to find a parking space will be only a minute or two, like when there's lots of space in the designated ferry lot. Or for example, like, 15 minutes, if you have to drive around looking for street parking and then take a long walk back to the ferry dock."
This was an interesting concept, but I was in no position to challenge the research result.
SV 'Karl', the newest boat in the diesel-powered Dorado class. It has all the latest emission controls to catch particulates and nitrous oxides, but these can't do anything about carbon from burning liquid fuel. At 5,220 BTU per passenger-mile, the carbon footprint is about four times higher per passenger-mile than from an AC Transit bus, and 39 times higher than from BART.
MAX EBB
CASH OR CRASH?
"Example:" Lee continued. "Let's say the time to find parking averages 10 minutes with standard deviation of about five. The average commuter, and it, like, doesn't matter if they never even heard of standard deviation, will allow those 10 minutes plus two standard deviations, or a total of 20 minutes extra, to find parking and minimize the chance of missing the boat. Gotta add that to the commute time if you're designing an efficient transit system. The surprise result is that you get door-todoor a lot faster with convenient and reliable parking compared to making the boats run faster. The ferry planners should factor in the parking resource instead of buying pricey fast boats."
I didn't pay much attention to Lee's math, but she had already started me thinking about how my yacht club was going to handle rental events. Or even club dinners. A lot of our members have boats in other marinas — or don't have boats at all — and will have to find a way to get one-day parking passes
when they're not even on the marina's berther list.
"Now for the good news: Economics will probably kill this boondoggle. With bus transit and BART on life support, they want to spend 170 mil on a new terminal with new breakwaters and a new dredged channel. They'll throw in a very short fishing pier, but the City is on the hook for that and for all the land-side parking and circulation
improvements, another first cost that's about, like, twice the marina's annual budget. The subsidy level is outrageous: From last year's regional ferry expenditures and ridership numbers, it cost $61 for each one-way ride. Farebox recovery was only 8.9%, and like, I'm including capital expenses — no fair only looking at operating costs; you can't run a ferry system without replacing old boats and maintaining the docks. Every ride was subsidized to the tune of 51 clams. The Ferry Authority admits that something over 90% of their passengers earn above median income, yet they have the audacity to promote a regressive sales tax so they can keep the fare low for the commuters. I love ferries, but there's like, no reason to subsidize them at a higher per-ride level than BART, and that would require about a $19 fare bump."
"How do you explain," I asked, "all the public support for the new ferry terminal, considering such a high cost in public funds?"
It's an expensive but great way to cross the Bay.
/ JOHN If you're going to invite crew to sail, they'll need a place to park.
MAX EBB — CASH OR CRASH?
COMPARATIVE FERRY ECONOMICS
(Numbers may vary depending on which website or AI server is consulted)
"I blame it on the 'ice cream survey,'" Lee explained as the ferry dock lines were made fast and the queue started to move forward. "The City put out a survey: 'Would you like to have ferry service from our waterfront?' Everyone answered 'yes.' They might just as well have asked, 'Do you like ice cream?' What they didn't ask was, 'Should we build a Baskin-Robbins in your favorite neighborhood park?' The answers would have been a little different."
We were about to board, but the woman in line ahead of us, the one who was certain she would be seasick despite her meds, was clearly in no hurry to walk down the gangway. Her friend had to practically drag her. When she stepped aboard, she nervously asked the deckhand, "Do boats like this…do boats like this one, uh, sink often?"
The crew was ready. "No ma'am," he answered. "Boats like this tend to sink only once."
From the Ferry Authority's 2024-25 budget (most recent one approved and published as of 2/16/26) www.tinyurl.com/bdf7ycka
Total annual expenditures, including capital costs (new ferries, terminal development, planning, etc.): $158.2 million
Total number of one-way rides: 2.57 million; $158.2/2.57 = $61.56 per one-way ride
Farebox revenue: $14.1 million
Farebox Recover Ratio = $14.1/$158.2 = 8.9%
Subsidy per ride = (100%-8.9%) x 61.56 = $56.08 per ride
Don’t wait for a motor failure in a crowded bay. Save on all Maxwell windlasses, control switches, and service kits throughout the month of April.
From compact units for small cruisers to heavyduty vertical windlasses, we have the inventory and expertise to help you find the perfect fit for your boat.
FRIENDLY STAFF & LOCATION
THE RACING
In April's edition of The Racing Sheet, two statewide High School Regattas are sailed, SDYC hosts a major Etchells Championship, one of the country's elite women's regattas, and the offshore race that was *supposed* to be the warm-up for the Puerto Vallarta Race. StFYC hosted the penultimate stop of California Dreamin'. Finally, RYC hosted its annual Big Daddy Regatta, honoring Bob Klein. For this edition of the Racing Sheet, we didn't end up with enough room for all of the articles we had planned (overeager Racing Editor!), so we encourage you to go check out 'Lectronic Latitude to read even more about sailing.
SDYC Hosts Etchells PCC, Regatta Decided by Tiebreaker
On February 21 and 22, 42 Etchells teams representing four different countries descended on San Diego Yacht Club (SDYC) for the 2026 Etchells Pacific Coast Championship. The racing was so tight that the net scores alone could not separate not just the top two but the top three of the regatta, as the entire podium finished with 13 points from five races (with each boat being afforded one drop).
The winning boat, Austin Sperry and Rod Hagebols' Bayou Hustler, just narrowly edged out Jim Madden and Skip Dieball on Stark Raving Mad in second, and James Mayo and Peter Merrington aboard Magpie (an Australian boat) in third. The three-way tiebreaker came down to best finishes. Both Bayou Hustler and Stark Raving Mad had one bullet to their names (in races three and four respectively), but outside of that the eventual winners' best finishes were third places in races one and five, edging out the second-place boat's three fourth-place finishes. Magpie, the third-place boat, didn't win a race, but finished second in races one and four, and also recorded a third.
"I'd really like to thank the San Diego Yacht Club and all the volunteers for putting on such an amazing event,"
the victorious Rob Hagebols says of the regatta, per the SDYC press release. "Lots of moving pieces and the race committee and the volunteers did a great job making us feel welcome and to do another great event here at the club." He added, "We're really excited that we had so many boats out there this weekend, and it's fantastic to see the intensity and the comradeship as well. We really loved racing out there this weekend. The conditions were perfect, like it couldn't get any better. I love the San Diego Yacht Club. I love San Diego. I love San Diego people."
"Saturday the breeze came in wonderfully," Skip Dieball of Stark Raving Mad said of the racing, again per the SDYC press release. "We got three great races in — lots of tight racing. And today was epic. It was really off the hook. And the racing was so tight. Frankly it came down to the last beat. Any one of the three boats could have won on the last beat and it was super exciting. We thought we were going to have a piece of Austin's team there at the end, but they crossed us and took home the top prize, but we're really proud and happy to be second place."
"We've made the trip over from Australia and we absolutely loved being here," says James Mayo of Magpie. "We loved the racing. It was tight. I didn't
2026 Etchells Pacific Coast champions Austin Sperry and Rob Hagebols. Right: Corinthian champions Don Jesberg and John Bonds.
quite know until half an hour ago. Three boats that tied on equal points. So that's wonderful racing.… We're super-excited to come back again next month and the month after and then start throwing the dice to the Worlds."
Just behind the podium boats was Jim Cunningham's Lifted, with 16 points in fourth place. Cunningham won races one and five, but was forced to keep a ninth-place finish in race two after accruing a scoring penalty in race three that resulted in a 15 (which would eventually become his drop).
All of the top 10 finishers had at least one professional sailor on the boat. Of the 42 boats that raced, 13 of them were Corinthian competitors. The top Corinthian finisher was San Francisco Yacht Club's Don Jesberg and his team aboard Viva. Jesberg and team finished with a net total of 39 points for the regatta, with the high point being a fourth-place finish in race four.
The regatta was one of several highprofile Etchells regattas set to be sailed at SDYC this year, with the highlight being the Etchells Worlds, May 7-15. — fritz
ETCHELLS WEST COAST SPRING SERIES/ PACIFIC COAST CHAMPIONSHIP, SDYC, 2/2122 (5r/1t)
1) Bayou Hustler, Austin Sperry/Rod Hagebols, 13 points; 2) Stark Raving Mad, Jim Madden/ Skip Dieball, 13; 3) Magpie, James Mayo/Peter Merrington, 13; 4) Lifted, Jim Cunningham, 16; 5) GoodEnergy, George Hershman, 21. (42 boats) Full results at www.sdyc.org
UHS's James Frazone Recaps PCISA Golden Bear
The 2026 Golden Bear Regatta was hosted by the Encinal Yacht Club (EYC) in the Alameda Estuary in San Francisco Bay. This Pacific Coast Interscholastic Sailing Association (PCISA) regatta was a rare foray into Northern California (of the five PCISA regattas throughout the year, the only two north of Santa Barbara are in Monterey and at Encinal), but presented conditions similar to the typical Southern California event.
The conditions were amazing for racing on the first day. The wind was blowing about 8 to 10 knots from the east, and the chop was minimal in the Estuary. The course was set up in front of Encinal Yacht Club, which made for easy viewing. The race committee sent us out promptly. Although multiple breakdowns slowed the proceedings, we managed to get three sets run.
University High School of San Francisco (UHS) sailed well, with some good finishes in the top half, highlighted by a third, to round out the scorecard in the A division. The B division sailed a respectable low-20s set. The day ended at about 5:30; a full day of racing. After day one, the Cathedral Catholic
Dons were in first, followed by Point Loma and Mater Dei.
UHS was in a prime position for success the next day when disaster struck. Our A division crew was sick, and we had no alternates. This regatta was on the tail end of winter break, meaning that there weren't many sailors from UHS who were available. We had only four on the first day to round out a squad, and with the sick crew, we were dangerously close to being unable to sail the next day. Luckily, we were able to secure a crew from the Convent-Stuart Hall team and sail the last day, utilizing the PCISA "borrowed sailor" rules.
The last day was considerably lighter, and with the end time set at 3:30,
it was looking as if there would not be much racing. The wind was more southerly than on the day before, and chop was minimal. A single set was raced. UHS sailed reasonable A- and B-division sets to finish in 25th. Scoring rounded out to a Point Loma, Mater Dei and Cathedral Catholic podium, with the two other Point Loma teams occupying the fourth and fifth places. — james franzone
PCISA GOLDEN BEAR GOLD, 2/21–22 (12r/0t) HIGH SCHOOL FLEET — 1) Pt. Loma HS Pointers 1, 61 points; 2) Mater Dei HS Monarchs 2, 77; 3) Cathedral Catholic HS Dons 1, 84; 4) Pt. Loma HS Pointers 2, 90; 5) Pt. Loma HS – Pointers 4, 91. (32 teams) Full results at www.hssailing.org
High school sailors battle their way upwind at the Golden Bear PCISA regatta at Encinal Yacht Club. Right: James Franzone, author of this article, skippering for UHS at a past PCISA event.
Clockwise from upper left: Whoever can most accurately guess the number of kites wins a free…high five?; Etchells from above; "Cross??!"; Boats battle to set their kites at the Etchells Pacific Coast Championship.
THE RACING
The fourth of the major statewide high school sailing regattas took place on March 7 and 8 in the form of the Gaucho Regatta in Santa Barbara. Sixty-two high school teams from across the state competed, with 32 in Gold Fleet and 30 in Silver.
"Saturday started off well with a light southerly that allowed completion of two Gold A races before the wind shut off completely," the regatta report tells of the racing. "After about 30 minutes a very localized breeze line showed up and the race committee was on it. By the time the wind hit the start line, the course was set for Silver Race 1A. (The previously started Silver 1A race had to be abandoned due to the wind shutting off.) It looked like game-on with a very strong building breeze reaching around 14 knots at one point, but the wind had other ideas for the day as it backed off again, pulsing up and down over long stretches of time between 4 and 10 knots from about 225 degrees. The wind was fighting offshore flow that eventually won out somewhere in the middle of the day and demanded a full
reset of the course. Now racing upwind to the north, several more races were completed before the sea breeze pushed back through and the course had to be reset again.
