Freelance journalist
Articles by Timothy Henry
On Trim: The Pursuit of Fleeting Perfection
I first understood “trim” as a command, meaning to pull in the sail and synonymous with “sheet.” Later, I would think of trim as an equilibrium of forces, a perfect angle. Sailing on bigger boats, I discovered the idiosyncrasies of telltales and how to stream them evenly on both sides of the sail.
Santa Barbara Moves Ahead With Paid Moorings at Seasonal Anchorage
Santa Barbara boaters were told in June to clear out of the city’s Seasonal Anchorage to make way for a new field of paid moorings. The change had been under consideration for two to three years following concerns from the city’s Public Works Department about anchoring near underwater infrastructure. But the June 1 notice made the city’s plans concrete: Boats had to leave by June 15, and roughly 20 city-owned moorings were expected to take their place. But the conversion hit a snag.
The Real-Life Ships of ‘The Odyssey’
This current number-one movie at the box office features a story about an event-filled cruise through the Med many years ago. Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has made over a half-billion dollars in a mere two weeks, simultaneously thrusting classic literature into contemporary culture while featuring real-life replicas of ancient ships — albeit from another era of sailing. I first read the nearly 3,000-year-old epic poem by Homer in October 2001.
Reeves and Shragge Closing the Around the Americas Loop
Two of the West Coast’s most seasoned passagemakers are nearing the completion of a hemispheric loop. After setting out on their multi-leg Around the Americas voyage nearly three years ago, the doublehanded duo of Randall Reeves and Harmon Shragge are back in the Pacific. The end of a 40,000-ish-mile lap is within sight.
Two Hot Takes on Each End of Environmentalism
Coming soon in the November issue of Latitude 38’s Letters, we have two letters proposing what we can only call extreme environmental views on opposite ends of the spectrum. One take proposes prohibiting motoring in a sailboat in the name of environmentalism; the other take proposes to cull the pod of orcas that have been “playing with”/”attacking” sailboats in the Mediterranean.
October 8, 2025 - Latitude38
We should know not to presume sailboats always keep to schedule. Not even a 212-ft-long, three-masted barque visiting from Colombia. … On Monday we reported that the ARC Gloria would be on Thursday, October 9. She is in fact already in the Bay, having sailed under the bridge at around 8 a.m. today. As far as we can tell, her weekend-long schedule remains the same, though one source said the Parade of Sail, expected for Saturday, has been canceled.
We found ourselves outside the Golden Gate Bridge, bashing through lumpy chop aboard a 45-ft Coast Guard Response Boat-Medium (RBM) packed to the gills with people wearing stock West Marine lifejackets. Through the USCGC Eagle’s tall, slender silhouette became visible through the gray. We’d be aboard the tall ship in about 20 minutes. “Getting out there was half the fun,” my co-worker Nicki Bennet said in an Instagram post.
L.A. Fires: Two Negatives Make a Positive
This month’s Sightings features a heartfelt story by Los Angeles resident Adam Kline about unimaginable loss — both from the horrific L.A. fires, and from illness — followed by unimaginable generosity in the wake of tragedy. Unfortunately, we made a mistake in the layout of the story and accidentally swapped a photo from another Sightings story. This kind of mistake is always embarrassing, but it’s especially glaring given the heavy content in Adam’s story. We sincerely apologize for the error.
Whoops! Mistakes Made on the Water
Here’s a personal question for you, Latitude Nation: What are some notable mistakes, mishaps or misfortunes that you’ve had while sailing or messing about with boats? What was silly and ridiculous? What was serious and sobering? What mistakes have led to demonstrably improved seamanship? What mistakes are legendary to you? Are you a trial-and-error type sailor and learner with an “If it’s gonna happen, it’s gonna happen out there” attitude? Or are you a meticulous planner?
Alien Encounters on the High Seas
We are not alone in the universe! On February 26, a USCG/Department of Homeland Security press release read: Coast Guard encounters over a dozen aliens off the coast of southern California. How was this not bigger news? After centuries of speculation and generations of fiction imagining other worlds and new beings, suddenly — on a Tuesday morning — the Coast Guard made first contact somewhere off SoCal. Will the world ever be the same?
