How to sail the original Transpac Sled, with...

no sailing experience at all, in one difficult lesson. (from today's Lat 38 on the web, last article) | 'Lectronic Index Previous 'Lectronic | | Latest 'Lectronic | | | to receive emails when 'Lectronic Latitude is updated. | | The Mexico Report November 13, 2015 – Mañanaland | (Click on the photo to enlarge it.) For cruising sailors the annual Sailors' Spash and Banderas Bay Blast are great fun without the pressure of serious racing. Organizers are hoping for a record turnout this month. Photo Latitude / Archives © 2015 Latitude 38 Publishing, LLC | It’s mid-November and the cruising season is in full swing south of the border. After a day of post-Ha-Ha rest, Profligate continued 300 miles southeast to Banderas Bay, which includes Puerto Vallarta and Profligate’s winter home of La Cruz. It was a very warm — even in the middle of the night — and smooth crossing. The best part was on the last day when our crew of three enjoyed gennaker reaching at 8 to 11 knots in 10 to 13 knots of breeze. If we'd thought that the wind and flat seas would hold for another two weeks, we would have jibed and set sail for Moorea.John and Debbie Rogers on the San Diego-based Deerfoot 62 Moonshadow had a similar crossing to Banderas Bay, as did other Ha-Ha vets such as Glenn Twitchell and Debbie Jahn on the Newport Beach-based Lagoon 380 Beach Access. The latter stopped just short of Banderas Bay, at the cruiser favorite of Chacala.It wasn’t that easy for every Ha-Ha boat headed up to La Paz, as Northers sometime make the 135-mile passage difficult — and sometimes a nightmare. Our understanding is that thanks to the refuges at Los Frailes and Muertos, everybody made it north without too much trouble.Northers coming down the Sea of Cortez are the main winter weather difference between La Paz and Banderas Bay. They just don’t make it the 400 additional miles south to Banderas Bay. As for air temperatures, La Paz has been in the low 80s during the day and the low 60s at night, with one or two big drops when Northers came through. Very pleasant. Banderas Bay has been in the high 80s during the day and the low 70s at night. It’s warm, but not too warm. As for the ocean, it’s still very warm on Banderas Bay, and there’s been a great surfing swell coming out of the Southern Hemisphere for about a week. Cowabunga!The big event coming up in the La Paz area is the La Paz Beach Party at La Costa Restaurant on November 19, 4-7 p.m. This much-anticipated annual event will feature Mexican folk dancing, live music, food and drinks, door prizes, and more. It is open to all, but the first 50 Baja Ha-Ha participants will attend for free.One of the big cruiser question marks for Banderas Bay has been the future of Philo’s Music Studio and Bar in La Cruz. As many Latitude readers know, the Ha-Ha vet with the Mendocino-based Cal 36 Cherokee, who built an amazing community center, passed away unexpectedly during a heart procedure a few months ago. We were at Philo’s last night and are glad to report that the place was in early-season form, with the Coyotes, a terrific band, a packed dance floor, and plenty of cruisers. Maria, Philo’s longtime partner, is keeping the bar and music venue together. Philo’s adopted son Diego was, in the best Philo tradition, selling raffle tickets for a fundraiser, and everyone was having a great time. | After Philo Hayward purchased this property in La Cruz years ago, he quickly transformed it into not only a popular bar, restaurant and live music venue, but also a focal point for community fundraisers of all sorts. That tradition will continue.Photo Latitude / Richard © 2015 Latitude 38 Publishing, LLC | The big cruiser events on the horizon for Banderas Bay are the Sailors’ Splash and the Banderas Bay Blast. The Splash is Tourism’s welcome to all Ha-Ha boats and other cruisers, and is on December 11 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Marina Riviera Nayarit. There will be free T-shirts, munchies, drinks, music and much more. Two days later is the Banderas Bay Blast, which is three days of Ha-Ha-style ‘nothing serious’ racing on the north shore of Banderas Bay. Following the second race is the annual opening of the Punta Mita Yacht & Surf Club at Punta Mita. The final race is the near-legendary Pirates for Pupils Spinnaker Run for Charity from Mita to Paradise Marina. Don’t miss out on the fun!Before that, on November 21 from 3 to 6 p.m., Mike Danielson is throwing an open house for the entire sailing community at the North Sail loft adjacent to the La Cruz Shipyard. Let the fun begin! - latitude / richard | | Merlin Memories November 13, 2015 – Santa Cruz, CA | Merlin finishing the 1977 Transpac, captured by an unknown photographer.