FLEET 20 NEWSLETTER
June 2000

Catalina 22 - Fleet 20, Portland, OR

From the Captain
By Dale Mack

This is my second year with Harmony in a slip for the season and Laura and I are enjoying it immensely.  It has been fun running into fellow Fleet 20 members at the marina, and out on the water.

I'm looking for volunteers to serve with me on the Race Committee, Tuesday evening, June 27.  You don't need to know anything about sailing or racing to be a participant.  A description of what a Race Committee does, can be found in the April newsletter.  Details about how to participate in this  fun social event can be found later in this newsletter.

Thanks to everyone that came out to joined us for the Lemon Island Rendezvous.  The cove turned out to be a great anchorage, and I enjoyed meeting everyone.  I got a kick watching my eleven year old propelling himself around the cove in our raft using swim fins.

The Friday Night Fun Races (a.k.a. Beer Can Races) start June 9th and run through the end of August.  The races start at 6:30 PM and provide an opportunity for all skippers to compete in some not-so-serious, somewhat whimsical, and just-for-fun, races.  Skippers new to racing are especially encouraged to participate.  These races are free, but you still must submit an OCSA form to the Race Committee boat before you start.  Introduce your family and friends to sailing.  Practice flying your spinnaker.  Invite a non-racing Fleet 20 member to crew on your boat.  Better yet, non-racing skippers could invite a Fleet 20 member who does race to come crew with them. 

Grandma's Cove Rendezvous, June 24
By  Dale Mack

Fleet 20 will be holding its Grandma's Cove Rendezvous on Saturday, June 24th.  The rendezvous marks our fleet's participation in the Catalina 22 Sails Across America Day being promoted by the Catalina 22 National Sailing Association (www.catalina22.org).

We'll informally rendezvous near buoy "14" at 1:30pm, and then head downstream to Grandma's Cove where we'll raft-up and share snacks.  If you miss us at buoy "14", just head to Grandma's Cove at your leisure.  I'll be monitoring channel 16 on the VHF radio if you want to get hold of me once we are on the water.  Let's use channel 72 as a working channel once we establish contact on 16.  Aerial photos of Grandma's Cove are available on the Internet at Microsoft's TerraServer.

I entered the cove for the first time about a month ago.  During my approach, I found plenty of water to the north of the pilings in the Columbia River.  Since the wind can sometimes come out of the northwest, I'm planning to set both a bow and a stern anchor.  Once I'm set, other boats can come along side and tie up.

What to bring?  Mostly just fend for yourself, but if you'd like to bring some snacks to share that would be great.  Once rafted up, we'll break out the goodies and  enjoy the afternoon together.  On Harmony, that will probably include inflating the raft so that Sean and I can row around.

Race Committee Volunteers Needed
By Dale Mack

On Tuesday, June 27th, Fleet 20 will be serving as the Race Committee (RC) for the SYSCO Summer Series.  Bob Gales and Gail O'Neill have once again offered us the use of their Catalina 30 (Imagine) as the Race Committee boat.

We will need two people for the mark setting boat (we use SYSCO's Boston Whaler Pancho) and four people in addition to Bob and Gail aboard the Race Committee boat.

For those that volunteer, I'll email you a map of how to find Pancho and Imagine.

Race Committee Boat Volunteers.  Meet at the Race Committee boat (Imagine) at 5pm.  The RC boat will leave the dock at 5:15 pm.  The racing goes on rain or shine.

Mark Setting Boat Volunteers.  Meet at Pancho at 4:30 pm and then rendezvous with Imagine at McCuddy's Marina on Marine Drive.

What to Bring.  Lifejacket, snacks to share, your favorite beverage, proper clothes for the weather, and sunglasses.

Weather Cooperates for Lemon Island Rendezvous
By  Dale Mack

Despite a week of rainy weather that had me thinking we might get rained out, Saturday (5/13) turned out quite comfortable under overcast skies. 

