Breaching whale damages sailboat off Oregon

A sailboat participating in the Oregon International Offshore Race was struck by a breaching whale Thursday off the coast of Oregon. Thankfully, nobody aboard was injured.

The 38-foot vessel, ironically named L'Orca, was about a half-hour into the race from Astoria, Ore., to Victoria, Canada, when the whale breached and crushed the rigging and mast of the boat.

"Our boat was moving at about nine knots over the water, and all of a sudden, about a few inches, maybe a foot off the starboard side, a whale came breaching out of the water," crew member Ryan Barnes of Portland, Ore., told the U.S. Coast Guard in a videotaped interview. "It looked to be a humpback whale, about 30 feet in length roughly; it hit the mast about halfway to three-quarters of the way up, and proceeded to fall forward and on the starboard side of the boat.

"The mast came down as well as the forestay and all the rigging, and our tow rail and all our life lines on the starboard side of the boat were demolished as well."

Barnes said that the vessel did suffer some cosmetic damage in addition to the broken mast and rigging, but the crew, including his father -- boat owner Jerry Barnes -- was in the cockpit at the time and no one was injured. A U.S. Coast Guard rescue vessel responded to the scene and escorted the damaged boat and its occupants back to Astoria.

Unlike a whale vs. sailboat incident off the coast of South Africa last year, no photos have yet surfaced.

And while it's uncertain what injuries the whale sustained, they were likely minor. It did, however, leave behind a small memento of the incident.

"We have some nice pieces of whale blubber as a souvenir and proof of what happened," Barnes said.

-- Kelly Burgess
twitter.com/latimesoutposts

Video: Ryan Barnes describes the whale breaching and striking his father's 38-foot sailboat, the L'Orca, during the Oregon International Offshore Race. Credit: Petty Officer 1st Class Shawn Eggert / U.S. Coast Guard via YouTube

Photo: The sailing vessel L'Orca at Astoria, Ore.'s West Basin pier after having its rigging and mast demolished by a breaching whale. Credit: Petty Officer 1st Class Shawn Eggert / U.S. Coast Guard

BoatU.S. releases annual list of top 10 boat names

What's in a name? A lot, when it comes to naming a boat, according to the Boat Owners Assn. of the United States, which recently released its annual top 10 list of most popular boat names for 2010.

The list is assembled each year by the BoatU.S. Boat Graphics service, which offers a free library of over 8,500 boat names and also allows boaters to select, custom design and preview watercraft names online.

In countdown order, here's the 2010 list:

10. Blue Moon

9. Serenity

8. No Worries

7. Second Wind

6. Island Time

5. Mojo

4. La Belle Vita

3. The Black Pearl

2. Andiamo

1. AquaHolic

A listing of the annual top 10 vessel names beginning with 1991 can also be found on the website.

-- Kelly Burgess
twitter.com/latimesoutposts

Photo: A boat's name can reveal much about the personality of a boat owner. Credit: Boat Owners Assn. of the United States

Sailor, 85, crosses Atlantic Ocean on raft

An 85-year-old sailor whose lifelong dream was to cross the Atlantic Ocean on a raft saw that dream
come true Wednesday, arriving at the Caribbean island of St. Maarten after roughly two months at sea.

"Some people say it was mad," Anthony Smith told the Associated Press after arriving in Philipsburg. "But it wasn't mad. What else do you do when you get on in years?"

Smith, from London, was joined by three friends and did the crossing in part to prove that the elderly are capable of embarking on adventures some may consider too dangerous.

The 40-foot-long raft, named the An-Tiki, was built with water supply pipes and sported a nearly 40-foot-tall mast and a 400-square-foot sail. Twin rudders provided the steering, along with centerboards and two oars.

Smith said that the vessel traveled at an average speed of 4 knots and that the journey was generally smooth.

The crew departed from the Canary Islands and had intended to end their trip in the Bahamas, but strong winds and currents forced them to St. Maarten.

Even with the change in course, Smith was still pleased with the voyage and the outcome.

"Yes, of course it's a success," Smith said. "How many people do you know who have rafted across the Atlantic? ... The word mutiny was only spoken about two or three times a day."

