San Francisco Bay
IMTRA Grows Its Commercial Sales Team
New Bedford, Mass. based manufacturer and importer of marine and commercial products IMTRA announced it has hired Rusty Morgan to take on the role of Regional Commercial Sales Manager for the Pacific Northwest. Eric MacDonald, who held the position most recently, has expanded his responsibilities to support IMTRA’s growing commercial sales and increased product offering from IMTRA’s headquarters in New Bedford.With the offshore wind segment in particular growing rapidly, having…
Shipbuilding: Leadership Transition at Bay Ship & Yacht
Bay Ship & Yacht founders Bill Elliott and Alan Cameron step back, name Joel Welter CEO, Gerona Goethe General ManagerBill Elliott, who during a 45-year career catapulted Bay Ship & Yacht (BS&Y) from operating out of a single, mobile shipping container known as the “Shipyard in a Box” to becoming a premiere ship repair conglomerate in San Francisco Bay, announced a new generation of leadership for the company.Joel Welter, currently Chief Naval Architect, was named Chief Executive Officer and Gerona Goethe, currently Assistant General Manager was tapped tas General Manager.
Marine Insurance: Protect Your Yacht, Yourself
All my life, I grew up around boats. My dad was a captain for 23 years, and I would travel on his ships throughout the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes. My first job out of college was in San Francisco, so naturally I bought a 30-foot sailboat and lived on it on the San Francisco Bay. In more recent years, I have enjoyed yachting with my family on the inland lakes of Virginia. No matter where you have launched your yacht, boating is an exhilarating experience. It can also be dangerous and fraught with risks.
FDR’s Yacht Plies the Waters of San Francisco Bay
President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidential yacht, Potomac, is once again plying the waters of San Francisco Bay after undergoing a maintenance drydocking at Bay Ship and Yacht in Alameda, Calif. Long known as the “Floating White House,” she served as the presidential yacht until his death in 1945. She has a storied past from her start as a Presidential yacht to the King’s yacht (Elvis Presley) and several other lives in-between. Now under management of the Potomac Association, she is under constant care and refurbishment to combat the elements of time.
A Traditional Ship with a Contemporary Heart
Old photos show mid-nineteenth century sailing ships abandoned in the San Francisco Bay area by crews who caught gold fever. Some of these abandoned hulls lie under the modern day city of San Francisco. Over in Sausalito, just to the north of the famous Golden Gate Bridge, what may well be the spirit of one of those buried vessels has taken shape under the direction of Captain Alan Olson, who has several decades of experience building and restoring and sailing classic wooden ships.
IMTRA Adds Two Account Reps
J. Mark Barrett and Eric MacDonald have joined the outside sales team of IMTRA, a manufacturer and importer of marine and commercial products. “After 35 years with the company, Jerry Truax has retired from IMTRA,” said Eric Braitmeyer, CEO, IMTRA. “He has been a tremendous technical resource, a valued advocate for his customers, a dedicated representative for IMTRA and just a great person. With such big shoes to fill, we have decided to do so with two people. Barrett joins IMTRA on January 26 as recreational Pacific Northwest account representative.
Bellingham Marine Completes Blu Harbor Marina
Bellingham Marine was contracted by The PAULS Corporation, a private development group based in Denver, to engineer, design and manufacture a new concrete floating dock system for the Blu Harbor community development in Redwood City, Calif. The project consisted of the removal of the outdated marina and the engineering and erection of a new concrete floating dock system. The new development includes a 64-slip marina, 402 apartments, a human powered watercraft launch dock and a saltwater pool.
Boaterz 'N Bikerz Pacific Coast Rush
Boating industry bikers from across the country are throttling up this weekend for the official launch of "Pacific Coast Rush," a week-long escorted motorcycle tour from Seattle, WA to San Francisco, CA, including a two-day swing down to Big Sur and Monterey. As part of the "Boaterz 'n Bikerz of America Hull of a Tour" series originally launched in 2011, this summer's cruise kicks off Saturday, July 23 and features a full week of scenic mountain and waterway riding including stretches along the famed Pacific Coast Highway.
Safe Harbor Marinas Adds Four Calif. Marinas
Safe Harbor Marinas has acquired four California coastal marinas located between San Diego and the San Francisco Bay as part of the company’s ongoing effort to grow its inland and coastal portfolio. The acquisitions include Ballena Isle Marina, Ventura Isle Marina, Anacapa Isle Marina and Cabrillo Isle Marina. Ballena Isle Marina is located in historic Alameda in the San Francisco Bay. The marina is host to the Ballena Bay Yacht Club and a variety of yacht races originate from its naturally-protected harbor. Ventura Isle and Anacapa Isle Marinas are both at the entrance to Channel Islands National Park, a world-class boating destination.
