Coast Guard, Good Samaritans Rescue Three From Water Near Honolulu
The Coast Guard and good Samaritans rescued three men from the water approximately two miles south of the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu on Monday.
Coast Guard Sector Honolulu had received notice at 5:30 p.m. over VHF-FM channel 16 of three distressed people in the water. Two passengers aboard the French-flagged Spirit of Pontapreta, a 42-ft sailing vessel, had reportedly been swept away while swimming near the vessel. The vessel’s operator jumped in to assist them but was also swept away.
On-scene conditions were 20 mph winds and three-foot seas.
Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast (UMIB) and directed the launch of a 45-ft Response Boat-Medium crew from Coast Guard Station Honolulu to assist.
The good Samaritan vessel Honu Lani responded to the UMIB and rescued the three people from the water. The RB-M crew rendezvoused with the Honu Lani, took aboard the boaters, and transferred them back to the Spirit of Pontapreta.
The operator of the Spirit of Pontapreta* then transited safely back to Rainbow Bay Marina.
“We recommend all boaters actively monitor channel 16 while underway,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Alexander Hoek, watchstander, Sector Honolulu command center. “Closely following broadcasts increases your awareness of nearby emergencies. We would like to thank the Honu Lani crew for their selfless actions rescuing three people in need.”
While we’re on the subject of the Coast Guard, we’d like to mention some other activities these crews have engaged in of late. Along with rescuing mariners in distress, the crews were on the water searching for two souls after a helicopter crashed into the water near the Na Pali Coast earlier this month. A third, unresponsive individual was recovered from the water.
In happier news, the USCG crews were involved in the rescue of a monk seal. The report says that a crew from Air Station Barbers Point assisted NOAA and other agencies with the transportation of an endangered Hawaiian monk seal to the Marine Mammal Center in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii.
When the seal’s health started to rapidly decline, an agency assist request was submitted to the Coast Guard to transport the seal to the Marine Mammal Center for a higher level of care. The seal is now receiving critical care, including a calorie-rich diet, and his condition is improving.
We’d like to give a shout-out and share our appreciation for the work done by the US Coast Guard for all mariners and marine creatures. Thank you for what you do!
*Note: We did attempt to find information about the Spirit of Pontapreta, but as we couldn’t be sure we had the correct vessel, we opted to not publish any vessel details and photos.
Good Jibes #152: Tune In for a Summer Vacation Flashback to Good Jibes Past
Our Good Jibes crew are enjoying a well-deserved break with a couple of weeks’ summer vacation. But we didn’t want to leave you all hanging, so we’re hitting the rewind button and replaying some of our favorite episodes of Good Jibes past.
First up, we take you back to October 2021 and Episode #11 in which Latitude’s Nicki Bennett chats with regular Good Jibes host Moe Roddy. Moe is a racer and cruiser who was the second woman ever to finish the singlehanded leg of the Bermuda One-Two. She’s a race committee volunteer, has a seat on the board of the St. Francis Sailing Foundation, and uses her experience as a retired nurse to spread women’s heart disease awareness.
In this episode Nicki and Moe chat about how to get over being hesitant about sailing, why Moe got so involved in the racing community, her most memorable experiences on the water, what’s changed for women in sailing over the years, and the beauty of quiet time while crossing an ocean.
Next we hear stories from Lin Pardey in Episode #18: “Staying Simple and Just Getting Out There.” Lin has sailed over 200,000 nautical miles, completed two circumnavigations, and has had many more adventures of a lifetime with her late husband Larry Pardey.
Hear how to modify your boat to suit your needs, how to build confidence as a sailor, what size boat to get, about being a pioneer in tiny living, and everything from living in the Kalahari to attending a rodeo in Vanuatu. And hear the story of how Lin met Larry.
Lastly, we get into the Olympic spirit and replay Episode #54: “Daniela Moroz on Formula Kiting to Victory.” Daniela is a five-time Formula Kite world champion, three-time US Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, and is currently in Paris preparing for the Olympics, which open on Friday.
Hear how Daniela fell in love with kiteboarding, the learning curve from a regular kite to a foiling kite, her training approach for the Olympics and other elite competitions, how to conquer intimidation in new surroundings, and whether she ever gets worried about sharks.
Good Jibes guests have suggested well over 100 of their favorite, most inspiring sailing books including Dove, Two Years Before the Mast, Maiden Voyage and many more. We’ve now collected them in an online Latitude 38 bookstore, which also contributes a small percentage to Latitude 38. Thank you for reading, and enjoy the books.
Learn to Race with Modern Sailing
Goose Gossman’s Pictorial Gallery of a 10-Day Sail
Potter yachter Jim “Goose” Gossman spent over a week sailing between Benicia and Loch Lomond. He set off on Thursday, July 12, to join the Potters in Benicia Yacht Club’s Beer Can races. And apart from just enjoying being on the water, Goose was happy to spend a little time boat-hopping between his own and his friends’ boats.
“From July 12-20 I enjoyed a flurry of boat fun between Benicia and Loch Lomond,” Goose tells us. “It was a mini mess-about week, where I started from Benicia, rendezvoused with Charlie Jeremias from Napa at the confluence of Mare Island Strait, and punched up a nasty San Pablo Bay in 25-30 knots to meet up with four other Potter Yachters (coming from Richmond) for a weekend at Loch Lomond.”
Goose took his first sail aboard Dan and Cosie Carnahan’s recently acquired Catalina 27, enjoyed “sweet sailing” aboard highly modified Potter ReGale with Corsair tri sailor Brett Nelson, and took “a few blasts” on his 1963 Glasspar Ruby.
“Charlie liked LL [Loch Lomond] so much he left his boat there, while I sailed back alone. He missed out on the best-ever sail on a Potter …” Goose continues.
“I surfed home in only three hours, racing a trawler most of the way. Going both ways, I only saw a couple other boats, which sadly, seems to be the norm. Anyway, it’s been fun.”
Harbormaster Brian Nelson Welcomes You to Monterey Bay
We had a quick catch-up the other day with Monterey Marina harbormaster Brian Nelson. We’re always grateful to people like Brian and places like Monterey Marina, which distribute copies of Latitude 38 to help get them into the hands of sailors up and down the coast.
Brian is a Monterey Bay sailor, having grown up sailing Hobie cats off the beach in Santa Cruz. There he kept a Hobie on the beach among the active fleet stored in front of O’Neill’s Yacht Center.
He reports that Monterey Bay Marina is full with a waiting list, but he keeps some transient slips open for boats heading up and down the coast (or returning early from the Pacific Cup). That’s a good thing for boats heading south for the Baja Ha-Ha. It’s a great stop on the coast, but it’s wise to check in early to make sure there is space.
Brian also tells us that sailing continues to be very active. The local diving is down some, as much of the kelp off the California coast has fallen prey to sea urchins. Meanwhile the whale population is up, bringing with it lots of people who want to go out to see the marine mammals in their migration. It’s an ever-evolving world.
If you’re on your way south or just sailing to Monterey Bay for a long weekend, a stop in Monterey Marina will get you a copy of Latitude 38 and a visit to one of the most scenic and historic waterfronts along the California coast.
Correction: this story initially identified the person in the photo as Harbormaster Brian Nelson but reader Jim Johns helpfully informed us that it is security chief Alex Callison.
Catch a Sail or Shade the Sun With Zepp Sticks