-- Kelly Burgess
twitter.com/latimesoutposts

Photos, from top: 85-year-old sailor Anthony Smith, right, captains the An-Tiki, a 40-foot sail-powered raft as he and his crew complete their roughly two-month transatlantic voyage, arriving at Philipsburg, St. Maarten on Wednesday; Anthony Smith. (Credit: Judy Fitzpatrick / Associated Press)

Life jacket design contest offers chance to win $5,000

Think you can build a better life jacket? If so, break out your inner Sheldon Cooper and get imaginative -- you could be in the running for a $5,000 award being given to the winning designer in the "Innovations in Life Jacket Design" competition.

The BoatUS Foundation, Underwriters Laboratories and the Personal Floatation Device Manufacturers Assn. have teamed up to seek out the newest technologies and design innovations with the goal of rethinking a 100-year-old design and creating a more comfortable life jacket that  boaters and water-sports enthusiasts would be more likely to wear.

"While current models of life jackets save lives every day, many are still bulky and uncomfortable, leaving boaters reluctant to wear them," said Chris Edmonston, BoatUS vice president of boating safety. "This competition hopes to challenge that mindset."

There are no rules regarding types of materials to be used or whether the design meets any current U.S. standards. "This is the time to be unconventional in your thinking about what a life jacket has to look or feel like," Edmonston said.

Entries will be judged based on four criteria: Wearability (the level of comfort); reliability (taking into account the chances for potential failure); cost (the affordability of the design); and innovation (originality or the employment of new technologies).

To enter, video footage of an actual working prototype must be submitted by providing a URL link to the video (no actual prototypes will be accepted). The video must clearly demonstrate how the design floats a person in the water. Better hurry though -- the deadline for entering is Feb. 1.

In early February, all entered videos will be posted online at the BoatUS Foundation's YouTube channel and the public will be asked to vote for a group of finalists. Finalist entries are to be reviewed by a panel of judges convened at the International Boating and Water Safety Summit, March 6-9 in Savannah, Ga., and the winner announced.

For more information on how to enter and for contest rules, go to BoatUS.com/Foundation/lifejacketdesign or call Chris Edmonston at (703) 823-9550, ext. 8356.

-- Kelly Burgess
twitter.com/latimesoutposts

Photo: A girl wearing a life jacket from the BoatUS Foundation. Credit: Eric Amato / BoatU.S.

Outposts looks back at 2010: Unusual news 2

With the year ending, it is worth looking back at memorable posts of 2010. Each day this week through Friday, Outposts will recount some of the records broken, the achievements reached, the notable passings and the downright unusual during 2010 in the outdoors, action and adventure world.

Hunter's ticking timepiece attracts some interesting clock-watchers

Minnesota bow-hunter Doug Strenke received a surprising, and amusing, reaction after hanging up a large, white-faced clock near the infrared trail camera he installed on the property he hunts, wanting to keep track of when deer visit the area, since the cam had no time-stamp function.

The St. Paul Park, Minn., resident was worried that the clock would scare everything away "within miles." Instead, his trailcam began photographing lots of deer and, Strenke said, "A lot of my pictures show the deer looking at the clock."

Photo credit: Doug Strenke

Bigfoot alive and well and living in North Carolina

Bigfoot has apparently gone blond and lives in North Carolina. At least according to Cleveland County resident Tim Peeler, who told local authorities of his encounter with the 10-foot tall creature.

Peeler thought he was calling coyotes, but instead got surprised and frightened by what -- or who -- came a-calling.

"This thing was 10-foot tall. He had beautiful hair," said Peeler.

Screen-grab credit: NBC affiliate WCNC NewsChannel 36, North Carolina

Sailboat struck by breaching whale

A couple sailing off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa, on July 18 got the surprise of their lives but were uninjured when a breaching southern right whale crashed onto their sailboat, damaging the vessel.

"It was quite scary," said Paloma Werner, who had been out sailing with her boyfriend and business partner, Ralph Mothes of the Cape Town Sailing Academy. "We thought the whale was going to go under the boat and come up on the other side. We thought it would see us."

Photo credit: European Pressphoto Agency

Outposts looks back at 2010: Records

With the year ending, it is worth looking back at memorable posts of 2010. Each day this week through Friday, Outposts will recount some of the records broken, the achievements reached, the notable passings and the downright unusual during 2010 in the outdoors, action and adventure world.

Angler lands 405.2-pound yellowfin tuna, likely new world record

Angler Mike Livingston, a retired school administrator from Sunland, boated a yellowfin tuna weighing in at 405.2 pounds, likely a new all-tackle world record.

