From the Commodore
By Eric Rouzee, C36, Legacy
Hello fellow CRACA members,
I’m happy to report that CRACA is doing very well these days. We have some great board members, some nice cruises coming up that Jim will tell you about, and all in all, considering how the weather has treated us this summer, it has still been a fine sailing season. It was nice to see so many members out racing this summer, and we also had members out helping on the race committees. Thanks to Gary Bruner for helping on the CYC Summer Series race committee.
September Rendezvous
Well, September has come and gone, and that means another September Rendezvous is behind us. This year’s event was at the city docks at St. Helens, and while we had a light turnout, those who made it down had a great time. Four boats arrived at the dock, and we had several members show up by automobile and join us for a great pizza feed at the Plantation House in downtown St. Helens. Thanks to everyone who attended, and a special thanks to Jim Elieff for keeping us entertained during cocktail hour with a litany of great stories!
Nominations for 2008 Board Members
As the end of the year nears, we need some members to step up and help with board positions, most specifically the vice commodore position. Here is what the board candidates tentatively look like for 2008:
- Commodore – Alden Andre
- Rear Commodore – Eric Rouzee
- Cruise Officer – Jim Elieff
- Historian – Alex Andre
Positions seeking candidates
- Vice Commodore -
- Secretary/Treasurer – (Kathleen Lewis is stepping down)
- Communications Officer – (Dale Mack is stepping down)
- Safety – (Michael Lewis is stepping down)
The position of Vice Commodore is an important one for our club. You’re involved in the September Rendezvous plus other events, and at the end of your tenure, you automatically become the Commodore. It’s a great experience to be a part of CRACA’s board. If you’re interested, please contact me. My daytime phone number is 360-690-0331, mobile is 360-907-8374, and email is erirou@colmac.com . Trust me, you won’t regret it!
Historian
By Alex Andre', C38, Fly Bye
Hello CRACA Members,
I’m sure everyone got out at least once this summer to enjoy the beautiful weather. If you have any pictures, I would appreciate it if you could send them to me at alex@teamimpact.org so that I can compile a scrapbook for the CRACA website. Enjoy October!
Alex Andre'
503-819-9998
alex@teamimpact.org
The View from the Taffrail
Journeys of a Catalina Enthusiast
By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic Myst
It's funny how September can turn out to be one of the busiest months for sailing. We had Catalina's participating in the:
- SYSCO Race/Cruise to St. Helens
- RCYC Long Distance Race to St. Helens
- Catalina Rendezvous at St. Helens
- Sail for the Cure
- Oregon Women's Sailing Association's Wednesday Night Sails
I hear talk about moving the Catalina Rendezvous out of September and into one of the summer months next year. I'd personally like to see this. CRACA has held eight rendezvous since its inception in 2000, and of those three rendezvous have had rain. The summer months aren't without their own challenges as any date set for a rendezvous will invariably conflict with someone's cruising plans. If you have opinion on this subject, please don't hesitate to contact our Cruising Chairman Jim Elieff (elieffmaan@yahoo.com) to share your views.
CRACA membership renewal notices will be going out shortly. As you contemplate renewing, rejoining, or signing up for the first time, think about what you'd like to get out of your CRACA membership and then send your thoughts along to our Vice Commodore, and soon to be CRACA Commodore, Alden Andre' (alden642@comcast.net).
CRACA Board Looking for Some New Members -- How About You
As you read earlier, Michael and Kathleen Lewis, and I will be retiring from the CRACA Board when our terms end on November 30. Michael and Kathleen are charter members, and Michael is the founder of CRACA. I personally want to thank the Lewis' for their terms as Commodore, Safety Focal, and Secretary/Treasurer. Both Michael and Kathleen have graciously held their offices for multiple terms when no one else stepped up. In my case, I've offered to assist in maintaining the website and publishing the monthly newsletter, but I feel it is time for some fresh ideas and new energy on the CRACA Board. Stepping aside is the correct thing to do for the long-term health of the association.
