From the Commodore
By Eric Rouzee, C36, Legacy
There’s a sentiment among some sailors that Catalinas simply aren’t built for hard ocean sailing, and while I understand that our boats are designed for the most common uses (i.e. coastal cruising), I can personally testify that these boats are more than capable of taking a beating in some fairly harsh conditions.Cases in point: Legacy, a 1987 Catalina 36, just completed both the 2007 Oregon Offshore race and the 2007 Swiftsure Race. For the Swiftsure, we competed in a short, 17.8 mile inshore race, and while the winds were routinely over 30 knots, we had reasonably flat seas. The winds made it a challenge, particularly on the upwind leg to the turn in Pedder Bay. The upside to all of that work was that after we’d turned the mark, Legacy simply sailed faster than many of her competitors, made the turn at the Quarantine Buoy, and had a fantastic beam reach to the finish, where the boat captured 2nd place in her division, and 6th overall.
The Oregon Offshore was a completely different matter, and really serves to illustrate the point I’m making above. This was one of the roughest Offshores in recent memory, with winds again blowing 30+ knots (with higher gusts) and seas in the 6-10 foot range, with larger rogues on a regular basis (the largest waves we saw were around 0600 hrs Saturday morning, when two 18 footers rolled under us, providing a ride that rivals most roller coasters I’ve been on). Those winds were more or less out of the northwest, so for the fleet, it was a beat to weather all the way to Cape Flattery. It took Legacy two days to get to Tatoosh Island and the turn into the Straits, and most of the way, it was a pounding. We took our share of waves over the deck, which succeeded in finding every place that a sailboat can leak, but our Catalina held up well and made it through without any major damage, other than a parted spinnaker halyard at 0300 hrs on Sunday, just west of Race Rocks (why do these things always seem to break in the middle of the night?!). For the record, three boats dropped out and ran for Grays Harbor and one boat lost steering twice and limped into Victoria. Legacy finished within the time limit and secured the Old Salt trophy, given to the last boat to officially finish, which is either a testament to our unfaltering refusal to quit, or our blind hardheadedness to keep racing in that mess when we could have been in Grays Harbor eating a hot meal. You be the judge.
My point is obvious: while Catalinas are certainly marketed to sailors whose primary goal is coastal cruising, this year’s races prove that they are also well-built yachts, capable of sustaining some fairly nasty conditions and coming through in fine form. That’s a testament to work they’re doing down in Woodland Hills, and something we can all take heart in the next time we have to cross a choppy piece of water, inshore or not.
Vice Commodore
By Alden Andre', C38, Fly Bye
Well, this has been a busy month, traveling, work and sailboats. Between traveling every week I was able to get in all the spring series races and a medium distance race and do a spinnaker class with some CRACA members. My travels had me going to NY, Chicago, and LA this month. I did take some time out in Chicago to look at another Catalina 38 on the great lakes. Sailboats are like a drug to me. I work so I can sail.Racing
We wrapped up the SYSCO Spring Series coming in 2nd place and had a lot of fun doing it. Jim Turner (C30 Fat Cat) came out on the last race with us and had a great time. We worked him hard on the foredeck. He and I figured out how to use that new whisker pole I have hanging on the mast. I wish I would have used it on all the other races maybe we would have done better. Since he worked so hard during the race he got to drive the boat back to the barn on a nice fast reach with a nice sunset. We got a good start on this last race because we finally figured out the starting guns and the time intervals between them (its 5 minutes between starts not 6 like we thought). I guess reading the book and knowing the rules really does help.
All in all the Spring Series was good for learning. Yes we hit a couple of marks, ran over an anchor rode and made a lot of mistakes. But we had fun, we were safe, and we didn’t break anything. We learned how to trim the sails, and better judge the wind and the current for making it to a point in space faster. Everyone in my crew got to do every job on the boat. We rotated positions for every race including driving. I only drove on the last race
The SYSCO Summer Series starts on June 5th and 7th and the and Friday night Beer Can races start on June 8th. My invitation is still open to all who would like to come out with me for a night of racing on Thursday or Friday nights.
I raced in the RCYC Medium Distance Race on May 19, which had fifty boats in it and eight in my class. I did that race by myself and came in third. I really enjoyed that race being a long distance race vs. sprints around the buoys because it was more relaxing. I'm thinking of incorporating races to our cruise destinations. I would like some feedback from the membership on whether some of them would be interested in that.
