From the Commodore
By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic Myst
Ah, Spring is in the air and the marina is filled with the sounds of power washers. Funny how the northwest climate turns the north side of your boat into a science project (no this picture isn't Celtic Myst;-)). I washed my boat about once a month during the winter months just to keep up with the jet exhaust residue from the planes coming and going at PDX. It wasn't until April when the things started to warm up that some of the grayish-brown dirt around stanchions, sail tracks and handrails started turning green.
A very wet March and April made it a challenge to finish those pre-season maintenance projects. It always seemed to be sunny when I was at work, and raining on the weekends. The wet weather has suppressed our cruising schedule, so let's hope things get better in May. April also saw several of us dusting off our racing skills by racing aboard the Catalina 22's on Thursday evenings and racing aboard the Catalina 30's in the Spring Regatta.
Don't forget to get your current registration stickers on the boat. The sheriff's department has been authorized to walk the docks at marinas and cite boats with expired registration. The citation will cost you $175.
May's general membership meeting will be held at the Rose City Yacht Club (see below for more details). The meeting is planned as a BBQ social where you bring your own food to barbeque and RCYC provides the grills. Our Vice Commodore, Todd Bellamy, has arranged to have a speaker from Schooner Creek Boat Works come and talk about their services.
Laura and I have decided to postpone our trip north with the boat this year so we can complete a few more landscaping projects. One side benefit of the change of plans is that we can now consider attending the Astoria Cruise, the Beacon Rock Cruise, and the SYSCO 25th Anniversary Regatta.
The Tomahawk Bay Sway Meet is Saturday, May 17 at 8 am. For those of us who are wives have taken the boat on the Ladies Cruise that same weekend, here's another reason to hang around boats and possibly pick up a bargain or two.
Secretary/Treasurer
By Kathleen Lewis, C42, Wind Raven
Thanks to all who have paid dues for 2003-2004. We have 39 members who have renewed at this writing.
The Mainsheet issue for May is in the mail and you should receive it by the 15th. If you have any questions about your subscription please contact me as I am maintaining the list for those that subscribe through our association (CRACA).
Burgees are still available. They are $20 and you can get them from me.
Don’t forget Burgee Wear for those interested in clothing embroidered with the CRACA burgee. Contact Marlene Himes to get more information and to place an order. You can view the items that are available by going to the store on our website.
Please notify me of any changes to your directory information so that I can keep it up-to-date.
Kathleen Lewis, email sewingmaven@msn.com
Catalina Mainsheet Magazine
By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic MystThe Catalina Mainsheet magazine is published quarterly (Feb, May, Aug, Nov). Targeted as a Catalina, Capri, and Morgan owners magazine, Mainsheet draws much of its contents from submissions made by members of the One-Design and All Catalina associations.
The magazine contains articles about cruising, technical tips, family activities aboard Catalina Yachts, racing results, regatta notices, and news from One-Design fleets and All Catalina Associations across the country who conduct many local activities.
Organized by Catalina model, the magazine makes it easy to find information about your boat. The Technical Notes section is great for reading about other owners' experiences in maintaining and enhancing their boats.
The Mainsheet is available for $10/year through the Association. See the Secretary/Treasurer to subscribe.
CRACA Looking for Scrapbook Photos
By Walt and Marilyn Wittke (Historian), C27, Senior MomentsWe need your pictures taken at CRACA events from January 2002 to the present, for possibly inclusion in the CRACA scrapbook.
There will be prizes at the end of the year for the best images. Photo judging to determined by only our committee of two! For you photo buffs we also will give photo credits like "James Smith Photo" or "Photo by Sally Smith" on your photos. Please indicate the event, event date, and (optional) photo credit line on the back of the photo. Indicate if we can cut them up or should copies by made.
Please call us or email at wwittke@pcez.com to make arrangement for photo pick up. Or you may mail by "snail mail" your photos, CD, or 3-1/4 floppy images to our postal address. Thank you so much for your help.