"Sunday turned on right about 10:15 from 225 degrees with racing starting at 10:32 a.m., "the report continues. "With a more consistent breeze, the racing was smooth and ran quickly for the most part, save a few general recalls in the Gold B division. There was still some offshore flow from the north that was fighting for control with the occasional large right shift, but the WSW sea breeze was strong, puffing up to the high teens at times and holding pretty consistently for most of the day. Breeze ranged from lulls down in the 4-5 knot range and puffs into the teens, but overall a lot more steady and less pulsing [than] the previous day. Six B and four A races were completed for both Silver and Gold, with Silver starting just minutes before the last warning
signal option.”
The Mater Dei Monarchs were dominant in the Gold Fleet, with their two teams taking first and third. Their top boat was a team of Nickolas Lech and Hannah Crompton in A division, and Kingston Keyoung, Fiona Barbeito and Sophia Corzine in B division. After 20 races, the Monarchs' top team had tallied 91 points (60 from A division and 31 from B division) in order to finish a whopping 39 points ahead of the second-place Point Loma Pointers with 130.
The Silver Fleet was won by the Coastal Academy Stingrays, with 168 points from the 20 races (47 in A division, 121 in B division), four points ahead of second-place Serra. The A division duo of Alex Fisher and Kisa Hilsabeck anchored the Stingrays with a dominant performance, winning three of 10 races and finishing outside of the top 10 only twice.
fritz
PCISA #4 (Gaucho) Sailed in Santa Barbara
Clockwise from upper left: A crowded windward mark rounding at PCISA Gaucho; Mater Dei, pictured here, won the PCISA Gaucho event; Getting that arm out while hiking gives you extra leverage; Santa Barbara hills loom in the background as boats approach the windward mark in the fourth PCISA of the year.
PCISA GAUCHO SILVER , 3/7-8 (10r/0t)
HIGH SCHOOL FLEET — 1) Coastal Academy Stingrays, 47 points; 2) Junipero Serra, 83; 3) St. Joseph Jesters, 127; 4) The Bay of San Francisco Breakers, 149; 5) St. Joseph Notre Dame, 100. (30 teams)
Full results at www.hssailing.org
Tight Racing at StFYC's CA Dreamin' Stop
On March 7 and 8, St. Francis Yacht Club (StFYC) hosted the third stop of the 2026 California Dreamin' series. The first two stops of the series were at San Diego Yacht Club (SDYC) and Balboa Yacht Club (BYC), covered in the March edition of Latitude 38.
Eight teams competed, with four teams from StFYC (skippers Lindsey Baab, Shawn Bennett, Molly Carapiet, and Russ Silvestri), Cameron Feeves from Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club (CBYC), Lionel Crear from Oakcliff in New York, Sidney Gathrid from Del Rey Yacht Club (DRYC), and Hailey Thompson from San Francisco Yacht Club (SFYC).
Two round robins were sailed on a moderate, picturesque late-winter San Francisco Bay weekend. After the first round robin, it was Gathrid's team from DRYC who were in the pole position, winning six of seven races (losing only to Silvestri). Molly Carapiet was in second, having won five of seven (losing to Gathrid and Cameron Feeves), and Lindsey Baab's team was tied with Silvestri for third at four and three. Shawn Bennett and Cameron Feeves were both three and four.
During the second round robin, the eventual winner of the event emerged — not any of the top three from the first round of racing. CBYC's Cameron Feeves went on an absolute tear, winning all seven of his races to vault his team from sixth after the first round robin all the way up to the winning position.
Naturally, even with the dominant display in the second round robin, Feeves needed help to leapfrog five teams. He got it as Gathrid lost three
races in the second round robin (to Feeves and then to Bennett and Baab). Carapiet struggled, dropping four of seven races, as did Baab, who dropped five of seven. Silvestri and Bennett both had strong second round robins, winning five of seven races each, but not enough to overcome the dominant display from the CBYC.
The final standings saw Feeves in first place with 10 wins, Gathrid in second with 10 as well (Feeves won on tiebreaker by virtue of beating Gathrid both times), and Silvestri in third with nine wins.
The fourth and final stop of the California Dreamin' series will be at Long Beach Yacht Club on April 11-12, with the overall winner of the series earning a spot in LBYC's Butler Cup later in the year.
— fritz
'Natural Nine' Wins Islands Race in SoCal
On February 6 and 7, Patrick and Mark Nichols, on their Rogers 46 Natural Nine, won the 16th edition of the Islands Race, jointly run by San Diego Yacht Club (SDYC) and Newport Harbor
Clockwise from upper left: St. Francis YC hosted the third stop of California Dreamin' in early March; Up close and personal with a mark rounding; Kate Shiber smiling for the camera; All the moving parts of a match race.
BRYAN M c DONALD
THE RACING
Yacht Club (NHYC). The winners finished the race in 19:23:17 of elapsed time, correcting out to 21:11:42, good for first place in both their ORR-C division and for the overall win.
"This year's fleet spanned boats in six classes ranging from 27 to 68 feet and represented a variety of designs and performance profiles," the SDYC press release says of the race participants and course this year. "While traditionally routed around the Channel Islands, including Catalina and San Clemente, the 2026 course was shortened to an approximately 107-nautical-mile race rounding Catalina Island only due to anticipated light wind conditions. The adjustment was made to keep the fleet moving and ensure a timely finish — a practical call for skippers and crews balancing offshore ambitions with a Super Bowl Sunday finish window. This course was last used in the 2019 Islands Race."
Though light winds were forecast, and generally arrived, conditions were better across the board than had been feared.
"We had a great day out there, much better than what the forecast predicted," NHYC PRO Charlie Welsh says of the racing, per the SDYC press release. "We had five great starts, and four OCS across all starts. That's a bummer on a long distance race, but they fixed it and
made the most of it. We appreciate all the competitors that made it out for the event."
"The Islands course was conceived to be a warmup for the two classic West Coast offshore races to Mexico: The Cabo Race hosted by Islands co-host NHYC and SDYC's own Puerto Vallarta Race," says SDYC Waterfront Director Jeff Johnson, again per the press release. "Leg one for Islands is a 20nm sprint WSW to Catalina's west end. It's usually a fetch and almost immediately crosses the L.A. Harbor Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) that is equivalent to a major maritime highway. With a more westerly wind, the expectation is to zip across the Catalina channel and be around the West End in just a couple hours. This year, the event was dominated by a light southerly breeze. But after the start, Mother Nature offered more breeze than expected and most of the fleet was around the West End by 1730."
The team on Natural Nine, as with many of the racers, were using the race as a warmup for the main event that is the Puerto Vallarta race later in the month.
"We came in looking to dial in the boat and have fun," says Patrick Nichols of the winning boat, per the press release. "Plus, this is a preparation race for the PV Race at the end of the
month. Going into this race, the forecast was really tough. We came in trying to maximize all of the options that we had — put up some new sails, work on our crew work — and it just worked out."
"What surprised me was the wind being kind of on the nose," says Mark Nichols, Natural Nine's co-owner, per the press release. "There was a lot of upwind work, which we weren't expecting, but it was really fun. Every time we came up, I was like 'great.'"
— fritz
SDYC
ISLANDS RACE, ORR DIVISIONS, 2/6-7
ORR-A — 1) Akua Kai, TP52, Stanbob Racing; 2) Fox, Botin TP52, Victor Wild; 3) Zero Gravity 51, R/P 51, Ivan Batanov. (6 boats)
ORR-B — 1) Good Call, Swan 60, Tom Barker. (4 boats)
ORR-C — 1) Natural Nine, Rogers 46, Patrick & Mark Nichols; 2) Heroic Heart, SC52, Steve Firestone; 3) Patriot IX, Class 40, Michael Rose. (7 boats)
ORR-F — 1) Ohana, Swede 55, Paul Hogue; 2) Kookaburra 3, Oceanis 46.1, Mark Mallaby; 3) Triton, Oceanis 54, Chris Rackow. (3 boats)
ORR-EZ — 1) Escape, Oceanis 51.1, Alex Vovk. (1 boat)
Full results at www.sdyc.org
Clockwise from left: The team from 'Natural Nine' with the trophy from the Islands Race; A light-wind mark rounding in the Islands Race; 'Natural Nine', the winners of the Islands Race.
KARINA SANDHU
San Diego YC Hosts 2026 Women's Winter Invitational
From February 13-15, San Diego Yacht Club (SDYC) hosted the eighth edition of the Women's Winter Invitational Regatta (WWIR). The regatta — one of the premier women's events in the country, featuring national champions, collegiate national champions, and Olympic campaigners — was won by the team from the Seattle Yacht Club (SYC), skippered by AnaLucia Clarkson.
"The racing is amazing, but spending the weekend in San Diego with two close friends, sailing against other incredible sailors — what could be better?" Clarkson says of the racing, per the SDYC press release.
Twenty-four teams competed in total, sailing in a short course "sailing league" format in which boats sail quick races against part of the fleet, with the opponents they sail against rotating each race. It is still fleet racing, but it brings in elements of team racing and match racing.
Each team sailed 10 qualifier races (with 57 qualifier/round robin races being sailed in total) in order to be sorted out into either Gold or Silver Fleet finals.
In the round robin stage, Clarkson and the team from Seattle won five of the eight races that they sailed in. This placed the team from the Pacific Northwest in third going into the finals (teams were given handicap points going into the final stage based on how they performed in the round robin), behind five-time winners California Yacht Club (CYC) and the hosts from SDYC. With six boats in the Gold Fleet final, three races were sailed. Though the SYC team didn't win any of the races, it was their consistency (a
scoreline of 2-3-2 combined with their 1.5-point carryover from the prior stage for a total of 8.5 points) that led them to victory.
CYC, who had had the advantage going into the finals (carrying only 0.5 points from the round robin), finished fifth and fourth in races one and two, respectively, before winning race three. SDYC won race two, but fourth-place finishes in races one and three saw them fall behind Seattle, but pass CYC. Mission Bay Yacht Club (MBYC), who came into the finals as the sixth-place boat, won race one of the finals, showcasing just how tight the Gold Fleet was.
"The regatta reflects a broader movement within the sport," regatta chair Marnie Jenkins says, again via the SDYC press release. "[M]ore women stepping into skipper roles, more allwomen teams competing at the highest levels, and stronger collaboration between clubs nationwide."
— fritz
Brandon Mercer and Team Double Up at RYC's Big Daddy Regatta
On March 7 and 8, Richmond Yacht Club (RYC) hosted its annual Big Daddy Regatta, the 43rd edition of the event honoring former RYC commodore Bob "Big Daddy" Klein. Saturday's buoy racing saw 14 different fleets compete, with each fleet sailing either three or two races. Sunday's pursuit race combined almost all of the boats into just a monohull and multihull division.
Saturday Fleet Racing: Saturday's fleet racing saw 82 boats show up to race across 14 different divisions. There were 10 one-design classes (Alerion 28, Express 27, Express 37, Olson 25, Santana 22, J/24, J/105, Ultimate 20,
Melges 24, and J/88) and four PHRF classes. The biggest division was the 14-boat Express 27 fleet.
"The Southampton race committee did a great job finding the squarest course possible as the offshore winds kept oscillating," Brandon Mercer, skipper of the winning J/24 Tenacious Cuttlefish (RYC) tells Latitude. "We had more wind than models predicted, and more current. I think Will Pochereva, our co-skipper, gave us incredible starts. We kept crossing close to Evil Octopus and riding the currents to see who could get to windward first."
Mercer, who was the 2025 J/24 Fleet 17 season champion, totaled four points from the three races sailed, winning races one and two. Seven J/24s raced on Saturday.