Spinnaker Classes
Florence Dickerson and her husband wanted to come out and fly a spinnaker so we did. Was the wind light and calm? No it was blowing fast and hard. I never flew the thing myself in that kind of wind. But I thought there is a first time for everything. So we rigged it up and off we were going 7.5- 8 knots upriver. It was a great after noon for sailing.
May CRACA Meeting
Marine Surveyor Alison Mazon did a great job with her presentation at our May CRACA meeting held on the 23rd at the Quay. She is a wealth of knowledge and her presentation had lots of great photos to high augment her descriptions of problems to avoid. She got me thinking about my boat and reviewing everything. The most important thing was inspecting my shore power cord. She said at least three boats in the area a year burn up due to bad shore power cords.
Have a great month and see you all on the water.
Alden Andre'
503-661-2893
alden642@comcast.net
Historian
By Alex Andre', C38, Fly Bye
Alex Andre'
503-819-9998
alex@teamimpact.org
Communications
By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic Myst
As I look back on May I'm struck by all the organized boating-related activities there were to participate in. I attended just a few in addition to racing my Catalina 22 on Thursday evenings, and yet it felt like a very active boating month.
June and July will represent a two-month hiatus from monthly CRACA meetings as many of us pursue summer cruising plans. Be sure to check out the CRACA cruising schedule if you'd like to cruise in the company of others.
TBYC Swap Meet
May followed its typical pattern with a mix of rainy and sunny days. On Saturday, May 19th an early morning rain had ended by the time I arrived at the Tomahawk Bay Yacht Club's Swap Meet at 6:30 am (the swap meet began at 7 am). Missing from this year's event was the pancake breakfast that Columbia Crossings (the operators of Tomahawk Bay Moorage) has served in the past. The swap meet drew a nice collection of excess equipment and lots of familiar faces. The social aspects of the swap meet are the real draw. Everytime a new vendor shows up everyone descends on their space and starts critiquing to their sailing colleagues the items being pulled out of the car or truck. As sailing friends depart and new one arrive, you get to repeat the whole process over and over if you hang around long enough. I figured that by the time I headed down to my Catalina 22 to start upriver for the Catalina 22 Fleet 20 Lemon Island Rendezvous, I had probably completed seven laps of the swap meet booths with a variety of sailing acquaintances. I know it sounds like a weird way to spend a Saturday morning, but in the end it's less about the swap meet and more about the social gathering. Considering that the following Saturday I spent with a rented chipper/shredder in the backyard the swap meeting was pretty cool.
RCYC Medium Distance Race
Rose City Yacht Club held its second annual Medium Distance Race also on May 19th. The racers departed between buoy "14" and RCYC at 11 am and sailed upriver to mark above the I-205 bridge and then back to the finish at buoy "14". After the race RCYC hosted a BBQ for the participants.
I caught the racers just as they started while I motored toward Lemon Island for the Catalina 22 Fleet 20 Rendezvous. There wasn't a lot of wind but even the Cruising Class sailing without spinnaker was making progress upriver. Two Catalinas participating included:
- C250, Dogs Allowed, Ken McKenzie
- C38, Fly Bye, Alden Andre (CRACA Vice Commodore)
 |
| C250, Dogs Allowed, Ken McKenzie |
On May 15th I had the opportunity to serve as a member of the Race Committee (RC) for SYSCO's Spring Series on Tuesday evenings. The RC boat was a beautiful 1987 Grand Banks Sedan trawler with a flying bridge. One of the advantages of serving on the RC is that you have a front-row seat for watching the racing. We had wonderful winds and an excellent turnout. When I wasn't doing my RC job I was busy taking pictures. After the race, I emailed samples to many of the skippers.
