Internet Newsletter
From True Traveler Publishing
January/February 2010
Volume 7, Number 1/2
A true traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent upon arrival®
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CALIFORNIA CHANGES THE YACHT TAX EXEMPTION LAW
SAY ADIOS (AGAIN!)TO THE 90 DAY YACHT CLUB!
Excerpts below from the October 2, 2008 issue of the Log Newspaper
California residents who purchase boats outside the state to avoid California sales tax will now have to keep them out-of-state longer, to qualify for a sales and use tax exemption. The bill Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed on Sept. 30 immediately changed the former 90 day out-of-state stay requirement to 12 months to avoid use tax, which is equivalent to the state’s sales tax. The measure, Assembly Bill 1452, is one of number of budget bills passed by the California Legislature that make changes to state laws to implement revenue provisions of the 2008-09 Budget Act. The out-of-state waiting period reverted back to its original 90 days after Republican legislators, led by Sen. Dick Ackerman of Tustin, were instrumental in getting fellow lawmakers to remove a provision from California’s 2007-2008 budget that would have renewed the 12-month out-of-state requirement. As an “urgency measure,” AB 1452 took effect immediately after it was signed by the governor.
This year’s approach to the one-year requirement differs from the 2004 SB 1100 change in the law in two ways. First, the new law has no “sunset” provision, and the new rules are therefore theoretically “permanent.” Second, unlike the approach used in 2004, which provided a two-month phase-in period before the law became effective, this year’s modification to the law is effective immediately. In other words, if you are reading this and you have not signed a purchase contract, you will be subject to the one-year rule.
The highlights of the one-year rule provide that a buyer will be presumed to have purchased the boat in California, and thus be subject to assessment of sales or use tax, if:
• The buyer is a California resident and brings the boat into California within one year of purchase;
• The buyer is a nonresident and keeps the boat in California for more than six months during the first year after the purchase;
• The vessel is subject to the assessment of personal property tax at the county level (regardless of whether the buyer is a resident or a nonresident) during the first year after purchase.
The one significant exception to the one-year timetable allows an owner to keep the boat in California during a repair, retrofit or modification project without affecting the one-year analysis, as long as the boat logs less than 25 hours under way while it is in California.
April 2009
Christmas Day 2009
The true fisherman approaches the first day of fishing season with
all the sense of wonder and awe of a child approaching Christmas.
Robert Traver
SABOTAGE AND BOOBY TRAPS
THE PERILS OF BAJA OFF ROAD RACING
The choppers come in first. That's how you know something big is coming. Two, three, four helicopters carrying race officials and film crews tracking the leaders of the race, they pop up suddenly over a bluff, swinging in crazily like huge drunken dragonflies. The crowd knows this and starts to chatter, a tense ripple of collective excitement and nerves. Then you see the dust. The dust in the distance is like a tiny concentrated tornado, and it moves very, very fast over the cracked brown landscape, closer and closer toward the crowd. When the dust gets very close, it disappears for a moment, hidden by a hill. And then you hear the great roaring of the engine.
Baja off road racing is all about survival, whether it's the booby traps, harsh terrain, mechanical maladies or unwritten Mexican laws. Often referred to as “the most famous race that no one has ever seen,” each SCORE Baja off road team’s success hinges largely upon preparation and the ability to meet incredibly unpredictable challenges. Inextricably woven into the course are unquantifiable monkey wrenches that add a thick layer of trepidation known to no other racing in the world.
These seemingly random factors include: a crowd that literally walks in the path of the vehicles (often with children), “booby traps” made during the night before the race (by fans) including unexpected out-of-rhythm jumps, man made floods, boulders thrown and buried, oil slicks, buried and suspended telephone poles, unauthorized course changes (think Wiley Coyote), silt beds that swallow the vehicle in a cloud of blindness, and of course, the Federalies! This years Baja 1000 event was no exception.
"Weatherman" is Bob Steinberger's nickname. He is positioned on a mountain slightly south west of Mikes Sky ranch at about 9,500 feet elevation during the Baja races. He is the relay of all official SCORE communications during the event. As vehicles clear checkpoints the news will be broadcast on this radio channel. All medical emergencies, rescue efforts, security incidents, racers in need of pit support and much more communications are handled on this channel making it the number one source of race information. Access to this radio channel is available from a link on the SCORE website. On the Weatherman race emergency and monitoring frequency the Mexican national anthem is often heard hummed and sung loudly over the talking on this frequency to jam the important info being shared. A large amount of hateful cussing on the station from heavy accented Baja locals, followed by a warning by the Weatherman about using profanity on this public frequency, followed by even more virulent anti-gringo racist cussing is often heard.