"Downtown Uproar is always extremely well sailed, so it was between the three of us in all three races," Mercer continues. "We had a new mast person, Erin Waid, who was a rock star on all the controls and is now a season regular. We had a new pit person for the first time on J/24s, Orna Eliav-Meiri, who did great, and Beej Cronin on bow is super-strong while also light and athletic, which was perfect for handling quick hoists and douses in the gusty but warm conditions. Oh, did I mention we were sailing in T-shirts and shorts in winter?"
"Saturday was a memorable day on sailing on the 'Olympic Circle' course," David Gruver, skipper of the winning Olson 25 Sketch (SFYC) tells us. "RYC sailed us tucked up close to the east shore, where we had a solid 6- to 12knot northerly that mercifully held for three races. With 20-degree shifts and many puffs and potholes, it was an interesting racecourse where fortune changed rapidly. Short legs put a premium on starts. We were fortunate
The SDYC Women's Winter Invitational is one of the elite women-only regattas in the country. Right: Seattle Yacht Club, skippered by AnaLucia Clarkson (center, left), won the SDYC Women's Winter Invitational.
THE RACING SHEET
from left: Zach
to get off the line cleanly each time and cover the fleet. Definitely a memorable day on the Bay."
Sunday Pursuit Race: Fifty-five boats competed in the pursuit race on Sunday, with boats broken up into two divisions: a 49-boat monohull division and a six-boat multihull division. Mercer and his team aboard Tenacious Cuttlefish (RYC) completed the double victory by winning the massive monohull division.
"Winning a regatta with a 43-year history is one thing," Mercer says of the pursuit race. "Doing it out of RYC with some of the best sailors in the world is another. Yes, sailing is both luck and skill, and on Sunday, we had both. Plus, there are certainly some advantages to a PHRF of 168. The wind was shutting down at the end, but we made it across. Winning Big Daddy is a special honor because it represents two-time RYC commodore Bob Klein. To win the race named after him and to learn about his legacy and what he did for sailing — helping open sailing to anyone — is the real biggest win.
"We really owe a huge thanks to the race committee and Fred Paxton for not giving up on the race, but holding out till 2:00 p.m.," he continues. "It was well worth it. Both the postponement where we had boat-to-boat water gun fights, a J/24 pot luck, and some great tunes, then the racing itself with a warm westerly, were all lifelong memories. I think Bob Klein would be proud. Will Pochereva, our helm and coskipper, and Addison Mercer (17), our
during
co-owner and bow, and Kaelyn Grebe (17), daughter of the skipper we sail with offshore, were just an amazing team. I think we won it in the first 30 minutes when Will made the call to stick it out on the Marin shore of Raccoon Strait, staying just ahead of the coming flood tide, and in good current, then navigating the wind holes. After that, it was just about not making mistakes for the next 90 minutes."
— john bradley
RYC BIG DADDY, 3/7
ALERION 28 — 1) Resilience, Michael Quinn, 7 points; 2) Sweet De, Christian Kramer, 9; 3) Althea, Chris Herrmann, 9. (7 boats)
PHRF A — 1) Saoirse, Tripp 41, Russell Huebschle, 2 points; 2) Astra, Farr 400, Simon Phillips, 5; 3) Bodacious+, 1D48, John Clauser, 5. (3 boats)
PHRF B — 1) Tangaroa, J/109, Daniel Brousseau/Mark Smedley, 3 points; 2) Lightspeed, Wylie 39, Gilles Combrisson, 3; 3) Sirocco Skye, Tartan 101, Michael & Carolyn Reynolds, 7. (6 boats)
PHRF D — 1) Another Girl, Alerion Express 38, Cinde Lou Delmas, 4 points; 2) Wowla, J/100, Robert Walden/Lori Tewksbury, 4; 3) Ahi, Santana 35, Andy Newell, 5. (4 boats)
PHRF E — 1) Vera Cruz, Jeanneau 349, Michael Johnson/Vera Chotzen, 9 points; 2) Son of a Son, J/70, David Fried, 10; 3) Mr. McGregor, Wylie Wabbit, Kim Desenberg/John Groen, 10. (9 boats)
RYC BIG DADDY PURSUIT, 3/8
MONOHULL — 1) Tenacious Cuttlefish; 2) Kwazy, Wylie Wabbit, Colin Moore; 3) Godzilla; 4) Checkered Past, Wylie 39, Kim & Anna Desenberg; 5) Salty Hotel, Express 27, John Kearney; 6) New Wave, Express 27, Eric Villadsen/ Ashley Farr; 7) Zaff, J/92, Tim Roche; 8) Shaman, Cal 40, Barton Hackworth; 9) Arsenal, J/125, Andrew Picel; 10) Breakaway, U20, John Wolfe. (105 boats)
SPINNAKER 3 — 1) Kangaroo Jockey, J/70, Peter Cameron; 2) Rooster, Melges 20, John Oldham/Ian Charles; 3) Calypso, J/92, Alexander Band. (5 boats)
SPINNAKER 4 — 1) Can O'Whoopass, Cal 20, Richard vonEhrenkrook/Chris Cassell; 2) Nancy, Wyliecat 30, Patrick Broderick/Doug Ford; Hygge, Borresen BB-10, Don Ringer. (4 boats)
NON-SPINNAKER 1 — 1) Sapphire, Alerion Express, Michael & Aruna Chammout; 2) Free, S&S 30, Jim Carlsen/Jim Bilafer; Sir Edmund, Covey 49, Cyril Collock/Andy Schwenk. (3 boats)
NON-SPINNAKER 2 — 1) Chesapeake III, Alerion Express, James Fair; 2) Venture, C&C 33, Paul Conroy/Michael Simon. (3 boats) Full results at www.jibeset.net
PERFORMANCE. BUILT DIFFERENT.
CHANGES
With reports this month from Makani on the effort required to become a self-sufficient sailor; Pendragon's post-Ha-Ha adventures; a look back at both Zihuatanejo Sailfest and the Barra de Navidad Cruise-In Week and Fiesta de Veleros; and some fun and funny Cruise Notes.
Makani — Jeanneau 39
Ruby Gates Learning Curves Portland
I've sailed thousands of miles since I bought Makani back in 2021. She has endured a hurricane at anchor; violent squalls with lightning; heavy seas; thousands of miles of Pacific swells; aggressive, battering wind; busted rigging; failed electrical components; failed transmission; tattered sails — I could go on.
I keep a list of my repairs.
At this writing, Makani has needed more than 30 significant repairs, or newly installed equipment, totaling around $44,000 over the fourand-a-half years I've owned the boat.
Salt water is punishing; constant motion eventually wears things out; and even non-use can take its toll. In 2024, I left the boat in Tahiti for three months during cyclone season. She was protected and attended to. Nevertheless, the rain and humidity did such a number on her that when I got back, I had to replace my autopilot controller, fix new leaks in the portholes, and deal with massive mildew — even though I had prepared her for the hot and humid conditions.
This year [2025], I had several issues, including replacing a thru-hull fitting, hunting down an electrolysis issue, replacing my watermaker solenoid, painting the bottom (again), and teaching myself how to repair damage to the fiberglass, incurred during an unfortunate encounter with a cement dock in Samoa.
Moreover, the farther west I sail, the more Makani shows her wear and tear,
and the more expensive parts become since I'm nowhere near a supplier for anything. I have massive amounts of spare parts, but rarely the one I need.
The frustration and exasperation multiply when I have another repair to make before I'm done with the present one. Or I'm at sea with days to go before making landfall.
Repairs aside, just adhering to a maintenance schedule can get overwhelming,
Back in the early days of my singlehanding, when these things seemed insurmountable, I often cried in frustration and felt like giving up.
Not so much anymore.
These days, I often remind myself — no, congratulate myself on — how much I've learned to do on my own. Aspects of repairs I had no idea how to do four years ago now seem easy.
The path to self-sufficiency has sometimes seemed as frustrating as the repairs themselves. I was often uncomfortable asking other sailors for help or guidance. After all, most of them have their own projects. Additionally, I'm often the only singlehanding woman around, which carries a scrutiny all its own. In the worst cases, I've had men offer little more than brutal criticism if I didn't know how to do something.
But most of the time, the generosity of sailors goes without saying. Many men have helped me out multiple times, with a special shoutout to buddy-boater Ron Kucera of Mar de Luz.
And of course everybody's "buddy" these days: YouTube. It has been a great help.
As my awareness has grown, problem-solving has eased in its demands as I can now "connect the dots" more easily when pinpointing issues. I'm no longer "scared" of my electrical board, no longer intimidated by my Yanmar engine. Subtle new sounds I once scarcely heard give me information on what's going on with my boat, and I never ignore a little tick or tiny tock anywhere anymore.
I've spent hours learning how to reproduce small items using molds made
out of silicone, and many more hours learning how to properly mix epoxy resin to pour into those molds. Very few were successful in the early going as I had to learn the hard way how important it is to get the epoxy ratio right.
Ron taught me how to use a voltmeter, and how to install butt connectors on electrical equipment. My friend Owen on Rumi spent what seemed like hours on the phone with me trying to help diagnose an electrical issue with my cockpit "party lights." Just a few weeks ago, another friend, Ken, taught me how to use a rivet gun for the first time.
MAKANI
Ruby has been singlehanding for three years and was the only solo woman in the 2024 Pacific Puddle Jump.
When I couldn't find a "live one," YouTube has been great. It's surprising how, no matter what the issue, there's almost always someone who's taken the time to film how they addressed and fixed it. I can't tell you how indebted I am to those fastidious people.
Through them, I've learned how to change my oil, repair my electrical board, change my impeller, clean my
heat exchanger, fix my water pump, and even clean the inner lining of my stove window. I've learned how to shut my engine down at the engine block, and the meaning of that white smoke coming out of my outboard.
Unlike sailing as part of a couple, I don't have anyone I can work on a problem with — and this in itself is deeply frustrating, and equally rewarding
when I fix something. Just the other day, the pull cord on the outboard broke. I had no idea how to fix it. YouTube did. Some guy I'd never met demonstrated the repair, and within an hour I had it fixed and my outboard started right up! My face was in absolute disbelief — a friend took a picture of me with my mouth hanging open!
I've learned so much that I'm now aware of and intimidated by the vastness of what I don't know!
For the stuff I can't figure out, I've had to hire someone. I can't tell you how often I've been ripped off. A new transmission install was (I learned later) astronomically overpriced, and a guy claiming to install new Strataglass in my dodger lied, instead installing some clear vinyl that clouded over within months. I had new rigging installed improperly, costing me a fortune, only to have my portside shrouds fail 3,500 miles later. (Per Ron, I used my running backstay fortified by webbing through my toe rails to stabilize the mast until I got to Papeete and had the problem fixed.)
I often feel I'm at the mercy of "professionals" and have very little power to assess the costs. Sometimes I don't know how to even verbalize the issue at hand!
This vulnerability fuels an even stronger desire to learn to repair as much as I can on my own.
This journey to that end has been as rewarding as my ongoing journey to sail around the world. (Well, almost.)
It's so uplifting to realize how far I've come in just a few years. I barely remember the "newbie" I once was. Now I'm my own mechanic, plumber, electrician, fabricator and doctor, sometimes with no idea of where to begin.
I begin anyway.
The way I've chosen to sail — alone and far from turnkey civilizations — has not only brought me vast beauty and connected me to deeply kind people, but it has also challenged me in overwhelming ways when it came to ensuring my own safety. Instead of avoiding problems, I've had to face them square on and incubate a depth of patience in dealing with my ineptitude.
It's getting better. I'm getting better. But there's a long way yet to go. There are tools on my boat I don't even know the names of, much less what they're
PHOTOS MAKANI
Above: 'Makani' on the hard in Tahiti. Left: After much trial and error, Ruby figured out how to reproduce small items using silicon molds and epoxy. Left center: The outboard roared to life after Ruby replaced the pull cord. Left top: Improperly done rigging almost caused a dismasting. Top: Ruby has created a spreadsheet to keep current with regular maintenance chores. Inset center: The back of the power panel shows a well-sorted wiring harness and proper connectors.
