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| Newsletter |
September 2003 |
From
the Afterguard
By Dale Mack
My son, Sean, started high school as a freshman this week, and beyond the obvious milestone of watching my fourteen year old start a new chapter in his life, I was struck by how much returning to school has always marked a mental transition for me when it comes to Catalina 22 sailing. As I start thinking about when to haul the boat out this year, my thoughts drift back to past Falls in California and Idaho.
When Laura and I lived in California, we trailer-sailed year-round. For example, the weekend following Thanksgiving would find us and about twenty other Catalina 22 Fleet 4 boats launching in Richmond on Friday morning, and then sailing to Pier 39 in San Francisco. On Saturday we'd sail from Pier 39 to Encinal Yacht Club in Alameda for dinner, and on Sunday we'd return to Richmond to pull the boats and head home. Come January you'd find us aboard the boat at Berkeley Marina enjoying New Year's Eve after a day spent sailing the bay. When the boat wasn't sailing, it was sitting at home under a tarp.
Sailing in Boise, Idaho wasn't a year-round activity. There was a definite sailing season. I went through Spring commission, and Fall decommission because the local lakes froze in the winter. Many of our daysails and overnighters occurred on Lucky Peak Reservoir just outside of Boise. The local habit with the flood control folks was to start lowering the lake's water level after Labor Day, so the return of Sean to school also coincided with the end of sailing.
While the above average heat at the end of August and the start of September makes it hard to believe Fall is just around the corner, the cooler night time temperatures, shortening days, and the changing color of the leaves reminds me that the 2003 sailing season is drawing to an end.
Extending the Season
If you haven't already made plans for the next couple of weekends, I'd like to invite you to a pair of wonderful events you are sure to enjoy. Next weekend is the:
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Fourth Annual All Catalina Rendezvous (Sept. 12-14) sponsored by the Columbia River All Catalina Association (CRACA). This is a great event to attend in a Catalina 22. Here's an example of what the weekend might look like for you if you choose to arrive on Saturday. Get underway in the morning and motor downriver and eventually under the railroad bridge just downstream I-5. Once under the bridge, hoist the sails and sail to the mouth of the Willamette River. Exit the Columbia River and sail up the Willamette for 2.6 nautical miles until you drop the sails and start motoring down Multnomah Channel. Roughly 7.5 nautical miles later you'll arrive at McCuddy's Landing. Besides a weekend full of socializing with other Catalina owners, you can enjoy a hot shower, plug your electric space heater in if you're concerned about being cold on the boat at night, and know that if you don't want to bother with cooking, you can always eat at Mark's on the Channel. The trip home, should you decide to motor all the way, should take about 3.5 hours.
The following weekend is the:
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Sail for the Cure (Sept. 20) sponsored by the Oregon Women's Sailing Association. While registration was required by September 3rd to guarantee and T-shirt, you can still register on the day of the event. This is the perfect Catalina 22 event. It's a daysail with an afternoon shore side get together with food and live music. Registration information can be found later in the newsletter.
Planning for the December Holiday Party and Annual Election of New Officers
I know it's only September and it seems a little early to be discussing plans for the Fleet 20 Holiday Party, but we need to figure out the who, what, and where of the event. I'd like to float an idea and start collecting some feedback, so we can nail down the party's details in time for publishing in the October newsletter.
What do folks think about combining the Fleet 20 party with the All Catalina party? Several Fleet 20 members and crew are also CRACA members so it has the added benefit for some folks. The CRACA holiday party is scheduled for Saturday, December 13th at the Rose City Yacht Club. It's a potluck affair, just like Fleet 20. We would still award our Fleet Champion and recognize our Most Improved Racer, along with electing a new Fleet Captain. There will be plenty of tables, so if a group of Fleet 20 folks want sit together, that shouldn't be a problem.
What do you think? Does the idea of combining the Fleet 20 Holiday Party with CRACA's sound OK to you?
Fleet 20 at the Portland Boat Show
The organizers of the Portland Boat Show have been offering sailing associations free booth space at the show. Several local class fleets and sailing clubs take advantage of the offer. Would folks be willing to sign-up and staff a booth during the show in exchange for free admission? What about bring a Catalina 22 to the show? The Cal 20 and J/24 fleets all bring several boats to the show, so getting the space probably won't be a problem.
What do you think?
Newsletters of the Northwest
By Dale Mack
Checkout these links to Northwest Catalina newsletters and local racing:
- Columbia River All Catalina Association (CRACA)
- Small Yacht Sailing club of Oregon (SYSCO)
- Catalina Association of Tacoma and South South (CATSS)
- Catalina Association of Puget South (CAPS out of Seattle)
| Cruising |
Fleet 20 Plans for All Catalina Rendezvous
By Dale Mack
I hope you'll consider joining Laura and me at the All Catalina Rendezvous. If you're not sure about committing a whole weekend, why don't you considering bringing your dock chairs and the ice chest and driving over for just the day. Laura and I planning to get underway on Friday just after picking Sean up from school.
