From the Commodore
By Eric Rouzee, C36, Legacy
Well, the summer sailing season is now in the books, and for anyone still going out, it’s time to break out the fleece hats and gloves, and bundle up! It was a great season, even if the weather didn’t always cooperate. Hey, when you’re on the water, what could be better?We have a new board in place for 2008, and I’d like to introduce them:
- Commodore – Alden Andre
- Vice Commodore – Jim Turner
- Read Commodore – Eric Rouzee
- Communications Officer – Justin Albano
- Safety Officer – Larry Brandt
- Secretary / Treasurer – John Kerrigan
- Cruise Officer – Jim Elieff
- Historian – Alex Andre
As outgoing Commodore, I’d also like to thank every club member who took part in our programs and cruises. I’ve been a Catalina sailor for many years, dating back to when my father purchased a brand new Catalina 34, so to see the passion and enthusiasm that all of you have for Catalina Yachts is special to me. I hope people continue to be involved in the club and all our events. This is a unique club, with great membership. Let’s keep it going in 2008 and beyond!
Finally, I was browsing through some photos from earlier this year, specifically when we raced up the coast in the Oregon Offshore and a few weeks later in the Swiftsure. We Catalina sailors have some great boats that sail so nicely, and I hope these photos give you an idea of how much fun we were having on these events (if hypothermia and sleep deprivation can be considered fun). Anyway, enjoy! And I look forward to seeing everyone out on the water.
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| Making masthead repairs prior to the Swiftsure |
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| Screaming for the turn at Cape Flattery |
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| Reaching for the Swiftsure finish line |
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| Warm and toasty on the Offshore |
Vice Commodore
By Alden Andre', C38, Fly Bye
It has been a while since I have completed a newsletter article and my apologies for that. It has been a very busy 3rd and 4th quarter for me. I have been all over the country and the globe. I will be spending the winter getting my boat ready for some offshore races in 2008. We have a new board for CRACA and I am excited to see a lot of new faces it should be an exciting year.Races
We finished up the year with SYSCO’s St Helens race. What a fun race. We had a lot of wind and a great group of competitors. It took us 2.5 hours to get there and we came it third. Dale Mack's yellow submarine did well also first to start and came it fourth, very respectable with the field of contenders. On corrected time he kicked every body’s rear-end. It was a good year to find out what worked and what didn’t on Fly Bye and that was my goal before we did any offshore racing. We broke things. Some our fault and some were caused by those that assembled my boat. I rather it happen on the river instead of offshore.
OWSA
Wednesday Night Sails with the OWSA group were great. I encourage everybody to do this. Dale encouraged me to try it and now I am hooked. Every week you get a new group of ladies. It's fun to let someone else run the boat. Now I know why my daughter likes sitting on the bow all the time it’s the most peaceful part of the boat. The only time I did anything for the ladies was when they wanted to learn how to fly the spinnaker. I would show them how to rig it and deploy it then I would pull it down put it in the bag and let them do it. My wife also had a good time meeting new ladies and running the boat without my input. I am going to sign up next year for the WNS also.
Trips
I didn’t get to go on as many cruises this year due to business and race schedules but the ones I did go on I had a blast. I did get a chance last week to go on a Catamaran that took first place in the TransPac race seven years ago. Oahu was the place and 35kt tradewinds were the fun. It was a wild ride. The boat was going 25-30 knots and when it slowed to 15 knots I felt like we were standing still. No, I am not going to go out and buy a catamaran, I still like my slow monohull. I did get a chance to go on a trip on Labor Day with the C38 and the C30 (that was sold to a friend of mine) and got some great pictures of them rafted up. A learning from that trip was that while rafted up in the Multnomah Channel only use one anchor from one boat. Why, because in the middle of the night the current changes and the anchors will tangle when the boats swing around causing both of them to unhook. Then you are in the dark resetting one anchor.
General
I would like to ask all the CRACA members to give suggestions on what they would like to see the club to in 2008? What would you like to see more of or less of? Maybe some new ideas that the club can participate in. You can email me (alden642@comcast.net) or call me with your suggestions.
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| C28 Whisper of Terry & Kathie Annis |
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| C28 KA-SL of Gary Whitney |
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| Wednesday Night Sail |
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| Wednesday Night Sail |
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| Wednesday Night Sail |
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| Wednesday Night Sail |
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| Wednesday Night Sail |
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| Hawaii |
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| C30 & C38 Cruising |
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| C39 Fly Bye Crew |
Farewell from the outgoing Communications Officer
Journeys of a Catalina Enthusiast
By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic Myst
This is my last newsletter as the Communications Officer for CRACA. I've held his office since 2000 and this marks my 87th monthly publication of the Association's newsletter. I want to thank everyone who over the past seven years sent me an article and/or photo for the newsletter. Editing and publishing the newsletter is actually the easy part, it's getting the material that is the hard part. Starting with the December issue we'll have a new Communications Officer serving as the editor and also as the Association's webmaster. Please wish Justin Albano (jhalbano@yahoo.com) well as he takes on this critical role in CRACA and please lend him your support by submitting articles and photos.
Special Thanks to the Lewis'
I also want to acknowledge Michael & Kathleen Lewis' (C42, Wind Raven) fine record of service to CRACA as they, along with me, retire from the CRACA Board. Michael started CRACA in 2000, and over the past seven years, the Lewis' have served multiple terms as Commodore, Safety Focal, and Secretary/Treasurer. It has been my privilege to have served with them.
