From the Commodore
By Bob Gales
Here we are at the end of another calendar year. Gail and I like to spend some time reviewing the past year and talking about our wishes, hopes and dreams for the next twelve. As far as boating goes, a year ago we made the decision to not sell our boat and we began planning upgrades, haul out date and summer cruising schedule. We were glad we hung on to Imagine so we could enjoy another adventure up the coast and participation in the Catalina 30 Nationals in Seattle. Having guests on board three separate times while cruising the San Juans and Gulf Islands got the "bigger boat-itis" stirred up in us again. We, and Imagine, were fortunate that Monte and Julie were still interested. It was so nice to sell our boat to someone we know will love and care for her as we did.
Then came a period of non-boating activities and a focus on other parts of our lives. That did not last long as we began boat searching again in November. I mentioned last month that we had purchased a new boat. At the holiday party we talked about our backing out of the deal. Now I write about the "deal" and lessons learned later in this newsletter.
So 2006 approaches and the balancing act begins. Work, travel, home projects and boat rehab all must share time in our busy lives. It seems like a pretty short window between winterizing and spring recommissioning. Barely enough time to get all those boat projects completed. But protecting our investments and keeping our boats safe, comfortable and enjoyable must be a high priority.
I hope to see many of you at the Portland Boat Show, perhaps in Seattle and certainly at our next get-together.
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| Jerry Sampson's and Karen Clouse's C27 Sydera |
Our holiday potluck at Rose City Yacht Club in December was literally swinging as most members took to the dance floor. Larry and Sue led the way with some fancy foot steppin' and others joined in as the music touched them. After enjoying dinner Gail got things started by handing out song sheets with favorite Christmas carols. Having the words was a nice touch as some of us remembered only the first few lines! A glorious sound only interrupted by some pretty tall sea stories told by a few members.
We danced and sang and ate and drank the evening away in the company of good sailing friends. A fun time was had by all!
Wishes, Hopes and Dreams
One of my wishes for CRACA is that someone will step up and fill the Vice Commodore position. This needs to be someone who will be willing to become our Commodore next November. Both positions are what you make of them, neither requiring a large amount of time. But you do need to have some interest in helping our organization function and serve Catalina owners. Please think about this and talk with me, Dale or others about serving.
To Buy or Not to Buy?
Boy, there is the question! TO BUY, absolutely was the answer for Gail and I this fall. We went looking for our next Catalina, a 36, with all the comforts and features we wanted. We also began thinking seriously about how we wanted to use our money and just how much were willing to take on financially. Having a boat is just one facet of our lives. We are also passionate about skiing, travel, enjoying friends and trying to live a clean and simple life. So we looked at a darn nice C34, a C36 that had possibilities after a thorough scrubbing and a few other C36s that were nice, nice and pricey.
And then we looked at a wild card, a 1988 Beneteau Oceanis 350. I have always liked the style of the 350 and with the asking price I thought this might be a good deal. The sea trial was ok on a cold, sunny day in Port Townsend but when it was lifted out for the survey things started looking grim. The keel was kind of hanging off the hull! The recent replacement of keel bolts ($4500!) didn't seem to be holding very well. Fleet Marine had done the work, took full responsibility and corrected the repair. The survey found numerous things wrong; Webasto furnace not working, refrigeration not working, "new" autopilot not working, general maintenance very lacking. So back to negotiations and a few more K knocked off the price as compensation.
The next week a friend and I planned to motor/sail the boat to Olympia where I would have it trucked to Portland. Twenty minutes out of the marina the engine overheats. Engine work was said to have been done to correct this problem so I was very concerned. After being checked out by Fleet Marine we attempted to head south once again. Engine alarms go off again and we return to the marina where the salesman is waiting for us. I'm not a happy camper and was becoming quite frustrated at this point. I feel a bit better when the sellers offer to drive us to Olympia (for our car) and promise to have the engine work done as advertised.