Mary Kay Night Sailing
I introduced sailing to a lot of new people this year, including non-sailors from Mary Kay. Laura combined her love of night sailing with her desire to reward top performers in her Mary Kay unit. With anywhere from eight to eleven aboard, Laura and I shared the joys of leaving the marina, hoisting the sails, and the peace and quiet that a comes from a night sail upriver. Our last trip in September started off with appetizers and dinner aboard. With the remains of the dinner stored safely away, Laura and I got the boat underway. The beaming faces of those aboard always reminds me how lucky I'm to have the opportunity to go sailing so match. With the sight of the marina fading from view, we ran our typical evening course of downwind sailing up to buoy "18" (on the way to the I-205 bridge), and then windward sailing back to the marina.
OWSA WNS Season Finale
I'm a huge fan of the Oregon Women's Sailing Association's Wednesday Night Sails. Where else, for $25/year, can you go sailing on a different boat every Wednesday evening during the season. I volunteer because I like getting the boat out on the water and sharing my hobby with others.
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| C30 Celtic Myst |
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| C25 Tybreaker |
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| Rafting up in Grandma's Cove |
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| Onboard Celtic Myst |
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| Potluck Dinner |
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| Dinner laid out on the cabin top |
OWSA's last WNS of the season occurred in September. We all headed down to Grandma's Cove (Schooner Creek Boat Works prefers if you call it Canoe Bay) between the RR Bridge and the I-5 Bridge. A fabulous potluck dinner combined with great conversation made it a wonderful event. The trip home with the full moon was awesome.
Celtic Myst will be back in 2008 for more WNS sailing. I'd love to see additional Catalina's volunteering to host crews. For the female Catalina sailors out there I highly recommend an OWSA membership. In addition to WNS, OWSA sponsors several events from classes and guest speakers, to picnics and racing all geared toward women.
SYSCO Race/Cruise to St. Helens
The Small Yacht Sailing Club of Oregon (SYSCO) sponsors racing, cruising, meetings, and classes. Several members of CRACA are also members of SYSCO where, among other things, they enjoy the Spring and Summer evening race series organized by SYSCO.
Once a year, in September, SYSCO hosts a cruise/race to St. Helens. We call it a race because we setup a starting line just downstream of the mouth of the Willamette River and then finish at Warrior Rock. No trophies are awarded, because in reality it's focus is enjoying the great sailing between Portland and St. Helens. Once at the docks we share stories and appetizers.
I and my C22 partner Don Bateson, sailed Crocus to St. Helens this year. The sailing was awesome. After visiting and appetizers, we headed up to the Dockside Steak & Pasta restaurant for a nice dinner. We turned in early after a very full day.
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| Dale Mack and Don Bateson sailing the C22 Crocus to St. Helens. |
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| The C28 Leucothea and the C28 Whisper resting at the docks after a great sail. |
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| Margaret Hanson (C28, Leucothea) and Kathie Annis (C28, Whisper) planning to host the Halloween Cruise. |
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| Gary Whitney's C28 KA-SL after sending someone aloft to investigate a main halyard problem. |
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| The C38 Fly Bye of Vice Commodore Alden Andre' after a quick sail to St. Helens. |
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| The spinnaker of the C22 Crocus pulling the boat all the way back to Portland. |
We awoke Sunday morning to another beautiful day. After a brief discussion about going ashore in search of breakfast versus getting underway to take advantage of the great wind that was blowing, we opted to get underway. When I think of sailing to St. Helens I always assume I'm motoring back because my experience has been that the wind, if blowing in the morning, will die off by 11 am. In fact, I've only ever sailed back from St. Helens once before and that was on Terry Annis' C25 Lematike. With just the spinnaker deployed, we sailed all the way back to Portland with a nice turn of speed.
All in all a wonderful weekend spent with great people all doing what we love.
