SailTime

Annual BVI Trip on the Horizon

sailtimeci — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 00:07:27 +0000

For the past several years, I have had the good fortune of introducing the British Virgin Islands to SailTime sailors. Talk about a labor of love ! It has come to the point where I very nearly expect to be going every Fall. For a while, we went two times a year; Spring and Fall. But, now we have settled into a seasonal rhythm of BVI in the Fall and someplace new to sail and discover in the Spring. The BVI is where we hold our N2C “Graduation” for SailTime members who are ready to bareboat charter a sailboat in a foreign land.

Then, in the Spring, members who have been to the BVI can join us on the Captains Cruise to somewhere new in the world. Next June, it will be the Sea of Abaco. I’m really excited for the upcoming adventure in the BVI. We are going to graduate two new Captains from our base while sailing a route we are calling Side B, as in, a different route than we have perfected over the past half dozen trips.

Side B starts on Nov. 7th with a short jaunt across the Drake Channel to Cooper Island for some great snorkeling and the fine hospitality of Chris and his team at The Beach Club. Then, its on to North Sound so I can give Josie, at Saba Rock, a new hat ! From there, we will head across the Anegada Passage to Anegada Island and its famous crustaceans. As long as the wind does’nt blow from the West, which it did last year… we will have a glorious downwind sail to Jost Van Dyke where I am hoping it will be settled enough to spend a night at Diamond Cay just off Little Jost. The following day we have to stop at Sandy Spit and get a T-shirt at Foxy’s before running over to Cane Garden Bay for more than the Callwood Rum! We’ll conclude our cruise with the proper last night at The Bight of Norman Island.

There are three flotilla groups from SailTime, including ours, who will be down the same week. Jonathan and the UK contingent are coming over and an “official” N2C being run by corporate as well. This year, I luck out big time. I go back again in December to lead a group from Texas - yee haw !

Maltese Falcon Arrives in San Francisco Bay

sailtimeci — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:31:47 +0000

The Maltese Falcon arrived in San Francisco Bay to great fanfare on Saturday. This is her first visit to the home port of her owner, Tom Perkins.

Photo by Latitude 38

We have had the good fortune to see this, the worlds’ largest privately owned sailing yacht, on two occasions during our past two Captain Cruise Flotillas. In 2007, we went to the island of Mallorca. There she stood out amongst hundreds of super yachts and walking the docks really hit home just how massive she is. Then, this Spring, we were in French Polynesia and there she was, a year later, half way around the world ! Now, the city by the bay. The continuing itinerary has Falcon moving down the coast of North America, through the Panama Canal, back to the Caribbean, I would assume in time for the holidays in St Barts. Its a tough job but somebody has got to do it.

How to Go Sailing in a Tough Economic Time

sailtimeci — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:24:12 +0000

Since 2004, there has been a clear cut advantage to sailboat ownership emerging on the waters of North America and the UK in particular. Fractional Sailing is a good idea, period. But in tough economic times, when you need to make every buck work for you, it could be the difference between sailing and not sailing.

A family heads out of Channel Islands Harbor on a SailTime Hunter 36 sailboat

Lets compare what it would cost to own your own new Hunter 36 versus having a membership on a new SailTime Hunter 36:

Prices vary according to location but a membership on a new Hunter 36 at the Channel Islands (CA) SailTime base runs $650 per month. There is also an initial outlay of a $2500 deposit.

If you bought a new Hunter 36 sailboat you would have an initial outlay of a down payment, somewhere around $40,000 and your loan would be at least $1500 a month for a 10 year note. Now add the monthly costs of ownership; insurance $125, slip $500 (here), and the proverbial “boat buck” that is spent every time you visit West Marine. A boat buck on a 36 foot boat is $100. You never will spend less than that every visit you make to West and you will visit probably 90% of the time you make it down to your boat. Engine and boat maintenance is going to probably run no less than $100 a month as well. This tags your monthly sailing costs after down payment at easily $2000+ a month and probably closer to $2500+.