© 2015 Wizard Yachts, Ltd. / www.fastisfun.com | We got a number of responses to Monday's call-out for Memories of Merlin. This is one of the best."Back in '78 I thought I would see why my dad and grandfather were so crazy about sailing, as at my age at that time powerboats and water skiing were on my mind," writes Frank Dietsch. "I went down to the docks one Wednesday late afternoon in the Santa Cruz Harbor, stood on the fuel dock, and stuck my thumb out. A huge boat that was headed out — and moving fast — under sail — radically changed course, swung its bow to the dock, turned just in time to avoid collision and the guy at the wheel yelled 'JUMP!' I jumped, landing in the cockpit. The driver, who turned out to be Bill Lee, asked me what I knew about sailing. I said, 'Nothing.' He said 'Do you see that rope? That's a jib sheet. The thing it's wrapped around is a winch. It controls the sail up front. Do what I tell you to do when I tell you to do it.' I stood there and did what he said to do. He never stopped talking to me. He told me about the function of various parts of the boat. Why the sails were let in and out. How to read the sail for optimum performance. What a spinnaker was and why have one. He told me why he steered this way and that and what the effects were on the boat and boat speed. He told me about how the wind would change as the sun went down. He told me more and even more about sailing. He told me more than what I thought my brain could absorb. But somehow it did. I have been sailing ever since."Thank you Bill Lee. You made a huge difference for me and my family." - latitude / richard

On 11/13/2015 10:48 PM, Gerald Sobel so… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] wrote: > > > no sailing experience at all, in one difficult lesson. (from today's > Lat 38 on the web, last article) That's a really nice story, and a reminder of the many ways we can affect others without really being aware of our impact. Lots of people have affected me in big ways. I have tried to thank them but sometimes it's too late. (If you owe somebody a thank-you, do it now). In the spring I volunteer as a science instructor for a local schoolship program. Schools from all over bring kids, mostly 4th-6th grade, for 1/2 day sailing and science programs. It's on a big tourist schooner. I know that for some kids, the science and the sailing are in one ear and out the other. But for some of them, this may be one of those decisive moments in a life, the time when something really clicks. And I probably will never know which kid has that experience. But some will, just as I did at certain inexplicable times. When I take non-sailors sailing, I do the chatty teacher thing, explaining what the various lines do, what makes the boat go, and why we are doing what we are doing. Sometimes you get the glazed-eyes look. But I remember the time a friend talked about "going for a sailboat ride." My view is that you don't go for a sailboat ride, you go sailing. Passive vs. active. Riding in a boat ain't much fun but sailing is. Even on our local historic schooner, when we take others out, we try to engage them in sail raising, trimming sails, steering the boat. Same thing on the schoolship--the crew has the kids hauling on halyards and steering the boat. Chris Campbell > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > Merlin Memories > > November 13, 2015 – Santa Cruz, CA > Merlin finishing the '77 Transpac > /Merlin /finishing the 1977 Transpac, captured by an unknown photographer. > © 2015 Wizard Yachts, Ltd. / www.fastisfun.com > <http://www.fastisfun.com/> > > > We got a number of responses to Monday's call-out for Memories of > <http://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/lectronicday.lasso?date=2015-11-09#Story2>/Merlin > <http://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/lectronicday.lasso?date=2015-11-09#Story2>./ This > is one of the best. > "Back in '78 I thought I would see why my dad and grandfather were so > crazy about sailing, as at my age at that time powerboats and water > skiing were on my mind," writes Frank Dietsch. "I went down to the > docks one Wednesday late afternoon in the Santa Cruz Harbor, stood on > the fuel dock, and stuck my thumb out. A huge boat that was headed out > — and moving fast — under sail — radically changed course, swung its > bow to the dock, turned just in time to avoid collision and the guy at > the wheel yelled 'JUMP!' I jumped, landing in the cockpit. The driver, > who turned out to be Bill Lee, asked me what I knew about sailing. I > said, 'Nothing.' He said 'Do you see that rope? That's a jib sheet. > The thing it's wrapped around is a winch. It controls the sail up > front. Do what I tell you to do when I tell you to do it.' I stood > there and did what he said to do. He never stopped talking to me. He > told me about the function of various parts of the boat. Why the sails > were let in and out. How to read the sail for optimum performance. > What a spinnaker was and why have one. He told me why he steered this > way and that and what the effects were on the boat and boat speed. He > told me about how the wind would change as the sun went down. He told > me more and even more about sailing. He told me more than what I > thought my brain could absorb. But somehow it did. I have been sailing > ever since. > "Thank you Bill Lee. You made a huge difference for me and my family." > /- latitude / richard/ > > >