 |
| Gary Burner's Encore! stays ahead as Gail & Doug Pihlaya's C25 #136 adjusts to a sudden wind shift and gust. |
Some of the Catalinas I saw racing included:
- C25, Encore!, Gary Burner
- C25, Lematike, Terry Annis
- C25, Plan "B", Steve Eldred
- C25, ???, Gail Pihlaja
- C250, Dogs Allowed, Ken McKenzie
 |
| Grand Banks Race Committee Boat |
 |
| C25, Plan "B", Steve Eldred |
 |
| C25, Lematike, Terry Annis |
 |
| The Start |
 |
| C250, Dogs Allowed, Ken McKenzie |
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| C25, Lematike, Terry Annis |
Laura and I attended Cruising Chairman Jim Elieff's inaugural Catalina Friday Rendezvous, May 11, at the Red Lion Hotel on the River - Jantzen Beach overlooking the Columbia River on Hayden Island. After getting the boat tied up, we joined the group in Shenanigans restaurant for Happy Hour. Jim was correct, the views are great, the Happy Hour food is reasonably priced, and the socializing with other Catalina owners was fun. Some arrived by boat and others by car. Those present while Laura and I were there include:
- C30, Fortune, Jim Elieff (CRACA Cruising Chairman)
- C30, Irish Luck, Jerry & Lisa Sullivan
- C30, Celtic Myst, Dale & Laura Mack
- C42, Kira Lynn, Jess & Mary Schefstrom
- C36, Cheryl Lynn, Rick & Cheryl Ward
Scenes from the June 1 Catalina Friday Rendezvous
 |
| L-R: Irish Luck, Celtic Myst, and Fortune |
 |
| CRACA at Shenanigans |
 |
| The view upriver from the deck. |
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| The Mary Kay crew. |
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| Evening sailing upriver. |
Tomahawk Bay Moorage will once again play host to the CWC-ACBS's Antique and Classic Boat Show. In the water you'll find everything from runabouts to cruisers. Ashore an eclectic mix of classic outboard motors, classic cars, runabouts, and boat models will have been assembled for your viewing.
I can highly recommend this show. The quality and content seems to improve each year. The last couple of years have featured the restored PT 658 based in Portland. The boat has been open for tours, and at the top of every hour they fire up one of the boat's three Packard engines.
Cruising
Cruising Chairman
By Jim Elieff, C30, Fortune
I realize that it is hard to come to the cruises when there are graduations, vacations, family get-togethers, and the all-important yard to get ready for summer planting, pruning etc. The cruises that I have been on have been great fun.Martin Island Reflections
The CRACA cruise to Martin Island over the Memorial weekend was attended by:
- C30, Fortune, Jim Elieff
- Hunter 35, Bram Brata', John & Ann Meyer (associate members)
- C36, Cheryl Lynn, Rick & Cheryl Ward
Catalina Friday Rendezvous a Big Hit with CRACA Membership
I can't believe we had 26 people at one table and 11 at another on June 1st. Great fellowship and FUN were had by all. The award for the boat arriving with the most people went to Celtic Myst Which showed up with eleven. Arriving by car proved very popular for many.
Watch your email for an invitation to the next Catalina Friday Rendezvous.
June 9-10: Plan to attend the cruise to McCuddy's Landing - Multnomah Channel
Are you planning to attend the McCuddy's Landing cruise? So far I have five boats signed up. Let me know if you are planning to arrive Friday or Saturday so that I can arrange berthing. Some of us will be dining at Mark's on the Channel, the floating restaurant at the marina, on Saturday night. Let me know if you want to join us for dinner.
June 23-24 Cruise to Coon Island
CRACA has a cruise scheduled to Coon Island - East on June 22-23. So far I haven't had anyone signup to attend. Perhaps everyone is planning to attend the Antique Boat Show at Tomahawk Bay Moorage on June 23.
Jim Elieff
503-706-3081
elieffmaan@yahoo.com
- June 9 - 10, McCuddy's Landing
- June 23 - 24, Coon Island - East
- July 14 - 15, Government Island - East
- July 21 - 29, Downriver Cruise
- August 4 - 5, McCuddy's Landing
- August 16 - 19, Beacon Rock
- Sept. 15 - 16, Catalina Rendezvous
- Sept. 22 - 23, Hadley's Landing
- Sept. 23, Sail for the Cure
- October 20 - 21, Government Island - East
Honey, do you smell the dog burning?
For the love of heat
By Dale Mack, C30 Celtic MystIt's the CRACA April cruise to Government Island's East Dock and onboard Celtic Myst are Laura, Dale, and our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Sherman. Sherman is wearing his coat in the fashion most associated with Cavaliers (long and flowing) instead of the summer cut he typically gets at the end of May.
