Is Moonshine the sister?
Is Moonshine the sister?
Bill Erkelens and I serve together on the RYC Foundation board. He adds the following:
"I think it was a group design gig. Kame Richards, Jake VanHeeckeren, Carl Schumacher all were involved. Build up in the North West. Both have very cool box beams and ring frames below."
"Hank Jotz owned the semi-sister (to Moonshine) called Bear Grotto. I think it is 1’ shorter and has a little more rocker than Moonshine. It is thinner plywood 1/4” and Moonshine is 3/8”. Both boats have a light aircraft glass over the plywood in the hull. The Grotto has a smaller rig and not sure about the ballast difference."
For a current log entry I don't have to dig very deep into my duffle of sea stories. Yesterday, to celebrate 75 circumnavigations of the sun, Annie and I had booked passage on the 45 foot whale watch boat SANCTUARY out of Moss Landing. The choice of boat was easy: SANCTUARY runs on 100% bio-diesel.
It being winter and low season for whales and still a bit early for migrating grays and humpbacks, SANCTUARY's naturalist was initially pessimistic we'd see much activity. After about an hour and a quarter of running, 12 nm WSW of Moss, out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed a spout to starboard and hailed the captain, "Thar she blows, 1 o'clock, 1 mile!"
The rest of the morning, and into the early afternoon, we were in the midst of a pod of 6 mature humpbacks, 45-55 feet, who seemed to be haphazardly grazing in the vicinity of MBARI weather buoy 46092. The captain would regularly shut down the engine, and we'd drift with whales often passing within a length or two. The conditions were calm, and except for two seasick passengers, 15 others were thrilled with the proximity and duration of sightings.
Living in a city, it's easy to forget we live adjacent to National Marine Sanctuary, and the captain observed there were probably few other people within 10 miles of our location, Monterey being the closest point of civilization.
While most aboard were observing the chuffing cetaceans, there was some other action nearby: mixed amongst the gulls, frequently Northern Fulmars would glide by, about 15 feet off the water. This is a bird species rarely sighted nearshore, but sometimes present near the outer limits of the Sanctuary.
And then the icing on the birthday cake, a black footed albatross soared into view, likely on its eastern most loop of the Pacific which may have begun from Hawaii, or even from islands further west.
A good day to be at sea in an oceanic wilderness.
Last edited by sleddog; 02-25-2020 at 11:38 AM.
Skip, love these photos of the albatross and more ~ thanks for taking us out in the ocean with you!
And our brother Scott put me on to a fun Latitude 38 article about Commodore Tompkins’ late February birthday, plus you and Paul Elvstrom. Link* with good photos below. Good stories told. (Scott said the race was in 1971.)
Hugs from your little sis
https://www.latitude38.com/lectronic...ons-commodore/