From the Commodore
By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic Myst
The April 23-24 overnight cruise to Government Island, East Dock should be a lot of fun. Being there at the same time as the Hunter Sailing Association of Oregon could become an annual event. Because of the close proximity of Government Island, we are hoping for a large turnout.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Commodore
This marks my last newsletter article as the Commodore of CRACA. I've held the position for two years, and I am looking forward to the next chapter in my activities with the local sailing community. I want to thank my fellow CRACA board members who have given of their time to keep the association going. I also want to thank those members who have stepped forward to organize cruises, bring in speakers for meetings, plan and run the annual rendezvous, host parties, send in articles for the newsletter, and help out where ever needed. I can't fully express how much I truly appreciate your efforts.
Please plan to attend our April CRACA meeting at West Marine where we will elect a slate of officers.
Enter to win a
$25 West Marine
Gift Card
Simply return your completed Columbia River All Catalina Association membership application before the April 27, 2005 winner selection date.
CRACA’s April Meeting and annual election of officers is April 27, 6:00 pm at West Marine, Hayden Meadows.
Offshore Sailing Seminar with Bruce Schwab
Attention all serious offshore cruisers and racers! Mark your calendars and arrange for a day off! You won’t want to miss this!
TRULY OFFSHORE SEMINAR with Bruce Schwab
Schooner Creek Boat Works
Thursday, April 14th
The Truly Offshore Seminar is an up close & personal day with Bruce Schwab at Schooner Creek to learn some of the inside baseball details about Ocean Planet & sailing around the world in the Vendee Globe.
Solo U.S. Around-the-World Sailor
Bruce Schwab Makes Sports History
On February 25, after 109 days at sea, Bruce Schwab became the first American to officially complete the European dominated Vendee Globe (www.vendeeglobe.fr/uk) round-the-world race, and only the second American to sail around the world alone, non-stop. Schwab finished 9th among the 20 skippers entered in the race. He sailed 23,680 miles at an average speed of 8.98 knots.Ocean Planet was built by the not-for-profit Made in America Foundation to race in the solo Around Alone and Vendee Globe races. The Made in America Foundation’s mission is to provide an educational platform to promote the importance of the world's oceans through the excitement, adventure and dynamic realities of sailing at the edges of the Earth.
WHAT:
A special multi-media presentation by Bruce Schwab, the first American to finish the grueling Vendee Globe around the world race.WHEN:
- Friday, April 15
- 7:00 – 9:00 pm
- $20 at the door – kids free
- Proceeds benefit The Made in America Foundation
Portland State University – Hoffman HallFor more information about Bruce’s presentation, contact Schooner Creek Boat Works – 503-735-0569.
1833 SW 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon
Marine Swap Meet
By Dale MackApril 30, 8am - 2pm at West Marine. The notice board at West Marine is announcing a marine swap meet on Saturday the 30th if anyone is interested. The board says 8 am, but I know from experience you probably want to be there at 7 am and then hang around for a couple of hours as gear trickles in. Parking lot spaces for sellers can be had for $5.
Report from the March Meeting
By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic Myst
Participation at meetings has started to grow since moving them back to restaurants. Whether it's the venues or the programs, it's great to see the interest on the rise.
Our speaker for the night was Hugh Brock, well known local diesel guru. Some of the topics Hugh covered included: when to change your oil, when to change your anti-freeze, fuel tanks, fuel filters, fuel polishing, vacuum gauges for monitoring fuel filters, fuel additives, glow plugs, prop size, and running at maximum RPMs.
This was my first time seeing Hugh, and I was very impressed. Not only is Hugh very experienced, but he has a presentation style that engages you in the discussion.
April Meeting Plans
When
- Wednesday, April 27th
- 6:00 pm, Election of new officers
- 6:15 - 7:30 pm, Shopping
West MarineWhat
www.westmarine.com
1176 N Hayden Meadows Drive
Portland, OR 97217
503-289-9822
CRACA's annual election of officers followed by shopping. The meeting is being hosted by West Marine, who is offering Catalina Owners a special Discount Night with a 10% discount on all purchases except electronics which will have a 5% discount. The store will be staying open exclusively for us.