In five years time, your total cost with a SailTime membership (here) would be less than $40,000. Your total outlay if you owned the same sailboat for five years would be roughly $175,000. And, well…we are talking about a depreciating asset here. So, its quite probable the $650 a month spent on enjoying sailing in a completely hassle free, no strings attached kind of way would be far less of an “expense” than outright ownership.

What about a used sailboat ? Unless you buy a new one, its hard to get a reasonable loan. So, while you may find a way to overcome the monthly loan amount, by purchasing a boat for less than a down payment on a new one, the other costs will quickly eat up whatever perceived savings you might have had. Not to mention the inherent “things” that go along with owning an older used boat. Suffice to say, you better enjoy tinkering with broken stuff more than you enjoy sailing… some people do.

Ventura County Coastal Cleanup Day

sailtimeci — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:07:53 +0000

As part of the International Coastal Cleanup Day, Ventura County beaches will be a great place for you and your family to be on Saturday morning (9/20). The 24th annual California coastal cleanup event runs from 9am to noon. As an international event, this day can boast being one of the largest volunteer events of the year around the world. Just go to your favorite beach tomorrow morning. There is bound to be someone wearing something official looking who is coordinating that area. Bring along gloves. Local organizers will have trash bags and The Ocean Conservancy will be on hand to tally what you find. Last year, over 6 tons of trash was collected in Ventura County alone.

As a frequent beach walker, I make a point of bringing along a small trash bag with me. Rather than look away from the trash it’s easier for me, at least, to just pick it up !

Here is a late breaking list of places to meet at the beach:

Oil Piers
Exit Seacliff, proceed north one mile, go through ped underpass; meet near stairs.
Rincon Parkway
Meet at Emma Wood State Beach entrance.
Emma Wood Group Camp
Main Street (Ventura) to camp entrance; meet at kiosk.
San Buenaventura State Beach
San Pedro Street entrance, follow “Beach Clean-up” signs.
Seaward Beach
End of Seaward Avenue.
Surfer’s Knoll
Meet at Spinnaker Drive, Surfer’s Knoll.
Silver Strand Beach
Meet at north end.
Ormond Beach
Meet at Reliant Energy plant by Hueneme and Edison Roads.
Mugu Rock Beach
Off Highway 1, South of Oxnard. Meet in parking lot near rock.
Mandalay Beach
Meet at basketball court off Neptune Square off Mandalay Beach Road from Wooley.
McGrath State Beach
Meet at McGrath State Beach parking lot, past the kiosk.

Morning Light Documentary Set To Release Oct. 17th

sailtimeci — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 15:21:12 +0000

In 2006, Roy Disney had an idea. Gather together a group of young people who had never sailed. Train them. Buy them a fast boat. Make a documentary movie about them and their boat competing in the 2007 TansPac. Disney is one of the great sailing minds of this century. And of course, he had the resources to pull something like this off.

The fruits of his labors are coming to the big screen soon. Oh sure, it will end up on DVD. But I’m going to go see it at the theatre for full effect. After all, Disney outfitted the boat with numerous cameras and actually chased the TP52, Morning Light, all the way across the Pacific, to Hawaii on the converted racing catamaran, Cheyenne, for what will be some great footage.

The documentary movie is set to open October 17th and given that it is being distributed by Disney Pictures, I am hoping this means it will show up in a theatre near me !

Neighborhood Weather Buoys in Peril

sailtimeci — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 21:32:40 +0000

Some morning in the not-too-distant future you will wake up and log on to check out what the wind is doing at the Western reaches of the Santa Barbara Channel and you will have a hard time knowing. Buoy #’s 46023 off Point Arguello and 46054 in the middle of the Western Channel itself are no longer being funded. These buoys are, of course, important to us mariners because, many times, it gives us an idea of whats coming down the channel.

Strangely and for whatever reason, these weather buoys were funded and installed by the Minerals Management Service in 1985 (Arguello) and 1993 (West). Then in 2005, that government agency decided it no longer needed to track data. NOAA was asked to fund the operation and maintenance of them in 2005. It is estimated that it costs about $80,000 each annually. NOAA agreed to fund them for two years and that money ran out last year so since then the buoys have been left in a “run to fail” mode. Meaning whenever they stop working they will cease to provide the valuable information they do.

