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The Fifth Annual Sail for the Cure
By Dale Mack

In its fifth year, the Sail for the Cure, created by the Oregon Women's Sailing Association (OWSA), continues to benefit the Oregon & SW Washington Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.  This was my second time participating, and I and the crew had a lot of fun.

Fleet 20 Alumni Terry & Kathie Annis, Margaret Hanson's daughter, and Margaret Hanson enjoy the live music. The onshore music, awards, auction, and story telling.

Unlike the rainy weather that descended on the Catalina Rendezvous the previous weekend, Saturday the 25th welcomed participants with warm sunny weather.  The only down side to the day was that no wind was predicted, and the prediction turned out to be correct.

At 10 am,  my crew walked up to the registration tent and picked up our souvenir t-shirts, gift bags, a banner, and event instructions.  As part of the on the water game for the day, we were one of only sixteen boats that would be displaying a banner.

After leaving the marina we found the committee boat anchored just south of buoy "14".  We maneuvered the boat pass the starboard side of the committee boat, while one of my crew stood at the port shrouds with their left arm outstretched and picked up the sailing packet protruding from a ten foot length of PVC pipe being held out from the committee boat.  Inside the packet were instructions about the course for the day's sail and how to play the game.  At 1 pm we were to set off to the channel marker (known locally as race mark #2) just upstream of the I-5 bridge.  From there we were to sail upriver to buoy "18" and then finish back at buoy "14".  If the wind was light, we were to skip "18" and return straight to "14".  The game rules permitted motoring at anytime to insure finishing by 3 pm.  The game consisted of trivia questions like naming all the restaurants that over look the river, how long is the Columbia River is the U.S., and matching all the banners with boat names.

With sails hoisted, we did like everyone else and commenced drifting downstream at 1 pm.  For the next ninety minutes we enjoyed a feast in the cockpit as the scenery drifted by.  At approximately 2:30 pm, our drifting brought us near mark #2, so we fired up the engine and started the motor back to "14"

The shore side activities ran from 3 pm to 6 pm.  We setup our folding chairs and blankets on the grass at Tomahawk Bay Moorage, and enjoyed the event provided boxed dinners as we listened to live music.  We had a great time and plan to come back next year.  Helpfully the wind will return in 2005.

The Return of the St. Helens Cruise
By Dale Mack

September 11-12.  After a two year hiatus, Fleet 20 once again made the trek from Portland to St. Helens, OR (about 18 nautical miles).  Laura wasn't able to attend, so I invited Fleet 20 Captain, Don Bateson to sail with me.

We left Tomahawk Bay Moorage at 9:30 a.m. and motored downriver to daymark "39", just downstream of where the Willamette River flows into the Columbia.  This was the rendezvous point for the cruise.  The St. Helens Cruise is a great opportunity to explore a little more of the river than just what's between the I-5 and I-205 bridges.  The cruise has long been popular will Catalina 22 sailors because of the excellent sailing between Portland and St. Helens.

After rendezvousing at daymark "39" we were underway by 11 am.  Actually, we were doing more drifting than sailing.  Under beautifully clear skies the wind hadn't come up yet, so for the first 20 minutes we just sort of drifted downstream with just enough steerage to play slalom between the hundreds of anchored fisherman.   As the sky clouded over, the  wind finally filled in and we had an awesome sail all the way to Warrior Rock.  Along the way we spotted the the Maywald family aboard Gromit.

Once at the city docks, out came the appetizers and beverages.  While some crews disappeared into St. Helens to browse the antique shops, others walked around visiting some of the Victorian homes, or strolling down to the St. Helens Marina.

Those of us on the docks toured each other's boats and chatted about the day's sail.  It was great meeting Don and Jenny Maywald and their four children.  The Maywald's keep Gromit at McCuddy's Marina over in Ridgefield, WA, so the waters around St. Helens are their normal cruising grounds.

Don's wife Carolyn and their young daughter Clair drove over to pickup Don just before dinner, which was a potluck affair.  With Fleet 20 members and Alumni kicking in along with a few friends of the fleet, we had Caesar salad, hot sourdough French bread, grilled shrimp, grilled salmon, and homemade apple pie.

We awoke on Sunday to a thick marine layer of clouds that burned off by midday.  As is typical with this September cruise, there was a good breeze in the morning for those wishing to fly spinnakers or run wing-and-wing back to Portland.  I motored the whole way back to my slip, covering 18.2 nautical miles in 3.5 hours.

I want to thank Don Bateson for sailing  with me on Saturday.  It was a nice weekend, and I enjoyed meeting everyone.

