From the Captain
By Dale Mack, Catalina 22 Fleet 20 Captain
Crocus, #8244, celtic-myst@comcast.net

During the winter months I still climb aboard Crocus every couple of weeks just to make sure I don't have any problems developing.  Inspecting the boat is pretty easy because there isn't a lot of gear in the way.  Part of my winter preparation included removing the following items off the boat:

• Sails
• Curtains
• Cabin Cushions
• Flotation Cushions
• Lifejackets
• Anything Paper
• Anything Fabric
• Battery
• Lines
• Outboard Motor
• Tools (don't want to encourage rust)

With Crocus I'm essentially trying to stay on top of the mildew problem that was very bad when Don Bateson acquired the boat.  Today with an annual bleach wipe down, Crocus has  gradually become easier to take care of when preparing for the coming new season.

Spinnaker Clinic

I'd like to judge the interest in holding a Catalina 22 spinnaker clinic.  The clinic would include terminology, rigging tips, sets, drops, jibes, trimming and sailing angles for both symmetrical and asymmetrical sails.  The February session would be in the classroom (my home), and the March session would include actual sail-handling dockside at Tomahawk Bay Moorage.

Let me know if you're interested and I'll start planning the clinic.

Catalina 22 Racing

It's that time of the year when I start beating the bushes to find out who is thinking about racing their Catalina 22.  A minimum of three boats need to compete for us to qualify as a one-design class in the SYSCO and CYC series.  Crocus will be racing in 2008, and I'm hoping to see the return of Don Woodhouse's Togarty, Dan Dugan's Harmony, and even possibly Scott Ferre's Promiseland.  I'd like to get 5-6 boats on the starting line this year.  To do that we're going to need some additional folks to try their hand at racing.

Ask yourself this question:  Does the idea of sailing most Thursday evenings for a couple of hours sound appealing?  If your answer is yes, than what's holding you back?  If the thought of racing starts, finishes, mark roundings, or meeting situations causes you some uneasiness, then lets talks because local C22 racing is very casual, and focused on learning.  The basics to get you started can be mastered within a couple of races.  I found it very useful when I was getting started to just follow other folks around the course.  With time came confidence.  I'm willing to help teach and find crew for anyone will to race their boat.

Cruising

While my overnight cruising days with Laura aboard are probably over (she'll pick our Catalina 30 over the C22 every time) I still enjoy gunkholing with a Catalina 22.  In 2008, I'm hoping to entice a few of you to participate in a couple of local overnight weekend cruises.

Is anyone interested in a Delta cruise in 2008?  SYSCO traditionally holds an annual Delta cruise starting the last weekend in July.  A typical itinerary looks like this:

In reality the itinerary it pretty flexible with folks coming and going based on their own personal schedules.  For example, some skip Astoria and spend a third day at Warren slough, or two days at Cathlamet after Warren Slough.  Those you can't get away for a week join the Martin Island portions of the cruise either the first weekend or the second weekend.  Does any part of this cruise sound interesting?

For Sale

Are you looking to sell your Catalina 22 or any sailing gear?  As a service to Catalina 22 owners, Fleet 20 will provide you six months of free advertising on on the fleet's website.  Having an Internet location for photos and a more detailed description of your items can be helpful especially if you include the URL in a newspaper ad you run.  Click here to see the ad I created when I sold my first Catalina 22.

Become a Member of Fleet 20
By Dale Mack

Membership in Fleet 20 is FREE.  The membership application is available online at  www.c22pdx.org/docs.  Simply print it off, fill it out, and sending it in to the address on the application.  Another alternative is to simply email the membership information to:

catalina22fleet20@comcast.net

Portland Boat Show
By Dale Mack

January 5-13.  The Portland Boat Show begins its nine day run on January 5th.  For many the show kicks off the planning for the new sailing season in the Portland/Vancouver area.  Admission to the show is $8.00 (free to children 12 and under). 

New this year will be free parking on weekdays.  The 2008 edition of the show will be moving the sailboat displays from Hall E to the west end of Hall D (the hall second from the left).

See you at the show.

Seattle Boat Show &
Lake Union Boats Afloat Show
By Dale Mack

January 24 - February2.  The Seattle Boat Show and the Lake Union Boats Afloat Show runs from January 24 - February 2.   If you're planning to be there on February 2nd, perhaps our paths will cross as Laura and I will be visiting both shows.  Be sure to visit the boat show websites for details on admission and discounts on tickets and parking.

The Seattle Boat Show is held in the Qwest Field Event Center across the street from Safeco Field.  What the Seattle Boat Show lacks in sailboats it makes up for in marine equipment booths.

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.

