ColumbiaRiverCatalina.org

March 2006

From the Commodore
By Bob Gales

Ahoy CRACA Members!

Ahoy Mates! It is March already and time for getting our boats commissioned for the fast approaching sailing season. I am happy to report that Gail and I now actually have a boat in Portland for us to get ready! Soleil, our 1988 Beneteau Oceanis 350 is somewhat happily in her slip at Rose City Yacht Club. I say “somewhat” happily as her mast is laying on the deck, tarps and old life preservers adorn her topsides for protection and the green and brown are not our colors of choice but from the years of neglect. And there are still these huge letters spelling PAY OFF marking up her stern.

But the new engine purrs and gave us no trouble as we motored from Port Townsend to Olympia. So now it is time to clean, scrub and wax everywhere I can reach. I plan to rewire the mast and install a new anchor light, steaming/deck light combo, VHF antenna/coax and wind vane. All the halyards/sheets need a good laundering if not replacing. And the teak cockpit seats, well that will take some time. I really hope the mast is back up by late March. It always seems to take longer than planned doesn’t it?

The Journey South

We bought this boat in late November and here three months later we finally have it home. I was fortunate to have local sailor and friend Loren Beach volunteer to help me deliver the boat to Olympia. Gail dropped us off in Port Townsend on Sunday, February 19 and we headed for Seattle that afternoon. It took some time as the engine installer, Richard Day, was doing some last minute work. He wanted to go over the install and operation of the engine with me. While it was a beautiful sunny day the temperature was quite low and it was very chilly out on the water. The engine temperature gauge kept reading at the high end, the tachometer was way off (we cruised at half-throttle reading 4500rpm on a 3200rpm engine!) and there was water in the bilge. A call to Richard eased my fears somewhat as we talked about what to check to remedy the problems.

We arrived at Shilshole after dark and were directed to an empty slip for the night. Loren and I had a great dinner at Ray’s Boathouse down the street and hit the sack after a long day. We wanted to leave early enough to enter the Tacoma Narrows at or near slack as the ebb would be running quite swiftly. At 5:30 a.m. the phone rang and Richard said he was on the next ferry from Bainbridge and wanted to check things out. That’s the kind of mechanic and follow-up service that is really hard to find these days. He got there about 7 and went through the engine/exhaust/intake again. He brought three new oil filters and checked out all he could.

With a late start from Seattle we hoped to make it to the Tacoma Yacht Club for the night and planned to enter the Narrows early the next day for the final run to Olympia. Our second day on the water was cold, cloudy and damp. Fortunately Soleil has a hard top dodger, bimini and side curtains that enclose the cockpit. We put them all on and set the Lil’Buddy heater in the cockpit and enjoyed the “warmth”. The reciprocal docks at TYC were new and convenient to the free showers and restrooms for visitors in the basement of their beautiful clubhouse. It looks out over the water toward Vashon Island and west to Gig Harbor. The Narrows was just a few miles around the corner. A member was doing some grounds work and offered to drive us to Anthony’s, just across the water but about a mile by land. He joined us for wine as we dined and then took up back to the boat! What great people you meet sailing! But you all know that.

The next morning we headed for the Narrows at first light. The flood was light and we had no problems zipping under Sturdy Gurtie and the new span being built. Our only problem was the fog. Soleil has no radar and even with GPS showing the buoys it is easy to get disoriented in the fog. I knew we needed to go between Anderson Island and McNeill Island but for some reason we missed the gap and headed up McNeill. I just did not look like the other times I have been through there. We only spent an extra half hour sight seeing before we were back on course for Olympia. The sun actually came out as we rounded Boston Harbor and entered Budd Inlet with the state capital dome on the horizon.

The mast came off that afternoon with the help of mast monkeys from Shurtz Marine at Swantown Boatworks. Then I had to sit until Friday waiting for the truck as it was delayed on a trip from California to Port Townsend. Friday about 11 a.m. Mike from Affordable Boat Transport showed up and out of the water came Soleil. It took about 90 minutes for Mike to load and secure the boat. We left Olympia at 12:45 and arrived at Rocky Point just before 4 p.m. Soleil was in the water and motoring up the channel by 4:30. Now that sure beats the other way, out the straits, down the coast and up the Columbia!