Is Santa Cruz Harbor Poorly Designed? Yes It Is
After gut-wrenching video of waves peeling through Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor during Christmas week showed boats thrashing and snapping their cleats, causing some $25 million in damage to harbor infrastructure and sinking 12 boats (including at least one liveaboard), a few readers shared their experiences of being docked inside the 1,000-plus-slip marina. “We were there for the Tsunamis. Isn’t [it] about time a more protected entrance was installed?
Making Sailing Happen with Asociación de Vela in Ensenada
For 20 years, a dedicated group of parents and coaches in Ensenada have been teaching kids to sail and race in a fleet of donated boats and equipment. They’ve been producing incredible results and growing both youth and adult sailing. But as a grassroots, shoestring-budget organization, they need a little help from the community. The Asociación de Vela de Baja California, A. C., (translation: Baja Sailing Association) has been operating out of Hotel Coral y Marina on the weekends for two decades.
November 22, 2024
Island Yacht Club’s Island Days midwinter series got off to an exciting start on Sunday, November 10. As skippers began to check in via radio, some questioned if they’d make the start in the very light wind conditions. Twenty-eight boats registered for the race, and they all made it. The wind shifted and began to pick up right at the start. There was a bit of bumper-boat action providing a rocky start for some, but not the Columbia 5.5s.
Randall Reeves and Harmon Schragge Complete West-to-East Transit of Northwest Passage
Speaking about his recent completion of the Northwest Passage along with “crew” Harmon Shragge, Randall Reeves told us, “It’s the third for me, the first time going the wrong way, west to east, and the fourth time for the boat.
November 8, 2024
Singlehanded, nonstop and unassisted. Those are the basics of the world’s most challenging offshore yacht race, the Vendée Globe. It happens every four years, and the 10th edition starts this Sunday, November 10. It was founded by French singlehander Philippe Jeantot, who launched the first Vendée Globe in 1989 with 13 sailors starting and seven making the finish line in 1990 after three months of sailing.
The 37th America's Cup Is Right Around the Corner. Will You Be Watching?
Here’s a question that we seriously contemplated when we wrote about the America’s Cup in the August issue’s Sightings: Does the Latitude audience know that the 37th America’s Cup is about to begin? Does our audience care? Here’s what we know our audience says almost any time we post a story (especially on social media) about the Cup (these are actual quotes): “The America’s Cup is lame now. Sorry.
August 12, 2024 - Latitude38
If you happened to be on the Bay or looking out from shore on Saturday, you might have seen the water awash with a fleet of beautiful sailboats. The Belvedere Classic Regatta and the Great San Francisco Schooner Race took place amidst outstanding Bay Area sailing conditions. “We had lots of wind, swirling fog and even some sun here and there … perfect summer day!” John ‘Woody’ Skoriak said after the race.
August 9, 2024 - Latitude38
The Medal Round for the Women’s Kite may have been a disappointment to Daniela Moroz, but she didn’t disappoint us, as she finished fourth, just short of a bronze medal. In the final race Moroz was partially done in by copping a penalty, later dismissed, rounding the penultimate mark as Great Britain’s Ellie Aldridge foiled away to capture the gold. France’s Lauriane Nolot took silver, and Annelous Lammerts the bronze.
Prisons and Paradise on the Bay Area Shoreline
Standing on the shores of Point San Quentin, I imagine Mount Tamalpais, silhouetted in the distance, as an erupting volcano with rivers of lava flowing through what is now Corte Madera Creek, where the ferry commutes up and down the channel. If sped up into a time lapse, you’d see ice ages come and go, mastodons, indigenous people, settlers, sailors, and scoundrels, many of whom would end up here — like me.
July 10, 2024 - Latitude38
People say the three great reasons to be a teacher are June, July and August. Captain James Bender is a shop teacher in Redwood City who, for the past several years, has spent those three months continuing to teach, though in the islands of Croatia. There, he has restored traditional wooden craft, bridged the gulf between nations in the Balkans with boats, and run outdoor educational trips for the local youth. He sent us a short update of his summer life.
