windward passage sailboat

Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker, and harbor columnist for Stu News Newport. Specializing in fitting the proper vessel for your needs. Cruising and Racing Sailboats , Down East Style Power & Pre-owned Duffy Electric Boats. Please contact me at (714) 931-6710 or [email protected].

Tuesday, December 01, 2020

Notes from my tour of windward passage:.

17 comments:

Len, thank you for this article about one of the most beautiful and timeless yachts of the last 50 years. I was astounded when I (as a 13-year-old boy) first saw the profile drawings of this incredible Alan Gurney design in a boating magazine. I try to walk down the Ardell Marina Dock to view it every time I visit Newport. The boat is maintained in utterly bristol condition. The owners have really done right by her. During her first few years, I enjoyed reading about her many new course records set. Then, one day while laying on the beach at the Balboa Bay Club, the sky went dark. I looked up and saw 7077 on a gigantic sail that was momentarily blocking the Sun. WP was sailing up the bay. I was dumbfounded! I stole a friend's boat and collected another close friend who was also a WP fan. We were so impressed with the boat, and with the 19.5' beam when seen from behind. Great to see interior photos. What a fabulous yacht!

Len--this is an outstanding tour of a dream yacht. I first encountered her in the SORC in 1970. Specifically, the St. Petersburg to Venice Race the last week of January. I was a young chap living in Venice at the time and watched with envy as the "big ones" roared down the coast in front of a blustery norther with Passage leading the pack. And, I waited on the Venice Jetty until the wee hours to see them come beating back up the coast into the 35 knot "breeze". Unfortunately Passage over stood the turning bouy in Boca Grande and let American Eagle slip inside her for the 30-odd mile beat north. Once Eagle started up wind there was no keeping up with her and she was first to finish and first overall. After passage finished in the pre-dawn hours it appeared to me that they mulled coming in the Venice Jetty inlet but misjudged the channel and would up stuck on a sandbar southwest of the inlet. It took a tug to get them off and I seem to recall it bent the keel a bit. Still--she has remained iconic in my mind as I formulated my thoughts of what a great ocean racer should be. She was it and while she may be a bit off the pace now I am glad she is still stout and showing so well. Thank you for this article!

Sailed on many races on Windward Passage..... Notable was the Bermuda Race in 1972 when hurricane Agnes swept through followed by the slow Trans Atlantic Race from Bermuda to Vigo, Spain.... 25+days... ran out of everything but Beck's beer and canned food. She always had a great crew in those days with Don Vaughn, Rex Banks, John Rumsey, Peter Bowker, Kirk Elliott, Dick Haskell and of course chef, Reverand Sandy McKenzie and of course Mark and Fritz Johnson. So great to see her in such beautiful condition.

As a young kid sailing Clearwater Prams and then Opti's, I became aware of the powerhouse WP, no match for the Ondines in the day, well raced for sure.....what a beautiful overlook of how she is today...love this boat, the history....would be happy to test her racing speed today with all the mods....truly an amazing machine, and thankfully the owners get that...a legend, and one of a kind....

Thank you! The Windward Passage just cruised by us over and over at the Huntington Beach Airshow 2017. My family was on deck of the Nordic Blue and we were stunned and mesmerized at the beauty of this amazing boat slowly Navigating between all the anchored boats. So mesmerized I shared about her on FB, and my friend who captains boats got me some info online to learn about her. I love the history and the workmanship keeping her so pristine... Thanks for the pictures!

I had the thrill of watching windward passage come across the finish line at Diamondhead when Mark Johnson was the Skipper, I was on board gary mulls design 33 footer and was racing for the Waikiki yacht club at the time, it was a beautiful site, with the white spinnaker Full, she had a bone in her teeth. Nice to hear she's still alive.

I had the privilege of being aboard the Windward Passage in 1973 (?) Sail checks and such before the Transpac. I’m no sailor, but was so impressed. Lived in Newport for many years and was always so impressed with Windward Passage. A timeless beauty.

Sailed from Ardell's to Honolulu in about 1980 to deliver Passage to the Can Am series of races off Oahu. My close pal was Fritz Johnson back then and he surprised me with the trip of a lifetime. 6 adults and a teenager (Robbie Johnson) Mark's son did the delivery. Dave Birchenough was the boat professional and crew member that moved the boat around for each race at that time. Two other guests were from Flyer, that had won the around the world race the previous year. Scant but dedicated boat pro's and myself and another with no experience outside of a bathtub. What happened in the mid-pacific has been etched in my memory for near 40 yrs. We encountered some wind behind us and had blooper up in front of the mainsail. In no time at all the sea grew to epic conditions with 47 knot winds behind and passage screaming down giant troughs and heeling over trying to mount mountainous waves. The life jackets and lifelines were somewhere under the tomatos in storage. Watched the knot meter bounce off of 20 knots on an upright sprint down a trough. Had a Barient wench in a headlock to survive the crises. Finally the pressure was so great the blooper sail exploded it's frame and the crises of too much sail in too much wind was eased a bit. We were able to reef the mainsail and survived my first time on a sailboat. More adventures were to confront us before we reached Waikiki Yacht club. Don Vaughn met us the next day and laughed about the novices adventure. He was larger than life to be sure. A novices first adventure

I first saw Windward Passage in the water at San Pedro when racing my P-Cat (#465) out of Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club back in the early 1970's. She and several other big yachts were also setting up to race out of the Los Angeles Yacht Club at the time. I was taken by the beautiful lines of this magnificent yacht as I watched her glide by some 10 yards away from me. When she passed by, she left no track or wake... a testament to her smooth hull design. God, what a yacht! One of the few regrets I have is that I never got the chance to sail on her.

I remember this yacht so fondly. It was laid up on a beach. It was originally a ketch. I remember doing a night race once in the late 80’s off Sydney. WP and Apollo were always doing battle. Someone brought a projector on board either WP or Apollo and in light north easterly winds with a huge white spinnaker XXX porn was projected into the kite. Purely to distract the competition. Made the local newspaper as it raised some eyes going past Bondi. It is so glad to hear it is still around and in such great shape. To all involved thanks! Brings back so many fond memories

thank you for posting those pictures as a young guy growing up in sydney australia ,she was a dream boat ,loved seeing her again

I know the Johnson family well and have heard all the accounts of the races. You should see there trophy room!!

I went on board her in Auckland, 1987, hoping to get a paid job. This was my first attempt at being paid to go sailing. Unfortunately they were crewed up. I was in awe of her back then and remain the same today

I had the good fortune to have raced on Passage during her years competing all over the world. Lots of stories!! We did the Bermuda Race in 1982 sailing through Hurricane Agnes and blew out every sail except the storm jib and reefed main. I remember Dottie Johnson asking me if we were going to sink!! After two weeks in Bermuda refitting everything we raced to Vigo, Spain.... The Atlantic High dominated the weather and it took 26 days!! Our cook, Rev Alexander MacKenzie was prepared for a 22 day crossing so the last few days we ate food that no one could imagine..... Mark and Dottie Johnson were great to sail with!!

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• Digital Edition

World’s coolest yachts: Windward Passage

• Toby Heppell
• May 10, 2023

We ask top sailors and marine industry gurus to choose the coolest and most innovative yachts of our times. Luca Bassani nominates Windward Passage

“A very modern boat for her times: very large stern (almost like today’s naval architecture) and semi-round bilge hull made her very fast in reaching – and with a flush deck!” says Luca Bassani. “For a long time she was the fastest boat in real time in the SORC regattas – ie the world’s fastest boat – and she can be considered the first modern maxi yacht.”

Windward Passage was designed by the late Alan Gurney as an ocean racing record breaker for lumber tycoon Robert Johnson and built in laminated wood in 1968. The semi-planing hull was radical for the time, particularly beamy with a shallow canoe body, a fin keel and an elegant run aft to a broad transom – a shape described on launching as a ‘73ft dinghy’. Windward Passage won and set a record for the Transpac Race in 1971. Originally designed as a ketch she was later refitted to a sloop rig designed by Doug Peterson.

Photo: Windward Passage/D Ramey Logan/Wikimedia Commons

“A true yet forgotten myth,” concludes Bassani.

Make sure you check out our full list of  Coolest Yachts .

Windward Passage stats rating

Top speed: 25 knots LOA: 73ft/22m Launched: 1968 Berths: 12 Price: €500,000 Adrenalin factor: 50%

Luca Bassani

The visionary founder of Wally Yachts, Luca Bassani created an iconic brand and can be credited with shaping the trend for clean Italian aesthetics in yachting. As well as being ahead of the curve with yacht design, he has won world championships in sailing and industrial design awards for his innovative style.

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Windward passage.

The maxi-yacht WINDWARD PASSAGE began her ocean-racing career soon after her launching in 1967. She was immediately successful, taking line honors in some of the world’s major events. “PASSAGE,” as she is affectionately called, is seen here soon after the start of the 1975 Sydney-Hobart Race.

"No maxi ever built can match WINDWARD PASSAGE I for pure glamour,” wrote the author Preben Nyeland is his book Maxi: The Ultimate Racing Experience. “Just the drop of her name at a sailor’s bar can focus attention and start a long conversation.”

There’s nothing ordinary about this 73' cold-molded racing rocket or her 53-year history. She gained nicknames such as the “Wooden Whale,” “Big Dinghy,” and “Passing Wind” from envious competitors such as the hard-charging Jim Kilroy in his maxi KIALOAs and Sumner “Huey” Long in his ONDINEs. But to her loyal crews and admirers, she has always been known simply as “PASSAGE.”

