Columbia River All Catalina Association: November 2006

Outgoing Rear Commodore's Log

By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic Myst

This month marks the end of the term for our 2006 CRACA Board. As we prepare for the 2007 Board to take the wheel on December 1, I'd like to pause an say thanks to the following:

Kathleen Lewis, (Secretary / Treasurer)

Kathleen has done a wonderful job paying the bills, making the deposits, collecting member applications, and doing the bookkeeping to keep CRACA incorporated as a not for profit organization.

Jim Elieff, (Cruising Chairman)

Jim collected input from the membership this time last year and created what became our 2006 cruising schedule and submitted it to CRYA. During the course of the year Jim attended the monthly meetings of CRYA as the CRACA representative, recruited hosts for our cruises, and made every cruise just a little better as he welcomed everyone with a warm handshake and a friendly smile.

Eric Rouzee, (Vice Commodore)

After a drought of nearly four years of trying to operate without a Vice Commodore, outgoing Commodore Bob Gales recruited Eric Rouzee. Besides his wonderful articles, Eric quickly reminded us of the value of having the occasional shore side meeting. October's CRACA meeting was a delightful gathering with a fabulous guest speaker.

Bob Gales, (Commodore)

Although a new boat, Bob's recovery from an injury, and Bob's and Gail's travels didn't allow them to participate as much as they had wished, Bob helped lay the groundwork for what is going to be a great 2007 year for CRACA. Bob worked to bring some fresh faces along with some new ideas onto the CRACA Board.

During the month of October, the membership voted in a new CRACA Board. I'm happy to report that for the first time since 2003 every position was filled. Please join me in welcoming our new officers.

Don't hesitate to your share your ideas for cruises, meetings, recruiting, or anything else you think might contribute to CRACA. You input is always welcomed.

2007 CRACA Board

Commodore	Eric Rouzee	C36, Legacy
Vice Commodore	Alden Andre’	C38, Fly Bye
Secretary/Treasurer	Kathleen Lewis	C42, Wind Raven
Cruise Officer	Jim Elieff	C30, Fortune
Communications	Dale Mack	C30, Celtic Myst
Rear Commodore	Bob Gales	Possibly looking for a Catalina again;-)
Historian	Alex Andre’	C38, Fly Bye
Safety	Michael Lewis	C42, Wind Raven

October CRACA Meeting

By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic Myst

Our Commodore-elect Eric Rouzee did a wonderful job pulling together an October general membership meeting at Mars Meadow Chinese restaurant near Delta Park and West Marine. Over twenty-five members were in attendance as we socialized over dinner.

The guest speaker for the evening was Sharon Adams, the first woman in the world to single-hand the Pacific Ocean, from Yokohama to San Diego. Sharon gave us a delightful glimpse into a life full of adventure. Combined with her very fine presentation skills, slide show, and memorabilia, you found yourself transported away from the now and to a time before GPS, chart plotters, and solar chargers.

Cruising

Changes in Latitudes

By Jim Elieff, C30, Fortune

Hello CRACA members,

Well another summer has come and gone and we had a fantastic cruising summer with old friends and some new ones. The Halloween Cruise was a great success, lead buy Terry & Kate Annis and Nate & Margret Hanson. Sixteen boats showed up. They were:

C25, Lematike, Terry & Kathie Annis (Cruise Host)
C25, Leucothea, Nate & Margaret Hanson (Cruise Host)
C25, Plan "B", Steve & Chris Eldred
C250, <<no name>>, Doug & JoNell McClary
C27, Sydera, Jerry Sampson & Karen Clouse
C28, Loki, Werner & Renate Bittner
C30, Celtic Myst, Dale & Laura Mack
C30, Fat Cat, Jim & Ronda Turner
C30, Fortune, Jim Elieff
C30, Mage Wind, John & Emily Kerrigan
C310, Cats Paw, Jim Hackey & Judy Brandon
C36, Cheryl Lynn, Rick & Cheryl Ward
C38, Fly Bye, Alden & Alex Andre'
C42, Kira Lynn, Jess & Mary Schefstrom
C42, Wind Raven, Michael & Kathleen Lewis
Beneteau, Soleil, Bob Gales & Gail O'Neill

The weather was bright and sunny, plus a little windy. We all had a great Halloween weekend. Wine tasting , pumpkin carving , boat decorating and best costume.

