FLEET 20 NEWSLETTER
July 2001

Catalina 22 - Fleet 20, Portland, OR

From the Captain
By Dennis Thomas

Saturday, July 7th the San Juan Cruise group got together for a brunch to review their plans and stoke everyone's enthusiasm by looking at charts and photos from previous years. It looks like there will be at least six boats going this year.

 Anniversaries In July

On behalf of Fleet 20 I would like to wish Bill & Sandi Hayden and Dale & Laura Mack a happy anniversary this July.

• Bill & Sandi Hayden will be celebrating their anniversary on July 11th
• Dale & Laura Mack will be celebrating their anniversary on July 26th

SYSCO One-Design Regatta

August 11-12.  We need to have at least 3 Catalina 22’s participating in this to be eligible for a One-Design and one Trophy. If you would like to participate you will have to register and there is no charge for SYSCO members. See your OCSA 2001 Race Booklet pages 106-107. I would like to encourage as many 22 skippers to get out there and race and have fun, it should be good racing.

Editor's Note:  Chris Mountford on Little Hector said he'll race, Dennis plans to race, and Jeffrey Howe from Silverton (Kalola, #14718) is thinking about participating if we get enough boats out to race.

Celebrating the 4th of July at Tomahawk Bay Moorage
By Dennis Thomas

Sandy and I ventured to our boat WindChaser, at Tomahawk Bay Moorage on the 4th of July. This was our first 4th spent on our boat to watch the fire works. Not surprisingly, we ran into a number of fellow Fleet 20 folks. We got there about 5:00 p.m., the others earlier. They had time to get out on the river and return to the docks before the massive armada anchoring in the river that apparently occurs every 4th of July, boat upon boat to see the fire works coming from Vancouver.

Terry and Kathy Annis were on their boat with open hospitality, lots of food. Good neighbors to have. They were sharing their boat’s view point with family and friends. Nate and Margaret Hanson, moored across the dock, also had guests, their children and grandchildren. They too had food. No I didn't eat at every boat I passed. We ate first then walked the docks. Also Mike and Debbie McGrath and their son were there to enjoy the food and fun and fire works from their boat.

There was no rain on the 4th of July and fairly clear skies. As the sky began to darken the amateurs began their pyro-prelude before the big guns came out. They were pretty good too, but it was clear when the real fire works began, even though some still tried competing. There was plenty of wind, which was good, it kept the sky clear of the smoke after each rocket exploded with it’s flash of lights.

We had decided to spend the night on the boat, which ended up being a good call, one of my few. Terry and Kathie who live twenty minutes away in Vancouver took 1 ½ hours to get home. We might have made it home to Forest Grove by 2:00 a.m. if we would not have stayed.

I think the most amazing thing for me, being that it was our first 4th on our boat was where did all these people come from? We have been at that marina for three year and never seen so many people. I guess that is what all those boats that seem to be abandoned the rest of the year are for, each July 4th.

It was a fun time visiting with friends, (they may not call me friend, but I will be daring and call them friend).

Columbia River All Catalina Rendezvous
By Dale Mack

Fleet 20 and the Sail for the Cure
By Dale Mack

September 22.   How about starting a new Fleet 20 annual tradition of participating in the Sail for the Cure.  If you missed the chance to run or walk in the September 16th Race for the Cure, here's a great opportunity to combine your hobby with a useful cause.  Breast cancer took my mom at 56 and my youngest sister Nancy at 30.  Nancy left behind a wonderful husband, and two great daughters, ages ten and five, so this terrible disease hits pretty close to home for me.  I'm willing to kick in my $20 to participate if any women skippers are looking for additional crew.

Hosted by the Oregon Women's Sailing Association (OWSA), the Sail for the Cure is a benefit for the Oregon & SW Washington affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The format of this event is designed to be fun as well as emphasize boat-handling skills and crew work rather than competition. The event is open to women skippers with mixed crew. Entry fee is $20 per person.

For more information contact Alice Patten at (503) 245-2882 or checkout the event notice online.