The legend of WINDWARD PASSAGE began in 1963 when Robert F. Johnson, a yachtsman and controlling shareholder of the Georgia Pacific lumber juggernaut, launched his quest to break ocean-racing records. Without regard to racing rules and handicap formulas, he sought line honors and jaw-dropping elapsed-time postings in major Pacific, Atlantic, Caribbean, and Southern Ocean races. “It was all about being the first boat to finish,” says PASSAGE’s professional skipper for the past 30 years, David “Halfdeck” Johnson, who is not related to the yacht’s original owner.

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77 Years Later, Yacht Repeats Win in Trans-Pacific Race

By Chris Museler

• July 25, 2013

It took a thousand or so miles of sailing with the long, powerful waves of the Pacific Ocean for Hannah Jenner, a rising star in ocean racing, to get comfortable in this year’s Transpacific Yacht Race. Jenner, a 31-year-old from Britain, is used to racing ultralight 40-footers across oceans. But in the Transpac this month, Jenner was sailing Dorade, a 52-foot wooden sailboat from 1930 that is trimmed in varnished mahogany and adorned with polished bronze hardware.

“When I first was asked, I said: ‘Really? How old is this boat? Isn’t it going to break?’ ” Jenner said. “I’m used to boats that become more stable the faster they go. This boat rolls like crazy. It’s like learning all over again.”

Dorade , considered the forebear of modern ocean racing yachts, won the 2,225-nautical-mile Transpac race from Los Angeles to Honolulu in 1936. And 77 years later, the slender white hull with tall spruce masts rolled to victory again, beating the most modern carbon-fiber ocean racers to win its division and the overall King Kalakaua Trophy.

Racing classic wooden yachts is not unusual, but the sailing is often restricted to coastal day racing around buoys. Dorade’s owner, Matt Brooks, has a more ambitious goal of racing his yacht in all the great ocean races the boat won in the 1930s and ’40s. He said he was told that the Dorade was a “piece of antique furniture” and that “it couldn’t be done,” but Brooks and his crew received the overall winner’s trophy for the Transpac on Thursday, which should silence skeptics.

“What we found was that the boat loves the ocean,” said Brooks, who bought the boat in 2010 for $880,000. “You can tell she’s doing what she loves to do.”

Dorade was designed in 1929 by Olin Stephens, one of sailing’s most successful designers. The yawl was design No. 7 for the fledgling firm Sparkman and Stephens in Manhattan. Stephens, then 21, and his brother Rod were at the helm when the mahogany-planked, engineless boat made its first mark in the history books, winning the 1931 Transatlantic Race. Small and powerful, Dorade beat the traditional schooners of the time. The designer and his crew received a ticker-tape parade upon their return to New York, and the win set the stage for Stephens’s long career .

Dorade’s finishing time in the Transpac race this year was 12 days 5 hours 23 minutes 18 seconds, knocking more than a day off the boat’s 1936 run. The greatest distance covered in a day, or best 24-hour run, was 224 miles in 1936, but 203 miles this year.

Handicap rules used for offshore racing allow boats of different sizes and types to compete in the same race with time allowances and staggered starts. Figuring in those allowances, Dorade’s adjusted time of 5 days 12 hours 20 minutes 55 seconds beat Roy P. Disney’s modern 70-footer Pyewacket, which had an adjusted time of 5 days 14 hours 51 minutes 21 seconds. Dorade started a week earlier than Pyewacket, which finished the course in 8 days 15 hours 41 minutes 3 seconds.

“The whole idea of a boat like Dorade pulling this off has great benefits,” Disney said, referring to the publicity the win has attracted.

He added that he hoped more classic boats would race in the next Transpac. Disney said he had considered racing the wooden maxi yacht Windward Passage, which broke the course record in 1971, a result often called the Transpac’s greatest performance.

Brooks’s schedule for Dorade is primarily an attempt to recreate history. The list of races includes the Newport Bermuda Race, the Transatlantic Race and the Fastnet Race. Dorade raced in the 2012 Newport Bermuda Race, finishing sixth in its class. Brooks has his sights set on another Newport Bermuda Race in 2014, followed by the 2015 Transatlantic and Fastnet Races.

For this year’s Transpac race, Brooks and his crew spent last winter in San Francisco and Los Angeles testing different sails, navigation equipment and sailing techniques while racking up more than a thousand miles of ocean sailing. Dorade is the oldest boat to race and win the Transpac, but Brooks treated the yacht like any other top racing program in the fleet.

Brooks had new masts designed and built, in spruce, to handle the additional stresses of new laminated, aramid fiber sails. The hull, which was slightly asymmetrical as a result of its age, was faired and re-scanned. Some of the best sailors in the world were brought in to round out the seven-person crew, including an America’s Cup navigator and an around-the-world race skipper.

“The boat was extremely well sailed,” said Robbie Haines, an Olympic gold medalist who was a helmsman aboard Pyewacket. “Though it’s disappointing to us, part of me kind of likes seeing Dorade win.”

What Jenner and the rest of Dorade’s crew learned on their two-week sojourn was that the genius of the boat’s design and how the sailors in the 1930s skillfully sailed her never go out of style.

“It was definitely a new style of steering,” Jenner said. “Everything all of us know we had to forget and go to the old school type of sailing.”

The crew watched old films of Olin Stephens steering a rocking and rolling Dorade in the 1931 Transatlantic and holding the tiller steady in the center of the boat. By the end of this Transpac, Jenner said, they were all steering the same way as Stephens.

Brooks and the navigator Matt Wachowicz added to the historical realism by practicing celestial navigation all the way to Hawaii.

“We wanted to complete the historic circle,” said Brooks, who is a member of the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, the same club that had James Flood, the boat’s 1936 owner, as a member. “We were within a mile or so of the GPS course.”

Despite the unruly motion of the narrow hull, Jenner said Dorade offered benefits over boats like Pyewacket.

“On this boat there are actually bunks with cushions as opposed to sleeping on sails,” she said. “It’s also bizarrely silent down below a wooden boat, but you can hear creaking and cracking noises, which was a little unsettling.”

Few boats have as grand a history as Dorade’s, but Brooks hopes to prove a point with the boat.

“I hope this win will make people sit up and take notice that these boats can still do what they were designed to do,” he said. “They shouldn’t be restricted to dockside museum pieces.”

A picture caption last Friday with an article about Dorade’s victory in the Transpacific Yacht Race 77 years after winning it the first time carried an erroneous credit. The photograph, provided by Ultimate Sailing, was taken by Sharon Green, not by Betsy Crowfoot.

How we handle corrections

The Boat Notes

Sailing to the rio dulce on the windward passage: why we chose the long way..

From the moment I heard about this unlikely sailing destination tucked away in steamy jungles of Latin America, I was hooked. Howler monkeys patrol the forest canopy, and culture is spread thick across the land. The descriptions of the jungle, the people, the animals, the community, all of it painted a picture of our future in the Rio Dulce.

We happily stepped into the canvas. For us, sailing is all about the destination. But since we can’t actually step into a painted canvas of our vision of the future, how do we make our dreams come true? For some of us, we get on a plane. Like our friend Captain Stan says, “Nothing goes to windward like a 747.” But for others of us, we’ve chosen the slower, sweatier, saltier method of voyaging by sailboat. Having already chosen the slowest means of transportation possible, why in the world would we then choose to go the long way to Rio Dulce?

The Windward Passage or the Shorter Route from Florida.

From Florida, the route to Guatemala can be done in under 800 nautical miles. From Great Inagua, the southern most tip of the Bahamas, it’s closer to 1400 miles. And that’s not all of it, you also have to get to great Inagua, which involves as least 2 overnighters, one from the southern Exumas (we left from Georgetown) to Long Island. And from the tip of Long Island to Acklins, and from Acklins down to the Crookeds, and from there it is a solid over nighter to Great Inagua. And then you get to go another 1350 nautical miles to the Rio. So, why, why would we choose to go the distance?

If theres anything I’ve learned during my sailing tenure, it’s this: the point of sail is more than just a point. It can be a guiding light that will either take you towards your Carribean dreams, or if it’s a bad point of sail, it can lead you towards the nearest marina in Florida where you will be hauling your boat on blocks for what you tell yourself will only be one season on the hard. (We all know how long that ends up really being.) I have been nose to the wind and waves, bouncing along on that broken carnival ride .. and frankly, I just don’t like it. It puts my nervous system on high alert, and makes my whole body ache with tension. It can also beat up your boat, or break it entirely. My husband doesn’t mind it so much, but I’m not ashamed to admit that uncomfortable sailing can be scary. Sometimes I think there’s an unspoken rule about blue water sailors: that we all have to be fearless seamen that laugh maniacally at lightening squalls and smile in the rain. The truth doesn’t usually play out like that. What I see more often than not are fights breaking out among couples elevating in direct proportion to the sea state.

We chose the long, easy way to Guatemala.

The Gulf Stream: a Rough Map

The sail from Florida to the Rio Dulce can quickly turn into that broken carnival bucket ride that we all love to hate. The Gulf Stream is a fickle beast, but unlike the quick jump to the Bahamas, she must be traversed more than once on the route from Florida to the Rio.

A few years ago we took this route from Florida to Isla Mujeres on a friend’s 40 foot sailing catamaran. The boat didn’t have engines (except for parking the boat). Once we were past the Tortugas, the wind died down and the current picked up. Without sufficient wind to power the sails enough to counter the current, we acquired a healthy respect for the stream real fast. Any cruisers headed to the Bahamas are well aware, cautious and wary of the Gulf Stream crossing. But that is nothing compared to the Gulf Stream encounters you will meet trying to get to Belize or the Rio Dulce from Florida.

