Always a bridesmaid ...

First place has eluded Sandy Hayes & team for the third time at this year's Mayor's Cup - but our second-place finish was good enough for me: racing my first big international grade two match race! AWESOME! I was so thrilled to get to race at this level, in great conditions, with such an incredible, fun and talented team, and get entirely spoiled by Camille-y and the organizers. Read more here: Long Beach Press Telegram and on the official website. [ps - check out the photo in the LBPT article: although it SAYS that Baylis is leading, look at the picture and see who's up front in the pink. US! Team 'Cotton Eye Candy'!]

The trouble with tacking duels ...

In a real duel, someone gets to die. In a tacking duel - you just get to keep tacking.

So it was today, 187-million tacks later, that we ended up with a 4-3 record. Pretty good, but should have won them all. Now, we think, we're 'fine tuned' for the rest of the regatta.

'Trouble is, so are the rest of the girls.

Sitting on my bed eating leftover CPK pizza, nursing one now-tepid beer, having saturated myself to utter prune-dom in the jacuzzi, I'm reflecting on the day. Sandy - compact, feisty, sharp-as-a-tack - knows what she wants and just how to do it ... Amanda - all 5' tall, 120lb of her pure muscle - throws her whole body into tailing the sheet the way only a 20-something can (with still pliable bones and resilient muscles) ... Adreana is at one point near tears, having been reamed for a task (I blame the language barrier) while Cindy hurls over the side (really impressive projectile vomiting - we are discussing the use of 'vomit as a weapon') and both rally phenomenally ('puke & rally!' became our battle-cry!) when the next rounding approaches. I'm SO impressed with the team and - as cliche as it sounds - really honored to be racing with them.

'Playing with Matches ... '

Vanity got the best of me, when I was asked by one of the top-ranked women's match racing skippers in the world to join her team for Mayor's Cup. Had I been thinking straight, and not so top-heavy from flattery, I might have said 'no': a practical answer for a 40-(mumble-mumble)-year-old who hasn't been to the gym in two months and coincidentally has a titanium ass. But I said 'yes' (guffaw-gush-blush-golly-gee) and find myself now packed and ready to head to Long Beach at 5am tomorrow ... On an empty stomach. Parched. Gnawing on my lips and bubblegum and craving anything solid. Trying to get 'to weight' I have been slogging along on the eliptical trainer and treadmill at the Y, jogging with the (puzzled) dog, dieting, drinking lemon water and have banished salt in any shape or form. As a result I've dropped four lbs but mostly from hunching violently over in pain due to calf and thigh cramps. Seriously: I am NOT a runner.
But I'm excited. In a masochistic, challenged kind of way. I place little goals in front of myself: 'Tomorrow I can eat again', 'Thursday we have the night off so I can pack my body in ice in the bathtub at the hotel', 'Saturday I can have a drink', 'Sunday this will be a-l-l behind me'. For better or for worse.
For news and results click here - look for skipper Sandy Hayes.

I just can't help being nauti!

The Nauti Chicas go to Long Beach for the 3-day LBRW regatta and Cat37 Nationals! Look here for official details and results!

Tons of prizes at free fishing derby for kids!

Kids compete – for free – at this annual fishing derby Saturday July 5 at Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara, 10:00am – noon.

Registration starts @ 9:00am, fishing starts @ 10:00. Kids will compete in three different age groups (up to 15 yrs old) for tons of prizes. Helpers will record and release the fish; prizes go to the top three anglers in each category, PLUS the first 100 kids to show up!

Sign up at West Marine on Cesar Chavez or at the Harbor beforehand. A limited number of rods & reels are available for loan to those who request in advance - otherwise bring your own gear, bait will be supplied.

Rules are:

1) Children must catch & land the fish themselves

2) One rod per kid

3) One hook per rod

Prizes from West Marine, whale watching trips etc from Santa Barbara Sailing Center, & more. Call 805/564-1005 for details.