Two Brothers, Two Antrim Designs - One Pac Cup Showdown
“We’re racing for pink slips,” said Jim Partridge of the upcoming Pacific Cup, where he’ll be sailing against his older brother, Cree. “Whoever wins gets the other guy’s boat,” Jim added, only half serious — we think. The competition between the Partridge brothers will see them going head to head in their Jim Antrim-designed custom boats, both of which were built at Berkeley Marine Center.
July 8, 2024 - Latitude38
A group of young California sailors is in Europe this week, representing the United States at the European Championships for the 420 class. Eighteen-year-old Marco Puertas is among the 12 Bay Area youth in the 15-strong contingency from California. His father, Lorenzo Puertas, sent us the following news and photos. “The six-day regatta in Portoroz, Slovenia, includes 243 sailors from 22 nations from around Europe and the world.
July 3, 2024 - Latitude38
In 2022 we wrote about plans that had been discovered for a lift bridge to enable bicycles and pedestrians to cross the Oakland Estuary at Jack London Square. By all appearances, the planning had been in process for 20 years. Our story garnered many comments from sailors who were concerned about the impact such a bridge would have on boat traffic, along with many other issues.
Calling-all-Stephens-Bros.-Boat-Owners-Lovers-and-fans
“Calling all Stephens Bros. boat owners, past and present,” Dan Payne from San Diego wrote to us last month: “I’m collecting photographs, line drawings, specifications, and personal stories about the owners’ involvement with their boats. “I will be cross-referencing this with the information in the Stephens Brothers archives held at the Haggin Museum in Stockton.
July 1, 2024 - Latitude38
It’s July! Summer is here, Independence Day is on the calendar, and the latest issue of Latitude 38 is on the docks! Do you have yours yet? Not to worry, they’ll be available at all our Bay Area distributors by the end of the day, and farther afield any moment. Although, if you took advantage of either of our recent subscription promotions, you don’t even have to leave home as yours will be arriving in the mail.
June 12, 2024 - Latitude38
In news that might sound encouraging but is probably of comfort to absolutely no one, the recent spate of orcas attacking boats does not appear to be driven by malice, but rather, by mischief — and teenage apathy. “Hundreds of dangerous boat-ramming incidents over the past five years have cast orcas as deep-sea villains plotting to take back the ocean,” the Washington Post reported a few weeks ago.
Newport Beach Proposes Increasing Mooring Rent by 300%
Newport Beach’s Harbor Commission has proposed raising rents on public moorings by as much as 300%, stoking outrage among the liveaboard community. There have been allegations of conflicts of interest between the city and the consultant who appraised the anchorages, there are threats of a lawsuit if mooring-rent hikes go through, and there are echoes of headlines about other long-delayed, sudden and extreme fee hikes affecting working-class boaters.
June 5, 2024 - Latitude38
Newport Beach’s Harbor Commission has proposed raising rents on public moorings by as much as 300%, stoking outrage among the liveaboard community. There have been allegations of conflicts of interest between the city and the consultant who appraised the anchorages, there are threats of a lawsuit if mooring-rent hikes go through, and there are echoes of headlines about other long-delayed, sudden and extreme fee hikes affecting working-class boaters.
University of Washington Student Yacht Club May be Shut Down Following Repairs
For more than 75 years, students at the University of Washington in Seattle have had access to the Washington Yacht Club, a nonprofit that teaches and promotes sailing in a “safe, inclusive, accessible, and affordable way.” For a mere $39 per quarter (not including the cost of tuition), student yacht club members had access to boats, lessons, and rentals, according to the Seattle Times.
May 20, 2024 - Latitude38
For more than 75 years, students at the University of Washington in Seattle have had access to the Washington Yacht Club, a nonprofit that teaches and promotes sailing in a “safe, inclusive, accessible, and affordable way.” For a mere $39 per quarter (not including the cost of tuition), student yacht club members had access to boats, lessons, and rentals, according to the Seattle Times.
We Are in Short Supply of Latitude 38 Letters, and We Need Your Help!