Here in this photo of Windy App’s current modules, you can see the serpentine shape of the stream as it traverses along Mexico and zig zags its way up past Florida. If you look closer you will also see counter currents and other forces that need to be understood. Along Mexico the stream is at its most perilous state. You will be going south in direct opposition to a 3-5 knot current. The trade winds will kick up that current doing god knows what to the sea state as you trudge along south towards Belize.

For me personally, it’s a lot to try and understand, and then predict, and then avoid. On the other side of the coin lies the Windward Passage. It is much longer, but allow me to paint a picture here: Sailing the windward passage is like taking a large couch into the sunset, with the wind and the waves gently pushing you along the scenery for a few days of iconic downwind sailing. It’s so picturesque and comfortably cozy, you may even forget that the sea state ever did you wrong. We are a family of 4, with two kids under 6. Of course we chose the long way. Cleaning up two kids worth of puke is enough to make that decision for us.

Great Inagua to Jamaica

The passage on the first big leg of our journey was 235 nautical miles from Great Inagua in the Bahamas to Port Antonio, Jamaica. Our forecast predicted some favorable winds, but instead we were met with absolutely no wind. We motored all the way to Errol Flynn Marina.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Olivia de Soria • family travel blogger (@theboatnotes)

We spent two nights on water so calm we could have walked across it. You could see the flying fish skipping across the mirror of water until they disappeared into the blue horizon. The scene felt more like something out of a desert than a watery landscape.

Heavily Trafficked

While we waited in Inagua to begin our journey southwest, we witnessed Caribbean sailing at its finest as a Haitian sailing sloop took up anchorage next to our boat. On one hand it was a beautiful and timeless thing to witness as they sailed without a motor in an antique vessel, on the other it was a stark reminder that these Caribbean waters are frequented by pirates. One thing many sailors do is turn their AIS on ghost mode as they pass through these waters. With this feature you can still see others on your radar, but they can’t see you. We didn’t encounter any questionable vessels on the water, but we did encounter a lot of really big boats. If you’ve sailed over night on a passage to anywhere, you know the feeling of being out in the darkness speckled by stars above you and reflecting on the water below you. It’s infinitely beautiful. It also plucks you out from under that security bubble you didn’t even know existed. It’s the most vulnerable feeling. But it’s epic, vivid and worth a thousand other more comfortable memories. When you see that cruise ship sail by, lit up with a thousand electrical impulses and twice as many cozy, comfortable, safe, and tipsy passengers on board, it comes on a platter of mixed emotions.

On one hand, my tired, cold and dizzy self would do just about anything for a crystal glass full of bubbly served under a glimmering chandelier in the warm yellow light of safety, security, and comfort. On the other hand, I’m wondering why this monstrosity of steel just turned right for us, decreasing our closest point of acquisition to 50 feet. I could write my name on the side of their boat at that distance. Hailing them on the radio does no good, “Celebrity of the Sea” or whatever their name was, doesn’t answer. So we do an annoying awkward dance with Goliath as we turn this way and then turn that way until we finally align on a course that doesn’t collide. This happened a few times our trip. It doesn’t matter how big the ocean is, it gets really small when you have to share it with a 900 foot building.

Port Antonio

Another reason to go the long way: Port Antonio. Still my favorite destination, on the boat, off the boat, it’s my favorite place anywhere. I don’t understand why Jamaica isn’t on more cruisers’ radar. It’s a bold and beautiful raw gem of the Caribbean.

After 3 days of open ocean sailing, Jamaica began to creep over the horizon. Port Antonio’s green and blue mountains rose up into the clouds with rugged lines and earthy smells.

It was a picturesque landing. Great Frigates, Egrets, and Terns soar along the harbor where Eroll Flynn Marina sits nestled and protected on Port Antonio’s waterfront. A week wasn’t long enough to spend in this magical place full of culture, color and incredible food.

Clearing into Jamaica

The process of clearing into Jamaica was a bit complex. 3 different sets of people boarded our boat. The country is very protective of their harbors, and they won’t let any boats dump their holding tanks into their clear blue waters. Honestly, I’m surprised more popular sailing destinations don’t do the same. I remember sitting in the harbor at Georgetown, in the Exumas with about 350 other boats. We were listening to the morning cruisers net on 68 when someone asked when the pump put boats come round to clean out the holding tanks in the harbor. His question was met with a hilarious long and awkward silence. About 349 other boats were all laughing on the other end of their radios. In Jamaica, officials came on board to search the vessel and inspect our toilet situation. They wanted to see the toilet, the tank, holding tanks, all to ensure that the harbor stays clean. For us it was no big deal. But I’m sure for many sailors it could really cramp their style. If you have any questions about sailing into Jamaica, the Jamaica One Love Cruisers Group Facebook Page will answer them all.

Two officers came aboard as a part of the long clearing in process.

They were so kind and accommodating that we exchanged information. Officer George showed us Jamaica the next day, and took us to the blue mountains where we toured a coffee plantation and tasted the best coffee in the world.

George runs a side company as a tour guide, and I can’t say enough about him! He was kind, accommodating, and full of interesting facts and cultural insight into Jamaica.

George’s Tour Company on Facebook and his Whats App: +1 (876) 204-7022

Officer Conrad invited us to his farm a few days after meeting him. We spent the morning around a fire while he prepared and cooked the best meal of my life: Jamaican curry chicken. The farm was equipped with edible plants, fruits, vegetables, spices, and a fire pit to cook on. We sat on the ground and ate pineapple and coconuts while the corn, yams and chicken cooked. Hashtag best day ever.

Conrad’s cooking opened a little window into a world where food is so much more than the simple act of eating. We spent almost an entire day around the food while it cooked, exploring the land around the farm, listening to the sounds of the birds, and watching Conrad’s family casually care for the land with tender care.

Jamaica to Honduras

For the second to last leg of the journey, I’ll keep it brief. Adam, my husband, actually did the trip without the kids and I. Someone needed to fly home to find a new dog sitter, and Adam wanted some time to sail the boat without worrying about the kids (or cleaning up their puke). Adam sailed with crew from Port Antonio, non stop along the northern coast and all the way down to the Bay Islands of Honduras. They were directly downwind the entire way, and chose to fly the jib alone. One night the winds picked up to 35 for a brief interlude, and after that it was smooth and boring all the way to Guanaja. With just the jib, it was 7 days of open ocean sailing.

The Bay Islands of Honduras

The Bay Islands are an incredible sailing destination for cruisers. I flew with the kids to meet Adam in Roatán. I missed Guanaja unfortunately, and heard nothing but lovely things about the town. Roatan, the middle of the Bay Islands, is a little more frequented, and a little less safe. There are certain places you do not want to leave your boat. We had a friend who was robbed at gunpoint on his sailboat in Roatan. He anchored in a place where there were no other boats (not ideal in these parts of the world) and found out afterwards that it’s specifically marked as an anchorage to avoid in the guide books .

After a night in Roatan we sailed 30+ miles to Utila, the western island, in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the whale sharks. We went to the Whale Shark and Oceanic Research Center and learned to our dismay that this was the first year they hadn’t seen the whale sharks in 6 months. Utila is known for being the only place where whale sharks can be found year round. Until now. Things are changing in our oceans, and every animal is feeling the affects. I did however, swim amoungst the healthiest coral I’ve seen in all our travels in the Caribbean

Sailing to Rio Dulce from Utila

The last leg of our journey was a mere 120 miles give or take, from Utila. Like the rest of the trip, it was easy peasy with gently following seas and light wind. I did however get quite a bit more sea sick on this leg than the others. I’ve noticed that when the wind is on our quarter, it just rocks my equilibrium and makes me want to puke almost constantly. We all felt it, making this last leg the longest of them all. We were all smelling the barn at this point. And as the Rio came into view, we were filled with a sense of accomplishment and finality.

Clearing into Guatemala is also a lengthy process, possibly even more complex than Jamaica. We used a travel agent named Raul. He’s highly recommended among all the cruisers, and makes it SO easy.

Livingston is the town where cruisers arrive to clear in. It’s okay to anchor there to clear in, but it’s not okay to anchor there overnight. If you arrive too early or too late you will want to anchor farther out, away from the town. The locals will swim out to your boat at night if you’re anchored outside Livingston.

If you draw more than 5 feet, you need to wait for a high tide, or be “tilted” by Horacio. It’s a common undertaking and many boats go through the ordeal to get over the bars at the entrance of the Rio. If you use Raul to clear in, simply text him (or call him on 16 on the radio) that you need Horacio to get over the bars.

We texted Raul on What’s app +502 5510 9104 the day before so he was ready for us. After we arrived, he came to our boat with all the necessary agents on board, and we handed him the documents he needed. Then we dinghied to shore where Raul pre-appointed a local to watch our dinghy for us while we ran errands and walked around a bit waiting to retrieve our documents from Raul’s office. If you need to change money at the bank, get there early and expect to stay late. The lines are long and they move slowly. The exchange rate is 7.5 Quetzales to one dollar. The locals only get 7, so you won’t get the same price if you pay the locals in dollars.

The clearing in took a few hours, but we had just enough time to make the long awaited sail into the canyons of the Rio Dulce before dark.

This picturesque scenery of the entrance into the Rio is enough to give me goose bumps just thinking about it. The cliffs rise up hundreds of feet on either side of the muddy waters of the river. Local fisherman cast nets from their canoes and water birds of various species speckle the horizon in flocks of white.

The Jungle lines the riverbanks with greenery and the unmistakable sound of cicadas and parakeets.

After 3 hours of sailing up the river, we arrived in the town of Fronterras, although few call it by that name, being known mainly as Rio Dulce.

There are literally dozens of Marinas that line the river for miles. We narrowed it down to 3:

Tijax : for the community vibe, jungle scenery, and most of all for the trails accessible from the marina.