Four families attended the day cruise, and they were Mike, Debbie, & Rachel Hibbs (Dream A Little Dream), Dave & Linda Harcombe (Shearwater), Dennis & Sandy Thomas (WindChaser), and Dale, Laura, & Sean Mack (Harmony).  My favorite picture of the trip was of Rachel Hibbs blowing bubbles while daddy Mike Hibbs sailed the boat with his spinnaker.

The award for the family that traveled the furthest to attend the cruise goes to Dave and Linda Harcombe who trailered Shearwater 210 miles from Pendleton, OR.  Dave and Linda made the weekend a Cruise/Mother's Day visit with with their daughter who lives in Portland.

In short sleeve weather, and a wind out of the northwest, we sailed upriver.  For a sailing season that has so far given us just so-so sailing conditions, Saturday turned out to be very nice.  Even without a spinnaker up, you could make progress upriver against the 2.2 knot current.

Before hoisting our cruising spinnaker, I motored around and took several pictures of the boats under sail.  As is our fleet's tradition, you can expect to find a 4x6 print of your boat sitting on the table at one of our future photo exchange/social gatherings.

Mike and Debbie Hibbs acquired a cruising spinnaker during the off season, so the Lemon Island Rendezvous was the first time to see it for some of us.  As you can see in the accompanying photo, it's a very colorful and pretty sail.

After sailing around in the vicinity of buoy "14", we finally started heading toward Lemon Island at 1:30 PM.  Since I was going to be the first boat anchored, I decided to drop the sails and motor ahead to get Harmony in position for everyone's arrival.  Under power, the trip to the cove took about one hour.

The previous week, Sean and I had touched the sandbar entering the cove at dead slow because I was too far (more that 150 feet) from the tip of Government Island.  The aerial photo in the May newsletter shows the sandbar.  This time I decided to get within thirty feet of the tip as I entered the cove at dead slow.  WRONG ANSWER! Scrape, Scrape, Bump, Bump!  Instead of sand, the downstream tip of Government Island seems to be composed of rock which I discovered with my keel.  Everyone else made just the opposite discovery when they attempted to enter the cove further away from the tip, and ran aground on the sandbar.  Because the entrance is so wide, it's easy to be tempted to head for the middle.  Unfortunately the sandbar extends about three-quarters across the opening from Lemon Island to Government Island.  Only near the tip of Government Island did we find 9-10 feet of water.  In the future, I'll stay about forty feet off the tip.

Once inside the cove, we were out of the current, and in 8-10 feet of water.  Onboard Harmony we dropped a stern anchor, motored forward and dropped a bow anchor.  With the boat anchored, we pulled out the fenders and prepared to receive everyone alongside.

As boats came alongside, we were careful to stagger the masts as explained in the March newsletter in order to avoid having the rigging become entangled.

With everyone settled in, out came the raft and the snacks.  Sean spent most of the afternoon exploring the cove when he wasn't chauffeuring daddy who was trying to take pictures of the boats.  The cove was alive with the sounds of birds singing in the trees, and the water was almost as smooth as glass.

The morning had started with several Fleet 20 families getting together for breakfast before the cruise.  Now that we were rafted up, the conversation switched to our upcoming San Juan's cruise, kids, food, and house work that wasn't getting done.

It was enjoyable sticking your head inside other boats and seeing what upgrades and enhancements had been added to make the boats more livable.  All the boats that attended the cruise were "new-style" Catalina 22's, so it was quite a treat for us to compare notes on how the boats were holding up.  It was interesting to note that we all had the same crack in the gelcoat where the cockpit forms an external compartment to hold the fuel tank.

We left the cove in the late afternoon, and for those wishing a sail back to their slips, we had a nice breeze.

Sail Education Week, June 5-9
By Bill Barton

The Small Yacht Sailing Club of Oregon (SYSCO), Corinthian Yacht Club (CYC), and the Rose City Yacht Club (RCYC) are sponsoring Sail Education Week (SEW) the week of June 5th through June 9.