Cruising
Cruising Chairman
By Jim Elieff, C30, Fortune (Cruising Chairman)Government Island, East Dock (Bartlett Landing)
The Turners aboard their C30 Fat Cat, and I aboard my C30 Fortune plan to arrive about 2:00 pm on Friday and stake out the inside. Don't forget to fly your burgee.
2005 Cruising Schedule
I'm still looking for hosts for our cruises. You can contact me at:
elieffmaan@yahoo.com
| Date | Destination | Cruise Hosts |
| April 23 - 24 | Government Island, East Dock | Jim Elieff |
| May 28 - 30 | Martin Island (Saturday – Monday) | |
| June 25 - 26 | Coon Island, East Dock | |
| July 16 - 17 | Government Island, East Dock | |
| Aug. 18 - 21 | Beacon Rock (Thursday – Sunday) | |
| Sept. 17 - 18 | Sand Island, Upper Dock (Catalina Rendezvous) | |
| Oct. 22 - 23 | Government Island, East Dock |
Don't Go Swimming in Barkley Sound
By Bill Simon, C270, WindsweptHere's an interesting story for those cruising north this summer. This catch occurred near Port Albion Ucluelet, BC.
While the ocean vessel "Dawn Raider" was commercial fishing for dogfish, this Great White was hooked in the mouth but only resisted slightly for 15 minutes before it came up alongside the boat to have a look; long enough for one of the crew members to slip a rope around it's tail !!! 'And that's when the s**t hit the fan!! The Shark took off towing the 42 foot fishing boat backwards through the water at about 7 Knots. Just like in JAWS, the boat was taking on water over the stern and the crew watched in horror as the shark would actually jump completely out of the water at times.
This went on for an hour before the shark finally drowned. She weighed in at 1035 LBS. It is suspected she followed a weak El Nino current into local waters in search of food. Although mid 60 deg. water is considered ideal for these sharks, the larger ones can tolerate water in the low 50s.
Beacon Rock Update
By Dale MackFor those of you who like making Beacon Rock one of your annual destinations, you'll be happy to learn that the Washington Parks Department has added power to the docks.
Sean and I stopped by a couple of weeks ago while Sean was practicing his driving. The power is in and ready to go. A porti-potti dump has also been added to the docks.
Ladies Cruise 2005
20th Anniversary
Daring to Cruise
Held at Government Island East Dock
May 20, 21, 22
This year’s event will be at Government Island East Dock on the Columbia River. All Women Sail and Power Boaters are invited to join us for this, the 20th anniversary event. Please bring your Ladies Cruise recipes for future recipe book.
For more information visit the Oregon Women's Sailing Association's website
Your Cruise Captains:
Barbara Peterson 503-240-2765 myseaotter@yahoo.com
Vicki Sanborn 503-286-9257 upstart@teleport.com
Racing
Catalina 22 Racing
By Dale Mack, C22, Crocus
If you are planning to race, make sure you get your entry form turned into Terry Annis. Where to send the entry form is contained in the Spring Series Race Notice.
The First Night
Plan to be on the water and in the vicinity of the Race Committee (RC) boat at 6 pm. Although the first race doesn't start until 6:30 pm, you'll find that checking in with the RC, and then testing out various wind angles makes the time go by fast.
Checking in is simple. You pass by the RC with either your sail number or boat's name visible. The RC will then find you in the list of boats entered for the race. If the "Come Within Hail" flag is flying, then the course board will show which start you are in and the course you are to follow. During the first few races, the RC will be handing out USCG Marine Event Permits that are good for the 2005 season. RC's commonly handout materials on the course by rolling them up and inserting them partially into the end of a PVC pipe which they will extend out from the RC boat.
Be sure to check out the Catalina 22 Fleet 20 Racing page for more assistance.
Catalina 25 Racing
By Gary Brurner, C25, Encore!
I can't make the first race on the 14th, but will join my fellow Catalina 25 and Catalina 250 sailors when I can.
Doug Dillon says he will be out sometimes. I assume Terry Annis, myself, Ray Clift?, Steve Eldred?, Nate Hanson?, Alice Patten?, and Bob Waldron?