SOME KUDOS WELL DESERVED Throughout this whole adventure there have been some super people who made life bearable even when I just didn’t want it to be! Richard Day, Marine Architect and Surveyor, did a nice job with the install. He continually kept me informed about the progress and issues that came up. I think he went the extra mile, and will continue to do so, to make sure his work was done correctly. The folks at Swantown Boatworks are helpful and friendly. They know their stuff and always have time to help out. The Swantown Marina people are just the same, friendly, helpful and ready with some sunny news. I chose Affordable Boat Transport because they were the cheapest and there is no additional charge for Rocky Point to lift the boat back in the water. Little did I know that Gina would be so great to work with. We were on and off for a month or so as we waited for the engine work to be finished. But all through the delays Gina kept in touch to keep me informed about what was going on. Her positive service attitude helped me stay happy. Use these people/businesses when you get a chance.

I hear the music playing me off so I apologize to anybody I forgot to thank!

Boat Show Survivors' Party

Gail and I had a fun time and I think all who ventured up the mountain that sunny day had fun too. More food and libations than we could consume, some good story telling (some true) and general visiting, sharing and camaraderie. Of course sailing season plans were talked about but also tales of other adventures and other pursuits. It is interesting how varied our CRACA sailors are.

Our next social gathering will be the first cruise of the season at the start of next month. Check Jim’s article for details. I hope to see you there.

 

Vice Commodore
By <your name here>, Cxx, Boat Name

The Columbia River All Catalina Association has a vacancy to fill.  We are looking for a volunteer to assume the role of Vice Commodore.

The time commitment and the role is what you make of it.  Traditionally for CRACA this position hasn't required much more than an hour a month.

Please contact our Commodore Bob Gales if you'd like to help out CRACA in this capacity.

Bob Gales, rlgales@verizon.net

 Secretary/Treasurer
By Kathleen Lewis, C42, Wind Raven

It’s easy to renew or join CRACA.  Dues are $30 for one year (January – December).  For an extra $10/year you can receive the "Mainsheet” Catalina owners magazine which is published quarterly.

Membership applications can be found here.  Please consider becoming a member of the Columbia River All Catalina Association.

Kathy Lewis
Secretary/Treasurer
sewingmaven@msn.com

 

Rear Commodore's Log
By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic Myst

I've been busy working on my Catalina 22 getting ready for the start of the racing season in April.  Catalina 22 Fleet 20 continues to grow.  In fact we reached the milestone of topping fifty (50) members this month.  While you never see all of us together at one time, we stay connected via the fleet's monthly newsletter, the occasional workshop, and a rendezvous or two.  Most C22 folks just do their own thing, whether it is day sailing, overnight cruising, or racing, without any direct contribution from Fleet 20.  Also, because the C22 is so trailerable, we tend to be spread all over the place from the rivers to the lakes.

Fleet 20 held its third annual Catalina 22 workshop on February 25th.  Imagine my delight in having thirty Catalina 22 owners attend the workshop and meet some their fellow C22 enthusiasts.

The focus of the workshop was mast raising and rigging.  There was a lot of interest shown around the gin pole method of raising and lowering the mast.  Also demonstrated was the use of a bridle to keep the mast from swaying side to side.  With the gin pole and the bridle, workshop participants observed how a single person could raise and lower the mast, and stop at any point along the way.  Details about the workshop and how to build a gin pole are included the Catalina 22 Fleet 20 March newsletter.

It's a big year for West Coast C22 sailors who like to race.  In June the five day Catalina 22 National Regatta will be held on Scotts Flat Lake in California, and then two days and 770 miles later the Catalina NW Regatta, featuring the Catalina 22 Region 9 Championship will be held outside the breakwater of Shilshole Bay Marina in Seattle.  I'm attend both events so it should make for an interesting week in June.

CRACA Membership

Our Secretary/Treasurer, Kathleen Lewis, informs me that membership renewals have been coming in slower than expected, and that we should delay publishing the membership roster in order to give folks a little more time to get their membership in so they can appear in the roster.

CRACA will be sending out invitations to join the association to all former members and prospective new members within the next couple of weeks.  We'd like to have you back if you've been a member in the past, and we'd like to encourage you to join if you are new to the association.

Our CRACA flotilla consists of Catalina sailboats ranging in size from 22' to 50'.  The majority of our boats participate in our active cruising schedule on the lower Columbia River and in the Portland area as well as the San Juan and Gulf Islands up North.  It's a diverse group of folks who share a common interest.