A week later the call comes. All it needs is a new engine! The sellers are willing to split the cost of an engine and installation. That could run as high as $14000!! Gail and I feel it is time to back out of the deal, regroup and start our search anew in January. On our way to Canada for a short ski vacation we stop in Port Townsend for a meeting with the dealer. The sellers show up and are quite defensive about the condition of their boat and are hesitant to take it back. I must say the dealer did a nice job of mediation and keeping all of us close to calm. After Gail pointed out the boats neglected state and the amount of work required to make it viable the sellers agreed to return our money. They then changed tack and offered to buy a new engine AND pay for the installation AND pay the extra for shipping it from Port Townsend to Olympia. That's when we started thinking that this might be a good deal after all. I still like the style of the boat, it can be cleaned up/refinished with some elbow grease and it will have a new engine! I am hoping it will be in Portland before the end of January.
Lessons learned when shopping for a new boat:
- Leave your emotions at home.
- Ask a million questions, especially ones you think are stupid.
- Hire a good surveyor and ask a lot of questions before the survey.
- Remember that there are a LOT of boats for sale.
- You will still forget something important.
Life goes on.
Boat Shows
The Portland Boat Show is on schedule for January 7-15. Many of you have signed up to cover the CRACA booth but there are a few slots still open. Check with Dale for what is available. It is a fun way to meet other sailors and see the show.
Those darn Seahawks have thrown the Seattle Boat Show a long bomb. With their home field advantage for the playoffs the Seattle show has moved its dates. Both of the shows (Event center and Lake Union) are now scheduled for January 6-14. Even the 14th could be canceled if the Seahawks play that day. Attending both Portland and Seattle shows will take some planning this year. If any CRACA members plan to go to Seattle and want to try to rendezvous with others get the word to Dale and he can send out a special notice before the shows.
Rear Commodore's Log
By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic Myst
We are past the winter solstice, so our hours of daylight are getting longer each day. While I look forward to spring, the winter months do provide me the opportunity to complete a few boat projects, particularly on my Catalina 22 that I cruise and race.Those high winds we experienced before Christmas made me glad I'd taken the sails down. One local sailor who keeps his boat at Rose City Yacht Club reported going down to the club and finding that his neighbor's roller-furling headsail had unfurled and shredded itself in the wind gusts reported to be in the 40-50 knot range.
Ten CRACA Myths Exposed
CRACA isn't the only sailing club I belong to, so I know that our difficulty in finding someone to fill the Vice Commodore role is not unique to us. What is unique to us is that we've become accustomed to NOT filling the role. Our Commodore Bob Gales and I are determined to find CRACA a Vice Commodore. Why is this so important? Clubs die when there is a lack of new ideas and a willingness to follow through and see concepts become reality. Keeping the best and reinventing the rest is what having new officers bring to a club.
Here are some common myths about CRACA and being an officer:
- MYTH: CRACA board members meet every month. Because of my involvement in the newsletter, I've been a board member since the club started in 2000, and I can count on one hand the number of board meetings that have been held. There is no charter mandated requirement about holding meetings. Every CRACA board determines for themselves how best to plan and carry on the business of the club.
- MYTH: CRACA is supposed to hold monthly meetings. Our charter states that "Meetings of The Association’s membership shall be held at least four times a year..." Past events like our Boat Show Survivors Party, Catalina Night at West Marine, October Election of new Officers, and our Holiday Party have all qualified for satisfying this section of the charter. Also in the past we've enjoyed meetings that brought in special guest speakers. Having guest speakers has the added challenge of getting enough membership to the meeting to make it worthwhile for the speaker and the CRACA member who arranged for the speaker.
- MYTH: The shore side activities of CRACA follow an annual pattern. While it can sometimes seem like we are doing the same old thing, it has more to do with not turning over the officers (i.e. getting fresh ideas) and less to do with CRACA having a set plan we follow year to year. The wonderful thing every time someone new steps up to hold an office, chair a committee, or host a cruise is that we get introduced to new things or experience interesting twists on old ideas.
- MYTH: The cruises keep going to the same old places. Ah, the need for fresh ideas, I'm sensing a theme here. Actually, the CRACA schedule changes a little each year as we experiment with different destinations. For example, in 2005 we went to Government Island instead of Coon Island for our Halloween Cruise. In 2006, we will be trying out Hadley Landing and Washougal for the first time as a club.
- MYTH: The CRACA cruising schedule is pretty rigid once approved by CRYA. Our commitment as a member of the Columbia River Yachting Association is to not show up as a group to a destination that another CRYA member club has announced in the schedule they will be at unless we discuss it with the other club. CRACA would welcome members inviting others to rendezvous with them at some destination.