Nanajuana : known as the “kid marina,” and has the most beautiful grounds I’ve seen here. Gorgeous, but in order to attain that they cut down most of the trees, and there’s a lot of open ground for the sun to beat down and literally melt you into a puddle.

Mar : most people recommended this place, lovely owner, great community and easy access to town.

Resources for Cruisers Preparing to Sail to Rio Dulce:

Guidebook: This is the book you want!

Facebook Page: The Rio Dulce Cruisers Facebook Page

Charts: Navionics + has the most up to date charts of the Caribbean areas outside the Bahamas.

Weather: We use Chris Parker for detailed weather forecasts, Predict Wind for daily models, and Windy for currents.

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6 responses to “sailing to the rio dulce on the windward passage: why we chose the long way.”.

The most complete and informative source of info on the Windward passage and Rio Dulce I have found!! And what an incredible journey!

Thank you Sarah! I appreciate your feedback!

What a journey from start to finish! I am so glad y’all saw it all the way through and made it to the Rio. I am rooting for your family all the way!

Thank you!! We moved having you aboard for part of the trip! I hope we can do it again one day!

You are such a fantastic writer

You’re too sweet! Stop it! 💜🥹

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Published on May 10th, 2023 | by Editor

Windward Passage: World’s coolest yachts

Published on May 10th, 2023 by Editor -->

Yachting World has been asking top sailors and marine industry gurus to choose the coolest and most innovative yachts of our times, and Wally Yachts founder Luca Bassani nominated the 73-foot Windward Passage. Here’s the report :

“A very modern boat for her times: very large stern (almost like today’s naval architecture) and semi-round bilge hull made her very fast in reaching – and with a flush deck!” says Luca Bassani. “For a long time she was the fastest boat in real time in the SORC regattas – ie the world’s fastest boat – and she can be considered the first modern maxi yacht.”

Windward Passage was designed by the late Alan Gurney as an ocean racing record breaker for lumber tycoon Robert Johnson and built in laminated wood in 1968. The semi-planing hull was radical for the time, particularly beamy with a shallow canoe body, a fin keel and an elegant run aft to a broad transom – a shape described on launching as a ‘73ft dinghy’.

Windward Passage won and set a record for the Transpac Race in 1971. Originally designed as a ketch she was later refitted to a sloop rig designed by Doug Peterson.

“A true yet forgotten myth,” concludes Bassani.

Windward Passage stats rating Top speed: 25 knots LOA: 73ft/22m Launched: 1968 Berths: 12 Price: €500,000 Adrenalin factor: 50%

For Yachting World’s list of cool boats, click here .

Tags: coolest yachts , Luca Bassani , Windward Passage , Yachting World

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22 December 2022

Windward passage (gurney maxi).

