Newsletter	March 2003

From the Afterguard
By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic Myst

Cut the grass versus wash the boat, easy call, wash the boat.  The days are getting longer, the trees are starting to flower, and the grass is coming out of hibernation.  This is a wonderful time of the year because it fills us with so much anticipation of the coming sailing season.  Laura and I also enjoy gardening, so when the weather starts to warm up, we find ourselves pulled between two equally rewarding and peaceful activities.  Fortunately for us, we can frequently squeeze both into our weekends.

Laura and I just completed out first year of year round in the water boat ownership.  While we owned our Catalina 22 for fourteen years, we trailer sailed it for the first twelve, and even after coming to Vancouver, the boat sat on the trailer during the winter months.  I've spent most of this winter working on dismantling things on the boat and putting them back together.  Laura, Sean, and I are hoping to spend four weeks in the Gulf Islands on the boat this summer, so the paranoid side of me has been very motivated to understand how everything works and is put together on the boat.

All Catalina Rendezvous in September

Our Commodore, Dave Peoples, is looking for volunteers to help with the preparations for the Fourth Annual All Catalina Rendezvous.  The 2003 event will be held at McCuddy's Landing on Multnomah Channel on September 12-14.  Please contact Dave if you'd be willing to help out (dpeoples@canby.com or 503-651-3185)

Elections for New Officers

The CRACA general meeting in April will also serve as a vehicle for electing our new officers for the coming year (April 2003 to April 2004).  Commodore Dave Peoples has formed a nominating committee tasked with coming up with a slate of candidates for the membership to vote on.  If you would like to nominate someone, or would like to run for one of the association's offices please contact Dave (dpeoples@canby.com or 503-651-3185).  The offices to fill include:

• Commodore
• Vice Commodore
• Secretary/Treasurer
• Communications Officer
• Cruise Officer
• Hospitality Officer
• Safety Officer
• Historian

Roles and responsibilities for each of the positions is outlined in the association's Charter.  I'd like to throw in a plug for Communications Officers, whose most visible contributes are the website and the monthly newsletter.  While I have filled this role since the association's inception in 2000, I'd encourage someone who'd like to try their hand at it to offer their name for nomination.

Sail the Lifts

A busy work schedule kept Laura and me from attending some of the CRACA events early in the 2002 season, and judging from those cruises we went on in the second half of the season, we knew that missing the first half was our loss.  The Beacon Rock cruise, All Catalina Rendezvous at Sand Island, and the Halloween cruise to Coon Island, that we attended were great and the folks we met even better.

CRACA has a wonderful 2003 cruising schedule, with lots of fun destinations.  Whether you're an old river rat who know every nook and cranny of the Columbia, or a newbie like myself, come out and discover why cruising with the flotilla can be a great time.

See You on the Water.

Past Commodore's Hammock
By Michael Lewis, C42, Wind Raven

I read the other day that a new Sailing Educational Demonstration Class was being considered:

Kiwi Bucket-Bailing

But was not adopted since it had such good coverage on ESPN in the America’s Cup. The coverage was great and I hope you had an opportunity to catch some of the eventual action.

By the way. For those sailors that will sail/truck/charter to the Strait of Juan de Fuca – Puget Sound this year a Security Zone for the Protection of Passenger Vessels has been established. This is in addition to the Naval Protection Zone.

Any vessel that is within 500 yards of a passenger vessel must slow to the minimum speed to maintain a safe course and proceed as directed by the passenger vessel master or law enforcement officer. A passenger vessel is any vessel over 100 feet in length carrying passengers for hire such as auto ferries, cruise ships, passenger ferries, and excursion vessels.

In addition, NO vessel is allowed within 100 yards of a passenger vessel unless authorized by law enforcement officer or passenger vessel master. Call them on VHF Channel 16. Looks like it becomes a requirement to have VHF, if you don’t have one or you have to outrun the ferries. Fat Chance.

Penalty is not more than $27,500 per violation, if willful not more than $250,000 and/or 6 years imprisonment. And by the way, a Class D Felony.

Cruises are beginning again.  Although March's event got rained out, the following month is always a good cruise to Gilbert River (aka African Queen cruise) and then the best one and maybe the last one at Martin Slough in May.

Catalina Newsletters of the Northwest
By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic Myst

Checkout these links to more Northwest All Catalina newsletters:

Catalina Association of Tacoma and South Sound (CATSS)

http://home.earthlink.net/~jimhettinger/CATSS%20Newsletters/

Catalina Association of Puget Sound (CAPS)

http://www.capsfleet1.com/News%20Letters.htm

Sailing Foundation Hosts Gary Jobson March 28

The Sailing Foundation will host an evening with Gary Jobson on March 28 at the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle.  The Emmy award willing America's Cup and Olympic sailing commentator brings his highly entertaining presentation fresh from ESPN's cup coverage in New Zealand.