Catalina Rendezvous Reflections
By Dale Mack

This is a slimmed down rewrite of an article I submitted to the CRACA newsletter on this year's Catalina Rendezvous.

September 17-19.  Reports of a miserable weekend with dropping temperatures, rain, and wind was enough to make anyone choose to stay at home.  Thirty crews had registered for the rendezvous, with about two-thirds of them planning to come by boat.  The worsening weather reduced it to twenty-six by the time Laura and I headed off to the boat on Friday.  We were going rain or shine. 

Friday turned out to be the "dry day" because Saturday met rendezvous participants with an endless series of showers from when you got up until after the the sun when down.  Despite the rain, another six boats arrived on Saturday which was a pretty amazing feat considering each of these crews knew it was going to be a pretty wet trip.  One of those crews was Fleet 20 Alumni Terry and Kathie Annis aboard their Catalina 25 Lematike.

The workshops got started at 1 pm and were held on the backside of the floating Harbor Master's Office, in a large area that kept you out of the wind and placed you under the protection of a metal roof.  That roof provided great cover, but at times the rain was coming down so hard you had to strain to hear the presenter's voice over the noise emanating from the roof.

Our first presenter was Gary Whitney (C28, KA-SL), who explained the purpose and use of a Lifesling Man Overboard recovery system.  Gary demonstrated how the sling is worn, and described the method of circling the boat around the victim once the Lifesling is deployed into the water and trailing behind the boat.  As Gary explained, the circling motion of the boat causes the Lifesling to be drawn into the center of the circle, thus reaching the victim.  Another important aspect of the system is how to get the victim out of the water.  An optional hoisting tackle system has been designed for attachment to your main halyard so the top block of the tackle can be hoisted ten feet above your deck.  The line exiting the top block is run down to your headsail sheet block and back to one of your primary winches.  The lower block of the tackle should be fitted with either a snap shackle or carabiner so the tackle can be attached to the metal rings of the Lifesling.  One last item pointed out was the optional water-activated personal marker light that provides the system with visible at night.

Anchoring and splicing was the topic of our second presentation by Captain Bob Baldwin from West Marine.  A thirty minute late arrival nixed the splicing portion of the presentation.  Bob brought some samples of popular anchor types and described the bottoms they were best suited to and how they dug in.  Bob, whose background includes lots of boating back East, admitting to favoring all chain anchor rodes.  Many of his past cruising grounds were noted for their rocky bottoms, were the abrasion resistance of chain was welcomed.  Also including in the presentation was a discussion of scope, or how much anchor rode to put out versus the depth of the water.  One of the points Bob made regarding scope and the use of chain, is that you are trying to create a situation where the pull on the anchor is parallel to the bottom, thus helping to dig the anchor in.

The final speaker of the day was Gerry Douglas, Vice President and Head Designer of Catalina Yachts.  Gerry gave an interesting look into design philosophy of Catalina Yachts.  For example, solid-wood surrounds, not veneer, are used for the door frames and furniture edges that take the most wear.  All surfaces are clear-coated, not stained, to simplify refinishing.  On models built in California, the hull and deck are mated together early in the manufacturing process.  The engine and interior components are then later passed below through one hatchway or another for installation.  Douglas said it’s a company goal to make a boat that is very repairable; all parts can be removed using hand tools and without disturbing other elements.  He also pointed out that the company makes an effort to sell replacement parts for all models, no matter how old, which makes Catalinas good as project boats for someone looking to rescue a fixer-upper.  When asked about the suitability of Catalinas for blue water sailing, Gerry stated that everything from the thirty footer and up is built strong enough, but because most buyers do mostly inland and coastal cruising, Catalina Yachts doesn't burden all owners with the additional cost to outfit the boat for blue water cruising.

Saturday dinner was a do your own thing affair, with about thirty folks opting to dine at Mark's on the Channel while the rest ate aboard their boats.  With the appearance of the evening sky, we began to get some relief from the rain, and by 7:30 pm, the scheduled start of the CRACA sponsored dessert and gift exchange, it had stopped raining.

The club provided a large selection of desserts and beverages, to tempt even the most carb conscious amongst us.  Towards the end, the gift exchange was conducted.  Everyone delighted in their newly acquired treasures, and some horse trading took place behind the scenes.  It was a nice climax to an enjoyable day, despite the weather.

Sunday Sunrise Sunday Breakfast

Sunday morning treated early risers to clearing skies and a spectacular sunrise.  It was everything you wanted Saturday to have been.  The water was calm, the air smelled fresh and new, and there was the anticipation of a great day ahead.