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> > > Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. 02-12-2007, 18:15   . I'm planning on going from the to but any information about actual experience there would be greatly appreciated. 02-12-2007, 18:38   Boat: Was - Passport 45 Ketch . I'm planning on going from the to but any information about actual experience there would be greatly appreciated. 02-12-2007, 20:13   traffic like? When I went from to Isla Mujeres it was like trying to cross the Interstate. At one time I had SEVEN ships in sight! Closest trouble I ever had was being overtaken by a small freighter in between Chinchoro Banks and the Mexican mainland at nighttime. In spite of having my running lights on and bridge to bridge communication via he came within 150 of my starboard quarter. 04-12-2007, 13:51   Boat: Was - Passport 45 Ketch traffic like? When I went from to Isla Mujeres it was like trying to cross the Interstate. At one time I had SEVEN ships in sight! Closest trouble I ever had was being overtaken by a small freighter in between Chinchoro Banks and the Mexican mainland at nighttime. In spite of having my running lights on and bridge to bridge communication via he came within 150 of my starboard quarter. 15-11-2014, 13:35   Boat: Sabre 28-2 en to (either Port Antonio or Kingston)? 15-11-2014, 14:55   Boat: Hunter 36 for imagine2frolic (an old here-now deceased). Once through the Windward Passage, John dubbed it the "windless passage". Maybe just lucky that time? A few pics from that trip - We left , sailed to the Jumentos, and through the Windward Passage, heading for Panama. The trades weren't playing nice, and we ended up in , . No lack of squalls on the south of the Windward Passage in the springtime, apparently. Some of them quite fierce. 15-11-2014, 14:58   Boat: Sabre 28-2 for imagine2frolic (an old here-now deceased). Once through the Windward Passage, John dubbed it the "windless passage". Maybe just lucky that time? A few pics from that trip - We left , sailed to the Jumentos, and through the Windward Passage, heading for Panama. The trades weren't playing nice, and we ended up in , . No lack of squalls on the south of the Windward Passage in the springtime, apparently. Ralph 15-11-2014, 16:44   Boat: Skookum 53' for on the 27th of Oct. had strong tradewinds 25 to 35 kts on the nose, @ about 80 true. Don't know how they are now. 16-11-2014, 16:59   Boat: Wildcat 35, Hobie 33 Thread Tools Rate This Thread : Posting Rules post new threads post replies post attachments edit your posts is are code is are are are Similar Threads Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post Colorado Dreamer Polar Regions 675 28-07-2019 13:32 flicka20 Atlantic & the Caribbean 8 29-03-2007 11:56 lcdittmar Meets & Greets 14 07-11-2006 19:20 Joseph978 Other 2 17-01-2006 19:40 Harriet Other 5 19-06-2004 20:11 - - - - - - - Privacy Guaranteed - your email is never shared with anyone, opt out any time. Windward Passage Originally designed as a bermudan ketch she was later converted to a bermudan sloop. In 1971 she won the Transpac and the record for fastest time. The Chicago Tribune reported: July 15th 1971. SHARE THIS: Yachts for Sale Recently updated... Write an Article Covering news on classic yachting worldwide is a tall ask and with your input Classic Yacht Info can expose stories from your own back yard. We are keen to hear about everything from local regattas and classic events to a local restoration or yachting adventure. Pictures are welcome and ideal for making the article more engaging. With a site that has been created with the assistance of an international group of classic yacht enthusiasts we value your input and with your help we strive to make CYI more up-to-date and more informative than ever. Please register and get in touch if you would like to contribute. choose your language: We’re passionate about Classic Yachts here at CYI, and we welcome submissions from all over the globe! Captain, rigger, sail-maker or chef – if you’d like to write for CYI just let us know! Email [email protected] to be set up as a Contributor, and share your Classic thoughts with the world. ClassicYachtInfo.com has the largest database of classic yachts on the internet. We’re continually working to keep it accurate and up-to-date, and we greatly appreciate contributions of any type. If you spot an error, or you have some information on a yacht and would like to contribute, please jump on in! Don’t be shy…. Breeze on! Sell Your Yacht You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser . Decades of Sailing - The 1940’s The Story of the 1965 Transpacific Yacht Race The Story of the 1967 Transpacific Yacht Race The Story of the 1969 Transpacific Yacht Race The Story of the 1971 Transpacific Yacht Race The Story of the 1973 Transpacific Yacht Race The Story of the 1975 Transpacific Yacht Race The Story of the 1976 Tahiti Race The Story of the 1977 Transpacific Yacht Race The Story of the 1978 Tahiti Race The Story of the 1979 Transpacific Yacht Race The Story of the 1981 Transpacific Yacht Race The Story of the 1983 Transpacific Yacht Race The Story of the 1985 Transpacific Yacht Race The Story of the 1987 Transpacific Yacht Race The Story of the 1989 Transpacific Yacht Race The Story of the 1991 Transpacific Yacht Race The Story of the 1993 Transpacific Yacht Race The Story of the 1994 Tahiti Yacht Race The Story of the 1995 Transpacific Yacht Race The Story of the 1997 Transpacific Yacht Race The Story of the 1999 Transpacific Yacht Race The Story of the 2001 Transpacific Yacht Race The Story of the 2003 Transpacific Yacht Race The Story of the 2005 Centennial Transpacific Yacht Race The Story of the 2007 Transpacific Yacht Race The Story of the 2008 Tahiti Yacht Race The Story of the 2009 Transpacific Yacht Race The Story of the 2011 Transpacific Yacht Race 2011 Bill Lee Interview The Story of the 2012 Tahiti Race The Story of the 2013 Transpacific Yacht Race: A Race for Both the Old and the New The Story of the 2015 Transpacific Yacht Race: An Unusual Race in an El Nino Year The 2017 Transpac: “Normal” weather returns and with this records fall Race Records Transpac’s Historic Highlights The Essence of the Transpac Race from Those Who Have Conquered It The Origins of the Transpac Race The Story of the 2019 Transpacific Yacht Race: Huge Turnout for Anniversary Race Transpac 51 – An interesting but successful and fast year The 1973 running of the great Transpacific Yacht Club Race from Los Angeles to Honolulu will be remembered for what old salts agree was the most exciting elapsed time finish since the races started in 1906. RAGTIME, a 62-foot sloop with six co-skippers aboard, nosed out record-holder WINDWARD PASSAGE by a mere 4 minutes and 31 seconds at the Diamond Head finish line. The “nosed out” phrase applies because Mark Johnson’s 73-foot ketch WINDWARD PASSAGE had been the front-runner in daily reports virtually from the excellent start by 60 yachts at Point Fermin, mid-day on July 4. her position in relation to Class A challenger BlACKFIN made news until RAGTIME took over the lead on July 13. RAGTIME lengthened the lead, then barely hung onto it dramatically for first-to-finish honors. Meanwhile, the overall first place competition, to be decided on corrected time, mostly narrowed down to Class D boats. First place had changed hands many times in the race, but it was the boldly named ChUTZPAH, which grabbed the lead and held on in the final days, which counted. She crossed the line early on July 17, just behind ARIANA, but with a corrected time of 8 days, 21 hours, 21 minutes and 50 seconds — good enough to push ARIANA into second overall. Although no records were broken, the 27th running of the 2,225 mile grandaddy of all blue water races had excitement and colorful angles galore. It even had a boat sink, but it happened after EAGLE had crossed the finish line. The 33-foot sloop, skippered by Larry K. Shorett of Seattle, made a midnight finish, but struck a reef and sank off Waikiki Beach. All hands were safe. The only other major mishaps were reported by DEFIANT, a 36-foot sloop who lost a rudder and had to withdraw, but nevertheless continued on toward Honolulu, and VICARIOUS, a Cal 33, who stayed in the race despite a broken mast. No injuries were reported, but one boat did lose its hi-fi set to flames. There were bad jokes about hot music. Because WINDWARD PASSAGE set a new course record of 9 days, 9 hours, 6 minutes and 48 seconds in the 1971 race — and also won overall handicap honors, which is unusual for a big Class A boat — much attention was directed her way. And toward Ken DeMeuse’s former record holder, the 75-foot sloop BlACKFIN, which again trailed WINDWARD PASSAGE across the line. The difference this time was that the first time entry, RAGTIME, flying the burgee of the Long Beach Yacht Club, was ahead of both of them. Of controversial design and bearing handicap ratings to show for it, RAGTIME was an acknowledged first-to-finish threat. But she certainly showed a dramatic flair in arriving first! The owner-skipper syndicate which entered her includes Bill Dalessi, Barney Flam, Dr. Mort Haskell, Stan Miller, Chuck Kober and Jack Queen. Her elapsed time was 10 days, 14 hours and 40 seconds. ChUTZPAH is a local yacht which made good. Owner-skipper was Stuart M. Cowan, who flew the colors of the Waikiki Yacht Club. Pre-race critiques noted that ChUTZPAH’s design made her a threat for corrected time honors, but in a field of 60 boats, including so many proven championship contenders, her name was not stressed as a favorite. ChUTZPAH also was first in Class D. Charles B. Boothe, Commodore of the sponsoring Transpacific Yacht Club, expressed his thanks to the scores of committee chairmen and members and participants who made the 1973 “Aloha” race to Honolulu a success. Race Chairman for the biennial event was Charles W. Smith. “It was a fine race with a large and representative fleet of topnotch contenders,” said Commodore Boothe. Although analysis of sailing strategy and wind conditions will go on for months, the race apparently was run without any major periods of doldrums — and without bad storms or hurricane threats, as in the 1971 race when hurricane Denise hovered near the course for a period. Virtually all Class A entries crossed the finish line (elapsed time) ahead of the smaller boats, which was not unexpected. WARRIOR, Al Cassel’s 50-foot cutter from the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, Newport Beach, was first in Class A by corrected time. However, most of the big boats placed well down in the overall (corrected time) list. Class B winner was IMPROBABLE, which also placed third in fleet. Class C winner was BlUE STREAK. Smooth Sailing in the Windward Passage by Monica Pisani Journey, our 42-foot sloop, Captain Jonathan and myself, his loyal first mate, started our sailing adventure on December 2013 leaving from Florida, although our home was New York City. We sailed the Bahamas, Haiti, the Dominica n Republic and Puerto Rico, and we made our way as far south as Grenada. Since December 2014, we have been sailing north towards the Virgin Islands. When we began to plan our route from Florida through the Bahamas and into the Caribbean, we realized there were two possible choices. The most popular was the Mona Passage, and the more unusual choice was the Windward Passage. With the first choice, you leave the Bahamas via Turks & Caicos, to the northern coast of the Dominica n Republic, and then down through and across the Mona Passage. The second choice was through the Windward Passage, leaving the Bahamas from Great Inagua, passing between Cuba and Haiti, then heading east towards the Eastern Caribbean. Our research included reading forums and magazine articles, and talking to anyone who had done either passage. One day, we found "A Cruising Guide to Haiti" by Frank Virgintino (www.freecruisingguides.com). It was all we needed to solidify our route choice. We opted for the less traveled road, the Windward Passage. We chose Clarence Town as our staging point. We needed a five-day weather window to make it to Great Inagua, the southernmost island of the Bahamian chain, then down through the Windward Passage, an almost 400-nautical-mile trip. The stop at Great Inagua had to be a quick one. The anchorage at Mathew Town is exposed to all but east winds, and the roll is tolerable only under light conditions. The weather window opened up. Journey and another yacht, Fidelis, left Clarence Town bound for Great Inagua on an overnight sail. The wind was manageable but the seas were quite rough, with waves from every direction. Towards the end of the afternoon, the constant banging on