Laura and I have been members since 2000, and in that time we've met a lot of wonderful people we look forward to seeing at each cruise and social event.  The real value of CRACA membership is what you draw from it by participating, even if only once a year.  On the other hand we have members whose lives make it difficult to participate and they like contributing to the sense of community the association is dedicated to creating through its newsletter and activities.

Where is Welches?

I'd never been to Welches, so the suggestion that the Boat Show Survivors Party be held there sent me off to www.mapquest.com seeking and answer and some background on the area.  Wow!  What a beautiful area.  The drive there was very scenic and the roads were great.  Bob and Gail's home is beautiful and Gail's stain glass and paintings (she's a professional artist) are wonderful accents.  I also enjoyed the photos, that adorn the walls, of Bob and Gail taken at various sites around the world on their travels.

The party was very nice.  It's always great to get together and catch up on what is happening in people's lives and what their boating plans are for the new season.  I'm glad I made the trip to Welches.

Training

If you've ever enjoyed the CRACA meetings at North Sails Oregon featuring a sail trim presentation by Kerry Poe, then you might want to consider the three evening class beginning on March 14th.  I plan to be there.  One can never learn enough about sail trim, regardless of whether you are day sailing, cruising, or racing.  Efficiency often translates into comfort and I want that when I'm cruising.

If you know of anyone thinking about racing for the first time or wants to learn about how it's done here on the Columbia River, then I recommend the SYSCO Race Clinic March 23-24.  I'm actually one of the instructors.  Only goes to show that you don't have to be the best racer to know enough to get started and teach others. 

Cruising

With my Catalina 22 going back into the water this month and the sails going back onto my Catalina 30, Celtic Myst, March is definitely a transitional month for me.  I hope you'll consider joining Laura and me for the cruise to Hadley's Landing on April 1-2.

On April 8th, I and Celtic Myst will be hosting a group from the Oregon Women's Sailing Association (OWSA) as we participate in the OWSA Linda Bean Memorial Sail to St. Helen and back in one day.

Here's looking to the start of a great season of sailing.

 

Upcoming Training Events

March 14, 21, & 28, 6:00 pm BBQ Social and 6:30-8:30 pm Class

North Sails Oregon Trim Course.  North Sails Oregon invites all skippers and crew to participate in three evenings of instruction on sail trim.  Topics include understanding rig tune, upwind sail trim and downwind sail trim.  The fee is only $15 per course or $40 for all three.  North U Course books ($25) and CD’s ($40) will be available for purchase.  Register online at  North Sails Oregon.  For information contact:  Kerry or Amy Poe, North Sails Oregon, kerry@sales.northsails.com or 503-282-4282.

March 15, 6:30 pm at Portland Yacht Club

OCSA Race Management Clinic.  The Oregon Corinthian Sailing Association invites all sailors to participate in an evening of instruction and discussions.  This extremely informative seminar is not just for race captains. The seminar will focus on the planning and coordination involved in putting on a sailboat race. There will be something for everyone. The topics will include courses, timing, calculations, planning, promoting, handling protests, and more.  Registration is not required and there is no cost.  Portland Yacht Club, 1241 NE Marine Drive, Portland, OR

March 23 - 24, 6:30-8:30 pm 3/23 & 6:00 3/24 at TBD

SYSCO Race Clinic.  The Small Yacht Sailing Club of Oregon (SYSCO) invites all sailors to attend its FREE  Race Clinic. The Thursday evening classroom and Friday evening on the water clinic is targeted at new racers and those who have never raced before.  This extremely informative seminar is perfect for new racers. The clinic will teach you how to enter a race, read and understand the course board, how to start and finish, pass along some local knowledge of racing on the Columbia River, along with other topics.  Registration is not required and the clinic is free.

 

Floating Home Living is Peaceful
Until your view catches fire and has to be towed passed your home
By Jerry Sampson, C27, Sydera

Karen and I live aboard a floating home and enjoy the convenience of having our Catalina 27, Sydera tied up alongside.  On February 8th, I got to witness something you don't see everyday in suburbia when one of my neighbor's boats caught fire.

A life time river rat, and neighbor, was removing about fifty gallons of gasoline from his boat.  The boat was to become history the next day.  He had some cans onboard that were obliviously open.  He says that he was vacuuming the boat when something blew up.

One of the plastic gas cans was burning beside him and he threw it overboard.  In the pictures on the right, that is the fire that is floating on the water.  Over the course of several minutes, it floated down to the house that I was standing on with several neighbors.  We tried beating out the fire with sticks and water, but it refused to go out.  Every time you would hit it with a stick it would splash up onto the deck and burn.  More water would put the spot fires out.