In the pre-race advisory published on the SCORE website, this is one of the guidelines, “SCORE cannot regulate the conduct of spectators. Be advised that spectators may engage in malicious activity. When approaching a group of spectators - SLOW DOWN & BE ALERT!” ''There are spectators everywhere,'' said Ivan Stewart, a 17-time Baja 500 champion who won his first title in 1974. ''And when it gets late in the afternoon it gets even more dangerous. Because by then they've been drinking all day. You can't expect them to get out of the way any more.'' And there are others who simply like the idea of contributing to the mayhem. Racers have often been defeated by booby traps set up for maximum damage: telephone poles half-buried across the course and hidden by brush and dirt, or deep ditches in the course, dug the night before the race, filled with pools of water and camouflaged with grass and straw.
Baja racing is considered by enthusiasts as the most dangerous and physically demanding form of motorsports there is. That’s because in Baja racing there are no banked turns, no laser leveled straight ways, no soft walls, and absolutely NO walking back to the pits! In most 1000 mile races competitors make hundreds of laps on an oval race track. In Baja racing competitors make one 1000 mile lap that travels over sandy deserts, deep rivers, and rocky cliffs with sheer drop offs, and this all takes place in the searing heat of Mexico. In spite of the dangers, sabotage and booby traps encountered, ''There's something about Baja,'' said Judy Smith, 72, a motor sports journalist and a former off-road racer herself. ''Something happens to people here. Something happens, and after that they can never stay away.'
From a forum account on the net. Here's a photo of some of those "saboteurs" mentioned in the article.
“The night before the 500, I came across a small rancho up-course from Camalu a few miles, and these guys were very busy and also quite proud of their handiwork.”
Fishing was good, it was the catching that was bad.
ANOTHER TRUE TRAVELER PUBLISHING VIDEO
2009 Baja 1000 Winner!
Andy McMillin ... First in class and first overall four-wheel vehicle. Andy started and drove to race mile 206. His father, Scott, drove to RM 500 and Andy drove the final leg. This was Scott's first Baja 1000 overall victory and third class win in SCORE Trophy Truck. "The plan was to kind of take it easy and let the race come to us," Andy said at a press conference after the race. "We knew Sal (Fish) laid out a really rough, tough course this year. And we knew it was going to take one truck that didn't have any problems to get the win. So that was our plan all day was just to stay smooth, and not have any down time and no flat tires."
Post Race Quotes;
Andy said: "I started the race and I think we started 17th on the road. The plan was just to kind of take it easy and kind of let the race come to us. Sal (Fish) laid out a really rough, tough course this year. We knew that it was going to take one trip that didn't have any problems to get the win. That was our plan all day stay smooth and not have any downtime, no flat tires. I gave my dad the truck at mile 206 and I think we were seventh on the road and pretty close on the overall lead. My dad drove the San Felipe loop and the Mikes loop. By the time he got to San Felipe, he was the first truck on the road. My dad handed me a helluva lead, so it was pretty easy. It was kind of just stay on the racecourse and you wont get in trouble, so that was our plan and we followed it and let the race come to us, really."
Scott said: "The Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, you just don't come down here and decide to race this a month in advance; this takes a whole year of planning. We have a dedicated team back at our shop, about five core guys who work full time on this. Plus, there are another 20 volunteers who are with us at all the races, all the pre-running, all the planning. We just couldn't have done it without all of them. They are as much a part of this win as those of us riding in the truck. It just gives you that confidence when you're out in front and you don't want to have any mistakes they help us do that. Its really great that they posted (the virtual checkpoints) in advance so when we were pre-running and practicing, we knew exactly where to be and what we were supposed to do. They are all the same lines weve all been racing all these years. Always all the 30 years that I've been racing the fastest way is the racecourse. I can't tell you how many times I just take the racecourse and stay on it and stay focused and you go y all the guys that are trying to find the smooth route. Before this race, we decided that were going to race all the SCORE races next year."
