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I
wasn't the only Fleet 20 member out there sailing this Fall. One Monday
afternoon while Laura and I hosted my sister and niece from California, aboard
Celtic Myst, our Catalina 30, I spotted Scott Ferre's Promiseland
(#12982) under sail.
Crocus'
last sail of the season was November 10th. It was warm and
sunny, and I spent the balance of the day dropping the sails on the
Catalina 30 and storing them along with all the canvas inside the
boat.
Crocus
is now sitting at home once again under a tarp. The mast is supported with
a
block that rests on the mast step. I pull cotter pins that secure the
spreaders to the mast and lay the spreaders on the cabin top.
New cotter pins will be installed in the Spring. My all-line
halyards are removed and replaced with a tracer line that will be
used to rethread the halyards in the Spring. All other
external lines are removed. On the inside I pull the battery,
cushions, sails, and anything else that could trap moisture and
store these items in my garage.
Good
Luck to the Maywalds
December
1 & 7 - 20. The Christmas Ship Fleet is an all volunteer group of approximately sixty boaters from the Portland/Vancouver
area. Starting December 1st, and then restarting December 7th, the fleet will parade nightly for two weeks along the Columbia and Willamette Rivers.
Catalina
22 On the Water Spinnaker Handling - April. You'll learn
to launch, fly, and take down a symmetrical spinnaker. You'll
have the opportunity to sign-up for a two hour practice session that
will begin with dockside training and then put you out on the
Columbia River for some real practice.| Racing |
Fleet Champion and Most
Improved Sailor Announced
By Dale Mack
The Small Yacht Sailing Club of Oregon (SYSCO) ran the fourteen races that made up Fleet 20's official 2007 racing season. The Spring Series, from April to May, provided five races, the Summer Series, from June to July, provided another five, and the One-Design Regatta in August provided the remaining four races.
Fleet 20 annually recognizes as the "Fleet Champion" the skipper with the best record. The fleet also recognizes the "Most Improved Sailor" based on the skipper whose performance improved the most year to year.
Congratulation to everyone who raced in 2007. It was a fun season, made all that much better by the wonderful crews that joined us on the boats.
| 2007 Fleet Champion Dale Mack |
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| 2007 Most Improved Sailor Dan Dugan |
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Spring Series Results
| Boat Name | Sail # | Owner | Race 1 Rank / Pts |
Race 2 Rank / Pts |
Race 3 Rank / Pts |
Race 4 Rank / Ps |
Race 5 Rank / Pts |
Series Rank / Pts |
| Harmony | 14286 | Dugan | DNF / 3 | DNF / 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 / 10 |
| Crocus | 8244 | Mack | DNF / 3 | DNF / 3 | DNC / 5 | 2 | DNC / 5 | 2 / 18 |
| Togarty | 7260 | Woodhouse | DNC / 5 | DNC / 5 | DNC / 5 | DNC / 5 | 1 | 3 / 21 |
| Promiseland | 12982 | Ferre | DNC / 5 | DNC / 5 | DNC / 5 | 3 | DNC / 5 | 4 / 23 |
Summer Series Results
| Boat Name | Sail # | Owner | Race 1 Pts |
Race 2 Pts |
Race 3 Pts |
Race 4 Pts |
Race 5 Pts |
Series Rank / Pts |
| Crocus | 8244 | Mack | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 / 8 |
| Harmony | 14286 | Dugan | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 / RAF | 1 | 2 / 9 |
| Promiseland | 12982 | Ferre | 2 | 3 | 4 | DNC / 5 | 3 | 3 / 17 |
| Togarty | 7260 | Woodhouse | DNC / 5 | DNC / 5 | 3 | DNC / 5 | DNC / 5 | 4 / 23 |
One-Design Regatta Results
| Boat Name | Sail # | Owner | Race 1 Pts |
Race 2 Pts |
Race 3 Pts |
Race 4 Pts |
Series Rank / Pts |
| Crocus | 8244 | Mack | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 / 4 |
| Togarty | 7260 | Woodhouse | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 / 8 |
| Harmony | 14286 | Dugan | DNC / 5 | DNC / 5 | DNC / 5 | DNC / 5 | 3/ 20 |
| Promiseland | 12982 | Ferre | DNC / 5 | DNC / 5 | DNC / 5 | DNC / 5 | 3 / 20 |
| Cruising |
October Cruise to Beacon Rock
Fall Colors in the Columbia River Gorge
By Scott Ferre, Promiseland, #12982
I cruised Promiseland up to Beacon Rock back in October. There was no wind going up so I motored the whole way. From Tomahawk Bay Moorage, it took me seven hours and three gallons of gas. I don’t think I could have gotten Promiseland up there against much wind with my 6-hp motor though, especially playing dodge-boat with the fisherman. It was incredible with the Fall colors and glass calm water. I enjoyed a gorgeous, wind-free evening and starry backdrop behind Beacon Rock. Next time I’ll stay at the Camas-Washougal guest dock on the way up to break the trip up a bit.