CHANGES
for. That's the deficit I work from.
But it also doesn't defeat me.
The desire and ambition to sail around the world override the urge to quit when a problem seems overwhelming. The quiet mornings with a hot cup of tea and the rising sun leapfrog my pangs of incompetence.
The breaching whales and dolphins at my bow, the gleam of a white sandy beach and the stunning cultures I interact with emerge as the winners in this equation, forcing me to find peace in the world of sailing, where the only place my skills have to go is up as I address the next problem.
It's now gotten to a point that before I do something relaxing like reading a book or going for a snorkel, I have to address at least one project on the boat. This discipline keeps my boat in check and develops an allegiance to the bigger picture of my dream: one a broken part or an overwhelming issue can't eclipse. Although it damn well tries.
— Ruby Gates 12/30/25 (www.seanixie.com)
Pendragon — Valiant 40 Scott and Jennifer Brigham Ha-Ha — And Then Some Ventura/Montana
Jennifer and I recently wrapped up our second Baja Ha-Ha aboard Pendragon, our 1976 Valiant 40. We were thrilled to be part of Richard's final run as Poobah — a proper sendoff full of big laughs and even bigger sailing conditions. And yes, we'll absolutely be back for future Ha-Ha's, with Chuck and Patsy at the helm of the rally.
After the Cabo celebrations, we pointed Pendragon up the East Cape and followed Patsy's famous "early bird rule": Up at 4 a.m., anchor up, and slide into Frailes by 1 p.m. Next day: same
drill, same arrival time at Los Muertos. Turns out, the rule works for us too. We had a smooth three-day transition up to La Paz.
After a quick stop in La Paz for sail repairs at Pacific Thread, we were off again — this time nonstop to Agua Verde in calm, settled conditions. The plan was simple: Relax. And we did exactly that. We hiked to the petroglyphs,
bought queso fresco at the goat dairy, snorkeled, and made the taqueria on the beach our second home. The new shack is run by Laura and Rene, with their son Enrique helping out. Cold beers for 50 pesos, shrimp and fresh fish tacos…we could do that for days, so we did: eight days. Before leaving, we asked if they'd cook up some barbacoa de cabrito. Rene said yes — but only if we could round up 20 people.
Above: Lovely Agua Verde was a favorite stop. Top left: Scott and Jeno right before the start of the HaHa. Top center: Dolphin encounter. Top right: 'Pendragon' is the Brighams' eighth sailboat in their 55 years of sailing. Below left: Bismark of Water Works in La Paz in mid-surgery to repair the leaky fuel tank.
Challenge accepted. We made the dinghy rounds, spread the word, and three days later, 18 cruisers gathered at the taco stand for heaping plates of cabrito, frijoles, rice and beers for about $15 a head. Laura and Rene got a standing ovation. Enrique handed out seconds. It was one of those evenings that remind you why we cruise: good food, good people, good stories.
We left Agua Verde bound for Marina Costa Baja, planning to leave Pendragon tucked in safely while we flew to Minnesota for Christmas with our daughter
and family. But as we sailed past Isla San Francisco in heavy, rolling seas, our 50-year-old aluminum fuel tank decided it had had enough. A crack opened along the forward starboard seam — right at the weld near the anchoring bracket — and we started losing fuel fast. Fortunately, we carry a high-capacity fuel polisher and had four empty jerry cans on deck. We transferred fuel underway and limped into the marina with maybe five gallons left sloshing in the bottom of a very unhappy tank.
With help from Carlos at Water Works in La Paz, we cut an access panel into the starboard lazarette, then opened up the tank itself. Off came most of the top. We trimmed the edges, removed the baffle, and ground everything smooth. The solution: an 80-gallon militarygrade TPU bladder from Techno Tanks, custom fitted with a fill-hose flange, return line, pickup and vent. We lined the tank cavity, installed stainless U-bolts for anchor points, slid the bladder in, and strapped it down. New fuel lines, a fresh Racor housing, and Pendragon was back in business!
We lost a bit more than 10 gallons of capacity, but it seems to be working.
We sailed from La Paz to Mazatlán without issue and Pendragon is safe in Marina Mazatlán for a month or so while we go home to ski a bit in Whitefish. We will head back in early April, cruise a bit more to Isabela, Yelapa and Puerto Vallarta, and then stage back to the Cape for our hopeful clipper route back to Ventura in mid-May.
— Scott 3/4/26
Zihuatanejo
Sailfest 25
Fun with Philanthropy
The Pacific Coast town of Zihuatanejo, Mexico, offered a jam-packed schedule of sailing events, musical entertainment, cultural celebrations and educational programs during an almost two-week run from February 15–28. The event, begun 25 years ago by Latitude
IN LATITUDES
38 founder Richard Spindler, attracts cruisers from around the world to participate with locals and tourists to benefit local schoolchildren through the event's nonprofit charity, Por Los Niños.
Many tourists in Zihuatanejo plan their vacations around the Sailfest dates in order to participate in the various waterborne events: the Sail Parade to Ixtapa, Rally Round the Rock Regatta, and sunset music cruises. Ashore, there are school visits, walk-run fitness events, a chili cook-off, a live auction, beachside pig roast, gala dinner and a host of other activities.
It's no wonder that some boats return year after year: It's a terrific opportunity for cruisers to give back some of that famous Mexican hospitality to the community by offering short sailing adventures to local residents, and to landlubbers escaping the winter cold.
As always, the event kicks off with the annual Sail Parade between Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa. For a modest donation, guests are welcomed aboard a yacht of their choice to enjoy a beautiful cruise between the two neighboring harbors as spectators cheer from the beaches and waterfront condominiums onshore. Many boats opt to extend the cruise with an excursion to beautiful Isla Ixtapa, a private island with fabulous waterfront restaurants, and swimming and snorkeling opportunities.
Throughout the week, captains and their crews also welcome guests aboard for sunset cruises — many featuring top local or international musicians. Zihuatanejo has a vibrant music scene, and the choices include classical guitar, Latin rhythm, reggaeton, old-time rock 'n' roll, and blues. Cruises sell out quickly and all proceeds go toward the school building program, nutrition services and scholarships for deserving students.
Sailfest started out as a local celebration, but word spread quickly and
The Parade of Sail kicks off two weeks of fun at Sailfest.
CHANGES
Above: Sailfest participants come from near and far, and in all shapes and sizes (foreground is Al and Jolinda Carter's Formosa 55 from a few years ago). Top left: Lipbone is one of a number of American musicians to entertain folks aboard boats. Top center: The Rally Round the Rock isn't really a race, but everybody tries to beat everyone else anyway. Top right: Peter Benzinger leads a student cheer for the moneys raised for schools this year. Middle right: Kirk and Charlene Wagner of 'Freedom Kirkland' met at Sailfest 2012, got married during Sailfest 2016, and have been returning every year since.
boats with flags from all over started showing up. One circumnavigator described hearing about Zihuatanejo Sailfest in multiple ports of call around the world, and was repeatedly told not to miss it. We — my husband Peter and I aboard our Tayana 47 Peregrina — showed up for our first Sailfest in 2018 and have been coming back ever since. This year was our ninth!
Canadian cruisers Charlene and Kirk Wagner, aboard the Beneteau 393 Freedom Kirkland, met in Zihuatanejo during Sailfest in 2012. They married on the beach there in 2016 and have also been coming back every year since. According to Kirk, "We feel blessed to be able to give back to this wonderful community. We will go back to our farm in Alberta in the spring with fantastic memories as always."
A highlight of the two-week event is the opportunity for cruisers and vacationers to visit schools that have benefited from the money raised during Sailfest. The children are thrilled to offer tours of their new facilities as well as demonstrate their academic
achievements, artistic talents and costumed dancing performances. Over the years, the proceeds from Sailfest have been used to build 172 schoolrooms, equip computer centers, and provide meals for hungry students.
Municipal government officials are so grateful for the Sailfest community that this year the mayor herself hosted a lavish party at her home. In an unprecedented gesture, she announced that the City of Zihuatanejo would match every dollar that Sailfest raised so that the proceeds go twice as far!
The final day of Sailfest features the thrilling Rally Round the Rock, a pursuit-style rally with several classes vying for line honors. It's a fun-filled way to end two weeks of heartfelt commitment to the education of Zihuatanejo's children.
Mark your calendars for February 14–27, 2027, and come on down to be part of a community of cruisers who truly care about enriching lives through education while living the dream.
— Margie Benzinger 4/2/26
This year, 17 cruising boats signed
up for Sailfest — numbers have been slightly down since before COVID — but the money raised continues to be impressive. This year, the event raised just over 4 million pesos ($235,000) for various schools and sponsorships, and donations were still trickling in at this writing.
For more information, please go to www.sailfest-zihuatanejo.com or the Por Los Niños foundation website at www.tinyurl.com/b3wza5es.
Barra de Navidad Cruise-In Week and Fiesta de Veleros
This year's Cruise-In Week, February 6–16, kicked off on Friday, the 6th, when boats started arriving and saying "Hi" to friends. By the next day, the fun was overflowing at the event's kickoff reception held in front of the harbormaster's office. By Valentine's Day — February 14 — the crowds of sailors, tourists and locals had made lots of new friends, and had enjoyed music and libations while sailing on Navidad Bay or walking the streets of Barra. Barra's restaurants, beauty shops,
markets, wine merchants, bakeries and dog groomers even donated BOGO (buy one, get one free) certificates to the sailors' swag bags to say "Gracias" for helping the kids and schools.
The week in between was busy with sailors bringing badly needed school supplies to school kids and teachers; staging music-enhanced sailboat rides; and watching the sun disappear over the western curve of the blue Pacific while splashing golden hues through fluffy clouds overhead.
After Monday's Music Cruise, sailors and locals put on their "grubbies," because Tuesday was a work day. Twenty volunteers descended upon a local elementary school to paint a recently constructed wall and share lunch with the kids. On Wednesday, Luis Davila, a local historian and author, and professor Panchito Morales, entertained an estimated 125 sailors and friends with a "theatrical" presentation of Barra's historical significance, and its part in the opening of trade routes across the Pacific Ocean in the early 1500s — including the sacking and burning of the port's shipyard by British privateers in
the 1530s.
Thursday was our second day of sailboat rides, with an afternoon at anchor in Navidad Bay listening to music, swimming, and watching another beautiful sunset display its magic again.
The annual Flamingo Regatta was held on Friday, with the starting horn at 1 p.m., coinciding perfectly with the building afternoon breeze. The race course is set up with the first mark and upwind course providing great viewing from our wagering sites at restaurants along the beach. This year Monique Boucher on Foggy took first, followed by John Schultess on Baja Fog and Bart Goodell on Paladin. All the money raised from the betting goes directly to the schools and related educational activities around Barra.
This year's total donation to Barra's kids from Fiesta de Veleros and CruiseIn Week set a new record of 575,800 pesos ($32,500). These are individual contributions from sailors, their friends, and tourists who are visiting the area, or online participation with the Flamingo Regatta. We were flatout-flabbergasted when we realized we
have raised the equivalent of over 2.5 million pesos for Barra's schools since this event began in 2018. (Depending on exchange rates, etc., over the years, that's approximately $150,000.) That does a lot of good things for kids and schools in a little farming and fishing village along the Pacific Coast in Mexico. And that's all funds raised by cruisers with no matching funds. Barra has adopted us, and we've adopted them!
We officially closed out "CruiseIn Week" on Valentine's Day with so many special dinners, music and dancing venues that it was hard to choose where to take your sweetheart!
Ashore, the celebrations continued for another day, with the Barra de Navidad Mexican Fiesta held Sunday evening in the town square. This year's Fiesta was super-special because it was produced by Barra's schools! The Fiesta includes everything you've heard about Barra's Fiestas, from dancing horses to traditional folkloric dancing, great food, a silent auction, and the best-tasting churros and margaritas you will find in all of Mexico.