The fire department fought this fire for about two hours.  They used two fire hoses from our moorage and then put a lot of foam on it when the fireboat finally arrived.  We also used four fire extinguishers.

The fireboat finally pulled the burning hulk out into the river and sprayed water on it but to no avail, the flames just got larger.  They gave up on that strategy and brought the boat back to shore where they beached it and flooded it from two sides and used more foam.

Lessons Learned

  1. A fiberglass boat fire is very hard to put out.
  2. A fire away from shore side is going to be almost impossible to stop on your own.

 
Cruising

Changes in Latitudes
By Jim Elieff (Cruising Chairman), C30, Fortune

The Hadley's Landing cruise will be shared with the St. Helens Power and Sail club.  The Government Island cruise will be shared with the Hunter club and this will also be the first cruise that John & Annie Meyer will be taking in their new Hunter 38.

Shirley and I went to the beach the week that the CRYA meeting so I missed it.  Dave Peoples went in my place. The Oregon Woman's Sailing Association is hosting the Ladies Cruise May 19-21 at Coon Island on Multnomah Channel.  Those interested should call Susan Arnold at 360-931-6439.

I need someone to step up and host the Martin Island Cruise in May.  Please volunteer to host one of our cruises.  You can contact me at:  elieffmaan@yahoo.com

Be sure to send along an RSVP if you plan to attend a cruise.

We've added a section to include the cruising plans of members where they are inviting others to tag along.  Cruising in the company of another boat is always a lot of fun.

2006 CRACA Cruising Schedule

Date Destination Cruise Hosts
Apr 1 - 2 Hadley's Landing Dale & Laura Mack
Apr 22 - 23 Government Island - East Dock  Jim Elieff
May 27 - 29 Memorial Day Cruise - Martin Island  
June 10 - 11

Port of Camas/Washougal

  
June 24 - 25 Coon Island, East Dock  
July 15 - 16 Government Island, East Dock   
Aug 17 - 20 Beacon Rock Dale & Laura Mack
Sept 16 - 17 Catalina Rendezvous
McCuddy's Landing		  
Oct 21 - 22 Halloween Cruise
Government Island, East Dock		  

Cruising Bulletin Board
(The cruising plans of members where they are inviting you to tag along.)

Date Destination Cruise Hosts
July 14 - 16 River Place, downtown Portland Gary & Jeanine Jaeckel
July 28 - 30 Sand Island, St. Helens Gary & Jeanine Jaeckel
Aug 9 - 19 Astoria Cruise (click here for itinerary) Gary & Jeanine Jaeckel

 

 

Plans for the Hadley's Landing Cruise
Tranquility along the banks of Multnomah Channel
By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic Myst

Laura and I have volunteered to host the CRACA the cruise to Hadley's Landing.  The members of Catalina 22 Fleet 20 and Catalina 25/250 Fleet 94 have also been invited to attend.  Our Cruising Chairman, Jim Elieff, tells me we will be sharing the dock with the St. Helens Power and Sail club.

Because of morning commitments Laura and I probably won't reach Hadley's Landing until about 4:30 pm on Saturday.  As soon as we arrival we'll form cruise participants into teams and play the first round of Nautical Trivia Pursuit.

Saturday, April 1

3:00 - 5:00 pm Potluck Appetizers
4:30 - 5:00 pm Nautical Trivia Pursuit (we'll start shortly after Celtic Myst gets in)
8:00 - 9:00 pm Potluck Dessert

Michael Lewis (C42, Wind Raven) will be offering Vessel Safety Checks throughout the day for those wishing to get their decal for 2006.

Sunday, April 2 (the change to Daylight Saving Time)

9:00 - 11:00 am "Catalina Signature Breakfast", potluck style on the dock
9:30 - 11:00 am Nautical Trivia Pursuit (round 2)

RSVP

Please RSVP if you plan to attend.  In the absence of any RSVP's, Laura and I might not be there if we think we are the only one's going.

Dale Mack
360-260-4196
celtic-myst@comcast.net

What to Bring

  • Appetizer to share Saturday afternoon
  • Dessert to share Saturday evening
  • Contribution to Sunday's potluck breakfast
  • Your folding chairs and table
  • Rain cover if you have one
  • Plan for rain
  • Dress warm and dress in layers.
  • Heater (we bring a portable propane heater and lots of spare disposable bottles)

We plan to go rain or shine, so unless a really nasty storm blows in with high winds or we get no RSVP's, we'll be there.