Who is going to play? The more boats, the more trophies are awarded! I could still use a crewperson or two for the 21st if someone wants to go out on Encore!
You MUST be registered (even with the $10 late fee) by the second race on April 21 to be counted in the series.
Remember, if you joined SYSCO, this series is FREE!
Hope to see you out there!
Catalina 30 Racing in the Spring Regatta
By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic Myst
- Duane Christensen, Stormy Weather, #1418
- Bob Gales & Gail O'Neill, Imagine, #5217
- Mike & Pam Hollingsworth, Isotonic, #5898
- Dale Mack, Celtic Myst, #6382
Lots of information on local racing is available on the Catalina 22 Fleet 20 website at https://c22pdx.blogspot.com/ .
Cruising Class Racing
By Scott Stevenson, Hunter Sailing Association of Oregon (HSAO)
Last year, we introduced the "Cruising Class" as a real competitive class series in most of the races that are held on the River. What does "Cruising Class" mean? By Cruising Class, we mean you don't have to have a PHRF rating to participate, and you can't use a spinnaker (but leave your dodgers and BBQ's on because it provides a touch of class that is out of reach for the hard core racers). It means that we folk that do NOT want to remove our dodgers, bimini's, and BBQ's - but still want to participate in racing - now have an official racing class to play in. That means that as racers, we DO have to abide by the 2005 Racing Rules of Sailing, but we don't have to worry about training a foredeck crew on spinnaker launch and retrieval because, in the "Cruising Class", the use of "flying sails" is NOT ALLOWED. Yep, we can only use our standard headsails and main. In my opinion, this little rule, which is applied only to the Cruising Class, makes racing our boats a lot more fun with a LOT LESS stress.
Why would you want to race your boat, or alternatively, crew on a boat that races in the Cruising Class? As most of you know, sailboat racing is a means to foster the development of boat handling skills and confidence. Racing provides sailors a learning experience to improve the performance and safety of their boats. Racing also provides excellent instruction in right-of-way rules, crew teamwork, and sportsman ship. All of this is valuable to we "Cruisers". Plus, what's not to like when you are out on the river playing with 50-60 other boats?
Let's face it, when you think of sleek go-fast racing sailboats, the vision of HUNTER or CATALINA probably doesn't pop into your mind. However, with the introduction of the Cruising Class, our boats are now qualified to race with the best of them! How is that possible? It is because boats in the Cruising Class only race other cruisers. You win your race when you are the fastest cruiser over the line, NOT the fastest boat on the river (although that works too).
Last year, we had a Hunter 36, 30, and two 28's in the cruising class, along with a Catalina 30 and 28, plus an Ericson 32. We had a great time out there competing against each other, and I look forward to more fun this year! I urge you to sign up for the Cruising Class races. The more the merrier! For those of you not interested in skippering, why not sign up to crew?
Bottom line is that there are (5) races each for the SYSCO Spring and Summer Series (1 race per week), held on Thursday nights (starting gun is at 6:30pm) and we have a great time. But the SYSCO series I just mentioned are but a fraction of the races held each summer on the Columbia River - go to www.sailpdx.com and click on "Race Schedule" to get an idea of how many races are held each summer in the Portland area. Generally, if there are (5) or more of us Cruisers available for any race or regatta, the race committee for that event will seriously consider creating a Cruising Class for that event. For those of you that want to race your boat in one of these many events, there are several steps to follow:
- You will need to join the Oregon Corinthian Sailing Association (all boats racing on the Columbia need to be registered with OCSA). Your membership (I think it is $15) gets you the 2005 OCSA Race Book and course chart. In the Race Book are entry forms for all the races held in our area. The OCSA membership contact is: Dee Turner 503-267-6009.
- For each race or race series you want to participate in, you will need to fill out and send in an OCSA Race Entry Form (found in your OCSA Race Book) - instructions on who and where to send it are found in the race event instructions located in, you guessed it, your OCSA Race Book.
- Generally, it costs about $25 to enter each race or race series. However, if you are a member of SYSCO (Small Yacht Sailing Club of Oregon), there is no cost to race in SYSCO sponsored events. For SYSCO membership information, you can check the website at:
If any of you are interested in racing or crewing with the Cruisers and have questions, please contact me and I'll try to fill in the blanks!