To take the chill off the cabin we have our propane radiant heater running on the floor in the morning as I prepare Laura's coffee. Sherman keeps inching towards the heater and I keep pushing him away. In the time it takes me to put a scoop of coffee grounds into the pot, Sherman has run over to the heater just as I'm turning to check on him. Oh Man! There is smoke raising from the dog and the pungent smell of burnt hair. Sherman's eyes go wide open as he sees a wild man lunge at him. He freezes, I grab all twenty-one pounds of him and whisk him away from the heater. I'm frantically checking Sherman over looking for scorched fleshed and he's shivering because he's scared not knowing what is going on. Needless to say the heater went onto the counter and Sherman had no visible signs of the incident.
Fast forward to our Beacon Rock cruise. Sherman, now wearing his apparently less flammable summer coat, won't stay away from the electric heater. As soon as the thermostat kicks on he's in front of the unit. His favorite position seems to be with his bottom right up against the grate. The change in the pitch of the fan tells me each time he's gotten too close. Even when he lies down he pushes his bottom up against the heater. I check his bottom several times but no grate marks and surprisingly his fur isn't that warm. I pull the heater back to create a couple of inches of separation between it and the dog. Sherman, not happy with the new arrangement, lets out a sort of snort (his way of of expressing displeasure) and then relocates himself next to the heater again. After several rounds of this Sherman figures out he needs to maintain some distance, at least when I'm present, and I learn not to leave the heater on the floor when I'm not present.
Into the Mist
Beacon Rock in the Spring
By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic MystAn upriver cruise in May tends to show up on the schedules of powerboat clubs instead of on the itineraries of sailboats and for good reason, spring runoff and continuing rains contribute to higher and swifter water. To give you a sense of the difference between making the trip in May various August here's a table showing the effects of the current on my C30 Mk III running at 2600 RPM (23 HP Universal M-25XP, 3-bladed prop 13RH10 Sailor). For those C30 owners out there that's a true 2600 RPM not what the tachometer reads which was 2800 RPM.
Destination
| August Elapsed Time | May Elapsed Time | % Slower |
| Tomahawk to Camas-Washougal | 2:58 | 3:32 | 16.8% |
| Camas-Washougal to Beacon Rock | 3:38 | 4:45 | 30.1% |
Total Trip Time
| 6:36 | 8:17 | 25.5% |
Model
| Weight | Horsepower | lbs./HP |
| Catalina 22 | 2,450 lbs. | 7.5 hp | 326 |
| Catalina 30 | 10,200 lbs. | 23 hp | 443 |
Laura and I journey to Beacon Rock annually because it is one of our favorite destinations on the lower Columbia River. In the Spring the vibrant greens of the new season, a multitude of flowers, and haze-free morning light lets you see and enjoy the beauty that is the Columbia River Gorge.
By the end of May sunrise occurs at 5:30 am, but there's enough light to get underway by 5 am if one wishes. As a lifelong morning person, I'm among a small group of individuals made up of fishermen and tugboat crews who know the magic of the river in the early hours of the day. Both the Camas and Beacon Rock legs of my two-day journey upstream started before the sun was up. Even with the engine running in the dead calm conditions there's a serene peacefulness to the setting. Heading into the gorge on such a morning is a sight to see from the deck of a boat. The marine layer obscures the mid-section of the gorge's walls so that only the shoreline and peaks are in view. Patches of fog sit in the valleys between the spires and mist hovers above the water.
Discovering the Port of Camas-Washougal
Two years ago Laura and I switched from reaching Beacon Rock in one day to laying over at the Port of Camas-Washougal and stretching the upriver trip over two days. After my first stay at Camas I was surprised this destination wasn't part of the CRACA annual cruising schedule. Some of the amenities at the port include:
- Great views of Mt. Hood, Crown Point, and the start of the Gorge
- Concrete guest docks with picnic tables and trash cans. I recommend typing up facing upstream because of the current.
- Electrical hookups
- Fuel dock (both gas and diesel)
- Marine head pump out station
- Launch ramps
- RV campsites
- Parker House. Upscale dining with a full lounge overlooking the marina and the river.
- Puffin Cafe. Bistro style casual dining with a Caribbean flair and a full bar. This floating cafe has both indoor and outdoor seating along with a dinghy dock.
- Vancouver Yacht Club (VYC) with a large floating clubhouse.
- Dolphin Yacht Club (DYC) with a shore side clubhouse.
- Port of Camas-Washougal offices with rentable meeting rooms
- Paved walking paths that include the a park overlooking the marina and a second park with mature trees just to the north that lies between the RV sites and the marina.