Worthy of note: A couple of sailboats
Above: This year's Barra Cruise-In fleet of 25 boats. Top left: With hunched backs and carrying canes, schoolkids perform the "Old Man" folkloric dance. Top right: Taking third in this year's Flamingo Regatta was Bart Goodell and crew on the Hobie 16 'Paladin'. Inset center top: One of the early cruise-in visitors to Barra was Juan Rodrigues Cabrillo, who stopped by in the 1540s.
CHANGES
stopped in Barra to provision for their trips to Z-town and Sailfest (which began the next week). They saw the fun, and the help we're providing, and decided to join us for a few days. They helped a huge amount and had a great time — and got to Zihuatanejo in good order. They had fun there too!
— Pat McIntosh 3/6/26
For more on this year's event, or the 2027 event, go to 'Cruise-In Week' on Facebook.
Cruise Notes
• Landsmen have Punxsutawney
Phil. Sailors have — or at least one sailor has — Indy. While Phil, a Pennsylvania groundhog, "predicts" the spring ashore, Indy, a box turtle and the only permanent crewmember aboard Dave Gilbert's Chula Vistabased Hans Christian 38 Heure Bleue, performs a similar duty afloat. "He sleeps from Thanksgiving to Easter," noted Dave in last month's Changes But Dave wrote back in early March with a newsflash: "Indy woke up last week — a month early — and in the killer sign of an early spring, he started eating!!!"
Punky Phil had the opposite prediction. When pulled from his pen in early February, he didn't see his shadow — or maybe he did; we can't ever remember which — means what? Whatever it was, it meant six more weeks of winter.
So the big question now is which one is right, the turtle or the groundhog? Stand by.…
• "In our last update [in the September 2025 issue], we had sailed from New Zealand to Fiji, a country we have fallen in love with," writes Joanne Pilkington, who with Scott Sibbald has been cruising aboard their San Francisco-based Bavaria Vision 46 Fundango for going on five years now. They liked it so much they spent the whole six-month season there, but feel as if they've only scratched the surface.
"Fiji is a huge cruising ground. If it was a clock, we checked into the country at about 3 o'clock and traveled clockwise to about 9 o'clock. The many different island groups each offer
something special such as culture, hiking, snorkeling, diving and wind sports, all of which we participated in.
"Scuba diving became our go-to activity, not surprising given the abundance of top dive regions such as Namena Marine Reserve, Rainbow Reef, Great Astrolabe Reef, Beqa Lagoon, and the Mamanuca Islands. Compared to what we had experienced in the waters to the east, there were stunning soft corals, friendly sea turtles, big bull sharks and little nudibranchs.
"In mid-November, we sailed back to New Zealand, where we're once again spending the cyclone season. We did a few minor boat projects and are now cruising the North Island, revisiting some of our favorite spots and exploring new ones. We hope to get to the top end of the South Island to explore the Marlborough Sounds and the Abel Tasman/Nelson areas — weather dependent, of course — before it's time to head back north to Fiji, where we have some unfinished business!"
• "Good morning. All is great except I own a boat," writes Dennis Roquet of the Washington-based Beneteau 52 Roxxy. He and Kelly Carr are currently in La Cruz awaiting haulout. "You know BOAT? Well now it's BOATT: bring out another ten thousand.
definitely NOT dive here without the guides," notes Joanne.
to charge them, and the boat's genset, which may be the fourth problem, hasn't been used much in the last five years. It does not seem happy to have been neglected. I talked to the previous owner a few days ago and he said that particular Panda model has got to be the oldest one around.
"Sometimes my fondest dream is to be a non-boat owner."
(Ed. Note — Dennis is an old friend and he's kidding. We think.)
"I have three major problems. The first is a leak that I can't find. I wake up at 3 a.m. thinking I've found it — but it was only in the dream. The second is, I need to drop the rudder and replace rudder bearings. (Maybe that's related to the leak? We'll see.) The third is batteries that won't hold charge. OK, when I got them three years ago, they were the least-expensive ones I could find. I don't mind checking the water each week.
"Peter, the guru of PV, stopped by yesterday and said a thousand dollars. I said, 'Total.' He said, 'No, each.' Times four. But wait — you have to be able
• "After recovering from the 2025 Baja Ha-Ha party at Squid Roe in Cabo, we put our crew members Kyle Ariola and Ben Rinaca on a plane home and with our great friend, Peter Mayers, carried on," write Gary and Marlene Jones of the San Diegobased Wauquiez 43 Simpatico.
"We ran due south 80 miles to clear the wind shadow off Cabo, and then jibed over and reached southeast for Banderas Bay. First stop: the ginormous clear-water anchorage at Punta Mita. After a week of exploring, Peter headed home, and Marlene and I mucked about the bay while awaiting a repair that required a machine shop, and awaiting a shipment from Canada. This was over the holidays when everything shuts down so the local folks can spend time with their families, and rightly so.
But what a great place to be stuck! Highlights were the vibrant, closeknit community of locals, expats and yachtistas in La Cruz; the Banderas
Top left: Joanne and Scott. Above: Bull sharks like this guy were a highlight of diving Beqa Lagoon with a professional guide. "I would
Dennis and Kelly of 'Roxxy'.
FUNDANGO
Indy is awake and eating!
Bay Blast race with a division just for us heavy cruisers; and an amazing twoday trip to Yelapa with our bestie Chris Catterton of CC Rigging fame, and mucho-experienced Brad and Sarah on the Kelly Peterson 46, Perspective
Finally freed up in mid-January, we quickly found a good window to round Cabo Corrientes and soon found ourselves rolling into Bahia Chamela. This is where we reunited with our buddies Eric and Julie Busse on the Caliber 40 Ocean Love and fellow 2025 Ha-Ha cruiser Mark Schindler on the Norseman 447 Carpe Diem. We spent nearly two weeks there, exploring the town of Perula via the panga-rich estuary next to town, as well as anchoring off several of the islands in the bay like Isla Cocinas and Isla San Pedro.
Our next stop down the "Gold Coast" was Tenacatita Bay, where the cruiser kids run a fun and informative VHF net! A dinghy excursion through several miles of jungle estuary to a beach palapa lunch spot is a mandatory adventure.
"We
It's only a short hop from Tenacatita to Barra de Navidad. This cruiserfriendly town is backed by a shallow lagoon where we spent a week anchored with two feet under our six-foot keel. After decades of living aboard, we have never had so many nights in a row with such complete tranquility while at anchor. This lagoon also has another mind-blowing feature: six mornings a week, delicious baked goods are delivered to the boats by The French Baker panga! The lagoon is flanked by the
stunningly beautiful Marina Puerto de la Navidad, and brunch at Mary's Restaurant overlooking the anchorage was convenient, picturesque and tasty. Our time in this area included a bus trip to the nearby towns of Melaque and San Patricio, with their long beaches and the Malecón de Melaque walkway, which takes you out to the rocky point where brimming tide pools await.
(Look for more from Gary and Marlene in the May Changes.) — latitude/jr
Your Boatyard in the Heart of Paradise
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Foreign Flag vessels can stay on dry storage in our yard for up to 12 months out of 24.
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Large, fenced, secure dry storage area
Professional boatyard in the heart of Paradise
CLASSIFIEDS
DINGHIES, LIFERAFTS & ROWBOATS
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) 725-5781 www.tinyurl.com/2wyd2n3v
24 FEET & UNDER SAILBOATS
24 FT J/24 1980. I have 5 J/24s for sale on trailers. Older but usable boats purchased from the Treasure Island Sailing Center. Available as a group to start a sailing club or school. $5,000 in bulk. $1,500 individual. Antioch, CA. markwattsappraiser@gmail.com (415) 990-0025
20 FT. FT Cal 20 1963. On trailer with 4hp four-stroke Mercury motor. Good sails, newly painted interior and deck painted. Clean boat! Reinforced rigging. Some extras, anchor, etc. More info: Phone Theo. $3,500. Richmond Yacht Club. (925) 872-0403
18 FT MALBEC 2020. Trailerable. Swing keel and rudder. Tohatsu 6hp outboard. In Martinez Marina currently. Almost new. Selling for $45K new. Sail the freshwater lakes this spring/summer. $20,000. Martinez. sahealey@comcast.net
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. $10,000. Sausalito, CA. rwilsonsf@gmail.com
24 FT MELGES 24 1993. Own a piece of yachting history. ‘Zenda Express’ hull # 001. Restored from 2023-2025, all upgrades performed. Paint, all reinforcements. Mast-up cover, Honda outboard (2.6). New running rigging 2024, new standing rigging 2025, new boom vang 2025, new traveler 2024, Raptor decking 2025. North 3DI sails 2025 (hoisted once). Practice sails North 3DI 2022. Lots more. $25,000. Stored Carson City, NV. Cpo718@Yahoo.com (775) 530-6562
22 FT CATALINA 1985. Too many extras to list. Boat and trailer in great condition. New tires, disc brakes, and hydraulic system on trailer. New electrical panel and mast wiring on boat. Extra 150 genoa sail. 2009 Honda 5 hp engine. $4,200. Brown’s Ravine, Folsom Lake, CA. dbeeright@gmail.com (916) 952-6870
16 FT NACRA 500 2012. With trailer. Very well equipped, great condition. Full cover. Newer main, rigging; carbon boom; 2 trapezes plus harnesses; righting system. In SD? Keep on trailer in current location next to boat ramp, rig up. $12,000. San Diego. framegreg@gmail.com (415) 4056384 www.photos.app.goo.gl/ 66BnL8zwoohFztnr6
25 – 28 FEET SAILBOATS
25 FT O’DAY 25 1979. Loaded: solar panels, fridge, phones, stereo-com system, minimum-draw light systems, bimini, Honda 8hp push start, four-wheel trailer with new brakes and tires. Plush interior. An RV on the water. $6,500. Valley Springs, CA. bonnielopezunr@gmail.com (209) 772-9695
Deep Water Docks
OR COMMERCIAL
27 FT BALBOA 1978. Maxi — trailerable. Health forces sale. $7,000. Marina Bay Yacht Harbor, Richmond. rtrouble@pacbell.net (775) 677-7503
28 FT LASER 28 1985. SV ‘Sonata’ designed by Bruce Farr, built in Canada by Laser International. Carbon fiber hull. PHRF 138 with small jib or 135 with class sails. Harken roller furling. Gori folding prop. New Ullman jib 2019. Bukh diesel replaced with Thunderstruck electric motor 2020. 2025 survey available, critical items addressed. Accommodations: 5-ft 10-1/2-in standing headroom, double V-berth (6-ft 3-in), dinette is convertible to 6-ft 7-in berth, two-burner alcohol stove, cooler, marine toilet with holding tank. $20,000. Richardson Bay Marina. shinn.alice@gmail.com (415) 272-0562
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 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. Asking $6,900 OBO. Richmond, CA. stefroche916@gmail.com
Access to SF Bay Secure and Gated 50’ -160’ Dock Availability Storage Container Rental Visit us at sugardock.com Jodi @ 605-430-6815
VESSEL MOVING
29 – 31 FEET SAILBOATS
31 FT SOUTHERN CROSS 31 1982. ‘Kialoa’, recently listed currently on the hard in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico at Marina Fonatur. She is fully equipped with radar, chartplotter, sideband and VHF radios, electronic autopilot, wind self-steering, watermaker, solar charging. The sails and blooper are in very good condition. All ground gear and anchors are in good condition. The bimini and dodger are in excellent condition. Powered by a low-hour Beta 30hp diesel motor. Ready for serious cruising; fully equipped with most all backup parts, filters and oil. $24,900. Guaymas, Sonora, MX. tspsailor@gmail.com 52 (642) 158-0612