West Marine Opens Their Doors for CRACA
By Dale Mack (Commodore), C30, Celtic MystApril's general membership meeting was held at West Marine. Aside from the discount shopping provided by West Marine, the primary task for the night was the election of new officers.
With weeks of campaigning behind us we prepared to vote. Ok, it was more like arm twisting than campaigning, but we still had to vote.
One of my objectives for the elections in 2004 is to find someone to be Secretary/Treasurer. While Kathleen was gracious enough to do it again, she only did so because the nominating committee could not find someone to run for the office.
Our officers for the 2003/2004 season are:
- Commodore, Dale Mack
- Vice Commodore, Todd Bellamy
- Secretary/Treasurer, Kathleen Lewis (starting 4th year in the office)
- Cruise Director, Jim Elieff (starting 2nd year in the office)
- Communications, Dale Mack (starting 4th year in the office)
- Safety, Dave Thomas (starting 2nd year in the office)
- Historian, Walt Wittke
BBQ Planned for May's General Membership Meeting
By Todd Bellamy (Vice Commodore), C27 Sail La VieWhat
- CRACA General Membership Meeting & BBQ
- This is a bring your own food and beverages barbeque. RCYC is providing the grills out on the docks just steps away from the floating clubhouse.
Where
Rose City Yacht ClubWhen
www.RoseCityYachtClub.org
3737 NE Marine Drive
Portland, OR 97211
503-282-2049
- Wednesday, May 28
- Gate opens at 6 pm
- BBQ and Social from 6 pm to 7:30 pm
- General Meeting starts at 7 pm
- Presentation starts at 7:30 pm
Program
- Schooner Creek Boat Works will give a presentation on their services.
Cruising
Destination Blind Bay
By Dave Peoples (Hospitality Officer), C42, Jammin'
Blind Bay has absolutely nothing to offer except a very quit, laid back hideaway that has tons of crab. With our 7' draft we enter the bay to the east of Blind Island and the west of the day marker. We have never tried the buoys but with smaller boats they would be great. They seem to be a bit close together for my taste. Once you are in the bay you have great holding with a mud bottom. You can anchor anywhere. Across the channel is a ferry landing that has a market, liquor store, cafe, and some other small shops. We made the dingy ride over, but got a little wet with the afternoon chop on the way home. Shaw Island also has a ferry dock, but very limited facilities. You can go ashore in the bay and walk the few roads that Shaw has to offer.
Two other noteworthy anchorage's that also are good crabbing, but have a lot more activity are Deer Harbor on Orcas Island, and Roche Harbor on San Juan Island. Both of these harbors have a lot of action for those who want to do something besides just sitting and enjoying the quiet.
Next month I will write about a couple of other anchorage's that are worth a look.
Plans for the Memorial Day Martin Island Cruise
By Dale Mack (Commodore), C30, Celtic MystMay 24-26. Jim Elieff (C30, Fortune), has volunteered to lead the Martin Island Cruise. If you plan to attend, please contact Jim so he knows who to expect. He can be reached at elieffmaan@yahoo.com or 503-254-7758.
Currently, the following crews have indicated they will be attending:
- Bill and Marla Simon, C270, Windswept
- Dave & Julie Thomas, C30, Sunchaser
- Dale & Laura Mack, C30, Celtic Myst
- Jim Elieff, C30, Fortune
- Blaine Dickason & Cindy Moreno, C22, Gromit
Jim Elieff mentioned that Fortune and Windswept will be going to the St. Helens' public docks on Friday. His plan is to rendezvous at the Columbia River railroad bridge at 5 pm on Friday and then head downstream. Saturday will start off with breakfast at the St. Helens' cafe, and by noon Jim expects to be anchored in the Martin Island lagoon. Jim will be monitoring VHF channel 68 if anyone wishes to reach him once on the water. As CRACA boats arrive in the lagoon, you should see the raft-up already anchored in place by those who went down on Friday.
For those leaving Portland on Saturday who are located upstream of the Columbia River railroad bridge, plan to rendezvous at 10 am just downstream of the I-5 bridge if you'd like to travel in the company of others.
