www.c22pdx.org

April 2008
 

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

It was sure nice get Crocus back into the water, but the experience taught me a lesson about timing.  I've always launched in February or early March.  My delay had me launching in Salmon fishing season.  Oh my!  Nothing like beer, horsepower, and people in way too much of a rush.  Stay away from the launch ramps with small children, because it could be lethal.  It seemed like no one was paying attention to anyone on foot.

SYSCO Race Clinic Draws a Crowd

The SYSCO Race Clinic I taught on March 27th at Rose City Yacht Club was attended by 50-60 people.  It was an incredible turnout combined with great questions from the audience.  It was a fun evening and a nice way to slide into the start of the season.

Is Your Vessel's Registration Current?

Since mid-February, the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office River Patrol has been actively visiting Oregon moorages checking for current registration stickers. Failure to have a current sticker can result in a fine ranging from $97 to $237.  Arriving by water, the deputies are walking the docks and checking on registrations.

TBYC Swap Meet - May 17

Plan on starting the day early at the Tomahawk Bay Swap Meet.  It's a great opportunity to go bargain hunting while hanging out with other sailors.

 

 

Recruiting New Members
 By Dale Mack

I want to encourage everyone to keep an eye out for C22 owners and introduce them to Fleet 20.  The fleet's application form/brochure is available online, and can easily be printed on any home printer.

Why recruit more people?  Larger fleets are more fun, not because everyone shows up to everything, but because there are more people available to plan and lead activities.  With more activities available, individual members are more likely to attend an activity that matches up well with their own personal schedule.

 

Spinnaker Clinic Draws Interested C22 Sailors
By Dale Mack

On March 8th, Fleet 20 held a classroom spinnaker clinic.  A combination of videos, demonstrations, presentation, and Q&A was used to cover rigging, trim, sets, and takedowns.  Attendees also had a chance to learn how to pack a spinnaker into a turtle (a bag used for launching the spinnaker).  The venue for the clinic was the home of Dale and Laura Mack in Vancouver, WA.

The Fleet's clinics continue to be popular with members, so anticipate seeing more in the future.  One thought I've had is to invite folks aboard Crocus for some of the Friday Night Beer Can Races.  This would provide an opportunity to see how another boat is setup and sailed while working as a member of the crew.

 

CRYA FlagOpening Day Parade - May 3

Portland's 2008 boating season kicks off with a colorful opening day parade on the Columbia River organized by the Columbia River Yachting Association (CRYA).  More than 300 boats from 15 local yacht clubs will parade through the review area starting at 12:30 p.m.  Boats, information, will stretch out for more than two miles as they pass the review vessels anchored at the 42nd street boat ramp.

 

What is a Vessel Safety Check?

It is a free check of a vessel’s equipment for compliance with federal and state safety requirements. The vessel examiners performing this service have been trained to look for some of the more common problems, which might occur in your boat or its associated safety equipment. Some of the items we check are:

  • Proper display of numbers
  • Registration/Documentation
  • Personal Flotation Devices; Life Jackets
  • Visual Distress Signals
  • Fire extinguishers
  • Ventilation
  • Backfire flame control
  • Sound producing devices
  • Navigation lights
  • State requirements
  • Overall vessel condition

If a vessel meets all of the Vessel Safety Check (VSC) requirements it is awarded a VSC decal.

Tomahawk Bay Yacht Club
Annual Swap Meet
Saturday, May 17th
7:00 am to ??

Tomahawk Bay Moorage Parking Lot
855 NE Tomahawk Island Drive
Portland, OR 97217

Visit TBYC’s Home page: http://www.tbycportland.com

 

News from the Oregon State Marine Board (OSMB)

The Sandy Beach project on the river side of Government Island downstream of Bartlett Landing has gone out to bid and will now cost about $2.5 million.  Construction should been in the fall and be ready for use next year.  It has a large “H” configuration dock which can be expanded in the future and there are picnic sites as well.

Gleason Ramp: a new design for the debris deflector should prevent the silt buildup experienced at the new Rainier ramp; the first phase of a multiphase development will include a 250 ft. tie up; in the second phase they will replace the ramp will probably occur after July of 2011.

Coon Island: they have finished the east side and want to repair the composting toilet as the bid for a new one was $300,000.

Rooster Rock: They have investigated the cost of dredging and it would be several million dollars; so it will remain a tie up for spring and late fall – too cost prohibitive to dredge. They do plan to improve the transient docks.

Rainier to Astoria: They are looking for good places for mooring buoys and/or docks– particularly islands; have also approached the State Parks asking them to look for good locations; problem is maintenance after completion – especially with the reduced parks budgets; asked the group to make suggestions for good mooring buoy locations

Last year she did not apply for any Federal Funds. Once an application has been made, the Feds give 3 years for completion of the projects. Most projects in Oregon are taking a good 5 years from start to approved permits – so they have to be well along in the process before an application can be made for Federal funding.

 

Strictly Sail at Jack London Square
By Dale Mack

Laura and I are heading south this month as we make plans to attend the largest West Coast all sailboat and equipment show at Jack London Square in Oakland, California.   Officially known at Strictly Sail Pacific, this show is famous for its large collect of in-the-water sailboats and shoreside tents filled with gear booths targeted at sailors.  This year the show rans from April 16-20.