Coming back there were strong east winds at 15 – 20 knots and I ghosted with just my headsail and surfed on the backs of three foot wind waves all the way to Washougal averaging over six knots. A bit of a wild ride, but what a fantastic cruise (except the times I had to hang over the back of my boat to push my rudder back in the water, and the time when I jibed and my head sheets wrapped and tangled my genoa around my furler while giving way to a barge in a narrow channel). Thanks to a reliable outboard I survived and got my sail untangled. I motored from Washougal to the I-205 bridge then raised both sails and sailed home to Tomahawk Bay. It only took me 4 hours to get back to Tomahawk Bay from Beacon Rock.
Editor's Note: Both the Port of Camas-Washougal and the docks at Beacon Rock have power, so you have the option of bringing a small space heater to take the chill off the cabin on those early Spring and Fall cruises upriver.
Sailing the Sea of Cortez in a Catalina 22
Part 3 of 7:
Santispac in Bahia Conception
By Don Woodhouse, Togarty, #7260
On a journey such as the one I undertook when deciding to cross Cortez and sail to the tip, self discovery is often part of the outcome. I discovered that optimism can be a dangerous trait. For example after leaving Punta Chivato we headed for Mulege. A beautiful town with a forest of green date palms and cobblestone streets. We had heard that Hurricane John had caused a dam to break on the river and that the resulting flood had deepened the channel allowing shallow draft boats to go up towards town. Most all of the guides say to anchor up outside of the river and dingy into town. I wanted to believe the rumors so I cranked up the retractable keel and motored into the mouth of the river. Wayne stood on the bow calling out directions as I weaved around sand bars eventually there was no direction to go but back. After being temporarily grounded on a sand bar and narrowly missing a submerged metal pipe sticking out of a hunk of concrete , I took notice of the fishermen on the bank who were whistling and drawing lines in the air to indicate where the channel was. We followed their direction and glided up onto the sandy bank where they had been loading fish bound for Mexico City. I asked if there was enough water to go up to the Hotel Serenidad dock. They said no water and no dock. I left the boat anchored there under their watchful eyes and we walked towards the hotel where we could call a cab to get to town for ice and a few other essentials. Now a pessimist would have never even tried the river and certainly would not have trusted the fishermen . I still think in the long run I am better off looking for the positive side of things. By the way when we returned to the boat with our supplies I went to pull up the anchor line. I noticed that it had been retied in a much more secure manner than I had left it . It would appear that the boat had in some way worried the fishermen who must have gone out (it was just a few feet from the bank) and retied the lines. I waved and smiled and said thank you as we motored out of the river , "clunk" "oh yea" that metal sign post with the concrete" , I was sure it would be fine. It was.
Our next anchorage was Santispac in Bahia Conception about 12 miles as the crow flies. It was 4:30 p.m. but what the heck we had just traveled 72 miles in the dark what was a little bit of night motoring to find a popular moorage that certainly would have many lights on boats and ashore. I used the last light to get a visual fix on a low sandy point that protruded out into the bay and then relied on GPS to find the spot. I had a list of coordinates that included the Santispac anchorage. You might remember I had electrical problems during the night crossing so I was using up double A batteries at a rate of about 8 a day now. Three for the GPS , three for my headlamp, and two for the handheld VHF radio. After I was sure I had rounded the sandy point I followed the GPS heading . The problem was there was a 180 degree turn around a high point to enter the anchorage and it was hard to tell in the dark which high point. The GPS said turn right and I saw some lights on shore so I turned. The lights, as I got closer were campers on the beach flashing their flashlights trying to warn me off as I motored in full throttle to a shallow sandy bay just on the other side of the spit from Santispac anchorage. I swung around at the last minute and safely found the proper spot.
Now I don't want you to think that this trip was one disaster after another . It was not. There were great times cruising . Sea life (whales and such) and good companionship. But I know what the reader of these journals expects . Adventure on the high seas so that's what you get.
Don
| Technical Tips |
Deciding to
Forgo Antifouling Paint
A season without refreshing the bottom paint
By Dale Mack,
Crocus, #8244
 Crocus, November 2007 |
I started the 2007 sailing season with the decision to not add antifouling bottom paint to Crocus. In fact, more than just not adding paint, I deliberately stripped old paint from various areas on the portside of the boat. My objective was to test out a theory I had on whether I was getting any benefit from the paint.
Over the course of the season I kept an eye on how the no paint areas did versus the old paint areas. I also had my Catalina 30 available for comparison with its relatively fresh Trinidad SR coated bottom. Both boats were actively sailed and motored each week, with two outings per boat per week being common. It was a great season of sailing, so I was out a lot. By the time I pulled Crocus in November I had my answer for what I'd be doing in 2008.