Since CRACA will be both anchoring and rafting up, please bring sufficient dock lines and fenders for both sides of your boat. If you are bringing a pet, you'll need a dinghy because there are no docks.
Being Caught Up in the Fun
By Dale Mack (Commodore), C30, Celtic MystLaura and I were still new to trailerable sailboats and were enjoying many of the Sacramento Catalina 22 club's cruises to Monterey Bay, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco Bay, and the California Delta when someone suggested we lead the upcoming delta cruise to watch the Fourth of July fireworks show. We had lots of good reasons for not leading the cruise like we'd never been to the destination, we didn't want to be responsible for other people, and the prospects of doing it made us nervous (OK, made me nervous). Despite overwhelming evidence that there must certainly be others more qualified to lead than us, we said yes.
The first thing I learned was that my role as a cruise host was about planning and communication, and not about being an expert on the destination or being responsible for others. I still wasn't sure how I was going to be successful leading a cruise I knew almost nothing about. Fortunately, as in most clubs, there were several people happy to answer all my neophyte questions about the destination and help me understand were my responsibility began and ended. To promote the cruise and encourage participation I had access to the club's monthly newsletter and was given some time at the monthly meeting to discuss preparations for the cruise. The club presented cruising awards to boats at their annual banquet based on the boat having attended a minimum number of days on club cruises, and to receive full credit (points) for the cruise you had register prior to the departure. As a cruise host this process provided the benefit of knowing ahead of time who was coming. Just a side note, Laura and I led last October's Halloween cruise to Coon Island and most of the boats that attended emailed us their intention to participate.
On Not Being the Expert
In some ways being new and not knowing anything about the destination was probably a good thing. One of the pitfalls organizations sometimes fall into is assuming everyone has attended before. If sailing and gardening magazines took that approach there'd be no need for yet another article on sail trim or another story on how to prune your roses. Magazines figured out along time ago that their readership is constantly being renewed with neophytes and so it is with most clubs like CRACA. Since I knew nothing about the destination other than where it was on the chart, I set about talking to others who had attended before. I wanted to know everything: where to launch, where to store the vehicles, what route to take to the destination, where to anchor, how to anchor, what precautions to take when rafting up, etc. It was a lot of fun sitting down with folks and having them relive their previous experiences on the cruise. I heard about what folks thought worked well and what didn't. From the information I gathered, I constructed an itinerary and wrote an article for the newsletter where I tried to anticipate many of the questions a new person like myself might have about the cruise.
The most important advice I received was that "...the cruise host is not responsible for planning how attendees spend their time on the cruise, nor are they responsible for the safe operation of other boats; that responsibility remains with each boat's skipper." Another piece of advice reinforced the club's philosophy that club cruises should avoid being overly planned events that make demands on folk's leisure time, or put people in the uncomfortable position of feeling like they have to join in everything.
Here are my simple steps for successfully leading a cruise:
- Get Educated. If you haven't attended the cruise before, seek out those that have and ask lots of questions.
- Publish an itinerary. People always have the option of following their own itinerary, but if it's a cruise with more than one destination, people like to know where you're going to be just in case they are planning to hook up with the flotilla later in the cruise.
- Promote the event. Newsletter articles, email reminders, and announcements at the meetings are our primary methods of communications. If you want to send an email, simply send it to the Communication Officer and they will forward it to the membership.
- Disseminate Information. Try to anticipate questions someone might have that has never been to the destination, and answer those in newsletter articles.
- What to Bring. Suggest additional equipment or items folks might want to bring. Sometimes it's as simple as reminding folks that folding chairs might be very handy at the destination, or that the hot showers at Beacon Rock State Park operate off of quarters.
- Cruising as a Group. While many cruise participants will find their own way to the destination, others like to cruise as a group. Suggest a rendezvous location and time for those wishing to cruise together to the destination.
- Coordinate the Arrival. Try to arrive first if anchoring is involved or identify someone willing to be first. This helps other first timers who might not be sure were to anchor.