- Restrooms are available at the port offices and the park.
If you think the Island Cafe on Hayden Island is fun then you're going to enjoy the Puffin Cafe. With an eclectic menu that can feature anything from Caribbean favorites to Northwest comfort food, the Puffin Cafe remains an undiscovered gem in riverside dining. While the cafe has both inside and outside seating, it also has a garage door-style opening wall next to the entrance that will have your feeling like you're sitting on your own private covered patio next to the water. The Puffin Cafe looks onto the launch ramps where you can watch some of the area's fishermen demonstrate their boat handling skills not to mention some of the most interesting methods for launching and retrieving one's boat. The urge to grab a video camera and submit the results to America's Funniest Home Video always crosses my mind while seated at the cafe.
Our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Sherman, is a frequent member of our crew aboard Celtic Myst. I'm the dog walker, so destinations with interesting places to see are always welcome. The Port of Camas-Washougal features two beautiful parks. The younger of the two features picnic tables overlooking the marina and the river. A paved loop inside the park provides the dog walker a mile for every seven laps. The second park has mature trees, gardens, a rose arbor, a water feature, a stage, and an interpretive center. North of the two parks is a large grass-covered RV park (no hookups). North of the RV park is Hwy 14.
As a cruising destination, the Port of Camas-Washougal is first-rate. So why don't more folks head upriver for the weekend instead of always going downriver first? I'm guessing it's a mental thing about pushing against the current, and yet the return trip from those downriver weekends means you have to slog it out against the current on the way home. At least with upriver destinations like Government Island and Camas-Washougal you have the prospects of a wonderful sail home instead of motoring all the time. Here are some examples of the total cruising times (recorded aboard Celtic Myst) for both out and back for some popular destinations and how they compare to going upriver first.
Destination
| To | From | Total |
| Government Island - East Dock | 1:51 | 1:01 | 2:52 |
| Hadley Landing | 1:50 | 2:13 | 4:03 |
| Port of Camas-Washougal | 2:58 | 1:37 | 4:35 |
| McCuddy's Landing - Multnomah Channel | 2:45 | 3:15 | 6:00 |
| St. Helens | 3:03 | 3:23 | 6:26 |
| Coon Island - Multnomah Channel | 3:18 | 3:42 | 7:00 |
| Beacon Rock (non-stop) | 6:38 | 4:08 | 10:46 |
Columbia River Gorge
The Port of Camas-Washougal is the gateway to the Columbia River Gorge. Based on the previous day's performance against the current I had calculated that the Beacon Rock leg would take just under five hours. What I do when I cruise is to maintain a log of key milestones along the way (aids to navigation, landmarks, etc.). By comparing my current progress against a previous baseline I can tell what effect the wind and current are having on the boat.
It's amazing how quickly it gets bright in the morning. One minute I'm flipping on the running and steaming lights and the next minute it seems light enough to cruise without them. If you've only seen the river in daylight and at sunset, then treat yourself and experience it at sunrise. Whether it's heading into the gorge at first light or departing Cathlamet in the wee hours of the morning to catch a favorable tide, there's a "dawn of a new day" aspect to an early morning departure that I never grow tried of.
With Laura fast asleep in the v-berth and Sherman freshly walked, I brewed (actually French pressed) a thermos full of coffee for Laura before disconnecting the shore power. With all three cylinders beating out a smooth rhythm, I cast off the lines, let the current catch the bow to swing the boat 180 degrees to exit the marina, and resumed the trek to Beacon Rock. Ah, underway again and heading into the mist.
It doesn't seem to matter whether I'm voyaging into the gorge in August or in May I'm greeted with a marine layer and sometimes fog. I've never encountered it so thick to consider staying put. Its presence definitely enhances the sunrise and adds to the experience.
The two knots of wind I'd departed with had fallen to nothing as I started the leg from Rooster Rock to Cape Horn. As you can see in the photo there wasn't even a ripple on the water despite the fact that the river was running about 2.5 knots on this stretch. It was incredible to see everything reflected in the water with such clarity.