Making whoopee

It was bound to happen.
Considering my ambition to get in the water if I’m near a get-in-able body of water that, in particular, I’ve never been in before -- the Indian Ocean, St. Maarten’s Great Bay, the Sarapiquí River in Costa Rica, and several beaches in Mexico (where God-knows-what you can catch) come to mind, along with more recently the Tuolumne River and Pinecrest Lake -- my 'toe in the water' dogma has finally caught up with me, fostering a little souvenir I never intended to take home: a colony of single-celled parasitic squatters whose common goal is to ‘party hardy’ in my small intestines, while creating copious amounts of gas.
Yes, I am a walking-talking whoopee cushion.
Giardia is a not-so-uncommon protozoa found in rural, wilderness and other so-so water supplies that, once ingested (when, for instance, you rip down a water slide and half a gallon of Tuolumne River shoots up your nose) provokes a veritable orgy of flagellates and flatulence. The ‘host’ (why do I not feel ‘hospitable’?) exhibits a feeling of general malaise coupled with a low-grade fever and nausea. I actually feel okay as long as I don’t eat! Then my stomach gurgles and rumbles like a distant thunder storm … even the dog doesn’t want to sleep with me!
Fortunately it’s stunted my appetite (who needs colonics when you can have a parasite?) and added to my cachet as a verified world adventurer. Tally ho!

Hearts of Stone

Carpinteria is 'a healing place' I've been told, and mystical land that it is - our beaches are scattered with heart-shaped rocks. Jan K showed and gave me my first heart rock, and since then I've shared the joy of searching for these stones during long, thoughtful walks on the beach in every season.

While Stephen was here I told him of the heart rocks, and soon his eyes were glued to the ground. Tenacious in his search (as in everything) he soon presented me with a lovely smooth heart of stone.

Today I emailed him in Ushuaia, where it is snowing and well into winter.

"I found the most amazing heart rock yesterday," I said. "It is hard, and roughly chiseled by the sea, but most definitely a heart!"

'Send a picture' he said and I did.

"Funny thing about this heart rock," I added, "as roughty- toughty as it appears, i had to prop it up -- it does not want to stand on its own!"

RESET!

It seems to be, as JenJen puts it, a time to 'reset expectations'. Some higher, some lower, some simply different.

What molds our expectations? I did a workshop on this years ago: so often our expectations are shaped by the strangest input - media, misinterpretation, other people with unique skills and traits - and our expectations don't end up actually matching the individual/situation at hand at all! (Although it appears to be the other way around!)

With our expectations doomed from the start, they fail. Our reaction is disappointment - which the subject can sense - and around and around the frustration goes!

So here I am, resetting my expectations: for certain people, family members, standard of living, fitness, relationships, finances, career, and myself. Once I establish a realistic expectation I guess I can decide whether that's acceptable or not. In some cases: no. Why 'hang with the turkeys' if you want to 'soar with the eagles'? So if my expectations are so low, let's say, of the Fisherman - honestly: Why would I want him around anyway???

By contrast, I am hoisting my expectations for Coco. She has a big year ahead - we have named it 'The Year of Endurance'. She had a lot of challenges, which will require more discipline, tenacity and organization than ever before. But I have promised to be her #1 fan and supporter and help her achieve this if she promises to give it her all.

For me, it's more difficult. My expectations of myself have always been warped, so this needs work. But here in the midst of my 'year of the F-word' I find myself looking more keenly at my future - what and where it will bring me - and that self-exploration will help me set high goals for myself.

I wouldn't expect anything less.

So many travels, so little time!

So much has happened since my last post :-O !! Here is the 'before' picture -on the way to Costa Rica - June (l) and I (r) had a fabulous vacation in this tropical wonderland ... got home and my darling 'Capt Bruce' came to visit for 10 days ... then we both left LAX last week: he back to Ushuaia and me to PV for 4 days of racing. I am beat, bronze and broke - LOL! More to come ...

Strengthen Venoco's Clean-up of Contaminated Soils in Carpinteria!

"After several years of back and forth negotiations with the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), Venoco and Chevron have submitted a proposed clean-up plan for soils contaminated with DDT and other pesticides at the Venoco (formerly Chevron) Oil and Gas Processing Facility at 5675 Carpinteria Avenue in Carpinteria. Unfortunately, the clean-up plan they are proposing will leave substantial volumes of contaminated soils on the site and is not adequately protective of human health and the environment. Please email the RWQCB and/or attend their hearing on May 9th in San Luis Obispo (click here for directions and agenda, see item #7), and urge them to require a better and more thorough plan to ensure that the site is cleaned up in short order to levels that are truly protective of the environment and public and aquatic health, along the lines proposed by Santa Barbara Channelkeeper in our April 24th comment letter. Click here to review the proposed clean-up plan." - from SB Channelkeeper

Rockfish, not roses!