Before I get into what I learned, let me digress a little and review some of my personal observations since bringing Harmony's (#14286) unpainted gleaming white gelcoat bottom to the Columbia River in 1997. Laura and I were road warriors with Harmony. If we weren't cruising, the boat sat on the trailer under a tarp ready for the next adventure. After competing in the 1997 Catalina 22 National Regatta on Lake Tahoe, Harmony remained on the trailer as I got my sailing fix crewing for others, while the new house and yard consumed most of Laura's and my free time.
 Harmony, March 1997 in Boise, ID
Harmony, August 1998 with factory gelcoat.
Harmony, April 1999 with two coats VC17. VC17m (formulated to resist slime buildup) wasn't available until 2003. |
In the summer of 1998, members of Fleet 20 encouraged Laura and me to race Harmony in the SYSCO One-Design Regatta that August. We launched the boat and kept it at McCuddy's Marina on Marine Dr. for a week before pulling it after the regatta. I was shocked at how much algae had accumulated on the bottom. After a thorough washing at home, the bottom retained a dirty white tone when compared to the gelcoat above the blue bootstripe.
Since Harmony would be spending its first full season in the water in 1999, I contacted Lowell Richardson at the Foredeck (we know Lowell today as the owner of Catalina Direct), because he was the Catalina Yachts dealer in the Sacramento area from whom I had purchased the boat. My question to Lowell was, "Do I need to add an epoxy barrier coat to the bottom before painting, if the boat sits in fresh water from March through September?" Lowell's answer was, "The 1987 models are prone to blisters, but since your boat sits on the trailer during the winter, you should be fine not adding the barrier coat."
Too timid to paint the bottom myself with the boat on trailer, I had the former Sailboats of Oregon boatyard de-wax the bottom and then apply two coats of VC17. I went with thin-film Teflon VC17 because I didn't want the build-up that happens with modified epoxies like Pettit's Trinidad SR, or the mess of ablative paints like Interlux's Micron Extra that rub off on the trailer bunks. The de-waxing step was to remove any mould release residue leftover from when the boat was built in 1987.
The VC17 performed very well. Despite being a heavier "new-style" C22, Harmony did well in races against lighter old-style boats (the improving skills of her skipper probably didn't hurt either). Annual maintenance consisted of adding a single coat of VC17 directly to the old finish (no sanding required). To gain access to the hull covered by the bunks, I lowered the trailer's tongue to the ground, thus elevating the transom. I then positioned a stand I build to support the boat's transom. As I raised trailer's tongue, the boat came off the bunks and was supported by my transom stand and the trailer's hull roller located beneath the boat's bow. The bow of the boat was pulled tight into the vee-block near the trailer's winch. This process provided me enough clearance to get a small paint roller onto the hull. If I hadn't gotten enough clearance, I was prepared to let some of the air out of the tires to counteract the fact that the trailer's leaf springs raise the bunks as the boat's weight is removed.
What Did I Learn?
 Crocus, November 2007
Crocus, November 2007 |
Crocus' first bottom paint appears to be a blue modified epoxy. Whoever put it on must have heard you needed to sand the bottom first because deep scratches from something like 80 grit sandpaper cover the hull below the bootstripe. The blue was later covered with a black modified epoxy, and then still later by a red modified epoxy. On some parts of the hull the layers of paint are so thick that they are flaking off like thick eggshell.
My experience with Trinidad SR on my Catalina 30 showed me that
the biocides seem to lose their effectiveness after about six
months. So what about Crocus' 2007 experience? I
couldn't detect any real performance difference between old paint,
no paint, and the relatively fresh paint on my Catalina 30.
Everything got slimed.
During the season my favorite remedy for the slime was scrubbing the bottom every two to three weeks using the DIY hull brush project. With the C22 it took about fifteen minutes per side and was no harder than sweeping a floor.
I've decided to forgo adding additional antifouling paint and will continue to slowly remove the current paint via a chemical striper and wet sanding. Eventually when all the old paint is removed, I'll probably repaint with VC17m in order to achieve a uniform color. In the meantime, Crocus will be the boat with the patchwork color scheme on the bottom.
| Catalina Newsletters of the Northwest |
Checkout these links to Northwest Catalina newsletters and local racing:
- Columbia River All Catalina Association (CRACA)
- Sail Portland (hosted by Oregon Corinthian Sailing Association, OCSA)
- Small Yacht Sailing Club of Oregon (SYSCO)
- Oregon Women's Sailing Association (OWSA)
- Catalina Association of Tacoma and South South (CATSS)
- Catalina Association of Puget South (CAPS out of Seattle)
| Upcoming Events |
November
- Party: 10, OCSA Awards Party at Portland Yacht Club, open to all sailors
December
- No Fleet 20 Plans
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.