George Duke Receives My Boat Music New Release of the Year Award

sailtimeci — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 03:53:04 +0000

I have a couple of lifelong passions that pretty much keep me busy; music, photography and sailing. To be sure, they are highly combinable. I grew up during the golden years of rock and roll and in 1975, I was 20 years old when The Mothers of Invention released their last album. A major influence on that album was the keyboardist - George Duke. And so, for nearly 40 years Ive been a GD fan. Remarkably, I’ve only gotten to see him once at the Jazz Bakery in LA just a year or so ago and at the Long Beach Jazz Festival in 2005.

George has never gone for stardom. He just loves creating incredible music and he doesnt perform all that often. Instead he involves himself with educational programs and helping produce other people’s music, like his cousin, the impeccable Dianne Reeves.

His new album - Dukey Treats is yet another triumph which should certainly win him a Grammy but probably wont. I can’t imagine anyone not liking this music !

A Serious Sailing Frolic Going On Here !

sailtimeci — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 15:05:49 +0000

There’s a serious frolic going on in Channel Islands Harbor this Summer. With three 36 foot Hunters in the fleet, the members have spontaneously grown a tradition at this base ! With three frolics under their belts, each of the boats has won “the race”. Frolic is a sunset sail we started several years ago that has now morphed into a once a month duel from the breakwater, out and around Gina and back with these three splendid yachts.

Larry on Bodacious snapped this shot of Captain Jim way out in front of 1421 and Varekai on this nice breezy night. It looks like the feathering prop advantage of 1421 is negated in a breeze over 15 knots. Once back at the docks the BBQ’s break out and the crews enjoy a dock party. Last night it was a Chinese feast in honor of the Olympic sailors whom NBC neglected to include in their advertising laden onslaught the last two weeks.

Larry Ellison’s Latest Toy

sailtimeci — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 05:56:42 +0000

Larry Ellison is serious about the game he likes to play. Things didnt go well for him at the America’s Cup last year. The what, where and when of what happens next in this arena is anybody’s guess. But Larry and Team BMW Oracle are not taking any chances.

Today, they rolled out this 90 foot by 90 foot carbon fiber trimaran from its purpose built shed in Anacortes, Washington. Team CEO said, ““This is a very special boat and represents a special achievement by a hugely committed team who are among the world’s best at what they do.” He continued, “We have learned a lot in getting to this point and now we are looking forward to testing it on the water.”

Understand though, this boat may never see a day on the water competing against Alinghi in The Deed Of Gift Challenge of the Americas Cup if an appeal in court is denied. Then again, it could happen !

Summertime Sailing Heats Up at SailTime Channel Islands

sailtimeci — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 21:16:13 +0000

It has been a glorious Summer here at Channel Islands Harbor this year. We have had very little marine layer and temps seem to be up about 10 degrees on average during the day. Most days in July and August have been in the 70’s and now the water is approaching that elusive swimming temperature of 70. The winds have been very organized. Light near the shore and stronger in the middle of the channel. You can nearly choose what type of sailing you want to enjoy. The SailTime fleet here has been getting a good workout with new members getting trained up and spreading their wings and old salts getting out on the water with regularity. Most days, you will find empty slips where our fleet lives on Dock C of Vintage Marina.

Speaking of Old Salts - here is Jerry Roth (far left) and Charlotte Overton, (far right) Owners of Rainbow, one of our 33ft Hunters. They were preparing to shove off for a day sailing cruise this morning with the Anacapa Yacht Club up to the Ventura Yacht Club on this perfect day. They invited some friends along for the ride, including Pete and “Glo” (front & center), who singlehandedly make AYC such a great club to be a member of ! Jerry is a long time successful racer, first on the East Coast and for quite some time now, here on the Left Coast. Charlotte is no slouch herself, having held the ladies trophy in this harbor !