30 FT KNARR 1960. Built in Norway. Varnished. Aluminum mast and boom. Two suits of North Sails, two outboards. Stuff. Good racing record. Berthed in S.F. Yacht Club Harbor. $15,000. Belvedere, CA. georgerygg@gmail.com (415) 596-6296
30 FT FISHER 1974. British classic. Vancouver Island vet. Current survey. Upgrades since 2020: Volvo 40 (596 hrs), standing/running rigging, new Ballard sails, primary wiring, B&G electronics, additional tankage, 200W solar, dinghy and davits. More info upon request. $40,000. Olympia, WA. herinckxmj@yahoo.com (360) 943-9752
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
31 FT OCEAN CROSSING CRUISER 1965. Shadowfox. Ready to set sail? Shadowfox is a well-maintained cold moulded composite sailboat perfect for weekend escapes or longer adventures. Priced to sell at $31,00. this vessel offers incredible value for its condition and upgrades. Key Features: Engine: Reliable 20hp Universal diesel, serviced 2023 920 hrs. Sails: New mainsail (2022), roller furling jib several headsails, spinnakers Autohelm, Chart plotter, VHF, Ham radio ” Upgrades: recently replaced ROD standing rigging 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. Previous owner Navigator Mark Rutiguer. $31,000. San Pedro, CA. kwasiemoto@cox.net (310) 528-8957
30 FT CAL 3-30 1974. Racer/cruiser sloop. I am selling ‘Williwaw’, my boat of 30 years. A great boat for getting into racing, cruising and voyaging. Safe, dependable and fun to sail, even singlehanded. Full sail inventory and twin spinnaker poles. Powered by a Yanmar 16hp 2GM20F diesel in good condition with new fiberglass fuel tank. Many updated amenities: a new dinghy and engine, sail covers, hydraulic backstay, EPIRB, tiller, roller furling jib, halyards, personnel harnesses, anchor and rode, VHF, bottom paint, winch handles, Autohelm and new wireless Garmin electronics. See URL for specs. $18,500. Santa Cruz South Harbor/Slip O18. vmartin@cruzio.com (831) 818-3108 www.tinyurl.com/4dc345sc
30 FT FISHER MARINE NO YEAR. Year not on documents. Project. Very reasonable to right person. Great sea boat. Charleston, OR. kovexair@gmail.com
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. $39,900 OBO. Richmond. stefroche916@gmail.com
32 – 35 FEET SAILBOATS
34 FT ERICSON 34 1989. Sails fast. Full battens, stack pack, Autohelm, dinghy, radios, and many other extras. Diesel just serviced. Contact Tom. $14,000. Gashouse Cove, Marina Blvd., S.F. tom.j.martin@gmail.com (650) 3247489
35 FT FANTASIA 35 MK II 1979. In very good condition and ready to go. Most all systems upgraded including standing rigging and lifelines. Abovedeck 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 www.tinyurl.com/ypssa9ue
34 FT CHINOOK 1963. September 2024 haulout: new thru-hull fittings, new 3-blade prop and cutlass, new standing rigging; rebuilt and painted mainmast. Universal 25XPB diesel with low hrs. Beautiful interior with nice upholstery. Hot water, refrigeration, propane stove/oven, bronze port lights, and composting head. Needs sails. Optional transferable slip lease included in asking price. Text for more details and pictures. $15,000 Negotiable. Pier 39. redstarmarineservices@gmail.com (415) 623-0694
34 FT IRWIN CITATION 34 SLOOP 1980. Sail-ready. Good sails, clean bilge, reliable Yanmar diesel. Comfortable cabin with berth, salon, nav-desk, enclosed head. Located Portobello Marina, Oakland (slip non-transferable). As is. Tours & photos available. $7,500 OBO. Jack London Square, Oakland, CA. lugar.choi@gmail.com (714) 795-1115 www.facebook.com/marketplace/ item/1820911555239700
Cleaning/Anodes/Props/Inspections
professional service for Bay Area boaters since 1994 (925) 671-2826 matt@fastbottoms.com • www.fastbottoms.com
at minneysyachtsurplus.com
info? email: minneys@aol.com
32 FT ERICSON 1976. Great boat, needs work. Comes well equipped with electronic navigation systems, outboard and inboard motors, extra sail. Hasn’t been sailed in a while. Price negotiable. Deal closes on June 15; slip fees paid thru 6/30. $13,000. Oyster Point Marina, So. San Francisco. urbanbiker_99@yahoo.com (415) 8162112
33 FT SWIFT 33 1978. Great old classic, built in Korea, Lloyd’s quality stamp. Beautiful teak interiors. Motorsailer design with large windows. High freeboard with large cockpit and huge lazarettes. Many upgrades and restoration including electrical system and DC and AC panels. New wind instruments and autopilot. New self-tacking jib rigging. Hull stripped and epoxied by Svendsen’s. Very comfortable and dry sailer. Great for weekend getaway and Delta exploration. $69. Point Richmond. miglopra@gmail.com (415) 299-0263
33 FT RANGER 33 1974. Summer Sailstice mothership. Atomic 4, running. Bottom paint in 1/25. Folding prop. Good electronics: wind, depth, speed and fishfinder. Nice stereo. USBs with A and C. Interior cabin lights. $20,000. Alameda. wesleyinunez@gmail.com (510) 5895530 www.tinyurl.com/3se64p4z
35 FT SCHOCK 1986. Solid boat. Don’t let the price drop scare you! I cant use it anymore. New main, 3 jibs, 2 spins. Yanmar 2 gm20. Sailed 3 times in 3 years. Call or email for equip list. Contact Tom. $1,000 OBO. Vallejo, CA. jinkxochs@gmail.com (707) 694-6846
32 FT CATALINA 320 1996. Excellent condition. Second owner since 1999. Cruised and sailed in S.F. Bay and the Delta. New sails in 2022 with very low hrs since. Westerbeke diesel 920 hrs. No damage, no Catalina smile. Comes well equipped. More images available upon request. $52,000 OBO. SFYC Belvedere, CA. d1.davidm@gmail.com (435) 901-1013
32 FT ISLANDER 32-2 1978. Clean. Ready for Baja Ha-Ha cruising. Great for S.F. Bay sailing. 2014 engine replaced with Westerbeke L-25. Runs great. Hood full batten main and Harken roller furling jib. Both great condition. Last 6 years: new dodger and bimini, new wiring, lifelines, standing rigging, Lewmar windlass, Rocna 25 anchor, new Force 10 stove, Isotherm refrigeration, solar system on bimini. 2023 new batteries, bottom paint 5/22, Monitor wind vane for self-steering. Text only, please. $18,500. Delta Marina, Rio Vista, CA. (760) 668-6318 www.tinyurl.com/57zk9kuj
33 FT FARR 1020 1986. Owner replaced all standing and running rigging, rod headstay. Painted spars 2 coats primer 3 coats finish, new electrical and lighting in mast. 4 jibs, 3 spinnakers. 7/8 fractional rig. Very well maintained boat. $40,000. Alameda. jldumas@comcast.net (408) 930-9135
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Sailboat Owners
Do you sail a boat small enough to sail single-handed, yet substantial enough for passage-making and living aboard? Do you seek mastery beyond sailing school? www.moderngeographic.com
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34 FT EXPRESS 34 1987. Considered one of Carl Schumacher’s finest designs! Race- or cruise-ready. PHRF slayer! Recent upgrades: new Ullman mainsail and carbon #3 (2025). New Garmin chartplotter, new upholstery, new anti-fouling race bottom (2025). Easom running rigging — tapered halyards and sheets w/Tylaska shackles. Sails include: 3 mains, 4 carbon headsails, 6 spinnakers (0.5 and 0.75 in great condition), 2 Dacron jibs: #3 & #4. B&G instruments and B&G autopilot. Yanmar 2GMF 18hp. Gori 2-bladed prop. Text Brad $39,500. Santa Cruz, CA. mbsampson3@gmail.com (831) 2392602
34 FT CATALINA 34 MK II 2003. JoJo is a well-maintained Catalina 34 MkII offering the perfect balance of performance and comfort. Currently berthed in San Francisco, she is a prime example of the MkII’s refined design with balanced speed and comfort, featuring a spacious cockpit and a comfortable interior layout ideal for coastal cruising or weekend getaways. Whether you are looking to upgrade to a bigger boat, or downsizing for easy handling, the Catalina 34 MkII is a great boat to handle the tough conditions in San Francisco Bay. Don’t let another season pass you by. Newer Garmin electronics (radar, chart plotter, wind, depth) and below deck autohelm (quiet and lots of power). $74,900. San Francisco. jojothesailboat@gmail.com www.tinyurl.com/27v5ppy7
32 FT CORONADO 32 1972. Ideally set up for a cruising couple. Located in Mazatlán, Mexico, and extensively cruised along the West Coast for 15 years. Improvements over last 15 years include Beta 25 hp diesel, new sails and standing rigging, Lewmar windlass, electric head, new reefer and cabinetry throughout, induction range, Simrad chartplotter and a/p, B&G 4G radar, new Imron paint, shower and on-demand water heater. Well maintained and everything works. All electrical wiring replaced 2019. $9,995. Marina Mazatlán. fredzslc@gmail.com (858) 449-1929
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
36 – 39 FEET SAILBOATS
36 FT TAYANA MARINER 36 1978. Gorgeous, cruise-ready example of renowned William Garden design. Newer/upgraded sails, windlass, autopilot, stanchons, winches, tankage, portlights and electrical. Yanmar 3GM. Fine teak joinery brightwork. Robust, safe, affordably elegant yacht. Please email for details, pics. $27,500. Long Beach. alamarcatamaran@yahoo.com (510) 610-5476
38 FT HANS CHRISTIAN 38T 1979. Traditional model, two-cabin, head/shower, Perkins 4-154 with extremely low hrs, propane stove, acres of teak below, solid bones, needs work and new sails. No negotiation. Please call. $16,500. Berkeley. pfetherston@sbcglobal.net (510) 508-0151
Certified Surveys & Deliveries
DKT Yacht Sales & Services
Capt Dave Talton USCG 100-ton Master Mariner 415-205-0687 • www.DKTYachtServices.com
37 FT J/37C 1990. A cosmic vessel that sails beautifully and is ready to make your dreams a reality. In excellent condition and fully prepared for cruising. In Puerto Escondido, an ideal starting point for exploring the Gulf of California. Delivery negotiable. $80,000. Puerto Escondido. patrick.haesloop@gmail.com
37 FT PEGASUS NEWLAND 360 1992. ‘Pegasus’, a custom Newland ULDB veteran of many singlehanded and crewed Hawaii races, is for sale. Very good condition, carbon/foam-cored hull and deck, new custom Sjoberg carbon mast, carbon and aluminum spinnaker poles, Harken winches, Sailmon instruments, autopilot, B&G chartplotter, B&G VHF, internal Wi-Fi network, 4-person life raft, aluminum anchor, extensive sail inventory including new main, jib top, #3, symmetrical and asymmetrical chutes, Yanmar 2GM diesel, new batteries, racing and cruising propane stoves, stereo with on-deck speakers, PHRF and ORR rating certificates, last haulout February 2026. 95% ready for Pac Cup inspection, including paper charts and Transpac-length dock lines. Regrettably, illness forces sale. $65,500. Richmond Yacht Club. stephenlewis1900@gmail.com (559) 217-9644
36 FT ISLANDER 1976. This legendary USA-flagged Islander ‘Geja’ awaits you in Croatia!! Cheaper and better-equipped than most Islanders, she’s ready to cruise Dalmatian coast and Med. Solid Yanmar, Flexofold propeller, electric dinghy outboard, solar, newer electronics. See video tour. $19,000. Split, Croatia. andrewvik@gmail.com www.tinyurl. com/555akd5p
39 FT FIRST 40.7 2000. New motor and saildrive only 250 hrs. North sails main and jib in good condition. Asymmetrical and symmetrical spinnakers. New bottom paint. $125,000. Sausalito, CA. argo46933@gmail.com (415) 680-0183
37 FT TRIPP JAVELIN 38 1961. Tripp design, recently showcased by Capt Q on BoatFools Sailing YouTube. “A Rare Classic.” Check out the video! Built in Holland in 1961, well maintained with many modern upgrades — Leisure Furl boom, full-batten Hood main w/Harken electric winch, brand new-Hood 100% jib, Yanmar 3HMF and more! $85,000. San Rafael. WitzConslt@aol.com (415) 897-9466 www.tinyurl.com/5x7azjrz
