Mari-Cha Correction: Recently TWC posted a report that Mari-Cha, Bob Miller’s 140-foot record wrecker, beat a high speed Matson freight liner from San Francisco to Hawaii. Well, Capt. Bob Buell, a retired Matson line skipper wasn’t ready to accept this at face value, and did a little research. Here is the result, which he sent to the sailing newsletter Scuttlebutt. “Mike Howard [of Mari-Cha’s crew] was mistaken when he said that Mari Cha IV beat a Matson Liner to Hawaii – they average 22 kts. What he saw was the Lurline departing San Francisco on Friday when Mari Cha IV left, and she had already arrived in and departed from Honolulu when MC4 docked. But then the sistership Matsomia came into Honolulu from Long Beach. He undoubtedly assumed they beat the Lurline as he could not read the name in the dark. Aloha.” Thanks, Bob. Back to you Mike…



“Okay, Capt. Bob. So maybe we won’t be competing against you in the freight business. We’ll just have to stick to breaking every monohull speed sailing record in the books…”

(Photo: Thierry Martinez)