Scott Stevenson, scott.stevenson@infocus.com, (503) 880-2692.
The Oregon Corinthian Sailing Association invites all eligible boats to participate in the 2005 Six Pace Regatta head on the Columbia River.
This event is a weeklong series of six races from Portland to Astoria.
All yachts are welcome. Yachts wishing to sail in Division I or Division II must have a PHRF certificate or sail Level or One-Design. Yachts wishing to sail in the Cruising Class will be assigned to a Level Class. These races will be sailed under current ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing, OCSA Sailing Instructions, Six Pac Sailing Instructions and applicable Level or One-Design rules. Any unregistered boat is ineligible to race.
Boats shall comply with PIYA Category IV. Boats must have auxiliary power and carry adequate fuel to motor 1.5 hours. Charts #18525, #18523, and #18521 are required. A VHF radio (fixed or hand-held) or cell phone are required. Depth sounder or lead line, and compass are strongly recommended.
| Race |
Day
| Description |
| 1 | Sat, July 23 | Start below the railroad bridge and finish near Sand Island. |
| 2 | Sun, July 24 | Start below St. Helens and finish above Cathlamet. Party at Cathlamet. |
| Mon, July 25 | No race—sail/motor to Astoria | |
| 3 | Tue, July 26 | Astoria Bay Race. |
| 4 | Wed, July 27 | Astoria Cup Race, Astoria Bay. This race is open to non-Six Pac boats and cruising class boats. |
| 5 | Thu, July 28 | Astoria Bay Race. |
| 6 | Fri, July 29 | Start in Astoria and finish near Cathlamet. |
Evening activities after Race 1, 3, 4, & 5.
Cruising Class: Cruising class boats will sail races #1, #2, #6 and optionally race #4, The Astoria Cup.
Divisions and Classes: First start Division I fast boats; Second start Division II slower boats; Third start Division III cruising class.
Registration: Registration packets will be distributed before the event. You may request a registration packet by contacting Bob Waldron at:
waldror@eaglehomemortgage.com or
Rwaldron50@hotmail.com
Registration packets will contain:
- Entry Form
- Sailing Instructions
- Moorage Information
- Schedule of Social events
- Division Pennants
- Other Pertinent Information
The deadline for registration is the skippers meeting. There will be no exceptions made for late registration. Late registrations will not be accepted.
FEES:
Divisions I and II: $95.00 for US Sailing members (US Sailing membership number must be provided). $115.00 for non-US Sailing members.SKIPPERS MEETING:
Cruising Class: $65.00 for US Sailing members (US Sailing membership number must be provided). $75.00 for non-US Sailing members.
For more information contact Bob Waldron at 503-359-5514 or 503-314-4658.
Time and Location TBA
Mandatory of all Six Pac skippers and/or their representatives!
All crew, sailors, or interested parties are welcome and invited.
- Race packets will be distributed.
- Supplemental sailing instructions may be distributed.
- Social events will be discussed.
- Last opportunity to register for the race.
- Buy your Six Pac t-shirts.
- Novice Six Pac information available.
- Latest Cathlamet Channel information.
- Skippers look for crew.
- Crew look for skippers.
- Have a beverage!
Short Course Racing Clinic
Hosted by North Sails Oregon
May 10th
Invitation: North Sails Oregon (www.northsailsoregon.com) invites all sailboats to participate in some fun, informal short course racing on the Columbia River between the I-5 and I-205 bridges.
Description: Several short course races will be completed in one evening. The goal is to practice starts and boat handling in a relaxed atmosphere. North Sails Oregon will be taking photos and coaching from a powerboat. Skippers and crew should feel free to ask questions of the powerboat crew.
Eligibility: All yachts that are willing to participate and learn!
Date and Time: Tuesday, May 10th. First warning signal is at 6:30 pm.
Registration: None required. Just show up and start.
Fees: None! Come out and join us!.
Supplemental Sailing Instructions: Instructions will be handed out on the water.
For More Information: Contact Kerry or Amy Poe at North Sails Oregon at 503-282-4282 or kerry@sales.northsails.com .
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.