The fish, which measured 85 3/4 inches from nose to tail and had a girth of 61 1/2 inches, took almost three hours to land. It has been submitted to the International Game Fish Assn. for approval as an all-tackle world record.

Photo credit: Bill Roecker / Fishingvideos.com

 

It's official: Big bass caught in Japan ties world record held for more than 77 years

On Jan. 8, the International Game Fish Assn. verified that a 22-pound, 4-ounce largemouth bass tied the all-tackle world record held for more than 77 years. Although the fish was caught in July 2009, I included this on the list because the record was verified in 2010.

Japan's Manabu Kurita, 32, made his catch at Lake Biwa, an ancient reservoir northeast of Kyoto. The fish measured 27.20 inches in length and 26.77 inches in girth.

Photo credit: Manabu Kurita

 

Big Bear Lake's Jordan Romero, 13, becomes youngest person to scale Mt. Everest

Jordan Romero, a 13-year-old from Big Bear Lake, became the youngest person to scale Mt. Everest, the world's tallest peak. The eighth-grader's contingent confirmed by satellite phone on May 21 (Pacific time) that his climbing group had reached the 29,035-foot summit.

Romero's accomplishment finished his quest to climb seven of the world's tallest mountains, one on each continent.

Photo credit: Prakash Mathema / AFP/Getty Images

Where are the holiday boat parades? Group offers an online finder to point the way

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, one's thoughts may turn to Christmas. Many will have family, friends and loved ones coming to visit and may be trying to come up with things to do in the holiday spirit to entertain guests.

The nation's largest boat owners group wants to assist, and suggests enjoying some festive holiday cheer on the waterfront. To help facilitate this, Boat Owners Assn. of the United States is offering a holiday boat parade finder on its website.

The site allows users to easily seek out local lighted boat parades by state or specific date and includes links and contact information. There's also an easy way to add a listing for a boat parade that's not already included. As of Monday, there were 22 event listings for California.

"Watching a slow parade of boats -- each one decorated and lit up brighter than a Christmas tree -- is spectacular and something the kids won't forget," said Boat U.S. spokesman Scott Croft. "Many holiday boat parades also tie into local festivals, so these events aren't just for the boater in the family."

Croft added that Santa Claus often appears at boat parades because "the North Pole is frozen all year long and these parades are his only chance to get out on the water."

-- Kelly Burgess
twitter.com/latimesoutposts

Photo: A boat festooned with lights and an inflatable Santa Claus at the annual Newport Harbor Boat Parade. Credit: Los Angeles Times

USODA West Coast Championships youth regatta Saturday and Sunday in Marina del Rey

More than 60 junior sailors ages 8 to 15 will be in Marina del Rey this weekend for the United States Optimist Dinghy Assn. West Coast Championships. The event, hosted by and held at the California Yacht Club, takes place Saturday and Sunday beginning at noon and features top youth sailors competing for the title of West Coast Champion -- as well as for the opportunity to qualify for the U.S. National Team Trials in April in San Francisco -- in the under-16 category of the competition.

Open to all Optimist sailors, the event features a multiple-race format in which the young mariners will take part in as many as 12 races over two days (weather permitting), with the low-point total determining the winner.

There will be two separate groups: Green Fleet for the less experienced sailors, with racing inside the protected harbor; and Championship Fleet for the veterans, featuring ocean sailing in Santa Monica Bay about a mile northwest of the Marina del Rey breakwater.

Although most of the sailors hail from California, the field is likely to include competitors from Oregon, Washington and beyond -- the current entry list includes four U.S. National Team members, three International Team members, plus the 2009 West Coast Champion and this year's Pacific Coast Champion, 13-year-old Cooper Weitz of Marina del Rey, returning to defend his title.

The California Yacht Club is located at 4469 Admiralty Way in Marina del Rey.

-- Kelly Burgess
twitter.com/latimesoutposts

Photo: Competitors at the 2009 USODA West Coast Championships. Credit: Peter Abraham

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary offers boating skills and seamanship course

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is offering an eight-week course on boating skills and seamanship beginning Tuesday at the Del Rey Yacht Club in Marina del Rey.

Useful to both novice and experienced power- and sail-boaters, some of the topics that are to be covered include boat trailering, handling and powering, safety equipment, navigation, wind and weather, and federal and state boating requirements.

Classes will be held Tuesdays from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. through Oct. 26. At no additional charge, a lines and knots workshop will be offered at 7 p.m. beginning with the second class.