The 50-ft sailboat 'Alboran Cognac' sank after being attacked by orcas approximately 14 miles off the coast of Cape Spartel, Morocco. This week’s host, Moe Roddy, is joined by 15-year-old wingfoiler Henry Vare. Hear how wingfoiling compares to sailing, about the races Henry's most proud of, and more. Swiftsure Yachts offers exceptional service, quality brokerage boats and new yachts for world cruising.
Explore the San Rafael Waterfront and Find a Copy of Latitude 38
When trying to launch a campaign describing the pleasures of reading print, I found myself without the current issue of Latitude 38 that I was trying so hard to espouse. After working at Latitude for seven years, I’ve never requested home delivery of the mag. And I wanted the tactile satisfaction of holding the magazine in my hands, dammit. No amount of online access would do. I wanted to flip rather than click, to fold rather than scroll.
May 8, 2024 - Latitude38
This week’s host, John Arndt, is joined by Emily Zugnoni to chat about her transition from sailing passenger to sailing instructor. Emily is the program director at Alameda Community Sailing Center (ACSC), winner of US Sailing’s 2023 Outstanding Community Sailing Program Award. Hear the differences in teaching kids and adults how to sail, what makes sailing so much fun, the perks of having a sailing mentor, the races she’s most enjoyed, and the time she had to cut her hair while sailing.
Angel Island Will Get New Docks, But not Until Next Year
The best-case scenario to repair or replace the broken docks in Ayala Cove and bring new docks to Angel Island, according to the park manager, would have construction beginning in June 2025 for a six-month project. “Currently, half of the docks in Ayala Cove are closed,” Gerald O’Reilly, the manager for Angel Island and superintendent for California State Parks, told us in a video interview last week. The docks were last replaced in 2002, but many of the pylons date back to the 1980s.
May 1, 2024 - Latitude38
The best-case scenario to repair or replace the broken docks in Ayala Cove and bring new docks to Angel Island, according to the park manager, would have construction beginning in June 2025 for a six-month project. “Currently, half of the docks in Ayala Cove are closed,” Gerald O’Reilly, the manager for Angel Island and superintendent for California State Parks, told us in a video interview last week. The docks were last replaced in 2002, but many of the pylons date back to the 1980s.
April 8, 2024 - Latitude38
Citing emerging navigation technology and the cost of maintenance, the United States Coast Guard is “evaluating the need for all Safe Water Buoys along the California coast.” Many of our readers have been aware of these plans, but the issue was thrust into the spotlight during the brief but passionate debate over the proposed removal of Santa Cruz’s Mile Buoy — after mariners spoke out. The proposed removals have been met with skepticism by a state boater advocacy group.
Print Is Alive, and so Is Latitude 38
Faced with another grueling deadline, a meager paycheck, a few angry readers and no time to sail or live the life we write about, I considered ending it all as a Latitude editor. Despondent, I walked to a bridge and peered over the side into the abyss … and pulled out my phone to look for new jobs. Maybe I could be a truck driver? I’ll try my hand at coding, or go to school to be a dental assistant. Just please, God, don’t make me edit another issue of Latitude 38.
April 1, 2024 - Latitude38
The skipper looked over his new crew. “Good morning, everyone. I’m Louis Kannen and this is the H.A.F.-designed sprit yawl Waggen. I don’t know why that’s her name; perhaps she was fleet pooch for many years. So, let’s get on with introductions. “This is Bert Wood, my first mate. Mr. Wood’s experience is entirely with plastic boats, the latest one looking somewhat like a carry-out container with canvas. “During my previous journeys on this boat, we did many MOB drills.
Hobbled Cargo Ship Destroys Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore
In what will likely go down as one of the worst accidents in maritime history, the one-and-a-half-mile-long Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore was demolished early Tuesday morning after an apparently powerless container ship struck a support column. At least six people are presumed dead, and a major interstate spanning the Patapsco River and linking to one of the East Coast’s largest ports has been severed indefinitely.
