From the Captain
By Blaine Dickason

Happy New Year!  Hopefully, everyone had a safe and rewarding holiday season.  I'm certainly looking forward to another year of sailing on the Columbia River.

Last year was an enjoyable one for me, whether racing on Thursday nights or taking that weekend cruise down to the Martin Island lagoon over Memorial Day.  For those of you interested in either overnight trips and social raft-ups, or informal one-design racing, there should be many options for spending time on the water this season.

Several events to watch for this year are the C22 Nationals in Idaho in June and the SYSCO One Design Regatta in August which will commemorate the club's 25th anniversary.  We hope to have Fleet 20 well represented at both of these races.

If you are new to the Catalina 22 or new to sailing your boat on the Columbia, please contact me with any questions (blainedickason@hotmail.com).  There are many experienced C22 sailors in the Fleet that can help get you started.   We look forward to your participation.

See you on the water!

New Events Added to the 2003 Schedule
By Dale Mack

Fleet 20 will be promoting several non-racing events this season.  Since some of them may be new to you, here's the dates and a little background.

Ladies Cruise, May 17-18 to McCuddy's Landing on Multnomah Channel.  The Oregon Women's Sailing Association sponsors an annual Ladies only overnight cruise (OWSA membership is NOT required).  This ladies weekend out gets high marks every year from participants, so Fleet 20 wants to encourage our members to take their boats, or to help members find crew positions aboard other boats.  If you have even the slightest interest, but aren't sure how to participate, please let me know and I will get you hooked up with someone who can help you find crew so you can take your own boat or with someone who can put you in touch with skippers looking for crew.

Martin Island Cruise, May 24-26 (Memorial Weekend).  Downriver from the town of St. Helens, the sail from Portland to Martin Island can be some of the best sailing you've ever enjoyed on the Columbia River.  Once anchored in the lagoon at Martin Island, you can enjoy the long weekend just kicking back or exploring the lagoon in your dinghy or kayak.  You'll have your choice of rafting up with either the Columbia River All Catalina Association raft up, the Small Yacht Sailing Club of Oregon (SYSCO) raft up, or anchoring alone.  In fact you could join the raft up in the day and then go off and anchor for the evening.  You will absolute love this cruise.

San Juan Islands Cruise, 3rd or 4th week in July.  More about this cruise later in the newsletter.

Beacon Rock Cruise, August 16-24.  Doable in two days; more fun on the 3-day weekend, and awesome for a week, you and other Catalina 22 sailors will join up with members of the Columbia River All Catalina Association on this cruise to one of the great destinations on the Columbia River.  For those with the time and the adventurous spirit, you'll continue upriver through the locks at Bonneville Dam and visit Government Cove, and possibly the town of Cascade Locks.  Spectacular scenery, and some nice sailing await the participants on this cruise.

All Catalina Rendezvous, September 12-14 at McCuddy's Landing on Multnomah Channel.  This very well equipped marina will be the venue for the fourth annual All Catalina Rendezvous hosted by the Columbia River All Catalina Association (CRACA).  Attracting boats from Capri 18's to Catalina 50's you'll spend a weekend surrounded by many models from the Catalina Yachts lineup.  Socializing and touring the boats are common activities during the event, so for those looking to move up, here's a perfect opportunity to look around and ask questions.  Click here for a story from the 2002 rendezvous.

Sail for the Cure, September 20.  The Sail for the Cure will probably hit an all time record for raising funds for the fight against breast cancer, as several Portland area sailing organizations have rearranged their calendars to avoid conflicts with the event which typically takes place on the third Saturday in September.  The event is a day sail topped off with a BBQ on the lawn at Tomahawk Bay Moorage.  Each boat participating pledges $20 for everyone onboard, and must have a female skipper who doesn't necessarily have to be driving the boat.

Time to Renew Your Fleet 20 Membership
By Dale Mack

Thank you to those that have already mailed in their 2003 membership renewal.

The Fleet 20 Membership Application is available online here.  Simply print it off, fill it out, and sending it along with $10 to the address listed on the application.