The course fee is $80 and includes a 400-page, fully illustrated boating skills and seamanship textbook. Registration can be completed online or by calling (818) 239-4770.

On passing an exam at the end of the eight weeks, students will receive a certificate that may qualify them for a discount on their boaters' insurance.

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary assists the U.S. Coast Guard in non-law-enforcement programs such as public education, vessel safety checks, safety patrols, search and rescue, maritime security and environmental protection, as well as Coast Guard Academy introduction programs for youth. Auxiliary members also serve side-by-side with active-duty members of the Coast Guard team at their stations and in times of disaster.

-- Kelly Burgess
twitter.com/latimesoutposts

Photo: U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary member Cheyne Scoby teaches a lesson on knots. Credit: Steve Lee / U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary

Dutch teen Laura Dekker sets sail on solo circumnavigation attempt

Dutch teenager Laura Dekker has reportedly left Portugal on her attempt to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world.

The Associated Press reports that Dekker, 14, departed in secrecy aboard her 38-foot sailboat, Guppy, from an undisclosed Portugal port Saturday, avoiding the media because her manager said she didn't want the attention.

Dekker said goodbye to her father and friends and left en route to either Spain's Canary Islands or Portugal's Madeira Island, depending on the winds, according to manager Peter Klarenbeek.

Adding to the secrecy of the departure is Dekker's website, which features links titled "My Coordinates" and "Where is Laura," but neither was working Saturday, and a porthole-shaped counter of the days of her voyage still stood at zero.

Dekker's trek has been surrounded by controversy even while in the planning stages. The Dutch sailor had hoped to set sail on a voyage around the world last year, but her mother voiced strong objections, while her father supported the trip -- the parents are separated -- and the courts intervened and placed her under the guardianship of a child welfare agency. On July 20, the court released her from state guardianship.

Bomber floating eyewear helps you hold onto your glasses

I've come across some sunglasses which may prevent me from ever losing a pair again.

The Bomber line of sun- and safety-glasses includes models that come with a patented foam lining, which makes the glasses buoyant. The foam also provides a snug fit, helping hold them in place while keeping perspiration (and sunscreen) away from your eyes.

World Champion jet ski racer Tommy "the Bomber" Bonacci designed the floating eyewear when trying to solve the problem of his glasses falling off and sinking. Bonacci discovered the flotation foam also provided that snug fit, which prevents the glasses from blowing off when turning your head on a jet ski, boat, bike or motorcycle. Bonacci soon had people around the world asking him for a pair of these durable and stylish sunglasses.

Lightweight and comfortable, Bomber eyewear is affordable enough to own more than one pair. In fact, I have numerous -- clear safety for the shooting range; floating polarized which I keep in my tacklebox for fishing, and another polarized pair for driving and everyday use.

With prices ranging from $7.95 to $34.95, glasses can be purchased via the Bomber website or at more than 500 dealers nationwide.

-- Kelly Burgess

twitter.com/latimesoutposts

Photo: Bomber "D-Bombs" in matte black. Credit: Bomber eyewear

Video surfaces of sailboat struck by breaching whale

CBS Evening News with Katie Couric shared the above video on Thursday, offering proof that a southern right whale did, indeed, jump out of the water on Sunday and crash onto the sailboat of a couple sailing off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa.

There has been some speculation that perhaps the image posted Wednesday on Outposts as well as on numerous other websites had been Photoshopped.

"It is definitely legitimate," Paloma Werner, who had been out sailing with her boyfriend and business partner, Ralph Mothes of the Cape Town Sailing Academy, told Matt Lauer Thursday on NBC's Today Show. "We were on the boat and we saw the whale coming out, and we saw it. It's legitimate -- it hasn't been Photoshopped."

The couple have been speaking publicly about their ordeal.

"I never for a minute thought this thing would hit the boat," Mothes added when speaking with Lauer. "Blow me down, suddenly I saw this huge monster shape come up out of the water on my port side and yeah, that's it. I mean, it just happened in an instant. It was quite frightening."

Officials from the local Department of Environmental Affairs have launched an investigation into the incident after several people came forward to say the boaters had broken the law by approaching the whale and that the 33-foot, 40-ton mammal was provoked into the attack.

-- Kelly Burgess
twitter.com/latimesoutposts

Video: CBS Evening News, Photo: EPA

Related:

Sailboat struck by breaching whale -- is it real or is it Photoshop?

Sailboat struck by breaching whale