Oh, SNAFU! January Latitude 38 on the Docks Tomorrow
The January issue along with the 2025 YRA Calendar will hit the docks tomorrow, not today as planned. But you can check out the issue and the 2025 calendar online while you wait.
As we slide into the new year, we once again reflect on the past 12 months and think about what we are grateful for. Today, we are grateful (again) for all the crew who worked to produce the year’s 12 issues of Latitude 38. SNAFUs happen, and we’re grateful that we’ve managed to deliver 11 issues on the days we had scheduled. Today was to be the delivery day for issue #571. That day will now be tomorrow. Considering all the moving parts, we’re beyond stoked that this is a first. In the meantime, we bring you the Latitude 38 January 2025 issue, online to fill the gap until this time tomorrow. Here’s a preview.
Turkey Trot Offshore 2024
To go or not to go, that is the question. I often get calls from folks purchasing a vessel somewhere along the US West Coast where they don’t live, wondering how much it will be to deliver this vessel to the place where they do live. Usually, taking a boat to pieces, setting her onto a truck, and then putting her back together again is generally more expensive than “taking her on her own bottom” for the same journey. Of course, hours on the engine, wear and tear on sails and the like are to be considered, but strictly speaking, dollars and cents, usually leaving her afloat is less expensive.
Season Champions Part 2 — More One Designs Plus BAMA
The fleets celebrated in this second 2024 Season Champs feature range from tiny El Toros to substantial Express 37s to a 44-ft trimaran, with all sorts in between. We’ll start somewhere in the middle.
Rosie G — South to St. Somewhere
It’s been a little more than a year since Rosie G, with her crew (Jim Antrim, 72, Françoise Ramsey, 65, Samantha (Sam) Spanier, 74, and Barry Spanier, 77) sailed out the Gate with perfect light wind, reaching conditions, and a glorious sunrise while we went under the Golden Gate.
Here’s a peek at this month’s regular columns:
Letters: The Blue Flash Crash of Serendipity; Random Sightings of Sailors; The Moore the Merrier; Speaking of Wind-Powered Commercial Vessels, Have You Seen This?; plus many more letters from readers.
Sightings: SV Gallia — From B.C. to Santa Barbara; Bad News, Then Good, in the Oakland Estuary; US Sailing Opens 2028 Olympic Base in L.A.; Exploring Baja Surf on SV Sweetheart; and other stories.
Max Ebb: “Marks and Obstructions”
Racing Sheet: With racing from all over the hemisphere, we travel to the Pacific Northwest for Round the County, check in with California midwinters courtesy of Sausalito, San Diego, Golden Gate and Sequoia Yacht Clubs, head way down south for the Star South Americans, visit the Big Sail at StFYC, and wind up where we started, in the PNW. Box Scores slips out of its usual blue box this month.
Changes in Latitudes: With reports this month on Petrichor’s cruise to Alaska; Fairwyn’s return to the Ha-Ha; catching up with old friends in our annual Where Are They Now? feature; and an eclectic assortment of Cruise Notes.
All the latest in sailboats and sailboat gear for sale, Classy Classifieds.
We appreciate all readers and all our supporters — you keep Latitude 38 in print! Please show your appreciation by supporting the advertisers, who have made this issue possible.
The January issue with its companion 2025 Northern California Racing Calendar will hit the docks tomorrow — set your alarm and go visit your nearest distributor to pick up a copy. And while you’re there, share a New Year’s cheer!