Seattle Boat Shows
By Dale Mack

January 17-26.  The annual Seattle Boat Show, and Lake Union Boats Afloat Show will be held January 17-26.  The Seattle Boat Show takes place at the Seahawks Stadium and Exhibition Center across the street from Safeco Field, and it features lots of marine equipment booths, powerboats, and a few sailboats.  To see sailboats, you will want to go to the Lake Union Boats Afloat Show.  A free shuttle bus  operates between the Seattle Boat Show and the Boats Afloat Show.

Planning for San Juan Islands Cruise
By Dale Mack

Since planning an activity where more than one family is involved has to start somewhere, I'm going to stick my neck out and suggest an itinerary and a date to see if I can stir up some interest, even if the eventual itinerary and schedule are completely different than the one originally planned.  First a little background, Laura and I plan to be in the Canadian Gulf Islands from mid-July to mid-August before I bring our Catalina 30 back to Vancouver, WA in late August (the boat will go north sometime around the first of July).  Since I've never taken a boat up or down the coast, haven't lined up crew to help, and am still discovering about all the things I need to do and learn before departing, I'm pretty flexible around cruise dates.  Because Laura, Sean, and I will be focusing on the Canadian Gulf Islands, we'd need someone to lead the start and the end of the cruise because we don't envision ourselves going to Anacortes.

One Possible Itinerary

This itinerary covers less ground then some past Fleet 20 cruises to the San Juans, and lets you linger at Friday Harbor. Designed with more sailing in mind, you have time to enjoy the journey and the destination. Includes a night anchoring at the beautiful and sheltered Double Island. For those wishing to anchor a second time, they could travel an additional 3 nm to wonderful Garrison Bay after Roche Harbor on Wednesday, and then catch up with the group on Thursday at Friday Harbor. For those not interested in two days at Friday Harbor, they could stay at Deer Harbor, and then rejoin the group on Thursday.  Instead of backtracking to Blakely Island, the last night could be spent anchored at Spencer Spit, and then pass through Thatcher Pass on the way to Anacortes on Saturday.  Laura and I would probably join the group on Sunday, and depart the group on Friday.

1. Saturday, Anacortes (arrive, launch, and explore the town)
2. Sunday, Blakely Island (12 nm)
3. Monday, Double Island (7 nm)
4. Tuesday, Roche Harbor (11 nm)
5. Wednesday, Friday Harbor (11 nm)
6. Thursday, Friday Harbor
7. Friday, Blakely Island (9 nm)
8. Saturday, Anacortes (12 nm)

I like this itinerary because it has the flexibility to accommodate people leaving and rejoining the group, and the distances are quite manageable, which means folks might actually do some sailing, weather permitting. Two days at Friday Harbor might be too much for some, but this itinerary leaves open the possibility of day sailing out of Friday Harbor should you get bored with the town.

Hosting a National Cruise in the San Juan Islands

The C22NSA has asked if Fleet 20 would be interested in hosting a Northwest Cruise.  We invited others on the 2000 cruise, and were visited by four other boats during some phase of the cruise.  To make a C22NSA San Juan Islands cruise work and not become an organizational nightmare for someone, I'd recommend the following:

• Select a date
• Select an itinerary
• Find a cruise leader
  • Keep track of who is coming
  • Communicate cruise plans
  • Meet folks at Anacortes
  • Check on the status of various destinations and their ability to handle the number of boats arriving.
  • Communicate to the participants any recommended reservations they should make ahead of time.
• Advertise the cruise (websites, email, MainBrace magazine)
• Require electronic registration. This could be a simple email form to be sent to the cruise leader so they know who is coming and so they know who to communicate last minute information to.
• Collect No Money. Don't take on any responsibilities that would involve handling other people's money (registration, t-shirts, meals, berthing, etc.).
• Require that participates make their own arrangements for launching/retrieval, moorage reservations, etc. The cruise organizers can make this easier for participants by providing all the necessary contact information.
• Provide lots of how-to information so first time San Juan cruisers can feel comfortable about attending the cruise.

So What Do You Think?

How many of you have thought about going north this year?  Would you be interested in a San Juans cruise, or does it fit into the "been there, done that" category and your plans take you further north into the Gulf Islands?  Skip Meisch of Fleet 6 in Seattle has mentioned he'd be willing to work with the C22NSA in pulling something together if Fleet 20 could identify a date for the cruise.