Moms fish free on Mother's Day! Channel Islands Sportfishing is offering Moms a free ride on Mother's Day: May 11. Half and 3/4 day charters included: we're going on GENTLEMAN. Contact me if you want to join us!
***OTHER NEWS*** The Nauti Chicas won the Caroline Starr trophy for best corrected time for an all-gal crew in the 125nm Newport to Ensenada race ---a major comeback after last month's Newport to Cabo San Lucas race. Details here.

HERE WE GO AGAIN ...

Next stop: Ensenada! The Nauti Chicas are at it again - but just a 125nm race this time. Pray for wind ... and check HERE for updates.

TONIGHT! April 18

SB Channelkeeper fundraiser/ screening of "One Winter Story".
This award-winning documentary is an unprecedented glimpse into the male-dominated world of big-wave surfing from an unusual and seldom seen perspective - a woman's. The surfing footage is an awesome sight but the fine, intensely immediate rendering of Sarah's experience is this unforgettable film's real reward. "One Winter Story" traces Sarah's strength and determination to their roots in a beautiful montage of film, voice, memory and emotion.

Live music and a raffle will precede the film starting at 6:30 pm, the filmmakers will be on hand for Q&A afterwards. Film begins around 7:30pm. Tickets are $12 at the door. For more details CLICK ON THE PHOTO.

YOU WANT TO BE ME!

Okay that sounds cocky and narcissistic but really, I love my life. I am one happy, lucky, blessed kinda girl!

800 miles later ...

We made it to Cabo in five days plus change. Blew up our best kite for the conditions (20+) - which was a setback, but otherwise everything went wonderfully. Mahvelous teamwork, great boat, all systems 'go'. Arrived to the most gorgeous, posh accommodations (compliments of Vista Serena/Montage Resorts) imaginable, and all the cold, wet, sleep-deprived memories of our passage melted away in the Cabo sunshine (with a little help from some margaritas ... ) More pix HERE on Shutterfly. Thanks for your prayers & support ~ Betsy
ABOVE: VIEW OF OUR PRIVATE BAHIA FROM THE CASA
RIGHT: ME ON DAY 5 - NICE WEATHER AT LAST

Going, going, gone ...

Off to CABO on an 800nm race aboard the J/35 Predator. 'Starts in Newport Beach 28 March ... finishes in Cabo San Lucas on ??? Check here for dispatches and a link to the official website and position reports ... and please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. GO NAUTI CHICAS!

BBC: Fish key to reef climate survival

By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC
"A healthy fish population could be the key to ensuring coral reefs survive the impacts of climate change, pollution, overfishing and other threats.
Australian scientists found that some fish act as 'lawnmowers', keeping coral free of kelp and unwanted algae."
Read the whole story from BBC

Kick ass boots ...

... for kick ass chicas!
Denise models Coco's and my new wellies from J.Crew

Good News, Bad News

A bunch of us went to see Walking on Water (free) at the Arlington Theater tonight: an inspirational docu-feature about two kids who go surfing around the globe with the masters of the sport. Along the way - visiting what surely must be God's favorite places - they discover that kids everywhere are 'just like me' (although much more grateful, with so much less).
Driving home, the car jouncing as the girls and Joe-Joseph-Joey dance to the blaring music, we see a low hovering helicopter off Padaro Lane, accompanied by several boats with blue strobe lights. Clearly a Search & Rescue. I get home and read that the USCG is looking for a man who swam out to his boat, which had broken loose from its mooring in the gusty conditions. Now, seven hours later, they continue to search for him in an obvious grid. The water is about 55°. Sobering. Life is precious.

It's all about the accessories ...

First it's the boots, now it's the right white wine ... to me, it's all about the accessories!
For GCLA's March meeting I've selected six wines (all but one from Santa Ynez) of various varietals for the gals to taste, in our ongoing quest for the perfect fish-worthy white. I purposefully snubbed chardonnay and sauvignon blanc; picking rousanne blends, viognier, albarino and others, to get out of that chard/sauv blanc rut. In London, I hear, they say "ABC" at the chi chi bars ... "Anything But Chardonnay". Well bring it on!

The Lure of Alaska

[as seen in FOOD & WINE]
The Lure of Alaska
The small, grasshopper-like plane makes one final loop around the lake, then disappears behind a ridge of blue-green mountains, leaving me standing in the frigid, waist-high waters of Crab Slough, near Glacier Bay, Alaska.
All is silent, save for the whispering of the tall grasses. When the plane returns this afternoon, I'll be a fly fisherwoman, I resolve. In the back of my mind, I simply hope it returns.
Continued here ...