Racing Starts in April
By Dale Mack

Mid-April will see the return of Catalina 22 racing on the Columbia River as we kickoff the new season with the SYSCO Spring Series.  The three series and two regattas that will make up Fleet 20's racing calendar include:

• SYSCO Spring Series (May/June:  five Thursday evening races)
• RCYC Medium Distance Race (May:  one day regatta starting and ending at buoy "14".  Fleet sails upriver to a marker near Government Island, East Dock)
• SYSCO Summer Series (June/July:  five Thursday evening races)
• CYC Summer Series (July/August):  six Thursday evening races)
• SYSCO One-Design Regatta (August:  one day regatta)

New this year for Fleet 20 is the RCYC Medium Distance Race.  While dubbed a race, it's more about the challenge of sailing your boat upriver.  RCYC finishes the regatta off with a BBQ at the Rose City Yacht Club's facilities after the race.

Please let me know if you are planning to race.

Sailing the Sea of Cortez in a Catalina 22
Part 5 of 7:  Puerto Escondido to Agua Verde
By Don Woodhouse, Togarty, #7260

After the excitement of the Coronadas it was OK to pull into the protected Puerto Escondido. We dropped the sails and motored past the "Waiting Room" an outer bay with many anchored yachts. There was a big excursion boat , probably 100' at the outer dock. Past them was another outer harbor with 20 or so boats anchored up. I motored slowly past a guy in a catamaran who said I should anchor next to him because if I went to the inside harbor it would be very expensive. I thought I would just go on in and find out just how expensive it was. There was a small dock without moorings and a huge inner harbor full of about 100 mooring buoys. When we came up to the dock a nice worker dude, Jorge caught our lines and said we could go up to the office to inquire about the cost of a buoy. It was nearly 5pm so the girls at the office were preparing to leave. They said a boat our size was 121 pesos and that I should bring payment and paperwork after nine in the morning. This sounded acceptable me. Jorge saw that I had a bag of peanuts in the shell and I offered him some. I asked Jorge if we could go into town for dinner and shopping and leave the boat at the dock. I said it would be as long as 4 hours and he said for 10 pesos he would watch the boat and to take all the time we needed. We walked towards the highway 1 mile from the Marina to see if we could hitch a ride. There was a RV park and mini-mart about 1/4 mile up the road and we got a ride from there to Loreto.

We needed ice and drinking water and a repair kit for the dingy/raft. You see back in the wind and waves north of Punta Pulpito the SS GI Joe's AKA Sevlor cheepy dingy was being towed. It flew up in the air and came down on the only sharp thing at the back of the boat, a thumb screw near the transom that no longer serves any purpose but to puncture rafts. It ripped a 1/2 hole in the outer tube but the inner chamber was keeping it afloat. The repair kit was on my list but as I was loading things up in Brush Prairie but I just couldn't find it. Our ride to town was with a guy in a newer minivan with an about 7 year old daughter. He drove 70 mph while talking on the cell phone the whole time. We were in Loreto in no time. He stopped at the gas station which was close enough to the grocery store so when he went to talk with a friend we gave the daughter a few pesos for gas and jumped out. I was on a mission to find a vinyl repair kit and Wayne was on a mission to find a scarf to replace the baby blanket that blew away.

I found the discarded head of a Mexican Barbie doll on the ground and picked it up. Wayne said it might be bad luck. I was reminded of the Brady Bunch episode when Greg found the Idol in Hawaii. We had some food at the Cafe' Ole' , always good. And then went to the super mercado. We had quite a lot of stuff as we left and decided to hire a taxi for the return trip. Wayne asked a driver and thought it was too much. The next guy said $300 pesos and we new it was as cheep as we were going to get. The driver was old and so was the car. He never exceeded 50mph but he was making full turn corrections on the steering wheel just to keep the old van on the road. His eyes had that milky look of someone who really doesn't see very well. I but my faith in the plastic virgin on the dash and all turned out well.

As we approached the security gate I could see Jorge and a huge pile of peanut shells outside the guard shack. He waved us through and we loaded up the boat. It was pitch black out and I had only a vague idea where buoy 73 was. The girls had said next to a sailboat called Calafia. With Wayne and the spot light on the bow we cruised the whole harbor . We finally found Calafia but no #73. We did find #75 though and that was good enough. After the anchor dragging incident of Punta Pulpito it was a secure feeling to be on a mooring buoy even though the wind was really howling and the boat rocking. I bungeed the halyards and taped up the flags which quieted things down pretty good. Wayne installed his earplugs. We slept .

At nine in the morning we motored back to the dock and saw Jorge. I took the registration and insurance papers to the office and paid the moorage fee. I returned to the dock with the wind still howling to start the dingy repair. I had bought some contact adhesive at the hardware store in Loreto and used the rubbing alcohol to clean the surface of the dingy. I cut up the vinyl case to my dividers to make patches. I laminated two layers over the rip and it looked like it was holding. I put the Mexican Barbie head over the thumb screw that had ripped the dingy. We had been keeping in contact with the girls by cell phone but my prepaid minutes were about gone. We went back to the mini-mart and caught another ride to Loreto. This time with the clerk from the mini-mart and two old fishermen types from the RV park. They were up in arms over the new Marina and the $30 US fee for the boat launch. They were regular contributors to a local gringo newspaper and wanted to set up an interview with some Mexican fishermen to explore the impact of the fees on locals. I asked if we were violating some sort of boycott by patronizing the Marina and they declined comment.