March 27, 2024 - Latitude38
In what will likely go down as one of the worst accidents in maritime history, the one-and-a-half-mile-long Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore was demolished early Tuesday morning after an apparently powerless container ship struck a support column. At least six people are presumed dead, and a major interstate spanning the Patapsco River and linking to one of the East Coast’s largest ports has been severed indefinitely.
March 15, 2024 - Latitude38
St. Francis Yacht Club has announced this year’s Rolex Big Boat Series. This marks the 60th edition of the annual regatta, and organizers will be showcasing its rich history and celebrating the many legendary yachts, crews and skippers that have participated since 1964. “My first Big Boat Series was in the mid-1980s aboard Bill LeRoy’s Blue Blazer,” said Chris Perkins, commodore of St. Francis Yacht Club.
With Expansion of San Francisco Marina Now Scrapped, the Financial Futures of East and West Harbor Are Uncertain
When a proposal for an expansion of San Francisco Marina’s West Harbor came to light last summer, there was a public outcry. “Diminishment of an iconic view” was the main talking point against the project, but problems with the proposal — which could have extended the current West Harbor breakwater the entire length of Marina Green — seemed numerous.
February 16, 2024
The 2024 ILCA Masters World Championships were held from February 2-10 in Adelaide, Australia. It was a rip-roaring good time with a big fleet, big breeze, big waves and a strong contingent of San Francisco sailors making the trek from the West Coast of the USA to the South Coast of Australia. 2022 ILCA Masters champion Chris Boome reached out to some of the Bay Area competitors who made the trip.
As Oakland Estuary Sees Improvement, Cities Around the Country Deal with Derelict Vessels
After a harrowing summer of what was dubbed a “pirate crime spree” on its shores — and after several years of lax enforcement by police — grant money has poured into the Oakland Estuary, marine units are back on patrol, and at least 25 derelict vessels have been removed. “Eighteen were taken from the waterway and crushed,” said former harbormaster Brock de Lappe.
February 9, 2024
After a harrowing summer of what was dubbed a “pirate crime spree” on its shores — and after several years of lax enforcement by police — grant money has poured into the Oakland Estuary, marine units are back on patrol, and at least 25 derelict vessels have been removed. “Eighteen were taken from the waterway and crushed,” said former harbormaster Brock de Lappe.
Latitude Nation Loves Their Dinghies and the Childhood Memories they Stir
Breaking News: Dinghies are awesome and everyone loves them. We tested this hypothesis a few weeks ago when we posted the following black-and-white photo of a New Zealand “Zeddie,” or Z-Class, on our Facebook page. The photo went off the chart in likes (600) and comments (90), and gave us a glimpse into the special place that dinghies seem to hold in sailors’ hearts. There are a remarkable number of Zeddie sailors out there.
February 7, 2024
This week’s host, John Arndt, is joined by award-winning sailor Marie Rogers to chat about diversity in sailing. Marie is a US Sailing board member, the staff commodore of the Los Angeles Yacht Club (LAYC), and the founder of the nonprofit Offshore Racing Outreach (ORO).
January 17, 2024
In what has the potential to be a landmark case, a federal judge ruled late last year that boaters do not have a constitutional right to anchor on Richardson Bay, and declared that local agencies have the authority to create and enforce laws governing vessels anchored in their waters.
More Information, and a Correction, about Anchoring in the Port of Los Angeles
Readers — We made a mistake. (Or rather, I did.) In the December 2023 ‘Lectronic “Can Cruisers Anchor in the Port of Los Angeles?,” I mistakenly referred to both the ports of Long Beach and L.A. simply as “the Port of Los Angeles.” “You tried to answer a question and made everything far muddier,” said one reader, who understandably assumed that we didn’t know that there were two distinct and separately governed ports within the same massive breakwater in the heart of the Los Angeles coast.
January 8, 2024 - Latitude38
Kirsten Neuschäfer has been awarded the Cruising Club of America’s Blue Water Medal for 2023, in recognition of the tremendous effort, determination, and skill she exhibited during her 235-day solo circumnavigation aboard her Cape George 36, Minnehaha. Neuschäfer was the first of only three finishers of the Golden Globe Race, which began with 17 competitors.
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