Shoot!

Whew! Our tidepool shoot at Cat Rock -- an inhospitable lump of lava and barnacles seething with icy suck-you-out-to-sea-
water -- is done and I'm glad to say we returned with the same number of kids we left with.
Taking "other people's children" on a shoot is sheer terror: especially if you don't know the parents. Otherwise you can threaten the children with death and explain half-assedly to your friends and neighbors why their kids are not home on time, why their best sneakers are wet and their jackets are torn; but the kids of strangers provide a strange conundrum indeed - starting with how curious it is that these nice people let me take their children out of school and transport them on a film shoot to an offshore island in the first place.
Luckily these children were polite, enthusiastic, and were not pukers (they did, by contrast, eat voraciously). After picking them up at school and driving them across town to Ventura, we boarded the research vessel and made a quick crossing to the south side of Anacapa.
The scientists we were tagging along with debarked first, for their thrilling studies of intertidal species within the established transects <yawn>; then the film crew left to 'search for the perfect location' while I was left aboard to entertain children. Within a couple of hours though we were snapping on lifejackets and transferring the kids to the rocky shore in an inflatable.
Hours passed, but in sum: while the rest of the crew set up we played on the rocks, with the directive not to get hurt as bloodied children would make poor documentary subjects. The filming commenced and the kids, truly, were delightful, and played their parts well - handling sea hares and sea stars, crabs and urchins, all the while with waves surging at their ankles (knees ... thighs ... hips ... ) The sea was particularly unruly and despite the low tide, south swells came barreling in at random, flooding the tidepools -- at which point we hollered for the kids to HOLD ON as mountains of seawater rushed in. "One...two...three...four..." we counted the sets and then resumed filming. This continued until we felt a) we'd got the shot and b) the tide was coming in so swiftly that a hasty retreat was prudent.
By then the calm-ish pools on the west side, where we had debarked, were underwater, so we half-crawled out amidst the slippery rocks to the arriving dinghy. I held it in place as the kids pawed their way out then flung their bodies into the inflatable, and returned to the R/V where we had them change to dry clothes; after which they ate everything in sight.
All in all the shoot was a success, in a stunning location that most mere mortals only dream of visiting. Score another one for the lucky people.
[Personal note: I've had three very physical days and continue to be amazed/thankful/thrilled that I have been blessed as such:with the ability to heft a zillion cases of wine for two days then have such an active day crawling & climbing around Cat Rock ... I think tomorrow I'll take it easy at the gym: maybe bench press a small sumo wrestler and stationary bike 100 miles ... and YES - this is work: I *did* get paid for this job today :-D ]

"No guys to tell us we are doing it wrong"

That's what Glory Giffin tells me when she's pimping her awesome "All Girls Trip #52" aboard Holiday (San Diego).
The famous (infamous?) Girls Trip departs Friday Sept 19 at 9 PM for fishing Saturday and Sunday, Sept 20 & 21, returning about 9 PM on Sunday. Cost is $490.00. Permits & possible fuel surcharge extra.
"We have a blast and there are no guys to tell us we are doing it wrong," Glory adds. Check the website or call her at 619-225-0784 for details.Also in the works: DPYC will be hosting a tuna charter mid-August: 1 1/2 days about Fury (Dana Point) for $300. A special feature of this trip for just 25 participants will be instruction for newbies. Contact Skippy Sue spinset@cox.net for details.

Gita: 'You've got balls, girl!'

*I'm too sexy for my foulies .... *

Waiting, as I often do, 'til the eleventh hour ... I went shopping this afternoon for foulies (as the weather this weekend is forecast to be sh**!)
'Got the most awesome price at West Marine with this coupon -- felt like I was stealing the jacket and bib at this price ... was running so under-budget :-O I decided to peruse the boot & shoe sale too. Of course the lunkhead sales guy started showing me shoes that were, "perfect for gardening & hanging out on the porch."
DOH! Shooed him back to his CAVE and picked out some cute turquoise Teva-like deck shoes I can use for sailing and hike around in too.
Now with that, and my thermies, the only thing I need for Cabo still is a pair of board shorts and I'm good to go!

Ho-Hum ...

Boat US published its latest list of top 10 boat names ... all very ho-hum, nothing exciting like Yippee Kay Yay or Suicide Workshop. This pic did make me LOL though!

Shake it like a martini shaker!