 

Racing

Racing Starts Thursday, April 17th
By Dale Mack

For Fleet 20 the racing season begins Thursday, April 17th.  If you plan on racing your boat, you must register for the Spring Series with SYSCO (Small Yacht Sailing Club of Oregon).  The entry form for the event, along with additional information on the SYSCO Spring Evening Series is available on fleet's racing page.

The SYSCO Spring Evening Race Series runs from April 17th through May 22nd (five races). The Catalina 22's (known as fleet H2 in SYSCO) race on Thursday nights. The First Warning Signal for all races is 6:30 p.m. (1830 hrs). There is a $35 entry fee for the five race series (entry fees are not required of SYSCO members; however, SYSCO members must register and are subject to the late entry fee provisions).  Registration entries are NOT accepted on the water, and any entry received 72 hours prior to the event must be accompanied by a $10 late fee.

Fleet 20's racing page has a lot of information on local racing.  Everything from the entry form to the sailing instructions for each race are available.  The material targeted at the race committee is very informative because it explains in simple straight forward language what the race committee is doing to start and finish races.

You can download the presentation I created for teaching the SYSCO Race Clinic.

http://home.comcast.net/~sailpdx3/RaceClinic.pdf  (2.3 mb)

The presentation teaches you most of what you need to know to race on the Columbia River that isn't in the Racing Rules of Sailing.

The First Night

Plan to be on the water and in the vicinity of the Race Committee (RC) boat at 6 pm.  Although the first race doesn't start until 6:30 pm, you'll find that checking in with the RC, and then testing out various wind angles makes the time go by fast.

Checking in is simple.  You pass by the RC with either your sail number or boat's name visible.  The RC will then find you in the list of boats entered for the race.  RC's commonly handout materials on the course by rolling them up and inserting them partially in to the end of a PVC pipe which they will extend out from the RC boat.

 

2008 Racing Schedule
By Dale Mack

Here is a look at the 2008 racing schedule.

SYSCO Spring Series (*)

  1. April 17
  2. April 24
  3. May 1
  4. May 15
  5. May 22

RCYC Medium Distance Race

  • May 17

SYSCO Summer Series (*)

  1. June 5
  2. June 12
  3. June 19
  4. June 26
  5. July 10

SYSCO One-Design Regatta (*)

  • August 16

CYC Summer Series

  1. July 24
  2. July 31
  3. August 7
  4. August 14
  5. August 21
  6. August 28

PYC & SHSC Gold Rush

  • July 19

Note:  The asterisk (*) denotes events that count towards the Fleet Champion award.

 

Save Money by Joining SYSCO
 By Dale Mack

Fleet 20's racing program makes use of the SYSCO Spring Series, Summer Series, and One-Design Regatta.  For non-SYSCO members this represents $105 in entry fees ($35 per event).  SYSCO members pay no entry fee to race in SYSCO events, so your $70 SYSCO membership fee actually saves you $35 when compared to non-members.

To join SYSCO visit their website at: http://www.sailpdx.com/sysco.html

 

Cruising

Bartlett Landing Cruise
April 19 & 20

The Columbia River All Catalina Association (CRACA) invites Catalina owners to join CRACA on April 19-20 at Bartlett Landing (Government Island, East Dock).

Located 9.1 nautical miles upstream from the Interstate Bridge (I-5), Bartlett Landing is situated on the north side of Government Island.  From the I-5 bridge you can reach Bartlett Landing in about two hours under power.  Famous for its endless sandy beaches, dappled sunlight through the tall shade trees, and fine picnic and camping sites, Bartlett Landing offers sailors an oasis because Government Island isn't accessible by car.

 

Technical Tips

Learning to Fly a Spinnaker
By Dale Mack

One of the questions that came up in the Fleet 20 Spinnaker Clinic was whether one should start learning to fly a spinnaker with the mainsail up.  I'm in the camp that says no.  Leaving the mainsail down allows you to focus on sets, trim, jibes, and takedowns without the added complication of the having to worry about the mainsail's windshadow, or having to coordinate a spinnaker and mainsail jibe.  Last year, Don Bateson and I had an incredibly fast run home to Portland during the Fleet 20 cruise to St. Helens, Oregon.  Despite my comfort both cruising and racing with a spinnaker, Don and I still choose to leave the mainsail down.  If you'll just starting out with a spinnaker, either symmetrical or asymmetrical (cruising), try flying it without the mainsail, and then gradually an additional elements as your skills and comfort level grows.

 

Catalina Newsletters of the Northwest

Checkout these links to Northwest Catalina newsletters and local racing:

 

Upcoming Events

April

  • Clinic:  11 (fr), Fleet 20 Spinnaker Clinic (dockside session)
  • Clinic:  12 (sa), Fleet 20 Spinnaker Clinic (dockside session)
  • Race:  17, SYSCO Spring #1
  • Race:  24, SYSCO Spring #2

May

  • Race:  1, SYSCO Spring #3
  • Race:  15, SYSCO Spring #4
  • Swap Meet:  17 (sa) Tomahawk Bay Yacht Club, Tomahawk Bay Moorage Parking Lot
  • Race:  22, SYSCO Spring #5

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.