chovy wrote:That's what I don't like about the ocean 
I found a private yacht harbor about 1.5 hours away from me ($4.50/foot, $500 initiation fee, $20/mo utility charge, and $260/year membership fee). It comes to about $179/mo -- (not including the initiation fee). I may do this. It's so damn expensive around here.
ouch! "Break Out Another Thousand"...
no boat is cheap, but the Bay Area makes it really bad
i just got a new rate schedual in the mail since i opened my big mouth: $0.56/foot/month=$6.72/foot/year=over 100% increase=WTF?
will have to ask friends at the harbormaster's office, since a pop like that seems out of hand...
they probably just did a survey of West Coast prices, and figured they were facing opportunity costs
did pay $170 for 1 night in Key West a few years ago
this on a friend's 35' sailboat after spending 11 hours crossing from Dry Tortugas in 10-12 in one of those Gulf of Mexico northers that can set in a near gale for 2 weeks
i remember the dock boy saying, "You guys came from where? There's 12-foot seas running out there!" - like we were some kind of nautical madmen
then i remembered how there were 60-70 foot longliners and shrimpers anchored up for a week in the little bight we'd just left, and came to the conclusion that Florida fishermen weren't necessarily the same breed as PNW/Alaskan fishermen...
a long time ago, i asked a crusty old crabber in Cordova, Ak about fishing in big water:
"You guys actually fish in 25-30' seas?" "The good boats do"...
that left an impression on me
and this little statue in Cordova still raises the hackles on my neck...
==============================
JPN - i remember you as one of the smartest guys i've ever met on the internet, and your pwnings of me were responsible for a major rethink of some of my political stances...
great to see you back! i bet you're still the class of the league!
hate to say it, but i think Alinghi may take an ass rappin in the Billionaire's Feud
USA17 looks strong, and she's got one hellava crew...
i don't forsee any horizon jobs on the 20-mile course, but BMW Oracle will probably be dominant in light airs - 20knts+ in 2mph winds is amazing
what i'd really like to see is these boats pumping the rigging in a big fat swell...it'll be pretty cool to see million-dollar masts snap and $100k spinnakers and genoas blow out...
needless to say, i'll be all over the internet feeds!
====================================
Abraxas - when are you gonna get on a real boat? it seems like it's either tommycods or 5k tonners...
but i bet you can speed plot radar ranges through the Panama Canal with the best of them though!
great to see ya!
sitting in Seattle International right now, VPNing this in with my phone while i wait to board the flight to Tokyo
then it's Vladivostok and Points North for the next 2-3 weeks of frostnipped fun and profit in the Land of Bad Food
no boats involved, just a creaky old Hind heli or two, and the odd shakedown by the local cops, who carry machine guns and have chronic compensation issues....
.