So what are you thinking?  Interested?  Is the date OK or do you have another choice we should consider?  What about the destinations?  Interested in doing more sailing than motoring this time?  Well, I hope this has planted the seed and kicks off some discussion in the coming weeks.

2003 Racing Schedule
By Dale Mack

Here is a look at the 2003 racing schedule.

SYSCO Spring Series

1. April 17
2. April 24
3. May 1
4. May 15
5. May 22

SYSCO Summer Series

1. June 12
2. June 19
3. June 26
4. July 10
5. July 17

SYSCO One-Design Regatta and 25th Anniversary

1. August 9-10

Because the Catalina 22 National Sailing Association's National Regatta is June 14-19, we may want to consider allowing Summer Series participates to throw out one race if we end up with anyone going to the Nationals.  The throw out would avoid penalizing any National Regatta participants who might also be competing in the Summer Series and miss the June 19th race.  I'll take the matter  up with Blaine and Don to see what the fleet wants to do.

2003 C22NSA National Regatta Details
By Dale Mack

If you are still planning how you want you spend part of your summer, I encourage to consider attending the C22 National Regatta on Cascade Lake, Idaho June 14-19.  Details about the event are starting to be published on the C22NSA website at www.Catalina22.org.

You don't have to be a serious racer to enjoy the National Regatta.  Just the joy of sailing on a body of water without the Columbia River's two knot current makes the trip worthwhile.  The actual non-spinnaker racing is divided into two fleets.  The Gold fleet is for those seeking a higher level of competition and for those who have previously won a C22NSA sanctioned event.  The Silver fleet is for the rest of us, who are probably racing with most of our cruising equipment onboard, who are oblivious to most of the old-style versus new-style boat weight discussions, and have never won a C22NSA sanction event.

Whether onshore or on the water, the National Regatta has built a reputation for providing a little something for everyone to enjoy.  Racing aside, it's a lot of fun socializing with so many other C22 owners.

If you are thinking about going drop me a line, or if you just want more information.  Laura and I lived in Boise for 6-1/2 years before coming to Vancouver, so I'm pretty familiar with the logistics of getting to and from Cascade Lake with a boat.  Portland to Boise is about eight hours (I-84), and Boise to Cascade (Hwy 55) is about two hours.

Trailer Tongue Extension Preventive Maintenance
By Dale Mack

Off season maintenance isn't as fun as going to boat shows, and dreaming about warm weather sailing, but it can increase the odds in your favor that your trip to the launch ramp this Spring will be a productive one.

Many Catalina 22 trailers have built-in tongue extensions that make launching or retrieving the boat on shallow angled ramps easier by allowing the trailer to be backed a further 5-8 feet into the water depend on the length of the extension.

Built into the frame of the trailer is a square tube.  Inside the tube resides another square tube of lesser dimensions with the hitch at one end.  The extension typically has 2-3 holes where the pin can be inserted for the rig's normal on road towing position, or for a couple of different extension lengths.  Trailers with surge brakes will also have some form of quick release connector at the hitch for the brake lines.

Maintenance of the inside of the tube and the exterior of the extension is important to prevent the two from fusing together because of corrosion.  Horror stories of folks not being able to extend the trailer's tongue due to rusted components abound, so its worth spend ten minutes every year to inspect your system by actually extending the tongue.

Two of the most common ways to maintain the system both start with a good coat of paint on all the surfaces.  In the first approach, you continue to maintain the paint job by annually addressing any signs of corrosion in the tube or on the extension.  The second approach uses waterproof grease in place of paint as the annual maintenance remedy.  For the method using grease, you start with a corrosion free, well painted surface, and apply a thin protective layer of grease (only that portion of the extension that normally resides inside the tube needs the grease).  Because of salt water launching, several members of Fleet 4 recommended the grease path, which I found worked very well.  The only down side is making sure you don't  get grease on yourself when the tongue is extended.  Because the grease would typically migrate to uncoated portions of the extension due to pulling out and pushing in the extension, I would routinely wipe these areas down to contain the grease.

January

• 4-12, Portland Boat Show
• 17-26, Seattle Boat Show
• 17-26, Lake Union Boats Afloat Show

See the calendar

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.