the waves caused Journey's boom vang to snap off the boom, crashing onto the deck and cracking the salon hatch. As if that wasn't enough, our jib furler jammed, and would not unfurl. Great start! Luckily, we were close enough to an anchorage called Windsor Point, where we dropped our anchors in the dark, to deal with the problems the following morning. Well, we woke up to a beautiful clear-water anchorage, and two fishermen trying to sell us the freshest lobsters. Our captains worked all day taking care of the boom vang and the jib furler, and as a reward, we all had the best lobster dinner ever! We were underway early the next morning heading to Great Inagua. It was an uneventful overnight sail. We arrived early morning, we topped off fuel, water, provisioned, and checked out of the Bahamas, all in one long hot day. Then we spent a night in the rolliest anchorage ever. No surprise there! We were up with the sun, and on our way south through the Windward Passage to Haiti. We raised our sails minutes after leaving the anchorage. We had light steady wind on our port bow, the sea was calm, and we were filled with anticipation. As we got closer to the passage, Haiti and Cuba grew tall from the ocean floor. It was a welcome sight, after three months of beautiful but flat Bahamas. At dusk, we had Haiti on our port side and the sun setting behind Cuba on our starboard side. The ocean and the sky were painted with every shade of orange - unreal! I could almost hear Celia Cruz singing with her unequivocal raspy voice, and saying, "Azucar"! As the night fell upon us, so did the moon lighting up our path. Bright night with calm seas, almost eerie, with hardly any waves or even ripples. The haze over the mountains and the smell of fires burning filled the air. That smell followed us throughout our time in Haiti. There is a very busy commercial shipping channel in the Windward Passage. Be aware. We motored a bit, but sailed most of the way to the end of the passage, although we were expecting to lose some wind halfway south in the lee of Haiti. Our plan was to reach the southern tip of Haiti, and turn east at night, and take advantage of the lighter easterly winds, thanks to the katabatic effect. As we turned east, we had our last 50-plus nautical miles to go. We stayed only one mile offshore, to get as much protection from the trades as possible. We arrived at Ile-à-Vache, Haiti, by mid-morning. Our nine-day stay in Haiti was one of the most incredible experiences we have ever had. It gave us an insight into human perseverance and resilience, and we learned that no matter what one can always find joy and hope. Beautiful people, beautiful spot! We'll tell you more about that in next month's Compass. Forum Listing Marketplace Advanced Search Sailing Resources Vessels Lost, Missing, or in Danger SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more! "Windward Passage" found adrift after 9 days lost. Captain rescued. Add to quote A boater not heard from for nine days was rescued when a good Samaritan discovered his disabled sailboat 270 miles off Hatteras, North Carolina , according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The identity of the boater and details of any injuries were not released. A search for the Wayward Passage was launched Tuesday, Nov. 14, after the boater’s family reported it had not been heard from since Nov. 6, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a Nov. 16 news release. The boat set sail from Jersey City, New Jersey, and was overdue for arrival in Bermuda, officials said. “The sailing vessel Time Bandit ... happened upon an adrift sailing vessel with tattered sails and a missing boom, matching the description of the overdue mariner’s boat,” the Coast Guard said. “The good Samaritan made contact with the overdue mariner. Due to on scene conditions, the Coast Guard advised against an at-sea transfer. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Lawrence Lawson (WPC 1120), based in Cape May, New Jersey, arrived on scene Wednesday (Nov. 15) and safely transferred him aboard the cutter.” He was hospitalized in stable condition and later reunited with his family, officials said. Details of how and when the sailboat became disabled were not released. “The search area for this case was nearly twice the size of Texas and the seas are very unforgiving,” U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area Cmdr. Wes Geyer said in the release. “We urge all mariners venturing offshore to carry a properly registered Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB). This device can help pinpoint your exact location should the unthinkable ever happen.” https://amp.newsobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article281980313.html   The unthinkable happens.   More like “when the unthinkable happens”   How do you lose a boom? And it looks calm, could they not tow it in? Maybe 270 miles is a long voyage for a tow?   Crash gybe comes to mind. Is it possible I see the remnants of a spinnaker there in the top picture? That would be consistent with a gybe taking the boom off.   I added a track to the mast to rig a storm sail. I also have a removable inner stay to hang on a storm jib as well... so presumably I could sail. As my main is attached to the boom it would taken something to render that useless. If you (I) lose the mast... there's not much you can do but motor or drift. I have no plans for jury rigs.   In our refit, someone decided we didn’t need our staysail. I overruled such an idea. When we make long passages we always prep the stay sail. It is small, stiff, and sturdy. If it fails we also have a storm trysail. We carry enough sheets to rig more than one sail even if we lose the sheets and halyards of our normal inventory. I’m not sure what we’d do if we lost our rudder. And we are a whale bottom with centerboard so conceivably losing our centerboard would be catastrophic. That’s why we inspect those both as often as possible and not less than annually.   Most Hunter 41 DS have in-mast furling; don't know about this one. That said, if it did and in high winds they'd not be able to furl and I could see the sail taking the boom away. Note that the bungeed-on solar panels are still there. Salvage: 270 miles round trip is 540 miles. The boat if in good condition is still worth north of $100k. Overall, the boat itself looks pretty good- floating, windows intact, etc. Pretty impressive. That said, I'm going out on a limb that the weather wasn't that bad, otherwise the bimini would be gone along with the raft. A loose headsail can be shredded in not much wind; I can't say for certain what took the boom away (that's impressive) but as noted the main could have been a problem. But I see no other damage, so question whether it was truly horrible weather, or horrible preparation for moderately bad weather.   I've always felt that some extra sail should be on board, but Id like a machine shop on board as well...   One reason to hang onto your old main and jib when getting new ones.. When I got my Bene 331 in the BVI I got new Doyle sails as part of the deal with Moorings but used the old sails for my Transat back to Europe via the Azores.. At least one spare sail is a must for blue water voyaging.   A few thoughts I thought one of the big tow insurance companies ( Boat US?) would tow up to 300nm off shore. Off shore fron Cape Hatteras is the Gulf Stream. Near Hatteras it hits the contential shelf and this creates weird currents and seas under best of times. In even a moderate storm it can get nasty very quickly. Yes we have our old main aboard, as well as a couple of foresails. And a staysail.   Cape Hatteras, the Diamond Shoals, as well as the formation of the Outer Banks are the product of an obviously unique confluence in geography. Pass with caution only in the best of weather. The shifting shoals and the variations in depth produce equally erratic wave formations in what would normally benign conditions. Add to this it's proximity to the continental shelf and the passing Gulf Stream also powers interesting wave action. Being perpendicular to the Jet Stream and Westerlies I'm sure doesn't help, and well, history has spoken.   From the attending skipper who found the boat. https://www.sailblogs.com/member/timebandit/ Sounds like the skipper was past exhaustion. When you read it, think that the anonymous God account here told me “we don’t criticize USCG. Ever”. So be careful what you reflect on   OntarioTheLake said: From the attending skipper who found the boat. https://www.sailblogs.com/member/timebandit/ Sounds like the skipper was past exhaustion. When you read it, think that the anonymous God account here told me “we don’t criticize USCG. Ever”. So be careful what you reflect on Click to expand... So the actual condition of the boat - and skipper - as reported by Time Bandit certainly should shut up some of the critics.   while the boat was beat up, sounds like it was mostly the solo skipper. A crew in sound mind would have brought the main, boom, and anchor aboard. what impresses me is that the boat was still sound, so many bash on Hunter and production boats. As in our recent experience when we took a thrashing, it’s amazing what stayed on (solar panels, etc.) when other components parted company.   Sure, Let's blame the coast guard! ;-) A guy sets off solo on Nov 6, no EPIRB, no Sat Phone, no handheld radio, has solar panels but apparently no VHF. ? No AIS? is not reported missing for a week. But no one knows where. Coast Guard launches a search on the 14th, with a " Somewhere between Jersey City and Bermuda" search radius. Yes, their transmissions can be challenging sometimes, but I'm in the NYC area too, and I can tell you that they repeat those pan-pans ad nauseum, it's not a one and done. If you think you are in the vicinity of the trouble, you can call them and ask. " We did catch the essence of the message , that there was a boat overdue en route Bermuda and it was white with a blue stripe. Other than that, nothing else understood. We should have paid more attention, indeed, as I’ve been threatening to do all summer, I should have called up and asked for a repeat of the message - but we didn’t. " It's repeated often! Bottom line, CG launched the Search on Tuesday and he was rescued by ship on Wed.   tempest said: Sure, Let's blame the coast guard! ;-) A guy sets off solo on Nov 6, no EPIRB, no Sat Phone, no handheld radio, has solar panels but apparently no VHF. ? No AIS? is not reported missing for a week. But no one knows where. Coast Guard launches a search on the 14th, with a " Somewhere between Jersey City and Bermuda" search radius. Yes, their transmissions can be challenging sometimes, but I'm in the NYC area too, and I can tell you that they repeat those pan-pans ad nauseum, it's not a one and done. If you think you are in the vicinity of the trouble, you can call them and ask. " We did catch the essence of the message , that there was a boat overdue en route Bermuda and it was white with a blue stripe. Other than that, nothing else understood. We should have paid more attention, indeed, as I’ve been threatening to do all summer, I should have called up and asked for a repeat of the message - but we didn’t. " It's repeated often! Bottom line, CG launched the Search on Tuesday and he was rescued by ship on Wed. Click to expand... The name of the boat is, "Windward Passage", no?   You are right. Have corrected the thread title.   Thing that I noticed was that the solo sailor was in the cockpit but exhausted...? Theres a time when you cant do anything and you need to go below and get a good sleep. This was one. Sleep. Very importnat.   It would probably be safe to say that he'd been awake for a long time. I did 72 hours once, and while not incoherent I was definitely slow. Plus he was probably in a state of shock and fear; he certainly sounds to be incapacitated. Tempest asked "Why no Epirb, no Sat Phone, no Handheld" and indeed if that were the case, that he didn't know better, then the "ride" was probably a lot worse for him than it might be for others. If this is the Wayward Passage sailor, he looks physically OK. Coast Guard rescues overdue mariner 270 miles off NC   He's walking that's a good sign. Interesting choice of PFD for offshore sailing. I understand wanting to wait to go offshore to Bermuda until Hurricane season ends, and in the right conditions it's a 5 or 6 day passage. But going solo around Hatteras in November, without the ability to communicate baffles me. It just seems arrogant and selfish ( worried family ashore) Spot tracker?   