October 18th at our meeting we had Sharon Adams give us the details of her record trip, solo, from Yokohama, Japan to San Diego, CA . She was the first woman to do this. She told of her experiences with class and comedy. She was a great story teller.

I've been working on the cruise schedule for 2007. I'm having trouble getting us to Beacon Rock on the dates we have always had. TYC wants that weekend, so I'll have to talk to their commodore when he gets back from Mexico soon. We have some months with two cruises and even a downriver cruise. We're even considering a weekday cruise to Shenanigan's (Red Lion Inn Hayden Island) for Happy Hour. I'm Looking forward to next year's cruising with our CRACA family. Have a great Thanksgiving Holiday with family.

See you all soon. James M. Elieff C.D.

Echoes of the Halloween Cruise

By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic Myst

It's supposed to rain on you in late October, but somehow the CRACA Halloween cruises have enjoyed a charmed life. And even when there is some rain there isn't much of it and the sun still comes out.

Our Fall and Spring cruises have become some of the best-attended events. It seemed fitting that our last official cruise of the season should be held at the same location as the first cruise of the season. Aside from its close proximity to many member's slips, Bartlett Landing at Government Island's East Dock has quickly become a favorite destination since its reconstruction. Contributing to its allure is the fact that you might actually get some sailing in.

L-R: Kira Lynn, Fortune, Cats Paw, Sydera

L-R: Plan "B", C250, Lematike, Leucothea, Fat Cat, Wind Raven

L-R: Fly Bye, Soleil, Celtic Myst, Loki, Cheryl Lynn

Saturday potluck appetizers

Pumpkin carving contest

Great pumpkin race

Saturday afternoon socializing

There be pirates!

Sunday morning walk on the beach

Beach runs out before West Dock

Flotilla still asleep

Sunday morning potluck breakfast

Sunday morning coffee

Racing

A Season of Catalina 22 Sailing

By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic Myst

Some of you know I race my Catalina 22 Crocus. Local C22 racing is pretty laid back in the sense that it's more important to encourage each other to get out and race each week than it is to win. That doesn't mean we don't try to win, it just means that intimidation (i.e. using the racing rules of sailing to bully a competitor who might be unsure of their rights under the rules) just isn't what we are all about.

I raced Crocus in the SYSCO Spring Series from April to May, the SYSCO Summer Series from June to July, and trailered the boat to Scott's Flat Lake in California to compete in the weeklong Catalina 22 National Regatta. Accompanying me aboard the boat this season was a collection of Catalina 22 enthusiasts and fellow boat owners who signed on to crew in hopes of learning some new things and experiencing racing first hand.

The 2006 season was the first time I'd raced a Catalina 22 with a spinnaker. In the pre-season, I installed the gear I needed to handled the spinnaker. Armed with what I'd learned racing aboard Terry Annis' C25 Lematike, and what I'd gleaned out of books like North Sails' North U. Racing Trim, Bill Gladstone, I proceeded to teach myself and my crew how to launch and douse a spinnaker while racing.

I had the good fortune of sailing with some great crew in 2006. We laughed, poked fun at each others foibles out on the racecourse, and grew as a team each time we went out. The Spring and Summer Series saw new crew for each event, while my crew for the Nationals was built of C22 sailors from southern Oregon and Idaho that I met online. If smiles is one measure of a super season, then I had a great one.

Coming to Love an Ugly Duckling

My mental picture of sailing is a white hull and white sails. If I hadn't bought into an existing boating partnership, I would have never purchased a yellow hulled boat. I don't dislike yellow, it just wasn't what I had in mind.

Up until I received a photo of the boat sailing upriver under the spinnaker during a rainy early June weekend when my Nationals crew and I were getting in some practice, I had never seen the boat except at the dock or on the trailer. I suddenly realized that I had something unique, plus you've got to admit the blue, yellow, and white spinnaker on a yellow-hulled boat looks pretty cool. Whether I was at the front of the pack or at the back of the pack (as was the case at the Nationals), you always knew where I was.

While I'm not going repaint Celtic Myst yellow, I've come to enjoy the fact that my "other" boat doesn't look like everyone else's.

Local Sailing Associations

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.

Columbia River All Catalina Association

Wednesday, November 1, 2006

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