 

Plans for the Bartlett Landing Cruise
Enjoying the views from Government Island's East Dock
By Jim Elieff, C30, Fortune

I will be hosting our cruise to Bartlett Landing (aka Government Island, East Dock).  The club will be sharing the facility with the Hunter Sailing Association of Oregon (HSAO).  I'm trying to see if the Hunter group would like to do something together.

Saturday, April 22

3:00 - 5:00 pm Potluck Appetizers

Sunday, April 23

9:00 - 11:00 am "Catalina Signature Breakfast", potluck style on the dock

RSVP

Please RSVP if you plan to attend.  In the absence of any RSVP's, I might not be there if I think I'm the only one going.

Jim Elieff
elieffmaan@yahoo.com

 

Racing

Catalina 30 Racing or Cruising in April?
By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic Myst

To race in the Small Yacht Sailing Club of Oregon's (SYSCO) Spring Regatta on April 22-23 or go on the CRACA cruise to Bartlett Landing, that is the question.  I'm willing to race if I can get two other Catalina 30 owners to commit their boats to the event.  The Catalina 30's would race as a one-design fleet, and we would race without spinnakers. 

You say you're not a racer.  Perfect, then this is the event for you.  It's low-key, tolerate of mistakes, and focused on fun.  Need crew?  I'll hook you up.  Don't know anything about starts and finishes?  I'll teach you.  The boat isn't setup for racing?  Neither is Celtic Myst.  The weekend is about sailing what you've got.  Don't want to bother learning the sailboat rules of racing?  No problem, if you know the sailboat rules of the road (i.e. starboard tacked boat has the right away over port tacked boat) then you know enough to get started.

Details about the race can be found here.  Details about local sailboat racing in general can be found here. 

Don't just sign up without letting me know or you may find yourself on the race course alone.  Without two other boat committing to the race, I'll be on the cruise instead.  If you are interested in racing your boat in the regatta contact me at:

Dale Mack
360-260-4196
celtic-myst@comcast.net

 

Gary Bruner (C25, Encore!) getting his copies of Winning in One-Design signed by the book's author Dave Perry.

Dave Perry Seminar
"Positioning Yourself to Win"
By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic Myst

On March 4th Gary Bruner (C25, Encore!) and I attended an all-day Dave Perry Seminar.  Part of the US Sailing / Mount Gay Rum Speaker Series, participants were walked through an advanced look at tactical positioning at key areas around the race course, with an in depth analysis of the decision making process.  The seminar was based on the book Perry, Dave.  Winning in One-Design.  Portsmouth: US Sailing, 2005.

Dave's a two-time All American sailor, two-time Congressional Cup winner and a member of the Sailing World Hall of Fame. He is well known for his clear, humorous and highly interactive presentations on the rules, strategy, and tactics.  His other two books include:   Understanding the Yacht Racing Rules,  and Dave Perry’s 100 Best Rules Quizzes.

The seminar ended at 5 pm and the Mount Gay Rum party started.  Each seminar participant had received two drink tickets which were also used to identify door prize winners throughout the day.  Everything from rigging knifes and Sperry Top-Sider shoes to jackets and hotel rooms were given away.  The pizza served at the party came from Pizza Mia.

 
Scuttlebutt

Catalina Newsletters of the Northwest

Checkout these links to Northwest Catalina newsletters and local racing:

Catalina 22 Fleet 20 of Portland

Sail Portland

Oregon Women's Sailing Association

 		    Catalina Assoc.  of Tacoma and South Sound (CATSS)

Catalina Association of Puget Sound (CAPS)

Small Yacht Sailing club of Oregon (SYSCO)

 

Upcoming Events

March

  • Workshop:  14, 21 & 28, North Sails Oregon Trim Course
  • Workshop:  15 OCSA Race Management Clinic
  • Workshop:  23 - 24, SYSCO Race Clinic

April

  • Cruise:  1 - 2, Hadley's Landing on Multnomah Channel
  • Cruise:  22 - 23, Bartlett Landing (Government Island, East Dock)

See the calendar

The Columbia River All Catalina Association newsletter is published once a month online at ColumbiaRiverCatalina.org.  Articles are the opinions of the authors and don't necessarily represent the consensus of the Association.