38 FT MORGAN 383 1982. ‘Sonata’ is a Morgan 383, Bluewater-ready cruiser/ racer with experience. Hawaii, Pac Cup, Coastal and Mexico veteran. Perfect Baja Ha-Ha cruiser! Well equipped, ready to go! Perkins 4-108 w/ 1886 hours. Last haul out March ’26, and continually upgraded. Lovingly maintained. Extensive sail and electronics inventory. 6 person offshore life raft and other safety gear. Perfect coastal, bluewater or liveaboard. Easily sailed by a couple or single handed. Fast and sea-kindly. Famous Ted Brewer-design. Comfort at Sea or Marina. $55,000 OBO. Point Richmond, CA. svsonata029@gmail.com (415) 8064345
38 FT CABO RICO 1991. Full-keel bluewater cruiser. Cutter rig has a self-tacking staysail, making S.F. Bay sailing easy. Bottom paint August 2025, varnished November 2025. New lithium batteries 2024, Victron invertor/charger 2024, and many other recent maintenance and upgrade projects. Custom offshore layout has a V-berth, no quarter berth, three large lazarettes for storage. Perfect for a couple! William Crealock design. Built in Costa Rica. $89,000. Alameda, CA. boats.and.otherstuff@gmail.com (831) 345-6930
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. Bluewater-ready 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, two-cylinder 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
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
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. $68,000 price reduced. Richmond Yacht Club. odilehines@gmail.com (415) 963-2160
40 – 50 FEET SAILBOATS
40 FT SANTA CRUZ 40 1983. ‘Osprey’. One of Bill Lee’s most iconic designs, actively sailed and maintained since 2018. Features a modified lengthened keel designed by Jim Antrim for enhanced offshore racing performance, with full performance polars included. Rig: Mast dropped, inspected, and powder coated. New sheaves throughout. New masthead VHF antenna. Standing rigging replaced 2019; running rigging updated 2021–2024. Engine: Recently serviced; Balmar battery management system; reinforced alternator brackets. Transmission shifting occasionally stiff — priced accordingly. Note: Heat exchanger not replaced during current ownership. SC40s are getting harder to find. With the Antrim keel and polars in hand, ‘Osprey’ is dialed for offshore racing — Pacific Cup, Transpac, or beer can. $49,500. Richmond Yacht Club. michaelbender@me.com (415) 8273010
40 FT FUJI 1978. Bulletproof. Brand-new AGMs and autopilot, solar, watermaker, Yanmar w/1500 hrs. See link for details. Right boat, right place, right price. Get out there! $40,000. Puerto Vallarta, MX. sellingmosaic@gmail.com www.sellingmosaic.com
40 FT FREEDOM 40 1981. Ketch. Custom carbon fiber Wylie mainmast, no shrouds or standing rigging needed. All-teak interior. Perkins diesel, swing keel. $19,500. Oxnard, CA. kentmagnell@gmail.com (707) 4867632
44 FT MORGAN 44 1989. Center cockpit. Well equipped, cruise-ready sloop in Ensenada, MX. Features updated electronics, solar, and robust ground tackle. Spacious interior, perfect for liveaboard or offshore voyaging. Easy access from San Diego. Save on sales tax. $60,000 For Sale. Marina Coral, Ensenada, MX. frankhoffmann.pe@gmail.com (760) 424-2058
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
42 FT PEARSON 424 KETCH 1980. Classic, one of approximately 225 produced. Good main, mizzen and hank-on jib. VHF, depthsounder, windlass, claw anchor with 200 ft chain, 150 ft line. Washdown pump, 170 gal. water tankage, 80 gal. fuel. Diesel: Westerbeke 60 hp. Cockpit and midship companionways. Aft cabin double berth, V-berth. Walk-in shower. Galley: Propane 4-burner stove with oven. Double sink, under-counter refrigerator. Charming teak interior. Dedicated chart table. 2026 survey available. Priced for quick sale. Call or Email for more detail. $29,500. Alameda. midgestapleton2010@gmail.com (360) 333-8900
42 FT SPINDRIFT 43 PILOTHOUSE 1982. Classic cruising pilothouse sailing cutter capable of sailing anywhere you wish. Heavy fiberglass construction with a modern cruising rig. Comfortable room for five to live aboard, plus a few occasional guests. $45,000 OBO. South San Francisco. robert.schulke53@gmail.com (650) 245-0226
40 FT C&C 40 1981. ‘Tusitala’ is an exceptional boat in excellent condition. Rebuilt from the keel up eight years ago, she is better and stronger than when originally built. Sails are a couple years old, motor has very low hrs, interior is in excellent condition. She has the extra-tall mast and extra-deep fin keel. Also has a Kevlar rudder. So many other extras that cannot begin to list here but has full instruments, chartplotter, windlass, roller furling, two spinnakers and dodger. $52,500. Santa Cruz Harbor. pacrimplangrp@gmail.com (831) 8186669
Latitude 38 • April, 2026
42 FT GULFSTAR 1979. Seller will finance 50% of purchase price @5% APR for up to 5 years with proper credit. Completely reupholstered with light gray leather and all-new drapes and dodger canvas ($10,000). New Force 10 propane stove, new Raritan toilet, and all thru-hulls replaced ($10,000). Complete complement of Raymarine electronics including: autopilot, radar, E7 MFD, depthsounder/ fish finder. AIS send/receive, 3,500 watt inverter/charger. Beta 4 Kubota diesel (55hp) replaced the old Perkins in 2017 for a total cost of $30,000. In-mast and jib roller furling. Stainless barbecue, swim ladder. Price has been reduced for quick sale. $60,000 OBO. Vallejo Yacht Club, Vallejo, CA. fcgmc@lmi.net (707) 330-7712
40 FT ENDEAVOUR 40 1983. Feb 13, price reduced to $42,000 great deal. 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. $42,000. San Carlos, MX. rode7runner@yahoo.com (520) 4012352 www.tinyurl.com/32twna5z
41 FT RHODES BOUNTY 1960. Tiller steering. Westerbeke 30B Three diesel. Profurl roller 420 Harken ST 53 Lewmar ST 40 winches. Harken main traveler. Autohelm tiller GP 4000 plus ST50 instruments compass depth Icom SSB pro sail are in good condition. Boat cover, awning. $35,000 OBO. San Diego, CA. barlowbuck@gmail.com (508)-6859649
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. $25,000. Channel Islands Harbor, CA. philip.vaughan@gmail.com (626) 4758522
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 www.guapasailboat.com
51
& OVER SAILBOATS
65 FT IRWIN 65 1984. ‘Blue Pearl’ is a turnkey, fully equipped head-turning beauty with all the comforts of home. She’s a cutter-rigged ketch, owner’s version with three ensuite cabins, wet bar, crew’s berth and V-berth. She sleeps nine comfortably. $285,000. Puerto Peñasco, MX. sailingbluepearl@gmail.com (530) 3552926 www.sailingbluepearl.com
51 FT FORMOSA 51 1980. Famous William Garden design ketch. Lehman 6 cyl. diesel. Bow thruster, Raytheon color radar, Furuno fathometer, etc. Recent survey available. Located at Berkeley Marina. Possible liveaboard status. A terrific boat. I’ve sailed and lived on her for 28 yrs. But it’s time to move ashore. Call Johnny. $50,000 O.B.O. Berkeley Marina. seamansully2@gmail.com (510) 3885534
CLASSIC BOATS
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 www.tinyurl.com/2bsw8djr
MULTIHULLS
57 FT ATLANTIC 2009. ‘Nogal’ is a beautifully designed four-suite performance catamaran built for families seeking adventure, safety and speed. With only a 3-ft 5-in draft and mini keels, she can access remote anchorages often too shallow for larger vessels. Offshore, her shaped boards lower to a 7.5-ft draft, allowing for stability and speed even upwind. The forward cockpit offers a dry and protected sailing experience, allowing the crew to maintain sail controls with ease. Anchoring and mooring experiences are calm as the helmsman has close communication with deckhands. ‘Nogal’s expansive aft deck is the ultimate activity platform — perfect for landing fish, managing sports equipment, and entertaining. ‘Nogal’ is a proven bluewater vessel and fully outfitted for large ocean crossings. $1,150,000. Richmond, CA. juliaagulham@icloud.com (628) 2500930 www.tinyurl.com/yu7djsbd
27 FT STILETTO 27 1979. High-performance Stiletto catamaran with 2 berths, multiple sails, 10 hp Tohatsu motor with galvanized telescoping trailer and power winch. Dry-sailed all over Southern California, Lake Powell, Ensenada and out to Catalina and San Clemente islands. Newport Beach mooring available at market cost if desired. Very light and strong epoxy honeycomb and pre-preg construction. A very fun boat to sail! $20,000. San Clemente. toknkok@aol.com (949) 933-4530
26 FT CUSTOM CATAMARAN 2000. ‘PAJA’, a custom-designed catamaran, fun to sail and kept in fresh Delta waters for 25 years. Corecell construction, aluminum crossbeams. 2023: new bottom/barrier paint; running rigging. $20,000. Rio Vista, CA. PETER@THEALLENSITE.COM (916) 538-1530
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 www.corsairf31.com
POWER & HOUSEBOATS
20 FT GLASTRON 1999. Pop-up changing compartment, flip-up seats, pull-up cleats, a Sunbrella bimini top, docking lights, a Porta Potti, air compressor plus carry-on refrigerator. New: starter and battery. Not working: trim gauge, depthfinder. Dry weight 2375 lbs; max seating 10; max hp 260; fuel cap 35 gal; Included: lots of toys. Registered until December 2027. Full title boat and trailer. $8,400. Livermore. cmccallum@gmail.com (925) 519-1174
47 FT BLUEWATER COASTAL CRUISER 1982. Health forces sale. Beautiful, great liveaboard. Twin Cat diesel 3208T engines with less than 500 hrs each. Both run great, but port engine needs some repair. Upper and lower helms. TLC needed, reflected in price. $32,000. Richmond Yacht Club. cynthiadeveau7@gmail.com (707) 779-8909
25 FT RANGER 25 SC 2016. Immaculate condition, fully equipped, turnkey ready and priced to sell. The perfect blend of classic tug styling, modern comforts, and efficient cruising. Lovingly maintained and lightly used, ‘Sea Spirit’ has been meticulously and professionally serviced. Volvo Penta D3 150 diesel, only 400 hrs, hull speed up to 20 knots, Garmin 7612 chartplotter, radar, depth, Autopilot, VHF, TV, AM/FM stereo, bow and stern thrusters w/wireless remote for easy docking; solar panel, AGM batteries and inverter, propane cooktop, refrigerator, microwave, fully enclosed head with standup shower, fuel efficient (2.5 gal @ 8 knots). $114,500. Loch Lomond Marina, San Rafael. jimcolesailor@gmail.com (415) 5196250 www.tinyurl.com/msfxz369
21 FT ZODIAC PRO 650 2020. 150hp Yamaha outboard. Custom dual-axle trailer. Fully optioned: T-top, tow bar, full cover, Spectra lifting bridle, swim ladder. Purchased new in Aug 2020. Approx. 375 hrs on engine. Excellent condition. $53,500. Belvedere, CA. ewbaumhoff@gmail.com (415) 8277487
PARTNERSHIPS
1/3 PARTNERSHIP – 32 FT C&C SAILBOAT. Well maintained, extensively upgraded 32-ft C&C performance cruising sailboat available for 1/3 partnership. Located in Point Richmond on the east side of San Francisco Bay. Boat value approx. $36,000. Buy-in: $12,000 for a one-third share. Shared operating costs (slip, insurance, maintenance). Ideal Bay boat — responsive performance cruiser, easy for daysailing or weekend trips. Great access to the central Bay for sailing to Angel Island, Sausalito, Berkeley Marina, Richmond Yacht Club, Sacramento Delta. Looking for a responsible sailor who wants regular Bay access without full ownership costs. $12,000. Brickyard Cove, Point Richmond. johncrews@hotmail.com