When we got to Loreto we ate pizza and bought phone cards. I was not able to call Debbie but Wayne talked to Lori and she said she would relay the news of our whereabouts and the fact that we would be outside of cell range for a few days. By the time I had filled up the fuel cans it was obvious we were not going to leave Puerto Escondido until the next day. We motored around the inner harbor and the "Waiting room and tried a few of the crowded anchoring spots. Finally we went back to buoy #75 for another night. In the early hours of the next morning the sunrise created a beautiful scene with the mountains glowing pink behind a calm sea. Motoring out of Escondido towards the Candeleros Islands we saw a few small boats sailing in the distance. When we got up to them we saw that they were small open sailboats and one was moving with oars. They must have spent the night at Dizante or one of the other islands. The breeze eventually filled in until we were able to sail the remaining 15 miles or so to Agua Verde.

The highway turns west past Loreto so the village of Agua Verde is rarely visited by RV'ers . The bay is the most scenic in Baja and was the cover shot for the Charlie's Cruising Guide and rightfully so. We dingied ashore to take pictures and visit the village. The cruising guide made reference to a store but we walked the entire area without finding any. We found little homes made of plywood with fishing net fences. Sometimes a pig was behind the fence. There was a bit of activity among the locales and we looked pretty out of place. One old guy asked Wayne if we were looking for the store and he said yes. He gave us directions and Wayne asked if it was in the "El Centro" of town which elicited chuckles from the womenfolk. The store was on a back street and they had a limited selection and ice only two days a week. We bought a few things and returned to our lovely spot on the calmest greenest bay I had ever seen. A large motor yacht came in an anchored up . We could almost watch their big screen TV through our binocs, It looked like CNN. I told Wayne it might be the Tecate Girls doing a photo shoot. That night I dreamt of the "Lucky Sailors" who found paradise in the remote cove then were invited to party with the Rich and Famous. When I awoke it was still just Wayne and I crammed into the tiny cabin. Good enough for me.

Spinnaker Pole Acquisition and Storage
It's possible to spend a lot less than you think
By Dale Mack

It often seems like anything labeled as "marine" costs 2-3x more than its equivalent non-marine counterpart.  Compound that with equipment designed exclusively for sailboat use and you come to understand that there just aren't a lot of options out there.  Spinnakers poles are a case in point.  One visit to the Internet leaves you backing away from the keyboard with sticker shock.  I occasionally shop marine swap meets where you can find incredible deals.  For example, a few years ago former Fleet 20 Captain Terry Annis was in the market for a spinnaker pole for his Catalina 25.  We found one at the Tomahawk Bay Yacht Club's swap meet for $25 (yes twenty-five dollars).  Just one of the end-fittings on the pole was worth nearly $100 if purchased new.

An alternative to buying new or used is the option of making your own spinnaker pole.  While this may sound a little daunting, it's actually quite simple.  A C22 class legal spinnaker pole is no longer than eight feet when measured from tip to tip.  The diameter of the aluminum tubing will be be influenced by the spinnaker pole ends you choose to use any how heavy-duty you feel the system needs to be.

One of my favorite pictures from the 2006 Catalina 22 National Regatta is this picture of the homemade spinnaker pole on Pete Harper's Hummingbird.  What I like about this picture is the philosophy of simplicity behind the approach to sailing.  Where other's might be buying the latest spinnaker doodad, Pete took a piece of 1-1/2" aluminum tubing, and riveted on pair of end-fittings I've never seen in any marine catalog.  Even the bridle is a simple a piece of old line knotted in the middle with a loop to provide an attachment point for the topping lift or downhaul.  Pete eventually went on to win the 2006 C22 National Spinnaker Championship, thus proving that store-bought doesn't necessarily mean better.

Storing the Spinnaker Pole

I store my spinnaker pole below, but those focused on performance and efficiency tend to store the pole topside when racing.  The following three photos show different approaches for topside storage.

On Pete Harper's Hummingbird (three time C22 National Champion and four time C22 National Spinnaker Champion), the aft end of the pole is simply clipped to the aft lower shroud, and the forward end rests on the deck.

On David Hayslip's Enterprise (five time C22 National Champion), the pole is stored on the boom.  Two pieces of PVC pipe are screwed to the boom.  The piece near the mast has a slot cut in the top so the pole can be laid down into the pipe.

The above picture is the boom on a Martin 242 that shows a variation on David Hayslip's setup.  Instead of PVC pipe near the mast, a stainless steel bail has been installed for the purpose of providing a place to clip one end of the pole.

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)

January

• Boat Show:  5 - 13, Portland Boat Show
• Boat Show:  24 - Feb 2, Seattle Boat Show
• Boat Show:  24 - Feb 2, Lake Union Boats Afloat Show

February

• Clinic:  TBD, Fleet 20 Spinnaker Clinic, Part 1 of 2 (indoor session)

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.