Many of us took walks along the roads near the marina or up and down the docks admiring the boats as we enjoyed the morning and waited for the planned pancake breakfast at 9 am.

The Catalina Rendezvous hosted breakfast Sunday morning.  Several crews were observed coming back for seconds and thirds.

Laura and I had a nice time at the rendezvous, and we are glad we brought our boat.  We met and talked with several members we've only known by name, and I enjoyed the presentations by all three speakers.  McCuddy's Landing once again proved very functional even with the challenging weather.

Over sixty people attended the 2004 Catalina Rendezvous either by car or boat (16 sixteen boats attended).  Laura and I also had the pleasure of meeting Doug & Julie Dugan (Harmony, #14286) and Rick Fletcher & Christie Sleight (Frick & Frack, #5859), with whom I had only exchanged email with previously.

Fleet 20 Members & Alumni who Attended by Boat

1. Terry & Kathie Annis, C25, Lematike (crew aboard the C22 Solus)
2. Bob Gales & Gail O'Neill, C30, Imagine (crews for C22's when needed)
3. Dale & Laura Mack, C30, Celtic Myst (currently racing the C22 Crocus)

Fleet 20 Crews who Attended by Car

1. Doug & Julie Dugan, C22, Harmony
2. Rick Fletcher & Christie Sleight, C22, Frick & Frack

Ten Racing Myths Busted
By Dale Mack 

This is the first in a series of articles designed to demystify Columbia River racing and encourage your participation during the 2005 season.

Sailing means being in a constant state of learning.  Even going out for a relaxed day sail presents you with new challenges.  We all have our own reasons for choosing a sailboat.  For me, after years of power boating in everything from eight foot dinghies to 63 foot Sea Scout boats, I was interested in trying the other side of boating.  For sheer pleasure, a restful evening sail with Laura wins hands down over everything else for me.  There's just nothing like getting outside of the marina, hoisting the sails, shutting down the engine, and enjoying each other's company for the next two hours as the boat glides through the water.

Sailboat racing adds a new twist to sailing.  While my day sails have me bouncing from bank to bank on the river, racing gets me figuring out how to maneuver the boat around specific marks on the river.  In light air and heavy, strong current and weak,  racing has me always striving to learn how to make the boat sail more efficiently.

As I start looking ahead to building interest in 2005 Racing, I know many out there will talk themselves out of trying racing because they've never done it before, and just assume it would be too hard, too competitive, too something.  I thought I'd take a crack at some of the sailboat racing myths I've heard in the past for why folks don't try racing.

(1) My boat isn't setup for racing

Your average Catalina 22 family cruiser is setup just fine for racing.  While there is a long list of upgrades available to made a boat faster and easier to handle, your typical C22 is ready to go.  For example, do you need an adjustable backstay?  No, I've raced and won without one.  Is the boat better with one?  You bet!

(2) I won't be competitive

Probably not.  Oops, I guess I was suppose to lie.  The truth is boat preparation and sailing experience plays a big part of success on the race course.  If winning were the only reward, most people would drop out of racing.  The rewards  of racing come in many forms, and thankfully very few of them have anything to do with winning.  There's something good about working together as a team, and sailing a good race even when you don't win.  The accelerated learning you go through improves your sailing skills faster than just about anything else.

(3) My sails are too old

New sails are going to be better, but that old baggy set of sails will still get you around the course and allow you to enjoy the benefits of racing.  One benefit of old sails is that you can always attribute the boat's lack of performance on the quality of the sails;-)

(4) Racing is too expensive

Refer back to my answers for #1 and #3.  The boat you have today is probably good enough.  Additional expenses due to upgrades is at your discretion, but isn't required by the sport.  Race entry fees aren't bad either.  Local Catalina 22's race one-design in the Spring Series (April-May) and Summer Series (June-July).  Each series is made up of five races spread over five Thursday evenings.  The cost of each series is $30, so you can see we aren't talking about a lot of money.

(5) Racing takes too much time

The Spring and Summer Series combined represents ten evenings of sailing.  Lets see, I could spend a couple of hours sailing around with friends, or stay at home watching TV.  Not a hard choice there.  The truth is I like sailing more than Laura does, but scrounging up a crew every time I want to go out is a hassle.  Although I've solved the crew problem by learning to sail the boat by myself, it's not the same.  The answer is having a regularly scheduled appointment to go sailing with friends, and the scheduled races do that.  The races themselves typically last between 60-90 minutes and start at 6:30 pm.