SEW is an opportunity for everyone to learn about sailing and sailboat racing.  Classes will be offered for novice sailors through experienced racers.  During the week, beginning sailors will have an opportunity to learn about the basics of sailing and sail trim, while advanced sailors will examine specific tactics for racing on the Columbia River.

At the end of the week everyone will have an opportunity to spend Friday evening, during a fun race, learning the basics of racing or practicing their skills.

The entire week of classes is $45 (Students $20).  Individual evening classes are $10 each (Students $5). 

For information or to register, contact:
Nancy Rander 503-735-0569 fastboat@teleport.com
Gary Whitney 503-649-7484 gwhitney@teleport.com

Schedule

SAN JUAN ISLANDS CRUISE – 2000
By Gail O’Neill

My husband, Bob Gales and I weren’t able to participate in the Lemon Island cruise this year, though we did attend the Third Annual Breakfast.  We know it’s the third because Rachel Hibbs is three years old and she has been attending them since a few days after her birth, along with her parents Deb & Mike, of course.  The breakfast was at Elmer’s again this year and the usual suspects were there.  Bob and I, Kathy and Terry Annis, Dennis and Sandy Thomas, the Hibbs family and new this year were Dave and Linda all the way from Pendleton.  Dale, Laura, and Sean Mack, reportedly, had to miss the breakfast in order to pick up their not-to-be-missed excellent deal on computer furniture!  The Mack’s met up with the group at Lemon Island.

The annual spring breakfast and cruise is the time we all talk about where we want to go for the annual summer San Juan Island cruise!  We all made our choices known to Dale, the Fleet 20 captain, who has put together for us a terrific itinerary including nautical miles between destinations.  Through his web site, Dale has also attracted more Catalina 22 owners wanting to join the cruise.  Last summer we had four boats on the cruise and this summer there will be eight.  This will be the 5th summer of San Juan’s cruising for Bob and I.  Each year we have our photo taken in front of Hotel de Haro at Roche Harbor on San Juan Island, one of the most beautiful places in the world, without a doubt.  And each year our photo includes more families as new boats join us. We hope all eight boats will meet at Roche Harbor for the photo this year.

We are really looking forward to seeing everyone on this summer’s cruise and meeting the first timers.  We’re sure they will fall in love with cruising the San Juan’s and Canadian Gulf Islands, as we all have.

San Juan Islands / Gulf Islands Cruising Itinerary
By  Dale Mack

San Juan Islands July 28 - August 6.  After passing several emails amongst those  interested in attending the San Juan Islands / Gulf Islands cruise, we finally arrived at an itinerary.  I want to thank everyone for expressing what would make the cruise great for them.

Below is the itinerary we landed on with options built-in to allow folks to stray from the itinerary.  For example, those wishing to experience Roche Harbor overnight may choose to not go onto Garrison Bay on Saturday.  On Sunday, those at Roche Harbor could rendezvous with the rest of the flotilla at Garrison Bay in the morning before heading off to Sidney.  Another built-in option is Ganges/Otter Bay on 8/2.  If Ganges turns out to be great for some of us (and it sounds like it is) we could stay a second night or choose to move on to Otter Bay for two nights.

Through cell phones and VHF radios, those wishing to try some destinations not on the itinerary will have the opportunity to rejoin the flotilla at any point on the cruise.

The Fleet 20 San Juan Islands/Gulf Islands Itinerary

Based on Bob Gale's experience last year of reporting to U.S. Customs via phone, I tracked down the following description from the 1999 Waggoner Cruising Guide which suggests we could go straight from Otter Bay to Deer Harbor without having to detour to Roche Harbor to check-in.

Comment from Waggoner:

Reporting to U.S. Customs. Customs must be cleared at a designated point of entry or by telephone (800) 562-5943. We [Robert Hale, Waggoner author] clear customs by cellular telephone while underway, with excellent results.

To avoid delays, have the following information available at the time you report your arrival:

• VESSEL REGISTRATION NUMBER. Be sure to use the same number that you use when you report to Canada Customs.
• VESSEL NAME AND LENGTH.
• USER FEE DECAL NUMBER if applicable.
• CANADIAN CLEARANCE number. Required for U.S. moored boats.
• ESTIMATED DATE OF DEPARTURE. Required for Canadian moored vessels.

