Vice Commodore
By Eric Rouzee, C36, Legacy
Ahoy, fellow sailors!The warm weather is finally upon us, making for some great sailing wherever you may be. Legacy is still up in Port Ludlow, and we had a chance to spend four days on her over the July 4th weekend. We had a terrific sail under spinnaker from Ludlow down to Shilshole, where we picked up guests and then headed over to Poulsbo for the annual fireworks display on Liberty Bay. I won’t even try to estimate how many boats were anchored out, but it numbered in the hundreds. Catalinas were very well represented. You’ve got to hand it to Frank Butler. He’s been able to bring sailing to the masses with his design and manufacturing methods, while still building a relatively strong, well-performing boat.
Dale and I have been working on the September Rendezvous, and have some good ideas in the works. We’re looking into possible speakers, one possibility of which is a return of Gerry Douglas, Catalina’s chief designer (thanks to a conversation Jim Elieff had with Gerry). We’ll keep you informed. And we’re still looking for two or three volunteers to help out with some of the details. Please give me a call during the day at 360-690-0331 or reach me via e-mail at erirou@colmac.com if you can help out. No heavy lifting, I promise!
We’re also looking for ideas to create some added interest for CRACA members during these summer months. One is always compelling speakers at our monthly meetings. If anyone has ideas as to people you’d like to hear, please contact me and I’ll do the leg work to try and secure them. Impromptu weekend sails are also a lot of fun, even if it’s not a recognized CRACA event. And as far as organized cruises are concerned, I know Jim has been working hard to get these scheduled and planned. There are several coming up, which I’m sure Jim will remind you about.
Lastly, if anyone is going to be sailing up in the San Juans in early August, think about stopping in Fisherman’s Bay on Lopez Island August 4-6 for the Latitudes and Attitudes Cruiser’s Rally. It’s at the Lopez Islander Resort, and anyone is welcome, regardless of whether you’re a member of Lat & Atts or not. It promises to be a great event.
Enjoy the warm weather, and remember the sage advice of Jimmy Buffett: “Sail the main course in a simple, sturdy craft. Keep her well stocked with short stories and long laughs!”
Eric Rouzee
s/v Legacy
erirou@colmac.com
360-690-0331
Secretary/Treasurer
I still have burgees available ($20).
As you read this, Wind Raven should have cast off and be visiting northern ports-of-call. I will try to do a report of the journey next time.
Kathleen Lewis, Secretary/Treasurer
sewingmaven@msn.com
Cruising
Changes in Latitudes
By Jim Elieff (Cruising Chairman), C30, FortuneCamas-Washougal Cruise
Four boats showed up at Government Island's East dock Friday afternoon to participate in the Camas-Washougal Cruise on June 11-12. The boats were:
- C42, Kira Lynn, Jess & Mary Schefstrom
- C36, Cheryl Lynn, Ric & Cheryl Ward
- C30, Fortune, Jim Elieff
- C30, Fat Cat, Jim & Ronda Turner on Fat Cat
Coon Island Cruise
Six boats enjoyed the weekend of June 24-25 at Coon Island. The boats were:
- C42 Kira Lynn, Jess & Mary Schefstrom
- C36, Cheryl Lynn, Ric & Cheryl Ward
- C30, Fat Cat, Jim & Ronda Turner
- C30, Fortune, Jim Elieff
- C30, Mistress II, Gary & Jeanine Jaeckel
- C30, Ivan Ho, Craig & Rhonda Sorenson
2006 CRACA Cruising Schedule
| Date | Destination | Cruise Leaders |
| Aug 17 - 20 | Beacon Rock | Dale & Laura Mack |
| Sept 16 - 17 | Catalina Rendezvous McCuddy's Landing | Eric Rouzee & Dale & Laura Mack |
| Oct 21 - 22 | Government Island, East Dock |
Cruising Bulletin Board
(The cruising plans of members where they are inviting you to tag along.)
| Date | Destination | Cruise Leaders |
| July 28 - 30 | Sand Island, St. Helens | Gary & Jeanine Jaeckel |
| Aug 9 - 19 | Astoria Cruise (click here for itinerary) | Gary & Jeanine Jaeckel |
You are Welcome to Join Us
By Gary Jaeckel, C30, Mistress IIBesides the club cruises we hope to attend, attached is a schedule of a few trips the crew of Mistress II plan to make including a trip to Astoria with a big stop in Cathlamet for our annual Pirate Bash. Years ago Jeanine and I started this party to encourage our friends to join us near if not on the water and have a good time with a treasure hunt, potluck etc. It is totally family and kid-friendly and anyone is welcome to join in. This will be our 19th year.
Anyone in the club is more than welcome to join us for all or any part of our trips.
Gary, Jeanine and Tanner Jaeckel
gjaeckel@bctonline.com
Crew of Mistress II
| July 28 - 30 | Sand Island, St. Helens | ||||||||||||||||
| August 9 - 19 | Astoria Trip:
|
Beacon Rock Cruise, August 17 - 20
By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic MystNestled amongst the slopes of the Columbia Gorge is Beacon Rock State Park just downstream of the Bonneville Dam (the last dam on the Columbia River). Part of the Washington State Park System, Beacon Rock features, wide docks, picnic and camping sits, BBQs, sandy beaches, a launch ramp (popular with the local fishermen), excellent restrooms with hot showers, and potable water. New in 2005 was the addition of power on the docks, and a marine head pump out station. One of the added benefits of Beacon Rock is that you can have family and friends meet you there by car.
Reachable in six and half hours motoring upstream from the I-5 bridge, the trip to Beacon Rock can sound intimidating if you haven't cruised that long non-stop before. Although I've motored straight through in the past, my favorite method now is to split the upriver trip into two parts, and spend the first night at Parker's Landing (the Port of Camas-Washougal, 3 hrs). One of the treats about staying at Parker's Landing is going to the floating Puffin Café for dinner. The marina has fuel, a launch ramp, and lots of guest berthing with power. The return trip from Beacon Rock takes about 4 hours. I recommend planning to get to Beacon Rock in the early afternoon, because the late afternoon wind blowing East can sometimes generate a considerable swell.
Cruise Itinerary
Thursday
- Destination - Guest docks at the Port of Camas-Washougal
- Dinner - 6:30 pm at the Puffin Cafe.
- Destination - Beacon Rock State Park Docks
- Potluck Appetizers - 4:30 pm on the dock.
- Hike to the top of Beacon Rock, Kayak the backwaters, etc.
- Potluck Appetizers - 4:30 pm on the dock.
- Return to Portland
- Moorage at the dock $.50/foot per night.
- Bring quarters for the showers (3 minutes for 50 cents).
- Great place for dinghies, kayaks, or small sailboats.
- Running water is available at the top of the ramp.
- There is a one-knot current that runs south passed the docks.
- Campsites, boat ramp, and picnic area available.
- The walk to Beacon Rock is very doable if you want to hike to the top.
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.