- Be Reachable. Monitor the VHF radio just in case someone has a question.
- Social Events. Propose any optional social events like sharing appetizers, desserts, or a potluck. Be mindful that this is probably the aspect of the cruise that is the most scalable in terms of workload. My personal recommendation is that if you do anything, keep it simple and keep it optional.
- Have Fun. If you are stressed out about being the cruise host, that is probably a sign that you are doing too much.
The hardest part of being the Cruising Officer for CRACA is finding volunteers to lead cruises. Our Cruise Officer, Jim Elieff, has started calling members as he works to fill the remaining cruise host slots on the schedule. Please consider saying yes when Jim calls if you are planning to attend the cruise. If you are interested in helping out, please contact Jim at elieffmaan@yahoo.com or 503-254-7758.
| Month | Date | Cruise | Cruise Host |
| May | 24 - 26 | Memorial Day Cruise - Martin Island | Jim Elieff |
| June | 21 - 22 | Ackerman Island - Northside | |
| July | 19 - 27 | Delta Cruise
| |
| August | 16 - 24 | Upriver Cruise
| |
| September | 12 - 14 | Catalina Rendezvous, McCuddy's Landing - Multnomah Channel | Todd Bellamy |
| 20 | Sail for the Cure | Jenny Freeman | |
| October | 25 - 26 | Halloween Cruise, Coon Island | |
| November | 22 - 23 | Thanksgiving Cruise, Government Island - East Dock |
Racing
Catalina 30's Have a Great First Regatta
By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic MystBob Gales (C30, Imagine) and I had started talking about racing our Catalina 30's not long after I purchased my boat last year. We'd raced our C22's in the local fleet, and continue to crew aboard Catalina 22's in races today.
 |
| Bob Gales and crew aboard Imagine |
Bob and I identified the following two regattas we thought would be good events to encourage C30 one-design racing in:
- SYSCO Spring Regatta, April 26-27
- SYSCO 25th Anniversary Regatta, August 9-10 (typically known as the SYSCO One-Design Regatta)
Three boats came out to race for the Spring Regatta. They were:
- Bob Gales, Imagine, #5217
- Duane Christensen, Stormy Weather, #1418
- Dale Mack, Celtic Myst, #6382
The crews on board the boats included family, fellow CRACA members (Bill and Marla Simon, and Nate Hanson), college students, sailing friends, and members of local Catalina 22 Fleet 20.
Five races were completed for the regatta. Three on Saturday and two on Sunday. Saturday's weather made you want to stay at home. It was cool, damp, and threatening to rain hard as we headed out on to the racecourse. Sunday saw lots of blue sky, warmer weather, but light and fluking wind.
I had arranged with SYSCO ahead of time to have the C30's on a racecourse that wouldn't require spinnakers to complete the race in a reasonable time since the C30's had agreed to race without spinnakers. Since downwind sailing would be wing-n-wing, we also agreed to restrict the length of extendable whisker poles to 11' 6" since that is the PHRF allowed length for fixed-length spinnaker poles on Catalina 30's. Bob had the spinnaker pole and I had the whisker pole that would extend out to eighteen feet. Darn, gave away my one advantage. I think Duane used a boat hook, but heck he had the boat with the tall rig and a bowsprit, so he was pretty killer Sunday's light air. With his large sail area in Sunday's conditions, you could watch him slowly close the gap with you on the downwind legs of the course.
 |
| Duane Christensen and crew aboard Stormy Weather |
So who won? The idea of winning or losing seems foreign to the whole reason why Bob and I wanted to go out in the first place. That doesn't mean Bob and I weren't out there competing hard against one another. Believe me, when Bob passed me on the final leg of the fourth race and won, I was doing everything I could to beat him, but beating Bob or beating Duane wasn't the point in the bigger scheme of things. Each of us won every time we experienced a smooth tack or gybe or every time we rounded the mark and got the sails reset. I liken it to the feeling of hitting a tennis ball in the sweet spot of a racket. In that one moment, everything comes together just right, and for that moment you, the boat, and the crew are the best.