Release Number. You will receive a release number when you complete your arrival report to customs. Log this number with the date, time and place where the vessel reported. Keep the number for at least one year.

So far eight boats have indicated an interest in cruising the San Juan's as a group:

• Annis, Terry & Kathie (Catalina 25)
• Gales, Bob & Gail O'Neill (Catalina 30)
• Hanson, Nate & Margaret (Yacht-A-Fun, Catalina 22)
• Harcombe, Dave & Linda (Shearwater, Catalina 22)
• Hibbs, Mike & Debbie (Dream A Little Dream, Catalina 22)
• Mack, Dale & Laura (Harmony, Catalina 22)
• Mountford, Chris & Ebie (Little Hector, Catalina 22)
• Thomas, Dennis & Sandy (WindChaser, Catalina 22)

We will launch the boats at Cap Sante in Anacortes, WA, and get underway on Saturday, July 29th.  We will return to Anacortes on Saturday, August 5th.  Some folks are planning to drive up and launch their boats on Friday, July 28th and stay in the marina overnight.

Fourth of July BBQ
By Dale Mack

If you haven't made plans for the 4th of July, consider joining some of your fellow Fleet 20 members in the afternoon at Tomahawk Bay Moorage (slip D19, Harmony's berth).  

After a short sail out on the river, the crew of Harmony will be lounging away the afternoon paddling the rafts, reading, or cooling each other off with water guns.  Last year's impromptu raft races amongst several of the kids on the docks was quite entertaining to watch.

We'll be sharing snacks in the afternoon, and firing up the propane grill aboard Harmony when things start to cool off in the evening.   Bring your favorite appetizer, beverage, BBQ food, and lawn chairs, and come watch the Ft. Vancouver fireworks.  Last year's display lasted 45 minutes, and was spectacular to watch (also spectacular was the hundreds of boats out on the river).

Not able to make the BBQ, but still planning to see the fireworks from your boat?

If you are going to be out on your boat on the fourth, look for us on the river and say HI, or swing your boat by slip D19 in the afternoon and we'll toss you an appetizer. 

Adjustable Backstay
By Dale Mack

When I purchased Harmony back in 1987, I didn't order the boat from the factory with a split backstay because I couldn't image what you'd use it for.  As my sailing skills increased I began paying more attention to tuning the rigging.  As I raked the mast forward or backward I confirmed what the books said about pointing ability and weather-helm.

As I started racing two years ago, I became more focused on sail shape because I was clearly not doing as well as some of my fellow Fleet 20 members in the same wind conditions.  After some timely advice from a former Catalina 22 National Champion in Texas (thank you Gene Ferguson) last year, I went from being the boat everyone caught up to and passed when sailing downwind to someone who could at least on occasion hold his own and manage to win a race.

Nearly everyone who provided me advise on how to sail faster downwind mentioned easing the backstay tension to make the genoa deeper.  Since I didn't have an adjustable backstay, I just focused on using the other recommendations like:

1. Ease your genoa halyard to get more depth in the sail downwind.
2. Don't ease your vang, because it will allow the leach to twist off and possibly led to the boom catching the backstay in a jibe.
3. Ease the main outhaul to get more depth.
4. Keep your crew in the bow and the helmsman sitting as far forward and outboard on the boom side of the boat so you can heel the boat.  The purpose is to reduce the wetted surface, get the transom out of the water, and to get the clew of the genoa higher off the water for more wind.
5. Sail your angles on the wind vane and jibe downwind.  Never sail dead downwind unless the wind is 15 or above.
6. Keep the boom and whisper pole perpendicular to the wind.

I purchased my adjustable backstay kit from Catalina Direct.  Equipped with a 12:1 purchase in a cascade configuration, the kit includes a new backstay with boom pennant, transom eyebolt/chainplate assembly, Harken blocks, line and adjustment cascade wire roll swaged for a clean attachment to the deck.