Cape Horn is aptly named. It's either a lamb or a bear. A third of all my trips home from Beacon Rock seemed to encounter west winds and wind-driven swells heading upriver. Two years ago it was a bear. Despite the current assist, the GPS showed that Celtic Myst was only making 2-3 knots against the wind and the swells instead of the typical 7-8 knots. The swells were just far enough apart that the crest of each swell would reach about six inches below the bow. Imagine my surprise when the spacing suddenly increased and the bow punched into the next swell. With water a foot deep on deck I figured the cabin would part it and keep it away from the dodger. No dice! The foot of water was now eight inches deep on top of the cabin when it struck the dodger. I'm thinking at the time, "so much for windows" as Sean, at the helm, and I duck and watch an explosion of spray get carried away from the boat by the twenty-four-knot wind. In 2006 I was surprised to face my first east wind from Cape Horn to Beacon Rock which added an hour to the trip.
The river's main channel passes between Cape Horn on the Washington shore and Phoca Rock. From this point you start the next leg to Skamania Island. The sense of being in "The Gorge" is enhanced by the steeping walls, the sight of waterfalls, and few signs of civilization.
From Skamania Island, the channel moves to the Oregon side of the river and puts you on a course for Multnomah Falls. If you haven't visited the falls by car and eaten in the restaurant then make a bunch date with your significant other and enjoy a great day together.
I never tire of watching Multnomah Falls. It seems to have the same hypnotic effect as watching fire without the eyeball scorching after effects. The spring flows are really amazing, even from the deck of a boat.
With Multnomah Falls abeam I knew I was on the last leg of the journey. The final 4.5 nautical miles would eventually require an additional hour and twenty-two minutes to reach the entrance to Beacon Rock.
At Daymark "88", 0.5 nautical miles downstream from the entrance, the GPS began reading 0.0 knots speed over the ground (SOG) and yet the boat's knotmeter showed 6.2 knots. While the water was rushing by at over six knots, Celtic Myst was standing still when you looked at points ashore. I increased the engine to 3000 RPM (3200 on the tach) and we began making two knots. I also angled the boat toward the Washington shore to gain some current relief and watched the GPS SOG readout increase to four knots as we reached the entrance.
Except in low water years, there is always a significant current running passed the docks from Beacon Rock out to the river. We like to face our cockpit to the north to avoid the southern sun and have a great view of the rock. If you're practiced backing your boat into current and then crabbing sideways its a pretty simple matter to dock the boat with the stern facing north. Another alternative we've used is to dock with the bow into the current and then place fenders and lines on the outboard side. With a line secured to the outboard starboard aft cleat and to the dock, we cast off the portside lines and push the bow into the current. The current flips the boat 180 degrees while the starboard stern line makes sure the boat ends up next to the dock. For safety, we do this maneuver with the engine running and Laura at the helm just in case something goes wrong and we have to move the boat away from the dock.
We arrived at Beacon Rock on Wednesday morning before the Memorial Weekend. We had the moorage to ourselves that first night. Although we were eventually joined on subsequent nights by upwards of twenty boats from the Vancouver Yacht Club and the Willamette Yacht Club, we never lost our sense of being in our own little world as we enjoyed hiking, kayaking, and the wonderful views of our piece of paradise over the next five nights. This was our first time spending the maximum allowed nights at the dock (five), and we'll definitely do it again. There is so much to see and do that we never tire of this marvelous destination.
2007 Down River Cruise
By Jess Schefstrom, C42, Kira LynnThe 2007 Down River Cruise will be hosted by “Cheryl Lynn” C36, Rick and Cheryl Ward, and “Kira Lynn” C42, Jess and Mary Schefstrom.
We hope all will consider attending this cruise down the beautiful Columbia River to its mouth. It is a great trip and there is nothing better than coming out of Ilwaco with a fresh NW wind and heading back up river at 7 to 8 knots under full sail for 103 miles.
The ports of St Helens, Cathlamet, Ilwaco, and Astoria are great full service facilities with power, showers, shopping, restaurants, and lots of history.
If you can’t make the time commitment to attend the whole cruise, consider maybe going half way down to Cathlamet or meeting up with us in Cathlamet or Martin Slough on our way back up river.
The cruise float plan is shown below. We hope all will consider attending and if we can answer any questions please feel free to contact us.
Rick and Cheryl Ward
503-657-4892
rcward95@msn.com
Jess and Mary Schefstrom
503-410-0604
jhse27@hotmail.com
If you will be attending this cruise please call or send a note to Jim Elieff, Cruising Chairman.