Testament of a Fisherman
I fish because I love to; because I love the environs where trout are found, which are invariably beautiful, and hate the environs where crowds of people are found, which are invariably ugly; because of all the television commercials, cocktail parties, and assorted social posturing I thus escape; because, in a world where most men seem to spend their lives doing things they hate, my fishing is at once an endless source of delight and an act of small rebellion; because trout do not lie or cheat and cannot be bought or bribed or impressed by power, but respond only to quietude and humility and endless patience; because I suspect that men are going along this way for the last time, and I for one don't want to waste the trip; because mercifully there are no telephones on trout waters; because only in the woods can I find solitude without loneliness; because bourbon out of an old tin cup always tastes better out there; because maybe one day I will catch a mermaid; and, finally, not because I regard fishing as being so terribly important but because I suspect that so many of the other concerns of men are equally unimportant - and not nearly so much fun.
Robert Traver
TO SEE MORE BAJA OFFROAD RACING VIDEOS VISIT THE TRUE TRAVELER PUBLISHING YouTube CHANNEL; http://www.youtube.com/SITKASAILS
Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in.
Henry David Thoreau
Within the Bahia de Todos Santos there exists one of the most legendary and electrifying surf Meccas on the entire planet. It is visited by surfers from all over the world and is regarded as a must-surf spot if you are to complete your resume of past conquered venues. Along with Biarritz, France, Tahiti and Costa Rica, the waves of Ensenada are renowned “big game” within the surfing clan. A trip down the coast highway from the States will now often include a trailer with an expensive wave runner in tow in addition to the surfboards strapped to your car. Often resented and considered as “cheaters” by many conventional old school paddle-in wave riders, these tow-in surfers have created a new and exciting way to experience some of the biggest waves on the globe.
Back in the mid 1960's the Windansea Surf Club located in La Jolla, San Diego, discovered a new surf destination. It was 90 miles south of La Jolla and required chartering a boat, as it was 9 miles offshore and only accessible by boat. This was a spot named Killers by the crew, as it was a crushing wave of over 15 feet, if the swell was big enough and from the right direction. If the waves along the shores of Ensenada are breaking large, you can expect to find waves that are 5 to 20 feet bigger at Killers, dependant on the direction of the swell. They rumble out of deep water and hit a shallow rock shelf that creates beautiful cascading volumes of aqua green water to break with incredibly good form, perfect for surfing. This deep water to shallow shelf interaction causes the waves to jump to a much greater size than the ground swell that has now traveled many sea miles from the northern storm that created that swell.
The advent of “tow-in” surfing late in the last decade developed in the Hawaiian Islands was a revolution in the surf industry. Waves such as the Killers break are very difficult to paddle into as surfers had been doing for years since the Hawaiian Inlanders first introduced the sport. These fast moving swells approaching shallow water called for a new means of entry before riding the wave toward the rocky cliffs of the Todos Santos Islands. Soon surfers were employing the tow-in method locally to surf the huge waves at Killers. A powerful high horsepower wave runner is used to tow the surfer by an umbilical cord, much like skiing behind a boat, which actually sling shots the surfer into the wave already standing on his board poised for action. After dropping the cord, the surfer then rides the wave to completion and his mate on the gas powered craft then plucks the surfer from the area near shore and tows him back out to the take off area for the next ride. The guys will periodically rotate and take turns riding the waves and driving the wave runner.
When the waves are big the wave runner surfers can be seen launching their turbine jet water powered vessel at the only suitable launch ramp in Ensenada, at the Coral Marina and Hotel. A small platform is mounted on the rear of the wave runner for carrying the surfboards that will be ridden that day. There are loops along the entire edge of the platform for the surfer to grab onto after his ride for his tow back out to the take off area. These crazed enthusiasts ride the entire 9 miles out to Killers at breakneck speed, crashing over the swells as they head out to the distant islands. They travel with little or no baggage, wetsuits already donned, and perhaps just a lunch and some refreshment in the glove box of the water craft. Arriving in less than a half hour, they are soon ready to rip their first wave conquest.
The location of this surfing attraction for big wave seekers is located at the extreme north end of the Todos Santos Islands below the picturesque red and white light house. Here you will find waves that are often over 30 feet in size during the winter months. Killers can be seen breaking from the shoreline of Ensenada with the naked eye when it is "on". A horizontal column of white water foam extending around the point can be plainly seen on the days when it's "working". Boat charters are available along the Ensenada waterfront to this area complete with surf tour guides which will anchor while you are surfing this magnificent wave.
TO SEE MORE BAJA SURFING VIDEOS VISIT THE TRUE TRAVELER PUBLISHING YouTube CHANNEL; http://www.youtube.com/SITKASAILS
All you need to be a fisherman is patience and a worm.