With the mast down, I removed the old backstay.  Next, I attached one end of the new backstay to the masthead with a new stainless steel cotter pin (3/32 x 3/4).  To the other end of the backstay I attached the Harken #304 wire block and then feed the cascade wire through the block and attached the swaged fitting to the existing transom eyebolt on the starboard side with a clevis pin and a new cotter pin.  To the free end of the cascade wire I attached the Harken #086 Bullet triple block.  Using the 1/4" line included in the kit, I followed the kit's instructions on how to reeve the line between the triple block and the Harken #095 Bullet triple block with cam cleat and becket.  Having completed all the easy tasks, I moved on to drilling a hole for the new transom eyebolt for the portside.

An inspection from the inside of my boat revealed that I wouldn't be able to attach the washer and nut supplied in the kit to the backside of the eyebolt because there just wasn't enough space.  In my case, it was the hull liner that was in the way.  After consulting the Catalina 22 Owner's Handbook & Catalog from Catalina Direct, I came across this advise:

Catalina Direct

"Several different materials have been used as backing plates for the [eyebolts] inside of the transom.  Early boats had plywood, later boats had a piece of hardwood.  Eventually all problems were solved by using bronze plate across the top of the transom."

"Gain access through the vertical surface of the inside of the cockpit.  We use a hole saw to cut a clean hole.  Saw the hole directly below the [eyebolt].  Now you can reach in with an end wrench to tighten the [nut]."

"Any small stainless plate will work to cover the hole.  For a clean job that won't have a negative impact on your resale value, we cover the holes with small, louvered, stainless steel plates."

Since I had to drill a hole anyway for the eyebolt, I started with a 1/4" bit.  This pilot hole helped with drilling the final hole, and it allowed me to discovery whether there was wood or bronze laminated into my transom.  Much to my relief I found bronze which meant I could tap the bronze plate with threads to accept the eyebolt (one of the options listed in the instructions that came with the kit).

I placed caulking around the hole, positioned the washer on the caulking, and then proceeded to screw in the eyebolt.  Next came attaching the purchase to the eyebolt and raising the mast.

I found the backstay could be very loose when raising the mast because on my boat it is the aft-lower shrouds that engage first to prevent the mast from moving too far forward.

With the boat sitting in its slip at the marina, I adjusted the rake of the mast and the tension of the standing rigging.  I then wrapped some white whipping twine around the 1/4" purchase line at the point where the line exited the cam cleat.  With the boat properly adjusted, this mark allows me to adjust the forestay to a known tension value when sailing to windward, and ease the tension downwind or when at the dock.

I can't say yet whether I can tell a difference downwind, but the effect upwind is very noticeable.  If the forestay is too loose upwind, I will actually feel the boat accelerate and point better as I pull down on the backstay.

GPS becomes more Accurate
By Dale Mack

For those who might not have heard, the intentional distortion of GPS signals to reduce accuracy ended May 1st.  Until then, civilians using GPS for navigation got a less accurate reading than the military out of fear that potential enemies could use the system to target missiles.  Effective midnight May 1st, the U.S. stopped degrading the signal for civilian users, but the government can still selectively block the improved GPS signal over any given region at will.  The change will make GPS receivers people already own 10 times more accurate and will not require the purchase of new machines.

Upcoming Events
By Dale Mack

June 5-9.  Sail Education Week (Monday - Friday)

June 9.    The start of the Friday night fun races through the end of August.

June 11.  Lifesling Workshop (Saturday)

June 15. Summer Series, Race #1

June 22. Summer Series, Race #2

June 24. Grandma's Cove Rendezvous (Saturday)

June 27.  Fleet 20 Race Committee (Tuesday)

June 29. Summer Series, Race #3

July 4.  Fleet 20 BBQ at Tomahawk Bay Moorage (Tuesday)

July 28 - August 6.  Cruising the San Juan and Canadian Gulf Islands

The Fleet 20 newsletter is published online once a month. Articles are the opinions of the authors and don't necessarily represent the consensus of Fleet 20.