Our Nauti Chicas' Martini Shake-off at DPYC was a huge success; we raised enough money for our Cabo Race entry, additional ratings certificates, and life raft servicing. Just six weeks and we're off!

Here's June being 'nauti' as an Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Lemondrop Martini bar maid!

Nauti Chica Martini Shake-off

FEBRUARY 9 - Join us at Dana Point Yacht Club @ 7 pm for our first annual Nauti Chica Martini Shake-off and crowning of the Martini Queenie fundraiser to benefit our Transpac '09 sailing campaign!

Bush cannot exempt Navy from ruling restricting use of sonar, federal judge says

ANDREW DALTON, Associated Press Writer

February 4, 2008 9:15 PM

LOS ANGELES (AP) -The Navy must follow environmental laws placing strict limits on sonar training that may harm whales, despite President Bush's decision to exempt it, a federal judge ruled Monday.

The Navy is not ''exempted from compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act'' and a court injunction creating a 12 nautical-mile no-sonar zone off Southern California, U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper wrote in a 36-page decision.

''We disagree with the judge's decision,'' White House spokesman Tony Fratto said. ''We believe the orders are legal and appropriate.''

The president signed a waiver Jan. 15 exempting the Navy and its anti-submarine warfare exercises from a preliminary injunction creating the no-sonar zone. The Navy's attorneys argued in court last week that he was within his legal rights.

Environmentalists have fought the use of sonar in court, saying it harms whales and other marine mammals. 'It's an excellent decision,'' said Joel Reynolds, attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, which is spearheading the legal fight. ''It reinstates the proper balance between national security and environmental protection.''

The Navy last week wrapped up a training exercise by the carrier strike group of the USS Abraham Lincoln in which sonar was used. There are currently no task force training exercises off the coast of California using sonar
When he signed the exemption, Bush said complying with the law would ''undermine the Navy's ability to conduct realistic training exercises that are necessary to ensure the combat effectiveness of carrier and expeditionary strike groups.''

Said Reynolds: ''I've always felt that the president's actions were illegal in this case, and the judge has affirmed that point of view with the decision today.''

The judge also wrote that she has ''significant concerns about the constitutionality of the President's exemption,'' but that a ruling based on constitutionality was not needed to reinstate the injunction.

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco had been expected to rule on the future of the Navy exercises last month. After Bush's decision, the appeals court sent the issue to the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles for reconsideration.

Navy spokeswoman Lt. Cmdr. Cindy Moore did not say what the military's next legal move may be.

Government attorneys can appeal Cooper's decision to the 9th Circuit or could ask the appeals court to allow sonar exercises until the appeal is resolved.

Scientists have said that loud sonar can damage the brains and ears of marine mammals, and that it may mask the echoes some whales and dolphins listen for when they use their own natural sonar to locate food.

The Navy maintains that it already minimizes risks to marine life and has employed sonar for decades without seeing any whale injuries. The sonar is essential for tracking submarines, it said.

---

Associated Press writer Chelsea J. Carter in San Diego contributed to this report.

More Lionfish

07/29/06

Chief Scientist Paula Whitfield popped up from the RIB onto the deck of R/V NANCY FOSTER beaming. ‘We hit the mother lode,’ she announced, in her effervescent way.

A record 16 lionfish had been surveyed in the transect – a 10m X 50m swathe of rocky ocean bottom.

But it was bittersweet news. High numbers were good for the scientists’ research, but bad for the environment. Invasive lionfish have a powerful toehold in their new habitat.

To do our part to slow their invasion, we ate some.

The crew was served blackened lionfish, along with vegetables, salad and yellow rice (we are fed well -- and did I mention, regularly? – on R/V NANCY FOSTER). Lionfish is a white fish with firm texture, like flounder; meaty and not at all oily or fatty. I think it would make a killer fish taco.

Another of the scientists aboard studying lionfish is Dr. David ‘Wilson’ Freshwater, a Research Analyst 2 for the Center for Marine Sciences at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. With each fish collected and dissected, a small chunk of flesh is gathered for DNA testing at Wilson’s lab. These little glass jars of sushi line the table where we talk in the wet lab.

Wilson admits that he bartered his way aboard this research cruise, offering to work as a ‘grunt diver’ on deck in exchange for the chance to study the fish in person. The extensive work that Wilson and his associate Rebecca Hamner have done has proven so far that North Carolina’s invasive lionfish are all from Indonesia. One might expect a more diverse background – with a mix of fish from Taiwan, the Philippines and Mozambique. But Wilson says genetic markers indicated otherwise – and suggest a lack of genetic diversity in North Carolina’s invasive lionfish: what you might call ‘inbreeding’ – risky business for a species indeed.