(6) The racing rules are too complicated

The truth is most of the skippers out on the course only know the basics at best.  In more competitive fleets like the J/24's, Martins, and Cal 20's you'll hear some shouting between boats as skipper's assert their rights.  Catalina 22 racing is much more relaxed and forgiving.  In fact there hasn't been a protest between Catalina 22's racing on the Columbia River in over ten years.  Most of us come in knowing that the starboard tacked boat (boom on the port) has the right away when two boat meets.  As we race, we slowly acquire a better understanding of the rules for mark roundings and overtaking another boat.  By referring back to the rules book after a race, we review situations that occurred in the race to better understand who had the right away.  That new learning is then shared with the other skippers.  It's a very supportive environment, based on learning.  Our local Catalina 22 racing doesn't use bullying or bluffing tacks, so if a more experienced skipper tells you they believe they have the right away, then believe them and give them room.  When I got started, I basically stayed at the back of the fleet until I become more acquainted with the rules.

Another helpful element of local racing is that the Small Yacht Sailing Club of Oregon (SYSCO) always puts on a free race clinic in the Spring which is always worth attending, regardless of how many years you've been sailing.

Oh, about those other one-design fleets, just let them have the room they want, at least in the beginning.  As I've become more confident in my knowledge of the rules, you'll frequently see me asserting my rights against other one-design fleets on the course at the same time.

(7) I wouldn't know how to start

The timing of my starts are still just OK, but the process of how to start is very easy.  The Fleet 20 racing page has great information on starts, just look for the OCSA Sailing Instructions, and the OCSA Race Committee Checklist.

The SYSCO Race Clinic covers starts, including an on the water practice session were you can go on other people's boats.  The Oregon Corinthian Sailing Association (OCSA) puts on a great two evening Race Management Clinic.  Nothing teaches you how to read the course board and start than learning how to be a member of the race committee.

(8) Other competitors are too aggressive

Your fellow Catalina 22 sailors will not be too aggressive.  They're not going to let you win, but they also aren't going to use their knowledge of the rules to bluff and intimidate you either.

The non-Catalina 22 may try to bluff and intimidate you, so until you're sure of your rights, just get out of the way.  That's what I did.  I don't want to give  you the impression that everyone is shouting at you, but if your on starboard tack heading to the windward mark and a parade of J/24's under spinnakers are heading straight at you with their booms on the starboard side, you'll need to decide how close you'll want to be before everyone is really counting on each other's knowledge of the rules to avoid a collision.

(9) I don't have crew

Crew can always be found with some advance warning of the need.  Just let the fleet know you're looking.

(10) I'm too new to sailing to start racing

There is so much sailing and racing experience sprinkled amongst the fleet's members and Alumni, that you ought to just ask for some coaching help if you are still learning to sail.  I've taught folks how to launch, retrieve, rig, sail, and maintain their boats.  You'd be surprised at all the free assistance available if you'd just ask.  One successful practice Fleet 20 has used is to put experienced crew on boats with skippers new to racing, or to have new skippers serve as crew on boats with experienced skippers.

As you prepare to put the boat away for the winter, start thinking about next year.  At no cost to your busy weekends, you can come out on Thursday evenings and increase your sailing skills, while making some new friends.  See you on the water.

Toggle Switch Protection
By Dale Mack, Crocus, #4248

Anyone  with an old-style Catalina 22 (1970-1985), knows that the placement of the electrical control panel is not one of the boat's strengths.  Placed on the inboard side of the aft settee seat, stories abound describing stepping into the cabin and onto the switches.

While getting a tour of Gromit, #12286, during the St. Helens cruise, I spied a simple solution that's so good I'm going to install it on Crocus.  Don Maywald has a strip of aluminum bent to follow the contours of the boat and the panel and then secured in place with stainless steel screws.

Catalina Newsletters of the Northwest
By Dale Mack

Checkout these links to Northwest Catalina newsletters and local racing:

Columbia River All Catalina Association (CRACA) www.ColumbiaRiverCatalina.org Catalina 25 Fleet 94 of Portland home.comcast.net/~fleet94/ Sail Portland www.sailpdx.com

Catalina Assoc. of Tacoma and South Sound (CATSS) home.earthlink.net/~catss/CATSS Web Page.htm Catalina Association of Puget Sound (CAPS) www.capsfleet1.com/News Letters.htm Small Yacht Sailing Club of Oregon (SYSCO) www.sailpdx.com/sysco.htm

October

• 9, SYSCO Awards Banquet

November

• 20, 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.