Winter Sunset in North California

We sailors never get enough of them. Every single day I would watch it during every single passage i have done. And i will never get enough of them. No matter how cold, how the weather perform it is always a wonder. This one was on a cold February evening between SF and Santa Cruz.

Pierre and Family left

Well done. They left Los Angles yesterday for Peru. As i told Pierre they are doing small legs sailing during the day and staying in ports during the nights. The first day was difficult with wind in the nose. The kids were sicks. I just talked to them today. They arrived in Newport Beach. They had great sailing with good wind. The kids had an opportunity to steer. They loved. Nobody was sick.

Pierre and his family just showed up in my life.

This family of 5 just got a 1975 30ft sailing sloop to sail to Peru from Los Angeles.

Bold move from this young couple without a lot of sailing experience but the will to live a fearless life far from the insanity.

I support them and will welcome any support from our community.

They are preparing a blog. We will be able to follow their adventures.

Safe Investment (from MulthihllsWorld editor)

Safe investment...

The stock market is up and down like a yo-yo, oil reached a peak before collapsing, gold is out of fashion and all the experts forecast the bursting of the property bubble... In short, a difficult period is in store for all those with money to invest.

But what should we do?

Fortunately, your favourite magazine is here to advise you and give you the information you were all waiting for: there is one safe investment which is really effective, the real one, the one that lasts overtime – the ‘pleasure investment’...

So enjoy your life, buy yourself a boat and set off with your family or your friends. At the last judgement, it will go in your favour if you have done some good around you and taken full advantageof your life... And isn’t this finally the only real investment that it is right to get a return on?

Unvaluable experiences when traveling.

One of my most valuable memory of my summer trip was to witness these old Kunas ladies performing a shamanic ceremony during happy hours in San Blas far from the noise and the youngest. What did they prey for? What did they say? I will never know but some how I could capture this moment and I felt so close to them.
It was magic. I invite you to travel and to meet the World we are living in. Stay away from the crowed touristic area. Go out and experience the magic.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009. HAPPY SAILING.

Viva 2009. Appreciation is my 2009 "motto". Every single of our breath should be enjoy as it is our last.
Live Well.

Charplotter Reliability (2) comments and insight from Thane Roberts

Thanks for the informative email.  you are absolutely right, it is never a good idea to rely on one means of navigation alone (e.g. GPS).  I found that it worked best to use at least 3 means of determining your position in addition to GPS before approaching the coast or a dangerous channel- e.g. compass bearings on adjacent landmarks, radar and depth.  when all these are used together and agree, it is usually a good sign that you are on the right track.

 

Often the charts are correct but the datum on the chart does not correspond to that on the GPS.  Many sailors do not know that they have to constantly update their GPS datum for each chart.  This is particularly important when you are sailing in foreign waters.  This can be done by checking the chart datum and then going to the setup menu on the GPS and making sure the two coincide.

 

If one were to use only one means of navigation when approaching a coast, my experience is that the radar is often the most reliable, after a careful lookout and common sense.  As you point out, a well calibrated depth sounder is also an important tool in these situations.  Again, it is good to know how the instrument is calibrated.  Some use the actual depth and others the water under the keel for a margin of safety.  The less sophisticated depth sounders do not give you a calibration option and the depth is measured from the actual location of the transponder.  Knowing the datum from which the depth meter is measuring can be helpful when using the chart depth to determine your position when approaching the coast or sailing in shallow water.

 

A few other tools that i found useful were a night vision monocular and forward scanning sonar (Interphase Probe).  While i agree that approaching a port or anchorage at night is not a good idea, sometimes it is unavoidable.  Night vision monoculars allow make it possible to see without destroying your night vision.  it is also useful for night watch to see faint lights of adjacent boats which are not visible to the naked eye.  The second instrument, forward scanning sonar, is not that expensive and can give a prior warning when approaching an underwater obstruction.  Some models will scan both ahead and to either side making it easier to stay in a channel.  As you point out, these tools, like the GPS, also have their limitations and a person on the bow with polarized glasses is always the best insurance. 

 

Finally, i think that talking to fellow sailors can be useful but it can also be misleading (point # 3).  A VHF call to marina personnel or a harbor master about entering the channel to their harbor, is a good idea when used in conjunction with the other information available (guide books, sailing instructions, ship's instruments and eyeball navigation).  I would always qualify the source of the information before relying on it too heavily. I have been heard of many situations where insecure sailors have gotten in even more trouble listening to a well-meaning but inexperienced yachtsmen who are anxious to help but not equipped to do so.... like the motor yacht or catamaran captain with a 3 foot draft giving advice to a yacht that draws 7 feet.