Welcome to a new season of Catalina 22 sailing.  The occasional breaks in the weather in January actually allowed me to pull the trap back on the boat, and work on some of the winter projects I had promised myself to get to.  Having the boat on its trailer at home definitively has its advantages.

I hope this newsletter finds you in good spirits and looking forward to a wonderful sailing season.  Several training opportunities are starting to show up on the calendars of various Portland sailing groups, and I've attempted to capture a few in this issue that may be of interest to C22 sailors.

Please consider coming to the Saturday, February 26th Outboard Motor Clinic, if for no other reason than to just hangout with some fellow Catalina 22 enthusiasts.  Details about the clinic can be found later in the newsletter.  So far I've had only a couple RSVPs to the clinic, but I know others are interested.  I need a ballpark figure to determine beverages and Kristy Kreme donuts.  We'll be indoors, so this is a rain or shine event.

Tomahawk Bay Moorage

Tomahawk Bay Moorage is offering sailors who prepay for April, the opportunity to move in between now and then, and pay nothing again until May.  That's a month and a half of free berthing.

Membership Drive and Renewals

The response to the membership renewal notices has been great.  The randomly selected winner of the $25 West Marine gift card for getting your renewal in by January 20th is Don & Jenny Maywald (Gromit, 12286).  Congratulations Don & Jenny, you should be seeing the card in your mail shortly.

The Portland Boat Show also proved beneficial for recruiting.  Indicated in yellow below in the table, Fleet 20 picked up five new members via the sign-up sheet at the Catalina Owners booth at the show.  We have feelers out to another ten (10) Catalina 22 owners, and hope to add a couple to roster in the next month or two.

Fleet 20 Membership

Portland Boat Show a Success
By Dale Mack

If you visited the Portland Boat Show in January, I hope you stopped by the Catalina Owners booth and checked out the photos and video slide show.  I was responsible for pulling together this year's booth, and I couldn't have done it without the the contributions from the Columbia River All Catalina Association (CRACA), Catalina 25/250 Fleet 94 and Catalina 22 Fleet 20.

A couple of new items this year was the 8x3 foot banner that CRACA had created.  It really captured your attention.  The other new addition  was a poster board festooned with beautiful action shots from the 2004 C25/250 National Regatta proved by Catalina 25/250 Fleet 94.

Completing the display were CRACA and Catalina 22 Fleet 20 photo poster boards hanging on a PVC pipe display stand, a DVD displaying Catalina photos on a television, a C22 Fleet 20 photo album, and CRACA scrap books.  Printed materials included brochures from all three Catalina clubs, and information sign-up sheets for those wishing to be added to our email distribution list.

Staffing the booth was a lot of fun.  I really enjoyed talking to all the Catalina owners and non-owners who stopped by to ask questions.  Sharing stories of cruising, racing, and shore side events never fails to capture everyone's interest.

Boat Show Volunteers

*** Note:  Fleet 20 Alumni

Outboard Motor Workshop, February 26th
By Dale Mack

Editor's Note:  This is our second notice of the workshop.  If you are considering coming, please RSVP.

My Honda 5 hp outboard motor is due for some routine maintenance.  Instead of going it alone, I thought I'd turn it into an opportunity for some of us to get together over coffee and donuts and enjoy some Catalina 22 fellowship while I tackled some routine maintenance procedures.  Even if your outboard is another model or brand, you should find the workshop informative.

Program

• Pull the propeller and inspect the sheer pin
• Replace the water pump impeller
• Replace the fuel filter
• Change the oil after warming the engine up
• Change the gear case oil
• Replace the spark plug (it's a one cylinder engine)
• Measure and adjust the idle speed

Where

Dale & Laura Mack
16405 NE 38th St.
Vancouver, WA  98682
360-260-4196

When

Saturday, February 26th, 9:00 am to Noon

RSVP

360-260-4196

Catalina Owners Party, February 27th
By Dale Mack

Sunday, February 27.  The Columbia River All Catalina Association is hosting a party that is open to the families of CRACA, Catalina 22 Fleet 20, and Catalina 25/250 Fleet 94.

If you're sitting there saying I don't know any of these people, fear not, many at the party will be in the same situation.  This is a chance to meet other Catalina enthusiasts, trade stories, and chat about the coming sailing season.

Spouse or partner can't make it?  No problem, you can fly solo.  You're encouraged to bring your digital photos to share if you've got them.

Columbia River Catalina Cruising Schedule
By Dale Mack

Each year, as a member of the Columbia River Yachting Association, CRACA submits a cruising schedule.  One of CRYA's purposes is to help avoid over crowding at various cruising destinations.  Below are the planned Catalina cruises for 2005.  In addition to the CRACA hosted cruises, Fleet 20 will continue its tradition of a Spring, Summer, and Fall rendezvous'.

Desolation Sound Cruising Plans
By Gary Bruner, C25, Encore!, Fleet 94 Captain

Plans are in the works for Plan B, Encore!, Breezy and Buzz to trailer up to Powell River (www.discoverpowellriver.com) on or about June 21st to tour the Desolation Sound area.  The idea would be to return home in early July, but one could bail at anytime.

Additionally, Nate Hanson (Leucothea) and Terry Annis (Lematike) are planning a two week Desolation Sound trip at the end of July and would welcome company.

Let me know if you are interested (Gary Bruner, molika@teleport.com).

Editor's Note:  Several of the Catalina 25 owners are Fleet 20 alumni, so  if any Catalina 22 families are interested in the cruises, Gary would be happy to hear from you.

Racing Season Kickoff Party
By Dale Mack

February 26.  The Oregon Corinthian Sailing Association (OCSA) is hosting a Racing Season Kickoff Party at the Portland Yacht Club.  The is a great opportunity to rub elbows with other racers.

OCSA is providing pizza and soda from 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm, and the event is open to everyone; racer and non-racer alike.

For those that haven't done so already, you can pick up your 2005 Race Book and race course chart for $15 (an OCSA membership is included in the $15).

The Oregon Corinthian Sailing Association (OCSA) is bringing Racing Rules guru Dave Perry to Portland in March.  Dave is the author of several books on racing and serves on the US Sailing Appeals Committee. He's enjoyed helping racing sailors, race officials and judges understand the rules better, and helping racers learn how to sharpen their tactics.

The seminar plans include:

• Friday night Dave will conduct a “Mock Protest Hearing.”

• Saturday, a full-day seminar on the Racing Rules of Sailing

This may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear Dave speak in our area, so we hope you'll join us for what promises to be an informative and enjoyable event. Dave will also have copies of his latest book, Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing through 2008 available for sale.

Cost, location and times for the seminar will be available in the March newsletter.

SYSCO Race Clinic
By Dale Mack

March 31 - April 1.  Although still in the planning stages, the Small Yacht Sailing Club of Oregon (SYSCO) will be hosting its Race Clinic at the end of March.  This Thursday evening classroom and Friday evening on the water clinic is targeted at new racers and those who have never raced before.

Fleet 20 Alumni Terry Annis who is now serving as SYSCO Vice Commodore and Race Captain recruited me to help organize the classroom portion of the clinic.  Look for more detail's in the March newsletter.

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 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

February

• 26, Outboard Motor Workshop

• 26, Racing Season Kickoff Party @ PYC

• 27, Catalina Party

March

• 25-26, Racing Rules of Sailing by Dave Perry
• 31, SYSCO Race Clinic @ TBD

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.