Membership
By Dale Mack

Please join me in welcoming our newest members to Fleet 20 Shelia Salveson and her friend Tom Drews.

Sheila is the proud new owner of Harmony, #14286, and will be keeping the boat in Hayden Bay.

Aside from possibly an occasional Beer Can race, Sheila says day sails and cruising is her real interest.

Welcome Aboard Sheila and Tom.

Islands and Dolphins, and Whales Oh My:
Fleet 20 Heads to the San Juan's in July 
By Dale Mack

July 28 - August 4.  It's hard to believe that after months of looking over charts, reading through guide books, and sharing previous experiences, the fleet is within three weeks of departure.  This year's itinerary is very eclectic.  In fact it's not really a single itinerary, but instead several itineraries with a lot of overlap.  About half of those going are actually planning to spend two weeks in the islands.

As folks start to pull their list together about what to take, here's a few notes you might find useful:

• The trip from Vancouver, WA to Anacortes (via I-5 and Hwy 20) takes about 5.5 hours.

• Cap Sante Boat Haven remains my favorite place to launch because they have a lift for launching and retrieving the boat which keeps the trailer out of the salt water.

• You can avoid pre-loading the boat with food, because the marina is located across the street from a Safeway grocery store.

• If you forget something, West Marine is about 2-3 blocks away from the marina.

• Launching.  Launching involves parking in the lift queue, loading the gear aboard the boat, mounting the motor, connecting the fuel, readying the fenders and lines, removing all straps between the boat and trailer, and then waiting to be flagged over to the lift (you pre-pay for the lift in the marine store near the lift, $24 round trip in 2000). After backing the boat under the lift, the attendants then placed two wide straps under the boat and lifted it off the trailer and into the water.  Move the tow vehicle and trailer temporarily to the boat loading area parking lot, and then go back to boat and motored it into its slip (the overnight slip can be arranged in the marina office, also located near the lift).  With the boat safely in the slip, go back to the tow vehicle and moved it and the trailer to the RV park and long-term trailer storage at the north end of the marine ($2/day to store both in 2000).  The lift shuts down at 5 pm and reopens at 8 am.

• Raise the Mast.  Launching and retrieving requires that the mast be down.  If you have never raised and lowered your mast in the water, don't worry, it's no more difficult than doing it on the trailer (just avoid rocking the boat from side to side).

• Quarters.  Bring two rolls of quarters for use in the showers and laundries.
• Clothes.  You can wash clothes at least once on the cruise, so bring about half as many clothes as you think you’ll need (dress in layers).
• Food.  Bring less food because depending on the itinerary, you'll probably eat out frequently.
• Reservations.  Make advance reservations when you can.
• Driver's License.  Bring some form of ID for everyone onboard if you plan to enter Canada.
• Cell Phone.  These are great for calling ahead to make reservations.
• Fog.  Avoid traveling in fog even if it means changing the itinerary or getting home a day later.

Fleet 20 has a Catalina 22 Equipment List available online that I highly recommend.  Even if you choose not to carry everything on the list, it's a good starting point to make sure you don't forget to bring something important.

Grandma's Cove Rendezvous (aka Canoe Bay)
By  Dale Mack

I was originally going to lead this cruise, but now that I'm temporarily boatless, I'm looking for a volunteer to step in and serve as the cruise leader (your only real responsibility is to encourage participation and communicate any cruise information via email)

August 25-26.  

The plan would be  to rendezvous in Grandma's Cove for a raft-up and late afternoon BBQ on Saturday.   The raft-up can either anchor in the cove or possibly tie up at the guest portion of the Schooner Creek Boatworks docks (I've heard Schooner Creek welcomes sailors to use the docks on the east side of the travel-lift).  For those interested in making it a weekend activity, you can choose to stay overnight in the cove.

The cove is a great place to row around in your raft or just relax aboard your boat.  The west side of the cove typically has a beach.  Pictures and a story from last year's rendezvous can be found here.

Terry Annis crewing aboard Dale Mack's Harmony, #14286

SYSCO Summer Race Series
By Dale Mack

The SYSCO Summer Race has one race left and the competition has been wonderfully close.  While I sold Harmony before the third race, I sure enjoyed the sailing and my continually changing crew (thanks again to all that helped out along the way).