The wet lab is unusually empty and quiet as we wrap up our talk. Wilson has stayed up late to ensure a good and thorough interview. But the days start early here on R/V NANCY FOSTER, so we put away the ‘sushi’ and sign off.

Even Paula, the Chief Scientist and orchestrator of all the activity, is asleep when I enter our quarters. The individual bunks have heavy maroon curtains drawn for privacy, and mine is the only one still open. As I get ready to crawl into bed I notice a small chocolate candy nested on my pillow, and smile. This may not be the QUEEN MARY but the R/V NANCY FOSTER is one special ship.

Non-native Lionfish invade the Atlantic

Revisiting the Lionfish documentary shoot 07/28/2006

Life aboard a ship at sea is dictated by unfamiliar parameters.

There are strictly adhered-to boat deployments and dive times. Emails come and go twice a day. There's a dress code (no flip flops; no tank tops in the mess hall). And the most precisely planned and regimented things are meal times, by which everything else is planned. They are chiseled in stone.

With all of this under our belts, we tackle Day 2.

Curtis Callaway [cinematographer] films the early morning (0630) plankton tow: a search for lionfish larvae; while Norb Wu [cinematographer] readies for the first dive of the morning (0730) - a survey of lionfish on one of the earlier identified research sites - along with a side by side comparison of HD (high definition) vs. SD (standard definition) footage. He likens his assignment to "jumping off a two-story building with 600 pounds of equipment."

Throughout the morning the wind picks up, to a rip roaring 25k. Great for sailing; not so for retrieving divers and dinghies. The afternoon dive is abandoned and instead R/V Nancy Foster undertakes more multi-beaming exercises, utilizing the state-of-the-art equipment upgraded this past winter.

Multi-beaming is a form of echolocation which uses a 'fan' of beams to map the ocean floor. Out here, Paula Whitfield [NOAA Chief Scientist] is looking for the kind of hard bottoms and structure the lionfish like to hang out on, for further studies. Everything we do is oriented toward finding out the most information possible about this fish: where it lives, what it eats, how it reproduces, whether it is thriving ... and tomorrow, we just may even find out how it tastes.

Non-native Lionfish invade the Atlantic

Revisiting a blog I did for the Lionfish documentary shoot 07/27/2006

Topside research scientist James Morris' excitement is palpable. An earlier lionfish retrieval hadn't yielded what he was looking for: eggs and sperm to fertilize, to incubate lionfish larvae. But now Christine Addison, scientist and diver, proudly hands him a lionfish plump with eggs. She's just brought it up from a 120-foot dive on the reefs off North Carolina where beneath the endless blue waves and rich Gulf Stream waters, is a hidden Garden of Eden of the sea.

We set sail today promptly at 0900 aboard the R/V Nancy Foster. This 187-foot reincarnated Navy ship is massive, with so many levels I continually get lost, walking into walls and doors, up and down stairs, in and out (it seems) of the same room, through various head-banging hatches. Steaming out past Fort Macon, we did fire drills and abandon ship drills (including mandatory donning of our 'Gumby suits' - oversized orange neoprene survival suits with built-in footies and mittens that make getting in and out of them next to impossible), on our way to the specific sites where earlier research has been done.

Everyone is so excited to see what has changed and what has stayed the same; to gather their data, their temperature gauges, their eggs, and do their counts. I guess the thing that has struck me strongest so far is how excited everyone is! How enthusiastic and passionate they are about their part in the puzzling proliferation of this Indo-Pacific species in the coastal Atlantic.

And their enthusiasm is contagious. Norb Wu, our underwater cinematographer, does two underwater dives today and works endlessly to perfect his housing. Topside cinematographer, Curtis Callaway and I stay up 'til 2100, trying to light and film a beaker of eggs, reveling in the fact that today, the scientists think they may have solved a mystery about the lionfish' egg sacks.

Exhausted with the excitement and anticipation of the day, I tiptoe into the bunkroom I share with three other gals, slip in to my bottom bunk (more head-banging) and hurry to sleep, anxious for what the new day will bring. - Betsy Crowfoot

Martini Shake-Off - Feb. 9!