Safety
It Takes an Audience
By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic MystI'd downloaded and printed off the vessel safety check form and had completed my own self-inspection of Celtic Myst, before deciding to take Dave Thomas up on his offer to inspect CRACA boats the first weekend in May. Dave met me at the boat in the morning, and together we went through the checklist with Dave recording each item in compliance while I scurried about the boat pulling out registration, documentation, lifejackets, flares, along with showing him the location of pollution and trash placards and demonstrating the operation of items like ventilation and navigation lights. Things were going smooth until all but my anchor light came on during the inspection of the navigation lights (these things always happen when someone is watching). No amount of fiddling with the switch was getting it to light. A quick voltmeter check showed the switch was delivering power.
Bummed at the prospects of having to go to the top of the mast to change a bulb, I decided to take the opportunity to verify as many of the electrical connections between the switch and the bulb as I could while waiting for the availability of some dock neighbors to hoist me to the masthead. I learned during an earlier project that I could gain access to the wiring harness near the base of the mast. After fishing out the harness and removing an incredible amount of electrical tape that left behind a black sticky residue, I was able to pull apart the plug for the navigation lights. The voltmeter confirmed there was power, but there was also a lot of saltwater corrosion leftover from the boat's years in southern California. Unfortunately, it appeared that the rigger the boatyard had used when stepping the mast after I trucked the boat to Oregon, hadn't cleaned any of the contacts before plugging things together and wrapping them with tape. After restoring the contacts to a bright finish, I rewrapped the harness and stuffed everything back into mast.
Up the Mast
A couple of my dock neighbors (Bill Simon, C270, Windswept being one) volunteered to hoist me up to change the bulb. Into my bosun's chair, I loaded a selection of tools for checking voltage and cleaning contacts along with two spare bulbs just in case I dropped one. The main halyard was used to hoist me, while I used a second sliding safety line that rode on the second jib halyard which I had brought around to the aft side of the spreaders and attached to the base of the mast and made taunt. Even with the two-speed winch, it was a lot of work for those in the cockpit to hoist me forty-one feet to the masthead. Once there the job went very quickly. I cleaned the contacts, verified the voltage level, and installed a new bulb.
Celtic Myst now has her Vessel Safety Check sticker proudly displayed on the port side of the mast, thanks in part to my neighbors and Dave Thomas. One piece of advice I'd like to offer is that you actually try out your planned method of going up your mast if you've always assumed that was something you could do. I've helped hoist, several folks, up their mast's, I've been up my mast several times either with help or with my own one-person rig, and I've always found most people find the process much more work than expected.
Vessel Safety Checks
By Dave Thomas (Safety Officer), C30, SunchaserAll boats in the Columbia River All Catalina Association are encouraged to have a Vessel Safety Check (www.safetyseal.net).
To make arrangements for a Vessel Safety Check of your vessel contact:
Dave Thomas 503-682-2935 or e-mail at thomasdjthms@aol.com
Michael Lewis 503-981-7467 or e-mail at svwindraven@msn.com
The Vessel Safety Check program is intended to serve as a " prevention through education " activity with the mission of minimizing the loss of life, personal injury, property damage and environmental impact associated with recreational boating. It is a voluntary activity. A Vessel Safety Check is NOT a law enforcement action. No report is made to any law enforcement authority regarding the results of a VSC.
Vessel Safety Check required items include:
- Display of Numbers: The boats registration number must be permanently attached to each side of the forward half of the boat.
- Registration/ Documentation: Registration or Documentation papers must be on board and available. Documentation numbers must be permanently marked on a visible part of the interior structure.
- Personal Flotation Devices (PFD): Acceptable PFD'S must be U.S. Coast Guard approved, in good serviceable condition, and of suitable size for each person in the boat. Any boat 16' or over ( except canoes & kayaks ) must carry one Type IV (throwable) PFD.