BENETEAU 473 PARTNERSHIP IN PACIFIC MEXICO/BAJA. Great opportunity to cruise Mexico. Plug-n-play. Third partner wanted, 2004 Beneteau 473. Cruise-ready. This season San Blas to Manzanillo. Next season plan to return to Sea of Cortez. Davits, dinghy, outboard, solar, Starlink, dive gear, electric winch, two heads (one electric), radar, Westerbeke 63 hp diesel with 2,400 hours, folding prop, separate shower in head, fridge/freezer, well outfitted and maintained. 1/3 ownership $50,000. New bottom paint fall 2025. Documented, surveyed, insured. Contact Greg (415) 407-0491, grw@gwilson. com. $50,000. Barra de Navidad, MX. grw@gwilson.com (415) 407-0491
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
PROPERTY FOR SALE OR RENT
BELIZE PROPERTY. Waterfront property for sale in northern Belize, 493 acres, 4000 ft. of ocean frontage on Corozal Bay, one mile+ of frontage on the New River. $1,800,000. Belize. svsalacia@yahoo.com (831) 239-2014
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 www.tinyurl.com/3wdmepyu
TRAILERS
SAILBOAT TRAILER FOR SANTANA 22. Trailer for Santana 22 or similar keelboat (support points can be relocated). Good condition. Professionally built. Clear title. $950. Woodacre. leejohnsonxxx@sbcglobal.net (415) 450-1494
BERTHS & SLIPS
REDWOOD CITY MARINA SLIPS AVAILABLE. Slips 30’-75’ at great rates! Amenities: parking, bathrooms, laundry, pump-out, free wi-fi, keyless entry. Guest berths also available. Call for availability. 451 Seaport Court, Redwood City, CA 94063. crevay@redwoodcityport.com (650) 306-4150 www.redwoodcityport.com/ marina
50 FT SLIP ON THE SEA WALL WITH ALCATRAZ AND GG BRIDGE VIEWS! 50-ft x 18-ft slip on the coveted Pier39 G Dock. Move in immediately. Don’t miss this opportunity for some of the best views and most convenient slip on the San Francisco Bay! The slip is protected by the sea wall and offers easy access in/out launching across from Alcatraz. $15,000. Pier 39, San Francisco. bserling@yahoo.com
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 www.emerycove.com
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: www.tinyurl. com/mjb9v9je. La Cruz, Nayarit, MX. yummiesbydonyteri@gmail.com 52 (322) 275-3322 www.Yummies-Mexico. com.mx
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
CHANDLERY FRONT DESK POSITION. Berkeley Marine Center is looking for a new member of the team! We are currently looking for someone to work in our chandlery and boatyard office. Experience in retail or customer service is key, as the position involves communication with boatyard clients and chandlery customers. We are looking for a friendly and detail-oriented person who has knowledge of boats and is ready for the fast-paced boatyard bustle. Work schedule is Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm, start date ASAP. Contact us for details and to apply. office@berkeleymarine.com (510) 8438195 www.berkeleymarine.com
EXPERIENCED SAILBOAT RIGGER WANTED. Rig shop in business for over 30 years is looking for an experienced rigger to add to our team. Excellent pay is available depending on rigging knowledge. Send a description of your rigging/boat work experience. Sausalito. southbeachriggers@gmail.com (415) 331-3400
SAUSALITO COMMUNITY BOATING CENTER INSTRUCTORS WANTED. Sausalito Community Boating Center is seeking passionate, experienced sailing instructors and assistants. Instructors must have a US Sailing Small Boat Certification. Assistants need only a passion for the water! Contact instruction@cassgidley.org for information. Sausalito. steve@cassgidley.org (530) 559-6528 www.tinyurl.com/bd3wmf6z
RACE
PROGRAM LEAD (HEAD COACH). Peninsula Youth Sailing Foundation (PYSF) in Redwood City, CA, is seeking a passionate, experienced sailing professional to serve as Race Program Lead. This full-time, year-round leadership role oversees high school and C420/i420 programs, combining elite coaching, program management, staff supervision, and national travel. This position leads on-water training five days a week, coaches at regattas, manages logistics and budgets, coordinates with schools and families, and maintains a fleet of 20 CFJs to “white glove” standards. Ideal candidates have extensive youth coaching experience, strong leadership and organizational skills, and technical fleet knowledge. Salary ranges from $100,000–$120,000 with health and dental benefits. US Sailing certification and background check required. Redwood City, CA. Office@pysf.us www.pysf.us/
CUSTOMER SERVICE/ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT. Spinnaker Sailing in Redwood City is looking for a reliable and organized office administrator/customer service member to help keep our daily operations running smoothly. This role is for someone who enjoys variety, working with people, and being part of a small, energetic team in a waterfront setting. Sailing experience is preferred but not required — we’re happy to teach you the basics. What you’ll do: answer phones and emails, assist customers with class registrations, memberships, and charters; support daily office and scheduling operations; process payments, maintain records, and be an on-premise point of contact for customers; communicate with instructors and staff to coordinate schedules; customer sales. Redwood City, CA. rich@spinnakersailing.com (650) 7222389 www.spinnakersailing.com
SPINNAKER SAILING S.F. Spinnaker Sailing S.F. is hiring experienced sailors. Join one of San Francisco’s top ASA schools. Modern fleet (Andrews 21s, J/80s, J/105s, Santa Cruz 50), tiny class sizes, and an expert crew. F/T– P/T, flexible scheduling, midweek/weekend work available. Teach, skipper charters, or sail team events on our well-maintained yachts. ASA instructors and USCG captains encouraged. Great tips, build sea time, and work as much as you like. This is a FUN place to work! San Francisco. spinnaker.sailing@yahoo.com (415) 543-7333 www.tinyurl.com/ysh5k33a
SAILING SCHOOL OFFICE/MARKETING MANAGER. Spinnaker Sailing is a premier sailing school/club providing high-quality sailing instruction for students of all levels. Established in 1980, the school is located at the Port of Redwood City Marina in Redwood City. We offer a range of classes and activities, from beginner to advanced. We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Sailing School Manager to lead our instructional programs and daily operations. The School Manager will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the sailing school, including program development, student and member engagement, instructor management, student enrollment, club memberships, sailing vacations, corporate events and equipment maintenance. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in sailing and be able to work weekends. Competitive salary based on experience. 451 Seaport Ct. Redwood City, CA. 94063. rich@spinnakersailing.com (650) 7222389 www.tinyurl.com/2mk6yv5a
WOODEN CLASSICS PROGRAM COORDINATOR. Peninsula Youth Sailing Foundation (PYSF), Redwood City, CA. Full-time. PYSF seeks a hands-on Wooden Classics Program Coordinator to lead maintenance and operations for ‘Ocean Queen V’, a 55-ft Philip Rhodes yawl, and support a fleet of racing dinghies and skiffs. This role blends classic-vessel preservation, youth sailing, and marine trades education. Responsibilities include routine and long-term maintenance, systems troubleshooting, workshop and inventory management, event support, and coordinating student projects in restoration and boat care. Candidates should have 5+ years in marine maintenance, strong seamanship, and experience mentoring youth. Mechanical, electrical, and wooden-boat skills required; classic rigging or restoration experience preferred. Pay: $25–60/ hr DOE. Liveaboard option possible. office@pysf.us
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 www.tinyurl.com/y7b2587w
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. SF Bay Area. Penny@latitude38.com
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
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
SOUTH OF THE BORDER
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
NON PROFIT
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
GEAR
SEEKING SMALL INBOARD ENGINE FOR SAILBOAT. I am desperately seeking and happy to pay good dollars for a single- /twin-cylinder inboard saildrive marine engine for 26-ft Lake Tahoe sailboat. The perfect engine would be a 1980s MR2-50S, which was a Volvo Penta Saildrive with a 7.5 Honda twin-cylinder gasoline outboard powerhead. Total weight was 80 pounds. Any condition acceptable. Can repair/rebuild/replace engine if necessary. Seeking saildrive unit, engine, and mounting bed. Old single- /twin-cylinder Volva Penta, Yanmar, Beta would be considered. Would be happy to personally pick up anywhere in western USA. Also happy to pay any “finder” fees as well! Happy to trade for 9.9 Honda long-shaft outboard in excellent good condition. Email Gary. Western States. CaliforniaKiwi49@frontier.com (916) 337-7029
HOT SWAP MEET: MAY 2 AT PSPYC. May 2, 8am–noon: Marine gear, clothing, boat parts, tools, nautical treasures, art. Free admission. Rain or shine. Point San Pablo YC is next to KKMI in Point Richmond. Be a vendor: $30 fee. 700 W. Cutting Blvd., Pt. Richmond, CA. 1stmatespspyc@gmail.com www. pspyc.org
ANCHOR CHAIN AND MOORING LINE. 100-ft 3/8-in G4 chain good condition $200. 110-ft 3/4in double braid nylon mooring line $100. $300. Richmond YC. captainstevehill@gmail.com (415) 847-7270
WHISKER POLE. Forespar carbon telescoping LC 15-27 UTS-UTR socket-trigger whisker pole, T-125 toggle car for 1-1/4-in track. Call Robin Sodaro. $3,000. Sausalito. hoodsails@aol.com (415) 279-4104
MISCELLANEOUS
SAILING ART PIECES. It’s time to let these go to the right home. Please text if you’re interested. SSS 1978 Trophy. Sextent. Fused glass “paintings” and Bronze sailboat sculpture. You have to come pick them up. Call Paul. $1. (530) 701-8784
C&C 29 MK II WANTED TO BUY. Greetings, 29 Mk II owners: If you’re thinking or wanting to sell a wellcared-for C&C 29-2, located anywhere on the west coast of the US or Canada, please reply to Bruce with details. West Coast of US/Canada. bwschaf@gmail.com
CAL 20. Good condition preferred. Later model year preferred. mike@cunninghamdevco.com (650) 464-5453
TRYING TO LOCATE
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
Coyote Point Marina 55 www.smcgov.org/parks/coyote-point-marina Cruising Yachts ..........................................50 www.cruisingyachts.net
Division of Boating & Waterways ................ 15 www.dbw.ca.gov
List Marine Enterprises ...............................28 www.listmarine.com
Marchal Sailmakers 27 www.marchalsailmakers.com
Marina de La Paz 36 www.marinadelapaz.com
Marina El Cid ............................................59 www.elcid.com
Modern Sailing School & Club.................... 27 www.modernsailing.com
Moorings, The 3 www.moorings.com
NAOS Yachts 17 www.naosyachts.com
58’ TAYANA 58 DECK SALON ’06
$447,000
Majestic. With electric winches in the cockpit, a Leisure Furl boom and bow thruster, she is easily handled by a couple. LLC-owned.
46’ TAYANA 460 PILOTHOUSE ’02
$295,000
Peregrine. Masterfully engineered and custom built. Definitely priced to sell. All offers seriously considered by motivated seller.
46’ TAYANA 460 PILOTHOUSE ’02
$269,000
Sun Bird. One-owner, well-maintained yacht. Large enclosed pilothouse with inside helm and large windows. Ideal for all-weather sailing.
Marina
Richard: 510-610-6213
Mik: 510-552-7272
Rob: 619-552-6943
Boland Yacht Sales
Barney: 510-541-1963
David: 781-526-8469
Lewis 714-679-4744
David Gates 714-658-4390
George 415-793-9376
Stephenie 415-299-9780
KKMI Point Richmond and KKMI Sausalito are now Safe Harbor San Fransisco Bay and Safe Harbor Sausalito. These exceptional service yards now join our unrivaled network of over 150 marinas and shipyards in the world’s greatest waterfront destinations, now with 7 in the Bay Area.