- MYTH: A "Cruise Host" becomes responsible for the success of a cruise. Anyone who volunteers to be a cruise host officially has NO responsibility. In fact, the role of the cruise host isn't even mentioned in our charter. Our cruise hosts make of the role what they want. Some times the cruise is a sail to a delightful destination, the casual camaraderie of fellow Catalina enthusiasts, and a sail home. Other times there are games and prizes (i.e. the Halloween Cruise). As the newsletter editor, it's always nice to receive a few brief details about the cruise that can be weaved into a cruise announcement, followed later by a short report on how the cruise went. We find that participation on cruises is higher when someone steps up to host and promote the cruise even when there aren't any special activities planned.
- MYTH: Being a club officer takes a lot of time. Does 1-2 hours a month seem like a lot of time? The reality is that most CRACA officers on average spend a very modest amount of time each month conducting the club's business.
- MYTH: Club officers don't have flags. Until the 2005 Catalina Rendezvous, this was a true statement. Today each officeholder has a flag that they can proudly fly below their CRACA burgee.
- MYTH: If you volunteer to be a club officer you get stuck doing everything. CRACA's biggest events to organize have included our booth at the Portland Boat Show, the Boat Show Survivors Party, the Catalina Rendezvous, and the Holiday Party. I know from personal experience that there are a lot of helping hands out there. While most folks don't want to be responsible for organizing an event, they are incredibility generous in volunteering to own delivering some aspect of the event from buying food, to seeking donations from vendors. The important thing with larger CRACA events is to create an event organizing committee. Usually, in a couple of meetings, the team has the event planned, and assignments handed out. The beauty with the committee approach is that it gets more folks involved, and injects the process with additional ideas.
- MYTH: The Vice Commodore role is really a two-year commitment. Okay, this is true, although our history as a club proves otherwise. The normal expectation is that the Vice Commodore succeeds the Commodore. The continuity of this process of succession has on an organization is immense. Each new Commodore comes into the office with a year of experience on the CRACA board. After a year of supporting someone else, the Vice Commodore brings to their new role as Commodore energy and fresh ideas about how to grow and evolve the club.
Portland Boat Show
The response to our call for volunteers to staff the CRACA booth at the Portland Boat Show has been wonderful.
Secretary/Treasurer
Our membership number as of December is 40. Dues Invoices for January – December 2006 are in the mail with a deadline of January 31st for return.
We have a cooperative group liaison arrangement with BoatU.S. By using our group number GA84667B you can join BoatU.S. for half price. You pay $9.50 instead of $19. I have applications or you can go to their website for more information.
Michael returned to Portland on Sunday, the 18th , during the ice storm. It took a whole lot longer than usual to get to the airport and return back home, but it was good to have him home for a few days. He returned to Beaumont, Texas on December 29th. He does have pictures to share of some of the boat damage due to the hurricanes.
Kathleen Lewis, Secretary/Treasurer
sewingmaven@msn.com
It's About the Journey
By John Meyer, C34, ShekinahThe bad news is – we’ve sold Shekinah, our Catalina 34. The good news – her time with us was worth every minute. Also, I can’t think of one person we’ve met through the CRACA group that we haven’t enjoyed our time with enormously. We hope to see many of you in the coming years as we continue to sail the Northwest waters. I noticed on the web site that CRACA has an “Associate Member Status” so we’ll still be around.
We consider ourselves as “novice sailors” and we are compared to many of you. Shekinah, which means “the presence of God’s glory”, was our 3rd Catalina and she was always good to us. She taught us how to back down into a slip or Med ties (sometimes gracefully, sometimes not). She coaxed us out into the “big pond” even though we were timid and unsure, and she brought us home safely again. She weathered the Portland ice storms and never broke stride. Her engine never failed to start except once when I hung my cap on the “kill switch” and the lever couldn’t close. Several times she hosted 12 or more CRACA members for impromptu get-togethers or meetings. She’s convinced my six grandkids to call me “Captain John”, whether it’s a deserved title or not. And finally, when I’ve done some really stupid sailing moves, she’s forgiven me and come back for more.
We found her in Seattle- and her original owner made us wait 3 months while he decided if he really wanted to sell or not. We were much the same and the decision to part was tough. Once we had committed, there were tears.