If you love the sport of sailing, be it racing or cruising, you don't want to miss this.  Proceeds support high school sailing in the Northwest.  Tickets are $25, $15 for Sailing Foundation members and $8 for sailor 18 and under.

Reserve your tickets now, contact the Sailing Foundation, P.O. Box 4213, Tumwater, WA 98501, 888-892-SAIL, jan@ussailing.net

Press Release

Sailors Asked to Climb On Board Youth Project

Portland, Oregon. - March 10, 2003 - Portland-Vancouver area sailors and sailing clubs are being invited to create a memorable sailing adventure for underprivileged youth on May 10, 2003.

The day-long sail dubbed Generosity Fills My Sails, is aimed at challenging underprivileged young people to look beyond the current horizons in their lives. Through free access to a day of sailing offered by area sailors and clubs, students will have a chance to learn some basic skills, work together as a team and consider how sailing could help them to fulfill their dreams in life.

"Sailing has opened up new possibilities in my life." notes Alan Goodman, who sails his 28-foot boat Pleiades on the Columbia River and is organizing the event. "The self-confidence and knowledge I've gained has enabled me to explore distant places and make new and lasting friends." Goodman wants the gifts sailing offers to be available also for families which can't afford to own a sailboat or belong to a sailing club. "Our sailing community has kind hearts and enjoys an abundance of resources; Generosity Fills My Sails is an expression of our passion for sailing, generosity for people less fortunate and desire to truly make a difference in the lives of others."

Goodman is looking for local sailing clubs to step forward and play a key role in creating this extraordinary day of sailing for youth. Sailing clubs, youth groups, sailors and anyone else wanting to "climb on board" the project should contact Alan Goodman at (503) 502-8386 or send an email to algoodman1@cs.com. 

March Meeting at RCYC

Plans for April

Details are still being worked out with West Marine, so this is subject to change.

While putting the finishing touches on an article about the April cruise Laura and I were volunteering to lead, I started wondering when Easter was.  As it turns out CRACA accidentally choose and got approved by CRYA to hold the cruise April 19-20 at Gilbert River Moorage, unfortunately April 20 is Easter Sunday.

I'll work with a couple of other CRACA board members to see if another weekend would work without conflicting with the CRYA schedule.

Ladies Cruise 2003
By OWSA

Editor's Note:  I know several female members of CRACA have discussed attending this year.  Laura Mack (C30, Celtic Myst) is planning to attend and has already filled the berths on her boat with family and friends.  

Ladies Cruise 2003 Island Getaway Held at the PYC Outstation May 16,17,18

SKIPPER AND CREW COORDINATION MEETING

TUESDAY MARCH 25, AT 7PM

Please come join us at the Rose City Yacht Club.
3737 NE Marine Dr.

The gate will be opened at 6:30pm

¨For information call or e-mail:

Your Cruise Captains:

Sue Johnson, lspbj@comcast.net , 503-661-7199

Sheila Drews, Sheila.drews@saiemail.com

Cheri Tuma, svabsolut@cs.com

Sail for the Cure
By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic Myst

Saturday, September 20.  CRACA will be promoting participation in this year's Sail for the Cure event sponsored by the Oregon Women's Sailing Association (OWSA).

What is Sail for the Cure

• An event organized by OWSA to benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
• The event starts out with coffee & snacks at check-in, then we sail a "fun race" stressing cooperation more than winning, followed by a post event party with food and prizes.
• Each boat must be skippered by a woman (she doesn't have to own it to be the skipper), and men are welcome to crew.
• The entry fee is $20.00 per person, with all profits go to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
• Every effort will be made to match up participants without boat connections to a boat with room.

For those possibly intimidated by the phrase "fun race", I want to assure you no previous racing experience is required.  All you need to do is load your boat up with a bunch of friends and come out an enjoy a leisurely day sail around the course.  If you don't want to follow the course, that works too.  The point is to raise funds for breast cancer research while at the same time having a great time with friends.

So why start announcing the event six months in advance?  CRACA hasn't attended before, so we are hoping with lots of advance notice, folks will put it on their calendars.

For more information about the Sail for the Cure, click here.

March

• 26, General Membership Meeting at RCYC

April

• 19-20, Gilbert River Cruise
• 23, Annual Meeting & Elections

See the calendar