Cruising
Halloween Cruise to Government Island
October 20-21
By Kathie Annis and Margaret Hanson
Get your bones over to East Dock October 20-21 for the annual CRACA Halloween Cruise. This year's cruise is hosted by Terry & Kathie Annis (C28, Whisper), and Nate & Margaret Hanson (C28, Leucothea).
No bones about it ....
it'll be the
SPOOKiest Halloween EVER
Saturday
- Great Pumpkin River Race
- Most creative use of a pumpkin
- Best decorated boat
- Best Costume
- Surprise contest to be disclosed at the dock
- Combined Happy Hour/Wine Tasting and Potluck Dinner
- Later in the Evening, Best Halloween Dessert Creation
Sunday
- Potluck breakfast
- Sail Home
The cruise will be held rain or shine.
Cruising Chairman
By Jim Elieff, C30, Fortune
It has been a wonderful and busy year of cruising and car trips to Eagle Crest, Florence, Bandon, Lincoln City, Cannon Beach Oregon and a week at Leavenworth Washington. All the trips were three to five day trips. I also attended most of the CRACA cruises. The last trip to Hadley's Landing on the 22nd & 23rd I did not go on because the water was too low. All in all the summer was busy and fun. I don't know if all of you know that I also work at "Sailboats of Oregon and have been selling boats and listing boats along with all the travels this summer. I really enjoy being retired??
Hope all of you had a safe and fun summer. I'm looking forward to seeing some of you at the Halloween Cruise to Bartlett Landing (Government Island - East Dock) on October 20th & 21st or at least at the next meeting we have. Speaking of the Halloween Cruise, Terry and Kathie Annis (C28, Whisper), and Nate & Margaret Hanson (C28, Leucothea) have volunteered to serve as our hosts for the event.
At the CRYA meeting they talked about the completion of Coon Island East, I hear it is pretty terrific. We will schedule a cruise there next year. Speaking of that I have to send in the CRACA cruise schedule for next year by the first of November. I would like some ideas were you folks would like to go, ASAP please.
Proposed 2008 CRACA Cruising Schedule
- Mar 29 - 30, Hadley's Landing
- April 19 - 20, Government Island - East
- May 10 - 11, Coon Island - East
- May 24 - 26, Martin Island
- June 21 - 22, Coon Island - East
- June 28 – 29, McCuddy’s Landing (Catalina Rendezvous)
- July 26 - 27, Gilbert River
- July 12 - 13, Government Island - East
- August 2 - 3, McCuddy's Landing
- August 9 - 16, Down River Cruise
- August 22 - 25, Beacon Rock
- Sept. 6 - 7, McCuddy's Landing
- Sept. 20 - 21, Hadley's Landing
- October 25 - 26, Government Island - East
- A date and destination for the 2008 Catalina Rendezvous hasn't been determined yet.
At the CRYA meeting, there was some talk about the Sandy Beach project on Government Island. They were talking about it being completed by the end of March 2008. But they always seem to run into problems with permits. So only time will tell.
The US Power Squadron has offered to come to our yacht club and give Skipper Saver classes. There is also seminars available on VHF/DSC Marine Radios, Using GPS, How to use a chart, and Onboard Weather Forecasting.
The Portland Spirit will be open to the public for a cruise on November 11th . It will leave at 3:30 pm and be back at 6:30 pm. The cost will be $15 for adults and $7.50 for under 15 yrs. For more information email Jim_Beachnell@adp.com.
September 15-16, Catalina Rendezvous at St. Helens
Local Sailing Associations
The Columbia River All Catalina Association newsletter is published online once a month. Articles are the opinions of the authors and don’t necessarily represent the consensus of the Association.
It has been a while since I have completed a newsletter article and my apologies for that. It has been a very busy 3rd and 4th quarter for me. I have been all over the country and the globe. I will be spending the winter getting my boat ready for some offshore races in 2008. We have a new board for CRACA and I am excited to see a lot of new faces it should be an exciting year.