Jim Elieff
503-706-3081
elieffmaan@yahoo.com
503-706-3081
elieffmaan@yahoo.com
2007 Down River Cruise Float Plan
| Downriver | ||||
| Thur | July 19th | Leave Portland | ||
| St Helens Concert on the River | 20 miles | |||
| Fri | July 20th | Cathlamet | 44 miles | 5.5 hrs (at 8mph) |
| Sun | July 22nd | Ilwaco | 39 miles | 4.9 hrs |
| Upriver | ||||
| Mon | July 23rd | Astoria | 11 miles | 1.8 hrs (at 6 mph) |
| Wed | July 25th | Cathlamet | 28 miles | 4.6 hrs |
| Fri | July 27th | Walker Island | 19 miles | 3.1 hrs |
| Sat | July 28th | Martin Slough | 12 miles | 2.0 hrs |
| Sun | July 29th | St Helens | 13 miles | 2.1 hrs |
| Portland | 20 miles | 3.3 hrs | ||
Trip
| 206 miles | 27.3 hrs |
Technical Tip
Up Sh#!#t Creek
The cost of following the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" philosophy
By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic Myst
Dinner was Caesar salad, grilled shrimp, pasta salad, and your favorite beverage. After enjoying a delightful sunset while dining in our cockpit, we were winding down the end of a perfect day at Beacon Rock. As dusk gave way to early evening we retired to the cabin to catch up on dishes and do a little reading before bed. With the chores completed, I bent down to stash a few items in the cabinet below the sink when my nose was assaulted by the scent of sewage.
This story is about learning that when it comes to the various systems on a boat you should always be pulling them apart and putting them back together even when everything appears to be fine. My boat is equipped with a macerator pump for emptying the holding tank offshore where it's legal. Since coming to the Columbia River, Celtic Myst hasn't been offshore so the pump doesn't get used, and thus gets ignored. Now normally a failure in a piece of equipment you never use and are not likely to use anytime in the near future wouldn't seem to pose a problem, but a simple oversight by the pump's original installer eleven years earlier left us with no quick fix and a bilge full of sewage because of a leaking macerator pump.
The Installation Mistake
The macerator pump is installed via a T-fitting in the siphon portion of a holding tank system between the deck fitting and the holding tank. A simple PVC ball-valve is supposed to be installed between the siphon hose and the pump in order to isolate the pump for maintenance or in the event of a pump failure. Unfortunately, this less than $10 part was left out of the system despite it being shown in the installation instructions. Thoughts of wanting to hunt down the original installer crossed my mind as I pondered how to unscrew the pump from the 1-1/2" PVC T-fitting without dumping the remaining contents of the holding tank into the bilge.
The Failure
The pump is secured to its motor with four studs. One of these studs had corroded and broke off at the motor. Uneven pressure on one of the pump's seals due to the loss of a stud and a second installation mistake that forced the 1-1/2" sewage hose thirty degrees from where it wanted to lie in a relaxed position resulted in a slow leak.
Temporary Repairs
What I needed was a 1-1/2" NPT plug for the T-fitting after I unscrewed the pump, bleach to sanitize all the surfaces the sewage had touched, and "Odokleen" a wonderful deodorizing cleaner that Michael Lewis had told me about that works even on diesel. A quick call to Laura's dad had the plug, bleach, latex gloves, and lots of paper towels on its way to the boat. Meanwhile, I took advantage of the Beacon Rock pump out station just off our stern to empty the holding tank and our bilge (thank goodness for long hoses).
Once the spare parts arrived I was able to unscrew the pump from its mounting block and then use the flexibility of the 1-1/2" sewage hose to lift the pump and T-fitting above the level of any remaining material in the holding tank. The pump unscrewed easily, no sewage gushed out (to my immense relief), and the plug with Teflon tape on the threads screwed in without a problem. The cleanup was pretty straightforward. Everything got wiped down with diluted bleach, including the tools. This was followed by wiping everything down with Odokleen. The bleach and Odokleen water in the bilge was eventually soaked up with paper towels and the project ended with the boat smelling sweet again. Even twenty-four hours later there wasn't even a hint of sewage smell.
My Advice
Look at your sewage and freshwater systems and make sure you can isolate failures. Carry an assortment of plugs to seal off hoses, pipes, and valves. Also, carry hose barbs so you can join sections of hose together if you have to take a failed component out of the system like a hot water heater that starts leaking.
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.