Be that as it may, the end of the story is that Annie and I have some restless blood in our veins and we finally convinced each other there needed to be one more boat. Further, now was the time while we were both still employed. Our new boat is (I’ll whisper this) a Hunter 38. We’re going to call her Bram Brata’ which is Caribbean slang for “Unexpected Party”. Therefore, in living up to the name, let’s seek each other out and share good times.
Cruising
Cruising Chairman
By Jim Elieff, C30, Fortune
The Portland Boat Show is January 7th to 15th. I hope to see everyone there.
I would like all of you to think about hosting one of the cruises for the coming year. We have a great schedule for the 2006 season. The last cruise of 2005 had fourteen boats show up and everybody had a GREAT time. I would like to see that kind of participation this coming year.
Happy holidays and I look forward to seeing you all next year.
2006 Cruising Schedule
| Date | Destination | Cruise Hosts |
| Apr 1 - 2 | Hadley's Landing | |
| Apr 22 - 23 | Government Island - East Dock | |
| 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 19 - 22 | Beacon Rock | Dale & Laura Mack |
| Sept 16 - 17 | Catalina Rendezvous McCuddy's Landing | |
| Oct 21 - 22 | Halloween Cruise Government Island, East Dock |
Racing
Catalina 30 Racing in the Spring Regatta
By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic Myst
April 22-23. If you are a Catalina 30 owner, I invite you to participate in a casual, spinnaker-free weekend of racing out on the Columbia River between the Interstate Bridge and the I-205 Bridge.The Small Yacht Sailing Club of Oregon (SYSCO) will be hosting the Spring Regatta, April 22-23. SYSCO is very supportive of one-design racing, and they are particularly interested in providing a venue for new racers to come out and experience the sport. To obtain a one-design start for the Catalina 30's, we need to bring a minimum of three boats to the starting line.
I get most of my racing fix aboard my Catalina 22, or crewing aboard other boats, but once a year I like to take my cruising boat out, loaded down with all the creature comforts including the barbeque, and enjoy a weekend of driving it around the buoys. I've participated the past three years, and each event is remembered with a rich set of stories and memories of friendships made and renewed as I've rotated different crew aboard.
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. In the coming issues of the newsletter, I hope to entice you into entering your boat in the Spring Regatta. Need crew? I'll hook you up. Don't know anything about starts and finishes? I'll teach you. The boat isn't set up 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.
Technical Tips
Propeller Shaft Alignment
By Gary Jaeckel, C30, Mistress IISince we purchased our boat I have suspected the propeller shaft was miss-aligned but without removing the packing I was not able to realign it properly in the water. This fall we hauled our boat for bottom paint and I had my chance to inspect the propeller shaft. I found that the original bronze shaft had been terribly miss-aligned. The shaft had been rubbing on the side of the stuffing box. I replaced the shaft with a new stainless steel shaft.
We were tempted to replace the wheel but for the type of sailing we do the original two-bladed fixed wheel is a good compromise. No moving parts to wear out and less drag than a three-blade wheel. I also looked into drip-less glands. I know these units are very popular but having worked on pumps most of my life I know mechanical seals or lip seals can fail at the worst times whereas in a pinch packing can be replaced with as common a material as a cotton rag. I installed Teflon packing which should work much better than the old flax packing. (I try to practice the KISS rule on our boat).
To align our shaft I machined a split Delron bushing to hold the shaft in the center of the stuffing box. I installed the shaft leaving the packing nut and hose clamps loose pressed on the coupling and aligned the unit to the gearbox. In our case the original alignment was so far off I had to let loose the mounts from the bed and pry the engine around until it was in alignment. Once the shaft and engine were in alignment I bolted the flange up, removed my bushing, installed the packing nut and secured the hose clamps.
In addition to the shaft work we found blisters on each side of the cutlass strut. I had the yard repair these. They have found this problem on several Catalina’s and in some cases had damaged the strut mount. In our case we were lucky enough to have caught it early. We had no other blisters, which I attribute to the original owner’s attention to detail and epoxy bottom he applied before the boat ever saw water. The yard applied the bottom paint and I applied two coats of 3M wax to the top-side and we were back in the water in less than two weeks.
I hope the rainbow at launch (see picture) will be a good omen. We just made our first trip since the haul out to Marina Place to watch the Christmas Tree lighting and the new shaft works great! We experienced no vibration and were up to speed with less RPM.
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.