Herb Shriner
THE BAJA FEAR FACTOR
(A SAMPLE CHAPTER FROM OUR BOOKS)
As humans, we possess a natural fear of that which we do not understand. Also, as humans we often do things we would prefer not to do if the money is good enough. The ideal situation before embarking to the 90 Day Yacht Club is that your fears are reduced and the choices are made through a previous local knowledge of the area, enabling the benefit in savings to be the determining factor in your decision. This is one of the reasons we are writing this book for you. We hope the overall cause and effect of this text is to reassure your decision to make the offshore delivery a well made decision, and for you to enjoy the days spent in manaña-land, and your resultant tax savings.
The isolated stories you have heard or read of misfortune experienced by others have been the result of bad judgment, poor preparation, and/or a bit of bad luck. Driving in Mexico after consuming alcohol or drugs is not advised. In addition, any possession of firearms in Mexico is strictly prohibited. Your drive to and from Ensenada may include a checkpoint for firearms and drugs search and seizure. The majority of times through these checkpoints you will be waved on through, however, at times a search may be performed. Your attitude is very important when dealing with any form of authority in Mexico. A smile and an attempt at what little Spanish you may speak will go a long way toward determining the treatment you receive from the Mexican authorities. This may determine if you are lightly searched or all your belongings searched in earnest.
When crossing the border there is the famous red light/green light system determining whether you are subject to search for imported goods or allowed to cruise through. A red light and loud bell will be your cue to pull to the right and into the inspection lanes. Again, attitude is important if inspected. Have the original copy of your importation document issued when checked into the port of Ensenada with you. If you are importing a lot of boat gear, this may allow you through without paying importation duties. But that document is not a guarantee of you not paying importation duties; this is subject to the mood of, and interpretation of the law, subject to the discretion of the inspecting official. Our best advice is a friendly greeting by you and a willingness to open every door when asked. Don't willfully offer information about what you have, your destination, or your possession of the importation documentation, except when asked. Also, try to keep importation of new gear to a minimum. The Mexican border officials would have you pull into the "Declare" lanes automatically, but this could be costly in time and funds. A part of your pre-trip planning would have all that great new stuff from your local marine store already on the boat when disembarking from the U.S.. But forgotten or upgrade items may have to be transported during your 90 day stay. Remember to smile and learn to say “Holla, como esta usted?” (“hello, how are you”), etc… in Spanish to lessen the tension and put you back on the road to the 90 Day Yacht Club (see our Spanish glossary for more useful phrases).
Once more, do not drink and drive, possess firearms or drugs, and most importantly cop an attitude if stopped or searched. The ugly American image is not wanted south of the border and Mexican citizens can sense that attitude immediately. A measure of mutual respect and common sense, along with local knowledge of the area will go a long way to help lessen the Fear Factor.
THE S.S. CATALINA HAS NOW BEEN REMOVED FROM THE ENSENADA HARBOR
Unless one can enjoy himself fishing with the fly, even when his efforts are unrewarded, he loses much real pleasure. More than half the intense enjoyment of fly fishing is derived from the beautiful surroundings, the satisfaction felt from being in the open air, the new lease on life secured thereby, and the many, many pleasant recollections of all one has seen, heard and done.
Charles F. Orvis
TO SEE MORE TSUNAMI VIDEOS VISIT THE TRUE TRAVELER PUBLISHING YouTube CHANNEL; http://www.youtube.com/SITKASAILS
Final Words: An old man in his final breaths called in his family and said "I must apologize to you all. I suppose I haven't been the perfect father and husband. I shamefully admit that I spent as much of my life as I could in the woods and on the streams. I was rarely at home during the fishing seasons and I'll admit that I spent too much time at the fly shop, and too much money on rods and lines and reels." He paused here to rest for a minute, then continued. "I've been a terrible father and I hope you all forgive me." Then he paused again and looked around. Then he closed his eyes and smiled and said in a half whisper to himself, "and on the other hand....I have caught a helluva lot of trout."
Anonymous
INTRODUCING THE GillBilly.com MOVIE PROJECT!
This is an appeal to those that would like to benefit the fishing industry in this rather difficult economic environment, and who would also like to help promote and propel a new project designed to expose more adults and young people to fishing as a healthy family life experience. Thus bringing a greater green awareness of ocean and fish ecology. The project needs investors, screenwriters and any connections that may be usable in the film and animation trades. Your interest and support will be greatly appreciated!
Visit the GillBilly Movie Development Blog and Help Us Create the Movie by Adding Your Idea Comments.
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