- Visual Distress Signals (VDS): Boats used on coastal waters are required to carry a minimum of three Coast Guard approved and current dated day and night visual distress signals. Boats operating on inland waters should have some means of making a suitable day and night distress signal. For those of us sailing on the Columbia, you should note that you are in coastal waters to Harrington Point, coming upriver from the ocean.
- Fire Extinguishers:
Boat length No Fixed System Fixed System Less than 26' one B-1 0 26' to less than 40' two B-1 or
one B-2one B-1 40' to 65' three B-1 or
one B-1 & one B-2two B-1 or
one B-2
- Ventilation: Boats with gasoline engines in closed compartments, built after 1 August 1980 must have a powered ventilation system. Those built prior to that date must have natural or powered ventilation. Boats with closed fuel compartments built after 1 August 1978 must meet requirements by displaying a "certificate of compliance". Boats built before that date must have either natural or powered ventilation in the fuel tank compartment.
- Backfire Flame Arrester: All gasoline powered inboard/outboard or inboard motor boats must be equipped with an approved backfire flame control device.
- Sound Producing Devices: All boats are required to carry a sound producing device capable of a 4-second blast audible for 1/2 mile. Boats larger than 39.4ft are also required to have a bell.
- Navigation Lights: All boats are required to display navigation lights between sunset and sunrise and in conditions of reduced visibility. Boats 16ft or longer must have navigation lights and an all-around anchor light that is independent of the "running lights".
- Pollution Card: Boats 26ft or over with a machinery compartment must display an oily waste "pollution" placard.
- Marpol Trash Placard: Boats 26ft and over must display a "Marpol" trash placard. Boats 40ft and over must also display a written trash disposal plan.
- Marine Sanitation Device: Any installed toilet must be a Coast Guard approved device. Overboard discharge outlets must be capable of being sealed.
- Navigation Rules: Boats 39.4ft and over must have on board a current copy of the Navigation Rules.
- State and Local Requirements: A boat must meet the requirements of the state in which it is being examined.
- Overall Boat condition:
a. Deck free of hazards / clean BilgeIn addition to the above required items there are some recommended items that boats should carry such as: Marine Radio, Anchor & Line, First Aid Kit, Charts etc.
b. Safe Electrical /Fuel Systems
c. Safe Galley / Heating Systems
Oregon Boater Education Sample Questions
a. Type IWhen boating at night in a powerboat, if you see only a red light:
b. Type II
c. Type III
d. Type IV
a. You are approaching a sailboat under sail and you must give-wayWhen anchoring, you should let out about 7 to 10 times as much line as the water depth.
b. You are approaching a powerboat and you must give-way
c. You are the stand-on boat
d. All of the above
a. True
b. False
Technical Tips
It Seemed so Harmless
By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic MystWhen something undesirable occurs twice during the same sail, that's a sign that things need to change. I and my crew were preparing to race in our first regatta aboard Celtic Myst. We were practicing tacks, and our timing still needed lots of work. We were either releasing the sheets too early or too late. After the completion of one of our tacks, three gals preparing to race a Cal 20 in the same regatta were pointing to Celtic Myst's starboard shrouds. A quick glance forward showed the starboard genoa sheet had become fouled on the shroud cleat used to secure the burgee halyard. I sent a crewmember forward to clear the sheet, and thought to myself "that's never happened before." Not more than fifteen minutes later, it happens again. This time the sheet had entangled early in the maneuver and the genoa couldn't tack and the cockpit had effectively lost control of the sail. I fell off more to port to prevent the sail from back winding, and then quickly headed up to relieve the pressure on the sail as a crewmember prepared to pull the sheet off the cleat. I later wrapped tape around the cleat, and we had no more occurrences of the sheet fouling in it during the rest of the regatta.
I've since removed the cleat and now secure the burgee halyard to the mast. My biggest reason for removing the cleat was out of concern that the sheet would foul in the cleat during a sudden gust of extreme wind just as we are trying to release the pressure on the sails.
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.
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