Married Couple Set Mid-Pacific Rowing Speed Record
Meredith Loring and Sami Inkinen, a married couple based out of the San Francisco Bay Area, began their unsupported rowing expedition on June 18, 2014, out of Monterey Harbor, rowing more than 60 miles a day to cover their 2,800-mile Pacific crossing to Honolulu in 45 days and four hours. While they set the new pair’s speed record for a Mid-Pacific crossing, the couple’s expedition was largely an effort to bring attention to the dangers of sugar and to help decrease raising levels of childhood obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Inkinen…
Free Marine VHF Check Call Expanding, Seeks Hosts
Sea Tow Services International, Inc., a leading professional marine assistance provider in the USA, says that the number of stations transmitting its free Automated Radio Check service in coastal and inland boating areas across the U.S. has risen to over 130 locations. Claimed to be the first and only service of its kind, Sea Tow continues to seek new host stations in its mission to expand this vital boating safety service. Automated Radio Check, which is provided by Sea Tow in association with MariTEL, lets boaters quickly and easily check that their vessel’s VHF radio is working.
Willard Provides High-speed Umpire Boat for America’s Cup
Those who have been watching the America’s Cup races in San Francisco Bay may have noticed the high-speed umpire boat racing alongside the sailboats. The 43-ft. interceptor craft was provided by Willard Marine, a 56-year-old boat builder based in southern California. The boat is based on an offshore racing design and was originally built by Willard Marine for military special warfare missions, such as interdicting and boarding vessels in the open ocean. Powered by twin 600hp inboard turbocharged diesel engines with a high-speed surface drive, the interceptor can sustain speeds up to 60 knots.
Marina In San Francisco Upgrades Docks
Located in the heart of San Mateo County, Oyster Point Marina, offers San Francisco boaters direct access to the bay. The City owned marina recently completed replacement of piers 8 and 11. Bellingham Marine, world renowned marina builder, was contracted to perform as the general contractor. Oyster Point’s existing 20 plus year old glu-lam, timber system was replaced with Bellingham Marine’s concrete floating docks fitted with upgraded utilities and accessories. Upgrades were made to the marina to provide improved moorage for boaters in the San Francisco Bay area.
Enclosed Dry Dock Opened on U.S. West Coast
Bay Ship & Yacht Co., an American service, refit and new construction yards for superyachts and commercial vessels, recently expanded its capacity and capabilities by unveiling a new covered dry dock that accommodates vessels displacing up to 6,300-long tons with a maximum beam of 76 feet. Currently the only dry dock on the West Coast to be fully enclosed by a retractable roof, this new high-tech facility on San Francisco Bay is a conversion of the submersible Hughes Mining Barge (HMB-1), which played a role in a covert Cold War operation. According to CIA documents declassified in 2012, the HMB-1 was built in the 1970s by the U.S.
Willard Vessel Chosen to Umpire America’s Cup
Willard Marine, Inc. of Anaheim, Calif. announced that the America’s Cup Racing Association has chosen to use their 43’ High Speed Interceptor RIB as the Umpire Boat for this summer’s race. This year’s new AC 72 Catamarans have hulls that will reach speeds over 40 knots. The Willard Interceptor was designed for high performance and can go as fast as 62 knots which is needed to keep a faster pace than the racing hulls. Willard Marine Inc. is a leading manufacturer of fiberglass and aluminum boats for a wide variety of military, law enforcement, and commercial customers.
NZ America's Cup Entrant Hitches Maersk Ride
Emirates Team New Zealand’s ‘AC72’ catamaran is on its way to San Francisco to compete in the America’s Cup regatta, courtesy of sponsor Maersk Line. The Port of Auckland witnessed a spectacular sight recently as the massive 72-foot multihull yacht, named ‘New Zealand’, was hoisted out of the water and placed safely onto the deck of the Maersk Jubail. It’s break bulk cargo to Maersk Line, but to Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ), twice winner of the Americas Cup, it’s the start of their journey to win back the coveted trophy.
America's Cup Contestant AC72 Launched
The launch of Artemis Racing’s first AC72 catamaran marks a major milestone in the team’s quest for the America’s Cup. Thousands of design and build hours came together when the Artemis Racing AC72 was launched at the team’s base in Alameda, to be christened by Barbro Osher, Consul General of Sweden in San Francisco and Godmother of Artemis. The hulls were built in Sweden, trucked to the base in Valencia, Spain, in spring of this year and then travelled by cargo ship to San Francisco only to arrive in August.
l’Hydroptère DCNS Sets Sailing Speed Record
On Friday, l’Hydroptère DCNS, the fastest sailboat on the planet, set the first certifiable one-mile sailing speed record on San Francisco Bay. A race committee under the authority of the Yacht Racing Association of San Francisco Bay (YRA) and the San Francisco Bay Area Multihull Association (BAMA) declared a preliminary one-mile speed record of 37.5 knots (43.2 mph / 69.5 kph) based on visual timing that will be certified on analysis including precise Global Positioning System (GPS) plots. The race authority set a one nautical mile course angled between the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island, in winds of 16 knots gusting to 20 knots.