The Nauti Chica Women’s Sailing Team is hosting a Martini Shake-Off cocktail contest and party to kick off our 2008/2009 Sailing Campaign Saturday Feb. 9 at Dana Point **

You be the judge of our complimentary concoctions served by the crew:

• Light appetizers, no-host bar, music, dancing, and prizes
• Videos and displays of our previous women’s Transpac adventures
• Team merchandise
• Modest cover charge and other details to be announced ($25-30)

Net proceeds will go to support race specific costs such as entry fees, deliveries, professional coaching. Sponsorship and charitable contribution opportunities are available. Contact me for more info at crazeemermaid@yahoo.com

Our program is to work hard and practice often during this two year campaign to win the Transpac in 09 and the LB Women’s One Design in 08, while inspiring young women sailors to do the same.

Race Schedule 2008/2009
March 28 Corona del Mar to Cabo (J35 Predator)
April 25 Ensenada - 2 boat campaign: Predator and Rattle & Hum
May 29 Puerto Vallarta Women’s OD
August Santa Barbara King Harbor (The new boat?)
October Long Beach Women’s OD (Cat 37)
Feb 09 Newport to Cabo
July 09 Transpacfic Yacht Race to Hawaii

Thank you in advance for your support!

**The Dana Point Marina Inn is within walking distance and will offer a “Dana Point Yacht Club” discounted rate the night of the event

Rhymes with 'Maybe Boats' ...

Baby Goats! One of Coco's goats, Tana, has had her babies. How adorable! We heard them bleating insistently this morning when we were walking toward the farm, and Coco took off running. 'Must have been recently born as one was still kind of wet and wobbly. Then we had some clean-up to do, secured the pens with chicken wire, got ready for the coming rainstorm, etc. Something different and fun for us!
Both (girls) are feeding well, tottering around, and look healthy. Now we are on standby for Missy (our foster-goat) who looks like she has two watermelons tucked in her sides, and need to see if Kiki is pregnant too (or just fat).

'Tiki Tude'

Working on a documentary two summers ago, we filmed at the Star Fish Company in wonderful, friendly Cortez, Florida, then had dinner at this little local hideaway that describes itself as "the honky tonk fish shack with tiki tude" - eating fresh seafood at lopsided picnic tables on the docks, our waitress alternately delivering cans of beer and cans of bug spray. The wharf was decorated with whimsical folk art like this, from RhondaK.
I loved my time in Cortez - and with eco-tour guide Capt Kathe. The people were warm, funny, and 'dead honest' - I felt like I'd known them for years, not just the few days we were in Florida studying the havoc of red tide, and what's being done about it (two of my official dispatches from that assignment are here and here ).

Peace and Trust

Three of Cups in the "Self" Position
Main (positional) Meaning:
Celebrate friendships and close companions. You are richly rewarded with people who love you.
The card in the Self position reveals aspects of how you perceive yourself right now.
When the Three of Cups is in this position, you have balanced your priorities and have harmonized your inner life with your outer life. This leaves you with a sense of serenity and relaxation. The fact that you feel bonded with and supported by your immediate circle of family and friends says that you attract other well-balanced souls like yourself.
This card is a compliment to you for having earned the hard-won rewards of peace and trust. The natural flow between you and others is becoming fruitful and enjoyable.

Women's Sailing Convention

Feb 2 @ Del Rey Yacht Club: the Women's Sailing Convention has on-the-water instruction and classroom courses for novice and expert sailor girls - plus Capt Linda Newland (aka 'Sally Spreaders') as the featured speaker that night. Click here for details and registration.

Mele Kaliki Maka!

Christmas greetings to our loved ones near and far, and many blessings to you in the New Year!
XOXO Betsy & Coco

Cuter than Santa's sack ...

Cute bags for sailor-chicks, fisher-chicks, anyone who's got a bundle of junk to 'go-with'. Check out Amanda's PIG BAGS (and look at the 'About ' tab where I get top billing ... I'm blushing, seriously!)

Need any more reasons to catch your own fish?

In China, Farming Fish in Toxic Waters - from the New York Times

Dispatch from Liz on SWELL

My awesome super-hero friend Liz Clark has posted her latest dispatch from her single-handed cruise through the South Pacific.
She writes "Is there a limit to how much fun I'm allowed to have by myself? A moment when I shift from plain happy to plain nuts?" Read it for yourself here.