It's hard to believe we may actually finish the Summer Series with a track record for 2001 of no rain for both the Spring and Summer Series.

I'm crewing with Fleet Captain Dennis Thomas on WindChaser, #14306 for the last race of the series, so I'm looking forward to a fun time.

Fleet 20 Serves as the Race Committee
By Dale Mack

Both of Fleet 20's race committee assignments fell in June.  Like always, they were more fun to put on than work.

I want to thank Nate and Margaret Hansen for their kind hospitality as their Catalina 25 served as the committee boat for the June 12th.  I also want to thank former Fleet 20 Captain Bill Sanborn for offering and hosting Fleet 20 aboard his Kalik 30, Upstart for the Friday night Beer Can race on June 29th.

The level of volunteerism from the members of Fleet 20 has been great.  Not only did we complete our assignments, but we received lots of positive comments from the race participates for a job well done.

I highly recommend race committee duty.  Not only is it fun, it is also very instructional.  The opportunity to hangout with fellow Fleet 20 members is always a treat.

If you haven't done race committee duty before, I really recommend you come out next year and give it try.  We typically serve as the race committee for the "big" boat racing series and the fast pace of the action can be a blast to watch from the front row seats of the committee boat.

SYSCO One-Design Regatta
By Dale Mack

August 15-16.  We've got two confirmed Catalina 22's entering (Chris Mountford and Dennis Thomas), and we need a minimum of three.  If you are interested in participating checkout the registration information at One-Design Regatta.

Friday Night Beer Can Races
By Dale Mack, C22, Harmony

Every Friday night, from June 8 thru August 31, the various yacht clubs of the Oregon Corinthian Sailing Association (OCSA) host an opportunity for all skippers to sail in these not-so-serious, somewhat whimsical, and just-for-fun, races. Skippers new to racing are especially encouraged to participate.

The races are intended to provide a casual platform for acquiring or polishing skills, and typically have themes associated with them like toga night, western night, etc. where crews are encouraged to dress up.  The Beer Can races are a great opportunity to share your hobby with friends and family, while attempting to traverse the course laid out by the race committee.

No special knowledge about racing is required to come out and have fun.  More details about the races can be found here.  If you have any questions, please feel free to drop me an email or give me at call.  Several members of Fleet 20 have participated in the Beer Can races, so there is lots of information available to help you feel comfortable about coming out on Friday nights.

Trailering Tip
By Dale Mack

When trailering, consider carrying a torque wrench with you so you can verify all the lug nuts are properly tightened each time you pull off the road for gas, food, and rest stops.  On my trailer, the recommend torque setting is 90 ft/lb per lug nut.  

Another important item to pay attention to is bearing lubrication.  When trailering, I feel the hubs at every stop.  If the hub is "hot" you may be experiencing a bearing failure, which you'll want to correct before continuing on (I've always carried the tools, spare parts, and grease to replace the bearings and races should I experience a failure).

A set of Bearing Buddies proves a means for keeping the water out, but only if you periodically pump in some additional grease.  When a warm hub is submerged in cold water, the air inside the hub contracts and can draw water in past the seals. Once parked, the fresh or saltwater will settle at the lowest point in the hub where corrosion will begin. The next time the trailer is moved, the bad spot on the bearing may cause excessive heat and eventually total bearing failure.

The Bearing Buddies website has some good information and pictures about why your trailer needs this protection, how the system works, how to install, and a very good frequently asked questions section.  Even if you don't use the Bearing Buddies brand, you'll find the information useful. 

July 28 - August 4.  Fleet 20 Cruise - San Juan Islands

August 11-12.  SYSCO One-Design Regatta

August 25-26.  Fleet 20 Cruise - Canoe Bay Cruise (Grandma's Cove)

September 15-16.  Fleet 20 Cruise - St. Helens

September 22.  OWSA Sail for the Cure

September 22-23.  Columbia River All Catalina Rendezvous - Hayden Bay

more...

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.