Commodore
By Michael Lewis, C42, Wind Raven
It is time to check your boats over and winterize in your own peculiar way; the fuel system, the engine the water tanks, the waste tanks, and think out your emergency plan when the big wind, bitter cold and other natural disasters hit. We had a good discussion at the last meeting. And don’t forget your dock lines.
But I for one, am planning the cruises for next year and even the year after that, have you got all of your Cruise Books out, your Charts out and your Dreams. Remember, however, “Cruisers don’t have plans, just intentions.” Now you have put up with one more quote from me:
An inspiration to do it now - before a cruise ship is your only option...
" What if the spell of a place falls upon a youthful heart, and the bright horizon calls?
Many a thing will keep till the world's work is done, and youth is only a memory.
When the old enchanter came to my door, laden with dreams, I reached out with both hands.
For I know that he would not be lured with the gold that I might offer later, when age had come upon me."
Viking's Wake, Richard J. MacCullaugh
Columbia River All Catalina Association's Favorite Companies
By Michael Lewis, C42, Wind RavenThe 2002 Rendezvous was a great success this year but I wanted to put a special “Sailor’s Thank You” in for the companies that supported us. They helped make the biggest event of our organization even more successful. I want to again call upon everyone to give special consideration to those companies that gave us consideration and support. I always look first to these companies for my boating needs!
- Blue Water Sailing
- Boater’s World
- BoatsU.S.
- Boeshield
- Captain’s Nautical Supply
- Columbia Crossings
- Columbia Marine Exchange
- Cook Engine Company
- DIY Magazine
- Doubletree Hotel-Col River/JB
- Emerald Island Studio
- England Marine Supply
- Flitz, Inc.
- Furuno, Inc
- Good Old Boat
- Hartse Marine
- Hayden Island Canvas
- Inflatable Boat Center
- Island Girl
- Keys Digital
- Murphy's Law
- North Sails
- Port of Astoria
- Port Supply
- Raymarine
- Rocky Pointe Marina
- Ronstan, Inc.
- Safeco, Inc.
- Safeway Stores
- SailboatOwners.com
- Sailboats of Oregon
- Sailnet.Com
- Schooner Creek Boat Works
- The Sailing Company
- West Marine
- Yandina
Christmas Ship Parade
By Michael Lewis, C42, Wind Raven
The displays are now brightly lit and can be seen from bank to bank on each river. Each boat owner designs and builds their lighted Christmas display and pays their operating costs which includes fuel. Some of the displays have been passed down when the Skipper and family retire so the tradition continues. Even though not all boats make it out every night of the two weeks the ships parade on the rivers of Portland, most do.
Below is the schedule for a night on the river and beautiful lights. The previous schedule was in error.
As we get closer to the weather situation for the night, we can go to St. Helens on Saturday, Coon Island on Sunday or Hadley’s Landing on Sunday for the night. If you are interested let’s talk about it at the Holiday Party and get a fleet or group together to have some fun.
Cruise Date Saturday, Dec. 15th
- Assembly Time 5:00PM
- Assembly Area St. Helens City Docks
- Destination St. Helens Area, and Columbia City Area
- Arrival Time 5:15P (approx)
Cruise Date Sunday, Dec. 16th
- Assembly Time 4:00PM
- Assembly Area Coon Island [Viewing by boat only]
- Destination Multnomah Channel to Willamette River.Both fleets together tonight.
- Arrival Time 5:00PM Scappoose
Secretary/Treasurer
By Kathleen Lewis, C42, Wind RavenThe minutes of the October 24th meeting have been emailed to members.
Our newest members are Werner and Renate Bittner with a new C28 moored at RCYC.
We now have 62 member boats. A reminder that dues for new members joining after October 31st are prorated at $15 per boat. Catalina’s “Mainsheet” publication is available by subscription at $2.50 per issue and is published quarterly {November, February, May and August}.
Contact me with any membership, “Mainsheet” subscription, or burgee order questions.
Kathleen Lewis, Secretary/Treasurer (503-981-7467)
Pacific Sail Expo
By Glenn Johnson
The idea is to take Amtrak down in the afternoon, arrive in the morning, stay overnight and return the following night. That would give us two days to visit the Sail Expo and other things you might like to do. Train round trip is about $296 per couple plus hotel, meals, tickets, etc. The trip could be mid-week or the weekend. We would go as a group so democracy wins but the weekend is a weekend.
Please contact Glenn Johnson at 503.289.1436 to discuss and express your interest. We need to get our reservations in early.
Holiday Party Time
By Michael Lewis, Commodore
As a part of our Holiday Party we are having an Oregon Food Bank Collection. At the door, as the price of admission, we are collecting non-perishable items for the Oregon Food Bank. As most of you know local charitable organizations are struggling for lack of donations. In this way we can help.
This is one opportunity for CRACA to be of service to our local community. This is one opportunity for CRACA to be of service to our local community. Oregon Food Bank welcomes any non-perishable item. Since they most often serve the elderly and very young these are items of particular need:
- Canned tuna
- Peanut butter in plastic containers
- Ensure/ Boost or any high protein foods
- Baby formula
- Diapers
We are also going to have a gift exchange {See Rules Below—Limit is $10-$15—Theme is Nautical or even hand-crafted items}. We had a great time with this last year.