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Mark McCuddy, of McCuddy's marinas, has generously offered rendezvous participants free moorage, power, ice, access to the restrooms & showers, and the use of the covered area around the moorage office and store. Power for the 50' slips will require a 50A/250V adapter, otherwise they are standard 30A. This year's rendezvous is a FREE event. There will be no charge to attend, although registration is still required so the organizing committee can plan for how many boats will be attending. Registration packets will be emailed out in August. The registration form can also be downloaded and printed out, or you can email in your registration information to here. For those interested in clothing, hats, or bags embroidered with the CRACA burgee, orders can be placed during the rendezvous.
Itinerary Friday September 12th
Saturday September 13th
Sunday September 14th
Notes About the Rendezvous Please bring one (1) gift per boat (value no more than $15.00) and drop it off at the committee boat upon arrival. The gift does not have to be Nautical. Water and 30 amp power will be available on the docks. You may want to bring:
A Docking Crew will be on duty to help all boats find a spot to tie up based on the list of available slips provided by Mark McCuddy. The Docking Crew will be monitoring channel 16 and then moving to working channel 72. Just ask for the “All Catalina Rendezvous” and they will answer.
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The rendezvous is an open invitation to all Catalina owners both
CRACA members and non-members to enjoy a wonderful weekend in the company of
fellow Catalina Yachts enthusiasts as they open their boats for your personal
tours and share hors d'oeuvres in the beautiful surrounds of
Fleet 20 Plans for SAIL for the CURE
By Dale Mack
September 20. This is Laura and my first time participating in the Sail for the Cure, and we are really looking for to it. Descriptions of past events sound great and the two hour on the water portion sounds very imaginative if this year's daysail follows the past pattern.
See you on the water.
SAIL
for the
CURE
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Event Day Schedule |
| 10am - 1pm:
Event Check-In. Pick up your Sail for the Cure packet and
T-shirt, check out the silent auction items, and register if you haven't
already (no on-the-water registrations will be permitted).
Day-of-Event registrations are $30.* Tomahawk Bay Moorage Picnic
Area, 515 NE Tomahawk Island Drive. The skipper's packet will include instruction on how to do this year's event. 2 - 4pm: Sail for the Cure. The Columbia River at navigational buoy #14. 4 - 7pm: Post-event Party. Food, music, silent auction and fun prizes! Tomahawk Bay Moorage Picnic Area. * We cannot guarantee T-shirts will be available for later registrations. |
Silent Auction
Bring your checkbook! Last year's silent auction included items such as sailing and kayaking classes, clothing, sailing equipment, wine and goodies, massages, haircuts and pedicures, framed photographs, a gas barbecue, gift certificates and more! At this year's auction, you can expect and even better selection of goodies.
The auction will open during the morning check-in at 10am. A bidding sheet listing fixed amounts will be beside each item. Write your name beside the amount you want to bid for that item. Note that there will be a "Buy It Now" price, which means that you are guaranteed to get that item. Be sure to take a quick look and start your bidding before you head out on the boat. When you come back for the party, don't forget to check your items!
The tables have a range of closing times, so be sure to look for a sign on each of the tables. When the table closes (a 15-minute warning will be given), go to the cashier who will be set up nearby, and see what you've won. Once you've made your payment, someone will retrieve your item for you. Cash or checks only and items must be purchased and picked up by 7:00pm. Please make arrangements with the cashier if you will be unable to claim your item(s).
Donating to the Silent Auction
Have something you'd like to donate to the cause? Maybe a service, gift certificate or theme basket of items?
Call the Sail for the Cure Hotline 503-254-CURE or send an e-mail to sailforthecure@creativeabandon.com and our donation committee will contact you. Please make arrangement to donate by August 30.
More Information
| Racing |
Flotsam
By Dale Mack
With our Catalina 22 racing season behind us, my thoughts turn to racing next year. I suspect the perennial question will be, who will come out to race, and will there be any new faces.
More On Spinnakers
In August's newsletter I brought up the topic of racing with spinnakers in 2004. Even if folks only used cruising chutes I think we'd improve our performance against the river's current. Send me your thoughts on this topic.
Taking the Boat North to Race
As you start planning your end of June 2004 activities, I'd like you to consider trailering your boat to Seattle for a one day regatta. I'm talking about Northwest Catalina Day hosted by the Catalina Association of Puget Sound (CAPS). Typically held the third or fourth Saturday in June, Northwest Catalina Day features racing (no spinnakers), and a dinner at the Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle at Shilshole Bay Marina.
I'd imagine we'd drive up on Friday evening and launch, enjoy the event on Saturday, and return home on Sunday. The Catalina 22's would probably race one-design with the boats from Catalina 22 Fleet 6 in Seattle.
Tell me what you think of the idea.
| Technical Tips |
Catalina
22 Swim Platform
By Dale Mack
Remember last month's Catalina 22 with the bowsprit, well here is the same boat with an interesting swim ladder idea I haven't seen on any other Catalina 22's.
The boat's name is Wayward Star, and although I haven't met the owner yet, they must be an incredible metal worker or know someone who is, because the boat has a large amount of custom stainless steel metal work installed on it.
| Upcoming Events |
September
- 6 - 7, St. Helens Race/Cruise with SYSCO
- 12 - 14, All Catalina Rendezvous at McCuddy's Landing on Multnomah Channel hosted by the Columbia River All Catalina Association
- 20, Sail for the Cure
October
- 11, SYSCO Awards Banquet
November
- 15, OCSA Tropical Party at PYC
See the calendar
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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.