tempest said: He's walking that's a good sign. Interesting choice of PFD for offshore sailing. I understand wanting to wait to go offshore to Bermuda until Hurricane season ends, and in the right conditions it's a 5 or 6 day passage. But going solo around Hatteras in November, without the ability to communicate baffles me. It just seems arrogant and selfish ( worried family ashore) Spot tracker? Click to expand... I'd still love to know HOW the damage happened, if the motor worked etc. Was it truly weather or lack of experience? If anyone reads anything I'd really appreciate seeing it. Why? Our Hunter 37.5 I would NOT consider that passage, I don't care if it's like glass. The model- and decade-newer Hunter 41 is a more solid boat...but if it took a hammering from weather alone (and not stupidity like a full main uncontrolled gybe) and it still looks in decent condition, then I'd be duly impressed and inclined to be more comfortable on one of those "newer" Hunters. Besides which, virtually every time there's a catastrophe and the list of human errors come out, I read it and "yup, yup, yup...oh, I don't do that but should..." and I gain one more bit of safety insight. Tkx.   If your talking about the 37.5 Legend why not.??? A friend of mine sailed one from St Martin to the Med, did a bit of mooching around then sailed it to Brazil before returning to the Caribe.. I have solo'd a Hunter 37c from Beaufort to the UK going over the top of Bermuda and via the Azores. I doubt he got rolled as the mast would likely have gone as well not just the boom.. more likely a knock down.   I was on two cutters The Campbell (WHEC 32) and the Duane. On both ships we towed on occasion, but only when the circumstances warranted it. The most dramatic was the rescue off Adak of a Navy sea going tug, that was transporting 27 (including the crew) people to another Island. If we hadn't gotten there in time a lot of people would have been in the water in the middle of an Alaska winter. But for small private craft far at sea with a few people on board, the people get saved, not the boat. As you said, good times.   I am also curious what happened. There's no state registration numbers on the bow. There's a 2007 41 on the CG documentation search by that name, but no number issued yet. Not sure if it's the same boat. An accidental gybe could certainly have occurred. There appears to be some jury rigging in the cockpit area, lines etc. He left from a port local to me, but not sure if it was his homeport. I'll be keeping an eye out for local news   �� WINDWARD PASSAGE 1211617 (Official Number (U.S.)) HUN41391H708 N/A N/A UNITED STATES N/A​ Recreational 38.70 ft 14.00 ft 8.00 ft 2007 N/A​ Active N/A N/A​ N/A ​ Agency Date Issued Expiration Date Status That's the one I found, with Case Pending. Which made me wonder if it was recently purchased.   Usually Case Pending means that they are still processing the application. But it can also mean that there is some problem such as missing documents, it has to be admeasured, or some other glitch. Service status:Last out of service, could mean it's never been documented which most likely means it was state registered. No idea of when it was purchased..   I'd go for accidental gybe too.... We did one in the atlantic when the auto-pilot died. It was blowing 30/35ish and the preventer snapped (it was designed to snap at 400kg load), and the main traveler car exploded into dust. If the wind was stronger or the preventer hadnt taken the initial load, then the gooseneck is the next spot thats going to go. If he was flying a spinnaker as someone pointed out in the photo, with a genoa up and was hit by a squally then he really would have had his arms full. And if he had been thrown around below, or on deck, then he must have been a bruised and sorry fella. Mark   If I have sea room ... I turn down wind (deep broad reach) and take down the main and run with an almost completely rolled in Genny.   Timebandit's description of the conditions they encountered (see link referenced above) were pretty nasty. They waited to avoid the worst of the norther going against the stream and still had 3-4m tightly-spaced waves to deal with. It would be easy to imagine how WP's autopilot got burned out or couldn't handle even bigger waves,since they were out in the worst of it, and that a solo sailor would get burned out and unable to handle it after more than a day or so, too. Even if he hadn't lost his boom & mainsail overboard.   I find it odd that the guy was non responsive but then was ok. You think you're dead and then a boat shows up. You'd yell hey!! And no radio? No spot. No sat phone. Weird.   I think USCG said or inferred no EPIRB. Most every boat has a radio, but many not at the helm. There’s been plenty of times I’ve thought I’d like to go below and get something, but it wasn’t a good idea to leave the helm. Photos too- oh this would make some great photos, but even if the phone is at hand, I don’t have time to release the wheel and take photos.   ?             176.3K members Top Contributors this Month Twice a Winner, Restored Ragtime Races in Transpac : A Legend Is Still Fit Enough to Sail Away Copy Link URL Copied! Pat Farrah recalls his teen-age years, when he would go to the water and stare at his dream and then dream about how to own it. His dream was a boat called Ragtime, a 62-foot legend of a sloop that is now docked in front of Farrah’s home on Alamitos Bay. Thursday, as in any fairy tale, Farrah and Ragtime will sail into the sunset, but they won’t be alone. Fifty-four other sailboats will join them for the 34th biennial 2,225-mile Transpac race to Hawaii. Ragtime has been the first boat to finish the prestigious event twice, for other owners in 1973 and 1975, but she remains an anomaly, not only for her age but her origins. Ragtime is a wooden boat, which sets her apart from her modern-day fiberglass rivals, and she isn’t even a native of the Northern Hemisphere. She is one of a kind, launched from John Spencer’s boatyard in New Zealand in 1966 for her first owner, Tom Clarke, who christened her Infidel and painted her low-profile hull not a traditional white but a defiant, glossy black. Perhaps Clarke sensed she would be something special. However, it would be a while before she proved herself. Clarke just wanted a fast, light boat for sailing the bays around Auckland and didn’t envision her as an ocean racer. But by her strong construction and a happy accident of design, she became the forerunner of the ultralight displacement boats (ULDBs) that would become the rage of downwind racing. In the late ‘60s Clarke built another boat, Buccaneer, and sold Infidel to John Hall of Newport Beach for $25,000. Until Hall bought her, Infidel’s only source of power was the wind. He installed an engine and re-christened her Ragtime--not the most original name for a sailboat--but did little else with her. It remained for a syndicate of Long Beach sailors to recognize her potential and turn her into a serious sailer after they bought her from Hall for $27,000 in ’71. From there, the record of her ownership is like tracing a family tree. The syndicate was organized by boat dealer Stan Miller and included Barney Flam, Bill Dalessi, Chuck Kober, Mort Haskell and Jack Queen--all well-known in Southern California sailing circles. “The plan was we would go through the Transpac (in ‘73) and sell it,” Flam said. “We didn’t do any modifying at all.” All they did was install a new radio, buy a new spinnaker and go racing. They were first to finish in every race they sailed, starting with a series of Mexican races late in ’71. In that whirlwind span, they established records that still stand, and they climaxed it with Ragtime’s successful debut in the Transpac in ’73. In that one, they sailed past Diamond Head 4 minutes 31 seconds ahead of the formidable 73-foot ketch Windward Passage, winner of the previous two Transpacs. It was the closest finish ever and opened the era of ultralights. Until Ragtime, Flam said: “There weren’t any other real light boats that big. We shocked everybody when we beat Windward Passage.” Since then, designer-builder Bill Lee has cranked a series of record-breaking “sleds” out of his Santa Cruz yard. Those include Merlin, which succeeded Ragtime as the Transpac winner in record time in ’77 and will be her strongest rival. “Lee checked out Ragtime before building Merlin . . . measured her inside and out,” says Mike Elias of Long Beach, who as watch captain and crew organizer will be sailing his third Transpac with her. “Lee built Merlin to beat Ragtime.” Although Ragtime is 21 years old, which is getting up there for contemporary ocean racers, she has kept up with technology through frequent modifications. Only two years ago, steered by two-time Congressional Cup winner Dick Deaver, she was first to finish the Newport-to-Ensenada race--by five seconds over Christine, a modern ULDB boat. This year, she won her class. Bud Tretter, who runs the Long Beach Marina Shipyard where most of Ragtime’s maintenance and modifications have been performed, says: “It’s almost like a cult, the Ragtime following.” But the Long Beach syndicate subdued its sentiment and stuck to its plan to sell Ragtime after her ’73 win to Bill Pasquini of Long Beach and Dr. Bill White of Altadena for $50,000. As is usual before a sale can be completed, the boat was hauled out for inspection by a marine surveyor. Flam recalled: “When we hauled the boat for the survey, I was up on deck and the surveyor was way back by the transom inside. I heard him call to his assistant, ‘Hey, come on back here. There’s something I want you to look at.’ I thought, ‘Oh-oh, something’s wrong.’ “But then he told his assistant, ‘This boat’s just been to Honolulu and back and there isn’t a sign of working anywhere. It’s amazing.’ ” Flam said the hull is extremely strong, and credited it to the New Zealand workmanship involved in laying up two layers of plywood around a layer of linen with epoxy, with longitudinal timbers for bracing. The boat also is fast, Flam said, because of its hull design: “Very sharp forward with the beam well aft.” Aft, Ragtime also has hard chines--sharp angles between the sides and bottom--”but lots of dinghies are built that way,” Flam said. “In all the years since she was built, naval architects haven’t found anything any faster.” Dennis Durgan of Irvine was another Ragtime owner. Durgan was Dennis Conner’s tactician for Freedom’s America’s Cup victory in 1980 and, like Deaver, also has won the Congressional Cup twice. Durgan has sailed many big boats but said that sailing Ragtime is a delight. “It’s like driving a Mercedes-Benz, compared to some others,” he said. Part of Ragtime’s speed comes from being real skinny, Durgan said. “She’s only 9 1/2 feet wide at the waterline.” With Pasquini and White, Ragtime won the Transpac by eight hours in ’75. Jim Phelps of Long Beach then took over ownership from Pasquini and White and took in two new partners, Dick Daniels and Eldon Hickman, who later bought him out. They installed a taller rig for more sail area and switched the steering from the original tiller to a wheel to keep her easy to handle. With the true ULDBs coming on strong in ‘77, she placed third behind Merlin and Drifter, which was to win the race in ‘79, with Ragtime second. The owners then donated the boat to UC Irvine, but Tretter, Daniels and Hickman chartered it back for the ’81 Transpac, which was one of the windier races in the series. The rudder broke 150 miles from the finish, so Tretter and Elias dropped the main sail and “steered” to Honolulu by adjusting the trim in a pair of headsails. “As we came in,” Tretter recalled, “the committee boat was yelling, ‘Stay away from Ragtime, she’s out of control!’ Heck, we were in perfect control.” By then, of course, the boat knew its own way to Diamond Head. Durgan chartered Ragtime for the ’83 Transpac, then bought the boat from UCI and finally sold it to Farrah in ’85 for $140,000. The price had gone up considerably, but Farrah didn’t mind. A founder of the Home Depot stores, he recently sold his interest in the business and has started another chain called Sports Club. “I bought the boat cheap and since then I’ve put about $600,000 into it,” he said. Durgan: “When we chartered the boat it was really rundown. We more or less chartered it for a fix-up fee. Pat has done a wonderful job in restoring her. I’d say he’s probably put in closer to a million dollars.” Can Ragtime do it again? She is rated second only to Merlin on the official handicap list, although Farrah is unhappy that because Ragtime’s new rating certificate was approved one day late she won’t be permitted to carry the larger spinnakers on which he spent $30,000. “But they can still do pretty well,” Deaver said. “If the wind blows 17 (knots) and above, they’ll have a fighting chance.” Tretter: “She’s been restored to better than new. New mast, new keel, I’m sure she’s faster than ever, as fast as anybody.” Sign up for The Wild We’ll help you find the best places to hike, bike and run, as well as the perfect silent spots for meditation and yoga. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. More From the Los Angeles Times Travel & Experiences How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Tinx Sept. 13, 2024 Yosemite’s Wawona Hotel, age 168, will close indefinitely for ‘intensive’ checkup Sept. 12, 2024 A thrilling way to see Little Tokyo? Chase down a spy in this interactive mystery game This under-the-radar city is the hiking trails capital of California Sept. 10, 2024 Caribbean Trips Maine Trips Publications Maintenance Windward Passage Sailing to Bequia from St. Vincent Login to my account Enter your e-mail and password: New customer? Create your account Lost password? Recover password Recover password Enter your email: Remembered your password? Back to login Your cart is empty Windward Passage: A Maxi-yacht in Her Sixth Decade Description. by Randall Peffer. Photographs by Steve Jost. Design by Ronald Geisman Conceived by a lumberman-sailor, drawn by a young and then-untested designer, and built of spruce on a Bahamian beach in 1968, the 73’ ocean-racing maxi-yacht WINDWARD PASSAGE had an improbable rise to stardom during her twenty-year racing career. When he first laid eyes on her soon after her completion, the legendary designer Olin Stephens called the yacht “a masterpiece.” In the ensuing years, WINDWARD PASSAGE and her crews roamed the planet, winning the world’s major ocean races and attracting legions of admirers and competitors. She continues today, stronger and swifter than built, as a world-cruiser. "Publisher Rand Randall Peffer, who profiled WINDWARD PASSAGE for WoodenBoat magazine in 2021, now presents a book-length biography of the storied ocean racer. Randall Peffer, who profiled WINDWARD PASSAGE for WoodenBoat magazine in 2021, now presents a book-length biography of the storied ocean racer." Published in association with WoodenBoat and printed in Italy on 100-lb stock, Windward Passage: A Maxi-yacht in Her Sixth Decade, is a lavish hardcover presentation, equal to the quality of the yacht itself. Customer Reviews The book is so very well done. It's obvious so much love and attention to detail went into making this beautiful account of Passage's story. I remember reading of her and her successes as a young man. This book tells so much more! The words and photos truly pay homage to a one of a kind and iconic vessel. Should be in every sailors library. M.S.Allen s/y Sonata Windward passage was one of the last big boat constructive wood. It’s a beautiful boat when I was in college I used to sailed my Star by-when it was in Newport Beach California. The book is full of short stories, beautiful pictures and we brought me back 50 years in the past it’s a heavy book so your coffee table better be substantial I also remember the graciousness of the crew and the owners, allowing other sailors, and people to at least go on her decks and look around, especially during fundraisers for events What an amazing boat, this should be made into a movie. The story about how it was build is fantastic. Killer book about a legendary yacht. A wonderful book with great stories Recently viewed Our Store is in Brooklin, Maine at 84 Great Cove Drive. We're open Mon-Fri 8am to 4:30 pm Call 1.800.273.7447. WE'RE RIGHT HERE . Timely Shipping We are 99-3/4% sure... that we will ship your order within 24 hours Granted, that does not include weekends and holidays. Secure payments Rest assured... not only is our site secure, we do not hold your credit card/payment info. Opens in a new window. 494 IMAGES Windward Passage: World’s coolest yachts >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News Windward Passage: The Making of a Legend >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News Windward Passage, 73' wood sloop by Alan Gurney, 1968 Classic Sailing Windward Passage It took a long time to set all that stuff, and even longer to keep it VIDEO: The Building of Windward Passage >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News VIDEO the Lawrence Arms Windy Downwind Sailboat Docking Boat Tour: A Close Look at a Seawind 1600 Passagemaker SV Womble after 13,000 nm miles Windstar Cruises Day 1: Sailing from The Bahamas to Panama Through the Windward Passage Windward Passage on SpiderGlide COMMENTS Windward Passage: The Making of a Legend It was the legendary Alan Gurney-designed 73-footer Windward Passage, and as a 9 year old boy, Hank remembers it as the coolest thing ever, particularly as a boat of that size in those days was ... Book Review: Windward Passage, A Maxi Yacht in Her Sixth Decade A Maxi Yacht in Her Sixth Decade. By Randall Peffer, Steve Jost, Ronald Geisman. WoodenBoat, $75.00. Few world class racing boats have had such improbable beginnings as Windward Passage —conceived by a somewhat renegade logger-entrepreneur-sailor, drawn by an untested young designer, built by a scrum of footloose "sailorboys" out of cold ... LEN BOSE YACHT SALES: Notes from my tour of Windward Passage: LEN BOSE YACHT SALES: Notes from my tour of Windward Passage: Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker, and harbor columnist for Stu News Newport. Specializing in fitting the proper vessel for your needs. Cruising and Racing Sailboats , Down East Style Power & Pre-owned Duffy Electric Boats. Please contact me at (714) 931-6710 or ... World's coolest yachts: Windward Passage Windward Passage won and set a record for the Transpac Race in 1971. Originally designed as a ketch she was later refitted to a sloop rig designed by Doug Peterson. Photo: Windward Passage/D Ramey ... WINDWARD PASSAGE The legend of WINDWARD PASSAGE began in 1963 when Robert F. Johnson, a yachtsman and controlling shareholder of the Georgia Pacific lumber juggernaut, launched his quest to break ocean-racing records. ... Caribbean, and Southern Ocean races. "It was all about being the first boat to finish," says PASSAGE's professional skipper for the ... 77 Years Later, Yacht Repeats Win in Trans-Pacific Race Dorade, considered the forebear of modern ocean racing yachts, won the 2,225-nautical-mile Transpac race from Los Angeles to Honolulu in 1936. And 77 years later, the slender white hull with tall ... Sailing to the Rio Dulce on the Windward Passage: Why ... The Windward Passage or the Shorter Route from Florida. From Florida, the route to Guatemala can be done in under 800 nautical miles. From Great Inagua, the southern most tip of the Bahamas, it's closer to 1400 miles. And that's not all of it, you also have to get to great Inagua, which involves as least 2 overnighters, one from the ... VIDEO: The Building of Windward Passage An interview with Alister McIntosh about when he helped build the legendary Alan Gurney-designed 73-footer Windward Passage on the beaches of Freeport, Grand Bahamas. Video uploaded Apr 11, 2021 ... Windward Passage: World's coolest yachts >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News Windward Passage won and set a record for the Transpac Race in 1971. Originally designed as a ketch she was later refitted to a sloop rig designed by Doug Peterson. "A true yet forgotten myth ... RB Sailing: Windward Passage (Gurney Maxi) Windward Passage then joined Kialoa III and others in the 1976 Hobart-Auckland race, with Kialoa setting another record time (just over seven days) and beating Passage by nearly three hours. Following her regular beatings by Kialoa, Fritz Johnson added 20ft to both of Passage's masts, and although this boosted her rating to 72.6ft, she re-emerged as a winner in the 1977 Big Boat Series. Info on Sailing the Windward Passage The Windward Passage can be pretty boisterous in strong trades. I would not recommend trying to anchor off of the end of Great Inagua. It's a lousy, exposed, rolly anchorage. It may be best to watch for weather in Long Island. There is a very pleasant anchorage in the middle of the East side of the island. Windward Passage Windward Passage. Originally designed as a bermudan ketch she was later converted to a bermudan sloop. In 1971 she won the Transpac and the record for fastest time. The Chicago Tribune reported: July 15th 1971. Transpacific Yacht Club Because WINDWARD PASSAGE set a new course record of 9 days, 9 hours, 6 minutes and 48 seconds in the 1971 race — and also won overall handicap honors, which is unusual for a big Class A boat — much attention was directed her way. ... Although analysis of sailing strategy and wind conditions will go on for months, the race apparently was run ... Windward Passage Windward Passage (French: Passage au Vent; Spanish: Paso de los Vientos) is a strait in the Caribbean Sea, between the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola.The strait specifically lies between the easternmost region of Cuba and the northwest of Haiti. [1] 80 km (50 mi) wide, the Windward Passage has a threshold depth of 1,700 m (5,600 ft).With Navassa Island on its southern approach, it connects the ... Smooth Sailing in the Windward Passage Smooth Sailing in the Windward Passage. Journey, our 42-foot sloop, Captain Jonathan and myself, his loyal first mate, started our sailing adventure on December 2013 leaving from Florida, although our home was New York City. We sailed the Bahamas, Haiti, the Dominica n Republic and Puerto Rico, and we made our way as far south as Grenada. "Windward Passage" found adrift after 9 days lost. Captain rescued The boats name is Windward Passage. Not Wayward Passage. Zoom in on the second photo. There are two Hunters named Windward Passage in the USCG Database of Documented Vessels, One is a 41 which is probably this boat. The other is a 47. Oddly though the 41 states a length of 38.7 ft and the 47 say 48 ft. Twice a Winner, Restored Ragtime Races in Transpac : A Legend Is Still His dream was a boat called Ragtime, a 62-foot legend of a sloop that is now docked in front of Farrah's home on Alamitos Bay. ... We shocked everybody when we beat Windward Passage." ... Windward Passage Windward Passage Sailing to Bequia from St. Vincent. The wind was blowing 20 knots and Kenmore's Photography met us in an inflatable. He was alone and standing in the inflatable with a harness and tether to the bow and an extension on the engine steering tiller that he was using with one hand. Windward Passage: A Maxi-yacht in Her Sixth Decade Conceived by a lumberman-sailor, drawn by a young and then-untested designer, and built of spruce on a Bahamian beach in 1968, the 73' ocean-racing maxi-yacht WINDWARD PASSAGE had an improbable rise to stardom during her twenty-year racing career. When he first laid eyes on her soon after her completion, the legendary designer Olin Stephens ... Coast Guard rescues 11 Haitian migrants left stranded by smugglers on The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Richard Dixon Over the Horizon boat rescues 11 Haitian migrants Sept. 7, 2024, who were left stranded by smugglers on Monito Island, Puerto Rico in the Mona Passage. ... and sea assets in the Florida Straits, the Windward Passage, the Mona Passage, and the Caribbean Sea in support of Operation Vigilant Sentry ... Ostrogozhsk Map Ostrogozhsk. Ostrogozhsk is a town and the administrative center of Ostrogozhsky District in Voronezh Oblast, Russia, located on the Tikhaya Sosna River, 142 kilometers south of Voronezh, the administrative center of the oblast. Photo: Шалин, CC BY-SA 3.0. Photo: Drejka.an, CC BY-SA 4.0. Ukraine is facing shortages in its brave fight to ... THE 10 BEST Voronezh Family Hotels Petrovsky Passage Hotel. Show prices. Enter dates to see prices. View on map. 92 reviews #10 Best Value of 42 Family Hotels in Voronezh. By Ramil A "Very good breakfast!! Wifi very fast! On... " 11. Hostel Krysha. Show prices. Enter dates to see prices. View on map. Hostel. 91 reviews Voronezh Voronezh (Russian: Воро́неж, IPA: [vɐˈronʲɪʂ] ⓘ) is a city and the administrative centre of Voronezh Oblast in southwestern Russia straddling the Voronezh River, located 12 kilometers (7.5 mi) from where it flows into the Don River.The city sits on the Southeastern Railway, which connects western Russia with the Urals and Siberia, the Caucasus and Ukraine, and the M4 highway ... Voronezh Oblast Voronezh Oblast. /  51.050°N 40.150°E  / 51.050; 40.150. Voronezh Oblast ( Russian: Воронежская область, Voronezhskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast ). Its administrative center is the city of Voronezh. In 2010, 2,335,380 people lived in the oblast. catamaran gulet motorboat powerboat riverboat sailboat trimaran yacht