Saltwater Women - save the dates

Jenny Armstrong advises UASC has two women's trip booked:
#1 - Departing Capt Hook's Oxnard Thurs May 15 @ 10pm; fishing all day Friday May 16 & returning home around 6 pm
#2 - Departing Tues July 29 @ 10pm, returning around 8pm Thurs July 31.
Pencil 'em in - details will follow at UASC or contact Jenny at jarmstrong@pacificedgetackle.com for info on this and upcoming seminars

Night of 1,000 Squalls

Check out the pix and reports on our delivery to Ensenada on the J/35 Predator this weekend, on the NautiChica blog.

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Buy a wreath - donate to Seakeepers Society

Purchase a holiday wreath from Nautical Luxuries and the Irvine-based company will donate a percentage of the proceeds to the International SeaKeepers Society.

Nautical Luxuries’ 22-inch decorative wreaths, garlands and centerpieces are adorned with sea stars and sand dollars, on evergreen boughs or naturally dried sea grass. With each purchase a contribution is made to SeaKeepers, a non-profit organization dedicated to monitoring the health of the world's oceans by deploying information-gathering modules on yachts, cruise ships, ferry boats, buoys and piers around the world. The modules collect and transmit critical data about the condition of the oceans via satellite to the University of Miami, where the data are made available to various organizations, researchers and scientists.

Nautical Luxuries has a mouth-watering catalog of gift and decorative items ideal for holiday gift giving. Or, visit the area showroom located 17971 Sky Park Circle, Suite M, in Irvine.

And they call themselves writers ...

'DUH! of the week' goes to a major UK yachting event upon the tragic news of a crew member who apparently was a naughty girl whilst viewing art ...? (And what's with the commas?!!)

"On Day four of [event that doesn't hire professional writers] well rehearsed emergency plan was called into action following a serious accident onboard the Russian crewed Volvo 60 ... Crew member Alla Byazina, suffered extensive scolding in a gallery accident that occurred during a gybe, in the fast trade wind conditions."

Save the Date(s)

Feb 2 at Del Rey Yacht Club - the SCYA Women's Sailing Convention. For details go to www.scya.org after 12/20/07.

TBA - in Santa Ynez Valley - the first annual 'Somethin's Fishy' wacky wahine wine tour and caravan: in search of the perfect fish-worthy-wine :-)

Details for both will be posted as they develop!

United Anglers 'No Motor' Tournament Dec. 15

Drag out your kayaks, float tubes, canoes or any other seaworthy vessel -- or fish from shore -- at the United Anglers 'No Motor' tournament right here in Carpinteria, 7AM til noon, Saturday Dec. 15.
Cool prizes will be awarded - including an individual prize for top female angler! The event benefits the Carpinteria Saltmarsh & UASC as they 'build a better Halibut Habitat'. More details on the UASC website here.

Observations of a fisherman

Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) from the tv show ‘How I Met Your Mother’ - says, “Women, like fish, are attracted to shiny and/or effulgent objects. In fact, those of you with a keen eye have surely noted that women are becoming increasingly indistinguishable from fish, as illustrated in the following scientific observations:

TWENTY-FOUR WAYS IN WHICH WOMEN ARE LIKE FISH

1. Both attracted to shiny objects
2. More fun to catch while drinking
3. Neither travel well
4. There's others in the sea and/or bar
5. Three words: catch and release
6. Both travel in protective groups
7. Small bladders
8. The deeper you go, the scarier they get
9. Their weight largely determines their value
10. [EDITED: My lawyer has requested that I remove this one from the blog… hint: crabs!]
11. They get all ornery if you try to grab their tail
12. Bears will eat either of them
13. Sometimes I likes 'em wild, sometimes I likes 'em farm-raised
14. You must document great catches or no one will believe you -- video preferred
15. Easier to reel in if you let them wear themselves out first
16. Seen the movie Splash? Case closed
17. Cold blooded. Looking your way, Stacy.
18. Neither can operate a vehicle
19. They both eat things
20. The harder they shake their tail, the farther they'll go in life
21. Scales are important to each of them
22. They never have to buy drinks
23. Umm… Eggs? Duh
24. Can hook either with a great line"

Match Racing Girls Got Balls!

Women’s Keelboat Match Racing has just been selected by the ISAF Council as one of the 10 events for the 2012 Olympics! Please find the complete news story on the ISAF website. Bravo Liz, WIMRA, and everyone who made it happen!
PHOTO: SEAN DOWNEY/BLASTREACH COMMUNICATIONS