For the feast we need to you check your last name and do the following:
- A – M will bring appetizer / salads
- N – Z Bring a main course item
- Dessert - Deane Johnson has agreed to bring the dessert. To those of you who might have missed her pies at the rendezvous, you are in for a treat. The Commodore and Glenn Johnson get first pieces. House Rule!
- Beverages-Soft Drinks Provided (BYOB)
There is a CD player in the clubhouse and you are welcome to bring your favorite holiday tunes.
This event has a limit to the number of people we can accommodate in the Clubhouse. We have set a limit -- 80.
You must RSVP to Jim & Marlene Himes at 503.240.1921 or email rtime3@home.com as soon as possible.
White Elephant Gift Exchange
These rules are not hard and fast. Change them as you wish, but set the rules before starting. Agree before hand if there is a spending limit and/or a theme.
Everyone brings a wrapped gift. It should be an item that someone would actually want or use. New or in good condition, it could be anything. A game, a music CD, a figurine from Aunty Em, but something that would appeal to multiple people. Some items fought over (see rules below) in the past included campy jewelry, nice jewelry, books, toys, and most famously, pink flamingo bedroom slippers. It is unnecessary (and sometimes important) that the original owner does not identify herself. Prepare slips of paper with numbers and have everyone draw one.
On the first turn, person #1 chooses a gift, opens it, and all admires it. On the second turn, person #2 gets the choice of "stealing" any unwrapped gift (#1's) or choosing a wrapped one. On the third turn, person #3 gets the choice of "stealing" any unwrapped gift (#1's or #2's) or choosing a wrapped one. Game continues based on the following:
- If a gift is stolen from you, you can steal a gift (see #3 and #4 below), or open a new one.
- Turns proceed until everyone has a gift. A turn is ended when a gift is opened and (hopefully) admired by everyone.
- A gift cannot be stolen more than once in a turn.
- The third "owner" of a gift gets to keep it - it is unavailable to be stolen again.
At the end of the last turn, the first person (who had no choice at the beginning) can choose to put back his or her gift and steal any gift that is still available - see #4 above. Then the gift "exchange" is started again (see #3 and #4 above) and ended when someone either chooses or is forced to take the gift given up by person #1.
January's General Meeting
By Michael Lewis, CommodoreJanuary 23. The next meeting will by January 23, 2002 with an educational speaker at a location to be determined.
We will have survived the Portland and Seattle Boat Show.
Stay tuned!
Everyone enjoyed the last meeting even if it was South.
Seems that many people don’t get to live on the river.
Cruising
Halloween Cruise to Sand Island or Coon Island?
By John Meyer, C34, ShekinahOctober 20-21. Well, another phenomenal, news worthy week-end cruise. We met at Coon Island as an alternative to the Sand Island Halloween Bash. We had everything we wanted - plenty of dock space, Saturday afternoon dry weather for a little social hour, rain on Sunday to help us all keep our boats clean, a solar outhouse in the middle of the island to amaze those techno geeks, and Bill and Marla Simon passing out Halloween cookies.
Overall, it was a low keyed, relaxing week-end. For social activity, we toyed with a Whale watching excursion, but settled for watching a few of our members display their athletic abilities kayaking. We also did some boat touring. We were graciously invited on to Jim & Libby Nieland's "Star Rover" from St. Helens. Their boat, a 39 foot somethingorother, had done much serious blue water sailing and now was getting a beautiful make over. Then we toured Gib Colistro's Grand Banks that had also gone through some tasteful restorations. Boy, there sure were a lot of sailors pretty interested in the Grand Banks. Those who joined us included Bob & LaRainne Robeson, "Emerald Odysea", Walt & Marilyn Wittke, "Misstres", Don & Pam Evans, "Dream Catcher", Bill & Marla Simon, "Windswept", Dave & Julie Thomas, "Sunchaser", Jerry Sampson, "Sydera",Phyllis Carello and Ron Barbora.
Plans for the Thanksgiving Cruise
By John Meyer, C34, Shekinah
For those who can arrive early, there’s the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. Regardless of when you arrive, downtown is a free “MAX” area for transportation plus the new trolley system is running so you can get all your Christmas shopping done plus enjoy a week end on the boat. I’ll still bring along some turkey for anyone who wants some, plus I’ll bring maps for those who want to run off to Captain’s Nautical Supply new location. As to docking, there’s the long transient dock which should be quite empty this time of year, or you can contact Jerry Olsen, Harbor Master, 503-241-8283 and reserve a slip with power, hot showers, etc. for $25.00. There might end up being some going Friday and some going Saturday.
Call us the week before and we’ll see if it’s possible to go in a couple of groups the three miles up river to make bridge opening easier. Pending on your stick, there’s either two or three bridges that need to be opened – Friday they have certain restrictions due to traffic but Saturday should be a breeze. Check out Walt Wittke’s cruise in the June Newsletter and you’ll get all the information you need. Hope to see you there. John and Annie Meyer, c/v Shekinah, 503-693-9233.
Local Sailing Associations
- SailPDX (hosted by Oregon Corinthian Sailing Association, OCSA)
- Small Yacht Sailing Club of Oregon (SYSCO)
- Oregon Women’s Sailing Association (OWSA)
- Portland Yacht Club (PYC)
- Rose City Yacht Club (RCYC)
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.