Catalina 25 Fleet 94 has a new Fleet Captain
CRACA member Kevin MacKenzie (C250, Dogs Allowed) has stepped up to lead Catalina 25/250 Fleet 94 as their Fleet Captain. Several members of Fleet 94 are members of CRACA. The fleet has a tradition of one-design racing and because the C25's and C250's are so trailerable, the fleet has made several trips to the San Juan Islands and the Canadian Gulf Islands.
Kevin raced this last year and he and Liza like to cruise. I snapped this photo of Dogs Allowed while I was serving Race Committee duty during the SYSCO Spring Series.
Cruising
Cruising Chairman
By Jim Elieff, C30, Fortune
This next season [ 2008 ] I have put a few more cruises in to see if more of the club will have time to enjoy what some of us did this summer. I miss everybody!! I will have to wait until after the first of the year to see if they all will fly, because half the clubs haven't turned in their schedules, yet.
I didn't attend the Halloween cruise for two reasons, one I had a couple of boats to show and the other Shirley was in the hospital with a leg injury. I am sorry I missed it.
At the CRYA meeting this month, half the members were absent. They are having a awards banquet at PYC on December 4th which is a Tuesday. Prime Rib dinner will be served and the awards for the year will be presented.
The Sherriff would like to meet with the clubs to talk about the possibility of enlisting yacht clubs to help boats during times of emergency. We will have to contact the office and a Sherriff will come to one of our meetings and explain how we can help.
Closing Day ceremonies was a great success, great weather and they raised $2327 profit.
There is a web site at bis.apl.washington.edu that gives free information about Puget Sound Ocean and Weather Forecasts up to three days in advance. Information includes: marinas, winds, tides, currents, and temperatures, for those of us that go north for summer cruising.
More news, Sailboats of Oregon no longer exists and the North Channel Marine boatyard was sold to Jerry Miller who will run just the boatyard. He says that the prices for boat repair and bottom paint will be more competitive with the rest of the yards. I have moved to River City Sailing with Roger Londberg. I will be listing boats and selling boats, there. I think it is a great move for me and It will give me access to a better inventory of boats to help sell.
A View from Beneath the Umbrella
The CRACA Halloween Cruise to Government Island - East Dock
By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic MystSean was away at school and Laura was in Welches, Oregon attending a Mary Kay workshop, so the weekend would be just me and the dog (Sherman). I'd decided weeks earlier that I was going rain or shine. I figured short of an ice strong, I had everything I needed for a weekend aboard the boat. Amazing what a few canisters of propane and a good heater can do to change your impression of cooler temperature cruising.
It was October 19th and Sherman and I left the dock around 1 pm on Friday and started motoring upriver under gray skies. The wind was blowing out of the southeast at 15 knots with gusts to 22 knots. I unfurled the headsail and my speed leaped from 5.5 knots through the water to above hull speed (6.7 knots). I killed the motor and enjoyed a great sail to the I-205 bridge. When the wind direction changed to blowing on the nose, I started the engine and completed the journey to Bartlett Landing in record time, shaving more than ten minutes off my previous best time. The docks were deserted when I arrived and it started raining ten minutes after the dock lines were secure. The cloud cover while heavy had the occasional gap that allowed the sun to pierce through and light up the beautiful Fall colors on the Washington shore. The balance of the day was spent walking the dog between rain showers, enjoying the scenery, and feeling glad that I decided to ignore the weather and come on the cruise. Later that evening as I was reading before heading off to bed, I heard and then watched the C28 Leucothea of Nate and Margaret Hanson glide by and tie up to the dock near the ramp ahead of me.
It was still dark outside when I awoke on Saturday morning. The propane heater quickly took the chill off the cabin as I prepared to take Sherman ashore for a potty run. With the rain still coming down, I needed a method to keep the dog dry. Some quick modifications to a plastic grocery bag soon had Sherman sporting a doggie poncho as he trotted up the dock. The morning was marked by lots of rain and the arrival of other boats. As morning gave way to afternoon, the steady rain turned to intermittent showers with brief patches of blue sky. Undaunted by the weather the cruise's co-leaders Terry & Kathie Annis and Nate & Margaret Hanson went about decorating the canopy they'd setup on the dock and laying out a great table. The afternoon turned into a social with CRACA and non-CRACA members chit-chatting beneath the canopy as we shared appetizers and wine. Later that evening I was invited to join the Annis' and Hansons for a potluck dinner aboard Whisper.
I had commitments back home that had me departing by 9 am on Sunday morning so unfortunately I didn't get to enjoy Bartlett Landing that beautiful day. Looking east as I headed downstream to Tomahawk Bay Moorage, I was stuck by how much the sunrise looked like a sunset that morning.
There were lots of good reasons to stay at home that weekend, not the least of which was the forecast, but I'm glad I didn't. I never regretted deciding to go. The cruise leaders were great, the company wonderful, and the surroundings magical. A famous East coast Catalina 22 sailor named Dick King always ended his emails with the tagline "A bad day sailing beats almost anything worth doing". Those words were running through my head as I headed home. It had been a great weekend even with just me and the dog.
Halloween Cruise Memories
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| Fall Color |
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| Ackerman Island |
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| Saturday Morning |
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| Saturday Afternoon |
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| Cruise co-leaders Terry & Kathie Annis (C28, Whisper) and Margaret & Nate Hanson (C28, Leucothea) |
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| Despite the weather, the Annis' and Hansons carried on. Kathie's "finger food" was quite a hit when it came to theme food. |
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| C28 Leucothea and C28 Whisper |
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| C30 Celtic Myst and C42 Genesis |
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.
